Evening Star Newspaper, July 3, 1931, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR ® WASHINGTON, D. C, FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1931 A e R R e e THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY...........July 8, 1831 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company 1tn 8t A Pennsylvans Ave, New York Offce: 110 East 2nd t. lice: Lake Michigan Building. Botobean Ottce: 14 Regent' k. London, Ensian Rate by Carrier Within the City. 45c per month Tre Evening and P Vening an Cenen 5 Sundays ‘65c per month THE RS iade s the eiid G ‘each month. Oldoll'icml! be sent in by mail or telephone NAtional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. i - Qe =8 unday only . e All Other States and Canada. Dll!! and Sunday. X‘A Daily only funday only . Member of the Associsted Press. The Assoctated Press 1s exclusively entitled to the ‘use for republication of all news dis- atches credited {0 3t or Not otherwise cred- ted in this paper and aiso the local news published herein. = All rights of publication of Epecial dispatches herein are also reserved. -— MacDonald's Gracious Tribute. When a British prime minister ad- dresses an Independence day dinner in London and acclaims America in the glowing terms used by Mr. MacDonald last night it may safely be concluded that “the ancient grudge” has vanished into John Bull's limbo of the forgotten. Not within living memory, probably, has a foreizn statesman divested himself of so gencrous a tribute. To be tc]d’ from such a quarter that we have built up “the greatest Nation that now ex- ists on the face of the earth” brings the blush of pride to the cheek even of & modest people. Mr. MacDonald is goed enough to say that the United States has reached the v pinnacle upon which he places us “by patient labor, by courage and by self-zgspect.” He will pardon Ameri- cans for retorting that, in their estima- tion, those qualities are precisely the ones with which they traditionally en- dow the tight little islands and the people who, from that patch in the North Sea, have evolved an empire on which the sun never sets. Recurring Fourths of July should remind us that it was from British loins that our in- stitutions sprang, full panoplied and sturdy, a century and a half ago. Uttered on the immediaté threshold of what happily seems to be the suc- cessful termination of Franco-American negotiations over the debt holiday, Mr. MacDonald's references to President Hoover evoke the liveliest echo and ap- | preciagion in this country. Describing the President’s moratorium proposal as “an action of great wisdom, of great courage and of deep insight,” the prime minister eulogizes it as an event which causes world statesmen, groping for peace and international contentment. “to lift up our heads, to seek a way out, to see hope and to get new courage and new energy to face our problems.” In those few words the silver-tongued Scotsmap who rules at No. 10 Downing street epitomizes the true inwardness of President Hoover's gesture. For Ger- many, the half billion dollars involved, more or less, are, of course, a priceless boon. For France, Britain, the United States and the rest of us, the mere money at stake in the debt suspension is of relative insignificance. What is paramount is the thing Mr. MacDonald so accurately stresses—the psycho- logical effect upon a shattered and de- spairing world which will flow from the Hoover plan as surely as tomorrow's sun will rise upon another glorious Fourth. ———— Gangsters are organized without diffi- culty by Al Capone. He will not find officers of the law, including perhaps some of his own attorneys, so easily persuaded to risk rather desperate sacrifices. o Important tourists now go to Paris not for pleasure, but for big business that concerns the world. Paris, traditionally “gay,” can, when occasion requires, be the most serious town on earth. IS A In seeking commercial advancement Russia does not stress ethical or humane considerations in the production of m=f- chandise. It requests attention only to the price tag. o Wheat. ‘Through Chairman Stone, the Fed- eral Farm Board has attacked the grain trade and laid to that trade the criti- cism of the Farm Board's declaration of policy to limit sales of wheat held by the board to 5,000,000 bushels in any month. In the view of the Farm Beard chairman, the grain trade, desir- ing to injure the board as a first step toward preventing further organization of co-operatives among the farmers themselves, has undertaken to discredit the policy just advanced by the board in connection with its wheat holdings, bought by the beard during the last two years to stabilize prices. At the same time that Mr. Stone was leveling the finger of criticism at the grain trade, attacks upon the an- nounced policy of the board and de- mands that all its wheat be kept off the market this year came from other quarters, supposedly very friendly to the farmer. For example, Vice President Curtis and Senator Arthur Capper of Kansas_came out for withholding the board's wheat from the market now and for a definite policy to that effect. Ac- cording to reports, the Vice President and Mr. Capper are coming to Wash- ington to take the matter up with the * board and with President Haover. Sen- ator Borah, out in Idaho, is demanding also a statement from the board that all the wheat it now holds is to be held Off the market at this time. If the grain trade is back of the move to keep the board’s wheat off the market, it cer- tainly has some strong political backing. ‘The Farm Board doubtless acted in what it considered the best interests of the farmer when it made its announce- ment of policy following a suggestion from President Hoover that such a statement of policy would be helpful. 1f the wheat holdings of the board are to be retained indefinitely, it is obvious that they will continue to menace the mar- ket price of wheat and to hang like a black cloud over the market, always with the possibility that these millions be turned IQose. It / 4 is to the best interest of the wheat growers that this surplus wheat be dis- posed of finally. The Farm Board is seeking to handle this surplus wheat in an orderly manner and so as not to in- jure the farmers. If it can dispcse of some of the wheat this year at reason- able prices and at the same time not have a bed effect on the market, it is clear that it would be the better part of wisdom to do so. The hoard in an- nouncing its policy did not say that it proposed to sell 5,000,000 bushels of wheat a month. It merely said that it would not sell more than that amount in’any given month. ‘The underlying reason for the enact- ment of the law setting up the Fed- eral Farm Board was a desire to aid the farmers to help themselves. The wheat farmers particularly have been at the mercy of the grain trade and the speculators in grain. The wheat farmer has been compelled always to take what he was offered for his wheat. He could not fix an offering price him- self, as do merchants of other com- modities: It was to put him in a posi- tion to do his own bargaining that theI Government enacted the law and set up a governmental machinery to aid the farm co-operatives. The grain| trade is in the business to make money. 1t has made huge fortunes for the mid- dle men. But the farmer who has made a fortune out of his wheat and other grain is a rarity. Any upset to the old policy whereby the traders grew wealthy was sure to stir up their re- sentment. Former Chairman Legge of the Farm Board charged the grain trade with efforts to undermine the usefulness of the board. And now Chairman Stone has made charges equally severe. The grain trade has benefited in its attacks on the Farm Board from the agitatioh, much of it political, on ‘the part of persons who have urged other kinds of Federal aid to the wheat farmers. MBI When Death Takes the Wheel. Modern conditions have brought an inevitable association between holidays and tragic death on the highways. This afternoon, whén offices throughout the land close their doors, tens of thousands of families will take to the road for week end outings. Around ‘Washington every road, especially those leading to the many water-side re- sorts, will be jammed with machines. By Sunday evening the casualty lists will begin to unfold the complete story. If the fools and the reckless drivers were the victims, one might find jus- tice of a sort in the fate that waits for them around some pleasant curve. The hazards of driving on holiday- Jjammed roads, however, are not merely those that one's self creates by speed- ing or taking foolhardy chances. The careful driver, observing the rules of the road and taking the extraordinary precautions that conditions demand, is as apt as not to be the sufferer. For the fools, seeking to pass cars on a hill or curve, darting around long lanes of slow-moving vehicles or skidding on turns, constitute merely the party of the first part, and two or more parties are usually required to make a bang-up smashing accident. Maryland road police and compar- able efficient bodies in other States do all in their power to furnish the| patrols necessary on holidays. But one must look beyond the powers of the police, no matter how many there are or how well disbursed, for the ultimate degree of highway safety that will come with future years. There will always be great numbers of incapable drivers on the roads. The only practical solu- tion of the problem of dealing with them lies in making the construction of the highways themselves as fool- proof as engineering skill can devise. Any one familiar with the roads lead- ing out of Washington knows how much there remains to be done in this direction before the highways are safe. Only one of the roads, the Washington- Baltimore Boulevard, even resembles the sort of highway that motorists will know in the years to come. That road, as recently rebuilt and repaved, is fair- ly safe because of its extra width and absence of sharp turns. Other high- ways, no matter how adequate under the ordinary conditions of normal traf- fic, become nightmares on holidays, with every curve and narrow culvert beckoning some one to danger. Mere speed, under the right condi- tions, has never been shown to be the cause of many accidents. But speed, combined with crowded roads, poorly banked curves and disregard of crdinary safety rules, will account for many tragedies in the next few days. If you venture on the highways today, watch your own speedometer! And be more watchful still of the other driver! ————————— Fourth of July celebrations are now expected to remind the Nation's youth | not only of the spirit of independence, but also of the need of restraining ex- plosive tendencies so that others will not be interfered with in the pursuit of ‘happiness. A seat on the Stock Exchange has not an immutable value. Whether its price goes up or down, it is a good easy chair for a man who is willing to collect brokerage fees and avold gambling on his own account. —_—— ra—————— Clydeside Clamor in Commons. Such a scene as that enacted in the House of Commons yesterday is a grave shock to the pride of the British people, who regard their Parliament as verita- bly a “glass of fashion and a mold of form” On a few occasions the rules have been broken and human tempers have flamed into outrageous demon- strations, but these have been rare and have been so severely rebuked that there has never been the least suggestion o tolerance or forgiveness. Yesterday the proprieties were outraged as never be- fore in the memory of man. A Scotch Socialist asked a, question regarding the imprisonment of some lay preachers for holding meetings on Glasgow green. He was told by the secretary for Scot- land that,an inquiry was in.progress to determine whether these preachers had had any difficulty in getting the neces- sary permits for the holding of such meetings. The Scotch member was not content with this reply. He proceeded to expostulate and was joined by a group of other “Clydeside” men, some of them notable insurgents against the established order. One of them, indeed, gained unsavory prominence & year ago by running away with the mace, the sacred symbol of the Speaker’s author- ity over the House. The disorder con- tinued, the Speaker was defled and the prime minister moved the suspension of the unruly member. The motion was carried, 315 to 16. The suspended mem- ber was commanded to withdraw, He refused. The sergeant at arms was directed to remove him. He defled the uniformed official, who retired, to re- appear promptly with six elderly but stalwart attendants, clad in evening dress. They had to struggle with the obduratc member to get him out of the chamber, for he had legs like the tentacles of an octopus and attached himself to every article of furniture within range. Meanwhile the House was in a Babel of noise and speech, a scene of the most shocking confusion. At last the squirming Scot was ejected, his compatriots of the Clydeside were reduced to order and the chamber was restored to order. The Speaker, who had dissolved the session—for there can be no sitting while the air is echo- ing with lively Gaelic language—re- turned to the chamber and the mem- bers arose and received him in respect- ful silence. The incident was closed. {But the British pride in its parlia- mentary dignity and decorum had been grievously wounded. What happens to the Clydeside man who so flagrantly broke the peace? That must await dis- closure. The day of beheadings is past, but doubtless there are many Britishers who wish that the ancient punishment could be revived and applied to this iconoclast. —————r———— As the season for normally high tem- peratures progresses and the thought of vacation becomes one of great human importance there is a cheering hope in the dirigible journey to Iceland. When rapld transit is regularly established, that small but historically important spot should be highly popular as a Sum- mer resort. Its name has publicity ad- vantages that will prove irresistible. ————————————— When Jules Verne wrote “Around the World in Eighty Days” he was credited with breaking the speed limit even for a flight of imagination. An aviator who would demand eighty days for the trip would be regarded as preparing to loaf on the job. ————————— ‘There is nothing new under the sun. In Kish, anclent Persian capital, have been discovered ruins of a temple that in arrangement bears a startling re- semblance to a Christlan church. It probably at one time had a church debt, also. ‘The honeymoon of Prince and Prin- cess Takamatsu of Nippon, just re- turned to their homeland, lasted four- teen months. Sometimes it seems that the average American marriage does not last much longer than that. e ‘The fact that Secretary Andrew Mel- lon's European pleasure trip seems sud- | denly to have turned into a business one probably does mnot bother that statesman at all. With Mr. Mellon business is always a pleasure. A T St..Louis has never yet won an Amer- ican League pennant. Soon she will be { sympathizing with some nation or other that is the only one not in proud pos- session of a transatlantic fiyer. Would 1t not have been awful if Mussolinl had been the one who ob- jected to President Hoover's meritorious moratorium plan? e —— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Reflection. When you think that life is mournful and the world is going wrong, And everybody's off the key who trics to sing a song: ‘When the Sorrow seems to linger as the Happiness takes flight, ; It's unpleasant to admit it, but the chances are, you're right. When you think the skies are gleaming as they never did before, And the hours are golden treasures that ° the future holds in store; When the object of existence is the joy it can bestow, ‘You may go your way serenely, for the chances are, it's so. ‘Through the changing circumstances the impressions that we find Are largely in the nature of a personal state of mind. This world is like a mirror, reflected moods We see. The way you think about it is the way it's going to be. where Humility. “You never assume any airs of great- ness despite the frequency with which you have been returned to Washington.” “No,” replied Senator Sorghum. “I've got to be extremely deferential to every- body. When the good people out home elect a man to office they have a way of making him feel his inferiority.” Specialization. Jud Tunkins says sometimes a pro- fessor doesn't seem any wiser than ordinary folks when you get him to talkin’ on any subject except the one he's professor of. Cruel Accuracy. The big thermom declares it’s hot. The fact is undeniable. ‘We sometimes wish that it were not So fearfully reliable. Not the Whole Truth. “Hiram,” said Mrs. Corntossel, “you oughtn't to tell the Summer boarders those stories about the wonderful fish that has been took out of this stream. You know there ain't any fishin’ what- soever.” “It's all right,” replied Farmer Corn- 1. “I ain’t sayin’ a thing that ain't s0. *All I'm doin’ is to refrain from mentionin’ dates. Them fish was i caught by Indians long before you an’ me had any interest in the place.” The Mermaid. The mermaid is a merry elf. ‘We must admire her more and more. She swims, and doesn’t enjoy herself By promenading on the shore. “Every man,” sald Uncle Eben, “hab a fool'streak in him, an’ de men we calls smaht is dem dat recognizes it an’ keeps it under cover.” ——————————— Moscow’s Moratorium. From the Lynchburg News. 1 Moscow doesn't think much of the ver moratorium proposal, but then Moscow declared m”:vm ‘moratorium and then made & penmn{nt | oty ok the Rej % BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. ving things in thel:’d cuflnusw rm-}lltl:;gon nevertheless attemp sun. . Fven a sassafras tree, all of a foot tall, leaned to tihe ":h': h"nnpe!u!g).eu if hop- ing to achieve possible. n‘sevenlx.mmem ‘weeds looked almost flourishing, . despite the fact that no sumhlne!hnd hit their leaves directly for man; ys. The onlyd‘lflln'.l there which might in time reach the light of day were a couple of- honeysuckles, These had stretched themselves along the ground straight west, unconsciously determined to get into the open. If their roots got water, which it was difficult to see how they would, they might in time come to the grill, and poke their tendrils through. Then " what a day that would be, when onee more the honeysuckle came into its ancient heritage of sunshine! i One did not have to be a sentimental- ist to feel that there was something al- most pathetic in the sight of those plants left ‘growing there. ‘There could be no hope at all for the miniature tree. Its destiny was upward, and there was a strict limit in that di- rection. . ‘There was. something inspiring, too, in the sight of all those growing things doing their best under difficult circum- stances. . . Somehow a mechanistic explanation did not seem fitting. It would not do to say merely that here were living organisms “doing their stuff” in accord- ance with old and fixed laws. ‘What if ‘one looked at Ged there, be- neath the porch, working even as He worked in the beginning? CE ok kX It was many years ago, in a city far away, that the present writer indited, in a fit of juvenile enthusiasm, a story which he called “The Flowers That Walk.” . It was sent away to one of the larg- est magazines in the country and re- mained out -for nearly thrce months, when it was returned with a personai note from the editor. Even at that time we sensed what was the matter with it. It was too bi- zarre. Flowers do not walk; they never hmve walked, and perhaps they never will. The idea, however, was a good one, and the passage of years has not con- vinced us otherwise.” Something of that merit probably struck the editor, and, if 1t did, it was cn account of the peren- nial mystery, of. the unconscious growth of plant life, which even a youthful in- experience could not blot out. Motion was an attribute of life de- nied the vegetable wcrid, In so far as motion means movement in & line to- ward a distant objective. Plants do move, in many ways. Leaves not only rustle in the wind, but have motions of their own. Some piants possess leaves which ciose up at a touch. Others open when shaken. Many close, up their leaves at night. Fly-catching plants (we pelieve there is a specimen -of -the pitcher plant at the Botanic Garden) are able to so move themselves as to prevent the egress of their prey, once in. Thelr Toot systems, however, have firmly anchored all but free moving wa- ter plants to their initial positions. The movement of* water plants, of course, is a simple mechanical motion. Strong are the anchors of plant life. No one but has marveled at the sight of a giant tre¢ bending and swaying in wind. . The power of those great roots must be tremendous in order t5 be able to keep that mighty stalk upright. kK K % The dispensation toward the plants seems -firmly fixed, by this time, but theré might' come a day when they would be given or would achieve for themselves ~ (perhaps it is the same thing) the ability to move about as freely~ as animals do now. ‘Then no householder could be sure that -he would wake up next morning and find his borders as he had left WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. It isn't very often that members of the -“little cabinet"—undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of executive depaftments—get such a chance as Undersecretary of State Castle and Undersecretary of the Treasury Mills now have to do their stuff. Probably never before have understudies of cab- inet officers functioned on so critical an occasion as the debt holiday negotia- tions -with France and other govern- ments. By general consent, both Castle and Mills are equal to the job. Each has a substantial background of ex- perience and ability. “Bill” Castle has been in the State Department only 12 years, but he had responsible service at Red Cross headquarters during the war | and for 11. years previous was in the administration of Harvard University, his alma mater. When President Hoo- ver neoded some one to act as special Ambassador in Japan during the 1930 London Naval Conference, Castle was designated for the job, and got away with it handsomely. His recent promo- tion to the undersecretaryship of state was in the nature of a reward for his astute service in Tokio a year ago. B % % % Ogden ‘L. Mills, Secretary Mellon's right -bower, was born with several golden -spoons in his mouth. He first saw the -light: of day in aristocratic Newport, R. 1" Like “Bill” Castle, the Undersecretary of the Treasury is a Harvard man. Mills is a lawyer by pro- fession, -but his active business inter- ests haye -occupied him more in the world of high finance than in the law. Previous .to entering the Treasury in 1927, his namé adorned the directorate of half like the'American Telephone & Tele- graph Co. Mills saw_active fighting service ‘with the A. E. F. in France throughout the war. He seemed to be headed ,for a definite political career until an’ unsuccessful race for the New York governorship against Al Smith intervened. ,Four years in the Treasury Departnient- have established Mills as one of ;the real-powers in the Nation's financial*affairs. He has the gift of cogent exposition of the most intricate and brings to their co- lution a“deep understanding. If “Uncle Andy” takes a notion to quit some day, President'Hoover’s eye is bound to rove in Ogden Mills’ direction. VirL W Ok ok % Chairman James C. Stone of the Fed- eral Farin Board is bearing up smiling- fiscal problems |1y under, the.slings and arrows coming his way in consequence of the board'’s decision to get rid of its “stabilization wheat”-on the monthly stagger system. Stone, expected . brickbats, but, on the whole, finds *that just about as many bouquets_are being hurled at the board, too. Ii's.‘from * the . grain-commission trade, which always sees red when it thinks or talks of Chairman Stone's out- fit, that yowls.about the wheat-selling program are mainly forthcoming. Inas- muct'n‘..‘s'w entire o o;\mh‘l.nd ac- counts for, orily a seventh of year's prospective crop, the Farm Board fails to understand how it can be charged with demprali%ing the market when it plans to sell ‘its wheat at an average of 5,000,000 bushels a month. R . job.of helping to keep the e fof Herbert Hoover in 1932 large from the Sun- Tor the second isimet. s sesigament or . s en! at G. O. P. headquaricrs is to edit a weekly Jatter for small dailies and coun- try weekly newspapers. He speaks the tate, and in not get enough te? to , the gardener is not troubled wayward tendencies on the part of his plant life. It is rooted in the soil; where it is put, it stays, in most Perhaps amateur gardeners do not (mflnnlry. think how ir pleasure in their plants is due to this very fact, that the growing green things cannot “up and leave” as it suits them. In fact, plants have no minds of their own, and are but lis reactions to & universal will. This will has been the speculation of man since the be- gelnnlnc. and probably will continue to an end to evel else, there might well be one to this. It is because the plant answers this high call without question that it re- mains an interesting object in a world where there is so much questioning. It cannot be called a slave to routine be- cause it knows no alternative. Its orbit has been fixed from the beginning. There are no ambitious plants, i * ¥k ox the duty, therefore, of every one interested in horticulture to bfldl&yover for the plants the space between their lack of consclousness and man’s under- standing, such as it is. The plant cannot know when it needs water. It simply flourishes or does not flourish. It is for the gardener to watch carefully, because he possesses the power of watching, and to supply his plants with the drink they need. This moisture will be more than drink alone, for plant life receives its nourishment in solution. Plants live, in essence, on soup. Some of them can get aiong without water, but nearly all of them demand it, and in large quantities. The question of food elements them- selves looms even larger as a point whereat the human mind must help the so-called cultivated plant. It has been found that cultivation, by itself, won't do. Gardeners everywhere are coming more and more to question the anclent ways, and in this regard are reaching the conclusion that .cultiva- tion, or stirring the soil, or mulching, Is almost a waste of time, with the exception of controllin weed growth. Many alert gardeners discovered this a long time ago, but were afrald to volce their opinion, in the face of the garden books and writers, who so0 strenuously spoke up f - m“lchm‘.po up for the holy rite * ok ok % It is water and food and intelligent care which cultivated plants need. Care includes watchfulness pests and fungus enemiés. It is here, em more than in the matters of P T feeding and watering, that the human being must be the brains of the plants, must assume conscious control in their behalf and take pride in his intelligence, which is denied these other growing things. The plants beneath the porch can do but one thing—push toward the light: but the home gardener can be a little god to his plants, if he is ln-] terested enough in them, as living things, to help them on their way. The motive of beauty and the influence of pride are not enough, at least they are not all; there is this other un- derstanding, that these shrubs, Debt Moratorium Plan Is Masterful ‘To the Editor of The Star: ‘The proposal of President Hoover for - ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. a war debt moratorium of one year on | all payments of intergovernmental debts and reparations, due to the allics from Germany and due from the allies to the United States, is a bold, masterful and unprecedented stroke, but we think it is inadequate, in so far as effectuating what Germany needs—permanent in- stead of temporary relief. At the threshold, the German pay- ments for rehabilitation and indemnitics of about $425,000,000 annually are far in excess of what Germany is able to pay continuously, and should be re- duced. A reduction of one-fifth, or 20 per cent, would reduce the annual pay- ment to $340,000,000, or $85,000,000 less than Germany is paying each year until the whole debt is liquidated. ‘The $245,000,000 t the debtor na- tions owe annually to the United States is independent of the payment of the German reparations debt to the allies, and after one year's postponement no reduction should be made in the annual payments. Should the next Congress enact legis- lation authorizing the payment of the balarice of the soldiers’ bonus, and legis- lation authorizing the payment of old- age pensions and unemployment insur- ance, the Government probably will need all of the money and much more than its revenues and what is due from debtor nations. ‘Temporary relief for Germany will be a_great help, but permanent relief is what is actually needed after the post- ponement of the reparations payments for one year; therefore, reduce Ger- many’s annual payments fron. $425,- 000,000 to $340,000,00 or less, and give Germany a chance to exist and meet her obligations as she is willing to do. Should President Herbert Hoover, “the engineer,” “the World War food administrator,” “the Republican party’s rescuer in 1928, “the champion elec- toral Wdte getter” and “the man of destiny,” succeed in lifting the world- wide depressicn by the postponement of the payment of reparations and in- tergovernmental debts and stabilize the economic condition of the world, he will be justly, universally and vocif- erously proclaimed “the world's redeem- er” and “the Nation's savior.” H. A. CLARKE. oo Proper Fundamentals Held Citizenship Need To the Editor of The Star: Everybody who uses his head for clear thinking knows that there is some- thing very wrong in our economic con- dition. With 6,000,000 of us seeking employment and 60,000,000 clinging desperately to the edge of respectabil- ity, that wrong is fast becoming in- tolerable and unless we take heed the flag that shelters it will not command the respect we urge for it. The ut- most in patriotic endeavor lies not in Fourth of July oratory, but in every- day co-operation with some logical and sane endeavor “to lift so high the in- comparable standards of the common interests and the common justice that all men with vision, all men with hope, all men with the convictions of America in their hearts, will crowd to that standard and a new day of achievement | may come for the liberty w: love.” Such practical endeavor must be re- lated to fundamental ideas of economic bushes, cannot think for themselves, | righteousness, and political economy can and that the gardener must think for |0nly be discussed as a science when them, to the best of his ability. such fundamental ideas are accepted as This is the third great factor in gar- | tenets, taking the piace of the axioms dening, one which even transcends |Which are fundamental to the other Nature, for she, ruthless mother, is |sclences. The principles, the accepted willing' to put living things “on their | standards of right and wrong, obvious own,” whereas the kindly interest of a [In the simplest relations of men, should civilized being extends to a far-reach- |prevail throughout the intricate and a dozen mighty corporations’ care sometimes approaching a futile fussiness. This arises because human nature is not perfect and does not seem to be able to put itself in the role of ad- viser without becoming insister, too. If those plants beneath that porch could talk, no doubt the uueceevgng honey- suckle vine would say to the poor sas- safras tree, “Lean over more to the west, you fool. You'll never get any place by going straight up.” language of the tribe, because 'way back in the 80s Scott was running a daily in his home town of Iola, Kans., and is still its editor. Although he’ll soon be 71 years old, he continues to wield a trenchant pen. Chairman Fess and Executive Director Lucas lay great store by his output and political judgment, especially where the farmer is con- cerned. LR New York City likes superlatives. | This observer happened to be on the same dizzy premises in Fifth avenue the other day when the world's smallest king—Prajadhipok of Slam—was bein taken through the world’s tallest build- ing, the Empire State, by the world’s most popular Democratic politician, Al Smith. One of Al's present jobs is to be host-in-chief to distinguished visitors to Manhattan's newest show place. ceipts from people who want to see the island from a height of 102 stories are now the building’s main source of reve- nue. At the rate the turnstiles are clicking, an income of $1,000,000 a year is in sight. That's about $150,000 more than the interest charges on the build- ing's bonded indebtedness. Gotham knows no nx:?grgnu:hrmlnx e cl;. tgy day or by an a sight of e blcy city from atop its silvered pinnacle. *Ex & Nothing is known at the French em- bassy about revived reports of Am- bassador Claudel's transfer to Berlin. The rumor is a year old and is de- scribed as having no more foundation now than when it originated. It ap- pears that the:PFrench envoy to Ger- many is slated for retirement, and the story somehow was put into circulation that M. Claudel would succeed him. Perhaps the circumstance that the scholarly and philosophical spokesman of France at Washington chose Berlin as the scene for the premiere of his historical opera a year ago started the | yarn on its way. * kK ¥ ington has just lost one of its mxt‘zhhfl?:uuhed scientists in the de- parture for France of Dr. Leland O. Howard, who, on June 30, concluded 53 years of service in the Bureau of Entc- mology at the Department of Agricul- ture. He was chief of the bureau since 1894. Dr. Howard gave up the chiefship in 1927, but continued his studies of medical entomology and para- sitology, in which he has attain world-wide fame. The value of How- ard’s work in economic entomology is incalculable. One of his specialties is the biological method of insect Tontrol. He is also noted for his work in tracing insects, such as the house fly and zhe‘ mosquito, that cause disease to man. France gave him the Legion of Honor and only recently Howard was awarded the $5,000 Capper prize and gold medal for distini service to American ture. _After a lengthy visit in} Hawali, he plans to reside with one of his daughters in Paris. * K K eld’s 1931 “Follies” glorified zh:"‘mzuurf‘unmmmwvmmu; week to the edification of an audience which included many Wl.lh]nmmm -side are, t‘;e nal::nf'.‘h:o'llmt P aqppotatingly devold of topi- cal wisecracks. Only one can be re- ‘membered—a reference to Mr. Volstead as a well known m.hnt,i.;..of“An American Tragedy.” Gene Zieg- feld’s inexhaustibly versatile chief song writer, writes the stirring bal- Jad for the mew show. It's entitled “Help Yourself to Happiness” and is de- signed to drive away the depression e, (Coprrishts 1951) 3 Re- | Wi ed | literally complicated affairs of our social de- velopment. Moreover, the Government is under the same moral obligation to be honest that is incumbent on the in- dividual and legislation ignoring ‘such principles and obligations, of which we have much, is faulty and should be re- vised. It should comprehend the natural rights of men and their equities. The legislation that is best for one of us is best for all of us because it would be honest legislation giving to every man the equivalent of the services he ren- ders and access to natural opportunities which are controlled by monopolistic enterprises. J. B. CHAMBERLAIN, ——on—s. Motorists 7Selfish, Pedestrian States | his To the Editor of The Star: A short time ago there was a letter on the editorial page of The Evening Star, in which the blame was all put on the pedestrian for acclaents and holding up traffic. How about the motorists who park themselves and their machines on the pedestrians’ right of way and impel the pedestrian to walk out of his way to get across the street, and how about the motorist who starts his machinz on the yellow light instead of waiting for the green light? Isn't the pedestrian’s time and nerves just as valuable as the motorist’s? ‘Why the mad rush? Why have hu- mans lost all altruism and common sense? . The writer is one of the many pedestrians who cross the streets of ashington, D. C. every day, and notices the indifference and selfishness of the motorist. M. R. STOTTLEMEYER. Patriotism Proves Boon of Public Life From the Pasadena Star-News. In the action of the trustees of Stan- ford University in extending until De- cember 31, 1932, the leave of Dr. Ray Lyman Wilbur as president of the uni- versity, so that he may continue to serve as Secretary of the Interior in President Hoover’s cabinet, the coun- try is given a notable example of ic- nunciation and sacrifice for the benefit of the Nation. Dr. Wilbur is needed at Stanford. Everybody conversant with the institution realizes this. But, Dr. Wilbur is needed more widely .and more pressingly as Secretary of the In- ?erlor.s{l’resldent Hoover sent an urgent to the trustees of his alma mater to make this sacrifice for the national . This plea was heeded broad-minded fashion. The an- nouncement of Stanford trustees men- tions their recognition “of the outstand- ing importance to the Nation of con- tinuing effectiveness of the completion of the services of Dr. Wilbur as Secre- tary of the Interior.” The American people too lightly es- teem the sacrifices thus made by men of great talents in giving services be- yond caiculation in value to the public for a mere pittance. During the World War many such men of diverse talents gave their services to the Na- tion as “dollar-a-year” men. - Dr. Wilbur is an important coadjutor of President Hoover in grappling with @ number of very serious problems con- tf:cg;t:ntnthé Demmnt gl the"y{:ll- A significant and grat! g that Dr. Wilbur is willing to renounce the more agreeable duties of president of Stanford University that he may go on with these gubm: services. This is sut amon, the nations of the warlfly ¢ The Squeal of the Loser. From the Kansas City Star. “Democracy,” Ne ker, who should know rhll.lt ;:"YD::- racy is stupid. Democracy chooses the worst element in soclety to govern it. ‘This cou:‘phlnt sounds suspiciously like that of & defeated candidate for public ice. ———— Greek Still Needful. From the Milwaukee Sentinel. Even if they were to abandon the dead languages, the ‘would have B T s o €1 e 2] ev: fraternitics. " ) ,n ‘This newspaper puts at your disposal a corps of trained researchers in Wash- ington who_ will answer questions for you. They have access to the Govern- ment departments, the libraries, mu- , gallerles and public buildings |and to numerous associations which maintain headquarters in the Nation's Capital. If they can be of assistance to you, write your question plainly and send with 2 cents in coin or stamps to s Evening Star Information Bu- reau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, ‘Washington, D. C. " Q What is a hebdomad?—M. E. A. It is a period of seven days—a Q. How many cathedrals are there in ! New York City?—P. B. A. There are three cathedrals—St. Patrick’s (Roman Catholic), the Cathe- dral of St. John the Divine (Protestant Episcopal) and St. Nicholas (Greek Orthodox). Q What was the name of the act- ress whom Richard Mansfield mar- ried?>—C. H. L. ing lady was Beatrice Cameron. Q. What is the national hymn of Belgium?—W. A. A. The Belgian national hymn fis “La Brabanconne.” Th2 music is by Francols van Campenhout (1780-1848). The words were written by Jenneval, a | Prench comedian, who was playing in a theater of Brussels when the rising took place which resulted in Belgium’s in- dependence from Dutch rule in 1830. Three other versions of “La Braban- conne” were written—one by Lonlay, in 1848, another by Campenhout and one by Hymans, in 1852—relating to polit- ical situations in those years. Q. How does Walt Whitman's “Leaves of Grass” rank in American literature? ~—M. L. A. Carl Sandburg say: “In certain particulars it stands by itself and is the most peculiar and noteworthy monu- erature. only established epic pcet of America. He is the single American figure that both American and European artists and critics most often put in a class or throw into a category with Shakespeare, Dante and Homer.” As opposed to this view, it should be stated that this same | volume still has its critics who claim that it is the most deeply damned book that ever came from an American printing press. Q. How long has mourning been worn? What colors other than black have been used?—M. E. A. The custom of wearing mourning is of the greatest antiquity. Allusion is made to it in the first chapter of Genesis, and throughout the Bible the shaving of the head, wearing of sack- cloth, the sprinkling of the body with ashes, the rending of the garments are mentioned. In China the mourning color is white. In early Egypt it was yellow; Ethiopia, brown; Turkey, violet. Q. What is the cosmic ray>—J. H. A. Since 1902 it has been known tha the air is being traversed by a form of radiation capable of discharging an electroscope and having a greater pene- trating power than X-rays. This radi- ation is capable of penetrating a lead block 16 feet thick. riments with i balloons indicate that it comes from | outer space, and it has been found that its intensity is independent of the solar Richard Mansfield's wife and lead- | ment amid the work of American lit- | * %+ Walt Whitman is the or sidereal time and of the latitude of the observer, and that therefore it does not come from the sun or any o lar region among the stars. The term aprlied to this radiation by Millikan is cosmic rays. (Its wave length is about 0.00001 Angstrom.) Dr. Millikan has suggested that these rays originate in the depths of space by the transforma- tion of radiation back into atoms. Q. When will the Jewish New Year come this year?—F. A. L. A. On September 12. Q. How many human beings are now being held as slaves?—A. J. H. A. Only an estimate is possible. There are probably about 5,000,000 or 6,000,~ 000. They are chiefly found in China, Arabia and Abyssinia. Q. What is the official name of Ger- many?—A. H. M. A."Deutsche Reich is the official Ger- man_designation of the Republic of | Germany. | Q. Please give a short quotation from | George Washington's writings showing | is attitude toward farming—R. F. S. A. “Agriculture is the most healthful, | the most useful and the most honorable | employment of man.” | Q. What proportion of the railroad | mileage of Europe is owned by the various governments?>—W. 8. H. A. Of the 227,581 miles of railway, 123,398 are state-owned. Q. Have the crown jewels of Ruula. | been sold?>—s. B. | _A. They have not.. They are carefully preserved in the Kremlin in Moscow. Q. What is meant by s pollarded tree>—N. B. A. A. The crown of the tree has been , removed to promote the growth of a dense head of foliage. Q. Is much oil produced in Great Britain?—B. G. H. A. Great Britain produced practi- cally 1o oil and the only country in- cluded in the British Empire producing gonsiderable quantities of ofl is British ndia. Q. Was Old Ironsides nsed in any glg;gcmenbs during the Civil War?— A. The U. S. S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) did not partake in any con- flicts during the Civil War. In 1855 sh> was laid up at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, but used sometimes as a training ship.’ In 1877 she was again partially rebuilt and took her last trip across the Atlantic the next year. Q. Is it true that salmon after run- nlng up a strcam to spawn return to thelr native haunts and die?—H. S. A. The only salmon that die after spawning are the five species found on the Pacific Coast of the United States. Salmon of the Eastern coast return to th> sea after spawning It has been found that any of the five Western species when transplanted in Eastern waters die after spawning. even though they spawn but a few miles from the sea. It is supposed this is to provide the | young fish with food, sinoce they do not 80 to sea for six months or a year after emerging from the egg. | Q. Which wing of the Capitol was | built first>—E. A. V. i ._The north wing of the Capitol was finished for the occupancy of Con- gress in 1800. The south wing was not completed until 1811, On Trip of A As the group of American mayors returns from its tour of France, which had been made on the invitation of the people of that country as an ex- pression of their gratitude for hospi- tality extended to the French aviators, Coste and Bellonte, during their visit to the United States, the comment of the American press is mainly directed | against the speechmaking propensities of the group. Some journals feel, however, that the criticism of mayors has been overdone. Political results of the trip are suggested, es- pecially in connection with James L. Key, mayor of Atlanta, whose reported anti-prohibition expressions have drawn much comment and whose welcome by home city, with parade and cele- bration. is deemed worthy of attention. “Excess in speechmaking, & trait so common in this country that it evokes only a tolerant smile,” according to the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, “can becol:: a rXapl uui.:‘aur,qit l: foreign countries. parently id. The good-will visit, in any case, turned out to be very much of an old-fashioned Junket. Now that it is over,” remarks the Bulletin, “it is plain that the Hon. Harry Mackey was well advised when he found that the press of public business gave him ample ground for courteous declination of a well meant invitation. Some of the mayors who went will be busy for some time with alibis and explanations.” “There were only two real speakers in the crowd, it seems, Mayor Baker of Portland, Oreg., elected chairman of the mayoralty delegation, and the mayor of El Paso, Tex., who preferred to keep still,” records the Indianapolis Star, ‘with the statement that, accord- ing to the representative of its own city appointed in place of its mayor, “there were 64 hours of speeches made on the tour. In that event,” concludes the Star, “the mayors must have been more than delighted to hear nothing but the lapping waves on the home- ward trip.” * Kok % “American mayors on tour are not bound by precedent, as the history of the trip shows,” states the San Fran- cisco Chronicle. That paper recalls that “uneasiness was stirred by greatly exaggerated reports that the right hand of one of the ors refused to lift an official glass, and that, to em- phasize his displeasure, the chief exec- utive of Los Angeles haa walked out on the toast to the two Presidents.” The Chronicle finds that the mayor corrects the misapprehension, stating as to this: “At the Havre banquet he had eaten all he wanted, listened to the speeches and, feeling in need of a little exercise, took a bit of a walk to help settle his dinner. Surely the French, who are a polite people, would not deny him that comfort.” As to Mayor Baker of the Oregon city, the Chronicle adds, “It may be confidently stated that his de- lay in coming home 1s not due to any repercussions from his famous s h which at once broke a precedent and the traditional silence the French ob- serve at the tomb of their Unknown Soldier.” “It seems clear,” remarks the Chat- tanooga Times, “that the mayors ac- quainted the French with America’s greatest three . industries — upholding prohibition, criticizing prohibition and making public speeches.” The Times recalls that Mayor Key's “heart was troubled” on the return, because “he had spoken with great candor about prohibition, declaring that he believed the majority of ericans did not want it, * * * but when he reached Atlanta he was welcomed with whistles, sirens and bands, and in the parade in his honor marched the Sunday school class of which he is teacher.” The seel knows Mayor prohibition.” jcludes that “the ‘dry South’ may be a misnomer,” and contends that “Mayor Key descrves credit for his mindedness.” The Springfie] Union thinks “his Key has the low-down on The Cleveland News con- Country Reserves Decision merican Mayor: Mayor Key is getting himself in line, apparently to be drafted as the first candidate for the presidency on a ticket sponsored by the League Against the Prohibition Amendment, Mayor Porter may be getting himself ready to be cammandeered as head of the Anti-Saloon League of America. What great oaks from little acorns grow! Who would have expected that from this little pleasure tour of municipal heads to the Continent there would flower two personalities so divergent as these? At home possibly Mayor Key's reputation as a dry was beyond sas- picion even of the' W. C. T. U. And who knows but' that at home in Los Angeles Mayor Porter has never yet heckled and bedeviled Californians be- cause of the quite good claret for which they produce the makings—the blushful Hippocrene so potent that even in de- pression times people on the Pacific Coast laugh through their tears?” Recognizing the force, however, of the denials mede by the returning mayors as to their actions abroad, the Newark Evening News states: “The mayoral party filed off the Ile de France in stald repudiation of the breezy tales which had skittered along the cable during their absence. Amer- ica knew all the time, in its great warm heart, that its mayors were up- holding the high traditions of dignity. It never doubted those yarns were made out of whole, or at least ap- proximately whole, cloth.” The Asbury Park Evening Press concedes that “most of them cautiously refused liquor as they were asked to participate in toasts abroad,” and that paper hopes they will find total abstinence just as easy to achieve in this country.” “All in all, we have before us just another argument for the city-manager form of government.” says the Mor- gantown Dominion-News. The Des Moines Tribune-Capital holds that “their critics would do well to be less censorious,” believing that “any Amer- ican who could tour France without a little loosening of the puritanical ties of his home town wouldn't be quite human.” The Charlotte News argues that “the party had been shot at from the time it left the dock at New York,” and states: “Responsibility for the spectacle rests with a French nation that proceeded on & false presumption. American mayors are by no means a homogenscus species. The only thing they hold in common is the key to their respective cities.” ‘Red Tape’ Keeps Balchen From U. S. Citizenship From the Charleston (8. C) News and Courler. Bernt Balchen wishes to be an Amer- ican citizen, but he is still a toreA&er. <5 the Balchen who crossed the North Atlantic with Admiral Byrd in an airplane and who flew with Byrd over the South Pole. Balchen entered the country June 23, 1926, and con- tz;ed; that his five-year period has ex- pi The commissioner of naturaliza in Washington haldlo o says, we have on the Balchen case, and to call spe- cific attention to the fact that Balchen Byrd claimed Little America for the United States by virtue exploration and expedition. fihry of the Byrd enterprise is Amer- . Balchen contrijuted an important share to the success of the wearies of the petty knots “red tave,” bat the mekers seem to £nd pleasure o i