Evening Star Newspaper, December 1, 1930, Page 8

" A-8 [THE. EVENING STAR 'All!lfl!o!. D. C. komr...‘..nm;-m 1, 1980 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor b syl iautdedbeid Ihlm!hrll per Company “fixfi”fl'mpmfil e by Carrier vmu- the City. Star.. . 450 per month i Y Rate per copy nth. i D sl Mail—Payable in Advance. d and_Virginia. da 1 $10.00: mb&dflum ted Press. ‘.,?or Te] uhucmnn‘tl: gé“ it or not omnrw . 'r ...u‘:f'&...m. Tocal *n':,::;'h‘.',:'m:"s::.'zc.z = r— Congress, The Seventy-first Congress assembled at noon today for its final session. It has an opportunity to aid the country in a time of stress. What the Congress does will depend, however, upon the measure with which its members forget party politics and remember that the cause the whole country comes be- fore personal political advantage. The people will watch carefully the legis- lative branch and will weigh in the balance its effectiveness and its willingness to undertake the task of ameliorating conditions for hundreds of thousands of Americans who face hard times this Winter. The Federal QGovernment cannot undertake to wipe away depression and poverty, nor could # accomplish such an end even if it undertook it. But the Congress can set the pace for the governments of State and municipality and an example for the individual citizen, who, after all, must be relied upon to shoulder the greatest amount of responsibility in this situ- ation which confromts the country. In recent years the Congress has been Bubjected to criticism because it has frequently given more attention to poli- tics than to the real problems which ‘were at hand. There has been an effort on the part of too many members of the Congress to “put some one in a hole.” usually the President of the United The Congress has before it definite tasks to which it should give its at- tention immediately, They are relief messures and the annual appropriation bills for the upkeep of the Government. Relief measures doubtless will be com- in some hnmnu, with the ap- ased appropria- and for other Federal Govern- follow will-o'-the- because some of their s | ington Star and the Columbia Broad- draperies which the literature of that day had hung about the limbs of soclety. The new literature was strange and shocking to the old school. It violated all its canons. It hardly could admit that it was literature at all. But the literary style of today is very similar to that which Victorianism suc- ceeded. Robert Burns' “Holy Willy” was a worthy predecessor of the “Rev. Elmer Gantry.” And there are already evidences of the coming of a new Vic- torianism in letters. Society will not 80 naked for long. Literature is a mirror of the life of its day. We may doubt whether it ever has been anything more. It is modest and idealistic when society itself is modest’and idealistic. Seemingly a de- fendant of the old Dr. Van Dyke prob- ably is actually a prophet of the new. American literature will change as the social outlook changes. “Piatiletka.” It is an interesting coincidence that Representative Hamilton Fish, jr, of New York should have delivered through the National Radio Forum of The Wash- casting System his impressive arraign- ment of Communism in the United States at about the same moment the Associated Press released its authentic analysis of “Piatiletka.” That somewhat unpronounceable Russian word means the notorious and fantastic five-year plan of the Soviet government, whereby it is sought to place the “proletariat” union of so-called republics and its 150,000,000 inhabitants on a modern in- dustrial basis by 1933. Representative Fish's exposure of the Communist menace in this country is of timely connection with the “Piatiletka” revolutions because the Soviets’ colossal economic scheme is part and parcel of its vociferously vaunted program for “world revolution.” Valerian V. Kul- byshev, president of the State Planning Commission, which drew up the five- year plan, informs the Associated Press that the project, under the high pressure which the Kremlin czars have imposed upon the people, is already so far advanced that its fulfillment in four years—i. e, by 1932—can now be con- fidently predicted. Production of oil, steel, rolled metal, electro-technical facilities, agricultural implements and other machinery, and farm produce are said to be vastly in excess of scheduled output up to this time. The prodigious speeding-up process necessary to the achievement of these alleged results has been accompanied, Mr. Kuibyshev claims, by a steady increase in the number of workers enjoying a seven- hour day. “Piatiletka” and the spread of Com- munism here and in other non-Russian countries are associated developments, too, because the avowed purpose of the Soviet is, by adopting the hated prac- tices of capitalism, to make itself more and more formidable as an interna. tional influence. Refl Russia does not crave international relations in the sense and for the reasons that other nations cultivate them. The Soviet conception of internationalism is to make Communism the dominating fac- tor in it. It Stalin and his co-conspir- ators for world revolution should ever have their way, the entire globe would be dragooned into & “union of Soviet republics” run by, from and for Mos- cow. Communism has many velled purposes. But it makes no conceal. ment of its international aims. “Piatiletka” is to. provide the sinews of war for the accomplishment of this glamorous plot. Russia is to be turned into a gigantic money-making machine in order that world revolution may be adequately financed and comprehensive- ly organized. Dumping of Russian- made products is, of course, a major element in the plot. To outsell the ve real faith in them and because of political advantage to there will be plenty of criti- from the country. Agreement for co-operation on relief measures and the passage of the ap- propriation bills has been reached by major political the traces, however, and not following their leaders. The danger lies princi- pally in the Senate, where the rules governing that body permit of many delays in the consideration of import- ant measures. That body has a chance to gather new laurels. But it also has a chance to lessen its prestige by an overindulgence in bickerings. Fahsmatiiou gy Some day the War Department may find ftself in the fix of having waited 80 long to bestow & medal for war-time valor that the proper recipient is dead and all the members of his family are dead also. One wonders what then would be the eventual repository of the decoration; perhaps the National Mu- seum? A New Yorker has just recelved his Phi Beta Kappa, won in 1872, s0 that the department has still & long mark to shoot at. .- Van Dyke and Lewis. Dr. Henry Van Dyke denies that he characterized the award of the Nobel prize for literature to Sinclair Lewis as an “insult to America.” He was, he says, much less specific than appeared from the statement attributed to him. He only remarked that the award was *a left-handed compliment.” He did mot name Lewis, but referred generally to the whole school in American liter- ature to which the author of “Arrow- smith” belongs — those younger men who have taken the more sordid real- ities of life as the material for their ‘work. ‘The dispute brings out two funda- * mental types of mind in art. It is not an encounter between the old and the new. The philosophy of Van Dyke and rest of the industrial earth, in its va- rious home markets, is & fundamental feature of the scheme. In the United States the Soviet would destroy our farmers by deluging us with cheap wheat grown and harvested by sweated peasants. It would demoralize our Pa- cific Coast lumber trade by sending to the American market timber cut and sawn by forced labor. It would tempt the American steel industry with man- ganese mined by semi-convicts and of- fered here at prices far below what our limited domestic output of that basic metal can be-sold for. Representative Fish and the other members of the committee appointed by the House to investigate Communist activities are rendering a truly national service. “Pink” scoffers have essayed to ridicule the committee and minimize its assigned task. “Recognitionists,” who want Uncle Sam to shake diplo- matic hands with the Soviet, have joined with our business-at-any-price contingent to laugh off the idea that Communism has a noteworthy foothold in this guileless and unsuspecting land. ‘There is, fortunately, every indication that the forthcoming report of the Fish committee will blow up much of this ostrich-headed equanimity. e Hunters declare the wild duck to be the most impudent, tantalizing and skillful creature that ‘ever roused man's hunting instincts. Fishermen, however, will continue to swear by, and also at, the black fiy of the north woods. ——————————— Germany distrusts the sincerity of France, Some historic habits of thought never change. e Beautifying the Capital. Members of the House and Senate, returning to their duties today after a recess of five months, will find that considerable headway has been made on various projecty for the improvement and beautification of the area surround- ing the Gapitol. On the Unicn Station Plaza they will the philosophy of Lewis have been con- | ohserve steam shovels puffing away at flicting currents in literature from the the task of grading that wide expanse which is to become an attractive addi- tion to the Capitol grounds and a pic- turesque gateway for those who eater the National Capital by train. Over on Pirst street northeast, facing the Capitol, they will see the two blocks between Maryland avenue and East Capitol street being made ready for an early beginning on the United States Supreme Court Building. ‘To the south of the Capitol they will observe that preliminary work has been accomplished on the foundation for the new House Office Building, with officials planning to award the contract for the ing completion and that the square between this building and Pennsylvania avenue is being cleared for park treatment. Congress during the past few years has shown a disposition to go forward without delay, not only in providing adequate permanent buildings to house Uncle Sam’s growing business, but also to appropriate the necessary funds for the beautification of the Capital City. These signs of progress which meet the eye 1n all directions are evidence of the sympathetic consideration the legisla- tors have shown toward Federal im- provement projects here. No doubt the session which starts’ today will be marked by further progress toward the development of a National Capital worthy of so great a Nation, oo See This Game! Washington is fortunate in having such an attraction as the Marine Corps-Coast Guard foot ball game here next Saturday and more fortunate still in that the proceeds will go for relief of the unemployed. The teams to meet at Griffith Stadium will be fighting for possession of the President’s Cup, the prize for which picked elevens of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard compete annually, and the game iiself holds extraordinary interest. Added color will come from the parade before the game by some 1,200 Marines from Quantico and Ma- rine Barracks and four or five hun- dred Coast Guardsmen. The Presi- dent, the Vice President, members of the cabinet and of the Senate and House are taking boxes and the diplo- matic corps will be adequately repre- sented. Many of the service clubs, the civic organizations and business men’s ascociations are doing their bit by taking blocks of seats. Every penny of the proceeds will be devoted to un- employment relief, but the success of the undertaking will in the end depend upon a generous patronage by unofficial ‘Washington. The funds will be turned over for administration through the Citizens® Committee on Unemployment, of which Frederic A. Delano is chairman, although the event is being held under the general auspices of the Chamber of Commerce. The committee has been drawing up its program for unem- ployment relief in Washington this Winter without making any appeal for needed funds. Receipts from the foot ball game, if Washington’s support is what it should be, will go far toward providing money that is needed to pe- vent threatened suffering and hardship. ——— The prediction is made that eventu- ally drug stores will sell fresh meats. Then just add vegetables and the argu- ment as to the location of the new Center Market is ended once and for all. st Congress is depended on to expedite legislation in order to avold an extra session, So many extraordinary things are happening that even Congress is expected to do something unusual and work fast. et ——————— India's system of “caste” is said to be breaking down. As India evolves & modern political system it will be dis- covered that even the humble mortal once called “untouchable” has a vote that is at least worth a hand-shake. ———— Unfortunately it might be considered beneath the dignity of a Speaker to| produce his admirable violin and play something that will induce the House of Representatives to step lively. ————at—————— According to reports of magisterial m:thods of dealing with metropolitan night life, some rather ugly words might be set to the tune of “Sidewalks of New | York.” [ — Soviet Russia undertakes to solve all political and financial problems. So far it has produced no suggestions that apply helpfully to the perplexities of the world at large. o SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Man Who Knows Everything. The laws of gravitation vast Seemed made eternally to last And they were going strong Till Einstein came along. And there are many other laws Which claimed respect and won ap- plause. ‘Will these likewise prove wrong ‘When Einstein comes along? They who engage in grave debate Concerning some affairs of state Perhaps will change their song ‘When Einstein comes along! As Politics Is Played. “Do you miss the serene dignity which distinguished politics in days gone by?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum. “Formerly politicians fought duels in deadly earnest. At present politics is more like a foot ball game. It looks terribly rough. But at the finish it is always discovered that nobody is very seriously injured.” Jud Tunkins says he likes to save time, but he can't figure out much ad- vantage in getting quick service by crashing into an ambulance. A Furtive Foe. ‘The drought has played some ugly tricks. ‘The farmer in dejection ‘Wishes it were in politics— He'd beat it next election. A Lovely Quarrel. “I hear you are giving a dinner by party.” “Yes,” answered Miss Cayenne. “I hope all present will be congenial and happy.” “Please don't hope anything like that. I am looking forward to a lovely quar- rel about what guests are to occupy places of honor at the table.” “He who speaks nothing but the truth,” said Hi Ho, the sage of China- town, “must live long in silent contem- plation in order to discover it.” No matter how cold it gets, garden- lole their etnuuulum i n they cannot garden actively, they like 'c read about it. Recently presented here an article ving t.he 'lx common mistakes made the amateur. In the next mail we received a letter from a keen-eyed reader, as follows: “Dear Sir: T read with interest your article about the six mistakes of new- comers to the garden world, but as far as I could discover you only mentioned five. What is the magic sixth, and why is its light hid beneath the bushel of lack of mention? I made all five mis- takes, and would like to know if I made the sixth, too. Your constant reader. E. L” * ok ok ok ‘Well, E. L., and sundry, the sixth mis- take is a great deal like the fifth. You will recall, perhaps, that we said the fifth was the forgetting by the ama- teur of garden lines, especially those of width and height. The sixth common mistake of the amateur is to forget the factor of growth. Nothing is surer, in a garden, than that a small lilac bush will grow tremendously in five or six years, but almost never does the amateur take this natural fact into consideration. He puts two of his lilacs where one should go, without once stopping tc realize that in a few years he will be forced to move one of them. Or he fails to remember that a shrub 2 feet high, although at the time of planting it does not block the vision, will do so when it grows to be 8 feet in_height. One may always prune? Yes, one may always prune, true enough, but any one who has had ex- perience in amateur gardening, which always must be differentiated from the commercial, knows full well that if there is any garden task feared by the ama- teur it is this. Most garden neophytes will not use the pruning shears, no matter how necessary their application becomes. Mostly they are ignorant of how to go about the task. They have not read the various “Pruning Manuals” on the market, and, if they have, they do not understand them, or are not able to bridge the gap between the theory and the practice. It is one thing to read how to do a thing, and quite another to go out into the garden and do it. It seems easy enough, this pruning business, when one reads in a little book, but let him take his trusty knife or snippers in his hand, and venture toward yonder spirea, he will realize instantly that there are more things in the philosophy of prun- ing than are taught in your fine book, Prof. Balley. b Better than pruning, even, is to re- member, when one plants, that shrubs and evergreens and perennials will grow, and in time will be both wide and tall, and will necessitate a revamping of the garden, unless their latter state is con- sider?d when the garden is new. One may always transplant? Yes, one may transplant, but only with fear and trembling. The amateur, no matter how carefully he digs up & full-grown shrub, never knows if it is going to do well in its new home. ‘We believe that the professional, who views his task only as a means of gain, has a hlppler psychology in transplant- ing than the amateur, who may have worked up a sentimental attachment to a certain bush or some other such foolishness. The professional does what he does with & sure hand, in no wise afraid that his digging will hurt the bush. thing but pleasing. The shrul and sulks, and, if it does not flle, takes sevel'l.\ years to get back to its old condition, Planning is better than pruning. the amateur will remember the (ncts of growth, and will attempt to see nis garden, not as it is, but as it sure- ly will be a few years la it every- thing goes well, he will be saved all this bother of pruning end transplanting. * ok ok X Consideration of the factors of growth | He also has an affirmative side. If one realizes that plants of all kinds grow, if he keeps this thought firmly ;’l’; rtl;lnd thhz thléu:e led to the pllnfl!‘ ‘ees, ul ate in gardening f the luture Mogt, us garden only for a few mont| We are happy our pretty nnnulls do well for us, if our gladiolus bs flower over a couple of months, K our vegetables give us fresh thlnll i _eat for the Summer. We should make some attempt to garden for the future, and the best way to do this is to plant a tree. There are several communities in and around Washington where such foresight as little as 10 years ago would have re- sulted in tree-graced areas today. Several of such communities are as innocent of trees now as they were when founded. Most automobilists can recall riding by such places and won- dering “what sort of people lived there.” Everything looked so bare, so {;li‘:;{ng in ltk;; nlflcetlu of living. To 30 of e inhabitants, ho T, was a misjudgment. S They were forced to suffer thus, in passing minds, n.mrly because they had not, as a group, planted trees. * K ok X Every one who has had any expe- rience ‘with attempting to get 3 rmpl:p to act as one in any matter knows that mostly the attempt is futile, unless it be based upon some sort of psychol~ m which appeals to the mind in the The amateur gardener therefore will do well to give up any idea of inducing his neighbors to plant trees, and to rest satisfied if he will do it himself. This will be more than most of us do. The necessity for tree planting grows every day, as day by day sees more and more of the old trees die a natural death or come to a tragic end at the hands of progress. Human beings, dogs and cats are not the only things slain by_the automobile. If every one who owns a plece of land would make it & point to plant at least one tree, the arboreal line would be_kept stationary, perhaps. In doing this good deed, however, the amateur must not forget our omitted and sixth mistake, which is, after all, simply one of misjudgment. He must not forget that a young tree, planted in the front yard, will grow and grow alincdkmw if both he and the tree are lucky. He must make sure before he plants that his tree will look well 10, 15, 20 years from now; that it will not block out a cherished view; that it will look as he intends it to look. In considering trees, he must never forget the growth of the humbler things, such as shrubs, evergreens, perennials, annuals. These, too, grow remarkably, and the fact should never be overlooked, especially at the actual time of planting. This is the theory; that is the practice. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. If it be true that the American peo- ple like a two-fisted President in the White House, Herbert Hoover's most re- cent performances ought to tickle them. The eveltian ways are not his ways, yet “T. R.” in the pink of his fighting form seldom hit harder or straighter from the shoulder than Hoover has done on three major occasions within a week. Ever and anon, it's said that the Presi- dent is devold of intestinal investiture, to use the longer and more elegant term. Ask New York and Chicago what | they think about that, after being told by Hoover where they head-in on the expectation that Uncle S8am would look after their gangsters and racketeers for them. Ask “Bill” Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, who has just been made acquainted with Hoover’s opinion of organizations that want to pick his cabinet officers for him. Ask “Jim” Watson and other Senate leaders, who advised the White House not to press the eight-year-old World Court project at this time, but have suddenly become conscious that Hoover intends to do that very thing. * ok ok % It is, indeed, a new Caesar at No. 1600 Pennsylvania avenue. The prevailing view at Washington is that the country wishes him to feed on more of the same meat. There are both Hoover friends and foes who are convinced that the only way for the Californian to escape from the gloom that envelops him and his administration is to battle his way out of it. They detect in his present bel- ligerency an indication of Hoover's readiness to use the Big Stick. The session of Congress which opened to- day is going to give him plenty of chance for Dc'litlcll pugilistics. A Hoo- ver fighting for his policies, and not lying down after merely formulating them, is a Hoover the Nation will un- derstand and like, even if he fights and loses. Of such kidney, at any rate, | is the counsel the President is getting from quarters which think they know the game of politics better than he does. ‘The next few months will show how far he's disposed to heed it. * ok ok ok If the American Federation of Labor in 1932 sticks to its program of re- warding friends and punishing enemies, _Herbert Hoover may be destined to incur ‘its wrath. It's a long time since the body that speaks for more than 4,,000,00Q, or- umm workers had the riot act read it as the President read it in an- nouncl.n' “Billy” Doak’s appointment as Secretary of Labor. Hoover fairly rasped it out. Willlam Green, head of the federation, is a Democrat. He's supposed to have been an Al Smith man in 1928. Probably that didn’t have any- thing to do with Hoover's slapping him on the wrist in the Doak affair, but it doubtless wasn't a restraining influ- ence. The railroad brotherhoods nu- merically are not nearly as strong as President Green’s organization, count- ing altogether not more than 500,000 among the “Big Four.” They are, on he Ther hand, unquestionably a more lormidable political phalanx than the federation, because of the common tie of rail labor that unites them into a cohesive whole. It's next to impossible to deliver a federation vote, or any- thing faintl, lyproxlmm it, at elec- tion time, but the rail workers have massed times without number for or muc a candidate, and made or ruined * ok k¥ Speaker Nicholas orth has come back to the session with dlvert- ing tales of how his one-time major: ity of 30,000 in his Cincinnati dlstrll:t National Afflugnce. ‘The visage of the citizen relaxes As thoughts arise concerning future glee. When Al Capone pays up all his taxes How affluent the Mry ‘will be! “!lflllunlnnuhmnnl fiivver,” said Uncle Eben, “Even if a mule balks, if you'll conversationalize | never wif him in patience, sooner or later he's accord.” was slithered on November 4 to a bare 5,000. “Nick” is & wet and doesn’t care who knows it. He voted against the eighteenth amendment and the Volstead .act and sustained President wtlum s vem of the enforcement meas- But this year his Democratic op- pemnt did his darnedest to make Cin- cinnatians beli night after night radio—that the Anti-Saloon League and that Bishop Cannon is his boy friend! * K ok K John D. Rhodes, one of the Senate's famous staff of debate reporters, was strolling through the Capitol the other day when a middle-aged couple ac- costed him and asked to have “some points of interest” shown them. Oblig- ingly he led the way and escorted the strangers to the Senate chamber. Un- expectedly the trio ran into a record- breaking event there—for the first time, cameras and the flashlight were invading the sacred scene, as Vice President Curtis posed for & news] pe! snapshot_ in presiding _ officer’ chair., Rhodes introduced his new friends to “Charley,” who insisted on their visiting his “palatial office and ,otherwl‘! doing the honors. As the | party broke up, the male of the species ought he ought to introduce himself. I'm Henry Ford's brother-in-law,” he EE One of the throng that lingered long on M. Paderewski's recent pianistic seance in Washington was Isidore Hershfield, well known Washington representative of the Hebrew Immigra- tion Aid Society. When the concert was over, Hershfield made his way to Paderewski to say that he and Mrs. Hershfield had spent three interesting years in Poland after the armistice in Jewish relief work. The artist took the Washingtonian's two hands in a firm and fervent grasp of his own, and exclaimed, feelingly: *“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your people have done for my country!” Paderewski was premier-President of Poland when Hershfield was in Warsaw. Sk £ ¥ Near the Library of Congress a beau- tiful pile is rising, which one day will shelter the Folger collection of Shake- speariana, the finest in all the world. A fair visitor from Wheeling f W. Va, was looking across at the building from a window of the Library and asked an attendant, unmistakably a son of Erin, what it was. He told her. “Who gave the collec'.lon?" she inquired. “Bure, Mr. Shakespeare himself,” quoth he the brogue. (Copyright, 1930.) Sunken Gardens Plan Rated Objectionable To the ‘Bditor of The Star: Your editorial in The Star of Novem- ber 14 regarding the proposed sunken garden around the Washington Monu- ment was read with great interest, for the writer has heard much discussion on the subject among his friends; the consensus seems to be that the dignity and beauty of the memorial will be best conserved by “the present muutlc sweep of greensward leading up to noble shaft.” ‘We have great respect for those who are appointed to decide and make changes in our venerable stepping stones of architectural ess, though we cannot but wonder ‘what process they arrive at their decisions. First they criticize the facade of the beautiful State, War and Navy Build- ing ental, so they buildings on the Triang] and his friends thlnk the architectural individuality and beauty of this build- ing should be preserved. ‘Then thay decide that the Washing- ton Monument is too plain and lacks ?rmn;e:u 's;l: tgfm{e wlb to lubt"ct rom its noble uilding steps and rails and Lu{u where none are needed. We can see no consistency e s ps style we may have ralse me on the State, War nn vay Building and a pemeon on the Washington Monument, and if the demand for ltz'h persists we it add s nlm.n hat to the Capitol dmt 1924, when many of the other labor leaders were shouting their held.! off for the late Senator Robert M. Follette of Wisconsin, and he lwrked hard for the election of Mr. Hoover lnl His appointment has therefore little political significance. * ok kX When Mr, Hoover was picking m to fill office in his cabinet before he actually entered the White House, there ven pleas from mery Republicans in South that that section of the caunmbe given recognition. The press of suggestions that Mr. Hoover would seek to make himself more po lar with the Southerners by :g ting one of their number to the cablnet North Carolina, for example, had a strong candidate for Secrctary of Commerce. It was widely rumored at the time, too, that Mr. Doak of Virginia would be appointed to head the Department of Labor. But when the cabinet list was announced no Southerner was found in it, and “Jimmy” Davis, who had been Semtlry of Labe both in the Harding and Coolifge mmmu—ntm ‘was continued on twe ‘ob. * ok x X Perhaps President Hoover re:chsd the conclusion even before he was augurated that the G. O. P. had Siche or no chance to hold any of the groun gained in the South in the presidential election of 1928. The appointment of a Southerner to the cabinet may have seemed a useless gesture under such circumstances. But whatever his rea- son, he omitted from his cabinet all Southerners. Since then he has ap- inted & Secretary of War from Okla- oma, regarded as part of the South, but more as a part of the West, and he sought to appoint an associate jus- tice of the Supreme Court from North Carolina. But the Senate turned down the nomination of Judge John J. Par- ker of the Tar Heel State, on the ground that he had been inimical to organized labor and to the Negro Voters of the country in his d ns and speeches. The American Federation of Labor had quite a lot to do with the rejection of Judge Parker by the Sen- ate. Its representatives were very ac- tive in the 'lohhy which was built up to wreck Judge Parker's chances of confirmation. * x x * And now President Hoover has dis- regarded the wishes of President Green of the American Federation of Labor in selecting his next Secretary of Labor. He has gone outside the rlnks of the A. F. of L. to pick the third Secretary of Labor since the Department of La- bor was organized. Willlam B. Wilsen, Pennsylvania Democrat, and James J. Davis, Pennsylvania Republican, who filled the office of Secretary of Labor from the organization of the depari- ment up to the present, both held union cards affiliating them with the Amer- ican Federation of Labor. Mr. Green insisted that the appointment Iholl\d be made from the ranks of the A. F. of L. since 1t is the largest organization of labor in the country. Mr. Doak is the legislative representative of the Brotherhood of Trainmen, which is not affiliated with the A. F. of L., but is one of the four big railroad brotherhoods. * kX K 1f the American Federation of Labor should undertake now to prevent the confirmation of Mr. Doak because he is & brotherhood man and not a mem- ber of the federation there will be a pretty kettle of fish. The rallroad brotherhoods are quite “some punkins” in the field of organized labor them- selves. Tt would be a bold Senator who ranged himself on the side of the oppo- sition to the confirmation of Doak merely because he was & member of the brotherhoods and not of the federation. Of course, if there could be brought against Doak charges that he was hostile to organized labor, or at least not. loyal to it, a different case would presented. But from responsible sources in the labor fleld come reports that there is nothing against Doak that would operate to prevent his confirma- tion by the Senate, He is a Republican. President Green of the A. F. L. is a Democrat. If the agents of the federation become active against a brotherhood man, either the brotherhoods would have to take up the gauntlet or let Mr. Doak down. It does not seem on the cards that the brotherhoods would quietly permit the A. F., L. agents to put across the idea that no brotherhood man could be con- firmed by the Senate for Secretary of Dabor unless the brotherhood man also held an American Federation of Labor union card. The brotherhoods have been very active in political campaigns. They have worked again and again for the election of Senators of the Progressive group, among them Norris, La Follette, Walsh of Montana and many others. It does not appear likely now that these Senators will undertake to throw the monkey wrench into the appointment of a brotherhood man to be Secretary of Labor, even though they might like to take a crack at any appointment made by President Hoover just because it is a Hoover appointment. * ok ok X Mr. Doak is said to be an able man. If he is confirmed in his appointment as Secretary of Labor it is expected that he will do all he can to heal any differences with the American Fed- eration of Labor. Certainly he is not expected to antagonize the federation. But while the federation is not likely to fight openly the appointment of Doak, now that it is to be made by the President, the federation may not be so chary about attacking other future appointments of the President. As has already been pointed out, it was instrumental in preventing the con- firmation of Judge Parker. It may align itself against other appointees of the President when those appointees do not happen to belong either to the A. F. L. or the brotherhoods. Sending & nomination for public office to the Senate has become, in the last year or two, something like tossing the Christians to the lions in the old days of Rome. Perhaps some one, somewhere, will J: et be able to open a flank attack on intment of Mr, Doak which will llve anti-adminis- tration Senators a chance to oppose confirmation. If the administration is wise it will go ahead promptly with the appointment and confirmation of the new Secretary of Labor. Delay some- times brings trouble. * ok ok ¥ Bath the wets and some of the drys agitating the subject of a national re!erendum on the subject of repeal or modification of the -hhmm amend- ment. A. Piatt_Andrew, 'mber of the House from uu-chluem is pre- pared to sponsor & resolution for such In a conference of dry leaders held here recently, the proposal of a referendum was seriously ad- v‘nc!d b! lam who were confident “heiming? Bt “mrum “that jut now ) many 0‘ rably S oot WS, ks 'y nvor m ‘They have the uneml- ment in the Constitution and believe Bhtbfl“hm If Congress should undertake to pro- vide for a national referendum on the of Ibition, it would be be | declares the ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. hm‘n Tesearchers, who can get you Command, witnouy e"fi'.’m"“é"m" X 2-cont uump will bring you sonal answer to any inquiry ol tu:t you great service. Try it today. Make your |nqulry easily read and eufly understood, and address The Evening Star Information Bureau, mwn, leric J Haskin, director, Washing- Q. Has lhn New York moving picture theater showing newsreels exclusively proved a success?—F. M. A. The Newsreel Theater in New York City in the year that it has been op- sions. Q. What State has the lmnllest - islature? The largest?—F. o A. The size of,State Senl'.es varies from 17 in Delaware to 67 in Minne- sota, and the number of members in the lower houses ranges from 35 in Delaware to 421 in New Hampshire, Delaware has the smallest and New Hampshire the largest !.ezl.shmre. Q. What is distilled water?—T. A. Tt is water which has been bnlled and the steam condensed in & retort. Q. What is the total area of all the islands in the world?>—J. H. B. A. Tt is approximately 4,000,! miles. This includes Awm-nun ) largest island. Besides Australia, the are approximately 1,910,000 miles of islands in the seas. Q. Which of Hawthorne's books is considered his best?—G. 8. A. Opinions differ, but some authori- ties say that in “The Scarlet Letter” Hawthorne reached the fullness of his power. Q. When 1s cider made In Virginia and what kind nt apples make the best cider?—P. F. A. The flflt run of cider is made in Virginia in September, but the largest production comes in October. The best clder apples are Black Twig, York and Ben Davis. Cider can be bought on the market during the entire year, but the heavy production comes in Octo- ber, November and December. The largest cider mill in the worid is at Winchester, Va. ! Q. Where is the polnl which is the farthest south in continental Umted States?—I. McQ. A. Cape Sable, Fla,, is the southern- most point of continental United States. It is 49 miles farther south than the most southern point in Texas. Q. Why is there but one string on the lyre in Watts’ picture, “Hope"?—B. H. A. Speaking of the fact that the lyre has lef ut one string, Hugh Maemil- lan sa “One string is -lnyu left, however empty and desolate may be the lyre of life on which the still, sad music of humanlty may be played; and from this the other strings are to be tuned in happfer circumstances ' = Hope stoops and strains to hear the note of the one string of her Iyre—the concentrated music that oan“otme from the remaining chord * * * We might suppose that by placing the fig- ure of Hope on the summit of the globe Watts meant to lndlclle the univer- sality of the grace.” Q. Please give a biography of Ben- jamin De Casseres, who spoke over the radio recently about George Bernard Shaw.—C. W. H. A. He was born in Philadelphia, Pl. April 3, 1873. He is a collateral de- |ern.ln; has played to 1,800,000 admis- | scendant of Benedict de He has been a proofreader, e special and -diwrhl writer for news- plpeu. dnmnlc mue and cantributor He has several bools h his credlL Q. Who was the Man in the Iron Mask?>—R. A. F. A. The Man in the Iron Mask was & French state prisoner burfed in 1703 under the name of Marchiall. The m}'su‘;ry of his identity has never been solved. Q. How Is & fiat plece of felt made into a hat?>—C. B. A. Felt hats are made into a hood by the use of a copper cone and hot water. Then the process known as hardenin; is conducted by means of steam an rotary rubbing. The action serves to shrink and consolidate the wool. The operation known as blocking o shap- ing s that whereby the hood is con- verted into its ultimate shape. As a rule, the hood s saturated with dry stcam and while in this condition pulled over a wooden block the shape of the hat o be produced. The dry steam soiens the shellac or "grmflnu in the hood, lllo"mg the ole to become mal- leable. The wooden block with its felt covering is now allowed to dry and in drying the shellac again hardens, thus once more tightening up the fur fibers so that the whole fabric has molded itself to the configuration of the block on which it has been placed. When quite dry, the hood, now converted into a definite shape, is removed from the block and can be regarded as & hat, the trimming of which is merely & matter of fuhl;n 'eq\urcmenu Q. How much gold has the United States?—E. V. A. Monetary gold holdings amount to $4,530,:00,000. This 1is $140,000,000 more then was held a year ago, but $150,000,000 below the all-time peak which occurred in May, 1927. These figures include only gold coln and bullion. Gold jewelry and gold used in the arts and in’ industry are in addition and cannct be estimated. The United States has about three times as much monetary gold as the next country in rank, Prance. Q. What is the dlflerence between & carol and a hymn?—G. E. A. It is hard to draw a lme between A carol may be said to be a song ugious joy. A hymn may be lhill but it may also carry a distinct note ol sadness. Q. What is meant by Jack Cade legis- lation?—T. B. A. It refers to laws made because of pressure from without. Jack Cade, an Irishman, headed an insurrection of about 20,000 armed men “to procure redress of grievances.” Q What is Al “Kadr?—M. F. A. 1t is the night upon which the Koran was sent down to Mahomet. It is snpposed to be the seventh of last 10 nights of Ramadan. Q. How many packages are carried by the parcel post in a year?—H. B. A. In the fiscal year 1930, 837,000,000 packages were_ carried, in a revenue of $152,000,000. suhstantial increase the fiscal year 1929. Q. When was the body of the fou:der of tne Smithsonian Institution brought to this eeumry?—o B. J. A. The body of James Smithson was prought to America from Genoa in January, 1904. Redistficting of Congress Revives Old Controversies As the time approaches for the re- apportionment,. of members * in the House of Representatives from the sev- eral States, old controversies are re- vived, and there is continued debate over possibility that the House membenhlp may be increased to en- able all States to keep up to their present quotas, with additional mem- bers for added population. There is much opposition to this on the mund that a larger House would be unwieldy. There is also discussion of the relative influence of city and country areas. “Neither the wets nor the drys— neither Republicans nor Democrats,” Roanoke World-News, “have any right to hold to an advan- t | tage gained by ‘rotten borough’ meth- ods or by denial of representation to any considerable section of the popu- lation. The mathematical division of the House into congressional districts is the only fair way, as it is the only representative way. If that gives an advantage to either faction, or to either party, it is because that faction or that party is entitled to that advantage and because it is now withheld from it by a system of representation 20 years out of date.” “It must be recognized,” wvhen the Jackson Citizen Pumot, “that shifts in population are inevitable in a growing cm%x‘ltry such as the United States. And with those shifts, there must come changes in representation, losses for some States and gains for others. The residents of States which lose will show themselves good Americans by accept- | ing the verdict of the census without complaint.” “Gradual shifting of congressional power to those sections of the Union still capable of extensive growth” is pointed out by the Salt Lake Deseret News, with the conclusion that “this can only mean an increase in the strength and influence of the West.” The Janesville Gazette believes that “control of Congress in 1932 may be de- cided by the results of the reappor- tionment, and the next President may also owe his election to, the shifting votes in the elecwnl college * Quoting Jeflersons sutement that he viewed “great cities as pestilential to the morals, the health and the liberties of man,” the Springfield (Mass.) Re- publican holds that “many rural people, especially in the West and South, would say amen to Jefferson’s view, expressed 130 years ago,” and that paper con- cludes; “The traditional distrust of the great American cities may easily come deep-seated fear of their politi influence if the misgovernment and cor- ruption of those cities continue in the next decade to be as disquieting and repulsive to all the civic decencies as they have been in the recent past. Nothing is better advertised in the rural homes of the United States than the foul atmosphere of the municipal gov- ternment of New York and Chicago. Are cities unfit to rule themselves fitted to rule the country? One can take for granted the answer to that question.” Just, as caustic is the comment of the Detroit News, based on the intention of Senator-elect Dickinson of Towa to “at- tempt to halt execution of the change until a provision can be added, restor- ing the 27 States which have been lost to 21 States, in the computation given out by the Department of Commerce.” The News declares: “We do not know whether it is the mere loss of two jobs for Iowans that animates Iowa's new Senator. In any case, the motive is shameful, the intention is destructive of efficient government, and the Congress as he would constitute it would not b2 based on population count as the fun- damental law prescribes. We have been ment. If such & referendum were hcld on prohibition there would do®btless be demands- for national referendums on chl;lgd labos evarnlz;znb :ml'l:.hin of water power:. what not, perhaps on ‘smoking’““@Ehere is no te A nati 10 years getting Congress to 15 make tegal T ;*::mm.m“"m to make legal rea] en us have an extra session. The time for temporizing with scuttlers of the Con- stitution is past.” A gain ot nine seats for California is emphasized by the Pasadena Star-News, w‘l( the remark that the Pacific Coast sme “nm: a lo:z v/ln—c delny much O o e " Phe Biat Slews New York, Pennsylvania, Illino and Texas. That paper continue: an_even higher distinction comes California under the rea this State's gain of nine the House is more than t of any other State. next to California with New York, New Jemy und Ohio gain two each, four other States gain one each—Connecticut, Carolina and Wi greatest interest to Southern Calif is the redistricting of the State by the next Legislature. Upon the basis of population Southern California should have six of the nine additional Con- gressmen.” * ok ok ‘The Indianapolis Star advises that “the country probably would be aerved much more efficiently and e by a House about one-half t size,” while the South Bend Ibune holds that “between loss of two seats in Congress, the most that will be taken from any State, and the creation of & more cumbersome House, the latter is essentially most distasteful to !hinkinl ‘citizens of any State.” The llas Journal contends: “It might betur pserve the Nation, if the apportionment law were so amended. as to reduce the membership, maintaining the present status of the States that have gained in the census and requiring the States that have gone back to take their loss in representation. The House, as it is, lacks little of being an unwieldy body.” Commenting on the proposal from Towa for the exclusion of alien residents from the population figures upon which reapportionment is based, the New Or- leans Times-Picayune says: “Their ex- clusion would trim down the allotments to New York and other industrial States with heavy alien populations. But when the proposal was last brought forward in ngress Eastern representatives countered with a proposition to exclude the non-voting Negroes who ‘most do congregate’ in the South. In that earlier fight over the reapportionment bill these two proposals collided head- on the both were left out of the law. If reconsideration of one is demanded during the December session the other vllll prommly be lugged in.” Fort Worth Record-Telegram looks forward to proceedings in the States with the statement: “It is too much to expect that the activities of the illustricus Elbridge Gerry will. not be emulated by varfous of the personnel of the Legislature which will be called upon to lecfln'flllh the redistricting. Pomlw is politics and human nature is human nature. Under that double- barreled axiom some of the involved ‘chips’ will be certain to fall more nearly in accord with expediency than by the law of census mathematics. But the force of public opinion should become an influence to be reckoned with. Those areas which are entitled to increased representation should be given it.” —————— Would Be Sweet If He Did. From the San Antonio Express. But has that German chemist who made a confectfon out of wood ime proved upon mapl> sugar? —rea 11 Duce Slipping. rn‘:‘u n:lh. Fort Worth hl;n-‘l\hnll. olini says cannot prosperity. Ah.yh;h—lu‘. mfifl“