Evening Star Newspaper, January 24, 1931, Page 6

WASHINGTON, D. C SATURDAY....January 24, 1831 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor per Company a Ave. d 8t B, Londen, Star N 11 8. A Penpsvivant iy KX fim‘v‘eo-n Ofilc! .1:‘:1 ent. !I.‘ Rate by Carrier Within the City. ening S o P 5¢ per month and Sunday Star indays) 60c per month T asg rer month ber copy 1 month Collection made at the end of each monf ail or telephone ders may be sent in by ms tional 5000. All Other States and Canada. ly and Sunday..lyr. $12.00; 1mo. $1.00 5 v 8.00: 1 mo. Iy OBl E 8c a3 yr.. $5.00: 1mo.. 1] A y only Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associated Press is exclusively entitled the use for republication of ail news dis- atches credited to it or not otherwise cred- n this raper and also the local news published herein. All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. Conservative Optimism. If optimism can bring results in any fleld it will surely effect the restoration of business health in this country. Signs are plainly evident of such a spirit. Leaders in trade. in manufac- turing, in finance are all talking about the revival of prosperity that is under way, the restoration cf confidence that s manifest, the reopening of mills, the speeding up of work, the lessening of the number of the unemployed, the steady, if yet slow, increase in the vo'ume of business that is reported from all sec- tons. ‘While some of this talk may be for “window dressing,” for purely psycho- logical effect, it cannot be that all of those who thus speak of reviving trade are merely whistling to keep up their courage. There Was a good deal of such talk a year ago, when the country was still quaking in the convulsion of the stock market and downward adjust- ments were being made, one after an- other in a distressing series of reces- sions. If the “good times” slogan, sounded when there was no warrant for the cry, led anybody to take a chance in specu- Iative enterprise, only to meet with re- verse, the optimists were hardly to be blamed. Far worse would have been the effect of a chorus of “The country is going to the dogs!” and “The worst is yet to come!” Though they were refuted from time to time during the year the Thopeful forecasts that were not fulfilled had their good effect in preventing utter despair. ‘The optimism that is now finding wveice in statements by business leaders is temperat: and consgrvative. There are no loud voices chanting “immediate prosperity.” The chcrus of hope is more helpful than the somewhat frenetic sounds of a year ago. Two statements have been made within a few hours that illustrate the change in the form of expression. One of these comes from the board of di- rectors of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, to the effect that reports from member organizations throughout the country “justify the hope that the dead center of depres- sion is past” and that a majority of thé reports show “a slight increase in business activity and an improvement in the employment situation.” ‘The other statement came from George P. Baker, dean of American bankers, noted for his taciturnity. It is said that in his entire career he has given but two interviews. This second one was & marvel of brevity. Mr. Baker, on the eve of departure from New York for Florida, permitted a spokesman to say for him, “There are some indications of improvement on sound lines.” Nobody can quarrel with either of these outgivings. The Chamber of Commerce directors “justify the hope” that depression is at an end and Mr. Baker notes “some indications of im- provement.” Those are, in truth, more helpful in their psychological effect than the “climb-on-the-bandwagon” proclamations of 1930, which perhaps induced many to take rides in un- trustworthy vehicles, to their eventual serrow. One phrase of Mr. Baker's nine-word sentence is especially to be noted—“on sound lines” In truth, that is the heart of the question that faces the country today. Any improvement on other lines is a disadvantage rather than a help. The sounder the lines, perhaps the slower the recovery, but the longer the endurance of the pros- perity that will ensue. A Eminent men have interested them- selves in preparing interrogations, but there are public men who feel that the U. 8. Senate is taking the questionnaire habit entirely too much to heart. Prime Minister Bennett's Visit. ‘Washington will welcome next week & distinguished guest from across the bor- der, Prime Minister Richard B. Bennett of Canada, who became the head of the new Dominion government last year as Jeader of the Conservative party. It will be Mr. Bennett's first visit to this coun- | try in that eminent official capacity. Ostensibly here to consult the Ca- nadian legation and otherwise confine himself to purely “family affairs,” it, of course, goes without saying that Mr. Bennett will have ample opportunity to commune with Washington officialdom | on those matters of high importance in Canadian - American relations which more or less incessantly engage the at- tention of the two governments. ‘The Conservative party was swept into power at Ottawa largely on the Ameri- can tariff issue. Mr. Bennett was in the forefront of the campaign which successfully educated the Canadian electorate to believe that the Dominion, ‘The to inquiring Canadian government itself in a position” to pro- ceed with steps to make the proposed sea-to-the-Great Lakes canal a reality. ‘The Dominion holds views on the project, with which Uncle Sam hitherto hes not seen eye to eye. The great port of Montreal is not enthusiastic over a scheme which suggests the possibility that it may forfelt much of its impor- tance as Canada's Atlantic gateway. The border liquor problem is yet an- other Canadian-American issue. There are Canadians who oppose the use of Dominion police power as an American prohibition enforcement agency. Can- ada maintains a quasi-embargo on liquor exportations to the United States. That. too, is a proposition' on which there is divided counsel in the Dominion. 8o, although there is not a solitary gun or fortifization anvwhere along 3,000 miles of Canadian-American frontier, or a single man-of-war afloat on the iakes which form our water bor- der. there is no lack of controversial material in our contacts with the great people to the north. But Premier Ben- nett's sojourn is one of those face-to- face events in international intercourse which accomplish a hundred times more than diplomatic correspondence or face-making in Parliaments and Congresses. Washington greets with pride and cordiality the North American states- man who has been called to the lead-| ership of the Canadian nation. last the et Unfit Policemen to Be Dismissed. District Commissioner Crosby, in charge of the Police Department, is determined to purge the force of unde- sirable members. Acting t> this end, he has approved a regulation proposed by Maj. Pratt, superintendent of police, which will effect the mandatory dis- missal from the force of any member who is convicted by the trial board three times within a year of violation of any of the rules of the department. This is & sort of “Baumes law” for the force, in that a series of convictions means a “life” sentence for the final one, whatever its nature. If this rule should be adopted by THE hivosniNg is very complex. All these arguments deserve being taken into consideration. But no individual can be certain that his own positive opinions are sincere until he has put them to this test. ‘Would he unhesitatingly abide by them (if he bad to shoulder the undivided responsibility of his action? A defect of democratic government is that no individual is required to take such responsibility. . Much of this de- fect would be overcome if every voter assumed that he was a czar instead of only one man among millions. ——— e The Auto Show. Tonight is the big night for motorists of Washington, for promptly at seven- thirty o'clock the doors of the Audi- torium will swing open to reveal to the public for the eleventh successive year the newest in motor cars and acces- sories. Although but a small counter- part of the big shows held annually in Chicago and New York, the Washing- ton exhibition by its very compactness and tasteful arrangement loses nothing by comparison. One hundred and fifty new models, bright with paint and nickel or chromium trimmings, will be there to tempt the pocketbook of mo- torists or prospective motorists. Sales- men will be om hand in abundance, of course, to explain the features of the various cars and no one, be he buyer or not, need leave the show without add- ing to his store of information regard- ing one of America’'s greatest industries. The Washington Automobile Show has become an increasingly popular year- ly exhibit. It is the one occasion when the motorist can see under the same roof and with the minimum effort every make of car sold in the National Capital. He is enabled to make instant comparison of engines, body comfort and equipment amid attractive sur- roundings and with the soft strains of music to keep him in a contented mood. In tact, so popular has the Washington show been in previous years that the radical step of opening on Sunday has been taken by the committee in charge. So starting tonight there will be no break in the exhibition until the curtain is run down next Saturday, and it is quite likely that a large part of the city’s population will have made the rounds by that time. ———— . Nebraska is prepared to go to some the Board of Commissioners, which is not to be doubted, the District police force will be under strict notice that continued misccnduct, infraction of rules, breaches of code of any degree, will be punished by dismissal. A policeman cannot be habitually dis- courtecus or unduly harsh and remain on the force. He cannot be continually involved in questionable associations and engaged in enterprises of a dubious character. With the slender margin of two convictions within a:year he must be beyon< reproach and above sus- picion. This establishes a high standard for the force. Yet not too high, for the sake of public confidence in the police organization, which, it cannot be denied, has in scme degree been shaken by happenings and disclosures in the recent past. Individual members of the force have appeared in connections of an undesirable character, and yet have been beyond the scope of the power of dismissal. A feeling has arisen in the community that the force has been tainted by the presence of these men, and with no direct means of eliminating them the Commissioners have been held responsible for their continuance on duty. A policeman should be, in theory, a model of lawful conduct. He cannot command respect in the discharge of his dutles if he is known to be asso- ciated with misdemeanants, He cannot be true to his oath as an enforcer of the laws if he himself breaks them. This standard is none too high to be strictly maintained. Commissioner Cros- by, concurring in the recommendation of the chief of police, proposes by the new regulation to set the standard, through the elimination from the de- partment of those who eontinue to break the rules, however lightly or gravely. ————— The price of wheat becomes an issue in France. The mention of bread has been & historic signal for agitation in that country. This time it is desired to make the raw material stand in price at about $2 as against 80 cents a bushel in this country. Prance has rapidly reached a prosperity which makes ex- pensive bread desirable if the farmer can get a better price for his product. r————— An Acid Test. ‘Through its very inconclusiveness the Wickersham report appears to have in- creased enormously the amount of casual conversation on prohibition, This in itselfl is an accomplishment of scme note, since for some years past the eighteenth amendment has been the most popular topic of talk wherever !men or women have githered. Most lof the talk, of course, has no signifi- cance. Most of the widely varied opinions have no significance. There is one acid test which any in- dividual can put to himself to deter- mine what he actually thinks about prohibition, in distinction from what he says. After all, what most of us say most of the time has no real re- lation to what we think. We say what cther folks are saying. Probably we do not actually think at all i ‘The acid test js simple enough. Let the individual imagine himself made the supreme authority on this disputed issue. The people, let us say, afe in hopeless confusion over the multiplicity of statistics prcduced by wets and drys and over the fine-spun philosophical and theological arguments. So they de- cide to settle it all by Jones, an honest man of demonstrated gooa judgment, complete authority to make whatever disposition he pleases of the liquor question. giving John | which is the United States’ best cus-, Just put yourself in the place of pains to show that in that State there is only one George Norris who can be guaranteed as politically genuine. The grocer who happened to have the same name is regarded as having made a mistake in selecting a political cam- paign as a method of relief for a tired business man. . e Demand is being made for a favorable recognition of the currency of coun- tries with vast populations using silver, The impression that the great argument about silver money was permanently clesed years ago appears to be a fallacy. History in repeating itself repeats the old questicns in new forms. R In addftion to the discourtesy of Bos- ton auditors who threw three eggs at an unappreciated performer, the of- fenders should be reminded that eggs, even of the cold storage class, are now too valuable to be wasted. ———————— There have been many great Consti- tutional lawyers. Yet there remains in the U. 8. Constitution sufficient ma- terial to keep able lawyers closely oc- cupied with searching interpretations. —— e —————— France seeks a satisfactory ministry and offers one after another, adopting the affable motto of the merchant who declares that it is no trouble to show goods. ——rw——————— Eurcpe is regarded as having settled down to old customs as she develops more war clouds for the rest of the world to talk about. et SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Melodious Philosopher. We're looking forward to the day That brings the mocking bird so gay Who seems to find a thought of cheer In everything that he may hear. We're waiting once again to find That small philosopher so kind Who sees enjoyment ever new In what the other songsters do. No envy mars his happiness. He loves the greater and the less And seceks, attentive to each call, To be the pupil of them all. Not Interested in Echoes. “Some of the things you have said,” remarked the admiring friend, “will go eeHoing down the corridors of time.” “Those echoes are too distant and have too little present influence. What I want is unlimited time on a nation- wide radio hook-up right now!” Jud Tunkins says & man who starts with foot ball and then turns his sin- cere attention to golf can be regarded as having led a fairly busy life. Another Gift Season. We'll hold a cheery mood because A new friend stands in line. We skall not miss old Santa Claus. Here comes St. Valentine! And when the gifts are on display, One says, “My heart is thine!” Who could such lavishness display Except St. Valentine? Thought and Sound. “Why do you play the violin?” “Because,” answered the thoughtful person, “I am a philosopher.” "And also a musician?” No. If I were a true musician and not a philosopher, the best I could do with a fiddle would probably distress | me terribly.” “No loneliness,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, 50 deep as that of a man whose power is so great that all men seek to be only his servant and tomer, had not receivea & square deal | Jonn sones. What would you do about in the Hawley-Smoot law. Canada did {t? You have the full authority. You mot confine her protests to resolutions | have the full responsibllity. There will of disappointment. She said them with | be no shifting of blame or credit. The deeds. She promptly instituted a set of results of whatever you decide upon, ecountervailing duties which were to be good or bad, will fall entirely to your imposed on varipus classes of goods en- credit or discredit. tering Canada. It is not known to If individuals would put themselves what extent, if any, the new schedules | to this acid test before talking about none aspires to be an unselfish friend.” Something to Remember Her By. In gangland once a youth drew near And asked some little souvenir. She blacked his eye, that husky miss, And said, “Remember me by this!” “Good sense,” sald Uncle Eben, “is what we admires; but good luck 15 are affecting Canadian-American trade. prohibition much of the loose, cone Whether or how much they affect it i | fused, meaningless, interminable argu- beside the much more vital avestion of ' ment of the present would be av:ided. the strain which tariff hostilities impose | Talking involves no responsibility. upon the relations between Republic| Doubtless there are srguments on all and Dominion. sides of the prohibition question. Many ‘There is another Canadian-American of these are valid arguments. Prohibie gtor fssue which presents is thorny side, tion, like any other social phenomencn, ealls. STAR, WaASHiNuiLUN, p D BE, 0% Saruvnuay, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. Never trust the judgments of your friends as to whether you would like a certain book. No matter how well you know their tastes, and especially in relation to your own, you can never be sure of yourself. You can never be sure that you wouldn't like a book they say is “no| geod” or that you would care for one which they brand as “fine.” In other words, books, lke other works of art, are subject to the personal slant of the reader, and no one can know whether at the time he is suf- fering from indigestion. We had this brought home to us re-| cently in regard to J. B. Priestley’s “Angel Pavement.” Our friend has read much the same things that we have, and our opinions often coincide. But not always. Seeing a copy of Priestley’s new book on his desk, we asked, “What do you think of that?” ‘Without hesitation, he answered, “I don't like it.” This settled the book for us for the time being, as we had faith in his verdicts. Surely, we thought, knowing us as he does, and we knowing him as we do, if he does not care for “Angel Pavement,” neither would we. The tifle, however, kept intriguing us. A rather absurd title, it seemed, the name of a small London side street, in which and around which most of | the action of the story takes place. Finally we could stand the strain no longer. It has been our experience that a good book usually has a good title— | not invariably, of course, but often. | Some readers develop an uncanny | sense for detecting a good book bchmd} a title. | We finally purchased a copy of| “Angel Pavement,” determined to pit | our intuition. as _we liked to think of it. against the flat statement of. our | fellow reader—"I don't like it.” i i & | Well, we not only like “Angel Pave-| ment” very much, but recommend it to all and sundry. It is a good tale, well told, interesting, vivid, meaty, col- | orful and humorous. True humor, by the way, is rare, either in writing uri conversation. It depends upon keen cbeervation on the part of the speaker | or writer. Its aim is discovery, its| province human nature. It appeals to the sympathetic audience, | Priestley, a young Englishman with a wide newspaper expcrience behind him, has turned out two international “best sellers” in succession—"The Good Companions,” in 1929, and “Angel Pavement,” in 1930, | Both these books have been hailed as more like Dickens than anything which | has been written since the time of the great Viciorian. The return to the Dickensian stylc—at least its best ef- fects—was inevitable. Faithful readers of this column will recall tkat more than a year ago we spoke of this tend- ency in contemporary fictlon, and in- stanccd at tmat time, among other | ‘works, a novel by one Patrick Hamilton, “The Midnight Bell.” It is to be re- gretted that this book did not make a “hit.” ‘The “hit,” whether in books or songs, is a curious thing. No man, not | even a publisher, can predict one surely. The work is put on the market with large hopes. Maybe it ‘“goes” and maybe it doesn't. Usually it will be found that there is undoubted merit to | the book which the public as a whole | VENING TIMES, Glasgow.—Hu- | man credulity is an amazing thing. One would have thought that hoary old fraud, the three- | card trick, had entered on a | well earnefl retirement long ago. Even | the most innocent voyager through this wicked vale of tears, one would imagine, could hardly avoid developing a cynical smile when, in a railway carriage, or anywhere else, an affable and ingratiat- ing gentleman invited him to “spot the lady,” “find the red” or “cop the ten.” But recent revelations show that the ancient dodge is still raking in the shekels for its skillful practitioners. Can one have much sympathy for the folk | who are separated from good, hard cash In this way? But it is not always the simple “jay” who is caught by these rogues. No doubt they lay their traps “to circumvent the unsuspecting wight,” | and no doubt also in the shop talk of | these “sports” all their victims are| technically “mugs.” But as often as not the man who is caught in their | cleverly spread net is not the “hay- | seed” unused to the guileful ways of | the world, but the shrewd enough fel- | low, who is insnared by his confidence in his complete ability to take care of himself. He pits the keenness of his | eve nst the skilled manipulation of ‘the cardsharper’s hands. If that were |all that was in it, there might be no great reason to complain. The law of averages would probably level things up. But, of course, the three-card trick, as worked by the profes- sional sharper, allows for no miscar- riage of result, in so far as that one's interests are concerned, and the most | sophisticated amateur is deluded as eas- ily as the veriest clodhopper diffusing the mild aroma of the stable. So, don’ be a mug! The gambler knows therc are fools both of high and low estate. ® % xw Moscow to Hold Fur Auction in March. U. S. S. R. Economic Review, Mos- cow.—Early in March, 1931, a fur auc- tion will be held in Moscow under the auspices of the All-Union Fur Syndi- cate, according to an announcement of the Amtorg Trading Corporation. This | auction will be the first in the history of the Russian fur industry. The an- nouncement states that the sale should be of special significance for the de- velopment of direct trade transactions | between the fur industries of the U. S. S. R. and those of the United States. 1t is pointed out that the Soviet Union supplies about 25 cent of the de- mand_ of the world fur market, and| that the United States is the chief pur- chaser of its fur products. It consumes probably about two-thirds of the entire fur exports of the U. 8. S. R. | Nevertheless, American firms still continue to make large purchascs through intermediaries instead of buy- ing direct from Soviet organizations. This method prevents the necessary contact between producer and con- sumer, and also raises the cost of furs for American firms, who carry on most of their fur trade in this manner. One of the objects of the coming auction in Moscow is to help solve this problem. Through the invitation to representatives of American firms to visit the U. S. S. R. and purchase furs on the spot, it is hoped that direct business transactions between Soviet organizations and American manufac- |turers will be established on a better basis. &% & Seek Name of Doctor Who Attended Bolivar. El Comercio, Quito.—The “Club | | Sucre” of the city of Tariba, in the Re- public of Venezuela, has directed peti- tions to all the nations whose efforts in securing their liberty were assisted by the courage and devotion of Simon Bolivar, asking them to consult their archives and any other ancient records contained in the respective countries, to ascertain, if possible, the name of the physician who attended Gen. Bolivar upon his death bed. The name of the doctor who rendered this service has been variously given in different ac- counts, but, so far as can be deter- * what we truly envi - A Stayer. Prom the Indianapolis Star. Another endurance record has been established by a new Metropolitan Opera , who took high “F” and 16 curtain I mined, no descendant bearing any of these patronymics exists. Nevertheless, theic may very prob- ably be some person living in South America whom domestic history, or an existing tradition, may point to as per- taining to the line of that skilled man of medicine who made such heroic efforts to preserve the liberator's life. Highlights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands. | For dessert we have American, pie, cakes |in the American style, with pasteurized |we serve wines, | Not Lead to Self-Satisfaction. | Prom the Charleston (W. Va.) Dally Mail, TRACEWELL. welcomes royally, although the work may not be of sufficient merit to pre- serve it to posterity. “The Midnight Bell” was a chi small work which deserved a great popularity. That it did not receive it may or may not be cause for surprise. There is—no doubt of it—a curious quirk in public taste, against which no writer can be proof, and which often, on the other hand, helps him im- mensely, both to his own surprise and that of his publisher. * kK % “Angel Pavement” is a fat novel, satisfactorily thick in physical bulk. After all, there is something happily satisfying in sitting down, with a new book which gives promise of more than a few minutes’ reading. It is good, too, to find that the opin- jon of your friend was all wrong. How could the sap have such a poor opinion of .this good story? Every line you read convinces you that his judgment was the worse than none at all. Here he held you off several months frem reading this splendid novel, when, if you had been left to your own de- vices, you would have purchased it in the Fall, or at least before Christmas. You are glad, too (you tell yourself with some self-righteousness) that you still believe in the advisability of own- ing, not borrowing, the books you read. The people you like in- books at least may be yours, whereas in real life most often you pass them on the street, never to mett again. ‘The scenes in books crystallize in your own rooms, whereas the scenes in the great world itself lie so far away that you can never go there. The dreams, even your own dreams, of the best humanity lie so close to evanescence that commonly they es- cape you and the rest of the world before they become realities. Only in books do dreams take on the substantiality of cloth and paper and type, and through the alchemy of mindwork become living things. Books are reminders of these living dreams, clear-cut and vivid; but how can they remind you if their bodies and uls belong to somebody else? g g The value of the book on the table or shelf at home is the value of any present thing. Did you think that the good in a good book was something to be sopped up, as one does gravy with bread, and no: something to live forever? The gocd in a good book if ever ready to assist, to cheer, to warm the mind and heart. There are books whose very bindings convey something of grandeur. No one can know books, we believe, who snatches at them as cne might a cup of coffee and crullers in a hurry-up restaurant. “Just as it takes a heap of living to make a home, as Mr. Guest so well stated, so it takes a lot of keeping to make a bock really belong to one. Now, “Angel Pavement” is a book to keep. We like it so well that we shall go on to its predecessor, “The Good Companion,’”| firm in the faith that it will be even better. Wish us good fortune, readers! A mood is a mood. and no man can say what his will be until he gets there, If the reading Fates are propitious, we will enjoy “The Good Companion” better than “Angel Pavement,” even as it has a better title. Whoever this solicitous attendant was, it is certain that he prolonged the du- ration of that inspired existence when its mortal jeopardy was such that all other human aid was vain. there lives today any one who can trace his lineage back to the noble and skillful practitioner who attended Bolivar in the desperate and final days of his glorious career, his identity is sought for by the “Club Sucre,” that they may invite him to participate in the mo- mentous ceremonies arranged in honor of the centenary of the death of the great liberator, in the Republic of Venezuela. * ok ok % Mining Firm Advertises American Meals in Cafe. El Comercio, Lima (from advertise- ment) —We desire to announce that employes of El Cerro de Paco Compania (a copper mining corporation) can have in Lima American cooking, like that to which they are accustomed, at D. Leon’s Restaurant, Grill and Cafe. For American breakfasts we serve all kinds of fruits in season and orange juice, ham and eggs, corned beef hash with poached eggs, griddle cakes, waffles and sausage of pork. For luncheon and dinner we have shrimps, scallops and fish in every style; also the great Amer- ican attraction, incandescent canines (hot dogs), as well as steaks and chops, fowl and omelets cooked to every taste. and doughnuts, besides many varieties | of salad. We have coffee also, served milk instead of leche de cabra (goat milk). We also have i1 connection an American pre-prohibition bar, at which cocktails and mixed drinks of all kinds. Americans, patron- ize the Cafe Leon, the king of cafes in Peru! *EEE Achievements Should Evening Post, Wellington.—Sometimes we laugh at the American habit of claiming possession of everything that is biggest and best, but we ourselves are not free from a similar fault. The big- gest we rarely claim, for we could be proved wrong by measurement, but, un- less we are speaking of the government or the city council, we often appraise our own possessions, systems oOr per- formances as excelling all others—and often with less justification than if we based the praise on size. For example, Mrs. McCombs, in re- plying to some comments by Dr. Batch- elor on hospitals and opposing a sug- gestion for private wards, made the statement, “In my opinion, our hospital system is the finest in the world.” So extravagant a claim cannot be supported by expert opinion. Indeed, expert opinion, guided by a study of other systems, has quite recently pointed to several weaknesses in our system. Pride in that which is good is not to be condemned (and there is certainly much to be proud of in New Zealand hospitals), but it should not lead to self satisfaction and the offhand rejection of any proposals for improvement. This is what the complacent attitude of our hospital boards is doing. Self- satisfaction is blinding their eyes to imperfections which should be clearly seen. —_— Our Traveling Methods. The Frisco railroad, in trying to hold | its business in competition with they passenger motor vehicle, has adopted the 2-cent fare for its day coaches. JinUni g 24, 13l . G. K. Chesterton, who recently enter- tained a Washington audience with a less than wholly serious discussion in the affirmative of the question “Is Psychology a Curse?” joys his own humor with such rollicking mischief that his hearers cannot fail to nejoy it with him. He is & humorist as & writer also in many of his essays, and in his Father Brown storles, in which & Catholic priest is a detective second only to Sherlock Holmes. But Mr. Chesterton is not always humorous. He is very serious in his historical and literary studies,. though, of course, his method is satirical. He is sel , too, in his religion, Roman Catholicism. In his most recent bock, “The Resurrection of Rome,” he has written a study of the phases of Rome as a papal city. His chapters, a little enigmatic in titles, are “The Qutline of & City," “The Story of Statues,” “The Pillar of the Lateran,” “The Return of the Gods,” “The Return of the Romans” and “The Holy Island.” In his first chapter he says: “What I saw written across Rome was Resurgam, and I have taken that note or notion to be the nearest approximation to the theme of this " Rome appears to him as the scene of a series of revivals. It was nearly destroyed by Hannibal, was sacked by Alaric, it “alternately won and lost in jts wars with the Eastern and the Western Emperors” but it defied extinction, survived exile and re- vived its life and art. Rome, since the time of the Caesars, he sees as a papal city. “Rome is papal. It strikes the eye first of all as a town built of triumphal arches to welcome Popes or towering tombs to commemorate Popes, and those chiefly the Popes who have the worst name outside their own com- munion—the Popes of the Renaissance. * * * It is not only that Rome is papal, but that it is so_obviously proud of being papal. * * * I resolved to be- gin frankly with St. Peter’s; the eternal rock of offense; to the Puritans a stum- bling block and to the esthetes foolish- ness.” * ok K ok The chapter “The Story of the Statues” discusses Rome as the city of sculpture, of fountains, of arches, of monuments, of shrines, of images; it tells also of “the fury of the Icono- clasts,” which burst from Constanti- nople. With characteristig frivolity, Mr. Chesterton begins this chapter, or essay, with a fling of satire. He quotes from Byron, “When falls the Colos- seum Rome shall fall,” and continues: “I do not believe it, not even to please St. Augustine, let alone Byron. The Colosseum could fall without killing Rome, or even the Romans, though not (it is pleasant to think) without killing a large number of American and other foreign tourists, mostly rich. I should escape callously, for I do not haunt the Colosseum, least of all by moonlight. I am not and never was a ghost.” The force of this allusion to himself will not be lost on those who' saw Mr. Chester- ton's rotund figure on the platform at Constitution Hall. i The last chapter of “The Resurrec- tion of Rome,” “The Holy Island,” of course about the new Vatican State. Commenting upon the action of Musso- lini in sanctioning the papal sjate, Mr. Chesterton says: “Compare the con- duct of dictators like Napoleon and Bis- marck with the conduct of dictators like Mussolini and Pilsudski. The former thought that they were falling over so much lumber and that the lum- ber would soon be cleared away. The latter know that they are coming against certain limits; and those limits will never be moved away. They may like or dislike them in varying degrees; they may bargain with them or balance' them with various alternatives, but they will always deal with the papacy as they would deal with the Pyrenees or the Polar Sea; in short, as they deal with the planet and eVerthlw that will only end with the planet.” The bock is concluded by a glowing descrip~ tion of the Beatification, which Mr. Chesterton witnessed at St. Peter's when Pope Pius XI celebrated benedic- tion at the Righ altar. There all the pomp and splendor of Roman Cathol- icism were at their height. But, Mr. Chesterton points out, though the pag- eant as a pageant is worthy of praise, yet “the pomps of Rome are rightly meaningless until we know what they mean. I am entirely on the side of the Puritan who thinks the symbol ficti- tious s0 long as he thinks the signifi- cance false.” Seriously, as a part of a credo, he says: “I am particularly anxious to affirm at the start that though of course these shows and pag- eants meant immeasurably much to me and profoundly affected my emo- tions, yet I do not base my belief on such emotions, still less on such pag- eants or sho I was myself received into the Catholic Church in a small tin shed, painted brick-red, which stood among the sculleries and outhouses of a railway hotel.” * K ok ok The human digestive system becomes a vast country of varied landscape tempting the explorer in the humorous book “Through the Alimentary Canal With Gun and Camera,” by George S. Chappell. The explorer enters country through a huge cavern bris- tling with stalactites and stalagmites, where there is opportunity to prospect for gold in the Molar Mountains. The interior of the country is penetrated through the Esophagus Canal. The seat of government is the town of Braintree, and the chief pumping sta- tion is at Hartsdale. In the Kidney section of the country gallstone quar- ries are discovered. A Gathering of the Glands is witnessed in the Perito- neum. The extravaganza is carried on with much cleverness. * Padrale Colum combines in his “Cross Roads in Ireland” description of the old Ireland of the Druid period and of St. Patrick’s time and the modern Ire- land of factories and the government of the Irish Free State. The legends and traditions of ancient Ireland are not mere dead stories and symbols for Padraic Colum, nor for the modern Irish _people. Ouchullain, Brian Boru and Cromm, the sun god, who was de- feated by 8t. Patrick, as well as St. Patrick himself and St. Columba, are all part of the living culture of Ireland today. Cavan is a locality impregnated with myths still believed by the people. Mr. Colum found there a woman who told him that the Danes brought hens to Ireland #nd that “when the fowls murmured on their roost they were tell- ing where the Danes hid their treasures after their defeat at Clontarf.” In Cavan_ also the belief is strongly held that the Danes possessed the secret of | making ale from heath r—the famous heather ale. bl i An account of a life of peculiar service and self-sacrifice, written by one who intimately knew all the facts, is “Mother Alphonsa; Rose Hawthorne Lathrop,” by James J. Walsh. The in- fluences of arcestry and education which helped to produce the unusual character of Rose Hawthorne Lathrop are emphasized by Dr. Walsh. Most of the book is concerned with her work, begun in three small rooms, for those incurably ill with cancer and too poor to pay for comforts which might alle- the | American author’ | shortens distance and saves time. There The plan may spread. The report is(viate their inevitable sufferings. To that the plan of the Frisco has proved | CArTY on this work Mrs. Lathrop with= popular. It certainly will when high- |drew from the world and took the name ways are icy and slippery, especially in | Mother Alphonsa. mountainous regions. Because of come * K ok K petition of the bus, railroads are get-| The intellectuals in Russia have be- ting in a bad way, and they realize that | come so much the under dogs that they something must be done. On the other |are trying to establish themselves as a hand, the bus performs a useful pur-|part of the manual laboring class and pose and reaches many points not ac- |are organizing in unions. Their works cessible by railway, and frequently|are censored by proletariat censors, and are then, if passed, published by the state. This is vouched for by a repre- sehtative of the Cosmopolitan Book, tion of both these great carrier agen-|Corporation, recently returned from may ultimately be reached a plan which will permit-the profitable opera- ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ingtor you any capacity that relates to information. ‘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. Haskin, director, Washing- ton, D. C. Q. How much does a radio broad- casting station cost?—L. H. 8. A Very few people have any idea of the cost of operating a radio station. To install any kind of tting set with power up to 1,000 watts it would cost from $5,000 to $40,000. The science of the transmission of sound at the present time is developing so rapidly that a sending set that.yould be up to date today in six months would be ob- solete. e broadcaster must pay studio and office rent of from $15,000 to $40,- 000 a year. The investment on a big station runs from $750,000 to $1,000,- 000. Pick-up equipment costs from $10,000 to $15,000. Line charges—that is, for telephone wires to transmit pro- grams—cost approximately from $10,000 to $12,000 annually. Electricity amounts to about $15,000 a year, and there are a number of incidental expenses that run to about $15,000. Microphones cost at least $75. Q. What were the outstanding events of 1930?—N. H. H. A. M. K. Wisehart in the American Magazine suggests the following: Dis- covery of the remains of the Salomon Augusf North Pole aerial expe- dition; transatlantic non:stop flight of Coste and Bellonte; winning of four major golf championships in one year by Bobby Jones; revolt in India, led by Gandhi; birth of Charles Lindbergh, jr.; Columbus (Ohio) Peni- tentiary fire; great American drought; discovery of Planet X, later named Pluto; return of Carol to Rumania to ascend throne, and loss of England's dirigible R-101 Q. Why are some meetin, gress opened with prayer wi are not?—G. A. When a session of Congress re- cesses, it simply resumes its delibera- tions at the next meeting without any of the opening formalities, such as the calling of the roll, etc. en a ses- sion adjourns from day to day the opening exercises, including prayer, are gone through witl Q. Is Clarence Darrow an atheist?>— of Con- others A. Clarence Darrow is an avowed agnostic, which is distinguished from an atheist, in that the latter makes an entirely negative confirmation with re- spect to religion, while the agnostic simply states that to his mind nothing has been proved with respgct to re- | ligion. Q. How many Civil War veterans are there?—B. E. K. A. On June 30, 1930, the number was 48,991 Q. What was the old capital of Alaska?—C. W. T. A. Sitka, Alaska, was the old Rus- sian capital of Russian Alaska, and re- mained the capital of the new 'nemm of Alaska when the Americans possession on October 18, 1867. was very little government in Alask: for some time after its acquisition, and it was not until the act of August 24, 1912, that the Terflw? was organized and the capital officially established at Juneau. Q. When were hospitals first estab- lished?—V. R. A.The establishment of hospitals in the sense in which we understand them now probably occurred in Europe dur- ing the Middle Ages. Historlans differ pBe word. Augustus | this, but it is institutions perhaps foreru: present-day hospitals. It should be re- membered, however, that there were certain places set aside for the treat- ment of the sick in early Greece. These were more on the order of clinics rather than itals in the modern sense of The first hospital in the United States was established a few years after the settlement of New York was made, about 1670. Q. How many circult courts of appeal ave there? District courts?—E. C. A. There are 9 circuit courts of appeal in the United States and 83 district courts. Q. What were “skinners” during the Revolutionary War?—D. D. - A. Skinners were a predatory band, professing allegiance to the American cause and roaming over neutral ground. Q. Why are inhabitants of the Neth- erlands called “Low Germans"?—L. K. A. The inhabitants of the Nether- lands are chiefly of the Low German race, which is composed of three branches—Frankish, Saxon and Fries- jan. The term “low” is applied to this section of the world because it occupies the low region near the North Sea. Q. Is the President of the United States Commander in Chief in time of peace?—B. F. E. A. The President of the United States is the Commander in Chief of the United States Army and Navy at all times. Qfi When was Latin first written?— A. 1t was reduced to writing about | the sixth century M.C. by the use of |an alphabet derived from the Greck alphabet of the town of Cumae, in Southern Italy. Latin became a liter- ary language during the third and sec- ond centuries B.C. Q. Why can one hear better when m; h;ndu are cupped around the ears? A. It is because the hands thus placed cage the sound waves and con- centrate lem. Q. Why did advertisements in Mary- land newspapers in early days som times offer only 612 cents for the re- n;n; ot( a a-v:‘yo; lbcegt for the return of lost property?—L. D. S. A. The acting librarian of the Mary- land Historical Society says that adver- ;l:emlama such as those in u‘:fi. hoelg aryland news; s were pul solely to uubfi:gfls legal claim of ownership. . Has the Panama Canal paid for elf?—G. I. M. A. The commercial plant cost $275,- 000,000; amount spent for national de- fense is $113,000,000, making a total cost of $388,000,000. The excess of to- tal gs_over total operating ex- penses has been $119,000,000, leaving $269,000,000 yet to be earned. . How much does a roast of meat ahrqlnk while cooking?—C. 8. A. The Bureau of Home Economics E. perature is rapidly reduced finish the cooking v:ry slowly, al of the meat whi only about one-eighth of the fresh weigl t. ht, whereas if the roasting wmeendmlhotovmuuumun is about one-fourth of the fresh weight. Old Copyright Prospects of better protection for American authors are hailed with satis- faction by many as the proposed new copyright bill is passed by the House of Representatives. The old measure is described as archaic, while the Vestal bill is praised because it creates more try into e ration with other ‘na- V.wnl.ry and oh—::el.he “‘divisible” feature which provides that an author may make separate contracts for the various forms in which his creative work is placed before the public. There is some criticism of restrictions on the lmlfom- tion of texts which may have value in scholastic work. “The Vestal bill has lain eight years in the House,” says the Milwaukee Sen- tinel, with the query as to why any one should believe “that an author is dif- ferent from other craftsmen, in that what he creates should be taken away from him by international publishers, while he is held powerless to demand & reckoning.” The Sentinel adds: “If an American merchant ship, lying in a foreign port, were raided of its goods, the incident might start & war, book may be taken abroad and published. The Vestal bill would prevent this practice.” “Why it should have taken so long to get this measure through the House it is hard to say,” declares the Baltimore Evening Sun, “for it does no more than extend to the products of a man's men- tal labor the same protection of law that now covers the products of his manual labor. * * * If a man has macde a book, it is regarded as his book only for a limited time and under ml.nl restrictions, Indeed, it is not his at all until he has gone through a com- plicated process of copyrighting. Even under the Vestal bill the time limit re- mains. Fifty years after the author’s death his books bocome common prop- erty, But under this bill the author at least can hope that his widow will en- joy the fruits of his labor for the greater part of her lifetime.” * ok ok ok The measure “would make a consid- erable change in the theory of owner- ship,” it is pointed out by the Kansas City Times, which continues: “Under the present arrangement a copyright is regarded as a single, indivisible property right. It belongs to the first registrant. But many works really involve multiple rights. A story, for example, may have a magazine serial value, a book publi- cation value, a dramatization value and motion picture production value. * * * If an author allows a copyright on his story to be taken out by publisher, the book, play and motion El.csture rights are lost to him, unless he made specific provision for their return. And then neither he nor the persons to whom he may later sell them can sue for protection against infringe- ment.” Emphasizing the fact that “the United States has until August 1 to accept the invitation to join the International Copyright Union,” the Dayton Daily News states: “At present 42 countries are members of the union, which has existed for more than four decades. Law Believed Likely to Pass Into Discard a ision is to put an embargo on the lmw tion of f¢ books, not yet porta fore issued in the United States, whose pos- iture of desirab! definite property rights, puts this coun- |of play the part of d the world’s know! the mere act of serving notice us have full, international and equi- table copyright, but no embargo on knowledge. The Vestal copyright act distinctly needs revision on point before it becomes a law.” “The tariff has erected sufficient bar- riers,” asserts the Lincoln State Jour- nal, “in_the way of international com- merce of this kind. It looks as though the present bill is being used to make even more severe restrictions. The merit of the Vestal measure is used as bait for the enactment of new and cumbersome requirements. The United States already has copyright treaties with im) it European na- tions and with Japan. It would seem that the advantages to writers and art- ists of membership in the international union, as compared with the present arrangement, is largely offset by the re- striction placed upon scholars by the terms of the Vestal bill.” The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel in- dorses a statement by the sponsor of the bill that it would “put America on a sound and ethical basis with the rest ige and. invention by that he 1f. Let ested in the writing, production, sales and acquisition of books in America,” and that “this country has been re- roached for many years because of its interest in the subject.” The Duluth Herald observes that it “brings a very antiquated and unsatisfactory law into harmony with modern condi- tions and does belated justice to authors and publishers.” Not Defunect Yet. From the Portland Oregon Journal. Like the rest of the world, the United States has felt the depression of 1930. But a country that with 6 per cent of the world’s population consumes 15 per cent of the world’s wheat crop is not ready to go to the bone yard. A quarter of the world's sumed in the United States. We use half of the coffee. ‘We use a quarter of the cotton and one-sixth of the wool. Two-thirds of the world’s rubber & used here and three-quarters of the silk, Nearly 40 per cent of the iron, cop= r, lead, zinc and coal is employed in he United States. We use about three-fifths of the is con- The United States ds one of the minor- ity outside the pale, which includes Russia, China, Mexico and . America has been asked to adhere to the copyright convention signed Rome almost three years ago. The country would share thus in the bene. fits of full legal protection for the literary and artistic output of its peo- ple, uniformly provided by the member countries. Authors hopeful of foreign translations of their work would most hate to see the invitation refused, but the bill is equally important to those whose following is counted only in this country.” * ok x “The new measure,” declares the Bos- ton Transcript, “contains one provision cies. In this country there is a place [ Russia, who brought back with him for both, as well as for water traffic and | three novels by Russian writers—"Thi the airways. Americans are a mobile | Volga Flows Into the Caspian Se: people and can use many ways of travel by ; an untitied manu- and traffic. The plan tiat could cor- seript by Valentine Kataev, and “The relate and keep intact all these methods Great Schemer,” by Ilya Iif and Eu- is tie one now facing the public, gene Petrov, i that is altogether hurtful: It forbids the importation of any British book, even a single gopy of d on pay- ment of duty, if an Ame: blisher has lppl{' for the right to ullt. world's petroleum, three-fifths of telephones and 75 per cent of the auto mobiles. The average family income in the United States, according to Government figures, is about $3,000. The British in. come is o1 thirds Canada’s still less, German of that We have our depression, but materi- ally we are still doing fairly well. —————— Altitude and Airs. From the Grand Rapids Press. -The giraffe carries his head but many people do the same with much shorter ngcks. pranethemuriplion i R=A 1Y Drastic. Prom the Ashland Daily Independent. Hew to the walstline, let the g