Evening Star Newspaper, February 14, 1931, Page 6

{THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY...February 14, 1831 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor Busing vk & m‘g e ch. ichi it Rate by Carrier Within the City. 45¢ per month ) xS e e 5 Sunday Star c per co leph e 2o made nid of ‘ea SEirs may Be vent in b mall of D ch ders te Atior 2, one nal 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. 3 Maryland and Virginia. ily and Sunday. sy only - ay only .1yr., $10.00; 1 mo., 85¢ A7 1800 § e 858 1yr., $4.00; 1 mo., 40c All Other States and Canada. ily and Sunday...1yk., $12.00: 1 me nly 1 1 T 38000 aday”on 135 $5.00: 1 ] n e mo,, 30c ‘Member of the Associated Press. The Assoclated Press is exclusively entitled 20 the use for republication of all news dis- tches credited (o it or not otherwise cred- Red $hls, paver and alfo the locel news published herein. All rights of publication of Bpecial dispatches herein are also reserved. Financing the Bonus Loans. The so-called “compromise” bill for increasing the loan value of the soldiers’ bonus certificates is a compromis tween the advocates of various nes for cashing the certificat: It is not & compromise with opponents, tary Mellon’s statement cn and Means Committae bill, resort the House yesterday and scheduled for en early vote next week, interposes ob- Jections to the measure that yemove all | possibility of adminisiration support! and again bring the legislative and | executive branches of the Government | into a conflict that has bscome tra- ditional. ‘The issue, a3 raised by Mr. Mellon, 48 not whether the certificates should be cashed, whether the veteran bene- ficlaries need the money, whether the certificates represent a debt that now should be paid, whether the country would benefit by the release of cash placed in circulation by increasing the loan value of the certificates. The is- sue is whether the bill proposed in the House can be financed without serious damage to the Government’s fiscal plans. Boiled down, Secretary Mel- lon's statement asks, “Where is the money coming frcm?" ‘The House Ways 2nd Means Com- mittee did not report its measure with- out some attempt to answer that ques- tlon before it was asked. Statements have been made that if the loan value | of the certificates is incresssd to 50| per cent of their face value only 60 per cent of the certificate holders would be likely to apply for loans, and while the potential obligation assumed by the bill amounts to $1,711,500,000, the net | increase in the obligation, allowing for | the amount represented by loans now outstanding, would be §1,386,500,000. If only 60 per cent of the certificate hold- ers apply for loans, the increased liabil- #ty would amount to something more than $700,000,000, which approximates the amount of the adjusted service certificate fund. The estimates of the liability, as Mr. Mellon explains, Tun all the way from $550,000,000 to $1,000,000,000 over the loans now out- standing. After discussing the amount of money avallable to meet the de- mand, Mr. Mellon concludes that “un- less Congress is prepared to incur an obligation without providing \means of meeting it, an appropriation of approxi- mately $1,000,000,000 is necessary.” Why not be honest about the pro- posal to cash the certificates, either in the form recommended by the House Ways and Means Committee or by some other method that may be substituted? If the demand from the country at large is for cashing the certificates and that demand cannot be ignored, the legislation should specifically state the source of the revenue that must fur- nish the cash and provide the means %o raise this revenue. If it is neces- sary to cash the bonus, it should be considered as necessary to furnish the money, either through increased taxa- tion or through some plan of special financing that would not, as the Treas- ury has warned, disrupt the securities market of the Nation. Congress must either furnish the money or the Treas- ury must borrow it. It is not sound financial policy to assume a potential liability in the hope and belief that the actual liability will be lessened by the refusal of a con- Jectural number of vetérans to take advantage of the new loan provisions. In enacting bonus legislation the Con- gress should look the matter squarely in the face and plan for the assump- tion of the maximum obligation, and i it cannot meet it be frank enough to state that fact. ——— et " Bandits who went to great pains in stealing mutilated bills due for destruc- tion by the United States Trcasury again demonstrated that criminals, as & rule, are not clever. In this instance they did not even avold taking bed money. ———— The Prince of Wales and Prince | George are using airplanes in therr present travels. They are strictly mod- ern in their methods and deserve to be regarded as high-power salesmen of good will. Who Got It? Memories of Crokerian days in New ‘York are revived by the disclosures that are béing made in the course of an in- qQuiry now in progress into certain police end judicial activities. One of the judges of the Righer bench is sitting as ‘referee” in an investigation that has already virtually wrecked the careers of several comfortably ensconsed occupants of officigl posts and promises to do much more damage to reputations and perhaps even to add to the popula- tion of some of the institutions of in- hospitable detention. The latest revela- tion to attract attention relates to the extraordinary thrift of a police lieu- tenant, who in the course of six years has, by his own acknowledgment, de- posited in bank no less than $237.235, with his mother contributing to this interesting total. It also is established that in that same time he and his mother have withdrawn $147,246 from their various depositaries, payable to &s yet unidentified persons. Now the question is being asked, who is the “higher up” beneficiary of all this.bounty? For v.hom have he police Meutensnt and his mother Woen act~ Ibil the Ser | cppesed by the administration. ing as fiscal agents? The police lieu-| tenant’s pay and the private resources of his mother would not possibly ac- count for more than a tenth of the amount of the deposits. Just where lies the source of that rich supply is of intersst to the referee. But he is quite as keenly concerned to learn who has received more than sixty per cent of this wealth. The police leutenant in the case be- gan to make his big d=posits, his mother assisting, shortly after his assignment to duty in the area or precinct locally and somewhat nationally known as the “Tenderloin.” It is a region of rich pickings. Just before the lieutenant frankly acknowledged his bank deposits, a police witness told the referee that there are at least a thousand speak- easies and other illegal resorts and es- tablishments in the “Tenderloin,” all known and {dentified. That these thousand constitute the rock from which flows the spouting stream of geld in response to the blow df a baton is suspected. There is not much mys- tery, indeed, about that. The referee is not especially concerned to get the de- tails of the collecting end of the case,. just at present. He wants to know who got that sixty per cent of the lieutenant's deposits. And he will probably want to know what havs been the gleanings and ocits and divisions of other offi- labor in that vineyard. s an cntire weck on a promise agreement of the drought rclief item in the Interior Dapartment votes todey. It has| ben a fo ne ccnclusicn since the cgrezment s entered into that it would b2 adopt>d by the Senate by a rge vote. Yet the conversation con- tinued steadily. If the opponents of a special s:ssion of Congress this Epring can get any hope out of such a performance they are entitled to be placed in the optimists class, Yet the vot: today on the drought relief pro- posal is hailed as “eliminating” all} chance of a special session of the new Congress after March, 4. b The jam, as always, Is in the Senate. There the rule of unlimited debate pre- vails. The only appropriation bill which has been finally disposed of and sent to | the President is the first deficiency bi.ll.l except an emergency construction measure. All the rest have still to be given the finishing touches by Con-| gress and approved by the President if | @ special session is to be avoided. The Congress closes two weeks and two days | hence. And now, to make the situation still worse, a soldiers’ bonus bill has| been reported to the House, which is| How | long the bonus fight wiil last in the Senate, betwesn Senate and House, and between the ‘Congress and the Presi- | dent is an unknown quantity. There| is a demand for passage of a bill still further limiting or doing away entirely with immigration into this country, and also for a naval construction program which will at least be a step in the direction of building the American Navy up to the London treaty strength. | The very inertia of Senate debate is likely to prevent final action on all the appropriation bills by March 4, even were it not for the resourcefulness of a small group of senators who are actu- ally in favor of holding a special session of the new Congress after March 4. With the best intentions in the world of avoiding a special session of Con- gress, the leadership in the Senate seems to be permitting itself to be lulled into a feeling of false sgcurity. Time is fleeting and Senate debate 1s long. Only the greatest vigilance on the part of the Senate leaders, with perhaps night ressions, can bring the apprepriation bills all to President Hoover in time for his approval by noon March 4. There seems to be still a gamble in this special session issue, despite the assurances passed out that now the drought relief compromise is to be voted on today, all danger of a special session has passed. —_— ‘When nominating conventions are drawing near it is not easy for an eminent man to express even the most careful generalities without having his words scrutinized for indications of his attitude toward a candidacy. | bl Speech from the Vatican that reaches by radio throughout the civilized world | represents a triumph of modern science. It utllized new methods in impressirg some old and respected ideas of whica it is feared many persons are becoming forgetful. | e Exit the Marines. Barring unexpected developments de- manding their longer retention, the United States Marines will be entirely withdrawn from Nicaragua by the end of 1932. That means they will be there, in more or less serried ranks,| for the better part of the next two| years. By June, next, the force now in the country will be reduced to 500 men, and it is this small detachment, ap- parently, that will remain in Nicaragua as the rearguard. Voices are already raised in the Sen- ate clamoring vociferously for bring- ing out all the Marines forthwith and; without ado. Senator King, Democrat, | of Utah announces the introduction of an amendment to the naval appropria- tions bill which would withhold ex- penditure of any more money on the Marines’ “occupation” of Nicaragua. The Utah statesman suggests, in fa- miliar tones, that the Leathernecks’ continued presence on that little coun- try's soil is “an improper invasion of its rights.” It must be assumed that Senator King | is aware that the Marines now in Nica- | ragua, far from being invaders, are i there at the specific and urgent request of the Nicarsguan government. Fol- | lowing the Stimson agreement, whercoy the warring political fcrees of the repub- lic agreed henceforward to hold free and fair elections and pool the naticn’s Tesources in an effort to suppress ban- ditry and presewe order, the Managua authorities asked the United States to station a force of Marines in the coun- try until the government itself felt that tranquillity was definitely established. ‘The Marines were desired, in particu- lar, to train a Guardia Nacional and to remain on that job until such local cru- stabulary, in Devil Dog language, has the situation well in hand. It is.on that duty, and solely on that duty, that our sea soldiers have been engaged dur- | ceptional capacity for impart but cause no whimpers in the Marine Corps. Uncle Sam has a permanently vested interest in Nicaragua which cannot be left unguarded. That is the canal route covenanted to us under the Bryan- Chamorro treaty. ' A detachment of United States Army engineers is now surveying that route, destined some day to give us a waterway in Central Amer- ica which will parallel the Panama Canal. It needs always to be remem- bered that this situation of itself, other considerations entirely aside, might at any time suggest the advisability of some form of defensive American inter- |l vention in a clime amid which sporadic unrest seems to thrive. Howard L. Hodgkins. For so many years was Howard L. Hodgkins known to the student body of George Washington University and to the Washington public generally as “Dean” Hodgkins that by a great num- ber of people that was regarded as his name. He joined the faculty of the institution, then styled Columbian' Uni- versity, in 1883, nearly fifty years ago, directly after his graduation, and was, in the course of time, successively, dean of the department of arts and sciences, dean of the college of engineering, dean of the Corcoran Scientific School and, eventually, dean of the university. For a period of two years he acted as pres- ident of the university. He taught many thousands of students in the ccurse of his carcer, all of whom profited greatly by his uction and his inspiring in- fizence. He was the ideal “schoolman,” with a profound knowledge df his spe- cial t of mathematics and an ex g it to others. In his gentleness of posi- ion, his kindliness toward all, his sym- pathy for the student, he was greatly beloved. Though in late years he was considerably incapacitated by physical afflictions from participating in the ac- tive work of the university, “Dean” Hodgkins continued to maintain close contact with its developmenjy and his aspiration for its advancement and the increase of its usefulness was as high as ever. He almost literally gave his life to the institution, spending in its service all his adult years after having graduated from Columbian College, which was the educational organism from which the university developed. It is eminently fitting that the burial services for this beloved mentor of the Caplial's young men and women of nearly three generations should be held in the hall of the institution with which his name will forever be identified. e A peculiar attitude of the -public mind emboldens publicity secking writers to attack the memories of great Amer- icans. Europe has often wondered why Americans appear to enjoy being in- sulted. If there are no foreign sneers at our historic men and institutions some publishing enterprise will hasten to provide sneers of domestic manufacture, R It is predicted that silent films will be revived in a manner which will leave no further demand for sound pictures, Having largely dispensed with music the cinema is expected to dispense with words as well, e An unsolved murder mystery s especially discouraging in view of the throngs who listen eagerly to all de- tails withcut developing a single amateur detective who is any better than the professionals. e Bakers fear no competition excepting homemade bread. Apparently there 1s opportunity for the cooking school to step forward as an important economic influence. —_——— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Adjustment. In ages past the creatures strange, Could they have known how life would | change, Would have put up a protest strong And bellowed, “Something's going wrong!” Barbaric man, could he have known Of weapons we have made our own, ‘Would have wailed often, loud and long, In terror, “Something’s going wrong!"” | And yet this old world always finds Some way to satisfy our minds. Often the breeze will bring the song— “There's nothing really going wrong.” No Chance to Plead Garbling. “Do you enjoy talking over the radio?” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum. “But it has its disadvantages. Your remarks go direct to the public. It isn't like the newspaper interview that lets you get out of a tight place by saying the reporter had misquoted you.” Jud Tunkins says he's in favor of Einstein. He's satisfied to produce the- orles without putting them on the mar- ket with a promise that theyll cure something. Weary Student. The statesman thinks his lot ill starred And longs for a vacation. He thinks no lesson is as hard To learn as legislation. For when at last a law is passed, And he should be in clover, He hears demands from regions vast To do the work all over. Tempted to Agriculture. “I belleve I'l go in for farming,” sald Mr. Meekton. “Haven't you enough about?” “Plenty—and so0 has the farmer. But the farmer nas at least gotten around to a point where when he complains folks sit up and take notice.” to complain “We desire to be envied,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown. “Yet envy easily turns to hatred, and we should | not be surprised if success brings more foes than friends.” Gold and the Rainbow. A little shower comes again. The patient farmer hollers: “Take heart, for every drop of rain May be worth several dollars!” “A good sermon,” sald Uncle Eben, “needs a loud voice. To wake up de conscience precautions must be took to keep de congrezation fum goin’ to sleep.” ——— Chronic Performers. ing the past two years. Now and then Sandino’s guerrillas pick some of them off. They are “casualties of service,” which evoise senatorial From the Charlotte News. Gen. Butler have esca action the world will back and practic wait for them e get in ogedn, gents of And_now that Bishop Cannon and|conditions more favorable, the oppor- o d retributive tunity of deviating from ‘The triumphant life—how does one live it? One of the secrets, undoubtedly, is to let others do the fuming for you. Be sure they will. As we look around upon the “scene of man” as Pope called it, with its thousands of characters, its manifold activities, its motives, 1its successes, pl&uures, disappointments, pains, pen- jes— As we seé the complexity called civi- lization, and realize that we are a part of it, the one thing that strikes us, if we happen to be in the mood to be struck, is that some people seem to get more out of the show than others. They live the triumphant life. ¥ And the strange thing, as often as not, is that they may of may not be , or successful, or hold prominent positions, or get their names in the pape Indeed, many of the most triumphant are nobodies, in the worldly sense, ex- cept to themselves. Neither education, nor money, nor | place, nor power seems to have much to do with the triumphant lives they lead. There is an expression on their faces, call it what you will, which indicates that somehow they have managed to discover something which many thou- sands of their fellow men do not seem to have found. sl ‘They have discovered, among other things| simple others them. | | the inestimable worth of a_very | procedure, namely, permitting to do the fuming in life for | heartless? THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. one considers moral indignation fine thing in itself, just as a me and spiritual exercise. * %k ok X Now one cannot be sure, of course, that it isn’'t. Proper indignation is all too often lacking in human character. These unruffied souls who can look at an abused child, dog or kitten and turn away with a pleasant smile and an expressed belief that they will turn out all right somehow or other are the solid bases for a great deal of the wrong and suffering in the world. If more persons “kicked” and raised cain, as the saying is, because some- thing they heard or saw was not to their liking, the world would be farther ahead than it is. But—and it is a large one—fuming and fretting do make a great wear and tear upon the human spirit. Often they degenerate into mere nagging, and into worry, that us: curse of hu- manity. The animals never worry, they cannot, and they are to be congratu- lated. o ‘What one may cease fuming about are matters over which one has no con- trol, happenings which one caanct change, affairs which are too far away. Docs any one think this program Permit us to remind him of the tre- mendous growth of communications, and avenues for the transmission of knowledge. The sorrows and woes of the world come in on the wings of song, and no trouble anywhere beyond the saven seas but has its landing place in the ear or eye of humanity at large, is worth while is without ! Everything good may be done to ex- cess. There is no fine thing but which can be “run into the ground,” or made detestable by “too much of a good thing.” | he man or woman who rebels at| chronic indignation, as a mede of con-| duct, surely runs some risk of becom- | ing indifferent to the plain duties of his station in life. | If. however, he keeps these well in | mind, but at the same time is de- termined not to get the fuming com- plex, he will be in an excellent, position to lead our triumphant life without much thought, not regarding himself | as a hero on one hand, or a slacker | on the other. xk xE ‘There are so many ways to become | excited today that one should keep a levzl head on his shoulders. Too often one gets excited about nothing. Every one has known a friend or| good acquaintance to become very in- | dignant over some “outrage.” as he | called it, only to discover later that he had been misinformed. The facts, alas, were just the other way round! The acquaintance had got red in the | face, and used wild words, and made | | plain and fancy threats, without first| taking the trouble to find out what he was talking about. He did a pretty piece of fuming, but | it was wasted: wasted, that is, unless| | from this vice that we are able to lead, Thus modern man is oporessed with a weight of sorrow which wouls Fo hm if he did not ex: ight of a certain insensitiv S, viiich is, after all, a matter of self-pro- tection. This is not selfishness, or cal- lousness; thos2 who would brand it so are merely seeking another ocutlet for their fretting and fuming. e Sensible people may feel quite sure that if there is any matter which ap- peals either to their mind or heart, or both, it will appeal with similar foree to thousands of other hearts and minds Many of these minds will ne better equipped for working on the reform than your own. ‘It is a delightful thought, just how God-given many of these minds are for just this sort of work. You, for instance, may be a timid soul, hesitating, uncertain, but this man is bold, brusque, able to burst into a meeting of the board and tell the chair- man himself just where and how he is wrong. : He will "be able to get the wrong righted before you could have begun your fecble career of righteous reform. Let us thank God, then, for these champicns, and help them in their work, just as we help the Red Cross. Few of us could, personally, turn a hand to help the drought sufferers. ‘We let the Red Cross attend to it for us. We are not selfish, but otherwise, be- cause we refuse to fume. It is only by keeping our spirits free ol ng least in a measure, the triumphant life. Young Reform Pessibilities of improved banking for | the country are seen by some newsp: pers in the suggestion from Owen D. Young that commercial transactions be centralized in the Federal Reserve sys- | tem, leaving fl(i\ii5 ry and savings fields | {to the State banks. Comments indicate | a belief that uniform standards would be in the interest of great stability. “There is bound to be controversy whether the independence of State | banking should be destroyed,” says the | Hariford Times, “but there will be no | disagreement that safe and conserva- tive banking should be universally| established by law as far as law can ope; to such effect. Responsibility is on the States to better meet their duties in that respect. This is mani- fest in Connecticut, the Legislature of which is now moving to procure refor- mations in the light of recent deplor- able lessons which have exhibited pre- cisely the evils which Mr. Young has emphasized. Other State Legislatures may do the same kind of thing if they will. If it were done the Nation's bank- ing system would be infinitely strength- ened through removal of a class of com- petition which has been injurious to beth the local and national financial structures.” As to the question of “forcing the tate banks into the Federal Reserve | ystem,” the Youngstown Vindicator re- calls that “others who have given their views had deplored the present compe- tition between State and national banks and the trail of bank failures which this competition has brought.” The Vindi- | cator adds articularly during the.de- | | pression, five out of every six bank fail- ures have been of State banks, to which the ‘national, unified control’ which Mr. | Young advocated does not extend. Most. Americans will agree with him that ‘it | |certainly is a great reflection on the | | American people that they cannot get |a banking system in hand which will | prevent such awful tragedies as we have witnessed in the last 10 years.’ * k% % | A warning that comes from the Rich- mond News Leader is that the proposal “must not be misread as an argument that all banks cutside the Federal Re- serve system are unsound.” That paper | maintains that “honest, intelligent man- | 2gement and rigid State examination of banks, under courageous banking laws, give ample security to any depositor.” The News Leader continues: “The pity is that the States which have stiff banking acts of taeir own should fall | into discredit because a few States are | shamelessly lax in their requirements. Better State laws, enacted by the Leg. |islatures at the demand of the deposi- tors, and enforced by competent, non- partisan officials, are almost as good in- surance for the depositor as member- { ship in the Federal Reserve system. The | figures will bear this out. In each of | 21 of the 48 States, less than 10 banks failed during the critical year 1930; and in 10 of these States, no State bank, or only one, at most, was forced to sus- pend. On the other hand, in Illinois, 23 banks associated with the Federal Reserve system (so-called member banks) had to close their doors last year. In Towa and in Arkansas the number of closing member banks was 15 each, and in Texas it was 16. In the country as a_ whole, 6 non-member banks suspended for every member bank, but the total deposits of the sus- pending non-member banks were only 30 per cent gremter than those of the suspending member banks. Of the 1,138 non-member banks that closed | temporarily or permanently in 1930, a total of 625, or more than half the whole, were located in the six States of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mis- souri and North Carolina.” “It may be argued,” comments the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “that Young’ program of bank reorganization is un- necessarily radical; that other restric- tions and regulations may be imposed that will adequately protect the bank depositor. But anything short of a complete unification of our banking re- sources in the Federal Reserve will leave the banking system still considerably short of its greatest potential strength. | As long as banks in the same com- | munity are subject to different codes of regulation the process of parrying for (advantages which has been under way ever since the National Banking act was passed will continue. And every time the bars are let down either by the Federal Government or by any one of the States in order to make competitive Arouses National Interest for> Banking well give serious consideration to meas- ures designed to strengthen our entire banking structure.” W o ““The proposal that all commercial banking be nationalized, leaving savings banks and non-commercial trust com- pany activities to the States,” accore ing to the Newark Evening News, “is destined to beget controversy and arouse opposition. Nevertheless it looks in the right direction. A Nation of the finan- cial, commercial and industrial impor- tance of the United States cannot con- tinue to work with 49 banking systems, in which there are nearly 25,000 banks, but only 7,000 under national control. Under such conditions, r. Young rightly insists, it is not possible to de- velop a sound banking system for the country as a whole. That requires cen- tral supervision and fixed responsibility. * ¢ ¢ Seriously put forward by a man whose ability both the Nation and the world have gauged, the Young program is one to which the country should give serious attention. It strikes at the root of a condition which unquestionably played a part in the creation of present troubles. It proposes, in its main planks, corrections which should help gc; avoid the recurrence of those trou- es. “Mr. Young thinks it a reflection on the American people,” obsarves the Charlotte Observer, hat they cannot get a banking system in hand that will prevent ‘such awful tragedies’ as have been witnessed in the past 10 years. Suggestions of the kind indicate the | extent to which the mind of the finan- | ciers is centered around recent events, to devising means by which the break- ing of banks might be checked, and it is significant that so able a financier as Mr. Young can find no remedy outside that of stricter laws and greater author- | ity to enforce sound banking systems in ! all institutions. Mr. Young made a number of other recommendations, but he laid greatest emphasis on establish- ment of conditions that would safeguard | depositors and stockholders from repe- tition of these ‘tragedies.’ " “The objection can be made that Mr. Young's proposal would mean further ‘interference of Government with pri- vate business,’” says the Little Rock Arkansas Democrat, “but coming from such a man cannot be dismissed light- . The Milwaukee Sentinel asks “how 11 the banks of deposit would be brought under Federal control,” adding, “We fear another constitutional amend- ment.” As to “impairment of the rights of the sovereign States,” that paper holds that “the obvious reply is that the States are giving up their sovereignty in every direction and in some instances, as in Arkansas and other States now crying for drought relief, have come to place where they are financially un- able to take care of their own, with their credit and resources exhausted. “Whether nationalizing all the com- mercial banking institutions would r sult in better banking, as Young be- lieves,” advises the Huymboldt Times, “the bankers of the Nation should be able to determine, and, if so, give their approval to the proposed change. And the States, relleved of the necessity of general banking laws, would, according to Young's reviews, probably develop a more satisfactory administration of the ficuciary and savings institutions within their respective borders.” - Coal and Iron Police. From the Springfield (Mass.) Republican. In undertaking to abolish the present coal and iron police in Pennsylvania and to substitute for them a force more THE LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover Old Gen. Bengt Lowenskold of Hedeby o | Was a faithful servant and follower of Charles XII of Sweden in all his cam- paigns, when he had “ploughed the fur- row between Poland and Russia.” For his services to the crown the general had received the estate of Hedeby, in the Parish of Bro, and a great signet ring, set with a red carnelian, engraved with the King's signature. The general had his portrait painted with the glove removed from his left hand, so that the ring was displayed on his forefinger. “The same reason that caused Bengt Lowenskold to display his ring in his portrait made him wish to have it buried in his grave with him. And here, too, there was no question of van- ity. He had no wish certainly to boast of wearing a great King's jewel on his finger when he appeared in the presence of Our Lord of the Archangels, but he hoped that when he entered the hall where Charles XII would be sitting, sur- rounded by his trusty swordsmen, the ring might win him recognition, so that he would spend eternity close to the man whom he had served and honoured of his life.” This ring of the general influenced the fortunes of the Lowenskolds for several generations, as the story is told by Selma Lagerlof in her trilogy “The Ring of the Lowen- skolds,” the three parts of which are “The General's Ring” - “Charlotte Lowenskold” and “Anna Svard.” * ok k¥ Thé ring. which had been the treas- ure of Gen. Lowenskold and a symbol of service and honor, became a curse to his descendants. If it had been allowed to remain on the finger of the dead general 211 would have been well and his family would have continued to ;live as masters of Hedeby in peace and | prosperity. But the ring was stolen from the coffin a few months after the general’s death. “When the g=neral’s |eoffin was placed in the walled vault ch he had Fad prepared for him- self in Bro churchyard the ring was safe on the forefinger of his left hand. Many of those present regretted that so great a treasure shonld go with th~ dead man to his grave, for the genera ring was almost as well known as ti general himself, and as famous, * * People were universally agreed that i was generous of bhis sons not to oppo- his wish. but to bury his treasure with him.” The greed which his sons did not possess proved too strong. however, for others in the parish. The stealing of the ring is told dramatically, as is also the story of the swift retribution which followed. The ring disappeared for many years and the ghost of the gen- eral walked at Hedsby searching for demanding its return. The ring was found, was stolen again, caused the execution of three innocent men, was found again. was hidden. and was finally restored to th» coffin of the general. But the deaths of the inno- cent men had to be expiated and the daughter of the woman who had thrown the ring back into the vault established a claim upon the Lowenskolds. So the family fortunes became badly tangled. D e “The Ring of the Lowenskolds” is not as completely romantic as are the open- ing chapters. There is much realism in the later story. The two characters who dominate the story are Charlotte Lowenskold and Karl Arthur Ekenstedt, remote descendants of the general Charlotte is a spirited, managing, hu- morous, kindly girl and Karl Arthur is a religious fanatic. Charlotte devotes herself for a time to the task of saving Karl Arthur from himself, but when she finds that she is not succeeding, but is only winning execrations for herself, she is too sane to persevere. She sensibly attends to her own happiness and does not allow herself to be unduly disturbed by the growing eccentricities of Karl Arthur. though she always retains to- ward h'm the role of guardian angel. The influence of the ring upon Char- lotte and Karl Arthur is remote and makes itself felt only through the evil control exerted over Karl Arthur by Thea Sundler, the organist’s wife, and daughter of that Malvina Spaak who long before had pushed an old cap, in which was sewn the ring, into the gen- eral’s vault. * ok ok One entry in “The Diaries of John Bright,” recently edited by R. A. J. Walling, is a tribute to Lincoln, whom Bright had always admired but never seen. After the assassination he wrote: “In him I have observed a singular resolution honestly to do his duty, a great courage, shown in the fact that in his speeches and writings no word of passion or of panic, or of ill-will, has ever escaped him; a great gentleness of temper and nobleness of soul proved by the absence of irritation and menace under circumstances of the most des- perate provocation, and a pity and mercifulness to his enemies “which s2emed drawn as from the very fount of Christian charity and love. "His sim- plicity for a time did much to hide his greatness, but all good men everywhere will mourn for him, and history will place him high among the best and noblest of men” Tris prophecy of John Bright has already been fulfilled, and the recent tirade of Edgar Lee Masters is not likely to alter the verdict of sane and scholarly historians. Wk Fifteenth in the series of volumes called “The Modern World,” edited by the Right Hon. H. A. L. Fisher, is the volume “Australia,” by W. K. Hancock, fellow of All Souls’ Obllege, Oxford, and professor of modern history in the Uni- versity of Adelaide. The history of modern or civilized Australia extends back only about 150 years. Before that time Australia was a wild bush, much of which still remains, inhabited by primitive savages. So to trace th® history of Australia is not a long process. Prof. Hancock has done it with suf clent thoroughness and with much interest. Present-day Australia is de- scribed as an independent nation, de- veloping its own economic and social | life. in many ways not unlike the United ! States. A good fictional complement to this book of fact by Prof. Hancock are the novels of Henry Handel Richardson, “The Fortunes of Richard Mahony. “The Way Home” and “Ultima Thule. * K ok % “If as is usually the case in large parties in private homes,” says Charles ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ‘Thousands of Government experts are working constantly for the benefit of all citizens of the United States. They will work directly for you if you will call for the fruits of their labors through our Washington Bureau. State r inquiry briefly, write clearly, and, nclosing 2-cent stamp for a personal letter in reply, address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Q. In descriptions of contract bridge {hands what cards do X's stand for?— C. wW. . An X means any card lower than a 10 and lower than any card named in the suit. Q. What is the area of Little America? aoeé 1t belong to the United States?— A. Since Little America is only the name of a temporary camp, it cannot be said to have any area. nor is the territory in which it was located prop- erly United States tefritory, since this g on the Ross Sea had been visited ‘before by various explorers from other countries. The tion of the Antarctic Continent (which has a total area equal approximately to that of the United States and Mexico combined) which has been claimed by the United States is Marie Byrd Land, which was flown over by Admiral Byrd and was also partially explored by his party on foot. Q. At what time of day do hens lay most. 5?—C. 8. G. © most e: are laid between A the hours of 10 and 2 in the daytime. Q. How many coal mines are there in the United States?—D. C. A. There are approximately 6,000 active coal mines in the United States. Q. Please compare the wood pulp production of Canada and the United States—J. F. U, A. The total pulp production in Canada has risen from 1,716,000 tons in 1919 to 3,608,000 tons in 1928. In l 1919 was 3,517,000 tons, and this pro- duction has risen steadily up to 1928, when it amounted to 4,510,000 tons. Q. Are provisions made for dull or i backward . children in the sehools of large _cities?—E. S, A. Twenty-two cities having a popu- lation of 100,000 employ special teachers for backward and non-progressive chil- dren in the public school system. Q. What makes a chef especially valuable to a hotel?>—S. P. A. Basically, he must be an excellent cook. Added to this, he must have ingenuity and the ability to create novelties. He must add to the science of cooking through constant experi- mentation. was the native costume of the early days?>—J. C. H Q. What Ireland in . H. it Ages” A. “Ce ighout the says: “Since Elizabethan days the dress’ of the Irish has had little to distinguish it from that worn in Eng- land, “but before the time of that Queen who, like Henry VIII, made many laws pertaining to the clothing of her subjects, Irishmen wore kilts similar to those of the Scotchman, ac- cogpanied by leggings laced in string tipped with bronze, shoes of brown leather, and a plaited linen shirt. Over all was a sleeveless loose cloak that was long and made of bright-colored wool. Some wore a fitted coat, much like the present-day frock coat with tight sleeves, no collar, and a broad girdle at waist. * * * Ths women wore a linen undergarment ard THE AMERICAN NOTE—This is one of a series of articles dealing with the making and erpansion of the Constitution aend designed to ald participants in securis a_background for their work in the National Oratorical Contest. . ¥ HAMILTON'S PLAN. Hamilton, in beginning his memorable speech of June 18, explaified his long silence in the convention by two facts —first, his unwillingness to advance views so dissimilar to those held by older and abler men whose opinions he regarded with such high esteem, and, secondly, the lack of sentiment in his State favorable to a strong central government. He then proceeded to attack both the Virginia and the New Jersey plans. The New Jersey plan seemed to him to be utterly worthless and even vicious, because it marked no real advance be- yond the Confederation ideas of the Articles. He did not feel that any branch of the legislative department could possibly meet the situation. His idea was that the whole structure of the Central Government needed strength- ening. By strengthening the Govern- ment he meant the removal of all its functions from the immediate whims of the the people. Accepting vu‘»mh plan as the only one having sufficient virility to fur- nish a working system, he directed his argument toward urging delegates to go beyond Randolph’s plan and accept the principle of aristocratic control in all branches of the Government. After an hour of close reasoning on the Virginia plan, he presented his own ideas. His plan called for the follow- ing: . (1) A supreme legislative depart- ment in two branches, one, the Assem- bly, to be popularly elected for a three- year term, and the other, the Senate, to be elected by electors and to serve for life. (2) A supreme Executive, chosen by electors designated by the people, and serving for life. The Executive to carry into execution those laws which he had approved and to negative those laws not approved by him. He was also to have the direction of war, when it had been authorized by the Senate; to make Browne in his amusing but very in- formative “Gun Club Cook Book," “no tables are set up for the buffet lunch, the guests help themselves and, after consuming the first round in sun parlor, music room or the stairs, de- posit the used plates anywhere that fancy or opportunity dictates—under chaifs, on the steps or mantel shelf or back of the piano, and then go back for more. In this service no knives are supplied, and to foil souvenir col- lectors it is recommended that the silverware gome from the 5 and 10. Coffee spoons are notorious wanderer: WA W Try reading the dictionary through and you will discover that a surprisingly large proportion of words in the Eng- lish language have to do with crime and its connotations. Next in order come love, hate 'and dread. This dis- directly under State control, Gov. Pin- chot appears to have seized an issue which will attract attention outside of the State and assure him liberal in- terest and support. To a large degree Gov. Pinchot’s national prominence and influence within the Republican party during the next four years will be de- termined by the opposition of the con- impossible that he can be elevated into the position of a presidential candidate with any real chance of nomination, it is possible for the Pennsylvania con- servatives upon whom he has declared war to do for him, although in a lesser gfim. what the Republicans at Albany year after year for “Al” Smith by an unwise opposition that chiefly suc- sound banking e will be ned. After the | Smith’s liberal endeavors and ceeded mn the naticnal advertisement of achicye: ORI covery made a crime fiction writer out of Herman Landon, who reasoned that we must be deeply concerned with the concepts of crime, love, hate and , and that a novel embodying all those elements would have a wide appeal. Since his first entrance into the crime fiction field Landon has not strayed. ‘With a large number of mystery novels to his credit, he makes his latest bow with “The Back Seat Murder.” * K ok Ok Richard Wagner’s first wife, Minna Planer, is given an important place in the life of her famous husband by Philip Dutton Hurn and Waverley Lewis Root in their book “The Truth About Wagner.” These authors hold that Minna was not the detriment to Wagner that a of the second wife, Cosima, represent her to have been. She was, they hold, understanding and helpful and shared hlls‘fi_ambmnns. but was badly t d philandering husond, treaties, with the advice and approba- tion of the Senate; to appoint his own aids and to nominate all other officers, subject to senatorial approval. (3) A supren® judicial authority, its members serving for life. (4') All officers subject to impeach- ment. (5) The States to be entirely sub- servient to the National Government— their Governors being appointed by the National Executive and their laws sub- ject to the central authority’s approval. Hamilton foresaw a government by demagogues, unless something could be iah @ possiie o thought that it high as possible.” He the weak New Jersey plan prevailed the pational representatives would be men who would not receive more than $3 a day from the Government and who would be overpaid at that rate. Fores the extent of territory and be embraced he expressed said, as will be in a few years, a few compared with the life of nations! How strong will it feel its importance and self-si ficiency!” an adaptation of the ength ty. ‘The chief effect of his address was to jonal sentiment and to weaken that o Federationists. Hamflton, that ideas could not_prevail, took little p thereafter in ghe x;!lanvem.hm. only art of the Antarctic Continent border- | the United States the produ-tion in| compromise on representation in one | g For solution, he looked to [Vet d ‘mmm they wore bracelets, pins, brooches, rings, and torques about their necks. ‘Today, modern continental dress is found in all parts of Ireland, all traces of the old dress having dis- appeared.” | Q. What is the business of a_church l:&’““ in reference to social reform?— A. Ecclesiastical courts meet to de- | termine matters of church polity and | also the action of' the church in « formity with its declaration of prin ples in regard to social er spiritual mat- ters such as the stand of the church | upon marriage, birth control, prohibie tion, child welfare, education, confed- | eration and many' other church prin- | ciples. Q. Is “The Star Spangled Banner” our national anthem?—H. W. A. "The Star Spangled Banner” has never been recognized as the national anthem of the United States. C.n- gress, as late as 1914, refused to declare | so by resolution. Its only official recog- nition occurred nearly a hundred vears after it was written, when it wa mally ordered to be played in the Arm: |and Navy on occasions of cerem-:.y. | Its standing is undisputed in othcr |1ands, and whenever America is honored |in music this air is played. No song has ever been legally recognized as the | ¢ national anthem of the United States Q. If larger wheels are put on an automobile and nothing else is changed, will it increase the speed?—H. L. L. A. The Bureau of Standards says that putting larger wheels cn an auto- mobile would probably have very little effect. The car speed wouid te in- creased at a given engine speec, and this might make the car a little faster on a level road, but speed really de pends on power, not on wheel diameter. Q. How many English people were there in Virginia at the time the May- | flower landed at Plymouth?—G. B. C. A. When the Mayflower reached Plymouth in 1620 there were between 1,250 and 2,200 English in Virgiuia, according t» various estima‘cs Paul Wilstach, in his “Tidewater Virginia.” says the 1250 estimate is probably much nearer correct. Q. What is the cause of the present trouble in Spain?—A. C. O. A. Probably the fundamental cause might be said to be economic. A cen- tury or more of military rule brought into existence at least score factions and cliques. Most these are anxious to overthrow monarchy, but none is strong to act alone or to establish any tute government. Spain has an financial problem in the shape encrmous debt, contracted during last century, but principally during last seven years. A few favored indus- tries have been overdeveloped at one of increase in revolutionary agitation in by | Spain. Spain is said to have the high- est tari% i=2=s in Europe. Civil liberties have been almost wholly abolished dur- irg the last period of dictatorship, and 2. feeling of distrust and insecurity has spread over the country. Q. Is Andre Maurois French?—R. R. A. He is a French Jew. He was in Paris in 1885. CONSTITUTION “1787 and Today” BY RANDOLPH LEIGH, Director National and International Oratorical Contests. ments in the gathering. His was a case of overstatement as a prelude to com- e. The proof of this is in his strenuous and decisive efforts in behalf of the Constitution a few months later, when “'k"s up tgr ratification by the New York convention. Charles Pinckney made a vigorous reply to Hamilton's British plan, and in so doing placed on record a remark- able presentation of the point of view of the Vn&l:ll and South Carolina leaders of ‘most mmm His address also contained a analysis of the British system. “A governmental system,” he said, “must be suited to the habits and genius of the people it is to govern, and must grow out of them. The people of the United States may be divided into three groups, professional men, commercial men and the landed interests—the last named of whom, the owners and culti- vators of the soil, are and ought ever to be the governing in the tem. * * * These three groups, how- Siviasaty equai ' ine. politia scale viduall; e yba easily proved to have but st. “For a people thus circumstanced are we to form a government, and the question is; what sort of a government? Will it be the British government? No. Why? Because Great Britain contains three orders of people, distinct in their situations, their possessions and their principles. Each must be r 'nted by itself, or the sign of itself. accidental mixture has certainly formed in England a government admirably balanced. But the United States con- tains but one order that can be as- similated to the British nation, the Commons, Why, then, attempt to form a government of three branches so constituted that two of them will have nothing to represent? Why shall we try to set up an hereditary Execu- tive and Senate, merely because the King and lords of England are s0? We must suit our Government to the people it is to direct. These, I believe, are as active, intelligent and susceptible of good government as any people in the world.” (Copyright, 1931.) Who Advises Style Advisers? From the Kansas City Star. An interesting phenomenon is the change in clothing styles during a given period, a change usually brought about 5o quietly and cautiously that those af- fected do not realize until too late that they are being experimented upon by imaginative and trade-stimulating ap- parel designers. The success of these dress innnovations has been due largely to the extreme slowness with which they have been engineered. Hence it is with real concern that one notes the announcement within a sin- gle week of no less than four radical style changes for men, to wit: Gre@n suits for Spring, vivid orange berets, no knickers for the golf course, and white linen tuxedos for Summer. What is the significance of this of style statements? fashion designers believe men now are 5o weakened by insidious methods that no longer is there a need for unobtru- sive clothing ? The answer must wait, at least, until ’:ua d berets next Spring. and orange . the meantime, the collective man e that style leaders have not to do away with trousers. Should Return Home.