Evening Star Newspaper, December 18, 1930, Page 8

THE EVENING " With Sundsy Morning " WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY . . .December 18, i930|Bolivia look upon Simon Bolivar as THEODORE W. NOYES. ... Editor The Evening Star Ni per Company Business 3 11th St. and Pe ice: ennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd Ghicago Office: Lake Michican Bul i, | Buropean Office; 4 Regent St., London, Englan Rate by Carrier Within the City. ;. .45¢ per month ar +60c per month .85¢ cer month .Sc per cnl A y i each month. in by mail or {elephone Qiders Sent Ational 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance, land lnld V‘;flllh 19T, ily and Sund: lay only All Other States and Ca sy and Sunday..l yr., $12.00; $8.00: 1 mo.. an only - .00 junday only $5.00; 1 mo.s e nada. Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associated Press is exclusively entitled $9 the use for republication, of all news di- Batches credited to it or not otherwise cred- ited in this paper and also the local news ublished Leveln. "All rishts of publication of ial t dis. atches herein are also reserved. e Choice of Form of Death. One of the announced purposes of the House Fiscal Inquiry Committee is to ascertain sources of additional revenue for the District. The result of addi- tional revenue is attained either by in- creasing an existing tax (as by doubling the gasoline tax), or by imposing a new tax (as the inheritance tax), or by in- creasing the national lump-sum sub- vention. The District contends that the last- mentioned source of revenue is the only STAR |ing bronze ‘statue of Soutn Amerlu'll Edition. legendary hero. Venezuela—where he was born in 1783—Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and their emancipator from the Spanish yoke. Although he lived to be but forty-seven years of age, he accom- plished prodigious results in remaking the map of his native continent. A scion of wealth and family, Bolivar had barely attained his majority when he triumphantly led the land of his birth, Venezuela, in revolutionary com- bat with Spain. Forthwith neighbor- ing lands, chafing under the domina- tion of Madrid, invoked his inspiring captaincy and in turn achieved their liberty beeause of it. Exile, rebuffs, incessant personal peril, could not daunt Bolivar's in- domitable spirit. He created armies as if by magic. He fought at their head in more than two hundred battles. When he carried the day at Ayacucho, Peru—Latin America’s Yorktown—on December 9, 1824, Spain’s dominion in the Southern Hemisphere vanished for- ever, Americans of renown acclaimed Simon Bolivar long before yesterday's tributes to his glorious fame echoed throughout Pan America. Henry Clay declared that Bolivar'’s “extraordinary exertions for the emancipation of his country have justly entitled him to the illustrious appellation of ‘the Washfngton of South America.’” Daniel Webster once wrote the Liberator that in his “gloriously dis- tinguished career” he saw “the image of our venerated Washington.” Simon Bolivar did not speak our language. But Americans are proud to claim him as a soldier and statesman whose ideals and deeds will illumine for all time the annals of the ploneer one to which resort can at this time equitably be had. The insistence that it is reasonable to | impose every known form of tax upon the District in every case at the max- imum rate is the result of its having an alien taxing body, which represents directly several hundred municipalities; in fact, every municipality in the United States except Washington itself. Each of these municipalities selects from a list of forms of taxation those which | will raise the ascertained amount of necessary revenue with the minimum of inconvenience and distress to the taxpayers and distributes the tax bur- den in such proportions as it pleases among the selected sources of revenue. No municipality taxes itself with all possible forms of taxation, or distributes its tax burden in precisely the same proportions among the preferred forms of taxation. But the tendency seems almost ir- resistible for the Representative of each home municipality to insist that every tax which his own constituents bear is of necessity reasonable and fair in char- acter and amount, and should be im- posed upon the taxpayers of the Na- tlonal City. If these insistences are all successful the District will, as a result, be blistered with every known form of municipal taxation, with a maximum rate in respect to each form. ‘The District contends vigorously that the present forms of taxation impose upon it a sufficiently heavy tax burden, which should not be made heavier, either by the increase of an old tax or the addition of & new. The District demonstrates that the subvention by the Nation for the maintenance and de- velopment of the Nation's City is dis- tinctly inadequate in amount to meet the Nation’s increasing obligation. And the District reasonably urges that the natiomal subvention be rendered fuliy adequate before increase of any form of local taxation is even considered. Some of the questions put to District witnesses befors the Fiscal Inquiry Committee suggest that it is arbitrarily assumed that the local taxpayers’ bur- den must be increased and that their only privilege in the matter is to voice & preference (which may be disre- garded) as to how they shall be over- taxed. In the anclent days of myth and fable when man could talk with the lower animals the master of the barn- yard called the barnyard fowls into con- ference. “My children,” he said to them, “we approach a merry Christmas, when in accord with the spirit of the season you are all to enjoy the highest pleas- ure of unselfishly giving joy to others. Each of you, rendered by the cook deli- clously attractive to the eye and the palate, will adorn a place of honor at the head of a Christmas table. I have called you together that you may exer- cise the democratic privilege of saying freely, without compuilsion or duress, how you would prefer to be cooked, whether roasted or broiled, fried or stewed or baked or even fricasseed.” “But,” erled the frightened barnyard fowls with one voice, “we do not want to be cooked at all in any shape or form!” “My children,” replied the master of the barnyard, “you wander from the subject.” ‘The harassed Washington taxpayers, threatened with unjust additional tax burdens of many millions (to make, for example, the municipal buildings con- form in grandeur and cost to the won- derful new housing of the national de- partments), are only exasperated by the suggestion that they may in this con- nection perhaps enjoy the high priv- flege of indicating the form of addi- tional tax with which they prefer to be roazied. The District taxpayers, like the barn- yard fowls in the fable, cry out: “We do not meed or want a new or increased tax of any kind!” ‘Will the Master of the unrepresented District frowningly respond: “You wan- der from the subject”? oo So rapid is the flight of time that 1t is already almost too late to think ‘of shopping early. ' The Latin George Washington. ‘The twenty-one Americas joined yes- terday to commemorate the one-hun- peoples who created a new world on this side of the Atlantic. —— et The Clark Decision. Perhaps the key to the Clark decision concerning the invalidity of the eight- eenth amendment may be found in his own prediction that while it may “meet with a cold reception in the appellate courts” it will have served its purpose in centering public interest and attention upon a better way of amending the Fed- eral Constitution than the action of State Legislatures. The whole opinion be- comes more of a scholarly and philo- sophical argument on expression of the will of the people through constitutional conventions than & summation of legal | authority against the validity of State Legislatures acting in the case of the cighteenth amendment. In other words, Judge Clark writes an illuminating brief upon the subject of how best to express the popular will. He fails to show, however, that State Legis- latures in reality fail of such expression or that if they do so fail the failure could be remedied at this late day by recourse to the law. Article V of the Constitution outlines the two methods by which the Constitu- tion may be amended. After proposal has been made to amend the Constitu- tion, the amendment must be ratified either by the Legislatures of three- fourths of the States or by conventions in three-fourths of the States. The Sixty-fifth Congress specifically chose THE . EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, that perhaps something of the mean-| 'm‘c“.hednywfllflndiuwlywthm animal minds and hearts, There is no fond friend of dog or cat who has not, at some time or other, honestly believed that his pet has been able to understand him, and in some obscure way know all that he knows. It may be a forlorn belief, indeed, but it is a pleasing one, and in keeping with the Christmas spirit. Let every one add to it, for by so doing he aug- ments the circle of the greatest influence known among men. i £ * Frank L. Greene. ‘With the State of Vermont, the whole Nation bows in grief today over the passing of its senior United States Sena- tor, Frank Lester Greene. Washington's sorrow is of peculiar poignancy, for it was in the streets of the National Capi- tal six years ago that he was the inno- cent victim of one of those un- fortunate shooting affrays between bootleggers and enforcement officers. From the effects of the stray bullet wound Senator Greene suffered on that deplorable occasion he never fully re-| covered, though he continued, practi- cally till the day of his death, his duties at the Capitol. Frank Greene will be best remembered in Congress as an uncompromising sup- porter of national defense. He fought in the Spanish-American War with a Vermont volunteer company, which he formed, and emerged from the campaign a colonel of infantry. Greene cherished the Army and all its works. His proud- est service was on the Military Affairs Committees of House and Senate, for he was in the lower branch for six suc- cessive terms before his election to the Senate in 1922. In 1929, physically in- capacitated as Greene was, though men- tally quite unimpaired, Vermont re- turned him to the upper house for a second term, virtually without opposition. Greene joins the invincible majority relatively young. He was only sixty this year. His State and his congres- sional colleagues hoped they would be vouchsafed many more years of his con- structive statesmanship and bonhomie. Frank Greene leaves behind him a heritage his country will not forget— the example of a lifetime of devotion to the ideals of preparedness, than which patriotism knows nothing more funda- mental, A hero in war, Senator Greene in peace was a tower of strength to the Republic he loved and so effectively served. ———ate—. ‘Those who delight in reminiscence will recall times when horses and sleighs made Pennsylvania avenue a scene of Winter gayety night after night. Horses are no longer employed, the bells are silent and climate observers agree that even the snowstorms are not what they used to be. ————raee— Uncle Sam does not have to write indignant notes signed “Taxpayer” re- lating to his large holdings in the Dis- trict of Columbia. He is able to solve these particular problems concerning taxes with simple finality by merely ignoring any tax obligation and not paying them. ratification by the Legislatures when it submitted the eighteenth amendment to the States, ‘The tenth amendment, reserving. to the States “or to the people” the powers “not delegated to the United States by the Constitution,” might be held to de- bar the ratifying powers of the Legisla- tures in such amendments as the eight- eenth, delegating certain powers to the Federal Government, provided it could be shown that State Legislatures do not in reality mean “the people.” Judge Clark does not spend much time in a futile effort to show that in a legal sense the Legislatures do not mean the people. He does spend a great deal of time and energy to argue that if the Legisla- tures represent the people, they are very poor representatives when it comes to committing the people on any such im- portant delegations of power as those conferred by the eighteenth amend- ment. Judge Clark does not believe, if one may read between his lines, that his decision will nullify the eighteenth amendment. It would be interesting to know whether, if he: believed it would in reality nullify it, he would have handed it down. There must be few in- deed who would care to witness the re- sulting spectacle. Popular will was clearly expressed in the adoption of the eighteenth amendment and on numer- ous occasions has it been shown that popular will was expressed as the Con- stitution ordained it should be ex- pressed. ‘The decision is most interesting. It is highly important as a commentary on the functions of the judiciary, for Judge Clark has seen fit to make a rather startling departure from hereto- fore accepted limitations. It will set tongues wagging and possibly create an interest in the judge’s extensive bibli- ography. Further than that it will do nothing. e —— ‘Wheat on the farm and bread in the crowded cities have for some ob- scure economic reason always stood as standards for the measurement of prosperity. Christmas for Animals. Specialized shows from time to time bring into renewed public interest ani- mals which always have the love and respect of mankind. The horse show, | the dog show, the cat show—these for | a little time bring into sharp focus the | animals involved. At all times, however, these creatures have their friends who need no public displays to make them be good to their four-footed companions. And at this It is understood that the World ‘Court protocols can wait for & year. ‘This fact may help a little toward per- mitting concentration on unemploy~ ment relief as something requiring im- mediate action. —— e ‘The bears consented to relax their attacks on the stock market. The holiday season is an especially inap- propriate time for transactions which cause depression instead of cheer- fulness. Children are expected to study read- ing and writing, with a special course in arithmetic relating to car fare. B e —— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. “Good Morning, Judge!” We turn into the path of reminiscence or prediction. Sometimes we think we deal with facts. ‘They turn out to be fiction. But everything that's done by persons or a nation Is very likely to come forward for adjudication. ‘Whatever way Your course may budge, You'll have to say, “Good morning, Judge!” The law must be consulted as we seek for a solution Of things that range from night clubs to the U. 8. Constitution. And though we may show traces of re- sentment or derision, We always have to show obedience to his decision. Bo don’t get gay And cry, “Oh fudge!” But bow and say, “Good morning, Judge!” No Chance for Shortened Hours. “There are long periods of time dur- ing which you are not at work in your office.” “That is true,” answered Senator Sorghum, “But the brain fag goes on. ‘Whether a man in my position is at work or not, he has to worry contin- uously.” Jud Tunkins says his doctor takes great care of other people, but half the time forgets his own umbrella and over- shoes. Animal Myths. And now as Santa Claus declares For the great annual meeting, Forget about the bulls and bears And give the reindeer greeting. time of the year, when a specialized spirit wafts its benevolent influence over humanity, those who love animals want to do something special for them. Old horses, therefore, will get meals to their liking. In thousands of homes Fido and Rover will find special tid- dredth anniversary of the death of Si- mon Bolivar. Throughout the Latin ‘portions of the Western Hemisphere, the George Washington. was the liberator of po fewer bits upon the Christmas trees for their particular benefit, Tabby and Tom will discover fat catnip, mice and other feline fancies. Yet it is admittedly a difficult prob- lem, that of the Christmas gift for animals, Even the most ardent fancler realizes that his pet has no concep- tion of “what it is all about.” Four- legged, furred, dumb, all of them stand On More Mature Refiection. “Don't you wish you were & child again and could play in the snow?” ‘No,” answered Miss Cayenne, “I thoroughly appreciate the advantages of & taxicab over a sled.” “Great cities have been devastated,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “not 50 much by enmity without as by reck- lessness within!"” Better Late Than Never. The farmer mildly will complain About the coming of the snow. He says he wishes it were rain And had arrived long months ago. “I ain’ no musician,” said Uncle Eben, “but I can’t help thinkin’ de Ohristmas harmony made a poor sV when 1t traded off sleigh bells for. horns THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. A telephone ‘instrument is & ruthless revealer of one’s innate courtesy or the lack of the same. Let a man get on & telephone, he immediately shows himself for what he is—or isn’t. Take in the matter of getting the wrong number. ¢ “Hello, is Mary there?” drawls a voice. You say no, Mary isn’t there, he has the wrong number, this is number s0-and-s0. ; “What did you say?” You go through the entire rigmarole again, from first to last—No, Mary isn't there, because there is no Mary here, he has the wrong number, this number is so-and-so. Bang! Without a word he hangs up. Pretty soon the bell rings again. You are willing to bet any sum what- soever that it is the same fool solemnly calling the same number. You cannot be sure, however, so an- swer the ring. “Hello, Mary, is that you?” The insufferable fool is at it again. “They have given you the wrong number again,” you Tepeat, in your best_severe tone. “What you say?” “I said you have the wrong number. This is number so-and-so0.” Bang! He hangs up, still without, apology or thanks. o Arrogance is one of the qualities which set forth over the telephone. It rasps from many a voice—a voice | owned by cne, perhaps, who by no means would assume it face to face. Let him get on ‘the phone, he de- mands_at once to know who is there, and why, and when, and for what pur- pose. 1t is not so much what he says, per- haps, as the way he says it. He seems éo be suffering from delusions of gran- eur, In case any of our readers is not ac- quainted with the term, “delusions of grandeur,” we would say that it is a part of the modern psychological patter, and has some connection or other with crazy cases. . ‘The delusion of the on the line may not land him in an asylum, but it makes the one to whom he is talking rather upset. His attitude seems to be that every one in the world should know who he is, and instantly respond by declaring frantically, “Oh, yes, Mr. Grandand- glorious, yes, sir!” Many women suffer from this same delusion. Innocently they imagine that all that is necessary is to pronounce | their magic names, when the person to | whom they are talking will roll over and beg. Many of these persons would be amazed to know how small their “cir- cle” is, after all, and that beyond its little ripples exists a huge sea, a per- fect welter, as it were, of very crude persons who neither know nor care about them. Such is, indeed, the well known commodity popularly known as life. L e ‘The telephone is thus seen to be, not only a convenience, & public util- ity, a necessity in the daily life, but a magic instrument which somewhat re- sembles the so-called lie detector, ex- cept that in this instance what it does is not determine the truth or falsity of the remarks made into it, but rather present an excellent opportunity fo every user to show himself up in hi true colors, The telephone, then, displays its users in their proper lights, this one as well bred, this one as ill bred, this as cultured, this as uncouth. The gentle- man and the boor, the gentlewoman and female roughneck, all stand out perfectly well for what they are. What turns the trick, we believe, is the fact that only the voice is present, as it were. Usage throughout the ages has made it necessary for almost every one to put on a bit of the “dog,” as the expression has it. Most human beings have their “com= pany manners,” and some are such ex- perts in the handling of the same that they are able to fool- any. one, even ex- perts, at recognizing the true qualities of their fellow human beings. Often it takes one a long time to get down beneath the venecer of soclety, and discover the true gentleman from the goats. But over the telephone the thing may be accomplished in a few sentences ! And this happy result will be secured largely, it may be belicved, because when' a man is telephoning he is, physically and mentally, too, alone with himself. He is alone in a booth, perhaps, and alone mentally because no one else in the world knows what he is think- ing or saying before he says it. Thus he deludes himself into feeling that he is responsible to no one except himself. ‘This “himself,” in the case of the il bred person, doesn't care a whoop what he says, or how he s it. He is not able to picture the voice at the other end as belonging to another human being like unto himself. He, migaty creature, has wants, and unless those wants are satisfied quicker than light- ning, he becomes peeved. Ask that vanishing institution, the telephone girl, she can tell you all about him. Yo Happlly, the telephone also produces from its box of magic the many charm- ing qualities of the gentleman and gen- tlewoman. Out of the rather ugly contraption— and we have never even heard the com- pany claim their instruments to be beautiful—often steps the sweetest voice in the world. We have softly bumped into voices which would melt icicles, and have come away feeling that life is a great propo- sition, after all; that the sun is shining, and God's in His world. It does the heart and soul good to bump into such a voice over the tele- phone. It is like landing in a soft bed of flowers on a chill February morning, when the best you expected was a slush and sleet. If you could instantly have a picture presented of the owner of that voice, you no doubt would see some one beautiful in the only way beauty really amounts to much, after all. Such fine voice vibrations are not merely “fine voices,” or ‘“beautiful voices,” but are rather the reflections of qualities of mind and heart which are not to be held down to crude measure- ments with ordinary instruments. For as no one can measure a gentle- man, or give the precise dimensions of manliness, 80 good breeding over the telephone is heard but not seen. Like its opposite, it is so natural that no one can mistake it. T s Highlights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapel;s of Other Lands L TELEGRAFO, Guayaquil.—The following notice has been direct- ed to the department of investiy gations by the chief of police, Col. Nicolas Santos: “With the object of complying with the instructions contained in article 47 of the new police code with the great- est promptitude possible, you will please notify at once all proprietors of com- mercial establishments where firearms are offered for sale to the public that they are to make no sales of rifles, shotgtins, revolvers or similar weapons to any one whatsoever, unless the in- tended purchaser is furnished with written permission from the police de- partment entitling him to the legal possession of such firearm.” * ok x x Highways Needed To Spur Automobile Sales. La Nacion, Buenos Aires—If the Americans desire to sell more motor vehicles in Argentipa they should assist us in the development of our roads. A powerful truck is of no special use to us if it can be used only in a limited territory. As yet roads suitable for motor traffic have been constructed only in the immediate vicinity of this capital and in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Cordoba. While automobiles are extremely useful in the important sectors of this territory, they do not as yet afford the interurban conven- ience long exploited by the railroads. The Argentine government is doing all it can to improve the great high- ways of the country, but it is so vast a work that it will be many years be- fore a complete network of traffic ar- teries can be created. So far the en- deavor of the government has been to improve the roads already existing, most. of which, at certain seasons of the year, are practically impassable for automobiles. Such a condition has been the main factor in preventing the sales of cars in Argentina, especially in_the rural districts. Thousands of gasoline-propelled ve- hicles are used in Buenos Aires, La Plata, Rosario and other large cities of the republic, and fully three-fourths of them are of American manufacture. Therefore 1t is more in the interest of American than of any other foreign car manufacturers that we have avail- able greater extents of roadways upon which motor vehicles can be operated satisfactorily. At present it 1s estimated there are between 300,000 and 400,000 cars in Argentina, of all ages and conditions, serving the needs of our 10,000,000 pop- ulation. This would indicate that our people are beginning to appreciate the advantages of mechanical transporta- tion and that they are willing to ab- sorb any products that will lessen the burdens and inconveniences of life. But until more and better roads are constructed the majority of our people must continue to cultivate their planta- tions, and convey their produce to mar- ket by the methods of their primitive ancestors. % * K ok K “Liberty of Press” Works in Devious Channels. El Sol, Madrid.—The so-called “lib- erty of the press” is working out in devious channels. It seems that while e papers used to be censored prior to publication, now this judgment is D after the papers are distributed. The periodicals have the liberty, it is true, of publishing almost anything they desire to, but, alas, they must, too, take the consequences, if such ut- terances do not meet with the approval of the authorities! Of the recent workings of the new exemptions, we may cite the case of El Liberal of Bilbao, recently indicted for six articles appearing in its pages. Of the six, a penalty is to be inflicted for only one, in so far as the newspaper itself 1is concerned. fines and punishments for the other five offenses must be answered for by the writers in- dividually. Thus it aj s that edl- tors and rters will be visited per- sonally with the retribution that in other countries is exacted of the owners ux:uvmncia an entire edition of El Peblo has been confiscated by the gov- ernment because it did not publish in its entirety the diseourse in Zaragoza recently by eto. ‘The autho gs_have also denounced Barcelona for printing an article entitled “The Insolence of Chief of Police.” ‘The Solidaridad Obrera (Workers' Union) has also got into disrepute with the government for a commentary de- nominated “The Present Code and the Press,” and for another one inscribed “The Battle of Andreius Metalgraff.” Of the edition containing these compo- sitions the police. have confiscated not only all the copies of the paper, but also the stereotype plates for same. * ok ok X Persians No Longer Sole Manufacturers of Carpets. Bulgarian British Review, Sofia— Manufacture of the world-famous Per- sian carpets and tapestry, which for centuries were exclusively a Persian product, known by the people of ancient times and handed down from gener- ation to generation, is no longer an ex- clusive privilege of that country, during the latter half of the last cen- tury the manufacture of these products extended beyond the boundaries of the fatherland. Over 50 years ago the manufacture of original types of Persian carpets and rugs starfed in Bulgaria, and the prod- ucts sent to the United States—the most important market for this luxury —where for years they have competed successfully with the products ema- nating from Persia. his can be ex- plained by the fact that the Bulgarian womenfolk have been, for countless years, experts and masters in the art of making their national carpets, rugs, ete. For this reason the weavers, from gen- eration to generation, have inherited the art and secret of the trade. It is due to this that the most valu- able productions in the Orient are to be found in Bulgaria, and the Persian type of carpets manufactured in the country of the highest quality to be found in the world markets. Another important factor is that the pioneers, in this trade, were Oriental people with natural artistic instincts in the prepara-~ tion, dyeing and blending of the yarns lnfi‘besumul forms and varlegated col ‘The art required in the making of Persian carpets is not only very diffi- cult, but very delicate. The type manu- factured in Bulgaria is known as the Kirman Persian, formed with special knots and three weft threads, which adds strength and longevity. The vege- table dyes used are non-fading, and re- main fast when washed, so that the beauty of the carpet increases with age. The older it is, the greater its charm. ‘The designs ‘are exact replicas of the ancient patterns known as the Sarub, Ispahan, Kashan and Kirman, speci- mens of all of which are preserved in the most renowned museums of the world. The average weight of Bul- garian-Persian carpets is 4 kilograms' (8 pounds 12 ounces) to the square meter (1.25 square yards), and the thickness of the pile is over half an inch, which adds to their durability, - Canada Is Still Busy Extending Boundaries Prom the St. Paul Dispatch. It is doubtless surprising to most Americans to learn that Canada is still occupied with the pioneer task of rounding out its national boundaries. ‘The recent action of Norway in rec- ognizing Canada’s title to a group of islands within the Arctic Circle com- pletes the Dominion’s sovereignty in the whole Arctic sector between the Canadian mainlang and the North Pole. ‘The neighbor the north has still other boundary ambitions. Canada would like to see Greenland brough into the Dominion by & similar agree- ment with Denmark. It is easy to un- derstand this interest of Canada in Greenland. This huge, ice-capped island is developing importance in re- lation to Canada’s control of the short- est_air route to Europe. Occasionally a Canadian newspaper will give vent to a longing for the pan- handle and peninsula of Alaska and. abandon itself to a dream of the whole northern and larger half of the North American Continent exclusively under | of the British flag and his majesty the King, One paper concludes, however, that “it is improbable that the United States will v;]v'_e‘:' :fitjn its title .‘fi m.w. i w“ 2 e DECEMBER 18, 1930. The Political Mill By G. Gould Lincoln. Should the decision rendered by Judge Willlam Clark of the United States District Court at Newark, de- claring that the eighteenth amendment had not been properly ratified, be upheld by the Supreme Court, the drys would have all their work for national prohibition to do over again. It might be an insurmountable task for them, in view of the evident change in sentiment in many communities regarding national prohibition. Congress would first have to_adopt another resolution by a two- thirds vote of each House, to submit a prohibition amendment to the States, and then it would be necessary to elect delegates to a convention in each of 36 States willing to ratify the pro- posed amendment. The referendum for which the wets and drys have been clamoring—some of them—on the sub- ject of national prohibition would be- come a reality under such conditions. One dry leader, Dr. Ernest Cherrington, has estimated that it would cost the drys $25,000,000 to put on a Nation- wide referendum on the subject of prohibition. * ok ok X There 18 no doubt that the great majority of the people would be sur- prised if the Supreme Court upheld the contention of Judge Clark that the eighteenth amendment had not been ratified. But if the decision of the lower court should be upheld it would create a stir such as has seldom rocked this country in its entire history. There seems nmo doubt but what the wets—the opponents of national pro- hibition—would put up an even more strenuous fight than they did prior to the adoption of the eighteenth amend- ment to prevent its resubmission to the States. Members of the Senate and House would be compelled to meet the issue. And finally the people themselves would have to take a hand in the matter, if the Congress should by two-thirds vote of each house sub- mit a proposed amendment. Thirteen States, through their con- ventions failing to support a new pro- hibition amendment, would be suffi- cient to block ratification. With anti- prohibition sentiment showing strongly in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Con- necticut, Delaware, Illinois, Wisconsin, Montana, Nevada and growing in Ohio, California and Washington, the task of getting three-fourths of the States to ratify national prohibition again would be 1o mean one. Furthermore, the form in which the prohibition amendment might be sub- mitted to the people perhaps would be modified from the present eighteenth amendment. Certainly efforts would be made to have it modified, if it were to be submitted. Perhaps the declaration of the Su- preme Court that the eighteenth amend- ment had not been properly ratified would take the liquor issue temporarily ouf of national and congressional elec- tions and give the major parties and their candidates a chance te think of other issues in 1932. But even so, the Iull in the battle over prohibition would be only temporary, and it is doubtful that any lull would ensue. o e A ‘The Ilinois State Legislature will have to tackle soon the question of repeal of the State prohibition enforcement law. Opponents of prohibition are ex- pected to bring the issue to the front, in the light of the State-wide referen- dum conducted at the time of the No- vember elections. The people of Illi- nois had three questions before them at the time. The three wet proposals were adopted by the following votes: Repeal of the eighteenth amendment— Yes, 1,054,432; no, 551,741; majority, 502,691, Modification—Yes, 968,652; no, 506,~ 973; majority, 461.679. Repeal of the Illinois prohibition act —VYes, 1,060,004; no, 523,130; majority, 536,864. 1so in the senatorial election J. mick, Republican, who had straddled the issue of wet and dry, by a vote of 1432216 to 687,469, with Mrs. Lottie Holman O'Neill, who flew the flag of the Anti-Saloon = League, receiving only 99.485 votes. Despite the wet victory in the Illinois referendum, the Anti-Saloon League is |ing the calling upon the State Legislature to | phere. ignore the results of that referendum. The league contends that “the people did not vote.” It asserts that the vote cast in favor of repeal in 1930, an “off year,” does not equal & majority of the vote cast in the presidential vote of 1928, when the greatest vote in the his- tory of the country was cast in the presidential election. * ok ok % In the past other efforts have been made to repeal the State enforcement law in Illinois. The State Senate, dominated by the Republicans, has been the stumbling block, although the House had put through repeal bills in the 1927 and 1929 sessions of the State Legislature, ‘The Republican State Convention this year declared that the G. O. P. would abide by the decision of the people in the referendum on pro- hibition. It remains to be seen now whether the G. O. P. will go through with this promise. What it does in the premises may have an important bearing on the presidential election in 1932. Illinois has always been consid- ered a great Republican stronghold. ‘The Tllinois delegation to the next Re- publican National Convention may bea big factor in the nomination of candi- dates and in the adoption of a party platform. Certainly there was a great political upheaval in Illinois last Fall. Prohibition was not the only issue by a jugful. = Hard times, the drought, etc,, had their effect on the voters. But | there is enough wet sentiment in the tate fo give the Republican leaders there gnd Q1.|'x the Nation something to ut. 2 * K K ‘The Democrats in North Carolina ‘who remained loyal to the Smith-Rob- inson presidential ticket in 1928 are asking the Senate to turn down the nomination of Frank R. McNinch, anti- Smith Democratic leader in ‘that year, who has been appointed a member of the new Federal Power Commission by President Hoover. McNinch won the first round in the fight vesterday when the Senate Interstate Commerce Com- mittee, by & vote of 9 to 5, voted to re- port his nomination favorably to the Senate. Two Democrats on the com- mittee, Wheeler of Montana and Bark- ley of Kentucky, voted with seven Re- publicans, including the Progressive Republican members of the committee, in favor of McNinch. It looks as though McNinch had more than an even chance for confirmation by the Senate itself. As a matter of fact, Mc- Ninch helped himself greatly by his testimony before the Senate committee, apparently convincing Progressive mem- bers of the committee, Republican and Democratic, that he was not allied with the power interests of his State and that he was progressve-minded. * Kk kK ‘The McNinch matter is likely to have its reverberations in North Carolina politics for some time to come. Senator- i ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN, | Few Americans realize how much their Government does for them. Read- ers of The Evening Star can draw on all Government activities through our free Information Service. The world's greatest libraries, laboratories and ex- perimental stations are at their com- mand. Ask any question of fact and it will be answered, free, by mail direct to you. Inclose 2-cent stamp for reply postage and address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Q. Why is Man o’ War ineligible for r‘;,glst.ry in the British Stud Book?— S. A. The English Jockey Club does not permit the entry of horses in the British Stud Book which do not trace to horses already registered in that book. In case of Man o' War, he traces bac] on his sire’s side in the fifth generation to a horse known as Lexington. This horse, although he had a great amount of thoroughbred blood, had ancestors who did not trace to those registered in the British Stud Book. He could, therefore, not be registered in this book. So, although the dam of Man o' War is registered and the mother of the sire of Man o' War is registered there, through the sire of his sire, he traces back to this horse Lexington and is, therefore, ineligible for registry in the British Stud Book. He is registered in the American Stud Book and it cannot be said that he is not a thoroughbred, rather than through'a technicality he cannot be registered in this book be: cause of a possible faint and remote g!l‘l:’in of blood which is not thorough- red. Q. How much of the old-size currency has been retired?>—C. S. R. A. The Department of the Treasury says that up to October 31, 1930, $972,879,042,064 in old-size currency has been retired and $860,143,794 in old- size currency was still in circulation. Q. Does Congress have to a new reapportionment law before the changes in the membership of the House, based, on the 1930 census, take effect>—F.R.T. A. Not necessarily. Unless Congress enacts a new reapportionment law be- fore March 4 next, the reapportionment indicated in the report of the Bureau of the Census, as ascertained by the method used in the last preceding re- apportionment, will become effective as applied to the Seventy-third Congress, to be elected in 1932, and to succeed- ing Congresses, or until Congress does enact a new law. This gives several States new members to the total of 27 and takes a corresponding number away from other States. A fight may be made to increase the total membership of the House so that no State will have its present membership decreased. Q. How many children have Sena- tor and Mrs. Dwight Morrow?—M. E. H. A. They have four children. Eliza- beth R., who was graduated at Smith College, took a post-graduate course in Paris, and has taught school in Mexico and at Englewood; N. J.; Anne S, (now Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh), Dwight W., jr. an undergraduate at Ambherst; Constance C., who is in a preparatory school in Massachusetts. Q. How many primary human emo- elect Josiah W. Bailey, who defeated Senator Simmons in the senatorial pri- mary last Summer, is strongly opposing McNinch on the ground that he cannot be considered a Democrat, and should not have been appointed & member of the Power Commission by the Presi- dent as_a minority member of that body. Cameron Morrison, newly ap- B e vacancy eaused by thedeath of e vacancy ca o Senator Overman, on the other hand appeared before the Senate Committee in support of McNinch’s confirmation. Bailey and Cameron ‘fought side by side in the senatorial primary to defeat Senator Simmons because ‘the latter had opposed Al Smith for President in 1928. But Morrison is a personal friend and furthermore holds that with the McNinch power interests. ‘The McNinch nomination, 'l‘mwev tions are there>—F. D. B. Q. How mueh of India now belongs to England?—M. C. y A. The area of the British Province in India is 1,094,300 square miles. The area of protected native states or agen- cles is 711,032 square miles. The total area of India is 1,805,332 squaye miles. Q. What was the name of the royal family of England before it became Windsor?—B. L. R. A. Queen Victoria was a Guelph. She married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg- Gotha, whose surname was Wettin. This, therefore, was the surname of the royal family until its change t0 Windsor by proclamation of King George V in 1917, Q. What is the story of the writing of “After the Ball"?—J. F. A. The song was written by Charles K. Hurris. He tells'of it in his auto- biography called “After the Ball—Forty Years of Melody.” It was at a ball in Chicago that Harris found what he terms the inspiration for his song. He and a Kentucky girl to whom his hostess introduced him .danced together all evening. In their group was an en- gaged couple who gusrreled during the dance. The man “took ‘home” anothet . His former flancee attempted to disguise her unhappiness—seeing this, Harris thought to himself, heart is aching after the ball. was the inception of the well known song. In one hour's time music and Iyric were written, Q. Where does -the snowbird nest and rear its young?—L. L. 8. A. The slate-colored junco, often called the snowbird, breeds in our Northern States, and in the Winter mi- grates south almost to the Guilf of Mex- ico. Altogether, 13 species and vari- etles of juncos are ized in North America and they are at home all the wnylv’ from Alaska to Mexico and the Guif, Q. What is a portmanteau-word?— . O A. It is a slang ‘word made by com- bining parts of two words and convey- ing the meaning of both; as, torrible, torrid and horrible. Q. What anniversary is being cele- brated concerning Vergil?>—V. J. 8. A. This year there is being:- ted throughout the world the 2 anni- versary of his birth Q, How far from the earth is the sky? A. The sky is the limit of one’s vision. hich- surrounds the 3 fllled with colintless specks of what we may call dust—par- ticles of solid things float- ing in the air. These of hanging or specks are Jjust the size and quality that they catch and absorb part of the of light which form our sunlight throw off the rest of the rays, and the part which has not been absorbed forms the com- bination of color which makes the sky appear blue. Q. How is the term “White Paper” used?—W. J. L. A. Crowell's Handbook for Readers Q. How long and wide is Lake Michi- A. There are three—fear, anger and love. All others are merely modifications of the original three. gan?—F. E, A. It is 316 miles long and an aver- age width of-75 miles. World Shares With Belgium Concern Over Deaths in Fog Americans have shared with Belgium and neighboring parts of Europe a deep Circed While & heavy' 1o spreed over e a 5] over the industrial d!slricvby mwmp;:‘fl hood of Liege and the Meuse Valley. While various explanations are offered, and the theory has been advanced that hysteria contributed to the record of fatalities, the incident has turned scientific attention to the need of study- effect of gases in the atmos- ‘Imagination is stirred by the re- ports,” says she Buffalo Evening News, suggesting that “men fear of they cannot understand.” The News quotes Belgian medical authori- ties to the effect that the victims, with few exceptions, “were persons more than 50 years old who had suff from heart ailments and chronic bronchial affections.” The Baltimore Sun, con- that the fog “was so unprece- dentedly dense, cold and penetrating as to cause death to persons already af- flicted with respiratory ailments,” adds: “Even the skeptic s unsettled by the mention of the Black Death by a scientist. The phrase itself is terrify- ing, and the assurances of science that all these seeming mysteries and scourges have an explicable origin, if only one is smart enough to find the explana- | g tion, leave one cold as the swift and sudden pestilence claims its victims.” “The fact that the victims suffered from parched and burning throats,” ac- cording to the Atlanta Journal, cates that some sort of toxic substance must have been suspended in the air— a view confirmed by the circumstances that the deaths were most numerous in the neighborhood of certain f: es.” Accepting the theory that there was gas “generated at the many industrial plants along the Meuse River,” the Seattle Daily Times concludes: “What- ever the nature of the Belgian fog, it seems fairly certain that it is not & new disease nor a return of any well known pestilence. No doubt the explanation of it will be found in the Meuse Valley and in no other place.” ERCIER “Such a story,” thinks the Davenport Democrat, “stirs the hearts of every land which, even if it has its own troubles, finds that it is not alone in them, but that here and there from time to time come visitations which call not only for sympathy but ofttimes for the helping hand.” The incident, in the opinion of the Racine Journal-News, “serves to show that scfenca and ed cation have not completew . "~ con- quest of superstition and mob emotions. Civilized peoples,” continues that paper, “still fear the unknown, preferring to accept diabolical and superhuman ex- planations until the natural cause is shown.” “The inhabitants in a world of unreality,” according to the Louis-. ville Courler-Journal, “in which every- thing was shadowy and assumed fan- tastic shape. Judgment of the reason- ing faculties was betrayed by the false witness of misled perception. The fog alone was materially in evidence, and it blinded, choked and chilled them. The pervasive phenomenon penetrated their thought. There wasn't anything else to engage it. Some one was ill in nearly every home, several died. Coin- cidence attributed the cause to the fog and war-time memories saturated the unrestrained tion with poison gas. Normal conditions were restored when the fog lifted, but it was erroneous to assure Britons across the Channel that no contagion had developed. Noth- ing is more contagious than hysteria.” “Something beyond & normal, c fog was responsible for the deaths,” de- clares the Prlv;'v:‘:lenfu ‘Tholding quality of a distinctly poisonous na- | Se Y fhe 3 ture.” Park Press points to a plausible theory that “the damp air itself is sufficient to take the lives of the aged udwfll?flrm." “a r snadys" t.hu.o prevent ;)?llcdwd men have ’;)u(m o smoke palls are ;ndvfl'h.l:; we do cavily the damp atmosphete Meuse Valley mpllde‘n with smoke, experience of the Bel easiness to fl predicts ition.” advises: ted E £ Fhabitants of any. placs. daspecd any pl smoke. They may be a little ful of the black palls that & city during the daylight impossible to dispel fog, but its content can be and shoul for the protection of life and health for other reasons.” * *x Bisiies * % a " e Chll’lcmnpmm(*.n‘ Va. Daily Mail, “has left effects,” but that paper tes as to American comments,” “Some have been concerned in this coun about the large amounts of po! combustion material which i§ let loose in the atmosphere owlnf to of aufomobiles and later airplanes, as well as from our industrial plants, but there have been np provable reasons ogs, or disease seems parallel, the judgment of the New York Herald Tribune, which, after dis- cussing the various theori that “the most probable I diagnosis of what hlrpe is that unique atmospheric conditions held close to the ground the total domestic and industrial smoke of the nely containing sulphur gases wi the symptems in throat and Jungs and slrm monoxide which caused the leaths.” “Whatever the cause, the strange af- fair gives Europe a new sense of the malign possibilities of gas warfare,” fivm the Springfield (Mass.) Repub- ican. “‘Smoke is an important ingredient in mw." states the Cleveland Plain of smoke elimination. There plales in America that have fogs up to the London standard of capacity. But in many industrial centers smoke is al- lowed to co-operate with a heavy atmos- phere and produce fogs that are not so instantly deadly as this Belgian out- break, but nevertheless highly inimical to health and comfort. Probably the Belgian tragedy could not be duplicated in any of our fog and smoke clogged The Zanesville Signal concludes: “The horror story lies in partment of literature that will al In fiction, in newspaper the story that sets a running up and down the spine is a story t never falls to be attractive. But straight_horror is not quite enough. There must be also an element of mys- tery, and, even more important, the mystery must be of a kind that seems to demand a supernatural explanation.” Robinson Keeps Cool In Speech on Tempers Prom the New York Sun. . his the minority mdnwu"\’ favors non-| bills and no o the House. tion on of s | in in the