Evening Star Newspaper, August 19, 1931, Page 8

{THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY. ..August 19, 1831 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Ly 8t snd :nfnkn'nh Ave, New %%: 110 and &t Shrobean Oce 14 Reyent B, Lo Rate by Carrier Within the City. ening 45¢ per month 80c per month Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. All Other States and Canada. iy and Sunday...|yr.$12.00: 1 mo., $1.00 ity o e I 1 Member of the Associated Press. Associated Press is exclusively ertitied h'E."uu,nr Tepublication of all news dis- Fieg " fhic-paper’ and olfo the'iocal Siews Bomtted B, Aot AunTehens! = Boosting 0il Prices by Bayonets. That the oil industry is in a bad ‘way, owing to overproduction and the ‘consequent lowering of the market price of the material, in various forms, is strikingly in evidence in the drastic measures taken in Oklahoma and Texas to shut off the supply of the raw prod- | uct. In both States wells have bcen closed to prevent further flow, the net result of these shutdowns being the curtaiiment of the country's daily out- put by about a million barrels. Already the effect of this curtallment upon the price of crude petroleum is being felt, some companies having advanced their rates twenty-five cents above the pre- ‘vious quotations. The goal of Governor Murray of Oklahoma, a dollar a barrel, 1s yet to be attained. The spectacle of State executives foreibly restricting production, with the use of the militia of their States to compel obedience, is not altogether a happy one. Just a few days ago a pro- posal to the Governors of the cotton States to bring about the destruction of one-third of the growing crop met with sufficient resistance to cause the idea to be abandoned. Yet they might, in certain political exigencies, have .given sufficient support to cause the sponsors of the plan to proceed, and, perhaps with milit~ry ald given by the Gov- ernors, to destroy the percentage of growing cotton estimated as necessary to restore the price to normal. The plight of the petroleum industry, arising from overproduction, is like that ‘which affiicts the. bituminous industry. ‘There are too many mines in propor- tion to the demand for soft coal. There are too many oil wells for the mainte- nance of the flow necessary to meet the needs of the market. A coal mine 15 easily developed, and there is a wide spread of bituminous. Expenditure of & few thousand dollars wHl bring soft coal to the surface and send it to mar- ket. Just so, a comparatively small sum spent in drilling in a rich ofl fleld will bring millions of barrels more to dollar graft in one of the smaller and less populous counties up-State may be as grievous a sin against the taxpayers as a hundred-thousand-dollar graft in the big town. And really and truly, proportion has nothing to do with the question of clvic morality. That, how- ever, is & hard proposition to get across to the average citizen. It they did but know it, the Tam- many people are making their case actually worse before the people even of their graft-hardened community by trying to show up the shortcomings of the Republican administrations of the counties up-State. They are assuredly making a poor face of it before the country at large. But then the Tam- many managers care nothing whatever for national sentiment, and but little for local opinion. Just so long as the law can be stretched or evaded to allow the pickings and the grabbings to con- tinue, let folks think what they like. They will probably vote right anyhow at the next election, or, if that one should go wrong, at the one following, in any event. R Conservatism in the Air. If Col. Charles A. Lindbergh has done | nothing else for aviation—and by h)s‘\ spectacular and daring trip to Paris in | 1927 he probably did more than any one man to give impetus to the devel- | opment of the. airplane—he has since | that time taught aviators a valuable lesson in conservatism and careful prep- | aration for all his flights. The seven- | thousand-mile “vacation” that Col and | Mrs. Lindbergh are now enjoying is| simply another illustration of his abil- | ity to plan carefully and then ran)" out his plans in an unhurried manner | THE EVEN. course, pertains to all explorations in the frozen areas, to polar resentch par- ticularly. There is no possiflity in human view of the interior of Green- land ever becoming commercinly im- portant. It is suggested by scientists as possible that/if the ice pack which now covers it d has covered it for millions of —which is the basis ‘of present soundings believed to be in the shsse of & gigantic bcwl-*would gradually rise when relleved of the incompuiable pressure of this mass. But even If it should rise quite clear from the ice, NG through the sheet, it would still pressnt no temptation to make it s place of habitation. And furthermore, that is (@ question, at the present rate of melt- | ing, that will not interest humanity fur several millenniums. i Geometriclans are still discussing the problem of trisecting a triangle v a cordance with the methods of Euclid Fortunately practical ways are devised which, though perhaps less sportsman. like in the eyes of scholarship, enabic big bullding to go safely on regardiess of the limitation of the school books. e Stranded elephants must be fed, n this time from the small boy’s hand i.!. of peanuts, but with hay by the bal The peanut represents voluntary con- tribution on a small scale. The bal: of bhay represents systematic and -um- cient supply as necessity demands. Habits of European diplomacy have become so fixed in certain lines that a nation finds it impossible to contemplate any settlement, however favorrble in that make a valusble demonstration of | PTocnt A8Pect, without & suspicion that ¥ tch in it somewhere, safety even on trips which involve great | O TSt be 8 ca % ! - ———— - dangers. The lesson that Col. Lind-| Ajaska seemed & long way off when bergh has been teaching in careful- | i was purchased by the United States, ness should be heeded by all fivers. | Thanks to the sirplane, even Russia, STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, WEDNESDAY, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. l { been derived from watching tomcats fighting. These interesting creatures have a technique all their own. | Napoleon's views about the value of | the under-cat can run away. were to melt the land | the offensive in battle might well have [a good cat fight is composed, as sug l In fact, tad, of almost equal parts running, flghting, and yowling. The yodling portion of the entertain- mert is always & duet, in which one The dog is a blunderbuss animal, in | cat takes the role of tenor and the comparison, evidently believing in the |other of baritone. arand assault. ‘Thet sither fights or runs. But h cats it is different. ‘The spectator can never tell which ane of the two animals standing nose to_nose is going to make the assault. | Neither can the cats. H * | With cats the battle is simply & mat- {fer of nerve, rather than fighting ability. | Size, of course, plays a part, but only w part. | , ypertence, too, enters in, but just enurs The victory always belongs to the one ‘hy Teaps first. That usually the largest cat makes e jump is nothing against our theory ifne battle tactics, after all. Being bigger gives the fellow more |nerve, just as it does with a human being. T The battle goes with the first leap. We have watched many cat wars, and ave never seen this strategy fail. If only some human being could work cut a plan of training fighting cats | whereby his own tom would make the | leap at the word of command, there would be nothing to the ensulng bat- ties, This genius would sweep the boards with his fighting cat. The real contest would come, sourse, when opponents learned the se- {n word was given. Then. 1o doubt, some code would have | 15 be drawn up, whereby the word would baw to te given simultaneously by ech master, so that the animals would | jumg together. TR We hope no one, reading here, will At the idea for a moment that cat asles are cruel In the first place, it was oniy after | exhaustive tests that his plane, on! which a new motor and new pontoons were installed, was ready for the getaway. Then there were last-min- ute preparations to be made here in Washington to insure the flying cou- ple no difficulties when they crossed in- | ternational boundaries. Next came the delay in the start from *h: National Capital. The Lindberghs wanted no trouble with their radio set, which ! falled to function in final rests here. Still unhurried and still careful *hat all details of plane and plan were workable, they finally made their de- parture and, by leisurely stages, with due regard to weather and other condi- tions, have proceeded to a point from which they are due in Japunese waters tonight. Even in faraway Petropaviovsk, Kamchatka, nine hundred miles from their next stopping point, st Nemuro, Japan, the safe-and-sane program has | continued. According to press dis- patches, the Lindberghs took off early in the morning for Nemuro, Japan, bit, after fiying only a few miles, the colonel’s sensitive ears dotected a slight motor trouble. Instead of going on, #s many others would have done, he promptly landed and, with a few min- utes’ work, made the necessary adjust- ments. Of course, not all fiyers, especially those who are seeking speed records the surface. Admittedly, the problem s a difficult one. There is, however, no assured remedy in political actions by State ex- ecutives, acting independently. It is more than a State problem. It is more than a national problem, indeed. Con- suitations bave been held between the oil producers and the Government, with- cut developing any dependable plan for regulation of the outflow to meet the demand and to prevent overproduction, and also, in the interest of the con- sumer, to prevent underproduction and consequent inflation of prices. The good cld law of supply and de- mand seems to be unequal to the imme- diate solution of this puzsling question of how to keep the two in balance. Per- haps that is because time enough is not given to let it work. The impatient #pirit of the day demands swift results, such as that of the jump of twenty-five cents in the price of “crude” following the clasing of the Okiahoma wells. But such a result i undependable for long continuance or for equitable effect upon all concerned. The additional dollars that are made in increased wholesale prices are coming from the pockets of | those who use the ultimate products. Are they not entitled to their claim for consideration? Should not the con- sumer, without whom the industry can- not exist, have the benefit of some more economic measure than the forcible | closing of wells at the point of the| bayonets of State militiamen at the or- | ders of politically-minded executives? | - | A popular impression that a night club is a place of harmiess gayety per-| #ists in spite of the fact that much of | for long distances, will take the time to wait on weather and the perfect functioning of their ships and motors. They will try to get through willy-nilly. But the Lindbergh way is the safest way and can be followed with profit by every adventurer in the ikies. Belle Case La Follette. In the chapter of Ameriean history written by the La Follettes of Wisconsin 2 good many pages must be reserved for the wife and mother whese unexpected death has removed a strong influence, no one knows how great, on the desti- nles of one of the Naflon's not-d fam- ilies. One who seeks for the real ro- mance that lles in life and in adven- turous battle would find it in the story of that meeting, many years ago, be- tween the ycung man and young woman students at the University of ‘Wiseonsin, both of them from log cabin homes in the backwoods, who cast their lot to. gether. And if there is suea a thing »: a happy ending, one may belleve that both of them found it. They have left & name in the hands of worthy sons. To these and other members of a devoted family circle, broken now again by th: death of “the counselor” is aympathy extended e There are no fears that Lindbergh is in danger of being halted by the Japa nese as a camera carrier. If there are any cameras around, the colonel him- | self is invariably selected for the cen- ter of the pleture. | - ——— | Greenland's Icy Mountains. | While Norway and Denmark are in| its parent country, now seems like a "here may be a great deal of pre- next-door neighbor. e ———— Occasionally feminine influence in politics worries some ultraconservaiive Briton until he is almost sorry that any- body ever got up to give Lady Astor a seat in Parliament. — - There is something almost pathetic in the dismay of the gangster in dis- covering at last that his pet lawyer is !not a superman and a fellow racketeer. e In seeking relief for unemployment. economists have as a rule fous it easier to point out what cannot in- stead of what can be done. - SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Sport. See them at the foot ball game; See them at base ball: Eager in the quest of famr, Heroes one and all; Sports on every hand are shared By the human race, Yet they're nothing much compared To the glory chase. Dark horse coming to the post; Pavorite looking fine; Though the purse be small at most, They're eagerly in line. Some will finish, some will fall; But in any case ‘The most wondrous sport of all 1s the glory chase. Exaeting. “Did you ever sanction vote buying?" “Never,” replied Senator Sorghum, with great emphasis. “I always made my workers understand that if I ever | heard of their buying votes it would show that they were crude performers who couldn't keep a secret and I wouldn’t have asnything more to do with them.” Forms of Utterance. “Money talks,” sald the readymade ‘No,” replied Mr. Dustin Stax, “money doesn’t talk any more. It has to be conxed to sing a little once in a while, like & grand opera prima donna.” Paradox. How oft the man of riches groans Because he can't see all he owns "Tis so because it was his law To own what e'ey by chance he saw. Availability. “I understand Crimson Guich has a “Yes,” replied Broncho Bob. “Coyote Joe's got the job. He's so unpopular anyhow that bein' sheriff won't make any difference in his local standing.” The General Demonstration. “Opportunity knocks at every man's door.” “Yes, " replisd Mr. Growcher: “but there is so much knocking going on | the publicity is given to questions of | dispute over the question of who owns | these days tht it's hard to make dis- how the fight started and who won it | ———— Pot and Kettle Politics. An amusing situation develops in the matter of the New York graft inquiry that is under way In Manhattan, with Tammany trying to get it broadened | to include Republican-governed com- | munities up-State. Specific cases are | carried 10 Gov. Roosevelt that have ! already been unearthed by the State controller, showing that in some of the counties Republican administrators have been lamentably lax and gener- ous and loose and bountiful with pub- lic funds. More power s wanted to| let the controller go deeper and further, unless the existing legislative investi- gating committee is itself commissioned by the Legisiature, which is to meet in extra session next week, to widen its power to include the grant of immunity, to go housecleaning through the State. Republican State leaders are not an- swering this ery of “tu quogue.” They are maintaining s discreet silence in respect to the delinquencies of thetr party associates in power in the up- State counties. They do not have w0 say anything, in fact, for the lssue is are at work endeavoring to measure | the great ice sheet which covers \h'~; tually the entire interior of the vast island. Prom the earliest times of ex- | ploration it has been recognized that | this ice pack Is & perpetual covering of | ‘he land, slowly moving seaward in glacier formation and creating bergs at | the coast line. But just how deep this | sheet is, which is to say, how high the | land rises in the interior, has been | merely a matter of speculation. The | area of this sheet is roughly computed | at 731,000 square miles. It has hereto- | fore been estimated to be at least 1.000 | feet in aversge thickness. The weight | of this continuous mass of ice has never been calculated because of the uncer- tainty as to the depth | A German expedition is now at work ' in an effort to measure the thickness | of the ice sheet of Greenland. The | method employed Is that of exploding deeply burled powder charges and de- termining the length of time required | Greenland, or a part of it, scientists | tinctions.” Had flis Good Points. Oh. Ananias was a man Of wickedness indeed. Perhaps he tried to tell the truth, But he did ne'er succeed. Stern disapproval of his way Posterity must nurse. Yet it is not too much to hint That ther: are others, worse. Of him with kindness let us speak, E'en though some cynic mocks He never went to selling tips On races or on stocks. “Sometimes,” said .Uncle Eben, “it pears to me ¢at politics is mos'ly made up of reformers dat has done backslid.” —— e r———— Satire, Tioss e um tww Merey s } In an address at the annual dinner of the alumni of Columbia Law School Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler sald that the United States Senate could re- Meve the incustrial &mfibfl The doctor is developing a gift for ironical for the vibration of the shots to be | expression. reflected back to the surface. A pre- liminary report has come from this experiment. the basis of twenty-five different meas- - A Rich Resonance. which indicates that on | From the South Bend Tribune If all the bootleggers would pay iheir income 'axes we might not have any public dedt. Hecinary caterwauling, and much yowl- ing st the moment of assault, but nite-tenths of it is noise. | Yi¥e have watched scores of these bat- | l-,lm and have yet to see a cat really at. The reason lies in the cat's secondary mitary motto: i, 'He who fights and runs away, will live to fight another day.” Their battles are thus cut-and-dried mieetings, one of the two using the prin- | ciples of the offensive with huge suc- cas, and the other invariably relying on the above precept with no less surety. * o ox “The oratorical contest which fighting cats indulge in is one of the most comi- cs] things in Nature Keep this fact in mind, when tempted in_the night there contests are veritable battles royal, in which speed, conflict and noise mix in_equel degree There is nothing quite as good ds a good cat fight. unless it be a fight, and the latter is too likel, deyenerate to the killing stage. | | more | still, dolny of | eret of inducing a cat to jump when the | Just why this must be so we have re is no bluff about the dog; it | rever been able to figure out, unless | tne challenger adopts the menacing low ovl, and the more timid the higher, querulous tone. The alternate sounds, often human in character, not always lead to bat- tle. This is one of the queer features of such affairs. Sometimes, after many minutes of this wordy duel, accompanied with much craning of the necks and tail switching, one cat will begin to retreat, stiff-legged, sideways. For some perfectly unexplained rea- son, the other stands his ground, mak- ing no attempt to lead the attack, and whac for so long seemed to be going to be a battle of the first proportions has turned out to be a perfect false * X X % The third major tactics of the cat, in battle, is to make a rear attack Even when standing nose to nose, hurling maledictions at each other, each cat is figuring out how he can out- flank the other. ‘The ethics of cat battle does not make it possible for the cat whose flank is being turned, as it were, to turn in his turr. No, he must stand perfectly no more than crane his neck to the side, while the other cautiously creeps sround to his rear. ‘This is the rule. You will never see cats waltzing around, in an attempt to keep face to face with each other. The law forbids it. Perhaps the fourth rule of their major tactics explains it. This requires that as so0n as attacked a cat must throw himself on his back and meet the enemy o | with 5 wenpons instead of one. to curse at the combatants in the alley | warriors, even of the | bave been known to fal Better it is to get out of bed and | The agility of cats and their thick sedk to locate the fighters, for some of | fur together account for tbe small God Dogs sometimes fight to the death, | talions, bu bur cats seldom, because almost always ' it the nerve to attack first. It thereiore makes little difference to a limbe- cat which way he is fac- ing. on his feet, after he gets on his | back on the ground, for thetg he is a whirling ball, with ciaws extended from each paw, and mouth wide gaping with white teeth. *xox o Queer as i may seem, the refuge of cat from cat is a tree. Whether the vanquished does not realize that his enemy can climb as well as he can we do not know, but if a cat can run up a tree, when chased by a cat foe, he will do so, in prefer- ence to any cther perch. No doubt he knows that it will be easy enough for him to box the oppo- nent down, if he is so determined as to attempt to climb up after him. Fear lends wings to the pursued cat, and invariably he runs faster than the victor. Perhaps the latter is wise, after all, and is not in too great a hurry to follow up his advantage. Human eatest caliber, in this, too. amount of damage which these fight- ers do to each other. Also they believe in another human maxim, that discre- tion is often the better part of valor. g00d dog | With them the biggest cat usually wins, y 10 | not only because. as Napoleon declared. is on the side of the heaviest bat- t also because its size gives WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS The final swan song of the Wicker- | sham Commission is being sung during | remaining August dog days. Three more voluminous compendiums | are heing disgorged from the Govern- | ‘ment Printing Office this week and next, and then the commission will be ready | to receive a final benediction at the hands of the President. The remaining volumes are respectively and respect- fully entitled, “Crime and the For- eign “The Causes of Crime." enough facts to satiate the most ravenous appetite for facts. Mr. Hoover's appetite on this score appears to have been long since fully satisfied. Indeed, it is explained at the White House that he has no comment to make because he has not {and will not read the reports—simply transmit them to Congress later on for the latter's information and guidance, As to the ecauses of crime—the com- mission throws up its hands in despair. Adminisiration eritics have charged that the $500,000 which the commis. slon cost was a waste of public funds, but this sum is less than one-eighth of i per cent of our annual budget. | Campaign pledges are seldom redeemed |50 cheaply. Contrasted with the Ped- | eral Farm Board, which cost $500,000 - | 000 (1,000 times as much), the Wicker- tham Commission has been a very in- expensive foible. . * o x By no means the least interesting phase of the complete collapse of the Parm Board proposal for voluntary destruction of one-third of the cotton now standing on the Southern planta- tions is the quick disclaimer forth. | coming from the White House in be. half of Mr. Hoover. The President is represented as having had no ad- vance notice that his Farm Board planned any such bold and question- able move. The inference is allowed to go forth that the board acted with- out consultation with the White House. | Furthermore, the President prudently withheld subsequent comment until the public reception of the proposal could be gauged In the light of the hostile reception and the ridicule and sarcasm which has been heaped upon this scheme for alleviating the glut of cotton Mr. Hoover has ample reason to be glad that he avoided any commitment. As mat- i ters stand the Farm Board, and the Parm Board alone, must stand the gaff | and be the goat. % % % The letter postage rate from the United States to Canada jumps from 2 cents to 3 cents and to the British Isles from 2 cents to 5 cents on Sep- tember 1. sccording to official an- nouncement_from the Post Office De- partment. Congress has no control over International postage rates, hence its peimission did not have to be secured. The Postmaster General's proposal to the last Congress, that domestic rates on letter postage be raised to 2%, cents, met s very ccol reception, and nothing came of it. The President failed to teke up the cudgels for it. It appears certain that Postmaster General Brown will renew his plea to the incoming Congress. He will be able io show a larger post office deficit than ever be- fore. The Federal Treasury will need all the relief it can get. It is esti- | mated that an increase in the domestic | letter postage rate would bring an addi- | tional $55.000,000 into the post Born,” “The Cost of Crime” and | Sho | pelling reason for the It Chairman Rsskob had any wish to relinquish the ¢ of the Democratic Natiknal Committee and, further, a desire snd power to pick his successor, doubtles he would be happy to promote to tae chairmanship his able lieutenant, Jcuett Shouse, who sces eye to eye with im on party pelicies and programs. Mothing of this sort is on the cards, howzver. It is more than probably that wien Raskob steps out use will retirt, too, and give the new | chairman, whomever he may be, a free | hand. It'ts taken for granted in Wash- ington political creles that the Demo- cratic organization will run along as now constituted until the Democratic convention next vear makes the nom- inaticn. That tken, as per inviolable tradition, the presidential nominee will pick a new man to run the campaign. Raskob was Al Smith's political protegs. e Gov. Murray of Oklahoma, having made the front pages of the newspapers from coast to coast by chasing corpora- tions out of his State, calling out the militia to close and open interstate bridges, shutting down the oil wells and shouting deflance of Federal Court In- junctions, Alfalfa Bill's hat is now in the ring for either the top or the tail place on next year's Democratic presi- dential ticket. - With his walrus mus- tache and rawhide boots and picturesque vocabulary, he is ever so much better newspaper copy than the now almost forgotten bald-headed and bespectacled Gov. Bryan of Nebraska (Brother Charlie), who wis given the Demo- cratic vice presidential nomination at Madison Square Garden in 1924, and is possibly Gov. Bryan's equal in intel- lectual attainment:. There was a com- Democrats to put Brother Charlis on thelr ticket, and to date no reason whatever for elevat- ing Alfalfa Bill. Democratic states- men at the Capital Jook upon the po- litical pretensions of the Oklahoma plainsman as a huge joke, but a Heflin made the grade to the Senate and Huey Long of Louisiana is on his way. * o ox o Disposal of their great estates by the ard-pressed landed gentry of Great Britain is no novelty, but sel- dom, if ever before, have they been advertised inf the real estate sections of the capital's dally newspapers. This week, one finest and largest of the estates in the Sccttish Highlands, offered for 3ale “by private treaty,” was blazoned on local advertising pages, perhaps in the hope that it would catch the eye and the fancy of Secre- tary Mellon or Secrstary of State Stim- son. Its owner is Lord Strathcona It comprises 48,000 acres of the ““wildest stalking lands.” with fish and game galore, three rivers and other natura appurtenances on a grand scale—in a word, & lovely gadget for that mythical personage, the American billionaire. Copyrignt r——— Easy Way Offered Of Dividing Triangle To the Editor of The Star: Less than a week ago I saw an article in your paper from a scientist saying (he had a new method of dividing a | triangie office | rically. into_three equ al t T thowed ‘5 Friendthis {and reduce the postal deficit by Just | eastly done as follows: | that much - o “The average year-old child creeps— | the average Z-year-old can run well— the child of 3 years is very active—the | 4-year-old is always on the | child of 5 years skips and danees.” climates furnace heating adds greatly to the family comfort. Every sort. Growing children need sunlight all the year around. In Spring and Summer the child who ys out of doors every sunny day &m of sunshine. When a child walk he is very unal.em | geametry into three ! “In | {msertl) To divide an isosoles triangle by parts insert an isosoles triangle of one-third size into the triangle to be divided. Other triangles of different angles can be put into three equal parts by ng three scparate triangles ea of which is one-third of the triangle to be divided. house can be fitted With screens of some | ALEXANDER SPOTTSWOOD DAND- RIDGE. Fly Around With Wife, From the Yakima Daily Republic of Lindy is Elbow Restipg Necessary. Prom the Miami Daily News. e e AT N B AUGUST 19, 1931. Engineer Ward Set the Brakes in Berwyn Wreck To the Editor of The Star: ‘The Star has evidently made an error in reporting the B. & O. grade crossing tragedy at Berywn, Md., in which two locomotive engineers lost their lives, on July 21, last. Another error was evi- dently made in reporting the findings of the Interstate Commerce Commis- sion Bureau of Safety relative to this | mccident and published in The Star of August 14. lished on July 22, stated that the tw engineers jumped from the flaming cab of the locomotive after the brakes had been applied. ‘The report, however, gave Pireman Lundy the credit for bringing the train to a stop after the engineers had jumped off. On August 14 The Star published the Interstate Commerce Commission inves- tigation and findings of this accident. This time The Star stated that the fireman_did not bring the train to a stop. Instead, he had attempted to leap at the same time as the engineers did, but was accidentally knocked down in the engine cab, where he remained until the train stopped. Quoting The .Star of August 14, “The report also hrought out for the first time that the train was brought to a stop by C. B Owens, an engineer riding in the bag- gage car, and who boarded the engine and fought his way through flames in the cab after Ward and Walters had started by blazing gasoline from the tanks of the automobile.” Describing the air brake in the brief- est, form, there is & pipe running from the locomotive throughout the length of the train, coupling being made by rubber hose from locomotive to car and from car to car. This pipe is called the air brake train pipe. When the locomotive is first coupled to a train of cars the train pipe is charged to a pressure of 90 pounds from the air compressor on the locomotive. As long as this pressure of 90 pounds is main- tained in the train pipe, the brakes stay off the train, but any reduction of pressure in this pipe causes the brakes to apply on both locomotive and train. A light reduction cf pres- sure causes a light application of the brakes, while a quick and heavy reduc- tion causes the brakes to go on full | force, commonly called emergency ap- plication. The locomotive engineer can reduce the train pipe pressure by his brake valve in the locomotive cab, thereby applying the brakes either lightly or in emergency, as he may see fit. There is also a valve in each passenger car which enables the conductor or train- man to reduce the train pipe pressure, and thereby apply brakes to locomotive and cars if occasion demands il. A burst air hose, a burst train pipe or accidental uncoupling of the loco- motive or cars allows the train pipe pressure to escape and causes the brakes w0 apply automatically and stop the train, or the several sections of it in case the train parts accidenially. Now, when a locomotive engineer of a fast passenger train sees impending danger ahead, such as another train on the same track, a burning bridge, a washout, or an automobile stalled on a grade crossing, etc., and he wishes to stop the train in the quickest possible time, he simply moves the handle of the engineer's brake valve to emergen- cy position and leaves it there. (The valve will stay in emergency position without being held there.) He does not even have to shut off his engine, as the brakes are so powerful that no engine can pull a train with the brakes fully applied. If the rails are wet from rain, snow, frost or dew, the engineer's sand valve may be opened to sand the rail and prevent locomotive and car wheels from sliding. You have read of the brave engineer who rode his to his death in a wreck. In the stories he is made a hero. But the experienced locomotive engineer and the practical railroad man know that it requires a half second to slip the engineer's brake valve into emergency position and half a second to open the engineer's sand valve, both Jocated convéniently in front of the en- gineer in the locomotive cab. After this is done, no more can be done by any one on the locomotive or the train to hasten the stop. It is immaterial whether the engineer rides his engine to a full stop or whether he looks for a nice soft place to land and jumps off. A modern passenger train such as the Columbian, running on & straight and level track at 50 miles per hour. will come to a full stop ordinarily in about 1,500 feet (a quarter of a mile) after the engineer’s brake valve is put in_emergency position. In th: fi"'ltdy of the Columbian at Berwyn it appears plain that Engineer Wward applied the brakes in emergency before his engine struck Miss Thomas' stalled automobile. The train was fast coming to & stop when the automobile was struck. The punctured gasoline tank of the automobile threw a spray of gasoline over the front of the loco- motive which ignited and the flames | swept back through the engine cab to such an extent that the engine crew could not stand it. All three endeav- ored to jump off, but fortunately for the fireman, he was knocked down in the engine cab and the train came to a stop before he made a second attempt to jump. FEngineer Ward stopped the train, al- though it did not come to a full stop until after he had jumped to his dcath. It would not have been necessary for any one to fight their way to the flam- ng cab to stop the train even if Engi- neer Ward had not set the brakes. ves through- out the train that could ha to stop the train if the engineer had failed in his duty. Let this brave engineer have full credit for doing his full duty. JOHN R. EDMONDS, Locomotive Engineer. eoni il Shoals | Bids on Muscle Seen Informative Only| From the New York San. i The Muscle Shoals Commission has invited numerous organizations to sub mit bids for leasing and_operating Muscle Shoals plants, Discussing the request, Col. Joseph I. McMullen said the bids will be informative only, since the commission has no authosity to| | dispose of the business, but must sub- mit recommendations to President Hoo-] ver. At least two organizations of | farmers are expected to make propo- | sals. | The | invitations specify that the | of fertilizer production and of agri- culture.” These are qualifications that theoretically limit the uses to which Muscle Shoals may be put. Since hydro-electric power, and not the man- ufacture of fertilizer, is likely to be the only profitable output to be expected there, the restriction would segmingly discourage bidding by power compani However, as Boulder Dam has aiready proved. it is by no means impossible to masquerade a hydro-electric power scheme in the guise of flood control, development of navigation or some oth- er ostensible purpose that is not the | major purpose. The commission will | know it has heard from its invitations. ‘Whatever the outcome of this experi- ment, Col. McMullen promises that recommendations will be submitted to the President by the time Congress meets. As the commission represents Federal Alabama, Tennessee and the Government, its approach to the iem will be different from any heretofore made. If it does get a satisfactory offer to lease Musecle Shoals its work will be simpiified. Just pow there sesems little likelihood that Muscle Shoals can be prevented from resuming its role as a troubler of con- gressional peace. ———— Town to Leave Voleano. From the San Antonio Evening News. will g _avoid volcano.” ‘The Star’s account of the crash, pub- | jumped to escape a fire which had been | { ‘Take advantage of this free service. If you are one of the thousands who have patronized the Bureau, write us again. If you have never used service, begin now. It is maintained for your benefit. Be sure to send your name and address with your ques- tion. and inclose two cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Address The Washington Star Information Bu- reau, Frederic J. Heskin, Director, Washington, D. C. A spitball were permitted to continue to do so, but new pitchers in the major leagues could not. Seventeen pitchers were thus exempted, but the number bas now dwindled to four, three in the National League and one in the Amer- ican, Q. How long is the Akron supposed to fly without refueling?—D. H. A. It is built to be ablé to fly over fueling. Q. Who drew the cartoon of Roose- velt on horseback, waving farewell as he started off on the long trall, pub- lx.sged at the time of Roosevelt's death? D A, Jay N. Darling. Q. What would be a good route for a motor trip from Washington through the Shenandoah Valley and return? How long would it take?—S. D. E. A. Proceed via Pairfax Court House and Middleburg to Winchester, and thence down the Shenandoah Valley, through the famous cavern region of Virginia, to New Market, Harrisonburg, Staunton, Lexington (seat of Wi o Bridge. Returning to Staunton, cross the mountains to Charlottesville, seat of the University of Virginia. Nearby are Monticello, home of Thomas Jef- ferson, and Ashlawn, where President James Monroe lived. "There are numer- ous Civil War battlefields and many fine old Virginia estates that may be viewed, and Richmond and Fredericks- the | ples coalesce into one, th Q. When was the rule made agalnst | ::Dltglll pitching in the big leagues?— In 1920. Pitchers then using the | 10,500 miles at 50 m.p.h. without re- | ton and Lee University), and Natural | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. | stretches the surface of the water, | forming & dimple. When the tw6 parti | cles come close enough the two dim- the par- | ticles together. The due to | surface tension, in virtue of which the | surface is constantly to reduce | its exposed area to a m um. | Q. what did James Hasen Hyde re- ceive for the juitable Life Insurance | Company when he sold it to Thomas F | Ryan?—K. L. A. Hyde received $2.500,000 for 502 shares, a majority of the Equitable | stock. Q. What is the Holy Grail>—D. A A. According to Jegend. it is the cup which the Savior blessed and passed | to His disciples at the Last Supper. Q. How near completion was the | Mystery of Edwin Drood when Dickens died?—E. P. A. This novel was to have been com- pleted in twelve monthly parts, but only about six were written when he died. Q. What was the first historics made in the United States>—L. A. Will Hays says the first historic films made were those of President Mc- Kinley's inauguration. | Q what kind of a | Japan>—W. K. R. | A. Since Japan extends through | nearly 30 degrees of latitude, it neces- | sarily has a great range of climate. In | the south the climate is sub-tropical; in ; the north it is extremely cold. The southern islands have high temperatures | in the Summer 2nd no snow or ice in | the Winter. In the Kurile Islands the | snow and ice never entirely disappear. Kiushu and Shikoku have a moderate | climate. Q. How does the United States com- |pare with other countries as to death | rates?—E. H. | A. Tt ranks tenth. Nine other coun- tries have lower death rates. New Zea- land has the lowest death rate. | Q. Could & photograph be considered ‘l document?—R. T. L A. - An authenticated photograph { al film 8% climate has burg may be visited in completing the | might be a document in the legal sense | plants must be operated “in the interest o fifim ithorities are o have no choice but to fol return to Washington. This trip can be made in two days, but' more would be desirable. | Q What is Kid Chocolate’s | name?—L. A. E. : A. His name is Eligio Sardinias. He ‘;vns born in Havana, Cuba, in January, 907, Q. What is a quadruplex?—F. H. | A It is a set of electrical instru- | ments and apparatus, invented in 1874 lbyhl'rho'mu A‘. mfl, by means of which four telegraphic messages may ultaneously direction. real | be sent and received sim over {one wire, two in each Q Is Willa Cather a westerner?— G. F A. Miss Cather was born near Win- chester, Va., but lived in Nebraska from the age of nine until after her grad- ultll:n from the University of Nebraska, in 1895, Q. Is there an organization of athe- ists in_this country?—J. H. G. |, A There is an organization with the | title. the American tion for the Advancement of Atheism. Q. When two small objects are float- ing near each other in a basin of water why are they suddenly drawn together as if by a magnet?—J. T. A. The Bureau of Standards says that the weight of the floating particles time | | of the word. Q. Is there any state in which there |is a traffic law against slow driving | of motor vehicles?—F. G. T. | A. West Viriginia has such a law, | providing that “it shall be unlawful for | 8ny person to unnecessarily drive at such a slow speed as to block the nor- mal and reasonable movement of traf- | i | | fic, except when reduced speed is nec- | essary efpott safe operation or because | truek or truck and trafler jor in compliance with the law proceed- |ing at & slow speed ' Q. When taken into the Union Army uflnm | Civil War?—H. J. In August, 1862 lina to enlist 5000 volunteers of “Afri- can descent.” ¥ Q. Why isn't rustiess iron or stain- butlding construction? .__It has been Introduced and mod- | ern builders are employing it for many [ ey 3 ago the | of the ?—C. | A This custom was begun in the {time of Thothmes I and was continued | upon a grade or when the vehicle is & were the first A , when Secretary of War $tanton called on South Caro- less steel used in ~E. R. . How did ;..efinu bn&mn-lmmm. nr;g:: LB, 'to about 1000 B. C. Is Subject terested comment try, with attention focussed charges of cruelty, which brought a re- ply from Secretary Doak of the De- partment of Labor. Sentiment seems to be divided as to the efficlency shown by the degartment officials, and there are also differences of opinion as to the need for the creation of a Board of Alien Appeals, favored by the com- mission “Of the vagaries of some of Mr. Doak's subordinates and the stupidity of some government agents there can be no doubt,” declares the Harrisburg Telegraph. The St. Joseph Gazette sees in the record “the old story of red tape strangling common decency.” though it believes “there shauld be no dispute as to the charge that deportation laws | are too inflexible,” and voices the “hope that the report will hasten the correc- the way.” The Gazette believes that “rigid rulds in a matter like deportation are bound to work hardsbips that ‘vio- late the plainest dictates of humanity’ | “Many aliens undoubtedly get into | the country contrary to the provisions of the immigration law, and many, after they get here, forfeit their right to remain,” concedes the Omaha World- Herald, but that paper holds that “the methods pursued in detecting them and in enfq the law upon them should be consonant with the ts of man and with the principles t are pre- sumed to characterize American law and American justice.” The Charlotte News agrees with the position that “a strong objection to the deportation process is the fact that one agency, and often the same inspector, as informer, resting officer. ing pointing out that “the pi centrates authority over human rights and liberties in a single administrative n?ency which is not bound by the or- dinary rules o(.evldenu," * x x ““What the deportation laws need,” in | News, “in the light of the Wickersham report, is the prescription of methods, the provision of machinery and the safeguarding of their administration that will insure strict Juflb" to the sential ‘right’ of the Nation to protect i the undesirables cratic officiousness” be stamped out. “If the report leads to the softening of the law's rigidity, which at times has resulted in cruelties unavoidable under the existing statutes,” says the San Francisco Chronicle, will ment is, in the main, as wholesome as it is necessary. y stances arise which result in the ing up of families or tice to innocent persons. The aut not to i statute. Congress may remedy this defect. Si i me better what can be done after tions that Mr. Doak indicates are on | the opinion of the Newark Evening | the es- | Efficiency in Deportations of Wide Debate | imported here. The Jif 1 3 he ., wealthy, tremendously ’ouw‘ duce a system of laws to stop gang! from committing open murder or carrying on a ruthless massacre on the public streets?” The Lexington Leader t.l.le:d Lhe(posl!h)n: ‘I'(The Nation has aj ved of Mr. Doak's execul of the statutes. m see the country combed for all those |who have illegally gained | who have violated the laws.” “It is clear enough that there must be no let-down in the enforcement of the law.” avers the Charleston (W. Va.) Daily Mail, while the Manchester Union, observing that in most of the Wicker- sham reports “there has been | on the necessity of improving the qual ity of the personnel of the branci of the public |ity of existing bureaus' personnel was | raised. the creating of mmwmml | agencies would not be ‘The New York Sun adds that “Con- gress is far more likely to amend the existing Jaw where it is found to be oppressive in a considerable number of |cases; and it is even more likely to seek to strengthen the law to prevent | admission of undesirables.” The Louis- { ville Courler-Journal, on the other hand, is convinced it ‘“such & tribunal | hting the wrongs the present re.’ are- seel residents, it is time to provide it." : Workers’vSlock ‘Losses Not Employers’ Fault | To the Editor of The Star: been encouraged to buy. This article refers to emplqyes' stock subscription plans which many corpo- rations have put in operation, the ob- ject being to extend to employes the o] to n