Evening Star Newspaper, June 6, 1931, Page 6

v A THE EVEN NG STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 1931. fi———_—"—_‘w——_fl—__—__————”——"*fl—_———“—_._—_—‘—__—:_—-‘ ANSWERS TO QUESTI BY FREDERIC J]. HASKIN. 'HE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY........June 6, 1831 "WHEODORE W. NOYES....Editor e T e 5 AR T ) @he Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office 11h St and Pennsy] | gitereo” Oice ke Michi | Brorean omc’elu Regent ., Londo & — " Rate by Carrler Within the City. o Evening Stai 45¢ per month . 2 Evening and Sunduy 8 "hen 4 Bundays) 60 per month o5c per month e Evening and Sund 5 Bundays) Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. ;1 . 8\"\({!)’ only . c $4.00; 1 mo., 40¢ Datly and Sunda Daily oniy fiJnJIY only . X Member of the Assoclated Press. The Assoclated Press is exclusively entitle o the use for Tepublication of all 1 o ' redited 10 it or the ches ¢ in this paper wnd published herein. All i special dispatches herein = Myth or Monster? T have been in the electric business ever since I left school, and I have never seen & trace of the Power Trust. The reason is simple—there is no such thing as the Power Trust, at least in the field of business. But in the field of politics—that is something else again. More monsters than you can count grow in that field. The pas- sionate friend of the pee-pul needs them in his business. He creates them. Having nothing constructive to offer, he acts on the rule, “when you have 1o case, abuse your opponent’ so he ents a monster, defles it, denounces aises a hue and cry after it. It reat game—while it lasts. Thus writes Matthew S. Sloan, pres- 1dent of the New York Edison Company, in the current Nation's Business. And at French Lick Springs, Gov. Pinchot hits the assembled Governors over the head with something like this: The power of the public utilities is manifest in every political assembly, from the Congress of the United States to the smallest town meeting, and from the government of the least political unit to that of the largest State. In- deed, it reaches to_the National Gov- ernment itself . . . Baginning less than two generations 2ago with nothing, the electric industry has today a total in- vestment of approximately twelve bil- lion dollars. It ranks fourth or fifth among all our industries in jnvested capital. In less than fifty years 70 per cent of American homes have been wired for electricity, and the industry of the Nation has been electrically motored to the extent'of approximately 80 per cent. Meant:me, huge electric utility systems have grown up through the consolidation of smaller companies into larger units, and the merger of control through layers of holding com- panies. Today . . . about 90 per cent of the total electric power generated in the United States is under the domi- nation and control of four major in- terests. And these interests work to- gether harmoniously under a common policy and toward a common end— which is the milking of the public. ‘The two quotations are fairly l’eprc-! sentative of the two poinis of view re- garding a question that already has assumed paramount Jmportance, not only as a political issue—for it cannot be dismissed merely as a political issue | —but as an economic istue. “It is a great game—while it lasts,” this chasing the phantom Power Trust, according to ], Sloan. The statement carries the inference that the game, some day, Will be up. It will be. But it is not very reasonable to believe that the game will come to an end by the public's willing- ness to grant that there is no such thing as the Power Trust, or that the ! sole function of the Power Trust is to ume the characteristics of a stra man to be set up and knocked down will by crusading politicians. Mr. Sloan seeks to divest the Power Trust of its awesome inystery by re- ducing its tentacles to the picture of some three thousand elcctric utilities, each of them being a rather iirmless little fellow only trying to ¢.. along in the world by sclling what thers is a | public demand for, thus climinating the possibility of an artificial restriction of output sometimes associated with vi- clous trusts. As for the price of elec- tricity, it is controlled by State or local regulation. As for the holding com- panies, there are “thirty or forty large holding company groups or systems of electric utilities and large companies not distinctly allled with groups. . . . Simmer them down and you will have possibly a dozen or fifteen organizations with a very large output of current.” The net operating revenue of the elec- tric utilities industry was, in 1930, $829,- 000,000, “or seven per cent on the in- vestment.” ' Gov. Pinchot, who labels excess profits | #s “graft,” says that in Pennsylvania alone the electric utilities are collecting from the people fifty millions a year over and above a fair return on invest- ment; and the pecple of that State are paying “intercst on much more than one hundred million dollars that never was put into the business.” Whether the politicians who raise & hue and cry after the allegedly mythical Power Trust are merely capitalizing the issue as a means to their end of Govr ernment ownership, as Mr. Sloan is in~ clined to believe they are doing, is neither here nor there, The point is the extent to which the utility interests are capitalizing the traditional Ameri- can belief in private ownership and initiative for their own purposes. The growth of a vast and intricate system of utility holding companies may not indicate the existence of a greedy trust. Nor does it indicate that its formation is the result of purely altruistic effort on the part of beneficent individuals whose sole aim is to use their monopoly for the good of the pee-pul. r—oes Would not some of the anctent galley Blaves and Norse freeborn rowers gasp Wwith amazement over the oars of mod- #rn racing shells which, being hollow, #re not only lighter but even stronger fhan the old solid ash instruments? P e | Lindbergh’s Pacific Flight Plan. ' While at first the announcement that Col. Lindbergh and his wife are to make . & flight across the Pacific some time Bhis Summer caused a distinct feeling of apprehension on account of the sinister record of that ocean, the later explana- tion that the northern route was to be followed, with no hop ‘of more than six hundred miles, brought a sense of re- Hef. The course he has laid down for the flight from Seattle to Tokyo fol- fows the Alaskan coast and the Aleu- tian Islands to southern Kamchatka, \Bnd thence by the Kurtle Islands to $okkaido, the northernmost island of \ Japan, from which the hop to Tokyo is short and easy. On this course the aviator can keep land in sight almost all the time. The peril of the route lies in the weather hazard, for in that region chilly airs and almost continual fog prevall. Windstorms come fre- quently and are intense. There are few real landing places, for the islands are rugged, the general formation being vol- canic. There are, however, numerous sheltered hays and inlets where a plane with pontoons can make landing on the water. There is one very definite assurance, which is that Lindbergh will know his route and know the chances of adverse weather as thoroughly &s it is possible for any fiver to know such conditions in advance of & flight. He possesses an extraordinary weather sense. He re- duces all risks to & minimum by fore- warning himself against them. It was that characteristic that enabled him to make his first transatlantic fiight. This will be a pioneer undertaking, although the Aleutian route has been used before, by the Army fiyers who make the circult of the globe. If it is successful—and there is an abiding confidence that Lindbergh will suc- ceed—1it will probably open the way to frequent flying between the continents. Refueling facilitles can readily be pro- vided after a preparatory flight, such as this now contemplated. Thus Lind- bergh may in & way be now about to blaze another trail to open heretofore forbidden areas to fast air services. — —rat————— Paternalism and Diet. Some of the less conspicuous foibles of paternalism in Government are well fllustrated in the meat packers’ reaction {to what the average person would re- !gard as an innocuous radio speech | proadcast by the Public Health Service. The speech, or statement, furnished for broadcasting and presumably used to fill in a few idle moments when the vast unseen audience was yawning between a jazz orchestra and a symphony concert, contained the advice that “meat is an active heat-producing food. as shown by the fact that natives of the Far North live entirely on animal products, and, therefore, the amount of meat eaten during the hot season should be less than that eaten during the colder months.” Which, with the depression and all, makes the meat packers see red. They have protested to the Public Heaith Service and they have protested to the Department of Agriculture. And par- tially to appease the protestants, the De- partment of Agriculture has referred to | one of its own publications, or state- ments, or radio addresses, or something {of the sort, in which it has frequently pointed out the high food value of meats. especially of pork, and advised the milling millicns that in hot weather | pork products are often found particu- larly useful on picnics. Do natives of the Far North live en- tirely on animal products because meat 1s & heat-producing food, or because there 1s & lack of vegetable products? Is meat shown to be a heat-producing | food because the natives of the Far, North eat a lot of it, or because scien- tific research proves it? Breathes there a man, woman or child who, sitting down before & julcy steak or succulent roast while the thermometer is hitting the high spots in the shade, pushes away his plate because the Public Health Service has been broadcasting “Hot- | weather Hins”? Does anybody really pay so much attention to radio speeches | that his diet and his mode of living sre changed in accordance with the| advice thereby received? Have the, packers really been hurt by govern- | mental advice to ease up on meat, Bndi if they have, is it the business of the | Government to give advice on food, or | to keep quiet and watch the taxpayers | squirm with indigestion? And if it is| the business of Government to give dietary advice, should the advice be | confined to how much meat to eat? ‘What about candy in hot weather? How about ice cream sodas? What have you to say, Mr. Public Health Service Radio Broadcaster, about pea- nuts at the ball patk, not to mention soda pop? It is all rather silly, of course, but it shows how easy it is for Uncle Sam to put his foot in it and how hard, once | he has done it, to draw it out again. SR The New Champion. For the tenth time in the past eleven | years the British Open championship | golf trophy comes to the United Statcs | and the man who is bringing it has| this rounded out a golf career equal to that of the best in the game, with the exception of the incomparable Jones, of course, and has done it under the heavy handicap of still bearing wounds from the Great War suffered when he participated in some of the bitterest battles with the Tank Corps ef the| British Army. “Tommy” Armour is | the man and in scoring a fine seventy- one to lead the field with the total of two hundred and ninety-six strokes for the seventy-two holes he added the! | British champlonship to his other major conquests, the American Open and the Professional Golfers' Association Tour- naments and the Canadian Open, the only professional ever to have accom- | plished this feat. Tommy's Washing- ton friends, and they are legion, are particularly gratified at his success. The National Capital knows him -weil. For three years he was a professional at the Congressional Country Club, the | position his brother now holds. Con- gratulations are in order and are freely | given to a great golfer. G T T ‘The Derby has been successfully run off, marking the survival for another year of the poor old tottering British Empire. i B Capone Indicted Again. If Alphonse Capone of Chicago and elsewhere lives just a little longer he will probably acquire the record of hav- ing'been arrested and indicted oftener than any other person in history. Yes- terday he added another indicttent to his score, this one being returned by a | Federal grand jury jn Chicago for evad- | ing taxes on a six-year income of some- thing over a million dollars. He was immediately arraigned and released on bond of $50,000 and will be brought to trial at some later date, which has not | been set. He is already under senferice of six months' imprisonment for con- tempt of court, and at liberty pending appeal. His collection of accusations {remained in the Navy and had become | So swift they -shift! i A pessimist is sad, indeed, range from vagrancy to murder. Once he was tried and convicted, in another jurisdiction, on a charge of carrying & concealed weapon and served & brief term in jail, which he regards as a sad blot on his record, though in point of fact it is understyod that he welcomed this respite from‘surveillance and possible attack from gang rivals. Some even believe that the versatile and usually imperturbable Capone actually connived at this charge and conviction and sentence in order to be shielded for & time from unwelcome attentions by his enemies. Just so Jack Diamond, alias Legs, is resting comfortably in jail in the Catskills in serene contentment respecting the inability of his foes to reach him for further perforations. ,If these latest charges against Capone can be successfully prosecuted he will | be subject to a total imprisonment of thirty-two years and a fine of some $80,000. It goes without saying that the general hope is that this will be the result. And by the same token it is to be sald that the general fear is that it will not be the result. At least, not within a reasonable length of time. Capone will, of course, defend himseif with every possible elaboration of legal counsel and protection. He will exhaust the possibilities of delay and appeal. He will flaunt the law in the court itself as he has flaunted it out of court. Others of the Capone group have been caught in the toils' of the Federal law in the matter of their income tax returns. One brother is now under sentence of three years, from which he has appealed. One member of the Cs pene garg is serving a term of eighteen months and another has just surren- dered to serve one of & year and a day. ‘These are trifiing periods of detention compared with thet which, if the court wills in cese of conviction, may be plas- tered upon the head of the works. Sometime try asking one of the sentimentalists who decry the extermi- nation of the buffalo if he would really like to have them, together with their concomitants, back in their original numbers. If so, the Middle and Far West would have plenty of noble Indi- ans, but nothing much else. —oe—s A series of technicolor talkies will instruct American womanhood and girlhood in the proper technique in applying powder, rouge and lipstick. A good many of our youngsters look as if they had put theirs on in absolute darkness. R If Richmond Pearson Hobson had superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, this ban on com- mencement kissing might have been more understandable. e Chicago, it s announced, plans to organize & regular “Scotland Yard" of her own. Very good: she needs it. and should have it. She also could well use Sherlock Holmes, Philo Vance, Hawk- shaw and Charlie Chan. RS Whatever the professional arrange- ments between Col. and Mrs. Lind- bergh, also a licensed pilot, on this proposed transpacific fiight, it is & safe bet that she will see to putting up the lunch. | r—or—s School janitors are now officially made “custodians” by the Board of Education. Possibly some of us will live to see the garbage collector become a “refusarian” and the ashman a “re- siducombustitarian.” o There may be bad news for Wash. ington’s contingent of gangsters in the fact that in a recent pistol match the local policemen polished off their expert instructors. ———— The old adage about laying some- thing aside for a rainy day is subject to a new angle when one reads that recent rains have aided farmers in re- paying drought loans. e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Hours. So slow they go! So slow! So slow! The hours of waiting and of woel When we must toil till set of sun— 1t is so long ere day is done. The hours of darkness feebly grope Toward morning, when, untouched by hope. The pendulum swings to and fro. So slow they go! So slow! 8o slow! So swift they shift! So swift! So ‘ swift! The hours when pleasures gayly drift Adown the sun-kissed stream of time, With silien sails of love and rhyme. These are the truest and the best, Worth all the rigors of the test, But vanished like an elfin gift, So swift! | 8o swift! Economy With Caution. “Have you ever studied political| economy?” “Some,” replied Senator Sorghum, “but when it comes to hustling for votes, I don't believe in being stingy.” Valuable Information. “Has your boy Josh learned anything at college?” “Yes,” replied Farmer Corntossel, “he admits having learned already that there’'s an awful lot more things he| doesn't know than he thought there was.” g ‘The Difference. Because his garden went to seed. ‘The optimist, with courage true, Just plants the seed and hopes anew. Economics. “The great problem in this country,” sald the serious citizen, “is the ques-| tion of supply and demand.” “That's right,” replied the hopeful fan. “Every year I'm scared for fear there won't be enough world series tickets to go ‘round.” A Simple Song. This world's a curious place we know, ‘Where strange things come to pass: 'Tis either sprinkled o'er with snow Or covered up with grass. i And though you vow the times are, rough, Be hopeful and rejoice, For if you will wait long enough, You're sure to get your choice. “Fohgive yoh enemies,” said Uncle Eben, “but don't let yoh fobgiveness make you foolish 'bout givin' 'em & chance to do you agin.” A THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELLL. Which wild bird is the tamest? ‘We nominate the'thrush, in these, our unscientific notes. ‘Why should a home owner be. sclen- tific about the birds? Let us all leave that to those who make business of it, and be satisfled ourselves with the pleasure they bring| us. As for us, we dJ not know whether the thrush in our yard is the hermit thrush, or the wood thrush, or the veery, or the olive-backed. We have a pretty good idea that it is not the latter, because its back is| of & colorful cocoa brown, almost red. * K K X We are satisfied to call it thrush, the tamest of all birds. ‘The thrushes which like our yard, with its trees, are too tame for their own good. We know mnow which bird it was which children were told to, chase to “sprinkle salt on its tail.” Surely it must have been the thrush. ‘The other evening, just at dusk, ‘we followed a brown thrush around the yard for several minutes. Time and time ag2in we came within | & couple of feet of him and could easily have dumped a whole box of salt on him, if we ln“i lz h:ndy. ‘This most innocent looking bird, probably the cherub of them all, would fly a few feet, then settle down to his everyday occupation of seeking food. Up we would walk, whistling softly to the bird in what .we hoped would qualify as bird language. The thrush, without appearing either to fear or discain us, simply hopped away, or flew lightly for several feet, at no time going more than a yard from the ground. Continuing our promenade, we lit- erally chased the thrush around the | circuit of the shrubbery, but he did not seem to mind. We thought we interfered somewhat | with his insect catching, so finally left him in peace. Occasionally he | would regard us with his round, mild eye, then fall to immediately upon a worm. * ok ko ‘The next day, being occupled with | cutting the grass, we thought to have | makes | saying fis. some sport with the thrush. We would push the lawn mower at| him rapidly, and give the fellow & good | scare. | He was still eating—he 1s always eating—this time some choice grass | seed, which had been fown in the hope | that it would germinate before hot | weather. The ground was just right, after the | big rain. A little bone meal over the seed, and Nature would do the rest. The thrush evidently thought there was too much seed, or something. We pushed the mower along rapidl making it fairly spin. Since the m: chine had come back from the re- | pairman it has made & terrible sound, indeed. In past years this mower had sent forth a tremendous whirring. but now it surpassed all past records. and if you did not see but the one, you would | swear that at least four grass cutters were busy. * % k% The noise, we thought, ought to ter- Tify any bird. We did not yet know our thrushes, however. | We came very near cutting its tail off before it would condescend to fly into the air for a few feet. ‘The seed was very good. Nct wishing to deprive an innocent thrush of its tail feathers, which seem | enough to be pleasing to a human ear. | the jays, but in his brown coat and to do an extraordinarily good job of balancing the creature, we slowed down the onslaught of the machine. : Seeing this, the thrush slowed down, 00. He came back to earth directly in the path of the mower, and prcceeded to eat away as if nothing out of the usual had happened. * & W While we were contemplating the supreme trust (or dire stupidityj of the throstle, as the poets call it, we fell a-musing upon the lure which wet grass has for many mowers of lawns. Just let it rain, at least two men will be out presently with nice shiny machines, trying to cut the wet, tangled grass. We have never seen a woman do this, therefore nominate them for a superior quantity of brains. Why it is that men want to cut the grass im-l mediately after a rain, we do not know, | but it s a fact. ‘They always do, and they do; right after that big rain of recent date, they came out in swarms all over the District of Columbia and contiguous territcry. * ok ok K ‘The thrush is the last bird to put its head beneath its wing, #nd therefore it geis up a litile later than the assorted chirpers which begin the mcment dawn arrives on the horizon. Out our way there is an ill-assorted group of sounds greeting day with the official chorus of the woods. It can scarcely be called musical, since most of it ccnsists of a harsh grating noise, probably contributed by sparrows and the like. The robin, which is a sort of| thrush, we beli2ve, dces not run tiue to the family trait of pleasing song. The robin’s ordinary notes are rather un- musical, espe: y tke shrill shriek it when alling for rain,” the ‘This, by the way, is as cod a weather prophet as any, and better than most. The clear, flute-like notes of the thrush begin at least 15 minutes after the other birds have been at it ham- mer and tongs. They begin hesitat- ingly, and only by degrees work up to full "pitch. The prima donna of the thrushes out our way has disappeared, we fear the viotim of its lack of fear, its evident faith in assurances of gcod. There are no such singers now as greeted the day several weeks ago. * x X ‘There is no other bird, as far as we can see, which works as late as the thrush at the eternal job of getting its dinner. Long after the cthers have retired to their rests, the thrush can be seen, in the dim light, hopping around in the shrubbery after worms, insects larvae, and the like. He is supposed to like berries and fruits. The young are said to be en- tirely spotted, which must make them interesting sights. The thrush is in the great middle class of birds, when it comes to coat. | He is not brightly colored, nor is he without interest. He lacks the briliant plumage of the cardinal, the spectacular ccat of white-speckled vest he is a pleasing sight. Sometimes on a limb he will sing and nod his satisfaction by the hour. The sweetest music of the thrushes comes when one answers to another. It is & minor music, almost with a musical pattern, simple, but varied Favorabie Il;lpression Made By Government Bond Issue TIssuance of Government bonds to the | value of $800,000,000, with the purpose | of transfering a part of the floaunxl indebtedness to an issue running for | 18 years at 3'y per cent, is accepted'| by majority opinion as & wise move. | There is a warning, however, that it should be accompanied by all possible economy and by a careful check on future appropriations. The transaction, taken with official reports of trade, tends to give a more optimistic out- | look for business. | The New York Sun belleves that the results “will indicate at what price the Secretary of the Treasury can Te- finance the First and Fourth Liberty | loans, which total more than $8.000.- 000,000. The Sun adds: “Most of the First loan carries 3': per cent, the re- | mainder 45 per cent. ~All of the| Fourth Liberty loan bears 4'; per cent. The deficit of a billion doliars for the fiscAl year will necessitate the | sale of other issues this year. The| only satisfaction to be gained is that | the conditions causing a deficit re- duced the cost of borrowing.” “After all the misgivings which were | voiced earlier in the year, it is en-| couraging to find the first step in the borrowing process attended by so few | difficulties and so little disturbance, remarks the Baltimore Sun, which ad- vises that “although a tax increase may be found desirable a little later to | overcome the deficiencies of revenue in | future years, the deficit for the cur-| rent year, and pernaps a part of the deficit for the next fiscal year, will have to be met by borrowing.” * K K X | “It is something the Treasury has not had to do in many years—issue bonds to meet current charges in time " says the Yakima Daily Re- with “the incidental comment | the excuse for the terrific and | senseless waste at Washington, that | this is & big country, is beginning to be less popular.” As to the bond issue, the Provigence Journal declares: “‘Gen- eral conditions could hardly be more favorable to a ready sale of Govern- ment bonds. Money Trates are exceel ingly attractive, from the Government’s standpoint. Investors, gripped by a psychology of discouragement to which the depression has given currency, are doubtless eager to buy Treasury bonds. In fact, presumably they are hoping that further long-term dissues will be announced in the coming months.” “The Treasury,” in the opinion of the Charleston (S. C.) Evening Post, “bas done remarkably well with its short-term paper, and no doubt this form of financing public needs would have continued in favor had not the sudden slump in revenues occurred, but there is obviously no use in expecting from normal income to be able to take care of the huge amount of loans that would be necessary totide the Government over. For the United States to have to issue a billion or two of new bonds is not a serious matter. The national debt has been reduced very rapidly since 1919, much more so than the law required, and taxpayers have little or nothing to com- plain of in this department. Indeed, most of the complaint made has been to the effect that the debt has been ve- duced too fast, much faster than was necessary, but now that more money is needed, the wisdom of Secretary Mel- don's rapid reduction. policy becomes apparent.” * K K K The Springfield (Mass.) Union ob- serves that “the fact that the issue has been limited to $800,000,000 is taken as an indication that, in the opinion of Treasury officials, business conditions may be ted to improve in the near future.” The Hartford Courant as- sumes that “possibly the next issue will have to be at a somewhat higher rate, and probably sound industrial issues will command somewhat less of a pre- mium.” The Richmond News Leader, howev finds a defect in the fact that funded debt is a forgotten debt,” and advises that “with $800,000,000 of the deficit tucked away in the general debt the new Congress may be inclined to plle up another vast deficit to satisfy the clamor of demagogues.” The New- ark Evening News suggesiss, “The. coun-. try is living today, as to Federal ex- penditures, on borrowed money. Rough- ly speaking, its income is 20 to 25 per cent less than its expenses,” and avers. that “fts plight is much like that of many of the individuals who make it up." "It is unfortunate that the Treas- ury did not see the wisdom of this policy & decade ago,” says the Cleve- land Plain Dealer, explaining that “had the public debt been allowed to pass into the lock boxes of actual investors | at the close of the war, instead of being | used 50 extensively in’ the employmeni of the short-term funds of financial in- stitutions, many of the money market disorders and much of the speculative | cess cf recent years would have been avoided.” : Credit to Serator Pat Harrison is given by the Charlotte Observer, in con- | nection with “resort to the long-term tond issue to take the place of the Mellon-advocated tax increases.” The New Orleans Times-Picayune also takes | note of the Senator's “pronouncement | against Federal tax increases,” assum- ing, at the same time, that his stand “does mot bind his party colleagues, | however.” “Senator Harrison reminds the coun- try,” according to the Morgantown Dominion-News, “that the Government | | in 1919 adopted a policy that was unan- 1 SeTEEC (00 (HAEE imously approved by not only both po- litical parties but by the financiers of the country. Acting on this policy, & sinking fund was crested, which was to provide the means for the orderly re- tirement of the national debt. It was agreed that about 31 years would be a proper time for liquidation. The fact that Secretary Mellon and the admin- istrations with which he has been con- nected, in their excessive zeal to be able to point to their reduction of the public debt as a major achievement, have not followed this policy, but in- stead have gouged the taxpayer with burdensome tax requirements, over and above those necessary for replenishing the sinking fund and the orderly ad- ministration cf government, has con- | THE LIBRARY TABLE P By the Booklover ‘When Hugh Walpole turns to the fantastic, he. is not at his best: “Forti- tude,” “The Duchess of Wrexe,” “The Dark Porest,” and “The Old Ladies” were written in seri- ous mood and, one is sure, took some time to write. Such is his mental energy that Mr. Walpole apparently does nct enjoy loafing holidays, but se- lects some beautiful spot, often in Corn- wall, and there relaxes by writing an mpossible mystery story. The result of one such holiday season was the “Portrait of a Man With Red Hair,” whcse horrors are so horrible that the reader laughs instead of shuddering. Unlike most mystery stories, however, it is coriginal and manages to be remem; bered, if only for the intense scene in which most of the characiers are lost in a Cornish fog and wander abcut until, to their consternation, they find themselves in the very place from which they have been trying to escape. An- cther of Mr. Walpole's holiday myster- les has recently been published, “Above the Dark Tumult.” In the dedicatory ncte to a friend, he says “Once be- fore I had a hoiiday end wrote a story about a red-haired man and have been distressed ever since at the scientific remarks made about that gentleman. Now again, in the middle of investiga- tion into the Herries family, I have tak- en e holiday and enjoyed myself over scmething that is a taze and nothing but a tale.” In passing, we are pleased to learn what we were already almost sure of, that there are to be more chronicles of the Herries family, for “Rogue Herries,” published last year, is one of Hugh Walpole's most careful and ccnvincmg*pieces of fiction. * x % In Ernest Poole’s novel “The Har- bor,” New York Harbor was the center, almost the chief, character of the story. So, in "Above the Dark Tumult,” Pic- cadilly Circus is the center of the action and, with its bla~ing lights and crawl- ing human beings, i: it seems almost to have personality. Of his inspiration for the story, Hugh Wal- pole says: “Meanwhile, a momentary vision that I had of a room high above the leaping lights cf Piccadilly has be- trayed me into sheer story-telling.” The story which this vision brought to him is sufficiently lurid, but it drags in the telling. Gunn, who tells the story; Os- mund, Helen, Hench, Buller and the reptilian Pengelly and his fat, smug brother are ail real enough, but they are a long time in getting into action. To be sure, their actions, when they do take place, are so violent and ill-judged 25 to suggest that a qulet rural sana- torium for mental cases is indicated for all concerned. Hench and Osmund would surely have been forcibly placed in some such institution except for the interference of fate, a tiragic cne for Osmund and & comic cne for Hench, who found an outlet for his diseased fancles as a popular itinerant preacher 8t seaside resorts. That Helen and Gunn should have settled down to happy married life, leading a normal existence in a cottage, seems incredible, after that terrible evening over Picca- vd:l)y' Circus, ending cn the roof of the lr'-LnIgar Theater, 2mong the chimney pot % % Looking for & keynote of “Above the Dark Tumuit,” one finds it in Cer- vantes' “Don Quixote.” Gunn, unem- ployed and desperate, with only half a crown in his pocket, has committed the unutterable extravagance several days before of spending 21 of his last 25 shillings on the four volumes of Lock- hart's edition of “Don Quixote.” This would have been possible only to visionary to whom the satisfaction of an intellectual - craving meant more than food. This “Don Quixote” accom- | panied Gunn throughout the terrible night and found a permanent resting place on the cottage table where he| had the book under his coat as he| wandered the streets, wondering whether to spend his last’ half-crown on & frugal meal or on a haircut. He car- ried it _with him into Osmund's flat above Piceadilly. It lay on the re-| fectory table during the visit of the| first Pengelly and was left there by| Gunn when he and Buller carried the 1imp man down the stzirs and prop-| ped him in a corner of the hall. To Gunn the “Don Quixote” was “a re- minder that this fantastic adventure into which I had plunged was only one facet of a life that was on the whole always normal and sane.” The “Don Quixote” witnessed the first kiss of Helen and Gunn and “stood on its rose-colored bindings and danced for joy.” It was not with Gunn when he mounted the steep stairway to the roof of the theater, for he had left it on Helen's table, but it was afterward re- covered and became for them the sym- bol of their excursion. into the world of crime and cl)no‘rm:my. * How much American children enjoy meeting boys and girls of all nations in the pages of story books is shown by the 12 foreign stories among the 25 books of fiction in the list of juve- nile favorites which appears in “Book- list Books 1930,” just published by the American Library Association. The books which go into this list are se- lected by about 20 children’s librarians for their actuai popularity with young readers. Those books which carry chil- dren around the globe on the magic carpet of imagination include two dish, “The Tale of a Little Wee Woman'’ d “Wanda and Greta at Broby Farm.” “The Boy With the Parrot” transports readers to Gua- temala; “The Singing Sword” intrbduces them to Denmark, and “The Black- smith of Vilno” piovides a glimpse of Poland. The Portugal of olden times is revealed in “Spice and the Devil's in “Ocd-lo-uk, the Wanderer," the readers meet an Eskimo boy of Alaska, and 1n “Liang & Lo” become acquainted with two Chinese youths. They also make friends with he Cat ‘Who Went to Heaven,” in Japan; “Han- sel the Gander,” in Bavaria: “Bappo the Donkey,” in Sicily, and “The Painted Pig,” in Mexico. Other times, as well as other lands, appear to fascinate boys and_girls, as is shown by the choice tributed toward the embarrassment that now faces the Government. Over the protest of Congress, the adminis- tration has proceeded until we are now seven years ahead of our debt-retire- ment program. ————s Silk Hat Mahatma? From the Richmond News Leader. Gendhi seems surprised at the tor-; rent of American mail which is delug~ ing him. Requests for autographs and photographs were to be expected, of course; no prominent person, mahatma or murdered, escapes these.: But typl- cal of a majority of his American cor- respondents is one in Wilmington, N. C., who remonstrates with him for wearing oply a loin-cloth. cannot understand why he, in India, should be held yesponsiple to a man halfway around the world. Forget your “why,” Mr. Gandhi, you are responsible,’ and that’s sufficient— responsible to every Mrs. Grundy, every blue-stocking and bluecnose, every fa- natic and anti, from ‘Southern Cali- fornia to the northernmost tip of Maine, The Germans have a word for it: Weltverbesserungswahn—*"a desire to better the world"—and Americans have the desire. Believe us, if your idea of a better world is not precisely congruent with our desire, why, you must change yours, and change it quickly. Don't boggle over a loin-cloth! buy some red flannel underwear, a shiny black alpaca suit and a heavy over- coat and put them on at once. You ought to be thankful that you don't like a glass of beer on a Summer eve- ning, and that you're too old to want to plsy tennis on Sunday pEEEmEE e A Color Clash. From the St. Louls Globe-D:mocrat. of five tales of early America, includ- ing one of adventure among the In- dians. Not a single fairy story appears among the 1930 selections! Nor is there any comment to indicate whether the omission is caused by an _increasing taste for realism among little chil- dren or merely by a lack of convincing elves, brownies and genii in the books written for them. The list may be con- sulted at publl: H;br:fle:. “The Tyranny of the Skyscraper” is the title of cne of the Princeton lec- tures of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most original of American architects. His lectures delivered at Princeton last year have been published in a volume, “Modern Architecture.” Mr. Wright 1s modern without being futuristic. He believes that we should not continue our imitation of Greek models, nor of Roman or Renalssance, which ‘are in turn based on the Greek. “It is for us to bury Greek architecture deep. For us it is pagan poison. We have greater buildings to build upon a more sub- wrote the story of the Pengellys. Gunn | T. stantial base—an ideal of organic archi- tecture, complying with the ideal of true democracy.” Architectural style should be determined, Mr. Wright be- lieves, by the purpose of the building, and our purposes today are far different from those of the Greeks, Romans or Europeans of the Gothic and Renais- sance periods. The skyscraper, as a of the modern office building, but Mr. Wright thinks that it has been carried for verticality and vertigo.” * Kk x % In “Two Symphonies,” translated from the French by Dorothy Bussy, Andre Gide has in his usual style in- vented psychological problems, involving love, of course, and then set about to unravel them. “The Pastoral Symphony” is the st of a ministerial guardian ‘That M. J. Green unlawfully ran past a red light at a street intersection is charged by John White, who tried to cross at the same time on the green, and the mix-up of red, white and green has resulted in a prismatic lawsuit in oo Sl 1 who félls in love with the blind girl whom he has taken under his charge. When the girl recovers her sight there is a tragic awakening. “Isabelle” un- veils the character of a woman who scems to b a martyr to a tragic love and shows her as & selfish and S o i S i i unit, not’ simply one corniced building piled upon_ another, suits the purpose | ot uo too far and has caused a “dull craze|Not Stop a minute and think about this fact. You can ask our Information Bu- reau any question of fact and get the answer back in a personal letter. It is a great educational idea introduced into the Yves of the most intelligent people in the world—American . newspaper readers. It is a part of that best pur- of a newspaper—service. ‘There is no charge except 2 cents in coin o- stamps for return tage. Get the habit of asking questions. Address your letter to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, ‘Washington, D. C. . Does the Bureau of Standards ;‘quAl-u watches for individuals?—A. A. The Bureau of Standards tests watches, but does not regulate watch fees run from $2.50 to $6, depen: ing upon the nature of the test and the time required, from 15 days to two | months, Q. How much do the huge incand: cent lamps cost which have replaced the old Klieg lights in the motion pic- ture industry?—M. M. S. A. Each costs from $50 to $125. It lasts about 10 hours. Bulbs used in the home, by contrast, last 1,000 hours or more. Q. What percentage of the students at Notre Dame University is composed of Catholics?—N. M. A. About 93 per cent is Catholic. Q. What is hafnium and how is it used?—B. T. A. Hafnium is one of the newly dis- covered elements, element No. 72, dis covered by Coster and Hevesy. It takes its name from Hafniae. which is Latin for Copenhagen, where research was carried on which led to the discovery. | Bt . ; . Mgt and Tini; | 1t s expected to prove of great value because of its high melting point and electronic emissivity, for use in radio tubes, incandescent lamp filaments and cathode surfaces such as X-ray tubes and rectifiers. While there is none in the Unlted States now, patents requir- | ing its use have been applied for. The element is a constituent of zircon ores. It is extremely valuable. Q. How long ago was the U. B. S, Cyclops lost?>—W. C. A. From the time the Cyclops report- ed at one of the West Indian Islands, March 4, 1918, no trace of her has been | found. She disappeared with 303 per- sons on board. Q. Is the 13-month calendar being used in the United States>—C. R. | A. One hundred and forty corpora- tions. including some of the largest in the country, use the 13-month calendar for pay roll and general fiscal and ac- tons, which are joined under & federal constitution, with large powers of local control retained by each canton. The national authority vests in_a Parlia- ment and a National Council, ; ~ Q When was “The Merry Widow” first produced?—J. E. P. A. Franz Lehar, Austrian composer, wrote the opera, - Lustige Witwe" (“The Merry Widow™), and it was first ?{afi:red in’ 1V<‘nns\!li\e:t‘mner 30, 1905. s very successful both in the United States. et Q. Which languages are conside: most melodluus?iM.gL G A. Opinfons differ to some extent One linguistic expert says that he con- siders ltalian, Turkish and Telugu # | language of Southern India) the most meledious. Q. How did coats of arms 27— pd coats of arms originate? A. The coat of arms consists of the armorial bearings of any person taken collectively. 1t used to be the chief pride of a warrior to keep his shielc burnished like a mirror, for it was just a plain surface of metal, with never a mark save those which had been made upon it by the spears of the enemy. But when the Crusades began, in which knights from all over Europe took part, it was found confusing to have no dis- tinguishing marks. The armor ‘was all alike, the shields differed little from each other, and the visored helmet con- cealed the face. Gradually, therefore, there grew up the custom of emblazon- ing on the shining surface of the shield some device by which the owner might be known. Unregulated choice led to | confusion. Heralds empowered by the | King were empowered to supervice all | coats of arms, in order that no one's | rights might be infringed upon. - Q. Why can't tobacco be burned and used as fertilizer>—B. T. F. A. The tobacco division says that to- bacco ash contains some potash. but the | tobacco leaves are so valuable that they | would never be burned to produce ash {in sufficient quantities to be used com- mercially as a fertilizer. Stems and un- desirable tobacco zre often used for the manufacture of fertilizer and are ex- cellent as such. Q. What was the Ford Motor Co. called beiore it bore this name?—C. E. A. The Detroit Automobile Co. was organized by Henry Ford and was the predecessor of the present company. Q. Where is Lefayette buried?—S. L A. Gen. Lafayette is buried in the Cimeti-re de Plopus, & private burial ground for emigres and descendants of victims of the Revolution. American soil was specially sent to cover the coffin cf Gen. Lefayette, and the United counting purposes. It has been in use in this country for 40 years. | Q. When was tne Suez Canal opened? | —8. P { A. This canal connecting the Medi- | terranean and the Red Sea was opened to traffic November 9, 1869, . Please explain Mrs. Coolidge's connection with the music programs | given in the Library of Congress.— ¥.D. M. 1 A. The Coolidge Foundation was es- | tablished by Mrs. Elizabeth Sprague| Coolidge of Pittsfield. Mass. She is in- ternationally famous as a patron of | music and is herself a fine planist. The | annual festival of music, which she | sponsored in Pittsfield for many years, | is now transferred to the Library of Congress, Washington, D. C. Mrs. Cool- | idge provided the money for the small | auditorium in the Library in which the chamber music programs are presented. % How is Switzerland governed?— ‘A1t 1s & confederation of 25 can-| States flag surmounts his grave. Q. When were the slaves in the West Indies given their freedem?—F. C. A. The Negroes in the British West Indies were granted their freedom in 1839. France granted freedom in its possessions in the West Indies in 1848, and Holland in 1859. These were by legislation and not by force of armies er revoit. 3 Q. In what play is_the Iine, “This is Liberty Hall’ 5 . A. In ~ Goldsmith's comedy, “She Stcops.to Conquer.” Squire Hardcastle s2ys to young Harlow ‘and Hastifgs when they mistake his house for an inn, “This is Liberty Hall, gentlemen; you may do just as you please here.” Q. .What makes - peppers-'so- hot?— A. The Bureau of Plant Industry says that that which makes peppers so hot is a glucoside contained in the frults close t> where the sced is attached. The pungent principle derived from this glucoside is an essentisl ofl. Highlights on the Wide World. Excerpts From Newspapers of ‘Other Lands AILY HERALD, Londgn—Lady day! The cars that Nave been | laid up for Winter take the! road again. The new cars ap- pear in all their speckless glory. The motoring season has begun. Year by year the roads of Britain be- | come more and more pleasure grounds as well as lines of communication. Year by year the week end trek from town to countryside grows greater. Once motoring was a rich man's pastime. Now all classes throng the roads. It has become a national sport. | As ‘a_national sport it calls for the| spirit of true sportsmanship. There are ' ws. But there are also the unwritten | laws, the code of courtesy of the road. May we appeal to all and sundry. | from the lordly Rolls to the rustiest bicycle, to remember to keep that un- | writtcn code as well as the written | law—to think of others, to give the| courtesy that is expected in return. * x % % Duties of Mayors Become More Difficult. Cologne Gazette.—The duties and re- sponsibilities of mayors become daily increasingly more difficult. This trend shows itself not only in Berlin. but also, in Madgebury and Stettin, where it is likewise harder to find qualified candi- dates for these posts. Essen, too, Dr. Bracht, has announced in no uncertain terms that he will not be a candidate for re-election, much less consider the proposition made him by the Zentrum party of Berlin to be- come the mayor of that city. He ap- gmmles the compliment thus paid him y & coalition of this Catholic group with other factions, which would insure his obtaining the office, but he geclares, | with all his native emphasis: “Of all the higher executive posts in public life and office, that of being a mayor of a large city is the most bur- densome and exacting. It is impossible in such a position to reconcile conflict- ing interests, and so the incumbent gen- erally completes his task by pleasing no one at all. When my present term ex- pires, I shall assuredly take on no fur- ther ‘engagements or responsibilities of this sort.” * ok k% Mention of “Apple” Brings Tears to American’s Eyes. ‘The Evening Post, Wellington.—If you even so much as mention “apple” to the average American nowadays he goes green in the face and feels for his handkerchief. It is because Uncle Sam, ho expectorates at the idea of the “dole,” is trying to solve his unemploy- ment problem by making apple sellers of the workless, and every good-hearted citizen is expected to buy. Yes—you have to leave it to America. Page-boy, my ironbark bullroarer. Honestly, upon our word. Uncle Sam's & curlous bird. He has millions (five or six) In a desperate workless fix. Wondering. despairing. numb, Whence, thelr next bife 15 to come, mscofls wi ARG with” all his soul s problem grim les, With the slogan: “Eat Dpies. Eat more apples,” people yelp; “We TSt do our: best o hatp” Though_they fill your mind with loathing. Buy! 'Twill mean_ some and clothing noble me I he g ‘more n e food Ppoor who stand, Sl o g - m ly crust of bread. ipple conscious’ ise of charity. Millionaires get bushels of them, use they love them the others), protect elf-respect! rusade stronger, lines ever longer, with rehy t 3 Armed" Wittt ust the Bomels “spple! * ok ok % Census Taken to Expedite Relief Work. El Universal, Mexico City.—The Wel- fare Committee of San Blas has com- menced an active campaign to relieve those in the regions of Sinaloa who are suffering the pangs of hunger. Those living in the vicinity of Choix are par- o : The Republi 4 |Choix 68 families mayor of "America. The two would. Tegion, so relief work may be made more adequate and effective. According to this ‘investigation. there are in suffering from a shortage of food; ¢n Tasajara there are 14 families and in Sindicatura Bay- mena 114 in the same predicament. The secretary of the relief commission, Hernan Ramos, has arrived at Choix to superintend personally the work of as- sistance and to achieve the best results possible under the cifcumstances. The cause of the destitution was the fload, -a short time -ago. which swept away nearly everything these people had, in- cluding their animals, farming imple- ments, seeds, cfops and practically | everything necessary to maintain exist- ence. * ok ok % Sought to Smuggle Way to America.. Neues. Wiener Tagblatt, Vienna— Railway-officlals at Altona advise that & chest arrived there, coming from Herne, in . Westphalia, in which two young fellows of about the age of 17 were confined. ‘The box was extraordi- narlly small for such accommodation, but the boys hoped to travel by this means on the railroad to Hamburg, where it. was their further intention to smuggle themselves on a steamer to -be emigrants have been returned to their homgers. * * x x Tuberculosis Reaps Great Harvest in Porte Rico. El Progreso, San Juan—Porto Rico is a tropical icland, inhabited by the descendanis of that long stream of Spanish colonists who kept coming for centuries, “and also of other races brought in by “slavery. Civilized life here, therefore, has ~developed amid tropical environments and Latin tradi- tions, and conditions of life and achievement are the result of action and reaction Letween these mixed races and their surroundings. In the matter of public health, we have the same problems of any other country, plus those of a tropical coun- try, with the exception of a few dis- eases which for more or less known Teasons are either very mild or prace tically non-existent. So, to such mala- dies as pneumonia, measles, whooping- cough, diphtheria and typhoid fever of temperate climates ‘'we must add the dangers of malaria, yellow fever and in- testinal parasites, if we .are to recite the whole list of, our discomfitures. Nevertheless, ‘cholera, the plague, yellow fever and smallpox do not exist in this island. Smallpox was stamped out many years ago, though it is still a menace in most civVilized countries of the temperate zone. But we cannot say the same about tuberculosis, which is the second largest cause of death jn the island, while gastroenteritis is the chief one, affécting mostly children un- der 2 years of age. Our general death rate for the last five years has had an average of 23.1 per thousand. This includes the year 1928. when a terrific hurricane swept the island; but even if we do not in- clude that yea: our general death rate for the same period would be 21.9. This compares with an annual average of 12 per thousand' for continental United States. The infant mortality rate is terrific—155 per thousand under 1 year. In the United States it is 70 per thou- sand under 1 year.> Tuberculosis causes 4,000 deaths a 'mam Tatio nearly four times that of United States. There are at least 20,000 cases of tuberculosis at present in Porto Rico, according %o Dr. 'fi Fernos Isern, commissioner of e Baiting the Bear. From the Hartford Courant. A dispatch declares that a trade war ‘between Iraq and the Soviet is immi- nent. Now if the Republic of San Marino will pass a law forbidding its 1,600 inhabitants to purchase Ruesia ticularly afflicted, and a has e iR shis | phest. fhe Sovet, Wil 2nd, lepl 13