Evening Star Newspaper, January 2, 1931, Page 8

A—-8 THE EVENING STAR 4 With Sunday Morning Edition. (“WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY........January 2, 1931 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company st "and Fennisivanta Ave. eako’ Otics Lake Ml Hiesn Bundins. % c 3 - Brovea Oice u'Re&en! 8t.. "London, ‘England. Rate by Carrier ‘Within the City. iy ‘siap i FOF month ) .60c per month T 65¢ per month .5c per copy h month. day un eac) Collection I o telephone ders may be sent in by mail iAtional 5000. Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. iy st eenats o it me Sinday’ only 1yr., $4.00, 1 mo.. 40c o All Other States and Canada. i}y and Sunday. 12,00 iy only ... ay only 131 Member of the Associated Press. ted in this pape Fublished herein. All rights of pu special dispatches herein are a; reserved. Mussolini Takes the Pledge. ‘When the head of a great govern- ment addresses the radio audience of a large section of the civilized globe and solemnly pledges himself and his coun- try to the cause of world peace, an event of undeniable significance occurs. To an act of such historical impor- tance Benito Mussolini yesterday dedi- cated himself in an epochal broadcast from Rome straight into the homes and hearts of the American people. It was an achievement marking not only a fresh triumph in the endless march of radio—the first direct transmission from Ttaly to the United States—but a | remarkable revelation of the political soul which has made ‘the chief of the Fascist state a dominating world figure. “Italy will.never take the initiative | of starting a war,” Mussolini told the | listening American millions. “Italy needs peace,” he added. “Fascism de- sires to secure for the Italian people in | co-operation with all other peoples of | the world a future of prosperity and | peace.” This is a notably different key than the one Mussolini struck in hisK speeches in Northern Italy last Spring | when he adjured the Fascist cohorts in accents of painful Hohenzollern memory | to be ready to spring to arms for all that | the Black Shirts hold dear. There was no ring of saber rattling in the New Year message Mussolinl sped across the At- lantic. It was the utterance of a states- man conscious alike of his power and | of his responsibility, and cognizant, in particular, of the interlocking interests which make peace a paramount interest for all the nations. Americans will appreciate no less Mussolini'’s views on purely Italian issues. They approve his unequivocal opposition to the dole, which, he blunt- ly declares, “tends to accustom the workers to idleness.” They rejoice in his assurance that, though Italy has 500,000 unemployed, “peace and quiet prevail throughout the country and among all | classes.” There could be no better proof of what Il Duce acclaims as the *“self-control, sense of responsibility and discipline,” which Fasclsm seeks to in- culcate in the Italian people. Mussolini talked to us in English. Considering that until lately it was unknown country to him, he did so amazingly well. Many Americans may have preferred to hear Benito ad- dress them in the staccato Italian with which he is accustomed to fire the emotions of his own people, but they appreciate the compliment he paid us in using our language and are de- lighted that he is now at home in it. ———— . A good reliable Weather Bureau attache who could predict an abun- dance of rain during the current year would be the most popular of all Gov- ernment officials, regardless of political favoritism. e 1t is contended that what the coun- try needs is not more railroads, but bigger and better ones. | Center Market Passes. Center Market has ceased to exist #s a food mart. In a few days the razers will start upon its demolition, to clear the site for the erection of a great hall of archives for the Govern- ment. The last buyer has crossed the threshold of cne of its many doors The last pound of food has been sold over the counters of the great mart. A business that has continued in that place, if not in that same structure, for more than a century has ended and soon there will be only memork of the institution that has meant so | much in the history of the Cap! Half a century ago Ci:nter Ma { | h was a more significant fnstitution than it has been in recent times. It was a social center as well as a place of food purveying. “Going to mal much in the lives of ths peop! Washington, and it usually meant go- | ing to Center Market, although tb were other establishments Bt Pifth and K streets, which is now | more flourishing than ever at 21st and K streets, whi into a renewed era of prospers that at 7th and O streets, whic! mains in active service, and that on |, P street between 14th and 15th, which | continues to serv others that trade. Center Ma est and most centr pre-eminent position in the lo economy. There are now living Wash- ingtonians who remember fal] before the razing g: fact, a congeri-s of than a single distinct building. Canal ran alongside of them on the south, a noisome neighbor. There was loud public rejoicing when the shacks were torh down and replaced by the handsome brick structure that was re- garded as the last word in municipal equipment. Both in the old times before the erec- | tion of this buflding and in its early career s a provision mart Center Mar- ket was a social gathering place, where news and gossip were exchanged as friends who did their own food buying met at the stalls. Many of them “went to market” In horse-drawn _vehicles, ‘There was a long stretch of hitched animals outside. Others went by street | Washington be secured on.the proje~t | other New Yea esr and the front platforms of these and pointed cut thet there ave two al- dar ain’ much use o' thinkin’ up new wvehicles were piled with baskets on the ternatives to give residents of the Dis- resolutions De same old spscimens to and fro, carrying their own baskets empty downtown and hiring small boys to “tote” them back, when the distances were short. And in those times the distances were much shorter than today, for Washington was not spread out over s0 many miles as it has been during the latter half of the life of the market { structure that-is about to pass. Had the proposal to raze Center Market come twenty-five years ago, when the Mall-Avenue project for Gov- ernment building construction was being first considered seriously, there would have. bzen a much stronger public pro- test than has been raised recently. For at that time the market was still an institution of which the community was distinctly proud. Now the only reaction of regret in the public mind is that a substitute has not been provided, a place to which the dealers could have moved in a body, to carry on the institution es of yore, though in a new locality, per- haps more central and convenient. So a landmark is to pass, another item of the cost of the new Washing- ton, the Washington of monumental beauty and dignity. It is impossible to hold on to all the old structures while procs=ding with the erection of the new. Center Market had to go. It could not possibly have remained in the midst of the group of classically designed build- ings that will constitute the greatest aggregation of Government housings in the world. Whatever sorrow may be felt for the passing of this relic of the ‘Washington of old is solaced by the| gratitude for the achievement of the hopes for the Washington of the Nation's ideal. ———r———————— Roosevelt's Inaugural Address. Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt entered upon his second term as chief execu- tive of New York yesterday. Far and wide his re-election as ‘Governor of the Empire State has been interpreted as making h'm a_ formidable contender for the Democratic nomination for Presi- dent in 1932. His inaugural address yesterday dealt not with National sub- jects, but with local. His theme was the need of awakening the people of New York to deal more effectively with their municipal and county govern- ments. He turned his hack upon th: idea that the municipalitics of New York should look to Albany and the Governor of the State to deal with their problems. Fundamentally Gov. Roose- velt's statement is sound. Local self- government is the foundation stone of the American form of government. The more local self-government is aban- doned the greater the centralization of power in State, and finally, in Na- tional Government, the more unwieldy, the less effective becomes government. Gov. Roosevelt's insistence that the | ities and counties of New York deal with their own problems and clean up bad situations which have developed is construed, however, as notice to the people of New York City that they must find a Moses of their own to lead them out of the wilderness of graft, corrup- tion and worse which has been per- mitted to grow up like rank weeds in a fair garden. During the recent cam- paign Tammany was under fire by the Republicans. Charges that judgeships had been bought and paid for, that cor- ruption of various kinds was rampant in the greater city, were brought. Gov. Roosevelt was scored, even by Demo- cratic newspapers, because he did not take a more active part in demand- ing investigation and inquiry into these charges. But he declined to be drawn further into the matter. Despite his attitude—or because of it—he rolled up a huge majority in the city of New York and in the end was elected with up-State votes as well as those of the city. Doubtless Gov. Roosevelt's inaugural address will be approved by Tammany, the dominating political force in New York City. Its leaders will interpret the address as meaning that the Gov- ernor intends to keep hands off. The fact that he has sounded a clarion call to the citizens to arise and deal with the mess will fall lightly on their ears. Tammany has met the embattled cit- izens too often in the past to be par- ticularly disturbed. Tammany will be quite content to be let alone with no in- terference from Albany, when it comes to running the city of New York. Gov. Roosevelt's speech may bz con- strued as an answer to his critics, those who have denounced him for not using | his power as Governor to mix in the | New York City situation. Whether an answer or not, it appears to be an| augury of what may be expected in the future. He has elected not to com: to Tammany, the most powerful ratic organization in the State in the end this will be a! to him or a liability remains to When it comes to selecting a Democratic candidate for President, the nd of Tammany may be an assistance. ral election, Tammany connections are to prove a handicap. Former Alfred E. Smith, the nominee of ocratic party in 1928 for Presi- during his term of office as Gov- of New York, was more at odds ‘Tammany than has been Gov t, although Gov. Smith was a of Tammany itself. Yet the lab®l was attached to Gov. hurtful during the I kely Gov. he D wit t. Gov. Rooseveit is correct in his thesis on local -gcvernment. But New York City re than one-half of the the most populous State Under such conditions, 'ms become problems of the 1f. How far Gov. Roosevelt to stick to his contentio: clousness by the President. The great | public is exacting 2nd no official has | had the hardihcod to hesitate about shaking hands for hours, even though the physical exertion is beyond any- thing that the plain citizen understands. ————— Ice Skating in Washington. 1 Keen interest has been displayed by | Washingtonians in Frederic A. Delano's l | theory THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. on the pool. One of these schemes would be most economical in that it would call only for the freezing by na- ture of thin layers of ice until a skat- ing surface was built up. The other method, used widely in Europe and in some parts of the United States, would involve the installation of pipes on the floor of the pool and the necessary freezing apparatus. Although the expense of freezing the pool by machinery would probably run into considerable money, it would appear that it would be the most satisfactory, and that means could be found to pro- vide for the expenditure. Washington's climate is so variable that even with the most careful attention ice could not be,successfully maintained through 8 long period if artificial methods are not used. The pipes and apparatus, besides being invisible, would be avail- able year after year despite the tem- perature of Washington's Winters. The Lincoln pool is ideal for this purpose and if s> utilized it would give National Capital residents one of the finest skating surfaces of any city. Large bodies of water frequently freeze irregularly and thereby are rendered unfit for this popular sport. While the pool is small, it will accommodate a large number of skaters and is sus- ceptible to being frozen into an ideal rink. In addition to this factor it is so shallow that there is no possibility of a serious accident. Washingtondans, except those who make the North their Winter habitats, do mnot get very much opportunity to particlpate in this fascinating and healthful sport. The creation of a Winter rink, therefore, wculd greatly popularize ice skating in this com- munity. Mr. Delano’s suggestion should be given close study in order that it may be carried out if feasible. e Buy Tags Now! Beginning today, Washingtonians have another opportunity to prove that procrastination is a habit that benefits no one and is quite likely to work to the disadvantage of the procrastinator. On sale today and for sixteen days to come are the 1931 automobile tags. More than one hundred and five thousand! local residents must procure them be- ore the deadline on January 17. In previous years, the final fraction of the period permitted for securing plates were days of hopeless confusion, made so by motorists who put off until the last minute something that could just as well be done in the first few. It was then that the procrastinators suf- fered by long waits in line—and many, incidentally, were forced to forego the use of their cars for several days—and the clerks on duty were unnecessarily driven to perform almost superhuman | tasks. Now is the time to reform. It is just as easy and in fact much easler to | get tags now than it will be on the 15th or 16th of January. An even dis- tribution over the entire period of the great body of motorists in making ap- plication will make for the con- venience for every one. Additional facili- ties have been supplied by the District authorities this year and for the first time motorists, who find themselves unable to procure their plates during the daylight hours, can secure them at the American Automobile Association up to eight o'clock at richt. Both at the A. A. A. and at the District Building are stationed clerks to assist in comput- ing personal tax assessments snd the whole procedure is being fmade as easy as possible for District drivers. So, it is up to the motorist to take advantage of thess preparations and to eschew procrastination from his 1931 habits. - American motion pictures are highly popular abroad. Ths English-speaking stage has for many years been per- mitted t> assume a superiority of quality over the American theater. As great changes go on, this relationship may be modified by the development of new standards of comparison in the films which claim credit as the thea- ter's most popular entertainment. Not much sentiment lingers around the old Center Market, except for the | sake of personal contacts which had with many become & habit of years. Architecturally the structure had little t ccmmend it as one of the land- marks of a Nation's Capital. —— o SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Universal Poem. He who is thrilled when blossoms rise To borrow beauty from the skies, Or finds a pleasure in the giow Of sunlight on the silvered snow, Or pauses a great hymn to hear When winds are sounding fiercely near, ! Like each of us, of life a part— He has 2 poem in his heart. A Willing Handshaker. “Don't you grow tired of having to shake hands with so many people?” “No, sir,” answered Senator Sorghum. “When a man gets to where he can’t line up a list for him to shake hands with, no intellectual greatness is going | to save him. From that moment on he’s out of polities.” Jud Tunkins says he knows twins who look and act so much alike that any efficiency expert would admit that there was no need for but one of them. Reward of the Unrighteous. ‘The good man has no pleasures rude, But dwells in honest quietude. We very seldom speak his name— But gangsters all are known to fame. Honest Appreciation. “What is your idea of the Einstein “It's a great piece of work,” answered | the ad man. “Who would have thought anybody could get all that valuable publicity simply by telling the world he had an idea that nobody could under- stand.” “Festival days,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “bring great happiness until feasting renders us too dull to en- joy them.” Good Cheer Conversation. | suggestion that all-Winter fce skating | be provided on the Lincoln Memorial j reflecting pool. Writing to E. C. Gra- + ham of the Board of Trade, Mr. Delano, | who 15 chairman of the National Capi- tal Park and Planning Commission, asked that the timent of business The New Year day has gone its way, But let us still be wary. We'll need good cheer throughout the year As well as January. “It's g'inter be a long time befo’ an- said Uncle Eben, “but . homeward route. Again others walked trictthree months’ skating each Winter seems always ready foh service.” () Among other opportunities new year mbl-mslb (e those of ardening intcrests. i It won't he long now until Spring, best and busiest rm-ne o{ the year for amateur and professional. Happily Lhfl?e is no such distinction between the two as arises among the ranks of athletes in all branches of sports. g Gardening is an occupation for which “no man is too high or too low,” as some one has said. Among gardeners, if a man or woman { can raise a new variety of flowers, and sell i, for a fancy price, he or she is which the f renes {looked upon as blessed, not so much for the money as for the achievement. Horticulture, therefore, may point a lesson to other lines of endeavor, firmly keening its eye on the main taing, being at once the most democratic and the | most aristogratic of occupations, a blend without. peer. The new year offers all types of gar- deners an opportunity to better their best of past years. In the garden, small or large, lies an unparalleled chance for bettering one’s best without bunk. ‘America now seems to be suffering from a severe case of jim-jams, brought or partly by attempting always to “bet- ter one’s besf Too often, alas, in other lines, this desire has been along purely mathe- matical lines, Ever-increasing numbers were sought, when every one ought to I have realized that there is subtraction |as well as addition in life. Gardeners have gone right along with their age-old arts, happy to accept the weather as it coms pleased il the drought permitted some flowers, not all flowers. The gardener, whether in a back yard, or on an estate. whether in a gorgeous greenhouse or in a pot, belongs to an ancient heritage which looks for “signs.” They keep their ears to the grcund and their eyes on the heavens, they watch the moonj and wet a finger in the breezz to get the place from which the wind bloweth. Some might even call them supersti- tious, but what does that mean, after all, but a respeci for the great, mysterious Earth Mother? g Yes, a gardener is superstitious, if you will, but it has no ill effects upon him, LA The superstition of the garden is without the unreasoning fear which besets many a person in everyday life. Luckily for himself, the man who works with the soil does not transfer to hil If the effects which he desires to achieve for his crops or the danger which he hopes to divert from them. His is a happy blend of science and common sense. When he sprays his of those interesting green creatures, the aphids, or plant lice, he knows that he is working with the best ture. _Yonder tanned, bustling man who rides around the county in his small car is the county agent, who derives his au- thority from Washington and his own researches. He says that a 40 per cent nicotine | solution is just the thing for aphids. But if one wants to stick by grand- mother’s wisdom, plain soapsuds will jdo. And the amazing thing is that | often enough they will. BY FREDERIC President Hoover began the New Year exactly the way his political friends think he should have done. He did a peculiarly human thing by inviting two strangers, who'd been waiting in the morning cold to shake hands with him, to breakfast in the White House. Now, there’s nothing unusual about that, as far as Herbert Hoover is con- cern-d. He's done plenty of things like it, habitually, long before he ever became President and often since. The trouble is nobody ever hears about them. Thereby hangs a tale. The tale is that “the Chief’s” light seems to be systemat- ically hidden under a bushel, as far as Hoover, the man, is concerned. By and large, the country is a lot more inter- ested in the everyday events that re- volve around the President of the Unit- | state, This radioscribe does an occa- | sional bit of spelibinding before out- of-town audiences. He invariably finds people hungry for news about.the pure- |1y personal side of Hoover — what he | eats, what he wears, his friendships, | his hobbies, his pastimes, his working habits, his favorite reading, and & host of other unconsidered trifies. * k% * Here and ncw the guess is ventured that the President’s kindliness in bid- ding his New Year visitors to bacon and eggs stirred the imagination of millions, where Mr. Hoover's statement on rail- | ! interested merely hundreds. It had the Abe Lincoln touch human and therefore downright good politics. When the cabinet next meets, 1§t should tell the big man at the head on the head, and ought to do so azain —and often. One hears that the Presi- dent himself is the principal obstacle to |a publicity system which would permit | breakfast episode to make the front page, as they would be sure to do. Democratic press agent of renown voices the view that there has never been a President in our time who could he more easily and successfully “drama~ tized” than Herbert Hoover. “But from all I can gathcr,” the mimeograph ex- pert hastened to add, “the hardest job would be to persuade him to let himself be ‘sold.’ " * ¥ ¥ X “Bob"” Lucas, exceutive director of the Republican National Committee, is a man not easily budged from a line of action he'’s once decided to pursue, Hence, apparently, his leechlike de- termination neither to resign nor be “fired,” at the behest of Messrs. Norris et al. Lucas was collector of internal commissioner of internal revenue in 1929. He turned up in Washington in response to a summons which gave him definitely to understand tbat the com- missionership would be offered him. When Lucas arrived, he learned, to his astonishment, that he was to have an- other post. He flatly said he wouldn't take i, and arranged to return to Louis- ville. Word was carred to James Francis Burke, general counscl of the Repub- lican National Committee, who appar- ently relayed it to the White House. Later in the day and just before Lucas was leaving for the train, a message came, saying: “O. K. You' missioner of internal revenus * x % * ‘Tidings of revolutionary discontent in Turk=y interest Dr. Julius Klein, Assist- ant S-cretary of Commerce, just back from a trip to the Near East. Ie had a great con.ab with President Musiapha Krmal at Angora and was immensely impressed with the Citoman dictator’s personality, patriotism and progressive- ncss. Keomal's obsessing ambition is to take Turkey as rapidly as possible into the family of modern nations. master mind of our foreign trade also hobnobb2d with the two Balkan Kings— Boris of Bulgaria, at Sotia. and Alex- ander of Jugoslavia, at Belgrade. Boris, ag'd 36, and Alexander, who is 42, are describad by Dr. Klein as extracrdinarily well poised young monarchs of ultra- twentieth century ideas d immensely popular with their people. When King Boris returned to Belgrade a few weeks ago with his Italian royal bride, tae pasants hoisted his majesty onto their shoulders and carried him in frenzied triumph through the streets. Klein is enthusiastic over Am-rican trade pros- pects in the Balkans. ok %o Sir Wilimott Lewis, American cor- respondent of the London Times, Who | | wed | average place, is plants with nicotine solution, to end | thought of the Department of Agricul- | ed States than in portentous affairs of | road consolidation earlier in_the week | It was cdownright | of the table that he hit the nail right | typical “Hooverisms" like the New Year | Al revenue at Louisville when appointed | ‘The | of 1931, on the to be more diffi- cult, even, than that of 1930, for no one knows yet exactly what effects the drought—still continuing—has had, or_will have. ‘Trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials, which went through the Summer with only partial hurt, will find conditions not quite to their liking in the Spring. Unless, of course, the gardener is something of a student as well, and is able to diagnoss conditions as they grow—for plant conditions grow—and to_prescribe remedies. Every gardener, therefore, must be something of a plant physician in 1931, This much appears clear to the aspiring prophet. He will have to be able to keep his fingers on the pulse of his plants, to listen to them breathe, to count their vegetative heartbeats, as it were. Right now he can begin by survey- ing such stock as he possesses, in the hope that his eagle eye will detect in advance what is going to happen. ‘Then he can look around at the gen- eral “lay” of his land, and try to decide, probably for the tenth time, whether it would be better to let a certain shrub stay where it is or be removed to an- other sib\lltlnn* ‘The home gardening going [ Fireside gardening, the annual de- light, is peculiarly in order this month. | The first of the seed catalogues has | come in, the advance guard of gay battalions. Huge tomatocs, of unsuf- passed redness, flaunt themsclves from covers. They veritably make the mouth water. Surely some one should praise the advance made in color printing. Surely a few years ago no color plates managed to get such a lifelike quality in their presentation. Today a choco= | 1ate " cake in an_ advertisement fairly melts in the mouth. The hot biscuits of the baking powder people cause butter to yearn. Here one greets many old friends, to- matoes, peas, beans, radishes, endive, melons, asparagus, corn, beets; petu- nias, zinnias, flowering tobacco, bleed- ing heart, scabiosa, begonias, etc. Some of them one has been intending to plant for years, but somehow has never got around to it, as the saying is. Well, this year, one muses, one will get 'round to it. It has been a long path, these five years, these seven years, a long path, in- deed, with many windings and turnings. Looking back over that path, one is in- clined to believe that it was precisely because of the twistings and turnings, the doubts and the hesitations. that the path scems pleasant in Yelrflspft Sup- pose one had, with terrible éfficiency, hewed a very straight path through the wilderness of the years. Looking back along now, would it not seem bare? Where would be the little nook: dom, the happy nothings life? The dity of the stra been enflowered with ple: failures, so that it blooms in the memory, colors itself from them as this page takes on a fire. Perhaps the world of men has gone |2 bit too far in attempting to outdo Nature in fccundity. Man calls it | “mass prod-ction,” but Nature invented | it millions of years ago, when she car- sts with mil- cones, only a few thou- sai ich were to flourish. She | knew her lean times as well as fertile |and took no hurt from them, viewed | from the standpoint of the years. Maybe man still has a lesson to learn from her. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS WILLIAM WILE. | received a New Year knighthood from | King George, is the most popular new paper man in Washington. Knighthood “Bill” to the press gallery. For yea his inimitable basso “I say, old bo: | has endeared him far and wide as & whole-souled Englishman who com- pletely belics his countrymen’s reputa- | tion for aloofness. Sir Willmott re- ceives his K. B. E. for his consistently | brilliant interpretation of America and | Americans to the British people. Al- | ways British in his viewpoint, Lewis 1neverthnless is as habitually a friendly exponent of the United States, its con- ditions and ideals. Apart from jour- nalistic attainments, Sir Willmott is a man of many talents. Raconteur | extraordinary, singer, amateur actor, nguist, public speaker, globe traveler, typifies the well rounded man of the world. Sir Willmott is the third British correspondent knighted for his services at Washington. The others were the late Sir A. Maurice Low and the pres- ent head of the press section in Down- (ing street, Sir Arthur Willert, * K K K Ernest Lee Jahncke, Assistant Secre- tary of the Navy, wig-wags from New Orleans, where he’s been spending the holidays, that he’s about to turn up in Washington entirely recovered from his pre-Christmas experience in the White House medicine ball cabinet. The sphero'd was volleyed at him one morn- ing with such deadly aim that it caught the commodore off his balance and sent him from the arena limping. He went South on a walking stick. The sus- picion is that the shot in question was fired by a certain herculean Supreme Court justice, who's said to throw the “meanest” ball in the game. * K % ok Representative Florence P. Kahn, Re- publican, of California came back to Washington this week in time for the | resumption of the short session. The lady from the Golden Gate wasn't here for the December opening of Congress because she was waiting to see one of |her sons married in San Francisco. Many congressional comrades consider Mrs. Kahn the wisest head among all the woman members of the House. She has a flair for politics said to be the {equal of any man’s. Speaker Long- | When she presides pro tem, though many a tough parllamentary nut_re- quires quick-action cracking, Mrs. | Kahn's rulings are seldom challenged. (Copyright. 1931.) ————s. Galli-Curei on Opera. From the Canton (Ohio) Repository. The reason the opera is being de- because the public is fast beginning to understand that there is scarcely any limitation to a great symphony or con- cert, while the opera is an incomplete form of music. No one really sings in opera; they just make loud sounds. The orchestra drowns out the voice and the situation becomes a matter of quantity rather than quality. It is necessary to make haste to at- tribute the mild operatic blasphemy of the statements given above to Mme. cf the half-dozen best known vocal art. ists in the United States. Mme. Gall Curct plans to do all her singing hence- forth from the concert stage. “I believe the human voice is at its best when accompanied by the piano or a few string instruments,” she said also on the occasion of voicing her con- demnation of opera in general. And then, explaining furiher the reasons for the decadence of the opera, she ob- {more. “I worked hard for five years after completing my musical training before I was even ready to sing in opera,” she recalled. “The singer of to- day wants to achieve everything and do little work to achieve it.” It's just a little unfortunate that a hint of suspicion hovers over Mme. Galli-Curci’s decision to give up the ing but concert work henceforth was motivated, presumably, by the decline Jf the ra. But the fact remains to give up politics because they didn’t suit him any more there would be tly gencral agreement some- Wwas wrong with pe rosy tint when read in front of an open | - | them. | or not, Sir Willmott will remain plain | worth is fond of calling her to the chair. | serted for orchestral performances is| Amelita Galli-Curci, soprano, and one | | served that no one wants to work any | opera--that is, her intention to do noth- | that if Senator William E. Borah were; JANUARY 2, . 1931 | Sites Proposed for the War-Navy Buildings To the Editor of The Star: ‘The recent discussions to effort to find locations lor“u% public buildings, for the War Department and the Navy Depart- ment, have m’“d the suggestion as sites for of space along New York avenue from Fifteenth street east- ward to the District Library and on Massachusetts avenue from the Public Library to the new avenue which is to extend from the Union Railway Station to Pennsylvania avenue and on that avenue to Pennsylvania avenue at about Third street. That course added present Pennsylvania avenue would pro- vide two major courses of communica- tion between the White House and the Capitol, each well suited for the tion of public buildings. In this connection, we must recog- nize the inspirational and cultural value of fine architectural structures, inde- pendently of the activities carried on within those buildings. Many fine buildings are of value in this way to thousands of people Who never enter those buildings. The Lincoln Memorial is an example of a building serving, we might say, exclusively by its impressive and in- spirational exterior. A cathedral of im- posing and graceful design may in- fluence, in an inspirational manner, more people than are influenced by entering the building, not because the services in the cathedral are in any manner lacking, but because many more people see only the exterior of the cathedral, opportunity for that being afforded at all times during all days and all nights, An officer of the United States Army, while visiting in India, went to see the Taj Mahal. The exterior of that build- ing and its splendid setting so appealed to this officer that he stayed there five days and five nights in order that he might repeatedly view the building from all directions and under all variations of light in the daytime and at night. In further locating public buildings here in Washington, our Capital City, it is extremely important that recog- nition be given to this inspirational and cultural functioning of such bfildings. The suggesttd course along New York avenue and Massachusetts avenue is in large measure suitable in this respect. Such buildings placed along that course will be seen by many people, because many people travel along and across that course. Public buildings along that course will be conveniently accessible by various transportation means, from all direc- tions, by occupants of the buildings and by persons who visit those buildings on business or for pleasure. This treatment of this course will eliminate much that is now common- place or ugly. Sites for otiier public buildings may | be found in the area between the sug- gested course and Pennsylvania avenue. Public buldings a'ong the Pennsyl- vania avenue cour-: have the larger | portion of Washington population lo- cated northward.. The higher land at the north and at each end detracts from the Pennsylvania avenue course, that higher land, and the buildings | thereon, tending to dwarf buildings | along the Avenue. ‘The area along the south of the Mall {is not convenient for public buildings nor adapted to serve many people through external effect. The suggested {location for the War and Navy Building ! south of the present Botanic Garden is | similarly limited. | The ideal location for such buildings, {other things being equal, would be in | the center of a city, in order that the distribution of population around those buildings would be approximately equal | ail directions. But suggesting such a central loca- tion is not to be taken as recommending close massing of the buildings. There should be ample, but related, distribu- tion, in order that the various buildings may be given the benefit of the artistic effect attending ground space around No architectural structure can | be at its best without such surround- ing: If the New York avenue and Massachusetts avenue course is used will be opportunity to separate uch buildings at such distances as will afford best artistic effect. That cour: is really well adapted to receive stately buildings. And ‘that course is well adapted to be paired with the Pennsylvania course for connecting the White House and the Capitol. For the rapidly growing Capital City of this growing Nation theré is con- stant tendency to insufficient measur- ing for the future. Delays in acquiring school sites and park extensions are ex- amples. Our National Government will need more buildings than are now under con- templation. Al branches and depart- ments are growing. All the additional space here suggested, and more, will be | needed. S KEHR. | ) Road Repair Urged With Sign Banning To the Editor of The Star: The highway entrances to the City of Washington not only need redemp- tion from the disfigurement created by advertising mediums, but the Na- tional Capital also requires additional | highways of modern construction and grading connecting with the principal | boulevards and avenues of the city. | 'The Wisconsin avenue approach to the city is not of the type to be rep- | resentative of an approach to a na- | tional _capital. It is too narrow, is | unsightly “and poorly graded and the | | Baltimore entrdnce is not inspiring in | appearance. The City of Washington | requires an extension of Connecticut | avenue to the Rockville road and Kan- | sas avenue an extension north and con- | nection with the Baltimore road, while | Sixteenth street needs an extension northward to connect up with the roads to_Ge:tiysburg, Pa. Due to the fact that these highways | will lie principally in Maryland proper | Federal action should be taken to pro- mote and accomplish this urgent need. R. LEGRAD. e to | Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC This great service The Evening Star for readers, who may use it out cost to themselves. to do is ask for any information de- and they will receive prompt answers by mail. —Questions must clearly written and stated as briefly as possible. Inclose 2-cent stamp for re- turn postage and address The Evening maintained , director, We D. C. Q. How far did Jackson and O'Brine | travel in making their airplane endur- i ance record?—H. G. A. In August, 1930, they established the record of a 647-hour-28-minute flight and covered a distance 42,008 miles. Q. What will prevent the electric | shock one A damper atmosphere will pre- |vent it. This is a common phenome- | non indoors in Winter, .when the air in a house is likely o be very dry. Q. For how long a term is a Con- gressman at large elected?—T. H. | A. His term is two years—the same as other Representatives' terms. Q. Whet cftv in the Southwest is galled the “City ot Millionaires"?— A. Victoria, Tex.,, with a population of 5957, in 1920 had 21 millionaires living in the city, and was dubbed the “City of Millionaires.” The Victoria Chamber of Commerce prefers it to| be called the “City of Roses.” Q. Do the words fort and fortress express the same idea?—W. C. K. A. They are often used interchange- ably. In the United States all per- manently garrisoned places, whether fortified or not, are termed forts. In fortification fort is usually applied to a work entirely inclosed by defensible parapets. Fortress generally designates a fortifled city or town, or any piece of ground so strongly fortified as to be capable of resisting an attack. It is a permanent fortification. | Q. How many quarts of blood has the average individual and how long does it take the blood to make a com- plete circulation of the body?—C. C. A. There are approximately three quarts of blood in a person of average size. ‘The blood makes a complete cir- culation in a minute or less. Q. What was the name of the per- son who wrote the Pansy books?—B. S. . The nom de plume Pansy was used by Mrs. Isabella Alden for a set of books very popular with young peo- ple some years ago. Q. Where did the city of Reading, Pa, get its name?—J. L. | A. Reading, when founded in 1748, {by Thomas and Richard, sons of Wil- liam Penn, was named 2after the county town of Berkshire, England. Q. How long did Thorvald Solberg serve as register of copyrights?>—R. L. C. A. He was appointed to the position when it was created in 1897 and held it until he retired upon his seventy- eighth birthday, last April 22. Q. What is the proposition called the Muscle Shoals compromise?—L. S. A. It is the proposal that the Govern- J. HASKIN, by activities of Muscle Shoals and shall lease to private individuals or firms the manufacture of nitrates. Q. Are foreign coins legal tender 1 the United States? Are el’:eg‘cn?—l H.B'f A. Foreign coins are not. A check is not legal tender, and although there is no uniform specific time within which it should be cashed, reasonable dill- gence requires that it should be cashed within 24 hours. Q. Where did Hj rates get his medical knowledge? pg?c)l‘ o A. He received his first medical in- structions from his father, studied at ot Athens, and acquired extensive experi- ence in travel and practice among the cd:!urfl: of Thrace, Thessaly and Mace- onia. Q. How is it determined who is the dean of the diplomatic corps?—M. W. A. The diplomatic corps is formed and the Ambassador who has been in the country in his official capacity for the longest time is the dean. The rank- ing of diplomats changes often, as there are many changes in the corps. This is an international practice. Q. How often was the year of jubllee celebrated by the Jews?—R. W. A. In Jewish history the year of Jubilee was every fiftieth year and was held sacred in commemoration of the deliverance from Egypt. In this year the fields were allowed to le fallow, land that had passed out of the session of those to whom it originalty belonged was restored to them and ail who had been obliged to let themselves out for hire were released from bondage. Q. What mechanical appliance is 108 per cent efficient?>—F, F. H. A. No mechanical appliance is. Q. Is the tomb of the three wise men in Saba?—L. M. D, A. It s a fact that a tomb standZug in the City of Saba, Persia, 15 pointew out as the tomb of the three wise men who visited the infant Christ. There are, however, no historical data authen- ticating this statement. Q. How much money is invested abroad by American corporations and business men?—D. C. A. In November, 1930, it was stated that direct foreign investments of American corporations and business men at the end of 1920 amounted to approximately $7,478,000,000. These in- vestments, inquiry showed, are more largely in public utilities than in branch plants, although the general impression has been that the revers> was true. In- vestments in public utilities amount to over $1,625,000,000, nearly $1,000,000,~ 000 more than the investment in manue facturing. Mines and smelter investe ments total mors than $1,200,000,000, and petroleum investments over $1,115,~ 000,000. The chief public utility prop- erties controlled by American capml are in Canada, Mexico and Central America and South America. Q. What is the weight which divides the heavyweight class of boxers from the light heavyweight?—T. P. W. A. One hundred and seventy-five pounds. Q. Are baths HeI—B R sedative or stimula- A. A Lot bath is sedative, & cold ment shall retain and operate th: power bath s stimulative. nard Shaw's seriousness of purpose in coming to the defense of Sinclair Lewis' address on receiving the Nobel prize for literature, Americans show a tendency to suspect that the British humorist is taking ndenta%e of an| opportunity to share the spotlight with the author from this side of the Atlan- tic. .Mr. Shaw's statement that “to win the undying devotion of Ameri- cans,” one “has only to hold them up to ridicule,” is treated as spoofing. “Now up leaps Shaw,” says the Cleve- land Plain Dealer, “to cheer on the red-haired lad from Main street. Can it be he is just a bit jealous of the attention Lewis is getting and fearful he'll steal some of the Shavian thunder? At any rate, he tells the world he is careful ‘never to say a civil word to the United States,” with the result that ‘they just adore me.’ tip from an old hand may be gratefully received by the younger author, who himself seems quite capable of winning fame and wealth by judicious application of vitriol. Yet Shaw's invective would be | more effective if anybody took him seriously. He suffers under the burden of every writer who aci a reputa- | tion for wit and is dismayed when | the audience insists upon laughing | when it is supposed to wezp or register W lacing emphasis on the function of the smile in human affairs, the Kansas | City Star offers the comment on his | utterance: “G. B. Shaw says the Amer- ican people adore him because he has scoffed at them, and they will go on adoring until, ‘in a moment of senile sentimentality,’ he says something nice about them, when they will drop him ‘like a hot potato” So Mr. Shaw has been scolding Americans? Probably most of them didn’t know it. But those who did know it haven't minded because the eminent playwright always has been careful to follow the classic ad- monition of the Western cowpuncher, “When you call rmi fi:xat,*smflefl " * “We've 8 notion that Mr. Shaw is spoofiing us,” declares the Providence | Bulletin. ‘The chief reason he gets away with it is that no cne takes him seriously. In the first place no_ one knows exactly what he means. Most Americans—and Englishmen did too until age endowed him with a certain American Illiterates. From the Fort Worth Record-Telegram Several States have official; pressed distasts at the census report on the number of illiterates within their population figures. New York undertook to conduct a campaign against the con- dition by making application for the list of names of its illiterate citizens. The Census Board refused to supply them on the ground that the census re- turns are not public property in any sense beyond the tables of fizures pre- pared and published by that depart- ment itself, It might well be made an exception to the rule in the case of illiteracy. There is a Nation-wide movement io | erase that blot from the body politic. There is no excuse for its existence. It has come to be regarded so much a matter of disgrace that those afflicted ill admit the fact only when brought to face with the inability to read some- thing or write some simple sentence during ordinary business procedure. Those interested in reducing il- literacy find that secrecy their greatest handicap. Effcrts to assist illiterates result, in & majority of instances, in stubborn opposition. Just why that is true is not easily apparent. If the educational forces within the various States were able to obtain the |names and addresses of those illiterates who could not evade the census ques- tionnaires, the prcblem might be greatly simplified. It would be possible to share with the Census Board a secret already admitted. The greatest benefit possibie |to an illiterate is to rescue him from his infirmity. ex- | | | ——— = Population and Crime. From the Omaha World-Herald. Gangsters not as efficient as we thought when Chicago can show 75,000 increase in population in spite of them. o Always Busy. From the Altany Evening News. Gossip is one thing that has not felt any unemployment, and it has not asked for rellef. sobriety—think that he doesn't know exactly what he means himself. As for Dickens winning us by his ridicule, he did no such thing. He made us mad as hops—so mad that hundreds of Mid- western patriots to this day will not read ‘Martin Chuzzlewit’ nor the ‘Amer- * He won us through other qualities which we found irresistible. Of course it % very flattering of Mr. Shaw thus to characterize us. (He assumes, we hope, that we know when we are being made fun of.) It is indeed a superb quality of character which enables one to rise above ridicule. But we cannot help feeling that he general- izes upon insufficient data. The point is that we have no artistic solidarity and assume that our critics refer to the other fellow. As a matter of fact, we're extremely sensitive—blister at a stroke.” Quoting Shaw's hoast, the New Orleans Morning Tribune remarks: “If Americans can lie that, it proves that Shaw has really jearned his adulation. It's only one player in a million who can put all his chrds on the table and still win.” The Pocatello Tribune holds that “the differerice between Mr. Shaw and Mr. Lewis is that Mr. Shaw does 2ll his scoffing with complete detach- ment and with complete good humor, while Mr. Lewis gets himself all worked up and feels righteously indignant about it, and sometimes makes an exhibition of himself.” The Appleton Post-Cres- cent_suspects Mr. Shaw's remarks on Mr. Lewis’ speech “emanated from the same bump of the cranium that in- duced him to delve into the character- istics of one Gene Tunney with whom he spent considerable time in an effort to solve the gentleman's standing among American literati.” R “It is toc bad” laments the Fort Worth Record-Telegram, “that George Bernard Shaw could not have been here collaterally with America’s own Phineas T. Barnum. If he could have been the author of the great Ameri- gunsm. 5 c like U I century. ‘Shaw as Defender of Lewis Suspected of Spotlight Aim Raising a question as to George Ber- | now be neither a famous ;Inchk !é-ehvlds nor a bumptious George Bernard w “Shaw points out,” says the Ashev Times, “that most of yt'he '.hlnx: 1& says of Americans are obviously true of all peoples. But, ‘as the Americans can never believe that other nations res_em:zle them, e, just as Mr. Sinclair This happy persifiage is dium as any, and beiter ‘{gfi‘gxe‘allng with the Lewis verance v abl fine in many of its features, but ]s:ra;:? ly marked by the incurable conceit, and, to some degree, by the bad taste, of & clever American who is still & spleLe:t_ BdoIESLt‘ent at 45." ing a statement that “ must have convinced h:eS;::lem Americans adore him,” the Charleston (W. Va.) Daily Mail observes: “Would any such assurance be nece ? Adoration and amusement are not ex- actly the same things. One can Say this much for Mr. Shaw: He can make himself entertaining. Another thing: The American sense of humor can never take Mr. Shaw quite so seriously as he takes himself. As a foreigner who dees not know the country, we do not expect of him what the counf had a right to expect of Sinclair Lewis.” than most, address, a Reduced Speed Limit Sought by Citizens To the Editor of The Star: Your attention is directed to - cident at Tilden street and Conn":c‘n:flt avenue on Sunday evening, December 28, whereby four people were seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver. These people were standing in a safety zone, yet, because of the 1ll-lighted condition at that corner and the 30-mile speed Umit which prevails from Ellicott street Ibhéelripbuo‘nub:xcet, Eligh{b !}l:st. as well have Lie center of the the alieged “safety” area. ki 4 Association hz’fhffl!‘ére‘sz Hills Citizens’ 3 tried for years to get thi limit reduced “to 22 mglles BE ‘hp:e\lrd Despite our best efforts, however, and figures showing the large number of apartment houses in this stretch from Eliicolt to Albemarle street, it was im- possible to get anything done to make lhg crossings safer for our children, un:l a child was killed at Albemarle street and Connecticut avenue, bringing the number of deaths at this crossing to four. Then the 30-mile speed limit Was reduced to 21 miles. This Summer, without any notification ~whatever to our association, the speed limit was in- creased again and the cars whiz by from Ellicott street to the Bureau of Standards, endangering the lives of all who attempt to cross Connecticut "'?rr;xue's e Ben W. Murch School is locaf one block from Connecticut a\'enueu:é Davenport street, and offers another strong argument for a lower speed limit and more cauticn on the part of motorists. As one of the boys injured in the above mentioned accident Is a member_ of this school, the Ben W. i/gx;—rl; fimme mtd School - Association ecls very stron matter. ¥ R The Forest Hills Citizens’ Association meets January 5 and strong efforts will be made to get some sort of co-oper~ ation from the traffic authorities. The stretch in questicn is only about seven-tenths of a mile and the amount of time saved by the speeding autofst nmm!n‘rirgxfro!:ex;ctly 31 seconds. OUDINOT WRIGHT. FLORENCE J. S. STIMSON. e Denial Proof. From the Pittsburgh Post-Gagette. Models of the fourth dimension are heing shown at the Cleveland conven ilon of the Assoclation for the Advance- ;‘"“ of Science. No one will be able assert that they are wrong. ———————— Culture and Crime. T the Indianapolls Star. Misspelling of a word foiled an extor~ tion plot, which demonstrates the need of educational fundamentals before starting a criminal career. —————————— The Test of Law. e ian value demon- of the test epil There a distinct utill to literary gem. Barnt strated it. If he had not, e would From the Milwaukee Sentinel. A law, to 2 great many pecple, is caly binding when a policeman is looking,