Evening Star Newspaper, February 27, 1931, Page 8

" A-8 {THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY......February 27, 1931 THEODORE W. NOYES. ... Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11tn s "ahd Fenmisivants Ave New 3 42nd_8t. fice: 110 E: o" S’ L) igan Build e Michi .. 14 Regent St., London, England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. e Evening Star 45¢ per month day 60c per month en 5S¢ per month T orlection made at the end of ‘sach month. Orders may be sent in by mail or telephone NAtional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Datly and Su ¥yr.. $10.00: 1 mo., 85¢ Dally only .. ¥r. $6.00: 1 mo., 50¢ Sunday only T.. $4.00; 1 mo., 40c Bunday Bta ) 2 All Other States and Canada. Dally and Sunday...1yr. $1200: 1 mo., 31,00 only ~... 1¥r) $8.00; 1mo.. Boday " omy i 1yr $5.00; 1mo. 50c Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled b&a uge for republication of all news dis- Batohes credited to it or not otherwise cred- ited in this paper and also the local news Dubliahed. hereln - All Tizhts of publication of special cispatches herein are also reserved. ——— The Bonus Loan Veto. President Hoover laid before the House yesterday his reasons for re- turning to that body the soldiers’ bonus Joan bill without his approval. His message was an excellent statement of the situation. With careful emphasis but without heat the Chief Executive made his. appeal to the reason and to the patriotism of the Congress. He set forth clearly that whatever aid Congress might provide for the veterans of the ‘World War should go to those who are disabled and to those who are at present in need because of the depression and the drought. The House gave the President’s veto message no considera- tion whatever. Reason, patriotism and statesmanship apparently weigh little when votes, or actions expected to gain votes, are in the balance. Although under the House rules an hour may be used in debate of a measure vetoed by the Chief Executive and the veto essage, barely ten minutes elapsed between the conclusion of the reading of the President’s message and the be- ginning of the roll call. On that roll call the House voted 328 to 79 to over- ride the veto and pass the bill notwith- standing the President’s disapproval. 'The veto message will be given fuller consideration beyond the confines of the House of Representatives. ‘The Chief Executive in his message Baid: “The sole appeal made for the reopening of the bonus act is the claim that funds from the National Treasury should be provided to veterans in dis- tress as the result of the drought and business depression.” Majority Leader Tilson, rising in the House to address ' that is almost the last relic of the theater that for many years was the scene of some of Washington's most im- portant entertainments. This, indeed, may have taken place even while the present issue of The Star is appearing. When the Archives Bullding site is cleared and work begins on the founda- tions and later on the structure itself, great numbers of people will stop and watch the operations. Many thousands will thus have been spectators of the procedure by the time the building is finished. But at no time will there be as many standing by to observe as there were the other day when the tower was brought to earth, or as there will be when the theater wall is leveled a few blocks to the west. ‘There is nothing particularly dra- matic about construction, however elab- orate or difficult, while there is always the element of drama in the blasting or pulling down of a wall. Something of a sentiment is aroused by the razing of a familiar structure, especially when the destruction is effected by a single stroke, as by dynamite. Probably if the hour of the removal of the Poli Theater pro- cenium wall, with its square stage open- ing, could be definitely proclaimed, there would be an immense congrega- tion of spectators at the scene, far too many for safety. For there is undoubt- edly a sentiment for a playhouse that | has served the community through three generations and is associated with the names of some of the greatest of thes- pian and operatic artists of the past, who have stood in that square opening to make their bows to countless audi- ences of Washingtonians. —— e The Blaine Bills. The Blaine bills, three in number and designed to prevent fraud in real estate and securities transactions, have been before Congress for more than a year. The Senate passed one of them, the real estate licensing law, during the long session and completed action on the two others, the so-called blue sky bill and the bill regulating mortgage foreclosures, within the last two weeks. Within the last few days the House District Committee has taken up the measures, reported the real estate li- censing bill, and now, with five working days left before the adjournment of Congress, is engaged in one of those periods of bickering over principles that is more than apt to result in doing nothing with the two remaining. The Star still believes that the terms of the mortgage foreclosure bill are un- duly drastic, that the bill will accom- plish little to protect the interests of property owners, especially those prop- erty owners who fail to use ordinary common sense in purchases of real es- tate, and there is plenty of ground for the fear expressed by opponents of this measure that many honest and repu- table dealers will suffer unnecessarily because of the attempts of a few to de- himself to the veto message, offered, if the veto were sustained, to move to suspend the rules and pass immediately & bill similar to the bonus loan bill, but limiting the proposed loans to men who were out of work and in distress. The only response to his proposal came from Representative Connery of Massachu- setts, a Democrat, and himself a vet- eran of the World War. Mr. Connery declared that it was hard for him to believe “that the gentleman from Con- necticut, Mr. Tilson, wants to make the American soldier who served his country on the fleld of battle prove that he is a pauper before he gets his loan.” This statement was greeted with applause from men anxious to cwrry favor with the veteran voters. President Hoover in his message took cognizance of this charge that to ask & veteran to show that he was in need would place him in the pauper class. He denied that this would be the case and added: “On the contrary, veterans i need are and should be a preferred class, that a grateful country would be proud to honor with its support.” “The breach of a fundamenfal principle in this proposal,” said the President, “is the requirement of the Federal Government to provide an enormous sum of money to a vast ma- jority who are able to care for them- selves and who are caring for them- selves.” ‘The President and those members of Congress who have supported him in this opposition to the bonus loan bill have made their case. They stand for aid to veterans, disabled or in distress be-| cause of the economic situation Ranged against them are those me) bers of Congress who wish to give tuis ald to all veterans, in distress or af- fluent, out of work or with well pay- ing jobs. The country in the end will judge between the two camps. The | veterans themselves are likely to view| with some measure of contempt the| Congress, even though it seek their favor at the polls oo Political alignments in the U. 8. A. are viewed from many standpoints. Ac- cording to prohibition research the vot- ing public is divided into “wets” and “drys.” In far-off Italy many regard the important distinction as defined as *Paseist” or “anti-Fascist.” In the course of events the familiar designations *“Democratic” and “Republican” will be preserved in all their accustomed prom- inence. ——— Again the sum of $100,000 figures in suspicion among senatorial investigators. ‘The country got past Friday, the 13th, in safety. But 100,000 remains an un- Jucky number, i, The Drama of Destruction. Washington s just now passing through a period of “destruction,” which, however, 15 regarded joyously by most residents and is not considered as st all harmful to it. Structures that have stood for many years are being razed to make way for new buildings, units of a grand array of Government housings of a monumental type. The most active of these removal works is 4hat at the site of the Center Market, where an immense pile of masonry is being leveled to make room for the new Hall of Archives. Another operation, ' more advanced, is taking place south- east of the Treasury, where & aquare of stractures s all but swept away to clear the ground for a park approach to the new Department of Commerce, just to the south. The other day s large crowd as- fraud. But The Star also believes that ample time has already been allowed for care- ful consideration and meditated dis- cussion between the opponents and proponents of all the legislation in- volved. There are unfortunate thou- sands of members of this community, dependent upon Congress for legisla- tive safeguards not now existing, who have been made the victims of un- principled and unlawful deals in real estate and securities. It is impossible to believe that the members of the House are at this late date to assume the position that “more study” is necessary, and that such study can be made in time for legislative remedies at the “next session” of Congress. It has been the “next session” of Congress for a good many years. Proposals for the protection embodied in the Blaine bills were made to Congress before Senator Blaine ever came to the Senate. The House should pass two of the bills, at least, and if necessary hold up or amend the mortgage foreclosure measure. But if sacrificing one means sacrificing all, the three of them should be passed at once. If the laws are too drastic, un- workable, unfair or unsound and fail to accomplish their purpose, the time for amending or repeal will arrive with another Congress. This business of further delay is inexcusable and noth- ing short of disgraceful. No inclination is shown to prevent Mussolini from receiving an apology whenever he thinks one is due. To a man of exalted power, even formal apologies in the routine of business may become a trifle wearisome. Confidence in good times is proved by the refusal of the public to be seriously disturbed by reminders that taxes may be higher. | What a Snake Thinks About. | Well, well, well, 8o this is the new reptile house! Palms, pools, moss, ooze, |rocks, sunlight, warmth in Winter, :conlmu in Summer, three square meals |a month and room for a body to stretch. |It's the cat's meow, if you ask me, or, | more accurately speaking, the snake's | hips. Now, I hear a lot of talk among the !lizards and the turtles, and sometimes | the python, about “give me liberty or give me death,” and some of them are saying, even now, that they would rather be back in the jungle than in the finest reptile house in the world, as this is supposed to be. But I put all that down as a lot of reptilian bo- lony. Here we are, well fed, ultra-violet rays whenever the sun shines, nothing to do but eat, sleep, crawl, wiggle and squirm. And if we were back in the jungle! As I was telling that alligator the other day, he ought to be thank- ful he is here instead of decorating the outside of some traveling salesman's suit case. And look at the people who come around here peering at us through the glass! 1 ask you, now, are they happy? For the last million years or |50, while our ancestors were attending | to their own business and crawling along, |their ancestors and they themselves have been so busy substituting one nuisance for another that the business of merely keeping alive has given most of them the willles, and they are glad enough to stop running around in eir- cles long enough to come in here and oggle at & bunch of snakes. Do they know where their next meal is coming from? Do they know whether this time next week they will have a bed to sleep | in? A lot of them wish they did, I can Bembled to witness the blowing down of one of the small towers that formed a distinguishing feature of the old mar- , ket house. Perhaps today or tomorrow ®n even greater crowd will gather to tell you; and those that do have plenty of other things to worry them. They are afraid they did the wromg thing yesterday and will not do the right thing tomorrow; or they know that some- m?mmu-uflcm body else did the right thing yesterday, Niie THE EVENING which makes them mad, or will do the vrong thing tomorrow, which will make them madder. They spend so much time bothering about what has hap- pened or will happen that they have worked themselves into a fever by be- lieving that it really makes some dif- ference. Every time I see them looking through the glass I feel sort of glad that I am nothing but a snake. Nobody belleves I am anything but a snake, and nobody wants me to be anything but a snake. And as for the new reptile house, I think it is lovely! o Loss of a Public Servant. TUnder ordinary circumstances a pub- lic official who is offered higher salary and greater opportunity for advance- ment by private interests is wholly justified in resigning his job as a public official and making the new connection. It is done every day, and the inablility of the Government to compete with private industry in the matter of sal- aries paid higher executives is tradi- tional. In the case of the gas company, which has hired the chief engineer of the District Public Utilities Commission at a higher salary, there are unusual circumstances apparent to everybody. The engineer had just completed an in- vestigation for the Public Utilities Com- mission which pointed out the failure of the gas company to abide by pres- sure regulations, with resultant dangers and waste. As a result of the report, the Public Utilitle's Commission, and the people's counsel, spurred on by an extraordinary dissatisfaction on the part_of_the consuming public over the <ize of gas bills, have underteken fur- ther investigation of the gas eompany’s practices. And in the midst of the investigation the announcement is made that the engineer, who has been pro- tecting the interests of the public, will henceforth devote his services to pro- tecting the interests of the gas com- pany, at & higher salary. The engineer has a fine professional reputation. The duty of the Public Utilities Commission 1is clear. Gen. Patrick has already stated formally that the investigation now under way will in no wise be lessened or affected by the loss of its chief engineer. Another man should be sought who can fill the vacant post and whose professional skill will assure the public of as much protection as the gas company is able to buy. The public is not concerned so much now with the promises by the gas com- pany of better service or better contact with the customers as it is in finding out what steps are being taken by the gas company to comply with the Pub- lic Utllities Commission's regulations; what penalty the Public Utilities Com- mission proposes to assess the gas com- pany for violation of its pressure regu- lations; why gas bills, with ostensibly lower rates, are causing an extraordinary number of complaints, and whether these ostensibly low rates are in reality as low as they should be. These ques- tions are being asked, and they must be answered. —_— e A seasonal statesman never permits himself to intimate that he dislikes in- vestigation. On the contrary, he usually welcomes it and depends on the pro- ceedings to become so dull that atten- tion inevitably wanders to foot ball or the movies. e e s st Americans will go to Europe in large numbers next Summer. Tips will be liberally bestowed. The aggregate sum will be great; enough to suggest much good that can be done by duplicating it for the relief of distress in this country. Chicago does not deserve a reputation for being wicked. The manner in which it permits local bosses to impose on it marks it as one of the most innocent cities on earth. —_—— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Eternal Conflict. The good men come. The good men go. The parting brings mankind regrey. And yet they may make way, we know, For men who will prove greater yet. The wicked go. The wicked come. ‘Their ways with sorrow we must view. Still they make up a useful sum ©Of work that good men have to do. Businesses. “Do you think we need more busi- ness men in politics?” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum. “But we ought to discriminate. Before getting ‘em into politics it would be well to ascertain what kind of business they have been customarily engaged in.” Jud Tunkins says if you try to sell a useful article you have to ring door | bells, but a gold-brick faker has people runnin’ after him. Life’s Cruel Game, We say that Money was of yore, | As now, the cause of each grim plot. | Yet Cain and Abel fought before ‘There was a shekel in the pot. Self-execution, “Crimson Gulch has bulldings twenty stories high!” exclaimed the tourist. “They assist in getting rid of our des- perate characters,” answered Cactus Joe. “Instead of following ’em with the sheriff and his men, we let ‘em drink all the bootleg liquor they want and take a chance on falling out of a win- dow.” No Difference, My Radio! My Radio! ‘The evening speech for which I call Will put me fast asleep, I know— ‘The same as in a lecture hall. “Deception,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “brings no permanent bene- fit. However clever a trick may be, there are always those at hand who can ex- pose it when they choose.” Mme. Ponce de Leon. In Florida they sought, in sooth, ‘The Fountain of Eternal Youth, ‘That land, in this same quest, I vow, Is full of “beauty parlors” now. “Bpeak gently,” said Uncle Eben, “is good advice, but be careful not to git it mixed up wif ‘speak easy.’” o Problem. From the Milwaukes Sentinel. Another of the minor puzzles of life is why a five-mile whistle is needed to attract the attention of a bridge tender & hundred yards away. L4 STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, FRIDAY, FEB THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “Spring fever” begins officially when you see householders out in the yard with a rake. This year the disease has its incep- tion in February, an exceptionally early month, not duplicated in this vicinity for several years. No doubt those with rakes were “rushing the season,” but surely not one of them worried about that. Too early to plant grass seed? Well, maybe. Yet if the softer weather should continue, a great start would be secured for the gardening year of 1931, ‘There is nothing like getting a good ifitart, either in a foot race or in garden- ng. Not, only is there a personal satisfac- tion in it, but one secures so much beauty so much ahead of the crowd. i x Tt it impossible to divest gardening of the competitive note. We have urged the necessity of tak- ing gardening out of competition for seven full years, but here and now, in 1931, we confess a flat failure. As long as man is man everything he does must be competitive, to a more or less degree. If we cannot compete in any other way, most of us do it in our own minds. We want to “better our best,” what- ever that means. We mean to outdo what we did last yC.7, Or even to better what we propose o do next year. . A Let us forget about progress. for the time being, and, accepting the sun- shiny day with ifs 50 degrees, begin to turn over the old leaves, It is not & new leaf we turn over, in the garden, at this time of year, but literally the old leaves, the ones that in some marvelous manner have not been all blown away by the winds. Perhaps the lack of wind has had something to do with this. ingkm the drought situation lies in ack. ‘There has been a lack of thunder and lightning, acceptable to many, and there has been a lack of strong winds, also pleasing to some. Also, there has been a paucity of course. * x5 % ‘Turning over the old leaves in a gar- den is a necessary task which gives a certain satisfaction. They have to be removed sometime, and it might as well be now. One ought to wrap up closely, how- ever, for this is not Spring, after all, even though it may seem so0, by con- trast, at least. ‘The chest and back should be well covered. Perhaps the best way to garden at do a little at a time. Most people will make a mistake to spend too much time in the garden now. S0 on. Let such gardening as is done now be in half-hour stretches, even if little can be accomplished. This is a warning of conservatism: s0 if you get laid up by a cold, don't blame " us. * ok ox % Surely a yard looks nice, after it is raked, and the old leaves have been removed, and the gray look disappears. ‘Then such green grass as there is present seems multiplied twofold. It gives a prevision, as it were, of the way it will appear in July. Democratic National Chairman Ras- kob has once more departed from the ordinary rules of the political game. The calling together of & party’s na- tional committee “out of season” is quite unprecedented. Next week's meet- ing here of the Democratic National plans now for the 1932 campaign is a daring experiment. Many of the Demo- cratic chieftains are far from enthusi- astic and particularly disturbed by sug- gestions that now is the time and the National Committee the agency through which the party should take its stand squarely on the wet side of the prohi- bition issue. Chairman Raskob's pri- mary objective in getting the commit- tee together is to decide now on & pro- gram for rehabilitating the party's finances _and replenishing the money chest. But more than that he, wants to carry on with renewed energy the Democratic publicity campaign, and to do that effectively must have a chart of Democratic policies and some defini- tions thereof. The party in power has its President as its policy-shaping director. ‘The party out of power is without directing head. Mr. Raskob looks to his National Committee as the only substitute in sight as party spokes- man, but the chances of the committee undertaking this role at the present time look mighty slim. * % ok % It is obvious that Speaker of the House Longworth is destined to remain on the anxious seat until the new Con- gress convenes and organizes next De- cember. The defection of only a hand- ful of the irregular Republicans then would be sufficient to permit the elec- | tion of the Democratic minority leader, | Jack Garner. In all reasonable proba- bility Longworth will retain the speak- |ership in the final showdown, but in | the meantime the subject will continue to furnish the theme for endless con- jecture and argument. At the moment he is being pulled and hauled by con- flicting factions within the Republican ranks of the House. By force of cir- cumstances all are in a position to | dicker and demand this or that under threat of a bolt when the speakership | roll call is taken. Diplomacy of a high |order by the genial Roosevelt son-in- law is being required, but so far he has situation. ok ok % The reign of “Uncle Joe” Cannon as | Speaker of the House is often thought decades. In fact, it was only eight years—through four Congresses—but even s0, it was & length of term never exceeded, and only twice equaled, in our entire history. Andrew Stevenson of Virginia, in days long ago, and Champ Clark of Missouri, in contempo- rary times, were the only ones besides “Uncle Joe” who had four terms as Speaker to their credit. Speaker Long- worth is now finishing his third term— a six-year stretch as presiding officer of the House. There have been half a dozen three-term Speakers, of which the more notable include Gillett of Massachusetts, Longworth’s immediate predecessor, and James G. Blaine of Maine. But if Longworth is re-elected Speaker of the Seventy-second Con- gress he will have equaled the all-time record in this office. e As a harbinger of Spring came this week to the White House the first of the annual outpouring of Summer va- cation invitations to the President, cal culated to give fleeting fame to little known bits of paradise within ‘the con- tinental limits of the U. 8. A, The in- vitation of the Commerc! Club of Pelican Rapids, Minn., may well be adopted as the standard approved form for all such invitations. It reads, “The scenic beautles of” (here insert appro- priate name), “its splendid accommoda- tions and the innate aptitude and inclination of the fish in the numerous lakes of this wonderful vacation area are such as to give the fisherman very little time between bites.” Meantime, steps are being taken to transfer some thousands of the brook trout from the waters of Secretary Richey's fishing and game preserve at Catoctin, Md., to the drought-depleted streams of the Rapi- dan at the Hoover V‘w:nh camp. * * ‘Though it will soon be a year since Vincent Massey took his leave of Wash- ington, he still remains accredited to us as the Minister of Canada. The Ca- It is not| generally recognized that the silver lin- | floods, but that goes without saying, of | this season, always treacherous, is to, Reserve the hours for April, May, and | Committee with a view to formulating | proved equal to the exigencies of the | of as if it had spanned a couple of | vaim ded, of course, that we have rain. The lawn, more than any other gar- den feature, is dependent upon plenty of water. No growing thing so loves the rain as does the grass, whose root system is constructed to take in as much of it as possible. Everything depends upon the rain. Somehow it soothes one to say it over and over, as if the admission of this dependence could somehow soothe the wounded pride of the rain-god. * k ¥ ¥ Gardeners everywhere are taking ad- vantage of the mild days—or 8o they were when this was written—to do other tasks, too. Such days are ideal for transplant- ing_rosebushes. Those who find it possible to move their bushes, if they have that desire, will get a great jump on the season. It cannot huri the bush, and will do it good, in that such transplanting will occur days before the leaf buds begin to_appear. It is much better to move roses before the buds come out. In this way there is no shock to the bush, as an integral system. Once the buds are out, they become the chief concern of the mysterious in- telligence of the entire bush. The root system may suffer when the leaf buds become the center of life. While- the plants are still dormant, however, a bush can be maved in such a way that its entire recourses are con- centrated on the roots, which thereby get in good shape to do their full duty when Spring really comes. e It is difficult to secure plants now, and somewhat hazardous to order them since freezing weather might develop overnight, but it is a great time to transplant such stock as one may have in the garden and may desire to move from one place to another. Iris, now sticking its green leaves through the soil, can be moved splen- didly at this time. It will not be nec sary to give it any water upon mov- ing. Rosebushes, on the other hand, should be watered copiously if trans- planted. This applies also to shrubs and evergreens. This is a good time for judicious pruning. In this regard a note on tree urimming may be in order. Few tree owners themselves should attempt. this work, for few know much about it, and the work is hazardous to one who is not used to much climbing. Some tree trimming is merely tree butchery. If this work is done, com- mon sense would dictate that it be done by some one who knows something about it, which limbs to cut off, and how to treat the cuts. One of the saddest sights in a great city is to see a tree or maybe a num- ber of trees which have suffered at the hands of some tree wutcher. Useless Iimbs had better be left on than hacked off without rhyme or reason. EA The birds are beginning to return to the garden, too: 5o one has plenty of company. Cardinals strike new notes, a cross between a Tusty barn door | hinge and a boy’s whistle. It is an in- teresting and not unpleasing sound. | "The blue jays are back again. Strange | sounds come’ from the big oaks down | the street. ‘There is such a twittering | and cheeping as only small brown birds can produce, Visions of strange lands | come with them. Spring must be on lits way. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS nadian legation here remains in the hands of a charge d'affaires, with of- ficial Washington completely in the dark as to when a successor to Mr. Massey will arrive and whom he will be. At the time of Mr. Massey's depar- ture last Spring he had been slated for promotion to the post of the Dominion’s | diplomatic representative in London, and Col. Harry Cockshutt, former lieus | tenant governor of the Province of On- tario, had been expected to succeed him ‘here. But the overturn in Cana- dian politics and the advent of the min- | istry headed by Premier Richard Ben- | nett upset all these calculations. Pre- mier Benneit paid a recent visit to ‘Washington. Secretary of War Hurley is just now paying a week end visit to Toronto, the guest there of our own Minister, Hanford MacNider. Rut what, if anything, is especially in the wind at the moment is a well kept secret. e Woodrow Wilson's fondness for the theater is still well remembered. Calvin Coolidge found time and inclination to make occasonal visits to Washington playhouses. The Coolidge taste in the- | atrical fare was catholic, ranging from | Drinkwater’s “Robert E. Lee” and John | Barrymore in “Hamlet” on the one hand | to Marilyn Miller in “Rosalie” and “The | Music Box Revue” on the other. To date Mr. Hoover has not set foot inside a theater since he entered the White House. Movies and talkics pri- vately shown at the White House for |the entertainment of his guests or | thrown on the screen elsewhere when he has_been present hardly count against his record as a theatrical ab- stainer, Furthermore, though White House hospitality under the Hoover re- gime is generously extended to men and women in all walks of life, it is inter- esting to note that only three the pians have broken bread at 1600 Penn- sylvania avenue in the past two years. The theatrical celebrities thus honored were Otis Skinner, Willlam Gillette and Minnie Maddern Fiske. ¥R Any doubting Thomas who questions t! - existence of a “diplodocus” or who suspects that it is the name of a new game or a Jim Reed epithet for our white-spatted foreign brigade can re- solve all uncertainties and see one with his own eyes by visiting the National Museum and viewing its latest and proudest acquisition. This diplodocus was dug up in the Dinosaur National | Park, in Utah, the largest prehistoric mammal yet unearthed. Its bones weigh 2 tons and the skeleton, as now put together, is 75 feet long. Smithsonian scientists estimate that it had been dead for approximately 180,000 years, more or less. The land of the Mormons in that era was a tropical jungle. (Copyright#1931.) e Radio and Copyright. Prom the New York Evening Post. Just when it appeared that pro- ponents of the Vestal copyright bill would surely see the triumph of their cause, this necessary legislation struck another snag. The radio interests, which have hitherto felt themselves free to pirate almost any story, sketch or song to which they took a liking, have entered strenuous objections to an au- tomatic copyright which would _force them to get an author's consent before using his material. They would have application of the copyright held up until its actual registration. 1t is difficult to see why there should be such a postponement in making a copyright effective unless it was de- sired to use the material without per- mission, or why the radio interests should be unwilling to be bound by the same rule which magazines and other publications have _shown themselves willing to accept. But the real quarrel with their proposed amendment is that it threatens a delay on the Vestal bill which would prevent its enactment at the present session of Congress. Prompt_action is necessary because membership in the International Copy- right Union is dependent upon its pas- sage, and the fixed time limit for this mové is next August. There 1s o ques- tion of the advantages which the bill will bring to authors and com| , Al this Dlam ate date Amer] nd to have it held up at by the broadcasters would be inexcusable. Their objections should be overruled. ~ RUARY 27, 1931. Masters’ ‘Lincoln’ Neither| ‘Necessary’ Nor ‘Helpful’ To the Editor of The Star: I wish to protest against the follow- ing statement made by Mr. Charles E. Tracewell in an article which appeared in The Evening Star of February 24, namely, that “Such books as ‘Lincoln the Man' (by Edgar Lee Masters) are helpful and necessary.” Mr. Tracewell has admitted that “Scarcely once in the 500 pages has he a word of praise for his subject. Nothing that Lincoln was, or did, or said, it seems, was worth much.” I fail to see why such a book is either “helpful” or ‘“necessary,” or why it should receive anything but condemna- tion from those of us who appreciate Justice. Among_ the lives of statesmen can any life be cited which was more un- selfish than was the life of Abraham Lincoln? Is there a greater example of success despite serious handicaps, or is there a more worthy example of fair play toward his fellow men? Has any man upon reaching an exalted position retained a greater de- gree of simplicity and humility than did Abraham Lincoln? Again, is there a greater example of such courage as he displayed when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation? Is there any more notable example of fidelity to duty than President Lin- coln showed during the dark period of the Civil War? Did any man in public office ever make appointments with less concern for personal advantage? In this age, when nobility of char- acter is not too much in evidence, are we not permitted to revere the mem- ory of such a noble, unselfish charac- ter as that of President Lincoln? If so0. I fail to see in what way Mr. Mas- ter's book, “Lincoln the Man,” can be “helpful” to_us. CLARA BOYNTON HADLEY. BSIE Make a Great Medical Center in Washington! ‘To the Editor of The Star: The editorial in a recent ssue of The Star in regard to the location of the new bullding that it is proposed to build for the National Museum was good common sense. Also, your sug- gestion to_remove the Medical Museum from the Mall was very timely and ap- propriate, for the Medical Museum and the Surgeon General's Library should be moved out to the Army Medical Col- lege, at Walter Reed. This medical museum and library should be near the Medical College to complete the college unit. If the Naval Hospital and Navy Medical College were moved out in the vicinity of Walter Reed Hospital their being grouped near to each other would make one of the best medical centers in_the world. The Naval Hospital will soon need enlarging, so why not build the new buildings out in the vicinity of Walter Reed? The old reservoir on Sixteenth street would be a _good location for the Naval Hospital. Several million dollars will be spent on buildings for the Army and Navy hospitals and medical colleges in the near future. If all these medical facilities of the Army- and Navy were grouped together in the same vicinity they would become a great medical center. ZACK SPRATT. N Back to the Nineties for A Cure for National Ills! To the Editor of The Star: Just now I read Will Rogers’ daily dispatch on the passage of the drought bill in which he says: “They have got to be fed till a new crop is raised, and when they raise it the last one is still in this country. It hasn't been sold yet.” He said a mouthful—"“it hasn't been sold yet.” Why hasn't it been sold yet? I have great admiration for Cordell Hull and some other statesmen, but it is pathetic to hear them keep on talking about the tariff and the newspapers wasting space discussing something which is not an issue, instead of dis- cussing the reasons why “it hasn't been sold yet.” That is the great question before this country and the world today. Why the crop, as well as other commodities which people need, hasn't been sold “yet,” and which is the cause of the world-wide business depression. It's a wonder some of these “statesmen” and writers haven't found out long before this that the rea- son is the money question; that the purchasing power of more than a bil- lion people, users of silver, due to the demonetization of the white metal, which has been made a commodity and is at its lowest price in history, has been practically destroyed. This is di- rectly responsible for the non-sale of this year's crop as well as everything else. The tarifl has nothing to do with it. One country after another which has always been a silver-using coun- try and which has been placed on a gold-standard basis has declared a moratorium on its debts. 1 pre- dict that before another year rolls around all those countries—and they are 90 per cent of the nations of the earth—will follow suit, and that the commerce between the nations will cease, a situation that has never before in peace times occurred in_ history. It takes some people a long time to learn that the world will have to come ]u.- the outstanding statesman of the nineteenth _century—Bryan and bi- | metallism—before it can expect stability | and happiness. . DWYER. - Back to the Farm. from the St. Paul Pioneer Press. During the past 10 years the general trend of population in America was from the farm to the city. There is now evidence to show. however, that the tide of this migration toward towns is at_its full, and, indeed, is beginning to ebb. Signs that the enormous farm exodus of the past decade may be at an end are seen in the recent announcement of the Federal Department of Agricul- ture that in the last two years it has received more letters than usual from urban residents seeking information on making a change from city to country life. Many of these communications are | from persons who came from the coun- try originally and worked in the ecity, but who are now out of a job and wish to return -to the land. The statement by the department officials that this type of individual is returning to the farm only temporarily is of considerable significance. It indicates that as soon as business picks up again in the in- dustrial centers the returned farmer contemplates going back to city life. This country-city seesaw is familiar to agricultural economists, who recog- nize in the movement of population from farms to cities and from citles back to farms a reflection of the peri- odic change in the conditions of agri- culture and of general business. According to data compiled by the Federal Department of Agricultural Economics, when “there is money in farming” there is a smaller shift to the cities, but when there is “no money in farming” the farmer hies himself to the industrial centers, where he hopes to replenish his earnings. Similarly, the movement from cities back to the country is greater in years of dull busi- ness conditions and smaller in years of plentiful employment. Charts prepared by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics illustrate clear- ly the interrelationship between agri- culture and business and reveal its distinct seesaw. They show that, in 1925, when farm incomes were high the movement to the Citles was low. In 1926, however, farm incomes were low and migration was heavy into the cities. A similar comparison between in- dustrial activity and the “back to the farm"” trend also reveals an inverse re- lationship. During the years 1925 and 1926, in which industrial employment and wage earnings were relatively high, smaller numbers of people moved back to the country. Whereas during 1924, 1927 and 1928, when business activity was not at so high a level, the move- ment away from the cities was larger. B No Terminals. From the Toledo Blade. All we can make of what the astron- omers have found is that the universe no Pplace. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN. What is your question? Whatever it may be, unless it be a request for , M or financial advice, it will be answered without cost to you and you will receive the reply in a personal letter. Write your question clearly and briefly, inclose 2-cent stamp for return Evening Star Information Frederic J. Haskin, director, ington, D. C. Q. Which can go faster, a man on roller skates or one on ice skates?— L PN A. The jce skating record is better. ‘The roller skating record for one-half mile is 1 minute 204-5 seconds; ice skating, 1 minute and 13 seconds. engers lost at sea Bureau, Wash- . Are more pas or on trains?—P. 8. A. About 4,500,000 passengers are carried on vessels subject to inspec- tion for one passenger lost. On rail- roads 201,000 are carried to one lost. Q. Has Lindbergh ever had to take to a parachute while flying?—M. W. D. A. Lindbergh has made four emer- gency parachute jumps. Q. What became of and the Merrimac?—E. 8. A. Monitor was lost in a gale off Cape Hatteras December 31, 1862; the Merrimac was sunk by her captain after the Federal troops gained con- trol of Norfolk on May 9, 1862, Q. Must revenue bills and appropri- atlon bills originate in the House of Rep- resentatives of our Con ?—S. M. K. A. The Constitution provides that all revenue bills shall originate in the House of Representatives. It is cus- tomary for appropriation bills to orig- inate there also. This, however, is not necessary. Q. How is the Holy Land governed at the present time?—A. J. F. A. Palestine is governed by a gov- ernor general appointed by the British crown under a mandate awarded to &rent Britaln by the League of Na- lons, the Monitor Q. Has a parasite been found which gflg exterminate the Japanese beetle?— A. The Department of Agriculture says that this problem has been given attention since 1920, and at last one seems effective. Tiphia popilliavora was one of the first parasites intro- duced and one which gave little prom- ise at first. After a slow start, how- ever, it is now increasing rapidly and gives much promise as an important factor in the blological control of the Japanese beetle. This parasite is par- ticularly well adapted for use in the natural control of the Japanese beetle because it is a specific parasite of this pest in its native land, and in this country this‘tendency is preserved. Q. Where did the Polynesian women come from who went with the mu- tineers of H. M. S. Bounty to live on Pitcairn Island?—M. K. A. After the mutiny, Christian, who had taken charge of the ship Bounty, returned to Tahitl and remained there 10 days. When the vessel put to sea 9 Tahitian men, 12 women and 8 boys were aboard the vessel and they beg- ged to remain. Others were taken aboard after visits to islands in the vicinity. e and address The. Q. How many children in the United States are especially smart>—L. G. H. A. There are about 1,500,000 espe- clally gifted children in the country. Q. How old is St. John Ervine, the English dramatist>—G. W. L. A. St. John Ervine will be 48 during Q. Should a person knock before gpening a door into a business office?— R. L. B. mKL ‘The door is opened without knock- Q. How old is Seth Parker?—V. B. A. Phillips H. Lord, who created the character of Seth Parker, i8 28 yoars old. Q. Where is the largest closed sudi- torfum in America?—F. H. A. The new Convention Hall in At- lantic City is the largest in the world. The seating capacity in the main au- ditorfum is 40,000. This includes 30,000 on the floor and stage and 10,000 in the balcony. Q. Who was of Lucerne’ A. The “Lion of Lucerne” was copied from & model by Bertel Thorwaldsen, the famous Danish sculptor. The Swiss artist was named Ahorn. The statue was dedicated in 1821. The lion was chiseled out of solid rock as a memorial to the Swiss guards who died in heroic defense of the Tuileries, Q. Can_you tell me the length of | Browning's’ poem, “The Ring and the Book”?>—R. B A. “The Ring and the Book™” consists of 20,934 lines. Q. Who is restoring Robert E. Lee's early home?—M. J. B. A. It is the intention of the Daugh- ters of the Confederacy to restore Stratford-on-the-Potomac, the birth- place of Robert E. Lee. It is said to be the largest mansion in the State of Virginia and is the only example of this particular old English type of home in America. It was built n 1729 and Q. What is barnyard golf?—L. N. A. This name is given in jest to horseshoe pitching. Q. Are woolen materials for men's ;ulés fiu«.h lighter for Bpring wear?— the sculptor of the “Lion E. M. B. A. In the worsted and woolen trade the weight per yard is usually based on the arca 54 by 36 inches. The average weight of men's Winter suitings is now about 13 ounces—with the Spring woolens less than 10 ounces. Q. At what hour is the changing of the guard at the King's palace?—M. A. A. The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, England, is a col- orful event, largely on account of the brilliant uniforms of the picked troops which comprise the Royal Guard. The change is a ceremony every day when the sovereign is in residence, at 10:30 am, and is accompanied by music from one of the various guard bands. Q. What is a heart nut?—N. C. A. It is a variation of the Japanese walnut. It can be raised in this coun- | try. The tree has large, almost tropical- | looking foliage and the nut is heart- shaped, smooth, brown in color and is of excellent quality, having a flavor closely resembling our butternut. The hold that Lillian Leitzel had on the imagination of the world is evi denced by the comments that have fol- lowed the news of her tragic death in Copenhagen. Praise for the mastery of her art, for her bravery, and for her kindly nature is voiced by Americans. “The circus will come as usual. Per- haps there will be new and start!ing ex- hibitions of skill and daring. They will not dim for many of us that vision of the fairylike form in the feat known technically as the giant half-flange, but to the audience as that contribution to the spectacle of the circus which could be made only by the little lady who has executed it for the last time.” This is the tribute of the Boston Evening Tran- script to a star of the circus. For she was a recognized star in her profession. As the Hartford Daily Times says: “Her amazing art, her gracefulness and ut- terly delightful charm of presence placed her in undisputed right at the very head of her profession. Her ap- pearance invariably put the touch of { climax to the afternoon or evening per- formance in the ‘big top.’” “Prima donna of the big tent” is the title given her by the Indianapolis Star, which points to the fact that “years of rigorous training and the discomforts of professional life preceded arrival at the peak of her calling in the world-famous circus.” Strec-ing this point also, the Charlotte (N. C.) News says: “Her dis- tinction in the tawdry glare of circus life and her dramatic end focus atten- tion to that character which must lie behind all distinction, whatever the fleld. Here was a discipline of atten- tion and rigorous discipline of body which the oral':nry human being, taking the course of least resistance in life, must marvel at.” And this paper, as in- dicating the full measure of her fame, directs attention to the fact that, “when she appeared, that plethora of fantastic spectacles, of simultaneous appeals to the eye and ear, stopped. Her act alone, in circus history, was considered thrill- ing enough to stop the rest of the show.” * ok ok % The Baltimore Sun, conceding that “reputations can be acquired by acci- dent or default,” states emphatically that “Lilllan Leitzel did not achieve hers so. Very definitely she was an ar- tist—at least as much an artist as ac- tress or diva or dancer is—at work in & realm of art which may lack its critiques and social ‘cachet’ but that wants nothing for history, audience or significance.” Training was not all that contributed to her success, for she had background and personal talent, many papers de- clare, among them the Houston Chroni- cle, which remarks: “She was a trouper, Lillian Leitzel—a trouper like her mother before her. A long line of acrebatic ancestors preceded her into this world. She was born with a flair for the circus, born to wear spangles and glitter under the glowing lights of the big top, born to amuse and love, to give a fin- ished performance, no matter what the grief, the heartache, the physical fail- ings, the disappointments which might impede her progress through the air. And she is dead. But many millions who saw her and adored her will not | forget the little Bohemian who reached the pinnacle of the show world, reached it to swing through space for years, a comet finally dashed to earth when de- fective apparatus failed,” concludes the Chronicle. “She died at her work,” in Copen- hagen, when the iron bar brcke and sent her brave form to the hard floor,” comments the Providence Bulletin, which calls her “a courageous woman, enduring what poor man would never attempt, the greatest gymnast in the world. The circus will be less glamorous without her,” asserts the Bulletin. “She fell and waved to the specta- tors,” records the Albany Evening News. ‘““The ‘queen of the circus lots’ was brave to the last and made her final exit as smilingly as if she were not mortally hurt,” this paper continues. “Hers was & brave and merry heart, and it is sometimes to remember how much these daring folk teach us in the spirit of making others hn[ipy." - o T e “Every day people die as ".l-ldl the; - A, 3 Leitzel was doing, was her job to put Miss Leitzel’s Tragic Fate Draws Sympathy of World some one who swayed to dangerous music, unafraid,” concludes the Signal. “Down comes the spangle from the ‘big top,’” is the way the Jersey Jour- |nal puts it. “‘Some day, " * * % it continues, “Lillian Leitzel, billed as the world’s premier woman aerialist, had been wont to say lightly, yet gravely, as she prepared to go aloft to swing | round and round by her hand and per- | form other sensational and breath-tak- | ing stunts for the admiration of thou- sands. Performing in Copenhagen, Miss Leitzel fell. The ‘some day’ she fatal- istically toasted had come,” deplores the Journal. Noting that no life net was ever spread below her trapeze and that Miss Leitzel had explained concerning this fact “that a life net would make Nes feats scem tame to the spectators,” the Milwaukee Sentinel remarks: “Crowds have not changed much since the days of the Roman circus. In America we ban bullfights out of compassion for bulls, but we approve with our patron- age automobile races, airplane ‘stunt- ing’ and Miss Leitzel's kind of death de- flance. The sweet-faced, charming woman was a sacrifice to the mob— | the mob that will not pay admission if the life net is spread.” Says the Little Rock Arkansas Demo- crat, “And so there passed on ‘the beautiful queen of the flying rings,’ the girl whose picture upon the wondrous posters on cotton gin, blacksmith shop, smoke house and the town's first garage won the hearts of countless millions of barefoot boys and excited the envy of the small ‘back in Lillian Leltzel will be inks not know and admire her, for they did. In cities, however,” continues this pa- per, “the dainty trapeze artist would play a week of vaudeville during the Winter and pass on, other acts to take her place. But back in the small towns, though the furious whirls of the ‘giant half-flange’ lasted only a few breath- less seconds, her coming spread out over the whole Summer time.” “An iron ring,” recalls the San Fran- cisco Chronicle, “one thing so simple to look to that it was the one thing neglected, broke upon her hand. Thus the failure of a mere appliance brought an end to the career that Miss Leitzel had achieved by almost incredible mas- tery over muscle and mind.” The Youngstown Vindicator lauds “the self- command which kept her constantly in condition to perform feats too difficult and dangerous for others to perform.” Pointing to the fact that “the people of the circus knew a different side of Miss Leitzel,” that paper continues “They who knew her best admired her most. They loved her for her kindness and her pleasant ways ——aee Barely Credible. From the Hamilton, Ontario, Spectator. Rumor doubted, says a headline in & Toronto paper. This is news with & vengeance! e A Sure Way Out, From the Toledo Blade. Paying prize fighters what they are worth, as proposed, would just about put an end to that sport. Japanese Modernism. From the Miam! Daily News. It seems that Japanese legislators have taken to hurling ink wells and ash trays instead of insinuations. Perhaps a Late Start. From the Lowell Evening Leader. ‘The dangerous age for the pedestrian, says a professor, begins at 45—provided, of course, that up to that time he has been able to avoid trouble, Oh, If They Would! From the San Bernardino Sun. Sclentists inform us that the sap of e S e rhaps some y find that out. s Targets. the march of s thoughts that, go parading through mnscut;l(‘cur mi; -. Somehow, tasks were easier when pep- ple knew that once in a while there w: From the Oakland Tribune. Base ball umpires look forward to the coming season when things will begin their way.