Evening Star Newspaper, November 20, 1931, Page 8

T A-8 THE EVENING STAR it Sundey Morning Bdiin. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY. November 20, 1931 THEODORE W. NOYES. ... Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company “v'l“fl’é“"‘:hl?!yl nia Ave. ropean o&'e’-:‘u n-u-fim .. London. nglan Rate by Carrier Within the City. 45¢ per month 60c per month 5 ¢ +..65¢ per month Se_per copy 1 monf ‘telephone | and Sunday Siar 5 s Sundays) Sundey Star B Collection made at the end of ers may he sent in by mail Ational 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. v an: 10.00: 1 .. B8¢ Efl ke .00 1 mo.. S0 ndas ohis 4 1y and Sunday...1yr.$1200- 1 mo. $1.00 s Say C7E e e e ndey only 1¥r. $500: 1mol B0c Member of the Associated Press. s 15 exclusively entitled for republication of all “ews Cis- bes credited fo it or ot othermise cred- ted 1n this paper and also the local news published herein. Al riehts of publication of #pecial dispatches herein are also 1eserved Signor Grandi's Yisit. ‘Washington has not irf years been privileged to entertain a more captivat- ing foreign personality than Dino Grandl. If the world is gradually ccm- ing to conduct its international affairs through personal contacts between statesmen, the more Gandis Wwhom governments intrust with their discus- sion, the better for understanding and friendship among nations. On all hands Mussolini's foreign minister leaves an impression of frank- ness, ability and attractiveness which are powerful weapcns in the arsenal of & man charged with the duty of win- ning confidence for his country and appreciation of its aspirations. Prince von Buelow, one of the former German Kaiser's chancellors, remarked that his principal job was to repair the inter- national windows which William II was accustomed to break. The analogy, of course, is not exact, but there can be no doubt that when Dino Grandi goes traveling in foreign parts as Italy's spokesman he is admirably qualified to mend some of the fences which now and then are blown down by II Duce’s oratorical high explosive. Fascism is bound to look different in American eyes after they have surveyed at close range the well poised representative whose acquaintance they are now priv- 1leged to make. ‘The joint statement issued last night by President Hoover, Signor Grandi and Secretary Stimson, at the conclu- ston of the Italian foreign minister's wvisit, s happily less vague than the masterpiece of ambiguity produced on the eve of French Premier Laval's de- parture a month ago. Perhaps the most definite and conclusive statement in it 1s the one referring, inferentially, to the PFranco-Italian naval controversy. “We believe that the existing under- standing between the principal naval powers can and should be complete@,” the three statesmen join in saying. Thus America and Italy pool' their view, and their determination, to con- vert the Three-Power Pact for naval limitation into the five-power treaty originally designed. Messrs. Hoover, Grandi and Stimsoh then link the Italian foreign minister's initiation of the existing one-year naval building truce with “the great opportunity for the achievement of concrete and con- structive results presented by the forth- coming Geneva conference for limita- tion of armaments.” It was not the purpose, the joint com- munique sets forth, to “reach .any particular arrangements” while Signor Grandi was in Washington. His pres- ence here rather was utilized “for a frank and cordial exchange of views respecting the many problems of world importance in which Italy and the United States are equally interest: From that standpoint, it is only pos- sible to speak of the Grandi conversa- tions as having achieved ungualified success. The young Fascist leader hails from the Rome of which it is immortally said that it was “not built in a day.” In this unceasingly troubled world, time is the great builder. The wisest of statesmen can only hope to My the bed- rock on which structures looking to peace can be solidly reared. In that direction, it is gratifying to reflect that Signor Grandi accomplished funda- mental results in Washington. The American people will hope that the final week of his agreeable sojourn in our maidst will be days of unalioyed joy and usefulness. - i —— S | “Propaganda” is inevitable snd often | wvaluable for information that it may disclose more or less. inadvertently. PSS The Spokesman. Senator Hiram Johnson sets himself up as spokesman for the “rank and file! of the Republican party.” view in Chicago written in his own hand the California Senator asserts that the decision of former President Calvin Coolidge not to be & candidate for Presi- dent next year entitles him to the; highest praise of the American people and that if President Hoover woul make a similar decision, Mr. Hoover would win the undying gratitude of the party. All of which sounds rather like sour grapes, coming from Mr. Johnson In the first place, Calvin Coolidge sccu- pled & place which might well have come to Mr. Johnson himself had he seized opportunity by the forelock when it presented itself in Chicago in \1920.; In the second place, Mr. Johnson has seen another Californian thap himseif. Mr. Hoover, placed in the White House by the votes of the American people. ‘The “rank and file” of the Repub- lican’ party has not followed Senator Johnson in the past. He was disas- trously drubbed in the early primaries ot 1924 by Mr. Coolidge, whom he now congratujates upon taking himself out of the presidential picture for next year. | the merits of a jurisdictional dispute " | rarely careful of themselves, and as a | this city and crashed into the side of & N ‘mn year. Bo far, except for sharp I-eucks upon President Hoover and his policles, the California Senator hss made no move in the direction of the presidential nomination. Perhaps he is nct quite willing to leave the decision in this matter to the rank and file of the Republican party after all. In his own State, a primary election will be held testing the prefersnce of the Re- publican voters for their presidential candidate next year, at which the rank and file are permitted to vote. There, it any place, Senator Johnson migh be willing to put the matter to the touch, if he really belleves that the rank and file cf th> party would be so delighted to ditch Mr. Hoover. Perhaps Mr. Johnson will finally’ be willing to make the race, to offer himself as a sacrifice on the altar of the Republican Up to the present, however, his 1 that he be- come a presidential candidate is “Stop kidding me.” If Mr. Hoover is to retire gracefully from the fleld es now sug- gested by Mr. Johnson, in whose favor is the retirement to be made? Mr Jchnson's? - The Edith Riley Case. The father and the stepmother of the child Edith Riley have been in- dicted by a grand jury, arraigned and entered their pleas ofi not guilty. In due course, the matter of their guilt or innocence of the charge of cruelty will be passed on in the dispassionate at- mosphere of & court of justice, where everv effort will be made to present the facts in as tragic & case as was ever brought to the attention of this com- munity. | Until that time matters will rest as they are. Edith's brother has been placed temporarily in the care of an aunt. Edith herself is in Gallinger Hospital, under the observation of physicians and psychiatrists. An older sister is ltving with her grandmother. But when this matter has been dis- posed of, in so far as concerns the gullt or the innocence of the parents, atten- tion should be given by Congress to the unfortunate differences of opinion be- tween the Board of Public Welfare and Judge Kathryn Sellers of the Juvenile Court which arose long before this Riley case, which have played a part in the handling of the Riley case, and which will continue to exist until there is & final adjudication of the matters at issue. It is not necessary here to go into between the Juvenile Court and the Board of Public Welfare, and it should be stated that both sides in the con- troversy have bowed to the law as it is written and which defines the juris- dictions. But as long as a difference of opinion exists as to the proper method of handling the work ef inves- tigation of family cases involving the disposition of children, and the disposi- tion of the children after investigation and proceedings in the Municipal Court, the community cannot expect that degree of sympathetic co-operation be- tween these important municipal agen- cies that it should demand. The com- munity as a whole suffers little in comparison to the dangers that con- front the unfortunate children. It is in behalf of the children that efforts should be made to reconcile differences of opinion as to proper policy. There is no occasion to “investigate” the Board of Public Welfare, in the sense that the word is ordinarily used in the head- lines, or the administration of the Juvenile Court. The matter needs the sympathetic study of men and women who have devoted their lives to this sort of thing and the final action of Congress in reindorsement or-amend- ment of the law. ol S Scooters, Skates and Traffic. One of the most dangerous of traffic Lazards in every large city is that of children playing in the streets, and even those who, not at play, are engaged in crossing the thoroughfares. They are rule they move impetuously and with little regard for the state of things be- tween curbs. Consequently a large per- centage of victims of motor cars sre little ones who are hit by drivers who are unable to prevent collision because of the unexpectedness with which the youngsters appear in their tracks. Par- ents are constant in theéir injunctions to the children to avoid congested places and to “stop, look and listen” before attempting to cross the streets, and especially not to use the streets as play- grounds. Still the children dart in and out of traffic Janes and endanger them- selves recklessly. The other day a boy of twelve, riding on a scooter, dashed out of an alley in mail truck, receiving severe injuries. The driver of the truck could not pos- sibly be held accountable for the mis- hap. The scooter is a frequent cause of trouble in the streets. Children using them make high speed on the sidewalks, to the peril of pedestrians, and cross streets on them with little regard for In an inter- i the risks involved. They are to be con- sidered & distinctly dangerous “vehicie.” ny children become quite | expert in their use, but they are never out of danger when they use them in the streets. This is the same peril that attended the use of roller skates in the earlier times, when youngsters swerved jabout on sidewalks and pavements, |causing and becoming the victims of many grave accidents, ——————— His experience as a journalist is em- phasized by Grandi, who proves that {he still has the art of preparing copy Iwhich will not lead to any serious de- mands for censorship. —r—e—s Athletics and Alumni Aid. Recently the alumni and student body {of Columbia University in New York i have been greatly stirred by attacks in | & student publication upon the practice of subsidizing foot ball players. Feeling has run high on the subject, the editor of the publication being threatened with drastic treatment if he persisted. He 1 Still earlier, in 1920, when Senator Johnson was a candidate for the Re- publican presidential nomination, he ‘was unable to make the grade, despite his claim that the rank and file backed him then. The G. O. P, if Senator Johnson's elaim that the rank and file see as he sees and feel as he feels, must indeed be made up of officers and eaders. some quarters Senator Johnson has strongly urged to run the Re- can presidential nominal again has continued, however, in his demands for the examiration of the books of the alumni association, which he charges with maintaining substantial subsidies for star performers on the university team. Now comes Dean Gauss of Princeton College in a magazine arti- cle indorsing the strictures of the Co- lumbia Spectator unon the maintsnan~e | of university foot ball upon a practically professional basis, his article being headed “"Our Professional Foot Ball Amateurs,” Dean Gauss gives incidents of alumni subsidising of athlietes with- THE EVENING out the knowledge of the colleges, and in some cases without the knowledge of the athlete himself. He cites the case of an alumnus who raised the salary of one of his employes whose son was a highly competent fullback; he nctes a halfback who was manager of a student store, and whose revenue came from kind alumni friends, who would give & ten-dollar bill for a five-cent cigar and tell him to keep the change; he refers to a third star piayer who received a monthly retainer from a gentleman who was intent upon holding the young man's services in order that he might manage | & farm four years later, Dean Gnuss declares that thesc practices prevail in institutions that escaped the censure of the Carnegie Foundation bulletin on {'Ool ball last year, which raised a lively storm In educational-athletic circles This re- grettable situation, he says, is the natural outcome of “our national psy- chology in regard to athletics,” and “even professors must endure it with what patience they can command un- til such time s public and alumni opinion hes been thoroughly recon- structed.” When Chief Justice Hughes was Governor of New York, says Dean Gauss, he made a statement to the effect that “we cannot expect to have an honest horse race until we have an honest human race” The implica- tion of dishonesty in the maintenance of college and university athletics con- veyed by this quotation is likely to cause Dean Gauss' comments to be even more widely read and more sharply discussed than was the Carnegie Foundation bulletin in 1930. - A Kingdom Lost So Soon. ‘When little Louise Corbin, from Cor- bins Hollow, in the mountains, saw the city lights for the first time, she turned to her teacher and asked, “Ain't this the Kingdom of Heaven?” And while Thomas R. Henry, who wrote about Louise and her compan- ions for The Star, does not, tell us what the teacher said in reply, bne must be- lieve that, things being what they are, it was “No, Louise, this is not the King- dom of Heaven.” But one may well believe there was & catch in the teach- er's voice when she said it. Disillusion- ing a child is no pleasant duty. And here was Louise, whose world and whose life heretofore had been encompassed by the peaks of the mountains. And at the end of this, her first journey over those peaks and away from home, she found a place where it was light as day, though the sun had gone down, and where great ropes of jewels that glit- tered like gold were strung along streets smooth as velvet and where there re- many other marvelous and beauti- ful things for & little girl to see. It is too bad that Louise, at the age of eight, has learned that her Kingdom of Heaven is, after all, only & city. And it is still worse to know, had she not been told, that she would so soon have found it out herself. v Battleships of the air reveal possibil- ities of devastation regardless of old- fashioned navies, which should satisfy the most acute imagination in sug- gesting terrors in the event of renewed war. -t As Manchuria becomes more con- spicuous in political geography, a glance at the map should disclose 10 Russia that she already has as much territory as one government could be expected to administer successfully. —— e An Italian visitor is indeed distin- guished when he can impress the greatness of his country strictly on lines of statesmanship, without inci- dental references to poetry, pictures or grand opera. e I - o Such is the fascination of the films that some of the outsider fans appear anxious to make their divorce proce- dures appear as much like Hollywood scenarios as possible. ———r—ee— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Lazy November. Summer days brought dreamin’ ways. We've got a plan that's new To give to dreams their proper praise And loaf the whole year through. Though foliage sere must disappear, A soft and balmy clime Sends invitations far and near To loafing all the time. From care all free, at last we’ll see New economic pow'r, Since loafing is at last to be The order of the hour. Liking for the Camera. “Don’t you get tired of being photo- graphed?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum. “My moments with the camera are the happy occasions all too brief when 1' feel sure that my public expression lll not going to get me into trouble.” Jud Tunkins says you may stop some people workin' so hard, but he doesn't believe you can ever do it with bill collectors. Abstruse Subject. My reasoning is quite misfit. I'm a sorely puzzled elf. But if I keep explaining it, Perhaps I'll understand myself. Gone Scientific. “Agriculture is now a science,” said the professor. “I reckon,” said Farmer Corntossel, “I'm willin’ to go the limit. I can make as much profit studyin’ the sky with & telescope as I can goin' over the fleld with a plow.” i “Honors undeserved,’ said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “are like resplendent raiment which loses its beauty because it is in-Atting.” Distinguished Visitor. A gentle visitor we see And cordially with him agree ‘Because he is polite and kind And pothing seems ta have in mind ‘Which might by any chance create Discord in our harmonious state. And ho, how happy we'd remain, Resolved we'd nevermore complain, If all yofir folks at home we knew ‘Were peaceable and kind, like you. “Satan,” said Uncle Eben, “gits eredit for temptin’ some men dat he jes' let 80 deir own wag withokt interferepce.” STAR, WASHINGTON, 15 2 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Can & human being learn more than one lesson from a squirrel? This rodent’s habit of burying nuts for the Winter hay long been an ex- ample of foresight. A correspondent of this column, however, believes that the squirrel also teaches ‘something else, to wit, perse- verance He says: “An act of perseverance on the part of & squirrel I noticed yesterday, in our back yard, and I wished at the time a camera could have taken the details, bm_xg‘l @rand lesson to human beings. “This squirrel was on a high limb of a tree and was trying to gauge the dis- tance to jump onto a fence post below the limb. “It tried and tried, balanced on the limb, seeming ready to jump, but ceuld | not make up its mind. “After s few minutes the squirrel ran down the tree to within a foot of the ground—paused—ran back up the tree to the same limb where it had falled to make the jump— “Sat In the crotch of the limb for a second (thinking?), ran on to the original point on the branch, jumped immediately, landing on the fence post. “The fmpact of its body and claws I could hear from quite a distance, as T was watching the squirrel through opera glasses. “If fhe squirrel had fallen on the | jagged fence no doubt its body would h been torn, from the sound made. ‘The squirrel could have come down and climbed the fence within a few | feet of the tree, i tho idea seemed to be to make t1iat -special jump.” ok ok Few who have watched squirrels but will be willing to concede that they h-(\;. mu:st:;‘( their own. o e o ese is to tight- alon the telephone wires. e i ‘When we first noticed a squirrel do- ing this stunt we thought he had got out on the wire by mistake. Probably, we thought, he wanted to cross the street, and had decided to make a safe passage above traffic. ‘Thers he was, teetering along, sliy ping, catching himself with his claw balancing himself along the wire for a fe;l; more feet, slipping, catching him- self— Surely he could not be enjoying him- self, we thought. al‘ht there we were very much mis- n. Not only was that particular speci- men having a great time, in a highly approved arboreal rodent fashion, bus | all squirrels indulge in wire walking | because they like it. oy They even smile when they do it! We fancy now that there is some sort of dare or bet on among the squirrels to determine which one is the best tight-rope walker. It 1s no easy feat, even for a squir- rel, to walk a telephone or -electric wire. It requires all the sagacity of nimble feet and legs. plus that high-class bal- ancing instrument. & bushy tail, toy enable the squirrel to make it safely. In going across a street, high above | the fleeting and dangerous automobiles, these rodents use their tails in exactly the same way the old-fashioned tight- rope walker wielded the bamboo or the parasol. Balance was the essential thing in walking & wire. Any one could keep his feet on a line, more or less, if it were placed on the ground, but let it be raised a foot, and the task became increasingly difficult. Raise the wire to three feet, and most walkers would tumble off in two steps. Elevate it to 10 feet, and every one would slip at the very first step. An almost animal-like indifference WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Visits of foreign statesmen, like that | which Signor Grandi has just concluded in Washington, cannot be measured in terms of concrete political results. ‘They are seldom intended to do any- thing but lay fcundations. How deep and how well such foundations are planted depends upon the skill and per- | sonality of the man who essays the task. Mussolini was wise in the selec- tion of the workman he dispatched to the United States. His young foreign minister proved himself a master craftsman. If candor, charm and c pacity are the tools a statesman needs when he sets cut to bulld international friendships, Grandi is well equipped to erect walls of good will for lllr His ! mastery of the English language served him effectively in Washington. What the immensely shrewd Laval might have accomplished here, could he have dis- pensed with the services of interpreters, staggers the imagination, seeing as how | he found French sufficient for his all- conquering purposes. At Geneva in February the full significance of Signor Grandl’s trip to the United States will be unfolded. That Italy and America will march shoulder to shoulder there | is at this hour the strongest—perhaps | the only—promise of success at the dis- | armament conference. Xk K % Now that it can be told, the super- | elaborate measures for the protection | of Grandi were not of his ordering, nor of the Italian authorities in the United States. Mussolini’s right bower (who | may be his successor some day) faced the forei foe too often during the | war and lives in too exciting an atmos- | phere in Rome all the time to harbor | any anxieties while the honored guest of a friendly nation. It was nervous | Uncle Sam who feared the possibility | of danger for Signor Grandi and de- termined to run not the remotest risk | for his safety. Should harm, or even | personal embarrassment, befall Italy’s foreign minister while on our soil, it | would be a matter of the ineradicable chagrin to the United States Govern- ment. That's why every available pre- | caution will be taken, while Grandi is | with us, to see that no fly, anti-Fascis | or otherwise, sullies the ointment of his content over here. Secret Service Chief “Bill” Moran and Washington Police Superintendent “Happy” ~ Glassford, having successfully done their stuff in the National Capital, sped the parting | guest with sighs of respectful relief. * K K % During the London Naval Conference, Herbert F. Wright, an attache of the American delegation and then a State Department officlal, was mistaken for Signor Grandi, at the Lord Mayor's dinner, and actually announced in place of Mussolini’s bearded lion. Their respective chins are adorned with the same cut and color of foliage. Last week, when the powers that be were ndering whether Grandi should rd the Macom in New York Harbor, be taken off at the Battery and get his confetti welcome in Lower Broadway, Charley Williamson, who covers the State Department for the Associated Press, and Mike McDermott, news chief there, hit on & brilllant idea. “Let Herb Wright," they brain-waved, “be driven to the City Hall alongside Jimmie Walker. No harm could come to Grandi, then.” Dr. Wright is now & professor of international law at the Catholic Unlve:sl!}' :(n 'wunmmn. ‘The other night. while the courtly Senator James Hamilton Lewis was tak- ing a constitutional through the pea- cock alley of the Washington Hofkel, which he inhabits, he encountered a charming woman of his acquaintance. | Mnfil:eet and low, in the inimitable fashion, the Senator said: | isls Jim: Wflmc. ‘what eq‘u“ a.!h “t t§ar y:u in ‘ashington? e ‘dame: “Nothing, I fear, Senator. ou're a Democraf * k% % Up in the studios of the Columbl ‘whose walls aré |leap from tiny branch to equally small to psychological temptations was the necessary mental attitude of the tight- rope walker. Next to this came the powers of equilibrium, in which the graceful balancing of the umbrelia played an essential part. * ok x % wire as it does in the trees, to enable |it to keep its balance in tight situa- tions. ‘The rodent is mnot hampered, of course, by any strictly human idea of possible fallure. When it looks down, if it does look down, it does not imagine it is going to_fall. It just walks, that is all, Even then it encounters much diffi- culty in making its way safely along a wire across a street. It never falls, apparently. We have seen squirrels doing this fine balancing trick scores of times, now, without a fatlure. At first we were rather frightened for the fellows when they slipped and siid, but we no longer are worried for them, ‘That big tall does it. One fat squirrel slipped and slid his way along the electric light cable for an_ entire block the other morning, | making better speed than a pedestrian |could on the sidewalk. A squirrel slips in this proceeding about every two feet, but immediately catches himself with the aid of his very fine and capable claws and ®he equilibrium derived from the proper use of his great tail, P It is difficult for the average observer to realize that squirrels live in an ele- ment almost their own. They share the air only with the birds. The earth is, with them, only a storehouse, & nuttery, as it were, per- | petually being replenished snd impov- | erished by their own industry and their own hunger. Like all animals, they are always eat- | ing, since satisfying hunger is one of | the' greatest duties of she creatures here below. We do not know enough about squir- rels to know how they manage to find their caches again, but our guess is that it is by instinct and not by smell. If our hypothesis is so, it means that cach squirrel knows to the fraction of an inch where it has buried its Win- | ter's stores, and, what is equally im- | portant, that no other squirrel knows, | If it were odor, rather than instinct, a squirrel would labor only to find his hoard rifled by lazy rodents which neither gathered mor stored, yet lived on the fat of the oak trees. & ‘The bright eyes of the squirrels and their rapid movements, their darts and swirls, their leaping around in the trees, combine to give the observer the feeling that they enjoy life more than most animals. In the suburban neighborhood, where they have the run of the trees, they dart along fence rails and run up trees just ahead of human beings in such a way as to give the impression that they are in mock terror. Practically safe from dogs and cats, the squirrels live their lives in the air, touching bottom for food only. Their real life is aloft. And if any one thinks this is a misstatement he does not know squirrels. Their ability to | branches many feet away is nothing less than a species of flying. The squirrels are as much at home in the air as the birds, and if they had wings (not membranes, such as the so-called flying squirrel possesses) no doubt would equal, if not excel, the birds at their own game. Pershing. It bears an unusual inscrip- tion. When Pershing broadcast an Armistice day message he was flash- lighted and photographed as he stood before the microphone. The chief of the A. E. F., by the way, is one of the few broadcasters who talk on their feet —most spellbinders sit at a table, Asked to autograph a portrait for the studio collection, Pershing—observing the :cl?‘tvl that c{!ep Tintu the picture— vrote across 00 severe—, e severe—John J. * ok ok Washington is familiar with the boll weevil (congressional type) and has some acquaintance with the political grasshopper. The “buffalo moth” is! the latest pest to strike the Capital, | and the real thing, at that. The insect has taken bodily possession of an ultra- fashionable apartment building and plunged through it with the irresisti- bility of a Japanese army in Man- churia. Clothing, millinery and carpets are the bug's favorite diet. It is re- ted that a statesman of renown was recently late for a diplomatic dinner because it was suddenly discovered that a “buffalo moth” had been living on his top hat and swallow-tail coat, requiring the use of borrowed raiment. The apartment owners are thinking of paging Ruth Bryan Owen, who vamped Congress and the Department of Agri- culture into appropriating millions to put the Florida fruit fly out of commission. * ok x o President Hoover has decided to send Henry P. Fletcher of Pennsylvania to Geneva as one of the United State: delegates to the Disarmament Confer: ence. He may be chief of the dele- gation, as it has been _definitely determined that Secretary Stimson is needed on his arduous job in Wash- ington. The late chairman of the Tariff Commission 1s ideally equipped for Geneva. He's been an Ambassador in two European countries— Belgium and Italy; speaks French, Italian and Spanish; knows the tricks of the dip- lomatic trade inside and out; has a wide acquaintance with world states- nen, and is a typically shrewd Ameri- can man of affairs. Mr. Fletcher has Tepresented his country at two other international ~conferences— the fifth and sixth Pan-American parleys, re- spectively, in Chile and Cuba. * ok ok ¥ Vice President Curtis stayed up later, On more successive mornings, during his recent trip to California, he seys, than ever before in his life, and he likes poker, at that. “Have come back to Washington for a rest,” the Kansan explains. Betting odds about whether Curtis will run for Vice President in 1932 or choose to regain his old Senate seat are now at evens—50-50 either way. (Copyrizht, 1921.) et Immigration Decline Declared Beneficial Pmcm the Okluhoma City Times. ‘ause for congratulation is to be found in the fact that immigration to the United States, especially from the Medite: lean States, declined in the last fiscal year ending June 30, 1931. The total decline was 87,000, accord. ing to figures of the National Indus: trial Conference Board, and the total immigration was only 155,000. Our Sven more e Ao Should, bY e rigid. Australia proscri all immigration early in 1931, since which time no alien immigrants have been permitted to land in the great and nation. The measure was pri- marily to alleviate unemployment con- arty beneneial pot s 1 e W, , a er ways. 'l‘h!‘ reducing the 0 ‘RIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 193%.’ ‘The squirrel uses its fluffy tail on a | gunmen, more 300 of om have been recently killed in the Chicago district, it is , The benefit of extreme limitation of immi- glflm\ is generally apparent. Why it inot done is . sbould be no Curb on Confessions Held 3d-Degree Cure To the Editor of The Star: Now that the excitement incident to the third degree investigations has somewhat subsided, I venture to make a suggestion, looking to & partial solu- tion of the problem. . known that third-degree ve been in vogue in this country for many, many years, doubtless such methods will be con- tinued in the future, in spite of occa- nal “public indignation and investi- gation.” My thought, submitted sim- ply for discussion, is that the problem is not cured by these sporadic investi- gations, and that the real cure lies in some effective legislation curbing the of confessions. us;‘rue it is, t etically at least, the Constitution ar.d laws protect a defend- ant from giving evidence against him- self, and this wise provision enacted | nunciation, while many give the words | into the Constitution and laws by our forefathers extends to involuntary con- | University of Notre Dame, both pro- | fessions exacted from & person sus-|nunciations are used, but the English | cted of crime. When the theory, g:wever, has been reduced to practice, it is not found so effective, for in prac: tice the course usually followed is to hale a m: behind the bars, subject him to a gruelling third: ination, maltreat him if necessary, and when he has been reduced to a state of subjection and obedience to the will of his inquisitors, new actors in the drama are called in, who have not been par- ticipants in or witnesses of the mal- treatment and third-degree methods leading up to the confession. The prisoner is then admonished to tell his story, and the stenographer lnnh{ull! records the fact that the “confession’ is made freely and voluntarily. Thus, when the confession is offered in evi- dence at the trial of the culprit, those tendering the confession truthfully tes- tify that it was freely and voluntarily made. Quite often the defendant will deny that he made the confession. In this state of the case the court will, following a long line of decisions, sub- mit the confession to the jury with the instruction that “when there is a con- flict of evidence as to whether a con- fession is or is not voluntary, the ques- tion will be left to the jury, and they may reject the confession, if, upon the whole evidence, they are satisfied it was not the voluntary act of the defend- ant” Thus it will be seen that the confession does get to the jury and you cannot eradicate its impressions, on the mind of the jury by any amount of instructions to disregard it, if they are satisfied it was not the voluntary act of the defendant. Theoretically, the prisoner has received all that the law allows him, but practically, the confession has been used against him. I recall a case in my experience some years ago Where a colored woman charged with murder was taken to a Jocal hospital suffering from hysterical insanity. During lucid intervals she was taken from the hospital to the jail, where she was quizzed until she lapsed into unconscicusness and was then re- turned to the hospital. This operation was repeated four or five times during the day. During one of her lucid in tervals a two-page document, an al leged confession, was dictated to & stenographer in her presen hen the confessicn was offered in court the stenogrepher testified that it was freely and voluntarily made, and, so far as he was concerned, it was so made. An_eminent alienist, in testifying as to the sanity or insanity of the defend- ant, used this confession as a basis for| his opinion and stated to the jury that from his examination of the facts and circumstances “and from his reading of the confession,” he was satisfied that the defendant, at the time of the | the commission of the alleged offense, Was of sound mind, he assuming that she voluntarily signed the confession. Thus, we have the spectacle of an alienist testifying as to the sanity or insanity of the defendant at the time of the commission of the alleged offense. using the confession itself as some evidence of the defendant’s sanity. I merely mention this as an extreme case. ‘While there is some justification for allowing police officers to 1n!=n‘o‘g.’.|(0 those whom they apprehend as “sus- pects,” it would seem that a law should be enacted which would put some effi- cacy into the rule prohibiting the use of involuntary testimony against a de- fendant. For instance, the law of evi- dence could be amended so as to pro- hibit the use of any alleged confession made by a defendant who has been in- terrogated out of the presence of & friend or counsel. This last suggestion may be considered too radical. How- ever. I submit it for what it may be worth. G. C. SHINN. P Taxi Meter Ruling Called Public Abuse To the Editor of The Star: A fortnight ago we were amused by a whine from the traction company because it had lost its pull with Con- gress and could no longer control the Commissioners and Public Utility Com- mission in its desire to do as it pleased and yet keep a monopoly of the carrying business. Playing about their last card with more promises and veiled threats, they have persuaded the utility commis- sion to require meters on taxis. Not that the public will be benefited, but to annoy the taxicab business. Just why a taxi cannot operate on a zone system, which is the prefer- able from the patron's standpoint as it lessens cheating and argument, when the car company operates on & zone system, which is the length of its track in the present instance, is not clear to the citizen. I think citizens generally resent the favoritism shown the car companies in several ways in the effort to preserve for them a monopoly which they do not deserve, under the mistaken idea that they will do more for the public. There are very few benevolent monopolies and the traction companies of this city are not among them. ‘When there was no taxi competition the companies failed to give proper service after promises in exchange for privileges, such as one-man cars and increased fares. Since October 15 my perience 1is that cars are more crowded and the service poorer. More persons are left to walk or take taxis, and on the Monday of that week in one round trip T was detained in no less than four tie-ups by cars getting stranded on crossings and having to be pushed Qff by others, Also, as to the charge that they are delayed by traffic and lights, the cars set the example by their pay-as-you- enter system, overcrowding and one- man cars, which delay not only them more than does the traffic, but the rest of traffic as well, especially on such thoroughfares as North Capitol street, where they frequently cause a jam for a square back, delaying 50 or more ve- hicles to take on a half-dozen persons. Their argument that otherwise the masses cannot get moved is increasingly poor with time. They no longer move the masses, except to resentment at the way they are permitted to usurp the right of way, ugh the influence of their crossing policemen. The trend of the times is toward public service, not private mouopoly, and the sooner they are divorced from partnership with the authorities the better the citizens will be pleased. 'What they really need is a renovation from the top down and the infusion of new blood and modern serv- ice ideas, to overcome that desire for monopoly, pull and public-be-milked policy, With which y have been charged, and we believe rightly, for & generation back. At the present time car riding is rough and uncomfortable, a menace to nerves and the public health through overcrowding, and many of us, rather than wait an indeter- minate time for a car, now hail a taxi, save 75 per cent in time, avoid being jostled, jerked mbout and trod upon; fort and arrive at our des- and in worth extra which provided us the taxi. Sav- ing by riding in & street car is economy and only for those wi budget will not permit them a taxi or a private auto. But for these, which in- cludes myself, with or without competi- tion, s decent car service should be ag- sured by the authorities, and this ob~ ’ - SR s e ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERI ‘The answers to questions printed here each day are specimens picked from the mass of inquiries handled by our great Information Bureau maintained in Washington, D. C. This valuable service is for the free use of the public. Ask any question of fact you may want to know and you will get an immediate reply. Write plainly, inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage, and address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. ‘What is the correct pronunciation Q. of Notre Dame in this country?—S. E. A. This is a French phrase. Some | the Americans give it the French pro- their English value. In regard to the pronunciation is more popular. Q. Who is the legal adviser of the President?—L. H. A. The Attorney General of the -degree exam- | United States is the official whose duty | it is to advise the President, when re- quested, on the legality of any actions he may desire to take. Q. What part of the clothing is mexn?,when speaking of widow’'s weeds? A. Mourning garb is an equivalent expression. It refers to the entire costume, Q. How long have cosmetics been used?—A. R. A. The ancient Egyptians used them. The women tattooed their bodies with zigzag designs and painted their faces and eyebrows with green paint which they made by grinding malachite on palettes of slate. This is believed to be the earliest known use of cosmetics. Q. How is the money raised to pay mt'y'ne}' ll..o the World War soldiers? A. It is not derived from any special source of taxation. It is provided for by appropriation and then taken out of the general fund. The general fund is raised through taxation of income, estates, customs, etc. Q. Please explain the word Nazi hich is used in Germany.—E. D. S. A, Tt is the name popularly applied the German National ~Socialist Workers party, led by Adolf Hitler. The German form of the name is ;:g:{nhod listische Deutsche Arbeiter Q. Are our Winters getting less severe?>—L. T, A. The Weather Bureau says that one year differs from another in the weather it brings, and also in respect to almost everything else. However, the average of the weather for any consecu- tive 20 years is practically the same as for any other consecutive 20 years. Q. How much money have the Jews spent ‘lvn i‘hz rehabilitation of Palestine? A. The Palestine Foundation Fund in seven years, 1921-28, spent £3,510,721 for the upbuilding of Palestine. Of this amount more than 55 per cent was contributed by Jews in the United States. The amount spent on educa- tion was £642,642; promotion of im- igration, £343,328: public works, £484,700; public health, £225295; agri- cultural colonization, £1,081,332. Q. What is the word which expresses ability to project oneself into an imaginary situation or the situation of some one else and undergo the sensa- ua;: sbeheved to be connécted with it? A. The word is empathy. Wl C J. HASKIN. Q. Why is a bottle of champagne or water used to christen a vessel?— N.C. W. ¥ A. The custom of breaking a bottle of champaigne on the prow of a ship when it is launched is & relic of the - ancient libation, which was practiced when ships were launched. The ancients consecrated the ship to the god whose image she bore. The action of blessing ships is alluded to by the Monks of Denys. In July, 1418, the Bishop Bangor was sent to Southampton to | bless the King's ship to insure success- ful vo; . In this country water or | some other liquid has usually taken place of wine since prohibition has gone into effect. Q. Can the ordinary person tell that an uncut stone is a diamond?—J. D. A. It is almost impossible for a per- son not familiar with uncut gems to | recognize a diamond. | Q. What kind of tobacco is grown | in “Western Florida?—K. C. A. The tobacco-growing section of ‘Western Filorida produces profitably a shade leaf grown from Cuban and Sumatran seed which is in great de- mand in cigar manufacturing. Q. Who was Plutus?>—G. R. A. In mythology he was the god of | riches, who was blinded by Zeus that he might give without discrimination. Q. How large is the Imperial Valley? A. It is a large section of count in the middle of Imperial County, Calif. It is about 400,000 acres in extent. Q. How many cars can be hauled in a train under the Arizona train limit law?—D. D. A. The Arizona Railroad Commission says that the maximum number of freight cars is 70, exclusive of caboose, and 14 in a passenger car in passenger tral | | A. They are brothers, sons of King Frederick VIIL of Denmark. Q. Isn't there a new rule governing the revoke in contract?—C. D. A. In some tournaments the rule is followed that if neither the trick on which the revoke occurred nor any of the following tricks is taken by the revoking side there shall be no revoke penalty and the hand shall be scored as played. Q. Why is salt water sometimes en- countered in drilling an oll well? —M. K. W. A. It is a common occurrence to strike salt water when drilling an ol well. The Geological Survey says that the salt water found in ofl wells is fossil ocean water which was left in rocks when sand and mud were original- ly laid down in the ocean. In the Eastern States, where oil is found in mountains, fresh water is found in ofl wells, but in the midcontinent fields the |water is salt. Drilling through large amounts of water presents difficulties to the driller, but the drilling is continued until ‘oil s struck. Q. Which territory was admitted to the Union first, Hawali or Alaska? —J. M. B A. Hawail was admitted in 1900, while Alaska assumed the status of a territory in 1912. Q. What is the head waiter on & railroad diner called?—L. M. B. A. The Pullman Co. says that he is properly called a steward. Chairmanships Debated as While Democrats of the Northern States are declared to have ambitions for chairmanshpis in & Democratic House, the debate as to the senicrity rule,swhich favors Southern States, has resulted in no suggestions likely to offer satisfaction to both groups. The chief argument for the rule is that greater permanence in home support of legis- lators from the South has enabled them to gain the experience t! will fit them to perform such duties with effi- ciency. It is egreed that in many past years Democrats, both North and South, have given service without hope of the high rewards. Peinting out that “in many cases the men who are in line for such promo- tion have served for 2 long period as ranking members of their committees and are, in consequence, thoroughly conversant with the work cf their com. ning Post holds that “it is absurd for Democrats of Tammany and other members of Congress from Northern States to demand or expect Scuthern Democrat; to agree to forego their seni- ority rights.” Emphasizing that “the Democratic party has not had many periods of ascendancy in the National Government during the past 60 years,” and lauding the Wilson administraticn, the Post observes that “for most of the other 50 years the South performed the greater part of the drudgery of the mi- nority party and been performing it continuously fcr the past 11 years. Assuming the election of Representa- tive Garner as Speaker, the Louisville Courier-Journal suggests that “Garner’s chairmanships, of course, will be avail- able, and his Texas colleagues might be induced to yleld him a few of their eight ranking positions.” That paper finds the problem difficult and declares as to individual rights: “A distribution of the honors will not be easily achieved. | Committee assignments are highly es- teemed by Congressmen. It is asking a great deal for a member to renounce a long-deferred honor which he has earned by service. = The seniority rule, moreover, has merit. Experience and acquaintance both with the subject matter and the membership of the House and committee are valuable aids to procedure, Strategic posts probably will be consigned to old hands, but it will be a delicate task to show a rank- ing Democrat why he should relinquish his claim.” *oE KK ‘The men who have won their places by long service, in the opinion of the Yakima Morning Herald, “will not be likely to step aside for Democrats from the North and West without & bitterness of feeling that might be reflected later in voting on I lation.”. The Herald agrees that “possibilities of victory in the presidential election next year may dictate that the organization of the House from the Democratic view should be arranged on & national basis, but we doubt very much whether the Southern Representatives will abdicate for their brothers from the North and West.” ockford Register-Republic thinks that “Representative Garner will find his powers of conciliation taxed to the utmost to hold the sectional rivalry | within bounds.” “Law is law and rule is rule,” declares the Charleston (W. Va.) Dally Mail. “Were conditions reversed, there would be no complaint coming from north of that famous line which separates the country into North and South. It is but natural that Southern Democrats should claim the reward for party fealty maintained h good and bad re- port. The other side would do the same under similar circumstances and ac- count it a plece of political righteous- ness, in which the rewards went to the to Mr. most dum and 3 mli As a e:l '-'hflw I'llilm But a wards thereof—bah!” 3 tained, not by efforts to injure other services, but by improvement in t.he‘} in Congress Session Is Near ,”” the Charlotte News : “Less than one-half of the total Democratic membership of the new House will come from the South. It will be recalled that in *1909 22 Democrats. led by Representative Pitz- gerald of New York, refused to vote for the changes in the House rules pro- posed by the Democratic organization, led by Champ Clark and supported by many of the insurgent Republicans. As a result the so-called ‘Fitzgerald com- promise’ was adopted, which curbed ‘Cannonism’ only slightly.” Demand for organization of the House “on a national scale” is made by the Wheeling Intelligencer, and the Provi- dence Bulletin offers the judgment as to the present situation: - “Democrats from other sections of the land do not accept this situation with resignation. This is particularly true of the Eastern brangh. . If the South insists on taking all the chairmanships, standing on its privileges, the red banner of party re- volt will be unfurled and old wounds opened. Fortunately for the party, it has in Representative Garner a man of considerable political brains, one whose tendency is on the side of common sense and a leader of long experience. Upon how well J‘e handles this job depends to a considerable extent the hope of tae party for success in the next election. —————————— Speedier Bus Service Permit Is Advocated | To the Editor of The Star: ‘We are proud-of-our wide, well paved streets. We should be ashamed of the use that is made of them. As one of the employes of Uncle Sam I ride to and from work dally. I work seven hours and use almost two hours more en route. It is this tims kai I give each day that‘I object to. What do I }wlnl? A 15-minute running time be- ‘tween Decatur st northwest and Peace Monument or_Potomac Park. The distance is about 4 miles and an ave- rage speed of 16 miles per hour does not seem unreasonable by street car or bus. Consider the busses. Those operated by the Washington Rapid Transit Co. are comfortable, speedy and the drivers efficient. They are not earning money standing still” waiting for the gree light. These busses can go 40 miles pe hour. A speed of 30 miles per hou* should be maintained. To do this, pro- hibit parking on bus routes during rush hours. Reduce stops to one each three blocks and that one in the middle of the block. Have the green light on for three minutes for north and south traffic and all lights to be the same for parallel traffic arteries at the same time. That is, have the green light shown on Sixteenth street for the full length of the street at the same time. Our street cars are too numerous and two crowded, which seems a strange statement. One-half the cars run at twice the speed would carry the same number of passengers. The remarks above about parking, stops and lights will apply here. Run trains of three to five cars, When the car is full, all seats taken, no more stops. Have the motorman collect transfers. Then cars ean be loaded at the front end. Add ines or rails on the platforms so that le passengers can- get in line as the car approaches and have the cars stop ‘at a definite place at the platform. ‘The street between the car tracks should be paved with cobble stones so that riding in autos on the tracks would be_discour: aged. If the car ce is there will be less fieed of m of SRR s Carpet Bags Required. Prom the Charlotte (N. C.) Net A new government friendly to has been installed in Mukden. In that history may be proved to repeat Japan order car servige. itself, through the big-stick of vfam‘ force compliance with 'W. B. ALLEN, itsrif oeu;n l‘l‘ we * for Chine's sake nei their aiDet bagk s