Evening Star Newspaper, October 26, 1930, Page 35

— OUTCOME OF DRY LAW REFERENDA AWAITED Difficult to Estima te How Results in Illinois, Massachusets and Rhode Is- land Will Affect National Question. By MARK SULLIVAN N THE election & week from next y will be three State refer- enda on prohibition. Readers wish. ing to interpret the election in its Ing on prohibition will want to know just how they are worded and what will be the meaning of the out- comes when they are announced on November 5. Prohibition, according to Teports from every section of the coun- try, is more discussed than any other polla‘c;l issue or any other aspect of While these refcrenda are important, ‘While two of them occur in large States, while the outcomes of them will be ed in great headlines, while deed their significance is not to be minimized—nevertheless one feels, as one examines them closely, that it is going to be difficult to estimate exactly what the several possible outcomes of them will mean in their bearing on the broad national question. For one reason, the wording of at least two of them is obscure—obscure, that is, as respects what the voter is choosing between, obscure in so far as they are searched for a guide toward whatever is to be the next phase of pro- hibition in a national sense. momufl fll::. fie&um& one, which some respe e most adequately phrased. Three Questions In Illinois. The voters of Illinols on Tuesday of next week will answer “yes” or “no” to three questions: “First, shall the eighteenth amend- ment to the Constitution of the United States which among other things pro- hibits the manufacture, sale or trans- S et S e Uni Tepealed?” United States, commonly known as th olstead act, so that the i ‘The question on the Massachusetts bal- lots—prepare now to smile a little about the usefulness of the whole idea of referendum as a method of making laws —reads thus: “Shall the proposed law which amends general law by striking out chapter 138, Section 2a, which section provides that ‘No person shall manufacture, trans-| ron by aircraft, water craft or vehicle, import or export spiritous or intoxicat- ing liquor as defined by Section 3, or certain non-intoxicating beverages as defined by Section 1, unless in each in- stance he shall have obtained the per- mit or other authority required there- for by the laws of the United States and the regulations made thereunder,’ which law was disapproved in the House of Representatives by a vote of 110 in the affirmative and 123 in the negative and in the Senate by a vote of 11 in the affirmative and 26 in the negative, be approved?” Doubtless Mr. Calvin Coolidge can | understand that—since he was for many years a member of the Massa- chusetts Legislature and is otherwise skilled in the technical phraseology of involved statutes. He can follow the particularly abstruse kind of statute which is, as in this case, an amend- ment to a pre-existing statute. But aside from Mr. Coolidge or persons of equivalent experience, how many read- ers of this article feel they can under- stand that question, or f2el they can answer “yes” or “no” to it in such a| way as to give effect to exactly what &they wish about prohibition. Especially about prohibition in the national sense? Among other obscurities, this Massa- chusetts referendum deals only with two phrases of prohibition. It includes rd anufacture” and the word “sale, third aspect ibition mentioned, and forbidden, the eighteenth amendment to the national Constitution. Omission of the word “sale” from the Massachusetts referendum is, of course, intentional, and if understood is undoubtedly com- pletely intelligent. Doubtless it is ex- plained by the relation of this partic- ular statute mentioned in the referen- ed | dum to other existing statutes of which ce with laws of the respec- tive States?” g “Third, shall the Illinois hibi act I.‘le repealed?” i ‘The first of these Illinois questions *Shall the eighteenth lmdm::l peod be repealed” is specific and clear. Illi- nols voters who write on their ballots 'Yes” or “No” will presumably under- stand what they want. Yet can we be sure that all of them understand? .votg “tyu." J‘\:elt what as the thing wants about prohibition? Certainly he present status changed, wants away with. But what has he in mind, does he visualize as the the proposed one is designed to be an amendment. Let us not doubt that this referen- THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., OCTOBER 26, 1930—PART TWO. Panama Canal’s Heritage Story of Darien and Effort to Colonize Isthmus Which Ended in Tragedy an“Interesting One. BY JOHN SNURE. EW light was recently thrown on the long trail of romance, tra- dition and _history connected with the Panama Canal by studies of War Department offi- cials and especially by researches and inquiries which have been made per- sonally by Secretary of War Patrick J. Hurley. The subject is a compelling one under any circumstances, but it takes on all the more interest and fascination as the Panama Canal gradually expands in importance as the world’s greatest highway of international trade, as it forges ahead of the Suez, as the com- merce of the West and East becomes year by year more dependent upon it, and as the attention of the Government is being turned to the serious necessity is | of building a second canal to meet the to inform and guide the voter. Doubt- less the meaning of the vote on the referendum, one way or the other, will be understood by them: and doubtless their understanding will be adequately conveyed to the public in head- lines of their papers on NovemBer 5. But one would like to be sure that the meaning of this question as phrased above, will be perfectly clear to every Massachusetts ' voter who on November wants instead of the pres- | I8y ] E§§ z.8 #e. Bk Ee g8 Rz %iigrfi FE e % | i i ] i & 3 ae g ordinarily sepak or read the . And one would like to be sure that when the result is announced the rest of the country will know ex- actly and dependably what is the true jublic opinion of Massachusetts on the gm‘d Tuuflnn of prohibition in the national sense. R. L Referendum Clear. ‘The third of the referenda to be taken November 4 is simplieity itself, and brevity itself. It is to be taken in Rhode Island and it reads: “The eighteenth amendment to the Constitution United States: ‘et this form of referendum is sub- to the defect familiar in referen- da—it does not present two clear al- ternative methods of dealing with pro- hibition. It ts one concrete al- ternatiyg, which is the present status. But who knows what is the other al- ternative, what is the kind of liquor law proposed to be substituted for the present status? It is conceivable, for example, that a Rhode Island voter would vote against the present status, but would also vote against State op- eration on the Canadian plan if that were the alternative presented to him. If these referenda were to give the htenment that many persons ear- nestly wish for, they should be phrased 50 as to present alternatives. In every such referendum one alternative would be the present status, the eighteenth amendment as it now works. The other y for dealing with the m—such an admirably spe- cific proj Gov. Alfred Smith put forward when he ‘was running for President. In any event, these three referenda to be voted upon on November 4 are a conspicuous phase of the campaign. There will be a world of discuss! of the results for weeks and months suc- ceeding November 4. The exact text of them is important, and here it is. In- cidentally, the procuring of the texts involved some little difficulty. Neither of the two party headquarters in Wash- ington possessed them. That fact has some significance of its own. Thousands Pay Puccini Great Tribute 4 “La Boheme” Is ROME.—Torre del Lago and the genius of Puccini have had their most enthusiastic apotheosis in the perform- “La Boheme” 's villa near Viareggio. impressions are so tumultuous and deep that it is almost impossible to give a connected description of the fairy scenes and music evoked in the very surroundings where Puccini composed the most celebrated of his works, which in Paris alone once ran for a succes- sion of 1,000 nights at the Opera Somioue. Thousands Stand Outside. , the most fashionable Sum- | beach and bathi place, which & short drive from Torre del ), wanted to come en masse for the Presented at Villa , for example, as former | up In the mountains. Then when he was not yet rich he took an apartment at Viareggio and finally bought the d and built the villa at Torre del t was here that Puccini medital all his characters, their feelings, u:::: ments, joys and sorrows, as figured in his imagination and expressed in melo- dious phrases. It was here that his imagination created the ardor of Ru- dolph’s love, the pathetic death of Mimi and all the human characters of Mu- sette, Schaunard and Marcel; and it was in these very surroundings we were to hear the melodies and harmoni. s setting of all the music and the scenes as conceived by the sublime genius of the master. ‘The borders of the little lake, the garden and walks were one continuous fllumination, like a fairy realm, and Pletro Mascagni, who had, as it were, in the early days grown up with Puc- " |cini, had spent two years at the same other thousan listened under the trees to the music eould not be counted. avenue of lights, with 60 tri- hes, led from Viare to People came from all parts d even from other coun- first were Prince hereditary Princess Char- jonaco and Monte Carlo, two test admirers and friends conservatory and in the ame clacs with him at Milan, who had all his life been his intimate and admiring friend, came as volunteer to direct the per- formance in homage of their old friend- ship. Mascagni Receives Ovation. Pletro Mascagni directed with all the devotion and fervor that he felt for the memory of his friend. All the singers and actors who had come from the Scala and had offered their artistic contribution gratis sang in the same spirit of fervent admiration and emo- tion, and during the whole evening the deep impression remained that we were the a the surroundings. Minghetti, Monte- santo and Vaghi and the exquisite Mimi, Signora Pampanini, and the Mu- as the manager, Giovacchino Forzano, most of ,, He first had & rustic cottage and all the artists. (Copyrisht, 1030.) - needs of the expanding merchant fleets that pass back and forth between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Among the numerous phases of the story of the canal and of the history of the Isthmus of Panama and Central America which is entwined with it there is none more striking than the ill-fated attempt to establish a Scotch colony at Darlen nearly two and & half centuries ago. The attempt ended in suffering, tragedy -and disaster. Had the schema of colonization succeeded, as it might well have done but for certain adverse influences and circumstances which could have been foreseen, Great Britain today probably would be in possession of the cana) region and in control of the Panama Canal, as she is in control of the Suez. But the arm of the Span- ish Government, then long and power- ful, drove off the Scotch colonists—and their attempt to gain a foothold on the isthmus and establish a great world trading center now is almost forgotten. Few Adventurers Survive, There is another interesting and pe- cullarly fitting phase of the story of Darien and Panama. Most of the un- WHEN AMERICANS TOOK OVER CANAL CONSTRUCTION. fortunate Scotch adventurers who tried gena, there is & small island known as |mus at Darlen, which is something to settle on the isthmus lost their lives either through war with the Spaniards, disease or shipwreck. But among the survivors was & young Scotch girl, Jean Stobo. Escaping death by a miracle, she finally landed at Charleston, 8. C., with her father, a minister, the Rev. Archibald Stobo. And Jean Stobo was the t-great-great-grandmother of e Roosevelt. To all intents and purposes the bullder of the Panama Canal was Theo- dore Roosevelt. As President of the United States, supremely interested in such a waterway, he made the thing possible. Gen. George W. Goethals himself declared that Roosevelt was entitled to the chief credii for it—as much as if he had taken part in its actual digging and construction. Others have said the same thing. Under all the circumstances, it may not be amiss to ask whether his fervor for this vast project was born in him. Did there run in the blood of Roosevelt, reach- ing hack to the days of that member of his famlly who sought to colonize at Darien, some fascination for the proj- ect of linking the great ocean trade routes at the isthmus? ‘The story of the Darien colony, the strange linking of Theodore Roosevelt with it and various features of the background of the canal have recently had new and special attention directed toward them by the visit of Secretary of War Hurley to the isthmian and Central American region. He wen! to the isthmus some months ago to fa- miliarize himself thoroughly with canal problems, including the question of the proposed Nicaraguan Canal. Since his return he has been studying the his- tory leading up to the building of the canal. The story of the Scotch colony at Darien impressed him deeply, and he was struck with the romance of the fact that among the colonizers was a Df?efllm of Theodore Roosevelt. ‘0 the eastward of the Panama Canal, between Porto Bello and Carta- | Golden Island. It was just to the south of this island that the Darien colony, known as New Caledonia, was located. Today the town is known. as Porto Escoces, but the name Caledonia still survives in one way and another along the isthmus. Hurley Paid Visit. On his visit to Panama Secretary Hurley flew over a large part of the isthmus. He saw the old walls of Porto Bello, through which passed the Span- ish pack trains laden with silver from the mines of the Western, World; he saw the scenes of the activity of Mor- gan and his buccaneers, and he had opportunity to look at close range upon New Caledonia and the few traces still left of the ancient Scottish colony. But for the most part such traces have long since been effaced. Where the fortifi- cations and other works and houses of the colonizers once stood there are now |only & few thatched huts. The jungle | has reached out and swallowed up most of the remnants of what once gave promise of being a flourishing enter- prise. The moving spirit in this enterprise was Willlam Paterson, economist, writ- | er, financier, adventurer—altogether one of the most remarkable men of his cen- tury. Bankers to this day study his career and revere his name. That is because he founded the Bank of Eng- land. But his ill-starred effort to plant a great Scotch colony on the Isthmus of Panama possessed far greater po- tentialities for the economic future of England than did his founding of its great financial institution. First, then, a bit of geography and a bit of history by way of explanation. | The Isthmus of Panama is the term i now applied to that whole neck of land | between the Northern and Southern Continents. To the east or where the Panama Canal is located are the Isth- {mus of San Blas and the Isthmus of | Darien. It is 46 miles across the Isth- more than the length of the present canal route. Lures Many Adventure Cravers. For more than four centuries this whole stretch of land has been scene of the activity of the world’s greatest adventurers, most of them seeking the development of trade routes to the Orient or the expansion of trade at this crossroads of the West- ern continents. From the days of Columbus Spanish explorers began feeling their way at the Panama and Darien region, search- Mg in vain for a water route to the East Indies. In 1513 the great adven- turer Vasco Nunez de Balboa stood “silent upon a peak in Darien” and saw the blue waters of the Pacific stretch- ing away in the endless distance. Bal- |boa was by no means the first explorer on the isthmus, but he has gone down in history as the discoverer of the Pacific. The question of a canal across the Isthmus was raised even at that early day. Soon after Columbus and Balboa, as the Spanish and other explorers came to the conclusion that land barred the direct route to Cathay, the idea of a canal began to be discussed. The Portuguese navigator Antonio Galvao as early as 1550 published a book which he endeavored to show that a canal could be constructed at Tehuan- tepec, Nicaragua, Panama or Darien. About the same time the Spanish his- torlan Gomara submitted a memoran- dum to Philip II urgirg that the work ot building a canal be begun by Spain. But Spain at that time had a monopoly. of commerce in the West Indian and Caribbean regions and, not being anx- fous to open a route to the Pacific which would benefit its rivals, was cold toward the plan. But through the next 200 years the project for a waterway between the two (Continued on Fourth Page.) The Story the Week Has Told BY HENRY W. BUNN. HE following is a brief summary of the most important news of the world for the seven days ended October 25: BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS.—The population of the Brit- ish Isles increased by 110,000 in 1929 to a total of 48,684,000. For England and Wales there was an increase by 125,000 to a total of 39,607,000, for Scotland & decrease by 9,000 to a total of 4,884, 000 and for the Irish Free State a de- crease by 6,000 to 2,943,000, while Northern Ireland’s total remained un- changed at 1,250,000. The year's birth rate showed continuance of the decline of recent years. Sultan Ibrahim, Moslem Sultan of Johore, has wedded a Mrs. Wilson, di- vorced wife of a Singapore physician. Johore is one of the “independent’” Malay states under British protection. Area. 7,500 square miles; population, 300,000; products, rubber, tin, pepper, tapioca, areca nuts, etc. The happy man is opulent. Wing Comdr. Charles Kingsford- Smith arrived at Port Darwin, Australia, on October 19, having flown from Hes- ton Airdrome, England, in 9 days 23% hours, beating by 5 days 2% hours the record established in February. 1928, by Bert Hinkler. He used a Brit- ish 125-horsepower single-engined Avro Avian plane. L GREECE.—The other day the build- ings of an orphan asylum and a tuber- culosis sanatorium on the Island of Syra which were buiit by the Near East Relief and have rendered magnificent service over trying times, were with eat ceremony, in which Premier Venizelos and the American Minister to Greece participated, turned over to a Greek foundation to be used as a voca- tional trade school specializing in the weaving and textile trades. Upon the occasion Mr. James Barton, chairman of the American Near East Foundation, announced that great contributions would be forthcoming from the United States within the next five years for schools and hospitals in Greece, Al- bania. Turkey, Iraq and Persia. Syra is one of the Cyclades—magic name. Eumaeus the swineherd thus described it to Odysseus in the fifteenth book of the “Odyssey”: “There is a cer- tain isle called Syria, if haply thou hast heard tell of it, over above Ortygia, and there are the turning places of the sun. It is not so very thickly peopled, but the land is good, rich in herds, rich in flocks, with plenty of corn and wine. Death never enters the land and no hateful sickness falls on wretched mortals, but when the tribes of men grow old in that city, then comes Apollo of the silver bow, with Artemis and slays them with the visitation of his gentle shafts.” * ok x RUSSIA—It is curious how much nomenclature the Bolshevists borrow from the contepmed old religions. “Heresy,” for example, is a word for- ever in their mouths. There are the “heretics” of “right wing defeatism,” the too-quick despairers, and the “here- tics” of “left wing confusion,” the too- zealous advance agents of the Com- ‘munist millennium. No doubt the Bolshevist philosopher will tell you that progress is helixwise, corkscrewwise; that it isn't, as some- times it seems, a case of mere see-saw; today a kick, tomorrow a sop, to Cerbe- rus Hodge; today a raise of industrial wages, tomorrow a reduction, and se- verer factory discipline. Well, we're all watching that fascinat! experi- ment, not too unsympathetically. The debts of Russia and Russians sette, Signorina Carosia, well deserved | to our Government and citizens are in the acclamations they received, as well three categorles, as follows: A loan of ll!7.000.008; ml:de by the United zl'o‘n‘:.l Treasury the Ki v government; some mo&m covered by miscellaneous notes given by the czarist government ~to American bankers, and claims of American citi- zens for_industrial propesty confiscated by the Bolshevist government, whereof the estimated total is between $300,000,- 000 and $400,000,000. * ok k% TURKEY—Of old the plain which surrounds Angora on its rock citadel was scarcely more famous for goats | than for roses, cultivated for distilla- tion of the attar, otto, or essential ofl. But, owing to the Turko-Greek war and other vicissitudes, the plants have largely been destroyed. Now Mustapha Kemal has resolved that the plain shall again be one blush of rosa damascena, and he has called in French experts to advise on the plantations and as to improved methods of distillation. Bulgarian valleys south of the Balkan Mountains are still, I believe, the world’s chief source of attar of roses, but much | comes from Ghazipur, India; from Southern France (Cannes especially): from the Fayum, Egypt; from Germany (near Lelpzig) and from elsewhere. I refer to the natural product. The Damask rose is cultivated in Bulgaria, India and Germany; the Province, or Cabbage rose, is favored in Prance, ‘What could be more pleasant than the cultivation of plants for their es- sential oils? Cannes is famous for rose, acacia and jasmine; Nimes for thyme and rosemary; Nice for violets; Italy for iris and bergamot; England (mitcham and hitchin) for lavender and peppermint; Sicily is renowned for citron and orange oil. ‘The natural sources of the attars, or essential olls, are the flowers, fruit, seeds, leaves, wood or bark of plants. They are mostly obtained by distillation, but in some cases by expression or maceration. Somewhat less than an ounce of attar is produced by a hun- dred and fifty pounds of rose leaves. * x % % ABYSSINIA.—The Duke of Glouces- ter, with a party of 15, is on his way to Abyssinia to represent his royal sire at the coronation on November 2 at Addis Ababa of Ras Tafari as Emperor Halle Sellassie I of Ethiopia. The duke takes with him presents of great mag- nificence, of which, no doubt, sporting guns are the items that will be most esteemed, for the Negus is a mighty hunter before the Lord. The French government is sending his majesty an airplane royally ap- pointed and Germany sends 500 bot- tles of Rhine wine of the rarest. Presi- dent Hoover sends an autographed photograph of himself. The entire night preceding his cornation as Negus Negusti (King of Kings) and Lion of Judah will be spent by Ras Tafari and his consort, ‘Waizeru Menen alone, silent, in dark- ness, within St. George's Cathedral, in prayer and mediation, the while a multitude of faithful subjects are standing outside, holding lighted candles and banners. It is of interest- ing note that the cathedral was erected by the great Menelek to commemorate his victory over the Italians at Adowa in 1896. At first blush of dawn the abuna (metropolitan), assisted by six | bishops, will crown their majesties, who will be garbed in crimson velvet adorned with gold and diamonds. Their reverences, moreover, will chant a te deum in Geez (the literary and ec- clesiastical language, understood by very few). The six bishops will have prayed without intermission for 21 days over the crowns, whose jewels are worth a million dollars. From cathedral to palace their majedties will ride in a coach formerly used by Kaiser Wilhelm, drawn by white horses and driven by the former coachman of the Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria. They do things in style in Abyssinia. * % % % LATIN AMERICA —So the revolution is successful in Brasil. On October 24 § most of the federal forces stationed in Rio de Janeiro, the capital, went over to it; whereupon President Washington Luis resigned, and a junta consisting of military and naval officers took charge. The dispatches are vague, but seem to indicate a certain amount of mob vio- lence in the capital; looting, burning, wrecking of the plants of newspapers which had been loyal to the overthrown government. Apparently Sao Paulo, on hearing of the development, a acquiesced. Ex-President Luis seems to be a prisoner in a coast, fort. A few days prior to the above Presi- dent Hoover issued & proclamation declaring, under the authority conferred by a joint resolution of Congress of January, 1922, an embargo on shipment of arms or munitions of war to Brazil, to the federal government of Brazil as may be approved by our Government and “such arms and munitions for industrial or commercial uses as may from time to time be exported with the consent of the Secretary of State.” On December 12, 1931, there will be celebrated with magnificent ceremony the four hundredth anniversary of the visitation, at Teyepac, now Guadalupe, near Mexico City, of the Virgin Mary to one Juan Diego. The appearance was reported by Diego to Juan de Zum- marraga, the first Bishop of Mexico, but his reverence was skeptical and demanded proofs. Returning to the scene of the visita- tion, Diego craved a convincing sign. Again obtaining audience of the bishop, he unfolded his mantle, and lo, roses of ineffable fragrance, and still more wondrous, the figure of the Virgin painted on the inside of the mantle. The mantle, with the painting still fresh, is, I helleve, still to be seen on the altar of the basilica erected on the | scene of the visitation. A respectable authority furnishes us the following statistics. The total pub- lic debt of Peru, with a population of perhaps 5,500,000, is about $145,000,- about $5,000,000 within 10 years. The total public debt of Bolivia, with a population of about 3,000,000, is about $70,000,000, whereof about $60,000,000 is foreign. In both cases, considering the meagerness of the per capita wealth, the per capita debt is much too large. In Bolivia a budgetary deficit is the regular thing, and service of the debt is maintained with difficulty and pre- cariously, the ylelds being exorbitant. ‘The other day the Swedish Match Co. obliged in return for a monopoly, and still more recently resort was had to an internal loan at extravagant in- terest in order to maintain service. Retrench, sisters, retrench. * o % * UNITED STATES—Federal tax re- ceipts of the first quarter of the c\}r- rent fiscal year totaled less by $62,471,- 804 than for the corresponding quarter of 1929. On October 18, off Gloucester, Mass., the American fishing schooner Gertrude L. Thebaud of Gloucester beat the Bluenose of Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, by about 8 minutes over a 38-mile triangle, in a 20-knot nor'wester. Thus, by two victories to none, winning the speed champlonship of North Atlantic fishing craft of the Grand Banks. The Bluencse won the last previous series, way back in 1922. She also won in 1921. Gloucester is happy. Y NOTES.—Here is almost the only note of optimism heard for many a long day. In its annual report the Danish National Bank declares that the Danish economy has not been very seriously affected by the planetary econcmic slump. On the whole, you know, the Scandinavian countries are the best maneged in the world. We don't hear much from that quarter. “Happy the people whose annals are uninteresting.” The gold reserve of the Bank of France has now almost attained the W\, with the exception of such shipments | 000, whereof $112,000,000 is foreign, | having advanced to that figure from | colossal figure of 50,000,000,000 francs (about $2,000,000,000). There has been a notable subsidence of strikes in Spain, and some recovery of the peseta. Capt. Gen. Valeriano Weyler of Spain is dead at 92. There was a time when there were few names so familiar to us. Because of his methods as Spanish commanding general in Cuba, and espe- | cially because of his institution of the “concentration” system, he was com- monly referred to in this country as “the ~butcher,” but he had amiable traits, a picturesque personality. Fascist-Communistic discord develops bloodily in Germany. In a clash the other day. eight persons were injured by bullets, Gen. Chang Kai-Shek of China has formally embraced Christianity. His wife has long been a Christian and was educated in the United States. Assembled in Rome for its annual session, the other day th: International Institute of Agriculture celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of its founda- tion, its, father being the Californian, David Lubin. Premier Mussolini made some very apt observations on the occa- slon as follows: “There is no doubt that agriculture plays a preponderent part in the dynamics of world economy. A crisis, in fact, is always reflected first by agriculture, while the countries where :(rlcultugl is healthy and well organized feel the effects of a crisis least. On agriculture, therefore, must be concentrated all efforts aiming to mend and equilibrate the delicate mechanismeof economic exchange.” ——— 850 House Is Believed Oldest in Germany According to the German historian, Paul Eeichholtz, probably the oldest house in Germany is in the little town of Winkel, in the Rhineland, built A.D. 850. People in Winkel call it the “gray house,” and very likely it was the resi. dence of the famous Abbott Rabanus Maurus, who was one of the greatest scholars of his time. The “gray house” contains a dispro- portionately large kitchen, where Mau rus is reported to have fed the sick and the poor. In the history of German poetry the “gray house” also plays a remarkable role. It was the birthplace of the romantic poet, Clemens Bren- tano, and his sister, Bettina, who is known by her “Goethe’s Correspondence With a Child.” At present the “gray house” is inhabited by & farmhand and his family. Political Background To Frontier Shooting Italian frontier incidents include the elements of melodrama. A short time ago at Gagglolio (Varese) an Itallan frontier guard was shot dead, and an- other wounded when patrolthen suc- ceeded in preventing a party of three men and & woman from crossing into Switzerland. One of the arrested men is named Eugenio Macchi, aj 30, and has since been identified w! an anar- chist gang whose members all have been sentenced to long terms of imprison- ment in connection with a bomb out- rage at the Diana Theater in Milan in 1921. It was at first thought that the frontier party was engaged in cont band traffic, but it is now ascertained that the affair has a political back- ground. Police investigaticus revealed that Macchi had been released from jail only & few months ago. Inquiries are now being made as to where he man- aged to obtain the funds which were spent in bribing his two male compan- ions, natives of the Varese province, who were to guide him in his perilous flight across the border with his lady 4 CHANG’S INTERVENTION ENDS PEIPING REGIME Cessation of War Near as Manchurian War Lord Mobilizes Troops to Force Peace. BY VICTOR KEEN. HANGHAL—The infant northern coalition government at Peiping, formed by disgruntled, divergent political and military groups whose chief bar to cohesion lay in mutual antipathy for the Nanking regime, appears to be no more. ‘Weakened by military reverses on all fronts and sorely in need of funds, the | young government received a death blow | when Chang Hsueh-Liang, war lord of Manchuria, announced mobilization of his troops for armed intervention, pre- sumably on behalf of the Nanking gov- ernment. Yen Hsi-Shan, chairman for nine days of a government that was prepaging for dissolution at & time when it not gone beyond an embryonic state, is re- ported to have announced his political retirement. Wang Ching-Wel, Left Kuo- mintang leader and civil head of the rebel government, has issued a circular telegram in. responss to Cheng Hsueh- Liang’s peace manifesto reiterating his political principles, and after delivering this political swan song he has departed from Peiping to join Yen at Shih- kiachwang. Cessation of Hostilities Near. After seven months of civil strifgs during which the population in the be- leaguered areas has been ravaged by all the miseries of war, accentuated by the cepredations of bandits, a temporary cessation of hostilities seems near. ‘Whether the same cycle is to be repeat- ed as soon as the government's foes have had an opportunity to recover from their apparent military reverse at the hands of Chiang Kai-Shek depends on political readjustments of such & fundamental nature as to gain for Nan- king more Nation-wide suj than it has enjoyed at any time during the last two years. Although the immediate cause of the collapse of the coalition government may be attributed to Chang Hsueh- Liang’s refusal to lend even his nominal support, had the northern arms been victorlous the irreconcilable factions within the rebel political combine prom- ised small hope of any unity of policy. Four of the principal elements in the northern coalition were the Left wing {of the Kuomintang, headed by Wang Chiang-Wei, the Right wing, more com- monly known as the Western Hills group, and the two military war lords, Yen Hsi-Shan, model governor of Shansi Province, and the “Christian” Gen. Feng Yu-Hsiang. Neither Feng nor Yen had any official ‘party status prior to the much-disputed third party congress at Nanking in March, 1929, and neither the Left wing nor the Western Hills fac- tions recognized the legitimacy of the third party gathering. Anti-Communists Ousted. The factional disputes which resulted in a cleavage in the Kuomintang date from death of Sun Yat-Sen in 1925. During Sun’'s active direction of the party an alliance was formed with Soviet Russia, but shortly after the Kuomin- tang’s leader’s death the anti-Commu- nist faction advocated a break with the Soviet. The counsels of Wang Ching- ‘Wei, who then favored co-o] with the Communists, prevailed, however, and the anti-Communists were ousted from Canton. P During the Winter of 1925 this fac- tion called a conference in the western hills near Peiping. The following year the Western Hills group summoned a secret party congress at Shanghal and armies of the Kwangs! clique and the ronsides. During the first two months ef the war the government forces were chiefly opposed by independent troops and en= countered little serious resistance. But when Chiang Kai-shek's armies met the seasoned veterans of the Kuominchun the tide of battle was reversed. During May the Nanking soldiers suffered seri- ous losses on the Lunghal Raflway. While Feng's troops were -Mm Nanking in Honan and the Shanst ;:‘r‘a .tm!;m‘l:ynd‘h; Tientsin-Pukow way, the wantung koe= were gaining important victories Kwangsi Province against the Kwangs! rebels and the Ironsides. Changsha Looted by Communists. Late in July Chiang Kal-shek injected new vigor into the government came paign to recapture Tsinan by transfer- ring several Cantonese regiments to Shantung, where Han Fu-chu, since his evacuation of the capital, been making littl® progress. For the second time within two months Changsha fell into the hands of anti-Nanking forces when a Communist army, estimated &t 10,000 men, captured the Hunan capijal on July The Red forces looted Chinese and foreign mission 3 fired upon an American boat, wounding five bluejackets, after exacting toll from Chinese merchants retreated after oc- cupying the city 10 days. On August 15 the government tmz recapturcd Tsinan. This -fl:“"fl turning point of the war. The govern- ment forces crossed the Yellow River and began to advance northward. Peiping was bombed from the air. Then the government offensive in this quar- ter ceased and Nanking initiated & new offensive on the hal front. Appar- ently, Chiang Kal-shek, t of chan{ ] 's intention to move his forces into ‘Tientsin-Peiping area, decided to await development and bent every effort toward driving Feng's forces back on the Lunghai front. Yen Hsi-shan Resigns. and gram, dated 14, announcing his nation. The following day Hsyeh. made public his enigma peace procl znuon the full import of which still a matter of lation. ‘Wang Ching-wei has depl.rm“m the u;lnt‘ll to jein Yen at Shihkiachwang, 'bl?ll:mun"’ ?w med governmental orces an officials have evacusted Peiping and mwm‘wh vening ostensibly half of 'hnt actually to prevent the Ni Tientsin; vhemnghnmw tion and with the consent of Ni s whether he is intervening in order te the present the National governmental regime, whether he is playing s lone hand and seizing an ty, as did father, to extend his influence south the Great Wall, subsequent events will thow. It is too early to analyse motives. elecn?‘ ':' ueohr’g‘ Kuom‘i;zm' central comm! wl was Tecognize by the Leftists. Left-Wing Leaders Barred. After the Canton government had ex- pelled tte Comm from in 1927, the second Central , elected the previous year at the Kwan- tung capital, split into two factions, oae supporting Chiang Kai-shek and , the other Wang Ching-wel. Later the differences were ironed out and s co- ! alition government formed. But fol- lowing Communist uprising at Can- ton in 1928 the Left-Wing leaders were permanently excluded from participa- tion in the Nanking regime. A third party congress was held early in 1929. Yen Hsishan and Feng Yuhsiang were invited to attend, and for the first time obtained official party standing. {, It was charged that 80 per cent of the delegates were appointed the Nanking Central Committee. Both the Western Hills and Left Wing factions since have refused to recognize the congress. ‘The Nanking regime, backed by the military support of Yen Hsi-shan and Feng Yu-hsiang, at the beginning of 1929 appeared too formidable for any armed opposition, but it was not long | until Feng and Chiang fell out. In May, 1929, when the Japanese forces which had been ocgupying the Kiachow-Tsinan Railway in Shantung were withdrawn, Feng’s ambitions to gain control of a seaport were circum- vented by Chiang Kai-shek, who or- dered that the garrisoning of Shantung | be divided between the Christian gen- eral’s troops and Nanking forces. Feng declined to agree to this arrangement and ordered his subordinate general, Sun Liang-chen, to withdraw the Kuo- minchun from Shantung. Kwangsi Clique Rebelled. ‘The Kwangsi clique, a combination i of military leaders from Kwantung and Kwangsi Provinces and the Wuhan cities, rebelled in the Spring of 1929. Chiang Kai-shek crushed the revolt at Hankow and the loyal Cantonese in Kwantung prevented Canton from falling into the hands of the rebels. But no sooner was this revolt sup- pressed than & more formidable mili- | tary combination began to form. The | new revolt included Feng Yu-hsiang as well as the Kwangsi cligue and had the secret indorsement of Yen Hsi-shan, who was supporting Feng while osten- | sibly professing loyalty to the Nanking | government. | The rebels planned to strike simul- ! taneously at Canton, Hankow and Can- | ton, but the government by a redistri- bution of troops removed all doubtful | units from strategic posts and upset the plans of the enemy. The signal for the opening of hostilities was the mutiny | at Ichang, in September, of the famous | Ironsides Regiment, commanded by | Chang Fa-kwei, one of the most bril- !llant generals in the revolutionary | armies. Chang led his troops through Hunan Province into Kwangsi to form a junc- ! tion with the Kwangsi rebels for an at- tack upon Canton. Feng was sup) to co-operate by beginning a drive for Hankow, but he delayed action until October, giving the government forces time to defeat the Kwangsi forces in Kwantung and sent Cantonese re-in- forcements to cope with the Christian general in Honan, Feng’s Troops Driven Back. Feng’s troops on the Lunghai Railway in Honan were gradually driven back, and in November hostilities ceased without either army gaining a decisive victory. During the Winter Yen and Feng per- | against Nanking, enlisting the support of the disgruntled military leaders and anti-Nanking politicians, including ‘Wang Shing-wei, who had returned to Hongkong from abroad, where he had. been in exile. Yen exchanged with Chiang Wal-shek, assuring the generalissimo of his loyalty, while Chi- ang replied with professions of faith in the Shansi warl Meamwhile both preparations for war, Wl |in “March, 1930. Th | fected their preparations for & TeVOIt | tor cine. Irish Like Broadeast Methods of Americans There are three wireless transmission stations in Ireland. The one in Belfast is part of the system of the British' Broadcasting Corporation. Dublin and Cork stations are worked by the Free State department of posts and graphs. The same 10-shilling over most of state 18 the site has not yet been proposal now been made, and is under consideration by the post authorities, to follow American at least in part, and hire the station to advertisers who would provide their own programs. ‘WILLIAM H. BRAYDEN. Dublin, Ireland, Sept. 5. Balzac, French Novelist, Was Fond of Good Coffee To the many Americans who go dis- consolate in want of their usual coffes when traveling in France it may be & surprise to hear that a famous Frenche man, the novelist Honore de Balsas, was as fond of good coffee as they can be and extremely fastidious about the ?“zfl" of the grains and their perco- ating. He always had three kinds of grains mixed—Bourbon, Moka, Martinics, and had to go to three different for them. He called his own coffee pot his “muse” and drank gallons of the dark beverage every day. ‘There he found the stimulus for those excruciating spells of inspiration, which sometimes lasted 48 hours and left him Ships ;l;::; Pacific Vie for Speed Honors Competition for speed honors in Pa- cific transportation is engrossing the attention of most of the big com- on this ocean. Tem- i ; E £y il i 2 § tion, in addition to the of Yen and Feng and ine erals in Hooan, 3 § {