Evening Star Newspaper, April 8, 1931, Page 8

THE EVENING THE EVENING STAR WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY......April 8, 1931 THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company Busine * Office 1 t. ana Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office; 11 s 420d St Chicago Office: ki utlding. European Office: Eng’ London, Rate by Carrier Within the City. The Evening Star 45c per month The Evening and (wher Sunday Siar n 4 Sundays) . in 53 60c per month @5c per month ¥ c Ler copy Gollection mage at the end of each month ©rters may be sent in by mail or tclepnoae Naionar (6. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virgnia. Baily wnd Sunday.....1¥r. 410001 mo Sily only ..c.n..s $5.00: 1 mo junday only ..l0l11Tl1 IRl 84000 1mo. Al Other States and Canada Ratlv 2o Sunday Lt 1 m aily only .. 00: 1 mo., Banday only $1.00 £8.00: 1 5c £500; 1 mo.. Member of the Associated Press. atches ted in this paper published hrrein of #peciai dispaiches . cr Chicago. Chicago, the bad boy of American cities, appears to be intd (o turn over a new lcaf; to take an inierest in its own affairs. As a cemonstration of its change of heart, the city T a majority of almost 200,000 2ga Mayor “Big Bili” Thcmpson in the el tion yesterday, and for him s d Anton C. Csrmack, the Drmoeratic candidate for mayor. The act. of the voters yesterday revives a r 0op- ing hope that at bottom the people of Chicag) are sound and once aroustd will clean up. The great troudle in Chi- eago, as in othe e country, is to get the v sufficiently aroused to take an inierest in their own gov- ernment. Yesterday the vote ran well over a million, the largest cn record. Whenever the voters turn out in great numbers the Thomps:-ns are as a rule defeated. William Hale Thompson, three t'mes elected mayor of Chicago, for a total of twelve years of service in that office, became an international clown. In- stead of making issues of civic ques- tions, in some of his campaigns “Big Bill” spent his time hammering King George of England and charging that it his opponents were elected Chicago would become a province of the British crown. Ridiculous as such perform- ances appear, “Big Bili" was able to capitalize on them. His government of the city finally gave rise to the term “Thompsonism.” And Thompsonism has been the bane of Chicago for years, while criminals and gangsters have op- erated with comparative freedom in the Nation's second largest city. Cermack, the newly elected mayor, has been chairman of the Board of Cook County, which comprises Chicago and a bit of outlying territory. He is a native of Bohemia and when he was a young man worked in a mine and pushed a cart for a living. estate he has amassed a fortune. His pledge to the people of Chicago during the campaign was for better and clean- er government. A Democratic leader in Chicago for a number of years, he has overnight become a dominant political figure in Illinois, for leadership which is suecessful in Chicago carries with it State-wide reputation. In all prebability Chicago will not be “eieaned up” in a week or a month. But there has been a beginning at the polls. If the people themselves will continue to take an interest in their affairs and n.t Chicago is on the eve of holding another world's fair, But Thompson is not to be the host to the world as mayor of Chicago. ——— e “Ownership” of Water Pipes. ‘The number of home owners affected may be so trivial that it will not make any difference after all, but after the District has in some cases paid for new pipes, connecting water mains with homes, it is' inconsistent to threaten other property owners with the penalty of cutting off water from their premises if they refuse to pay for new pipes. It would have been better policy, on the first case of a refusal, to fix a penalty end stick to it. ‘The home owner is the theoretical owner of the pipes carrying watsr from the mains in the street to his premises. He paid for these pipes in the first place. When street repair work dis- closes leaks, necessitating new pipes, the District seeks to charge the home owner ‘with the cost of the new pipes. In 1930 two-thirds of the home owners refused to pay and the District furnished the funds. A relatively large number have refused this year. Henceforth the owner who refuses will lose water serv- ice. But the regulation is not rewoac- tive, and those who in the past have refused to pay have apparently been lucky enough to escape any penaity. ‘The home owners should be charged for the cost of the pipes in the first place. But thereafter, as Capt. Oram suggests, the pipes should become a part of the distribution system, main- tained by the District. Cost of replace- ‘ment should be paid by the Water De- partment as a part of the maintenance cost. The legislation necessary to clarify this point should be enacted at the next session of Congress. ——— st Chicago's election was liberally sup- plied with money and with epithets. It is estimated that enough of each will be left over for unstinted use in another campaign. —— Safety in Air Travel. Because of the almost unprecedented interest aroused by his tragic death, the killing of Knute Rockne in an airplane @ash on March 31 generated wide- spread fears that civil aviation, especial- ly passenger transport, had itself suf- fered a grave, if not fatal, blow. It is gratifying to observe from a Depart- ment of Commerce report on the Rockne accident that a purely individual, and wholly unavoidable, circumstance—a freak of the weather—was responsible. Nothing occurred that justifies in any ‘way whatever any public anxiety on the score of safety in air travel. It was a coating of ice upon the transcontinental airplane’s wings that 50c | ed up | In real| luo blame, but the Commerce Depar:- nent’s inspectors found, on mote mi- nute examination cf the wreckage, that “weather was the primaty cause.” “The pilot of the air liner,” says the official report, “knowing from his radio conversation with Wichita that the woather was clear at that place, is be- licved to have startzd up through the low clouds to get ab: them. In dcing so, it is th that ice collezted on the plane and possibly rendered in- operative cortain of the pilot's flight in- stzuments thet function thoough the air eam. * * * The rezulis seem to in- dizate that on c:ming cut of this ma- | neuver the change cf direction occurred !'with such unusual rapidity as to build | {up en enormous load on the wings, | which in turn brought about the wing | failure.” 1t would be a thousand pities—and no on» more than the m-st cclel d vic- | im of the Kensas disac uld be | quicker ‘o second this view-—if such ac- | sught s w | ciceen © to impde the sioady prog- | ress and growing popularity of travel by eir. Until men eccustomed themselves | being whirled elong steel rails at a | mile a minut> the “iron horse” rclled | up A considerable casualty list. Today | 1o cne thinks of danger a train, nor of the lur {523 as one bards en oeen liner, even | though the fate of a Titaniz will never | fade fr-m memerv, Human ingsnuity |to achieve mex realms. is t reduce the haz: at work on in all | later, to | ds of the plone to the | It us re- restlessly A Hard Task. scional districts | e States, to meet the re- | quiremen:s of the rew apportionment | lof the Houss of Representatives, causing a Jot of trouble. This is true | particularly in States where there are | | Republican Legislatures and Demo- | cratic Governors, as, for example, in| Massachusetts, Neither political party | wishes to give way, and each desires > redistrict o as to gain or keep control | of as many districts as possible. In Mastachusetts there must be a | !contraction of the delegaticn in the Fouse from sixteen to fiftcen. At pres- ent the Rcpub’icans hold twelve and the Democrats four of the sixteen | House sea’s. The Governor is Demo- |cratic, the Legislature Republican. A | Legislative Ccmmittee has been strug- gling with the problem. The Democrats r that because of the fact that the | State went Democratic in State-wide | contests in 1928 and in 1930 they are en- titled at least to an even break in the matter of congressicnal districts. The | Republicans, cn the other hand, do not jwish to relinquish districts they now control. It may result finally in a deadlock between the Governor and {the Legislature. This would mean the |election of all fifteen of the members| of the House in 1932 in a State-wide eleclion. Such a rolution does not | please either the Republican or the Democratic sitting members of the House. In the first place, they do not relish the thought of going into State- wide primaries for renomination nor do | they like the idea of a State-wide elec- jtion to office. In New York the State Legislature is about to have before it a bill giving the Empire State two new congressional districts, for New York makes a gain | of two seats in the reapportionment of |the House. There, to5, the Governor {is Democratic end the Legislature is Republican. According to press re- ports, however, the New York Legisla- ture can deal with the matter of redistricting for the National House of Representatives through a concurrent resolution which, it is said, will not require approval of the Governor. Under these circumstances it is likely that the Republicans will seek all the advantage they can. At present there are twenty Republicans in the House from New York and twenty-three Democrats. The Republicans hope, at least, to square things with the Demo- crats. California gains nine seats in the House, the biggest gain made in anyof the States, and Michigan comes nd with four. Both are Republican States. In all thirty-two States must redistrict, eleven making gains and twenty-one losing seats. Unless the redistricting 1s eompleted before the election in 1932, States will be compelled to vote in State-wide elections. The change in the House apportion- ment affects not only the election of the next Congress but also the election of the next President. The electoral college is based upon the number of Representatives and Senators each State has in Congress. California and Michigan are going to have more to say about who the next Chief Executive shall be than heretofore. A fallure of a State to redistrict before the coming election will have no eflect on the make- up of the electoral college. Each State will have the number of electoral votes which the reapportionment has assigned t it. —_—a—————— Narcotics are strictly supervised. The user meeds protection from himself. Deadly weapons, which hurt innocent persons, are apparently sold with little or no restriction at prices which place them within the reach of all. et The boy who took an ostrich egg to the egg rolling on Eester Monday is in accord with the ideas of an era when big business is likely to lead in all competition. AR Do You Believe in Spring? Now that the narcissus, brightest of flowers, is coming into bloom, many & person will believe in Spring. It is an easy matter to be a doubter. When biting winds follow hard on gentle days, when the furnace which has been allowed to idle is put to work again, when the grass sced one planted a bit early refuses to show green, then it is | Mes { nue, for instance, could not have been | | ment that holds comparatively easy for one to disbelieve. It is the narcissus, showing its bright head in the border, which does even more than the robin - redbreast to con- vince a city that Spring is actually at hand. Multi-colored tulips, not yet in bloom, will furnish the final touch to the annual pageant. Already the crocus, nestling in the grass, has come and gone. The snowdrops and the grape hyacinths have added their hum- bl~ beauty to many a bank. The for- sythia, too, has furnished its yellow sprays to deck out a hoping world. These fine things, howevek, have been the hardest materialist will be wlll\_fl' to concede something. If any doubt is left, statistics of the United States Weather Burcau may help. It is re- vealed that the accumulated excess of temperature” since January 1 has been 177 degrecs. And if any one still doubts, the Japa- ‘nese cherry trees around the Tidal Basin wiil shortly convince him. o Street Repair. Despite the fact that assurances were given by District officials that mistakes of pees s would not be repeated, the 1951 street repair program in the National Capital, which is now under ms to have been prepared with very litt’e considcration to the all-im- portant needs of trafic. In other years lack of co-orcination betwecn varjous ict deperiments, coupled with thougiitiesiness in planning, resulted in traffic havoe. With co-ordinat'on again establirhed, duc to a survey of the s:tua- tion and the adoptlon of remedial meas- urcs, it was reasonable to suppose that the actual repairs would be planned in a manner to offer the least incon- venience to motorists. But it does not | scem to be A case in point s the repaving of achusetts avenue and New Hamp- venue at the same time, wili the shutting off of the three num- Lered sircets west of Dupont Circle which normally accommodate much of the uptown and suburban traffic. And to make a bad condition worse is the beginning of repairs on ‘Twenty-second strect at tie intersections of L angd Q. words, by an ill-planned pro- it is almost impossible for a t to reach th> downtown section of the streets west of Dupont Why the work on Massachusetts ave- delayad pending the completion of the repairs to New Hampshire avenue, and why it is dcemed necessary to start op- erations at this time on Twenty-second strect, are ifficult to understand. After all, the traffic is present to be accom- modzted and it should be carcd for s> far £s possible by an intelligsnt plan of street repair, i b Parly managers belizve that so long as there is to be an argumen: about prohibition it may es well be started as early as possible. It is a kind of argu- | h little promise of | h making converts cne way or the other, but by getiing rid of superfluous energies there may be time remaining for the discussion of equally important though less spectacular matters. ———— “Kid McCoy” of prize ring fame is egain seeking to be pardoned out of the S2n Quentin Penitentiary, where he was sent for manslaughter. There are all kinds of persons engaged in pugi- lism as in other forms of endeavor. Perhaps Mr. Tunney is right in culti- g intellectual aspirations that will keep him as far as possible from classi- fication with the rougher element. R Chinese do not hesitate to shoot at American boats in the Yangtze River. When a Chinese patriot decides that there is a war on hand, he is likely to proceed without official preliminaries and pick the nearest stranger as an enemy. e A Plans to visit the U. S. A. are being considered by Gandhi. Personally he is above monetary aspirations. Just what he desires to talk about will be a question of interest to those Americans who are inclined to apply a close cen- sorship to lecture from abros ‘The Department of Agriculture looks forward to a fine crop. Farmers will find an element of relief in the fact that the drought has been officially re- ferred to as a closed incident. A A SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Miss Cherry Bloom. Miss Cherry Bloom her best has done To win the radiance of the Sun Up yonder, on his golden throne, ‘To smiles, in answer to her own. Alas, Miss Cherry Bloom, we find In an unhappy frame of mind, Since sh> in loveliness is left To mourn as one who is bereft! In silent sorrow she must stand With sympathy on every hand. Even the skies in tendermess Have wept in grief for her distress! Making a Distinction. “What are your views on prohibi- tion?" “Is this a private talk,” asked Sena- ter Sorghum, “or for publication?” “What difference does that make?” “Possibly a great deal of difference. Where prohibition is concerned, statesman's views are not necessarily the same 2s his interviews.” Jud Tunkins says a hold-up man is an especial menace to the community when he is a nervous amateur whose fin- ger trembles on the trigger. Eggs. A python several eggs has laid Out yonder in the Zoo. About it all the world has made A wonderful to-do. She does not cackle like the hen, Although we'd gladly let ‘er. The chicken's bcast seems proper when She does the werk much better. Rainy Easter. “Did you enjoy the Easter parade?” “Very much,” answered Miss Cayenne. “I was pleased to find that I had one of the most fashionable and charming umbrelias in the entire procession.” “I try not to think too much of worlds that may be beyond,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown. “A mortal does well if he can descrve the happi- ness offered by this one.” Anxieties of Art. The picture star remarked: “Of course, Hard work must prove a hit is due. Just walt till I get my divorce And public interest renew!” “De man dat wants to do all de talkin',” sald Uncle Eben, “is liable not to give hisse’t enough time to find out anything wuf tellin'.” — - Or Abolish the Prison. Prom the Ann Arbor Dally News. ‘The Joliet Prison riots are blamed on the Parole Board. Ma: one to the prisoners be to a | Del STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, WEDNESDAY, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Shrubbery is owners fall down. Many a house purchaser will “go in" for roses on a large scale. He will sod an entire yard, at large cost, and pur- chase many and expensive evergreens. Ordinarily, however, he will plant only a few lilacs, or altheas, or but- terfly- bushes, or spireas, or similar things. Yet shrubs, rhododendrons, plantings. are better. If an althea, or Rose of Sharon, as it is often called, is good .in a few situations, the chances are that it will be_excellent in many. Those interested in the home grounds will discover, if they keep their eyes open, that the average place is rather underplanted than overplanted. Too few shrubs, rather many, seems: the rule. view ¢f the fact that exactly the op. posite is true with many homeowners when they come to the matter of ever- where most home- no less than iris, or do their best in mass If 1 lilac is good 20 lilacs | greens. You will fairly hidden by evergreens. be pines and hemlosks and the more popular thing-, as well as specimens which few but’ experts know anything about, see imany home grounds % %k ok This state of affairs can only have arisen because the shrubs are common to every nome and have come to be looked down upon to some extent by meny who ought t> know better. There is really no sophistication among plant lovers, as such, but some- times, when they begin considering their plantings in houses, they tend to take on some cf the worst characteristics of the snob. Now let no one sneer at the snob without knowing whereat he sneers. There are good snbs and bad snobs, excellent snobs and unpleasant snobs. There are no two snobs exactly alike, eny more than there are any two fingerprints precisely the same. Many a snob is an_admirable human being. That was all a certain pro- fessor of English was attempting to say when he got himself a neat bit of publicity on a national scale about A year ago by advising his students | uled snob. & man or wom- ues the better things of lif>, with an emphasis on the esthetic side, will often be, indeed, the superior sort of pers:n which he believes him- self to be. It is an amazing thing, but trus. person will often be off to the <nob, so long as his snobbery hurts no cne but | himself. The tolerant person, who be- lieves that toleration applies to all de- partments of life and living, not just to the religious, will welcome the true snob as an interesting and cften pleas- ant figures * ok The snobbery which looks down on the honest shrubs, however, is a big mistake, for there are no plants which can do more for a home than these. Perhaps no one would ever frown upon shrubs if it were not for the fact that often there is a bit of un- pleasant snobbery in the and prac- tice of interior decoration, and that this is sometimes carried into the out- doors. Somehow snobbery, even the mild kind, goes better indoors than out. Sophistication is a hethouse disease and looks better on a woven rug than on & carpet of grass. Shrubbery, as such, cffers the home- owner more for his money than almost :nfihln; else in the plant line, unless it trees. Shrubs are, little trees. after all, Even the dictionaries are forced to use | the tree, in defining the word ‘‘shrub,” in their comparisons. One puts it this way: “Shrub— woody plant of less size than tree and usually divided into separate stems from near the ground.” Another big book speaks of a shrub as_a woody-stemmed perennial plant, differing from a tree in lesser height and the number of primary stems. These lateral shoots are lost by real trees in & few years, but the shrub retains them. The tree throws up its trunk many feet before the branches than too | And this in | ‘There will | relation to their | Therefore the hats_of the tolerant | shoot out, but the shrub begins them at_or near the ground. Some shrubs will develop into a mass of main stalks arising in a circle of a foot or two in diameter. Other shrubs, and notably the lilac and althea, will develop main trunks and will grow into near-trees if given a bit of help alcng that line. There are in Washington many specimens of these shrubs which have grown into veritable trees. Large lilac trees are to be seen in the small park on Penn- sylvania avenue in front of the Depar ment of Commerce Building, at Nine- teenth and H streets. Altheas in tree form grow on Nine- teenth street, we believe, about L and M streets. With lilacs it is often nece: sary, if they are to grow into sm: trees, to prune out the “suckers” as they are called, which grow up at the base. Thus by keeping the plant to its single main trunk this becomes husky, nd the plant is forced to bear lateral branches above and to send forth all its blossoms on them. The althea more APRIL 8, 1931 Haven of Rest Wanted For Old, Decrepit Cars To the Editor of The Star: ‘Waiting to left-hand-turn on Pennsyl- ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASK'N: vania avenue, we observe: Out of the|. nowhere into the somewhers appears this relic of an aut:mobile of former day: Mindful of the traffic officer’s beckoning hand into the arena at I'welfth street and Pennsylvania avenue, it _proceeds at a leisurely gait of five miles per, despite the most earnest ef- forts of the driver to attain a greater velocity. With each wheel separately and individually “shimmying” a serpen- ine weave in a manner peculiarly its own, with kindly encouragemept and persuasion from the traffic officer and with heartfelt wishes from the waiting aut-mobilists for a little more speed, it advances reluctantly and protestingly to the center of the sireet. Seemingly in appreciation of having the stage ail to itself and without one iota of mirth on the face of the driver, the derelict hesitates for a moment for all to marvel at and enjoy and then wearily rambles on int> the somewhere. Which makes us all wish that a haven cf rest might be provided for the aged and decrepit | automobile. MARGARET L. HEDGES. r———— naturally assumes the tree form and is more prcne to send out lateral shoots as its main trunk grows up. word “shrub’ a Norwegian which means “dwarf.” Here, again, we have the comparison with the trees The woody character of the shrubs makes them akin. It is not always real- ized that the rose, the queen of flow ers, also is a shrub, although its bark lis less wood: v, except on cer- tain types, sich as the rugos The lost opportunity for mos owners, in regard to the use of shrub- bery, comes in the failure to incorpo- |rate enough of it in boundary plant- | ings. The drawback of the shrub as | foundation planting is that it is not, |excent in a few instances, everygreen. |In Winter its brarches are bare and |lifeless-looking. No true shrubs ever take the place of the best ever- greens for foundation plantings. |~ Nor does the shrub, as such, shine | particularly asa so-called specimen plant for front jawns. Here, too, its Winter habit of shedding its leaves is not to the betterment of the front elevation of a home. 1t is along the boundary lines of the | property that shrubbery has its real place. And it is here that it so often is used in a niggardly fashion. No Goubt, there still exists a belief on the part of some that hedging materials are somehow unnecessary or an indi- cation of snobbishness. Every yard, no matter how small or large, ought to be divided off from its neighbcr by a tangible boundary of some sort. Brick walls, fences of vari- | ous types, hedges and shrubbery com- | prise the four common methods of di- viston along party lines. Often two of these may be combined, | such as walls with shrubbery planted |inside or fences with shrubs. Fences. {unless covered with climbers planted with carefully grouped masses cf evergreens or thrubs. or combinatio of both. are likely to be bare and for- lorn-looking. * ok ok w Where shrubbery shines s in fur- | nishing the homeowner with a medi- umly cheap boundary planting all by itself. Except in the rougher types of | neighborhoods, a shrubbery border will |be encugh for all practical purposes |As a medium for beautification of a property it has no peer. with the ex- | ception” of evergreens, and these often tend to give a home a cold look, if planted exclusively. The shrubbery border, whether plant- |ed in hedge formation or more loosely as groupings, merely, will add a variety to the landscape which nothing else will. Many shrubs are interesting the vear around, with their variously hued berries and colored bark. When covered with snow, they take |on the appearance of visitors from fairyland. Their flowers, in season, are unequaled. What would the world do | without the beauty and fragrance of | the lilac, the grace of the Spireae Van | Houttel, ‘the golden sprays of the For- sythia? We will discuss in a later article sev- eral of the lesser known, but almost as beautiful, shrubs, which we would all do well to plant in larger quantities. Roosevelt Advantage in Poll Opens Race for Presidency Franklin D. Roosevelt's lead in the poll of candidates to the last Demo- cratic National Convention, as con- ducted by Jesse Isador Straus of New York, is accepted by the country as significant, but too early in the cam- paign to be conclusive as to the nomi- nation. It is held that the New York Governor has yet to face the results of the Tammany investigation and the prohibition controversy, and that other issues may arise before final decisions are made. “Another poll might show a very dif- ferent result, and one taken of the same might show a great change of senti- ment,” thinks the Charleston (S. C.) Evening Post, which adds, “A year is a long time for a candidate to hold his place in the front, and there are some high hurdles for Franklin Roose- velt to clear.” While conceding that Roosevelt may be the choice of the or g The Hartford Times sees in the result “striking *evidence of the Roosevelt popularity with his party at the present time,” but advises that “only the ras) and hasty would undertake to predic today what specific policies American emocracy ought to champion in 1932, or will champion to oppose the Re- publican position, or what personalities will find their way into the command- ing posts of the battlefield.” L “The results must be interpreted,” according to the Séuth Bend Tribune, “as fairly representative of Democratic sentiment at this time, but politics is so permeated with uncertainty that Huston Thompson of Colorado, who re- ceived but one vote in the poll, may stand as good a chance as Gov. Roose- velt when the 1932 convention gets un- der way.” The uncertainty is empha- sized also by the Springfield (Mass.) Republican with the statement: “What happened to Champ Clark at Baltimcre in 1912 is history: also what happened to Willlam G. McAdoo in Madison Square Garden in 1924. On the other hand, it sometimes happens that the lead which a candidate for a party nomination is recognized as possessing many months in advance of the con- vention slowly widens, is translated into cold figures as the delegates are elected, and finally becomes conclusive before the convention is called to order. That may happen to Roosevelt, instead of what happened to Clark.” . & . «1t would be far from surprising if the Democratic National Convention naxt year should insist upcn nominat- iag the New York Governor for the presidency.” in the opinion of the Al- toona Mirror, while the Asbury Park Pres: offers the comment: “Given a popular vote by members of his party, the New York Governor would undoubt- edly be among_the presidential nomi- nees of 1932, With the possibilities of trades and compromises at the conven- tion, his chances, of course, are less se- cure, yet they are favorable. There may be room for skepticism, but to Gov. Roosevelt's millions of admirers his vic- tory in the Straus poll will be an en- couraging omen.” “The effect of the poll.” states the Rosnoke World-News, “will no doubt center the spotlight for the next few months _on Roosevelt and his avail- ability. ‘There are those who regret that he has not so far seen fit to take'a mor independent attitude, that he has not shown the vigor and personality of 1 Gov. Smith, nor the outstand- ing h ability oz ekill in harmo- individuals six months hence | nizing divergent ‘elements of Owen Young. Practical politicians, already counting electoral votes, do not see any candidate of Democracy can win in ihe coming election without New York. And for that reason the three New Yorkers now being mentioned have a referred position as the race begins, owever they may stand as the time for the meeting of the nominating con- vention draws near.” “Gov. Roosevelt needs to remember. advises the Buffalo Evening News, that in Democratic National Conven- tions. the approval of two-thirds of the delegates is necessary to nominate. With a margin of only seven votes above the majority, he still needs to keep on running. One interesting ques- |tion is whether the Governor as a | presidential candidate wishes to rep- | resent the &trong stand for modification of prohibition which he took in the State campaign last year or the policy of leaving prohibition out of the dis- cussion with which he was associated at the recent National Democratic Con- ference.” R “While Gov. Roosevelt seems favor- ably situated to receive the nomina- tion,” suggests the Pasadena Star-News, “yet contingencies may arise to make him- unavailable for the Democratic nomination. Whether it should be or not, prohibition will be the main issue of 1932. The attitude which the Demo- cratic party will assume is conjectural. A spirited fight is under way between the ‘wet’ and ‘dry elements in the party management 'to obtain control and to dictate the platform and the presidential nominee. The outcome of this will be awaited with the keenest interest all over the country.” Reviewing the support that has been given to Messrs. Ritchie, Young. Byrd, Hull, Walsh of Montana and Baker, the Little Rock Arkansas Democrat con- cludes, “There remains one man who seems to be the best fitted to bridge whatever gap there may be between the South and the East, and that is our |own Senator Joe T. Robinson.” The | Birmingham News supports Owen D. | Young and makes the appraisal of his osition on the power issue: “He iberal, but not extreme: he is soun but not reactionary. His position, short, is one that may not be satisfac- tory to either group of extremists, but should meet with the approval of the great majority of people who are un- willing to embrace either of the ex- treme vie ints. * * * If the Demo- crats nominate Mr. Young they will have to draft him, and the prospects now are that a strong effort will be made to do so. In any event, his will be one of the dominant names at the convention next year.” The Jersey City Journal finds its State “overwhelmingly in ' favor of Roosevelt. as against Young,” while the New Bedford Standard appraises the poll as showing that the New York Governor is the best prospect, pointing out that “this is further indicated by the fact that the Republicans are mak- ing him their principal target by trying to link him up with Tammany and the scandals of the New York City admin. istration.” The Worcester Evening zette calls Roosevelt “the best guess. On the complications with Tammany | Hall under present conditions, the Lin- coln State Journal views the situation as a “potent factor,” the Omaha World- Herald as causing “whaf he says and does to be decisive” 'and the Kalamazoo Gazette as making “his plight far from enviable.” The Charleston (W. .. Mail warns him not to be “com- | and the Providence Journal is d, One of the linguistic ancestors of OUr | o the Editor of The Star: word | will | and | my . ! Defends Free Luncheon Sales of Real Estate A few days ago a grand jury investi- { gated the local real estate situaticn, and | evidently to its discomfiture discov- cred that there was no law under which they could indict those responsible for “lJuncheon-lecture methods” of selling building lots, and it was reported as going so far as to recommend the en- actment of such a law. N:w, in the name of common sense and fairness, why should there be such an enact- ment? What crime can be made of inviting people to partake of free lunches and listen to free lectures as incentives to the purchase of lots, when the land is there to show for itseif, and there is no misrepresentation of facts? Such a law wculd, on its face, be un- constitutional as an invasion of per- sona] rights. Such moon-fixing strain- ing for ultra-virtue is bound to have its reaction. It is best to let well enough alone. Grand juries have enough to do in running down real crime without strain- ing at a gnat, and shculd be sure they are not pandering to prejudices and business jealousies. We have too many | Jaws now. and too many ways in which | the rich and powerful predatory inter- ests get away with their meanness and g0 unwhipped of justice, while the poor malefactor “gets it in the neck.” Sales of lots to bona fide purchasers who {intend to build homes around Wash- ington should be encouraged as an aid to the city's desircble expansion. LINDSAY S. PERKINS. Urges Campaign Here To Suppress Criminals To the Editor of The Star: The crime wave in Washington is { mounting to alarming heights. The Police Department, despite the admitted organizing abilities of Gen. Crosby, is apparently helpless to cope with the crime wave. Washingtonians are en- rely too prone to point the finger of scorn and incompetency at New York and Chicago. It is the old story of seeing tco clearly the mote in our neigh- | bor’s ‘eve while ignoring the cinder in our own eye. The fact is—and we might as well {admit it—that the criminal classes in the United States are entirely too smart to be apprehended by the agencies of law enforcement, both State and Fed- eral, Scourging our neighbors with whips of criticism and holding up their political shortcomings to ridicule is not helping our own local situation. Suppose we forget the political cor- rupticn of New York and Chicago and do a little constructive thinking with respect to the unsafety of life and property in Washington, then we might evolve some efficacious campaign to suppress the master criminals in our own fair city. This accomplished, we could with good grace call the attention of our neighbors to our superior accom- plishments, DANIEL DIXON. Facts as to Service On Mrs. Willebrandt To the Editor of The Star: I note from an article which lg- peared in your paper under a March 28 date line that Mrs. Willebrandt regards as “amusing” the fact that she could not be served in Missouri in my libel suit. She undertakes to infer that she could have been served, but was not. It is true she could have been served in Washington, but such service would not be valid under Missouri law. She has carefully evaded service, and on September 30, 1929, employed Hon. Jesse Adkins, now a justice of the Dis- trict court there, to appear for her before Justice Stafford for the express purpose, as Mr. Adkins stateds to Jus- tice Stafford, of keeping her out of the Jjurisdiction of the Missouri courts. When she successfully evaded service 1n this suit, she was found by a process server in New York and served there, and suit in the New York court was substituted for the Missouri suit. It is true, as stated in your article, that service in Washington was made upon the Current News Features. The suit was by attachment and $4,000 be- longing to Current News Features was levied upon, thus making service out- side Missouri good against the Current News Features. February 24, last, judg- ment was rendered against Current News Features for the full amount sued for and the judgment has been paid, with the costs of suit. Please do me the courtesy to pub- lish this in order that the facts of the matter may be fully stated. GUS O. NATIONS. | St. Louis, Mo. R The High Cost of Being Sick To the Editor of The Star: Prices of many things are down, and among the rest are the charges of physicians and dentists. Some high- grade physicians are lenient in. the matter of not requiring one to visit the office too frequently. Many so-called specialists—after a while they will spe- clalize on the thumb—not only charge Jarge fees but suggest frequent visits. Southeast physicians charge $2, North- western $3. Why? Some dentists are nervy enough to ask $5 to extract an easily removed tooth; yet where more thar one is taken out $1 each would be sufficient, charging more, of course, for difficult ones. Washington has more physicians in proportion to population than any other city, and, of course, they have to live, but some of them could live more conscientiously if their charges were more reasonable. The remedy is in our hands, for we can change, where we get no results, to those who can cure us, or to those who charge moderately. Physicians get by, because of our hold- ing the medical profession on the high, unmercenary plane that it was formerly entitled to, with what would be called in other lines of business “getting money under false pretenses.” Why should a regular patient, when he is unfortunate enough to get sick at night, be held up for an additional charge even though his regular doctor is put to additional trouble? Stick to good doctors who charge reasonably and treat you decently, for those are the ones that are more in- terested in their profession than in the dollar sign, and keep up with modern practice, for thel are in their noble profession. If any doctor can do us no good, should be man enough to say so and possibly suggest another who he knows has had much more experience with that type of case. F. J. W. SMITH. —————— “Tis Folly to Be Wise.” From the Hartford Times. If it should be true, as Henry Ford says, that we are prosperous, but do not know 1t, this ignorance is a queer sort Stop a minute and think about this fact: You can ask our Information Bureau any question of fact and get the answer back in a personal letter. It is a great educational idea introduced into the lives of the most intelligent people in the world— American newspaper readers. It is a part of that best pur- pose of a newspaper—s-rvice. no charge except 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Get the habit of asking questions. _Addr your letters to The Evening Star In- formation Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Q. How does air travel between Flor- ida and Cuba compare with that be- tween London and Paris?—H. F. A. Until rocently the most heavily traveled airplane passenger route in the iworld has been that between London | and Paris. Now, however, the Miami- Havana service has passed it. More There is | Q. Upon what ave life insurance rates sed?—E. L. A. Insurance of life insur- #nce ccmpanies are on what is known as the experience table of mor- tality. Q. Which was written\first, the Con- stitution or the preamble"to it?—H. D. A. The Constitution was written first and voted upon, section by section. It was_then submitted to the Committee on Style, which made the final draft, piacing the preamble in its proper place. It was then voted upon m its entirety. Q. How old must chickens be to be marketed as young brofiers?>—A. D. M. A. Young broilers are marketed the age of five or six weeks. Q. Do business organizations other than roilroad companies operate rails . F. J, passengers flew between Miami and Havana in a six-day period than have ever flown between France and Britain in the same length of time. The Paris- London route is credited with not more than 100 passengers & day, but from February 18 to February 24 a minimum of 105 passengers daily flew over the 240 miles of k-ys and water between Florida and Cuba. Q. When is National Music week? . ‘A. It opens annually on the first Sunday in May. Q. When did New York have snowstorm in March?—J. H. 8 A. The big storm of 1888, commonly known as the New York blizzard, oc- curred on the 1ith, 12th and 13th of March of that year. It is regarded as one of the most severe storms ever ex- perienced on the Atlantic Coast of the United States. a record Q. Plcase give dates of some of the famous horse races in England this Spring—H. E. M A. Among the principal racing events taking place in the British Isles are: Lincolnshire Handicap, March 25, at Lincoln; Grand National, March 2’ Aintree; the City and Suburban Handi- cap, April 22, at Epsom; the Derby, Junz 3, at Epsom; Royal Hunt Cup, June 17, at Ascot; Gold Cup, June 18, at Ascot. Q. What was La Follette’s platform when he ran for the presidency?—L. W. A. He ran for President as the nomi- nee of th2 Progressive party. His plat- form, in brief, was as follows: ownership cf water power and railways; strict public control of national re- sources; the recognition of agriculture as a basic industry of the country; the abrogation of the power of the Supreme Court to nullify legislation. Q How many international Esperanto conferences have there been?—C. D. A. There have been e 20 inte: ticnal Esperanto congresses attended by from 1,000 to 4.000 members, Q. When was the motion pictube, “The Birth of a Nation,” first pre- sented?—W. Z. A. It was released March 3, 1915. Q. How long have mirrors been known?—M. G. Y. A. Mirrors have been in use from a very remots period. They were known to the Etruscans, Greeks and Romans, and consisted originally of a metal disk, usually bronze, polished on one side. Glass mirrors were manufactured at Sidon and are mentioned by Pliny. The best specimens of mirrors that have been found date from a little before 400 B.C. Public | | 10ads t> any extent?—H. A Many large industrial ations build and cop°rate railroads as adjuncts of their plants. The outstanding ex- ample is the United States Steel Cor- poration, which operates 3,560 miles of raiiroad, counting double track and s, or more than enough trackage to cicss the continent. Q. When was chess first played?—L |E. M. A. Chess is a very ancient game ante- dating any extant records. Although the first authentic literature on chess came from the Arabs and Hebrews, it was already widespread the Mo- hammedan nations. It is probable that it originated in China, passed into India and from there spredd to Persia. It was then adcpted by the Arab conquerors and introduced into Europe. Q. If a person were stung by bees until the swellings added cne-third to hL;lno'Il:mll size, would ne weigh more? A. The Public Health Service says that there would be no increase of weight ex- cept in the amcunt of formic acid in- jected by the bee stings. This would'be 5o little that it should be Q. What was the origin of the prac tice of paying mileage to defray the ex- penses of Senators and Representatives in Congress while traveling to and from Washington to attend sessions?—D. H. A. The principle of mileage was es- tablished in the days of the earliest British Parliaments, - Englishmen re- celving the King's writ them to Parliament were privileged to kill two deer in the crown forests en route to and from sessions to provide them with venison. Q. Do many persons enroll for the phné; lessons given on the radio?— A. When it was announced recently that piano lessons would be given through the National Broadcasting Sys- tem 50,000 people enrolled within & week after the first lesson was broad- cast. Q. What is Michael Arlen’s real name? Is he married>—A. C. G. A. His name is Dikran Kouyoumd- jlan. He married Countess Atalanta Mercati in 1928. Q. Who was Herve Riel>—M.L.C. A._He was a Breton sailor who the Prench squadron, when beaten at Cape la Hogue and flying before the English, by pilof it into the Harbor of St. Malo (May 31, 1692). He was so unconscious of the service he had ren- dered that, when asked to name his re- ward, he begged for a whole day’s holi- day to see his wife. Browning in 1867 wrote the poem “Herve Riel.” WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS WILLIAM WILE. BY FREDERIC One of the dearest of G. O. P. wishes for 1932 has been that the Democrats might hold their national convention before the Republicans have theirs. Since time immemorial the Republicans have met first. Particularly on account of prohibition, the G. O. P. would like the opposition to nail its colors to the mast this time before it's necessary for the Republicans to do so. Until this week there seemed no hope that so great a boon cgv;ll: ?lr would befl"l; i;he or tion whicl e- O ete Herpers Hoover ot President. Now comes John J. Raskob and does something that the Republicans regard as the next best thing to prior Demo- cratic convention action on prohibi- tion. He proposes, more than a full year before that merry war, to commit party leaders to a stand on-the liquor issue. It is reasonable for the pluto- cratic Democratic chieftain to expect that as go the national committeemen and women so goes the convention. Hence, therefore and ergo,-the Repub- licans are chuckling that they won't need to wait now to see what their friends the enemy do about booze. They can proceed to fashion their own liquor plank in sweet leisure and with the priceless advantage of knowing the foe's position. Cynics already are chortling that the donkey, as usual is doing exactly what the elephant wants—the wrong thing at the right|in Wi time. * kR ok At the very moment Chairman Ras- kob m\thtedythe poll of the National Committee gn his “home rule” prohibi- tion plan, = first formal inkling of high Republican strategy was forth- coming. Up in New Hampshire, with- out rhyme or reason, Senator George H. Moses burst into Nation-wide print with an interview designating Al Smith as “the most formidable force within the Democratic party.” It will be Smith at the head of the ticket in 1932, opines the crafty President pro tempore of the Senate, or somebody put there at his behest. 'No cat is let out of the bag in saying that % would realize the Repub- licans' fondest dream to have Smith pitted against Hoover next year. They do not think the New Yorker would make quite as lamentable a showing in the electoral college as he did in 1928. But they are serenely confident he would trail by a minority so heavy that the G. O. P.’s troubles would cease with the hour of Smith's renomination. When a Republican of the New Hamp- shire Senator’s authority and craftiness comes out for Al Smith as the Demo- crats’ best bet, they're justified in be- waring of even a Moses bearing such gifts. * koK ¥ William R. Castle, jr., is due in Wash- ington this week to assume his new duties as Undersecretary of State. Sec- retary Stimson’s new right bower re- ceived the news of his appointment on March 31 whils en route by train to San Francisco to visit the bedside of a sister who was taken critically ill. Har- vard now rules almost supreme at the State Department. Both Stimson and Castle own it as alma mater. The Sec- retary of State has a dual allegiance, being a Yale A. B. in addition to & Harvard Law School LL. B. So has his special assistant, Allen T. Klots (Yale, '09; Harvard Law, '13). The Crimson waves all through our ministry of foreign affairs. “Ted” Marriner, who may be- come Castle’s successor as an Assistant Secretary of State, is, like him, a Cam- bridge alumnus and one-time instructor there. Wallace S. Murray, chief of the Near Eastern American division, is Har- vard, '13, and Robert F. Kelley, chief of the Eastern Europenn’ *dl‘vui , Harvard, * * 15. Since Empress Nagako of Japan re- cently bore her exalted consort, Em- peror Hirohito, a fourth successive daughter within seven years, the Japa- nese embassy at Washington has been deluged with communications from “birth-determination” ex- perts. Sure-fire ways and means of rcmzlnwmaon's yearning hopes for an heir to t throne have been subgitted. Thus the very diplo- matic pouch which accomplished pbassador Dubuchi fo rds to Tokio k. been bur- . election until 1934, may retire in the g:n.ntugz:‘ to become d reat itain, succeeding Gen. Dawes. The other is that “Jim” Davis, for some reason or other, may mnot aspire to re-election in 1932. In either event the way would be clear for the nomi- nation of a man from the east end of the Penn's Woods. * ok k% hqulxme enthusiasm is discernible in hatma Gandhi’s plan to visit the United States either before or after the coming Round-table Conference in Ing W for the President and the Secretary of State to crack. All would be serene if the British govern= ment, in response to confidential ine quiries, which would lurelLbe made, were to say “O. K.” It would be a horse of a very different color if Sir Ronald Lind- say, on orders from Downing were to register displeasure - over projected honors to Gandhi. New Delhi dispatches say that the Mahatma thinks that India’s independence move- ment would receive greater support if he were to visit. “the country which 150 years ago faced much the same problems now confronting India.” That's hardly a suggestion designed to revive cheerful memories in London. Altcgether, Gandhi’s descent upon this country would be welcomed with mixed emotions at Washington. B Secretary Wilbur is about to establish a “Reindeer Council” for Alaska. Wash- ington’s reindeer authority is Ernest W. Sawyer, who last year made an ex- haustive survey of conditions in Alaska as personal representative of the Secre- tary of the Interior. Sawyer is an en- thusiast on the possibilities of the rein- deer-meat industry. He envisages an annual export of 300,000 animals, repre- senting 42,000,000 pounds of meat, which can be shipped to Seattle at $42 a ton. This would divide about $882,000 annually in freight between Uncle Sam’'s struggling Alaska Railroad and steamship lines and bring back into the territory $2,100,000 in cash at a net re- turn of 5 cents a pound. “This cash,” says Mr. Sawyer, “spent among owners and workers would mean almost as much to Alaska as the whole of the 50,000,000 annual fish catch.” One of awyer’s principal aides in Alaska was :.i:“ln youngmnktlmo‘nsmed Abraham coln, president of the territorial Reindeer Association. * K ok ¥ Everybody in Washington wondered why Rear Admiral Cary T. Grayson, Democrat of Democrats, came to have the honor of entertain Montagu C. Norman, governor of the of - land, who has been shop week with Secretary Mellon and eral Reserve Board Governor Meyer. It appears that Mr. Norman's host in the United States is George L. Ha governor of the New Reserve Bank. international nut this Fed- to the official hospitalif 'mhl:sy )clormu.\ mqmn!d‘thwm country otnw.t.lfl:c remotely A Y e X Y]