Evening Star Newspaper, January 5, 1931, Page 8

THE -EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY........January 5, 1981 - THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: St. and Pennsylvania Avi e, IS SR 'opéan Office: 14 Regent St., London, Inlllnl Rate by Carrier Within the City. m venine Sta; 5c per month . vening and Sunday ‘Star (when 4 Sundays) 60c per month ar (when ass) ning and Sunday 5 Bundaye) 3¢ per month !'g’]funuu Star . Ll 5e per copy lection made at the end of each morth. {aders may be sent in by mail or telephon ional 5000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and_Virginia. y and Sunda: .1yr, $1000; 1 mo., 85¢ only L1y, £6.00: 1 mo.. 50c 7l 14.00; 1mo.. 40¢ All Other States ar? Canada. Bunday. .1 v Efil’:é:,nl! Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associated Press is exclusively entitled o the use for republication of all news dis- fatches credited to it or not otherwise e1ed- ited in this paper and also the local rews Published herein. All rigits of publication of #pecial dispatches herein are also reserved. The Lessons of Bank Failures. The year of little lamented memory, Wwhich has just passed into Father ‘Time's discard, was marked in its clos- ing weeks by a rather startling serles ©of bank failures in various parts of the country. In New York, in Phila- delphia, in the Middle West and in the South, institutions of age and sup- posedly impregnable strength closed their doors. Even yet the news is marked by similar tidings in widely separated sections. It is an eloquent tribute to the deep-lald and solid foundations of the American banking system as & whole that these sporadic strains upon the national financial structure have at no time threatened it with serious danger. It will weather the storms which business depression inevitably produced. Rome C. Stephenson of South Bend, Ind., president of the American Bank- ers’ Association, in ‘a thoughtful and | timely statement, discusses the lessons | to be learned from the bank failures of | 1930. The country, he feels, will find in 1931 that they were blessings in disguise. The result this year, this conservative Midwest authority asserts, will be “the strongest banking situa- | tion we have ever enjoyed, and one | worthy of the confidence of all our | people.” That will come to pass, Mr. Stephenson assures us, because Tecent | upheavals “eliminated undeniable weak- nesses” in the United States’ banking | structure. The leader of the Nation's financiers strikes a note which concerns the hum- | blest citizen. It is a warning to de- positors to look before they leap, when ehoosing a custodian for their funds. | A bank balance is just as much of an | investment as a stock or a bond. In considering where or with whom to open an account, an individual, firm or corporation should be as assured of a bank's stability and good management 88 an intending investor is careful about the safety and soundness of the se- eurity he contemplates buying. During the famous Pujo “money trust"” Inquiry in the House of Representatives, the late J. P. Morgan told Samuel Un- termyer, in response to an interroga- tory, that ‘“character is the real basis of credit” A depositor has not only the right, but the duty, to know that his bankers are men of character—“of reputation, reliability and capability,” ®s Mr. Stephenson puts it. “These qualities are essential” he adds, “to complete the element of safety and de- pendability in any human institution.” Bankers should be bankers. They should not be stock-jobbers, high-fi- nance promoters, or real estate specu- lators. Legitimate banking operations @re of themselves complicated enough to tax the energies of those intrusted | with their conduct. When the execu- tives and directors of banking institu- tions stray from the paths clearly marked out for them by the regular de- mands of their business, they court danger and invite disaster. It is comferting to hear from the ips of so authoritative a personage as the president of the American Bankers’ Association that the profession has drawn necessary and important con- | clusions from the banking tragedies of 1930. | ——— Republicans in New York State con- template an investigation of the New York City government. Certain emi- nent U. 8. Senators are pretty sure to regard this move as a vindication. In- wvestigations are not invariably useful in results, but an element of the public enjoys them as evidence that some- thing is being done. ———— — | The Law Machines. i Here in Washington we have a close- up view of the grist that is ground into 1aw every year by the national legisla- | tive mill. An interesting summary by the Associated Press portrays the stu- pendous task that awaits the assembly between now and next Spring of forty- four State legislatures, each of them with a program designed for bigger or better things and each of them con- cerned with problems of its own. The Associated Press estimates that before the heat of the Summer sun has melted the enthusiasm of the lawmakers and brought about adjournment, some 20,000 new laws will have been enacte In nearly every American community the people during the year will have| received some nice new law that they have been demanding for years. When they get it, what will they do with it? The legislative programs divide them- selves into five specific classifications— taxation, prohibition, penal reform, un- employement relief and governmental geform. But generally the bills propos-d €an be grouped under the two head- ings—money and morals. These are the things with which legislatures, and the people represented by the legisia- $ures, care and think most about. The legislatures are concerned in early every State with taxation or with & kindred subject, the expense of gov- ernment. [Eight States, for instance, plan to seck the economy that lies in reorganization and greater centralization of the State government set-ups. In Arkansas there s a drastic proposal to eonsolidate its more than one hundred boards and departments and to abolish all Btate executive offices save those of governor, lieutenant governor and at- forney general. A number of other ”flwnw“‘m.”-‘.w shake-ups that will tend to reduce the expense of governing. ‘The subject of penal reform and of punishment for capital crime is interest- ing in view of some of the contrasts presented. In Massachusetts, for in- stance, there is a proposal to abolish the death penalty. In Kansas, which once abolished it, there is a proposal again to legalize it. Arizona joins Massachusetts with a proposal to abolish the death penalty, and the Associated Press links the proposal with the fact that the State is still shudder- ing over the grim spectacle of the execution of a woman last Summer. Several States will tackle the sub- ject of prohibition, in one way or an- other. Missouri sees a possible $3,000,- 000 in revenue that might be raised by taxing products, such as malt sirup, used in the manufacture of “home brew.” Several proposals for repeal of the State enforcement acts are pend- ing in Indiana, Ohio, Illinofs, West Vir- ginia, California, Pennsylvania, Wyo- ming and New Jersey. West Virginia's proposal is linked with economy and {not with the moral aspects of prohibi- tion, if such a divorce is possible. Blue laws, unemployment relief, the gasoline tax, with Kansas alone of many States proposing to reduce instead of to increase it, will be studied along with such bizarre proposals as one in California to probibit married women from working as long &s their husbands are gainfully employed. Some day some Legislature will write history by repealing half the State laws, refusing to pass any new ones and cen- tering its attention exclusively upon reduction of the expense of government. Perpetual motion will be invented about the same time, to be closely followed by the dawn of the millennium. But it is a nice thing to look forward to, any- how. The Nye Committee. ‘The Nye commiitee is considering in- vestigating charges that a “secret fund of $100,000” was raised to defeat Sena- tor Thomas J. Walsh of Montana. The committee has had investigators work- ing in Montana for some time. The pledge of the fund, or perhaps the money itself, is supposed to have been carried to Montana by a Republican leader. But apparently the fund has| disappeared, for Montana Republicans and campaign workers, who dug down into their jeans with the expectation that they would be reimbursed, are now clamoring, it is said, for relief and are struggling with a deficit of $40,000. At least the G. O. P. cannot be charged, in the case of Senator Walsh, with having sought to defeat a nominee of its own party. Certainly the Repub- licans appear to be entitled to struggle against the re-election of a Democratic Senator, even though some of the Re- publican Progressives may have under- taken to ald Walsh in his campaign for re-election. If the G. O. P. is not to be permitted to oppose the election of Democratic candidates for office, then, indeed, is the Elephant hog-tled. It is quite true, of course, that the Repub- licans should not be permitted to buy the election of any of their candidates, by the expenditure of excessive funds, in Montana or anywhere else. If it was planned to carry Montana for Judge Galen, the Republican nominee for the Senate, by the use of money, corruptly and extravagantly expended, it is a matter to be run down and exposed. From the report, however, it is not clear that such expenditures were made. But an effort is being made to throw mud on the Republican opponents of the Montana Senator, who was elected, by the way, by a greater majority than he ever received before. The Nye committee is asking for an extension of life beyond the term of the present Congress, which expires March 4, and for an additional $50,000 to carry on the work of the committee. It is reported that much of the addi- tional fund, if it is granted, will be used to investigate charges that the election in Alabama was “stolen” from Senator Thomas J. Heflin, who incur- red the wrath of the regular Demo- crats in his State in 1928 by opposing the election of Alfred E. Smith to the presidency. Senator Heflin has sub- mitted charges to that effect, and the committee has had its investigators in the State, and it now appears that the committee will make a serious inquiry into these charges. The Senate Investigating Committee has still to make a final report on the Pennsylvania senatorial primary and election, and it is planned to make this report at an early date. It has brought to the attention of the country that in- dividuals and political organizations in some of the States have been willing to expend huge sums of money to win senatorial nominations and elections. It cannot be denied that the commit- tee has served and continues to serve a useful purpose. Nevertheless, the committee of the Senate should not be used as an agent of either po- litical party. The charge has been made that in some instances political advantage rather than the purity of the | Senate has been the real end sought. How difficult it is not to play politics, particularly if the Senate is involved! ———— It Spain insists on having a dictator, King Alfonso is willing to run the risks | that confront an autocrat and give his country the benefit of practical experi- | ence in conducting & government. AR | The Declaration of Independence. .| The physical value of the Declara- tion of Independence is, of course, in- estimable. Ownership of the original document would make anybody inde- pendently wealthy. The possessor could ask his own price. | Fortunately the owner is the United States Government. There is only one original copy. The Declaration was not prepared in duplicate. Since the pre- | o10us document is at the Library of Con- | @ress, nobody is going to attain sudden expert, of their real status. They are not absolutely without value, although this is difficult to “determine. The form letter states that excellent fac- similes can be secured from the Public Printer for fifteen cents. Properly aged facsimiles are difficult for the layman to distinguish from originals. The person whose hopes are aroused by the finding of such an old paper cannot easily appreciate the fine marks and shadings which are indis- putable evidence to the expert. He often clings persistently to his illusion. Traditions are passed on in families. The next generation, it is likely, will be even more convinced of the authen- ticity of some of the documents because they have the weight of the family tra- dition behind them. This tradition crystailizes with the years. In the end the authenticity, to the person con- cerned, does not depend very much on the physical evidence. When an ex- pert insists that a pen could not have made such a microscopic mark, the statement is equivalent to calling one's grandmother a liar. So it is likely that more “Declarations of Independence” will be found from year to year, and ill-advised claims on their behalf will become more and more sincere. Thus a tradition grows. And all the time the original document can be seen by anybody where it is and where it belongs—under the dome of the National Library. e No longer a claimant of “pink whisk- ers,” James Hamilton Lewis accepts his adornments as Time modifies them, and has the satisfaction of finding that he is studied as a man of responsibilities and not as one of the many who, in picturesque days that have passed, were regarded as interesting chiefly because of some trivial fancy which concerned only the individual. A competent White House gocletary is a valuable man and one who Becomes more valuable with the passing of every year. Paying a man what he is worth in the open market is hardly to be deemed practical with a Government which is constantly reminded that if the movies really want a person, money is no object. oo It is difficult for writing people to criticize adversely the Nobel award to Sinclair Lewis, even if inclined to ques- tion his work as presenting American literary production in a dignified light. The suspicion of envy is certain to cling to any discussion of the subject that sees anything but a whole-hearted de- sire to recognize American aumorshlp.l e Central American citizens have be- | come accustomed to Tevolutions. A new system of affairs is expected in the near future which will bring about the desirable result of causing governments to be taken with absolute seriousness. ———————— Song writers who went to Hollywood’ are said to be disappointed. In spite of the gibes hurled at it, Tin Pan alley is still pointed to by New York as the place where the hits come from. ————— In a few nations southwardly sit- uated there is an abundance of pa- triotism which has lacked the organiz- ing qualities necessarg to give it sys- tematic expression. —— Detective stories strike & mnote of originality. They always solve the mys- tery, while the police records seldom succeed in satisfylng the reader's doubts. ——— America used to study new designs in European garments. At present Eu- rope is attentively studying the latest designs in American automobiles, —_— ettt SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Easy Times. We're saying “farewell” 50 sad and long To the Days of Nothing to Do; The days when life was a careless song, Each bringing its treasure new. We have had our share of the hours that ran Like the sands with a golden chime, But the time has come when we need the man Who has courage in hardship's time. The “farewell” we say 1 not so long, And it isn’t in truth so sad, For there’s joy in & heart that is beat- ing strong And turning to good from bad. And we've had hard days in the years gone by, An we’ll have 'em again, 'tis true, But the Soul Courageous will never sigh for the days of “Nothing to Do.” Human Suspicion. “Do you find it an advantage to have your car tagged with a label that shows your official position? “Not always,” answered Senator Sorghum. “There have been per- sons s0 low in character as to assume that I enjoyed special immunities and that my car, if ransacked, would prob- ably yleld results entirely contrary to my personal principles.” Jud Tunkins says a man should try to grow old gracefully, but he'll never manage it by an effort to keep up with all the new dances. Never Down and Out. We have read on history’s pages Of misfortunes in all ages And the comment would agree: “Nothing worse than this could be!” ‘We have seen some 1+ petition Of & similar dire condition; But this old Earth, stanch and game, Comes up smiling just the same. The Incomprehensible. “Do you understand the Einstein answered the man who never admits defeat. “But—T'l say this much: T can ex- | wealth by finding it in an old trunk, or | & pile of rubbish in the attic, or pressed Letween the covers of an antique family Bible. Nevertheless it continually is being “found.” Newspapers constantly are re- porting its discovery. The Library of Congress recelves frequent letters. Folks 1efuse to be disillusioned. It is a curi- ous turn of human nature. The reports have become so frequent’that a form letter has been prepared by the Manu- scripts Division of the Library of Con- gress stating precisely and unemotionally the facts. All the documents being “discovered” are well executed facsimiles. They bear plain it to the average intelligence as well as Einstein himself.” “To speak only the truth” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is to earn little gratitude from friends and to in- crease the resentment of enemies.” A Shortage Not Deplored. Discussions of affairs of state We'll have in rhetoric, folk agree. We won't have quite s0 much debate— And shall not miss the repartee. “De clock says de same thing all de time,” said Uncle Eben, “but it's a heap mo’ useful dan & man dat de same STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 1931 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “Alice-Sit-by-the-Fire” has nothing on us when it comes to just plain “settin’” in front of a log fire. We find inexhaustible amusement in watching the varying conduct of the firewood, in listening to the sounds it makes and in speculating on the - bility of flying sparks. After all, what is better, in the plain courses of life, than “just settin’"? It is not a “snappy” activity, course, unless one is referring to logs. It is scarcely sophisticated, unless simplicity, the heart of our modern sophistication, can place it in that class. * K ok K No doubt a liking for one's ease in a chair goes back to the ancestry of the race. It is pleasant to picture our cave- man_ancestors, as they squatted before the fire. taking life on their haunches. A million or two years later the great underlying stratum of Europe, _the peasantry, sat before their plain’ fires, unable to do much more than “just set.” of the For them there were no topics of con- versation except the few homely events of the every day. Maurice Maeterlinck, in one of his plays, gives a sample of that conver- sation. It is an endless repetition of “It is going to rain,” “Yes, I think it will rain,” “I am sure it wiil rain” and “Yes, it will rain.” The modern man, if he has kept even half an ear to the ground, has plenty of material for conversation, whether he sits, stands or runs. * %ok ok Talk is not entirely necessary, how- ever. Just as the peasantry got along with a minimum of it, so many @ brilliant man has been non-communicative, ac- cording to his nature. When one sits before the fire, e does not necessarily find conversation expedient, although he may. It de- pe nds. One of the beauties of fireside sitting is that everything is natural. A formal tea time, even with old friends, has something slightly staged about it. In the sanctity of the home, before the hearth, we may sit without the slightest trace of formality, except the requisite good breeding essential even with the home folks. % %% x Some men like to light the fire and read by it, but to others this smacks of reading while the radio is going. One may read, of course, while listen- ing to a speech from a distant city, but it may be submitted that if one really reads, in that event, he does more read- ing than he does listening. So it is with reading while sitting before the fire. One has a choice of watching the fire, or watching his book. If the book is read to the exclusion of the fire, the latter is reduced to a plain plebelan necessity. If one watches the fire, to the detri- ment of his book, he is getting all that he can from his fireplace, in any event. The book may be read elsewhere, WASHINGTON BY FREDERIC If anything were needed to justify Charles Evans Hughes' right to be called the biggest man in the country, his presence at yesterday’s Woodrow Wilson memorial meeting in Washing- ton should suffice, The Capital in years has known no finer act of politi- cal generosity and sportsmanship. The Chief Justice's attendance was a com- plete surprise to the organizers of the meeting. He came merely in response to the notice that the memorial func- tion was open to the public. Probably Hughes intended not only to pay tribute to the memory of the man who defeated him for the presidency in 1916, but also to honor a one-time member of the Supreme Court, John H. Clarke, who was the speaker of the day. The other justices accompanied Hughes to the Wilson meeting—Butler and Van Devanter—all three of them, Republi- ‘The Chief Justice, who is about to celebrate his first anniversary on the woolsack, radiates invincibly good health and spirits. There was no trace of remorse in his bearing on Sunday afternoon, when he heard Dr. Clarke give him (Hughes), rather than Hard- ing, chief credit for first submitting the World Court protocol to the Senate in 1923, * K x % No single job he's had to give since becoming President outstrips in im- portance the one which Mr. Hoover now has to fill—the place just vacated by George Akerson. Officially, the post is known as “assistant to the President.’ Lawrence Richey is “special assistant.” Walter Newton is “secretary to the President” and French Strother is “ad- ministratiye assistant.” The berth which Akerson has adorned is the supreme secretarial position in more respects than its mere rank. The man who occuples it can come pretty close to making or breaking his chief. Not only is he responsible for White House press relations, but be is the President’s first line of defense against an importunate | public in general. Almost literally, the assistant to the President must be capa- ble of being all things to all men. He has to know how to refuse a caller a favor end send him away smiling. He must never say yes when he should say no, and vice versa. He is often keeper of the Executive conscience. What Hoover is looking for is a man with the wisdom of Solomon and the virtues of the saints, L Washington's political phrasemakers have just colned a pair of new ones, ““The World's Sport” is their epithet for the tribunal into which the Senate balks at taking the United States and “the spearless leader” is their slam at a certain celebrated Progressive of shaggy mane and Demosthenian tongue. %, “Mobilization of pubiic opinion” is the Hoover method for stopping threat- ened war anywhere in the world. The | railroad brotherhoods, which oppose the proposed “big four” consolidation Eastern lines, purpose invoking the same idea for derailing the merger. Their spokesmen say that aroused pub- lic opinion in the Northwest sidetracked the projected Great Northern-Northern Pacific _consolidation. What rail labor | evidently has up the sleeve of its jump- ers is to stir up the country along simi- | lar lines with respect to the Atterbury- Crowley-Willard-Van 8weringen pool. The brotherhoods, of course, will not have the complete right of way. There's & mass of persuasive argument to be adduced in favor of the consolidation. Its supporters—to use an lppm})rmlr figure of speech—will not be found asleep at the switch, * ok k% From the sunny South a Democratic member of Congress was recently Te- elected for another team by the biggest majority he ever had. “What were your issues?” a Capitol cloak room collergue asked, “The three D’s,” the man from Dixie replied, “De tariff, de Priest and depression.” * koK * ‘The Federal Parm Board recently asked agricultural experiment stations to report on “practical experiences in feeding wheat to cattle, hogs, sheep, horses and chickens.” Former Gov. “Sam” McKelvie of Nebraska, wheat member, makes the all-star contribution to the symposium. It gets the place of honor as a fatory note in the report, just fresh from the Government Print- ing Office. Here it is: “MR. COOLIDGE EATS WHEAT.” “When the President and Mrs. Cool- idge were summering in the Black Hills, Mrs. McKelvie and I were over- night guests at the Summer White House. At breakfast a food was served that I m much enjoyed. The he ate it regu- and added of | maybe in bed, but the fireplace ean enjoyed no place but where it is. * a % To give the fire one's whole attention is 10 lend it a dignity which it deserves. If we are eugaged in the fictional ad: ventures of some one else’s imagina- tion, how can we do justice to this | queer backlog? Among the many backlogs which have |gone up in smoke so far this Winter, | this particular one alone has a habit of popping at one end, and of sending up smoke at the other. Other logs have sent out sparks, but this one indulges in cannonades. If we insist on reading, we will never know that this log is different from the last one. * ok ok ok And surely it is essential that we know our logs. Life is such a big propo- sition, and there are so many things that we cannot observe in it, so much we will never know even exists, perhaps it Js much more to our individual pur- pose if we spend some time on these things we can see, watch, smell, taste, touca, understand. Le: nations fight nations, let interna- | tional politicians write their variously colorea books, while we sit by the fire and enjoy the natural conduct of un- sophisticated logs. Such has been the good nature of our logs of recent days that not one of them has sent forth a shower of sparks beyond the hearth. . Since we have no fire screen, this exemplary conduct on the part of our firewood is very much appreciated. Before Christmas we made a personal search of our favorite stores in order to find a fire screen. Nothing seemed more essential. But the stores were almost sold out, and the only one we fancied cost too much for our rapidly dwindling purse. Since that time we have begun to lieve that a fire screen is not as essen- tial as we once thought. No sparks jump out, in the first place. And in the second, our view of the burning logs is totally unobstructed. If some day we get & screen, we be- lieve we will only put it in place after the fire has died down and it is left to its own devices. Bits of smoldering logs left alone have a way of bursting into flame hours later. To keep their way- ward lg:rkx chimneyward, a fire screen would of real service. While_the flames are leaping., how- ever, a fire screen is rather in the way of genuine fire sitters. We would have an unhampered; clear view of the field. Men like the bleachers and pavilions |at the ball park because there is no chicken wire in the way, as there is ix; kthe grandstand Jjusi behind the plate. “Just settin'"” has its happiest mani- festation in front of the home fireside, after the cares of the day are over and the early Winter twilight comes on apace, as they used to say with a fine flourish. Then let us sit with aplomb, talking when we will, but always watching the burning logs as their flames leap and sparkle in the black depths of the chimney. OBSERVATIONS WILLIAM WILE. and one of rye, It is cooked whole without grinding. The grain is just as it comes from the field and is put in a double boiler and cooked until the kernels of wheat burst open. This sometimes takes four or five hours. We cook up a batch of it, put it in the ice cheést and get some out and warm it up each morning. I suppose it will last a week or 10 days without getting sour.’ * K K Historic Center Market, which has just been handed over to the wreckers to make way for the new Federal Ar- chives Building, was Congress and built by public subscrip- tion. By far the largest part of the money came from men of affairs in the North. On the wall of the Ninth street wing, near the entrance, is a stone tablet bearing the founders' names. Among them are Caleb Cushing, Wi llam E. Chandler, Benjamin F. Butler, Alexander R. Shepherd, Hallet Kil- bourn and Samuel W. Curriden. The congressional charter allowed the mar- ket company use of the land on which the building stands at a yearly rental of $7.000. It was also provided that the buildings, if undisturbed for 100 years, would then revert to the Govern- ment. If taken over beforehand, the company was to be reimbursed by the United States Treasury. When Center Market was taken over by the Depart- ment of Agriculture some 10 years ago, the stockholders were awarded by ap- praisal the sum of $1,250,000, * ‘Washington's most striking New Year card is the “Great Circle Map” showiny Fairbanks, Alaska, as “a geographical center of Europe, Asia and America” and the terminus of the Pacific Yukon Highway. The map is the work of Ernest Walker Sawyer, one of the three commissioners appointed to study the construction of a highway to connect the Northwestern part of the United States with British Columbia. Yukon Territory and Alaska. Fairbanks be- nl’xldes the same longitude as the North ole. (Copyright, 1931.) e Wage Maintenance. From the Charleston (S.C.) Evening Post. The one outstanding achlevement of American industry to date in the pres- ent depression has been the mainte- nance of the wage level. The year 1930, a hard year, has passed with the bulk of American industry adhering firmly to the promise which it gave to Presi- dent Hoover and to the public at the beginning of the year that it would not cut wages. Men in great numbers have had to be laid off, but in the average industry those who have been retained have been paid the same rate of wages that applied at the height of pros- perity and this has been a notable achievement. There have been some who argued that it would be better if the money available for wages could have been distributed among all the workers so as to avoid lay-offs, but, obviously, it would be uneconomic for any plant to | kéep more labor than enougn to produce what it could dispose of, no matter how | much or how little it had to pay the men. Overproduction was one of the evils of the situation and to produce still more at low wages instead of less at the old rate of wages whould have aggravated the situation. The industries are by no means out of the woods, and if business does not improve, it is a question how much longer the wage rate can be maintained without serious injury. Some argue that lower wages are justified by the decline in commodity prices, since a dollar will now buy more, but, unfortunately, to the average man the dollar does not seem to go any farther than it did before, no matter what the statistics say. Should conditions improve before long, the problem will have been solved, industries can afford to continue to pay good wages, and the fact of their main- tenance will become a powerful con= tributing factor in speeding up the re- turn of prosperity. It is probably the first time the Nation has ever gone through a major depression with so ex- cellent a wage record and it is some- thing to be scored to the credit of American industry, provided, of course, that conditions do not become worse or continue bad so long as to make it impossible not to change the policy. When all is sald and done. the first interest of labor and capital alike is that industxy be preserved and not sacrificed to any hard and fast rule. Make Them Like It. From the dunserite Cuamits, t lfllnbl“‘bl& Job is nof I‘uun's - hiule thay baua authorized by | ist. The Political Mill By G. Gould Lincoln. After a brief respite, the political mill be | begins again today to grind in Washing- ton, with Congress and its committees returning for “business as usual.” From today until March 4 a main topic of conversation will be over the possibility of an extra session of the newly elected Congress this Spring. The administra- tion, backed up by the regular Repub- licans in Congress, is going to do its best to avoid a special session. It may be successful in its efforts, gh no one can tell with certainty. Because of a legislative jam in the Senate and the failure of A number of appropriation bills, a special session was brought about in 1919, when Woodrow Wilson was President. The Republicans were at that time taking over control of both houses of Congress from the Democrats. And Republicans were found who did not- hesitate to talk some of the appro- priation bills to death, partly because, they insisted, these bills were “outra- geous” and partly because of the poli- tical situation. * Ok kK ‘The next Congress, however, is not going to be Democratic, although it may be difficult to label it Republican and make the label stick. The Democrats will not have a majority in either house, unless, indeed, enough Republicans die in the Senate in the States which have Democratic Governors and the Governors are able to appoint Democrats in place of Republicans. If the recent rows be- tween Robert H. Lucas, executive direc~ tor of the Republican National Com- mittee, backed up by Representative Will Wood. chairman of the Republican Congressicnal Committee, and the Nye Investigating Committee, Senator Norris and other members of the Progressive group have accomplished anything, it is & reasonable certainty that the Repub- licans are going to organize both houses of Congress when the new Congress meets, The Progressives will be entirely regular on that day. They will be regu- lar both to prove that they are Repub- licans, which Mr. Lucas and Mr. Wood have intimated strongly they are not, and also, and perhaps more important to them, in order to hold on to impor- tant chairmanships and committee as- signments in both houses. The Demo- cratic members of Congress, therefore, perhaps have not the same political in- centive to force a special session of the new Congress as had the Republicans in 1919, * % x % Some of the Democratic Senators are seemingly as strongly opposed to & special session of Congress as-are the regular Republicans. It is the rampant Progressive Republican and Progressive Democrat who is howling loudest for a special session now. Thev want to try to put through the next Congress legis- lation which meets their ideas—the farm debenture the anti-injunction bill for labor; a bill to prevent consoli- dation of the raliroads, at least until Congress shall have another say in the matter; cash for the veterans of the World War; water-power legislation, and a lot of other things that the Hoover administration does not cotton to. They would like to put these measures up to Mr. Hoover and make him take them or veto them. * K X % A batch of newly elected Governors are taking command in a number of the States this week. The careers of some of them are to be watched with keenest interest. Governorships have been stepping stones to presidential nomi- nations and to the White House in the past. Roosevelt and Wilson are cases in point, and it was only two and a half years ago that Democrats picked the Governor of New York for their presidential nominee, Alfred E. Smith. None of the new Governors are likely to be more in the public eye than Roose- velt in New York, Pinchot vania and La Follette in Wisconsin. Roosevelt has been touted as the prob- able Democratic candidate for President in 1932, Pinchot, opponent of the public utilities and strong conservation- has been mentioned in connection with & demand that a third y be formed in '32 and also as a le can- didate for the Republican presidential nomination. Philip La Follette, who be- comes Governor of Wisconsin today, just 30 years after his father, the late Sena- tor Robert Marion La Follette, took that office, is the youngest Governor of a State today—just as his brother “Bob” was the youngest Senator when he was first elected to the Upper House a few years ago, * X ok w “Phil” La Follette has been at work for weeks on a legislative program to be submitted to the State Legislature, in- cluding the budget for the State gov- ernment. His program is said to in- clude unemployment insurance and tax revision. not to mention legislation deal- ing with the chain bank d_chal store problem. He may have s difficult time getting 1t enacted into law. How- ever, the Progressives in Wisconsin seem to have the upper hand very firmly at present, with Governor, both United States'Senators and many other offices. The youthful Governor of Wisconsin has called into conference with him representatives of all groups in the State and all groups in business and in- dustry, including both labor and capital. He has sought to obtain the views of all before making up his mind regard- ing the details of his recommendations to the Legislature. If he makes good as Governor during the next two years— trying years, perhaps, for Wisconsin as for the rest of the country—he is bound to go far in public service, * oK K K Gov. Roosevelt of New York, in his inaugural address, called attention to the need of the citizens of municipal- itles of the Empire State improving their local government. He drew a distinction between the Federhl, State and municipal and county govern- ments. While he did not say he in- tended to keep hands off in New York City, where Tammany has been under fire for months, he did not say that he was going to tackle that problem. and many New Yorkers inferred for them- selves that he was going to let them deal with their own problems. The Republicans still have control of the State Legislature. Already their lead- ers are planning to put through a bill providing for & thorough inquiry into the conduct of affairs in New York City, an investigation, forsooth, of Tammany. This bill, if it carries money to be expended in the investigation as well as authorization, will have to be approved by Gov. Roosevelt. If he turns down such a measure on the ground that it is put through by the Republicans merely for the sake of po- litical advantage, he will have to face the criticism of siding with Tammany while that organization is under fire. * ok % ¥ Roosevelt seems to be out in front today in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. His prede- cessor, Al Smith, was also out in front long before the Democratic Convention was held at Houston, Tex. It was well understood many months before that convention that it would not be pos- sible to “stop” Smith, Also President Herbert Hoover had a big advantage in the race for the Republican nomina- tion for President early in the game. Gov. Roosevelt, however, must either play ball with the Democratic leaders in New York, including Tammany, or face the chance of having a divided delegation at the next Democratic Na- tional Convention. these leaders, not liking Roosevelt's in- dependence in the matter of appoint- ments, have issued public statements declaring for Al Smith for President in 1932, However it's no harm to a i- dential candidate to be “out in front” ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ‘This is & special department devoted to the handling of inquiries. You have at your disposal an extensive organiza- tion in Washington to serve you in any capacity that relates to informa- tion. Write your question, your name, and your address clearly, and inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for reply. Send to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. in, director, ‘Washington, D. C. Q. What is the basis for the disagree- ment between West Point and Annap- olis about foot ball games?>—N. D. A. The foot ball team of West Point does not abide by the so-called three- year eligibility foot ball rule which is followed by most colleges. The foot ball team from the Naval Academy complies with this ruling, and when the West Point team refused to change its rules the Annapolis team refused to play. The three-year eligibility rule means that students shall not be eligible to play on a college team more than three years. Q. Was any one in the plane with Quentin Roosevelt when he was shot down during the World War?—L. T. S. | A. He was fiying alone. Q. Is there an organization for people interested in making marion- ettes?—R. S, A. Marionette makers have an inter- national union known as the Union Internationale de Marionettes. It is called Unima for short. The head- quarters is in Prague, which is known as the world capital of marionetters. Q. Of what university is Einstein to become a faculty member?—E. G. A. Prof. Einstein has accepted the invitatlon of the vice chancellor of the University of Oxford and the Rhodes trustees to beeome the Rhodes Memorial lecturer during 1931. Q. Where did O. Henry's story, “Gifts of the Magi,” first appear?—E. D, A. It was first published in the New York World, December 10, 1905. O. H the in lead pencil in an office boy from . He never , throwing to the boy as he finished it, the last Q. What makes mercury stick to glass?—G. O. A. Dirt in the mercury may cause sticking. Clean mercury will not stick to glass. Q. Who donated Central Park to New York City?—L. J. H. A. The land covered by Central Park was not donated to the City of New York, but was purchased in 1856, the territory at that time being covered with shanties, bon!-boihnxg est:blbh- ments, piggeries and pools, and very undesirable and unsightly buildings. Three hundred dwellings were removed. The price averaged $7,500 an acre. The present site covers 8:3 llcm ‘lhlm;; urchased at a cost of appro: Fo.uu,oso. only & fraction o,"me actual value of the land today. Q. What will take the wrinkles out of a diploma?—W. R. A. The wrinkles can be taken out of the diploma by moistening and allow- ing to dry under tension, as clamped in a frame. This will apply regardless of the material, whether it be genuine sheepskin or vegetable parchment. Qneueo give a list of rare woods.— A. A partial list follows: Amaranth, ebony, rosewood, sandalwood, snake- ‘wood, tulipwood, palisander, Australian blackwood, lignum vitae, pear, Indian laurel, Australian walnut, silky oak, Ceylon satinwood, prima vera, 8] cedar, carreta, olive, orangewood, ma- drone burl and cocobolo. Q. When was the hourglass invent- ed?—L. H. G. A. The hourglass was used as early as the eighth century AD, Q. Is it not true that Plymouth Rock has been reunited and that it is now an exhibition spot?—W. W. A The secretary of the Pil clety says: “In 1774 the inhabitants of Plymouth decided to remove the rock to Town Square and establish a shrine of liberty. When they attempted to raise it, however, it broke into two parts, one of which was permitted to remain’ and the other carried to its destination. It remained there until 1834, when it was removed to the yard in front of Pilgrim Hall, where it was surrounded by an iron fence. It so remained until 1880, when it was removed and placed on that part of the rock from which it had been separated one hundred and six years before, and over which, meanwhile, an elaborate granite canopy been erected. The rock may now be seen, in its original position, on the shore st Plymouth. The peristyle which now surrounds it was erected by the Society of Colonial Dames.” Q. Is Sorolla, the artist, dead?—W.R. A. The Spanish artist, Sorolla, died in 1923. He was born in Valencia in 1862. His work is characierized by impres- sionism that is vigorous, colorful and spontaneous in feeling. Besides many pictures such as “The Return of the Fishermen.” Sorolla painted portraits of King Alfonso and Queen Victoria of Spain and portrait groups of peasants and other native people. . How many ehildren attend pic- tu?e shows weekly in the United States? —E. M. A. It has been estimated that more than 38,333,000 attend weekly. Q. What are mirrors called which make people look very tall and thin or short and very fat?—W. 8. L. A. They are cailed distorting mirrors. . How much coal and water does the average locomotive use in an hour? . O. F. A. Trnutlwina :‘lyl u:‘n‘z'-mty‘p::! werful locomotive, pullin - Age passenger irain, ‘evaporates from 25,000 to 30,000 pounds of water per hour, burning from 3500 to 5, pounds of coal. Passenger engines usual- ly carry fuel and water sufficient for 40 or 50 miles; some, 60 to 70. Q. What is meant by the _.En‘lln ex- pression, “forty to the dogen”?—=A. V. B. A. Forty to the dozen means to chat- ter incessantly and senselessly, to gab- ble, to talk piffie. To walk forty the dozen means to away. . Was the league of the old French aqwm‘:;( menux;m&ntv the same as lish —N. V. j.;hrge lem the French measures of the “Systeme Ancient” was 3.7637 miles, while the English league 18 3 to make & fast get- miles. Lyle Campaign Is Watch " As Hope of Chicago Reform Natlonal attention is attracted to_the political battle as Judge John H. Lyle seeks the Republican nomination for mayor of Chicago. He faces the opposi- tion of Mayor Will Hale Thompson, who is a candidate for another term, and also that of Charles V. Barrett. Judge Lyle already has achieved success with professional criminals in Chicago, and his campaign is based on a promise to rid the city of \‘.he‘:: lcuvltl;!. “Judge Lyle will opposed,” says the R::k Island Argus, “by politicians wil his own party who are accom- 1is] in the art of vote-getting, and gh candidacy will’ be fought by every criminal interest in Chicago. It will re- quire nothing short of a miracle to bring about his nomination. But, with the Re~ publican strength divided, there are some who think that such a situation might not be so bad for Judge Lyle, pro- vided he can stir Chicago to the depths with his anti-crime platform and cor- ral enough votes to land him far in the lead. Others think the situation as to division will militate to Thompson's ad- vantage or to the advantage, possibly, of a candidate who would not be aggres- sive against the criminal element were he to be elected mayor. Any way one looks at it, Judge Lyle has a big task cut out for him. J. Cermak, the prob- able Democratic nominee for mayor, is pular with the people and would poll R:uvsly. But Chicago must turn, either to Judge Lyle or to some candidate of equal courage and honesty, if it is break the alliance between politics and crime.” “His campaign, whether he wins or loses, is sure to focus public attention on glaring evils in the administration of the Nation’s second city, which need Just that attention,” according to the Jackson Citizen Patriot. His entry is viewed by the Scranton Times as “a direct challenge, not only to Thompson, but to the people of that city who on other occasions, when aroused, have demonstrated that ‘Big Bill’ is not in- vincible at the polls.” The Akro Beacon Journal advises: “Here is Chi- cago’s chance to reclaim the esteem of the Nation, which it lost when it surrendered to these degrading ele- at any stage of the game. Booms grow usually with publicity. ~Certainly in these days of the primary. Irresistible Wit. From the Milwaukge Sentine chologists have been analyzing the uhotgaol children and we await with considerabl the Skeay | tancest ments. It remains to be seen if its so- called better citizens respond to the in- vitation to proceed in the only way that will bring better government. Hither- to they have prayed for this result, but have done too little voting.” * ook K “Whether this archfoe of gangsters can get anywhere in the race” ac- cording to the Rapid City Daily Journal, “is a question only the election can decide. But he's fighting a divided field. He'll be fighting all the power of gangdom, aecording to every surface indication. He'll be fought by the pow- erful Thompson machine. If Judge Lyle can win there will be emphatic notice given to the world and to Chi- cago gangland that the majority of the people of Chicago want a change. “In not a few reputable quarters, thinks the Kalamazoo Gazette, “there appears to have developed a certain attitude of despair, a reluctant con- clusion that organized grafting and racketeering must be endured as in- separable from the life of a modern American metropolis.’ ‘That concludes: “In the final analysis there is no place to lay the main burden of responsibility other than on the shoul- ders’ of the people themselves. The shameful conditions of outlawry, the sinister alliance between crime and politics, and the general disorder which has become all too characteristic of metropolitan life in this country will not end until the law-abiding majority does something more than utter woeful complaints and bemoan its plight. The size of our larger citles does not de- prive them of the same of reform that is available to the llest hamlet in the land. Undoubtedly it is easier to stuff ballot boxes and manipu~ late voting in a metropolis than in a small city, but evil practices of this sort certainly cannot account for Chi- cago's sufferings. Not all the arts of the political trickster could prevent that great city from electing honest and c-puble'&ggnc servants if the peo-, ple as a willing to take charge 5 and form their obvious' duties as citizens. hard to judge fi mendously impressed with the determi- nation and the resourcefulness of Judge Lyle. It would create a great deal of confidence if & man such as he were chosen to the highest post within the gift of the city. It would give con- vineing proof that Chicago at least is “It Bill Thompson gets the may- m'llty%lclm will waste its time seek- ing sympathy for anything from the rest of the country,” declares the Charleston (S. C.) Evening Post. The Syracuse Herald holds that “the crisis is one that calls for a formidable union of the city’s best citizenship in a highly emergent and even desperate situation.” Thluscu'b Bend Tribune suggests -that “Judge Lyle has a tremendous advantage, for he has gone much farther than any other public official in the anti-gang campaign”; that “any promises he makes on that score will be b\ll?;ll‘kd by a record of remarkable action.” The Hartford Times advises that “‘compro=- mise among the opponents of Mayor Thompson and elimination of all save one will -be essential to make victory against the Thompson machine certain, and will be the test of the genuine sin- cerity of the Republicans who want no more of his typs of administration. “Mayor Thompson enters the cam- paign,” in the judgment of the Roanoke Times, “with the.immense advanf having the backing of the formidable political machine now in the saddle in Cook County, a machine of which he i8 the acknowledged head. On the other hand, he nas made powerful political enemies who will undoubtedly flock to one or another of his opponents in an effort to accomplish his overthrow.” “The mayor is the key to the sit- uation,” asserts the Chicago Daily Trib- une, #and it has been one of our expen= sive futilities that public opinion has allowed itself to be distracted from the fact. We have talked vaguely about getting an Army officer for chief or some Sther strong and independent man. The chief of police is as strong and straight as the mayor and not a jot more so. He will be as efficient as the mayor per- mits him to be. He will act as the mayor wants tc act or not act, or he will get cut. Until the law establishes com= olete independenge of the police the only remedy is in a stfong and honest mayor, hen Judge Lyle says it is ridiculous ime that all these officers of the law: it is, 98 judges, 1,500 bailiffs, clerks, deputy sheriffs, and attaches of the courts and about 6,000 policemen— cannot suppress and almost totally an- nihilate the little bands of skulking as- sassins, says what is in every citi- zen's mind. Ii is ridiculous, but in the present domination of the alliance be- tween organized criminality and corrupt politics it is and will continue to be true unless the alliance is smashed. That job is under way, and we are confident it will be done, but not until we have a mayor in the chief seat of power who can be depenced upon to do his part.” .- An Unpatriotic Proposal. From the Ohio State Journal (Colambus). How foolish and even reprehensible it would be to increase the size of the na- tional House of Representatives! It is already too large for expeditious and efficlent work, with its 435 members. Yet the proposal is made in Congress with strong numerical backing that the membership be fixed under the new ap- portionment at 491. It would mean 56 more salaries, with perquisites, for the taxpayers to provide, more confu= sion and less effectiveness in legisla~ tion and, we understand, a costly en- largement of the seating capacity of the hall where the Representatives meet—much loss and no gain for the public interest. ‘The public interest is given no cone sideration in this proposal. Its advo- cates frankly admit that the purpose is to save certain States from losing & small percentage of their congressional representation under the apportionment as fixed at g?"nt' They demand mqre jobs than they are entitled to, and that is not at all an edifying ition. Con- gress was for the country and not the country for Congress. The states- manlike thing to do would be-to reduce melluolmeflmue.nmtomm& but we must not expect too much this old vale of tears and the membershi) will be