Evening Star Newspaper, November 27, 1931, Page 8

{THE EVENING With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. . ¥RIDAY.....November 27, 1931 Editor ? THEODORE W. NOYES.... { The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 11th St. and Pennsylvanis Ave. New Yor! ice: 110 42nd 8t. % ice: Lake Michigan Build pean 2 e 1 o Office: 110 Eas . ng. Offce: 14 Regent 8., Londol L Ehaiag > '"‘ ™ Rate by Carrier Within the City. . .45¢ per month ar (when 4 Sundays) . ..60c per month The Evening and Sunday ‘Siar (when § Sundays) .65 per month The Sunday Star .5¢_per copy Collection made at the erid of ‘each month. ders may be sent in by mail or telephone Ational 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Dally and Sunday.....1yr. $10.00: 1 mo., 85¢ iy only . 13 36.00: 1 mo.. 50c unday only 15¥r, $4.00; 1 mo.. 40c All Other States and Canada. J7 and Sunday...1r. 1200 1 mo. $1.00 ily only .. 1yr. $§8.00; 1 nday only s mo’, i8¢ $5.00; 1 mol, 50¢ Member of the Associated Press. Tre Associated Press is exclusively entitled ublication of all news dis- 0 it or not otherwise cred- in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of publication of special cispatches herein are also reserved. — An 0. K. for Laval. Ever since his return from the United Btates a few weeks ago, M. Laval has been under fire within and without the French Chamber of Deputies on the suspicion of having given away at Washington more than he received. In the early hours of this morning the premier was handsomely vindicated in three separate Chamber votes of con- fidence. On the last one, which was evidently regarded as the supreme test, the government’s majority was more ! than two to one, 325 votes having been | cast in its favor against only 150 in | opposition. Having expected at most & margin of thirty, M. Laval and his supporters are entitled to feel that their triumph is of landslide dimen- sions. The French statesman who was re- eently our guest evidently considers that the educational character of his mis- sion to the United States is the one deserving of emphasis because, as he claimed in the Chamber yesterday, it had removed many American misappre- hensions regarding French policy. M. Laval believes his visit to President Hoover was, therefore, “fruitful in posi- tive results” The premier says we “no longer think that France wants to dominate other peoples.” He made us understand, deputies were informed, “what sacrifices France has made in behalf of disarmament, and Americans know now that the French are think- ing only of maintaining their own se- curity.” There was an interesting passage of arms between the opposition and the government on the subject of the “Hoover moratorium.” France sub- jected herself to a good deal of criticism in Washington and other capitals last Summer for holding up the epproval of the one-year debt holiday proposal. M. Blum, a Socialist deputy, eharged the French cabinet with fesponsibility for precipitating the fall - of the Britisti pound as the consequence of delay in acceptance of the Hoover plan. M. Flandin, the finance minister, defended’ the government’s action on the ground that otherwise France would have lost the non-postponable slice of reparations. Whether M. Laval touched upon this delicate subject while at the White House has never been related. Thus the Laval regime has weathered the storm that seemed to threaten it as the result of the premier's excursion to the United States. Now that he hap- pily has been spared the ignominy of expulsion from office as the result of it, it may not be out of place to say that over here we have riot quite under- stood why the fruits of his mission should ever have been challenged in France. Perhaps a smokescreen was thrown up for the purpose of minimiz- ing the actual dimensions of his suc- cess at Washington. In leaving America ‘without having surrendered a jot or tittle of France's position on disarma- ment, in securing from President Hoover a pledge not to embark upon any more moratorium adventures and in obtaining American acceptance of the principle that further generosity to Germany on reparations must be bar- gained for strictly within the frame- work of the Young plan and be dis- cussed only on Europe's initiative— having returned to France with all these understandings tucked away in his portfolio, the impression took root hereabouts that M. Laval brought home the bacon. ————————— ‘The looming war between China and Japan has so put out of joint the nose of the Iowa cattle testing war that four hundred “Hawkeye” National Guards- men are out of the trenches and ate their Thanksgiving dinners at home. ———— e —— A Five-to-One Jury Ratio. ‘That the judicial processes of this country are not as effective as the public security demands is generally accepted as a fact. Much thought is being given to the problem of cor- | recting this condition. Numerous | | Elwood Street, director of the Commu- remedies have been proposed, but lit- tle progress has been made toward their adoption. Nevertheless the re- search continues and from time to tim soncentration upon one or another of the various proposals is effected, with the prospect of adoption, by the States and by the Federal Government. The prevalent disposition, however, is to move slowly, lest through hasty action the fundamental principles of the law upoh which the liberties of the people rest may be discarded. One of the causes of delay and mis- carriage of justice most generally agreed upon is the frequency with which trials are rendered ineffective through the disagreement of the jury or the rendering of verdicts of ac- quittal contrary to the obvious evidence of guilt. The generally prevalent rule requiring unanimity on the part of the fury contributes to this result, and in consequence occasionally an effort is made to bring about an amendment of the law to permit verdicts by the vote of less than all twelve occupants of the box. The latest to advocate such a change is Judge Charles C. Nott, ir., of the New York Court of General Sessions, who states his view in an article in “The Panel,” organ of the Association of Grand Jurors of New York County, an organization which hes done much to advance the cause of greater efficiency in the courts, Jéige ‘Nott recommends, first that of prospective jurors be reduced; that criminal defendants be granted the right to walve trial by jury; that ver- dicts by a vote of five-sixths of the jury, or ten of the ‘twelve, be allowed: that either side be permitted to impeach its own witnesses; that advance notice to the prosecutor be required when the defense is based upon an alibi, and that prosecutions for perjury be simplified by relieving the prosecutor of the bur- den of proving which of two conflicting statements is false, a requirement which makes successful prosecution for this crime exceedingly rare. One of Judge Nott's arguments for proposing abandonment of the unanim- ity principle is that most mistrials are due to a division of eleven to d@ne or| ten to two. He accepts as a fact the alleged frequent “fixing” of juries, de- claring that “fixers” are seldom able, to reach more than one or two jurors,| that, however, being sufficient under, the unarimity rule. 1 A verdict by less than the whole number of jurors would be no innova. tiop, in principle, in view of tbe fact] that the most important cases at law | are frequently, on appeal, decided by a divided court. Some of the out- standing opinions rendered by the Su- preme Court of the United States ha: been given by a five-to-four vote of | the justices of that tribunal, and the validity of the laws thus established has never been brought into question. | Judge Nott proposes a five-to-one ratio ! as the minimum for conviction. If the| jury system is to continue as the basic | principle of criminal practice in this| country, this change may be considered | as necessary to prevent it from be-: coming a cloak and shelter to crimg in- stead of an agency of justice in the public interest. —— o Tilson Versus Snell. Despite the fact that all chance of Republican organization of the House apparently has vanished, with the Dem- ocrats holding an actual majority in that body, two Republican House lead- ers are engaged in a knock-down, drag- out fight for the one great G. O. P. ‘honor still within the gift of the minor- ity party—the floor leadership. Repre- sentative John Q. Tilson of Connecti- cut, who for several years, while the Republicans controlled the House, served as mejority floor leader, and Represent- ative Bertrand H. Snell of New York, who has been chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, are the con- testants. Specifically, they are fighting for the rather empty honor of being the Republican candidate for the speaker- ship against Representative “Jack” Garner of Texas, Democrat, when the House meets here on December 7. In reality the prize is the minority floor leadership. Representative Tilson, at the caucus of the Republicans of the House held last Spring, was their choice to suc- ceed himself as majority leader. The late Speaker Nicholas Longworth at the same cauctis was nominated for the speakership. At first blush it would appear that all Mr. Tilson had to do under the existing circumstances was to sit tight and hold on to what the caucus handed him early this year. But after the death of Nicholas Long- worth 1t still looked as though the Re- publicans might have a chance to or- ganize the House, holding a bare ma- Jority at that time. Mr. Tilson became candidate for the speakership nomin: tion and so did Mr. Snell. The situa- tion now is that the man who can con- trol enough votes in the caucus which is to be held here Monday for the speakership nomination-—empty though it may be—can also control enough votes to be named the Republican floor leader. Both Mr. Tilson and Mr. Snell have declared that if the Republicans are unable to organize the House the G. O. P. nominee for Speaker should be the floor leader if the Republicans fail to elect a Speaker. No question of party loyalty lies be- tween Mr. Tilson and Mr. Snell; both are Republicans to the tips of their fingers. Mr. Tilson came tothe Housefirst in 1909 and with the exception of the Sixty-third Congress has been a mem- ber of that body ever since. His pres- ent consecutive service began in March, 1915. Mr. Snell became a member of the House first in November, 1915, and has served continuously since. In point of seniority Mr. Tilson has the edge over his opponent. The supporters of | Mr. Tilson for the floor leadership and the speakership nomination point to | the unanimous action of the caucus ) last Spring in selecting Mr. Tilson for floor leader. They argue that it would be unjust and unfair to Mr. Tilson now to take away from him what was 80 | freely given. | e ! A new breed of rabbit is declared to produce fur like that of the beaver. The | old-fashioned “Molly Cottontail” breed has long been pre-eminent in producing fur like that of the beaver and almost every other fur-bearing animal - Raw oysters, science announce: a cure for anemia. They are also a splendid cure for that hollow feeling. —— Only Willing Givers Wanted. The statement published today from | nity Chest, ought to help clear an atmos- phere that temporarily is befogged by charges of “coercion” within the Gov- ernment departments in connection | with the Chest campaign now in prog- ress. | “The Community Chest does not want | and will not knowingly accept one cent of money unwillingly given through the Government unit or any other unit of its campaign organization,” said Mr. ! Street. “Any subscriber who notifies | the Chest that his pledge has been made | unwillingly may have his pledge Im- |, griving'a car you get an idea that | 8fford to lose its humorists. mediately canceled; and any payment made on such a pledge will be refunded instantly and without question.” i For those within the Government departments who feel that they are; subscribing to the Chest, not because | they regard it as a duty and a privilege, | but because they fear the wrath of their immediate superiors, this statement should be of comforting assurance. Their gifts may be recalled, with no one the wiser. It is belleved that there will be a minimum of such contributions re- called. The uproar over “coercion” be- comes an unfair reflection upon the vast majority of Government employes ‘who welcome this opportunity to share, in whatever proportion they feel is jus- tified, their bounties with others. The standard allotment of three days' pay has been suggested for the benefit .of THE EVENING STAR the number of peremptory challenges|those who want to know what amount is considered proper. It is in no wise binding. The amount given rests en- tirely with the giver. Overzealousness in seeking money for the sake of the sick, the helpless and other unfortunate members of this community may be a human mistake, but it is certainly not a high crime for which the spirit of giving should be indicted and made to suffer. S e The Attack Is Renewed. If the counter-broadst de from the |, oo ;ould, mixed with sand, | the space formerly given to the latter Navy League fails to make the hit that is registered by wide public inter- est, it ,will be because the tangible and understandable issues that provoked been lost in the smoke. When the Navy League said the President showed *“abysmal ignorance” the issue was drawn and plain every one to see. When the President’s fact-finding commission sought to pro- duce evidence to the contrary by a courter blast at the Navy League's bat- tery the shots were so directed as to arouse grave doubts as to the accuracy of the Navy League’s guns. But now there has been a return barrage from the Navy League, and the ammunition consists in part of such assertions as would go to show that the President’s commission said Mr. Gardiner applied a quota of 13.1 to Japan, when, as a matter of fact, Mr. Gardiner's quota of 13.1 was applied to Great Britain. And as the man in the street does not give a hang whether England or Japan has a quota or 13.1 in auxiliary vessels, or whether Mr. Gardiner applied that quota in reference to one or both of them, or whether the President's commission picked up the wrong quota and shot it back at Mr. Gardiner, the thunder of the big guns has diminished to the snapping of cap pistols. It may continue indefinitely, but public interest has turned elsewhere to seek new thrills and adjectives. ————————— If American soldiers hre inclined to repine over the early mechanization of the old 1st Cavalry, organized in 1834, they can imagine the blow to British military circles when the 11th Hussars, “the Prince Consort'’s Own,” one of the most splendid and picturesque regiments in any army, recently had to exchange the saber for the monkey wrench, It began its history back in 1715 as “Honeywood's Dragoons.” Ev- erybody knows these changes are all for the best, and everybody dislikes | them cordially. ——e—— Britain, it is declared, is “shocked by the attitude of the United States toward her new tariff act. Did not a certain Mr. Aesop once say something pertinert to this very situation? Some- thing or other about an ox? —————————— ‘Vienna reports the discovery of five of Haydn's lost works. One of them is an octet for wind instruments. Their rendition does not call for a single saxo- phone, cowbell, dishpan, derby hat or sheet of sandpaper. ——e———————— It is sald that no less than four- fifths of all Americans between the ages of fourteen and twenty-four read the comic strips. If true, that explains a whole lot of things. ——————— Most adults, and also & surprising number of young people, think that the absolute zero in campus distinction is reached when some college girl is chosen as the “cutest” in the institution. ——————————— SHOOTING STA! BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Obscure. The men whose efforts win renown Our gratitude inspire. We hand their names in splendor down For others to admire. Yet names we love full well repose In sweet and simple rest; The names unheralded of those ‘Who tolled and did their best. The leader oft is like the foam Which lightly floats and free. Beneath him mighty waters roam, The great resistless sea. Though Fortune’s turn may ne'er dis- close ‘Their chance to reach the crest, The men who move events are those Who toil and do their best. A Difficulty. “What we want,” sald the reformer, “is men who go into office without any mercenary motives whatever.” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum, “that’s the kind of men I have been looking for. The only trouble I find is that the man who is willing to work free of charge seldom turns out reli- able goods.” A Cynical Reflection. “You don't seem to care for the numerous compliments extended to this work of yours” said the admiring friend. “No,” replied the artist, “in.order to secure a first-class advertisement, a i picture has to be roasted.” In Danger. The Dove of Peace exclaimed, “In truth, My pulses wildly throb, I fear they’ll catch me in my youth And eat me for a squab.” Point of View. “The point of view makes a great made philosopher. “Yes,” replied Mr. Chuggins. “When you are walking you think every auto- mobile is trying to hit you. When you every pedestrian is insanely ambitious to get run over.” A Holiday Misfit. Or man ‘Grouch, he come along. He hear de chillun sing a song. He see de turkey hangin' high An’ smell de pork chops as dey fry. He do his very bes' to frown An’ be the terror of de town. But everybody smile so kind He's li'ble foh to change his mind. ' His feelin's shift so mighty fast, His face gits tired. It jes’ can't last. He packs his grip an’ hollers “Ouch! Dis ain’ no place foh ol' man Grouch!” “A man is mighty unfortunate,” said Uncle Eben, “if he’s one o' dem folks dat thinks dey can't show deir inde- pendence wifout actin’ sassy.” STAR, WASHINGTON, D, O, ;. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. In the old days it was house plants. Then it was a bowl ot cactl. Then it became the dish garden. Now it is the glass garden, ‘The honest, necessary goldfish has been ousted from his bowl, and in his place have been put small plants from the garden. Air has taken the place of water. usurps ne. est of all, from the amateur gar- !denflr‘s standpoint, ordina the opening shots in this battle have | o5 on the earth outdo good for something at last. In the outdoor garden it merely indi- cates an acid condition of the soil. but in the so-called “glass garden" ordinary moss is & prime requisite. ER This use of a hitherto neglected ma- | terial is one of the many fine features | of the. fish bowl gardens, as some call | them, since so many of them are con- structed within the walls of these glass inclosures. Any sort of bowl may be used. but the favorite of the moment is the flat-sided affair, as if a round bowl had been compressed on both sides. ‘These gardens must have lids, in or- der to keep their moisture in. ‘This 1s the big point. The whole trick consists in creating, in miniature, a little vegetative uni- verse, from which nothing 1s lost. The original water put in stays in. Fluctuations of warmth and cold, outside the sealed bowl, cause evapora- tion of the water, and condensation on the inner surface This small artificial “rain” keeps the plants in prime condition, if they are not permitted to get mildew. EE All sorts of clear glass utensils are being used for these miniature gardens. Aquariums are favorites, as stated, but we know one lady who built one in a thick glass baking dish, and this gar- den is doing nicely after many months. Here at last, it is said, is the one perfect garden for those who hitherto have never been able to solve the prob- lem of how much water to give their flowers, when to water them, how often to water them. Once the sofl is moistened and the plants put in, the thing is done. 'The closed glass top holds the water in and helps in the condensation process. Experts claim that these gardens will last for years without any particular at- tention. The main thing is to make them correctly in the first place and then to give them air when necessary. This latter step is to prevent the mil- lew. First, get your bowl. The fish bowls come in several sizes, and some of them have fitted tops. If they do not have tops, clear pieces of glass can be secured, cut to fit, for about 15 cents from any paint store. The nearer airtight this seal is the better. Next, put a thin layer of small stones on the bottom of the bowl. Some recommend that powdered charcoal be put at the bottom, beneath the stones, but this probably is an advice of per- fection and is not strictly necessary. Any charred stump will furnish nice charcoal at a minimum cost, or it may be secured at the drug store. * x % The next step is to make your soil, and, having made it, to fill the bowl not more than a third of the way to the top of the rotundity. Let this be made clear. The tendency on the part of every new constructor of these glass gardens is to put in too much earth. If this is done, and the bowl should be placed on a level with the eye, some- thing of the artistic is lost, and here is why: ‘The whole idea in putting this toy | a third cf the bowl. * ok | together is to get a cross-section, as it were, of earth, plants and sky. The soil must be the earth, the plants the | plants and the free space above them the sky. Beginners will fill their bowls with {too much soil and then select plants which are too tall, so that effect of sky is entirely lost. By filling the bowl | too full of earth the planting line is placed too high in the garden and the remaining space is entirely given over to_plants. Remember, then, to skimp rather than put in an excess of soil. The small stones form one layer and the | mixture of soil and moss above should complete, all together, not more than * % The soil should be composed of about one-third leaf mould, if you can find any; one-third sand and one-third ordinary earth. In lieu of leaf mould, peat moss is very good, but it will swell some when wet, so allow for this, Place this mixture over the rocks and then wet the soil, but do not make it soggy. Now comes the placing of the plants, small specimens found hidden away in the outside garden, an easy- enough find during such a warm Autumn as this was. Small specimens of petunia, little snapdragon plants and violets are a few of the ordinary things one may secure at no_cost from the home yard. Wandering Jew, that standard indoor vine, is an_essential on account of its variegated leaves. Before the plants are put in, accord- ing to taste, comes the turn of the moss. ‘This must be moss growing on earth, not on rocks or trees. Bits of it can be pushed down the sides of the glass, between the glass and the earth, and the effect is very pretty. A few sea shells, if handy and small, make a nice_addition, but the fabricator must go slow in using them. W Naturalism is the keynote of the glass garden. No matter if one's first creation is not a masterpiece; just so long as the plants are green and healthy looking the effect will be good. ‘The neat point in the management of the bowls comes in knowing just when to let in a little air by slipping the 1id over & bit. This knowledge comes with experience. If the inside is too blurred, and does not clear up late in the day, the lid should be opened for a few minutes, until the mist has disappeared. Watch must be kept on the leaves, | and if these show white, or begin to turn yellaw, there is too much moisture present, and the lid may be removed for a considerable period, maybe as! much as half a day. ‘These gardens should be placed in a north window. Direct sun will make them grow out of all bounds and com- plete shade will not do, on the other hand. A north window, not by a ra- diator, is best. If placed in a window, the bowl should be reversed every few days, in order to keep the plants from leaning in one direction for the light. Experts who have worked on these bowls declare that watering is not necessary except every half year or longer. The earth may be tested with the finger, and if it feels dry on the surface a very light sprinkling of water given it. ‘These bowls, while not new to hor- ticulturists, come as a complete sur- prise to many amateur lovers of grow- ing plants. Those who make them are inclined to feel that they are a new discovery, and are sui to find that many of their friends have glass gardens months old and growing strong. For the desk of the horticulturist and general plant lover one of these inter- esting bowls would make a sterling present. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. It will be a noble-looking old Roman upon whom the galleries in the incoming House of Representatives will look down when they survey the patriarchal figure of Henry T. Rainey of Illinois. The veteran Democrat, upon whom the man- tle of the majority floor leadership has just been conferred, is surmounted by a tumbling shock of snow-white hair that would alone make him a notable figure in any assembly. House honors fall to Representative Rainey late in life, but find him in unimpaired vigor. He cele- brated the arrival of his 71st year last Summer by touring Russia with Mrs. Rainey. Senator Borah's right bower, Miss Cora Rubin,clerk of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, was a member of the same party. Thete's an alma mater tie between Representative Rainey and Calvin Coolidge. The Tlli- noisan is an Amherst man, class of '83. He is entering upon his fourteenth term in the®House, though not consecutive. Rainey was not elected to the Sixty- seventh Congress. Capitol Hill with “Nick” Longworth in 1903 and had served exactly as many terms. now outrank Representative Rainey in length of service, * ok ok % Every two years the newspaper men of Washington quit writing politics for a spell and play it. The occasions are the biennial elections to the Standing Committee of the press galleries of Congress and to the board of officers and governors of the National Press Club, Election in both cases is only a couple of weeks away, and the knights of the portable typewriters are in_the midst of their wire-pulling and but- ton - holing campaign. Important dutles await the next press gallery committee on Capitol Hill. Every four years it is charged with the task of arranging for the accommodations of the Nation's press at the national con- ventions of the two political parties. The job sets in as soon as the respec- tive natiowal committees decide where the big pow-wows are to be held. That will be next month. s s Walter Bruce Howe, chairman of the board of the Navy League, who has now entered the fray against President Hoo- ver, is a practicing lawyer at Washing- ton. He has a Summer place at New- port. Howe's affiliations are military, rather than naval, as he was at Persh- ing's headquarters during the World War and now holds a major's commis- sion in the Army Reserve Corps. A couple of years ago, when Uncle Sam was patching up matters in Nicaragua, Maj. Howe was selected by Maj. Gen. Frank R. McCoy to accompany him as legal adviser in connection with the presidential elections supervised by the United States Government. Howe is & fdeal of difference,” sald the ready-|relative of former District Attorney Jerome of New York and began law practice under him. He is a fluent Spanish scholar. * * % ‘These are times when America can ill | One of the few eminent ones left—Patrick Francis Murphy—has just passed away at New York. As a spontaneous after- dinner wit Murphy had few equals. At a dinner in Paris 12 or 15 years ago he matched flint with Mark Twain at a Fourth of July feast and came off best. It was Murphy who once said that America was discovered several times before Christopher Columbus came this way, but that “it was always hushed up.” Murphy was fond of nar- rating what he told British “customs officers who examined him on arrival in England during the war. Persons with his incontestably Irish name were a bit suspect, and the New Yorker was asked to detail his origin. “Well,” he sald, “it's like this. I'm American by residence, English by language, Irish by extraction and Scotch-and-soda by choice.” He got by. " * X K * ‘When Secretary Stimson and his ex- ecutive assistant, Allen T. Klots, re- ceived the Washington correspo: at Woodley on Thanksgiving eve to spill the beans about Manchurian develop- He first came to | Only four members of the House | ments, the scribes found the State De- partment officials in flannels and white shoes. They'd been playing deck tennis most of the afternoon, Col. Stimson ex- plained. When Ambassador Dawes called up Woodley on the transoceanic phone at 5 o’clock—11 p.m. Paris time— he interrupted a hot match between the Secretary his young adjutant. Stimson spendS a good deal of time at his sylvan estate on the edge of town when diplomatic bees buzz disturbingly. Far from the madding-throng, which it wouldn't be so easy to escape at the department, the Hoover premier finds if possible to concentrate gray matter to more purpose amid the seclusion of the home setting. * ok kX ‘There’s to be no boycott of the League if its Councll invites an American to serve on the Sino-Japanese investigat- ing commission. He would function as a private citizen. Appointment would be nominally by the League authorities, though naturally these would consult with the Government as to the best man. Half a dozen of our people at one time and another have done League jobs. Maj. Gen. James G. Harbord was sent into Armenia on a mandate in- quiry. Henry Morgenthau performed a League chore in Poland and a later one in connection with Graeco-Turkish war refugees. Norman H. Davis ren- dered yeoman service in the League settlement of the Memel controversy. Last year a Yankee took part in the League's Liberian slavery inquiry. The Dawes and Young reparations plans were not of League origin, but Ameri- can citizens were the principal factors in both undertakings. No finer League of Nations achievement anywhere was ever recorded than the financial recon- struction of Hungary under Jeremiah Smith, jr., of Boston, acting as Genéva’s commissioner general. So there’s no lack of precedents if the League wants to draft an American for the Man- churian business, * ok ok K Al Smith has just registered a new high—and it has nothing to do with the Empire State Building either. An up-State New York horticulturist has named a new rose after the idol of Manhattan. It's said to be the first time a mere politician has ever been s0 honored. * Kk ok x ‘Two Presidents of the United States —-Andrew Jackson in 1832 and Zachary Taylor in 1849—declined to appoint a day of national thanksgiving. Histori- cal letters from them both, addressed in each case to a clergyman, have just been acquired by a famous autograph dealer, and are believed never to have been published. Jackson and Taylor agreed that the setting aside of a day for expression of public gratitude was a matter for the individual States rather than the head of the Federal Government, (Copyright, 1931.) o Religious Instruction Is Held Need of Today To the Editor of The Sta ‘The dedication of the Crosby Stuart Noyes School was a noteworthy event well reported in The Star of Saturday, November 14. Of special interest were the remarks of Mr. Henry Gilligan, a member of the School Board, along the E:r;‘e ]:l religious instruction in the 00! “What this country needs,” declared Mr. Gilligan, “in this time of depres- sion, and every other time, is more religion. I believe there ought to be a way we could see to it that our young people, confronted as they are with more intimate temptations than ever before, can be made to see this need and provided with the religious training they need.” The home is the central place of op-~ portunity and responsibility in the mat- ter of religious training, but many par- ents repudiate, or at least neglect, their responsibility. Churches and Sunday schools are doing a tremendous service, but a large unreached, roportion of children are hese #gencles; The FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1931l llndepeni‘lent Cab Driver Attacks Meter Ruling To the Editor of The Star: It is clear that the Public Utilities Commission did not take into consid- eration the most important questions of unemployment and the public’s con- venience when it decided that taxicabs should be equipped with meters begin- ning January 10 next. It seems that all it did was to listen to two of the largest taxicab companies and to the demands of the traction companies. It did not take into consideration the individual cab owner-driver, who has taken up taxicab driving in order to make a living. I was out of work since last March and tried every method possible to ob- tain some sort of employment that would enable me and my wife and two children to just get by, but down to Jast August I was still hunting for & job. Then a relative offered to turn in his old car for a new one and con- vert it into a cab if I would go into the taxi business driving it for him, I to get half of the gross receipts. This was a little better proposition than the cab companies offer to their drivers and so I got into the taxicab business. If the commission’s ruling becomes a law, my relative will withdraw his car from the taxi business, because it will be impossible for him to invest in a $180 meter and at the same time meet the payments on the car while allowing me enough for my family to live on out of the gross receipts. That means I will be out of work again, or else drive a cab belonging to one of the companies and make just enough for one man to live on, instead of four. And let me say right here that if a canvass is made of the taxicab drivers it will be found that at least one- third of the driver-owners will be put out of work when the new law be- comes effective, and they are men with families. And if any one told you that taxicab drivers make a lot of money, that is but a lot of hooey. The cab companies which have been long in the business have asked for the return of the meters because of the competition they get from the individ- ual owner-drivers. The companies are, of course, in the business for profit, while the owner-driver is in it to make a living. The decision of the Public Utllities Commission was the result of not only the representations of the traction companies, but the cab com- panies whose cabs are, in the great majority, already equipped with meters. These cab companies know that the individual owner-drivers cannot afford to invest in a meter. Thus they will be forced to get out of the taxi busi- ness and become drivers only for the cab companies, or else remain idle. And how about the public? But, what is the use? The public, as usual, likes to be bunked. As an example, one of the cab comrlny's cars is get- ting the majority of the business now in spite of the fact this company is also responsible for the return of the meter and the increase in rates. These statements are facts and of record. They, the public, speak of not patron- izing the cabs after January 10, and yet the cab company that helped to raise the rates on them with the added imposition of a meter system is the one they are favoring now with their patronage. ¢ R. E. EDWARDS. Mqtherrlrt;sems Morgan’s Attack on U. S. Bureaus To_the Editor of The Star: I have read with much interest the report recently printed in your paper of a radio address given by Dr. Gerry Morgan, dean of the Georgetown Uni- versity Medical School. Morgan attacks the Government bureaus for what he terms interference in the American home, and He stresges “extra- constitutional Federal efforts” to exert power over child education and child labor. He claims the American home is in danger of political propaganda from the Children's Bureau. ‘These charges are almost too silly to require refutation, but in this day so many mistaken ideas are being brpad- cast that those who care about truth must speak up. It is too easy to dis- credit good work by draping it with bad names, When Dr. Morgan makes the statement that “it is the idea to make the public believe that American moth. ers and infants are not as well cared for by American physicians and nurses as foreign mothers and infants” I am surprised at his sense of ethics. What right has he to impugn the motives of Government workers? The information sent out of the Children’s Bureau is in- tended to help American mothers and infants to be the best cared for in the world, and it is of use to women of all classes because of the form in which it is prepared and particularly valuable to the American mother who wants the best possible information regarding pre- natal and infant care but is not in a position to command the services of ex- pensive specialists. Dr. Morgan’s charges are serious, and in the name of fair play, as a fourth generation American moA'.shelr. ltrgsenc thlem. for the so-called “e: -4 - tional Federal efforts” mxg:eftom%:r over child labor let me remind all real Americans that our Constitution was ex- pected to be amended. The idea that our country must live forever under un- ‘changing conditions is unthinkable. a There were no machines in this fair land when my. ancestors came here, and every one knows that machinery has brought new problems to be solved in the field of industrial relations, some of which may require changes in our Constitution. Only a medievalist fails to recognize this. Surely Dr. Morgan could not deny the need for better laws to protect children if he had seen with his own yes the conditions in certain industries in the South. At one time, and perhaps the practice still prevails, records were kept by the cotton mill owners of the ages of children in the families working there, so that when- ever possible they could be forced to make up the difference in pay taken out of the father's earnings. This was a clever scheme to bring the children in at lower wages just as soon as pos- sible. Children work for less money and do not organize in unions. Never as long as I live shall I forget the thin faces and arms like sticks of wood, their hair filled with cotton lint and’ their hopeless expressions. Some Americans feel that people are greater than the instruments they contrive for use; there- fore they expect to retain control over these inventions whether they be con- stitutions or mechanical devices. Fin- gers vere made before forks. > very woman ‘Washin; throughout this country who cm lb.:llldfi ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS g BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN, V™S WXaampwe Bureau in Washington, D. C. highly organized institution has been bullt up and is under the personal direction of c J. Haskin., By keeping in constant touch with Federal Dre s 1% s peaition o pass 20, 10 P i a o pass on authoritative information of the hest order. Submit your queries to the staff of experts whose services are put' at your free disposal. There is no charge, except 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Address 'The Evening Star Information.Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Wash- ington, D. C. Q. Do referees at foot ball games have a standard set of signals which can be read by spectators?—M. S. A. They do. For example, both hands raised above the head fully extended and palms forward denotes a touch- down. Both arms raised above the head with the arms crossed at wrists signifies that a touchback has been| ‘made. Q. How m es can the carrier Le Taker PR, - carries 80 planes. Q. are Marines called Leather- necks?—P. T. A. A black leather stock was part of the early uniform. Q. Please: give an address for secur- programs and tickets for the Olym- pic games next Summer.—L. L. A. The Olympic Games Committee, Ticket t, W. M. Garland Bullding, Angeles, Calif. . What were the assignats used dus the French Revolution?—R. H. A, its issued during and immediately after the French Revolu- tion-were notes, bills or bonds in place of currency issued by the revolutionary government of France, and their value was based on the security of lands belonging to the crown, the church and the nobility. Q. When were clocks made by Ben- jamin Twiss?>—J. M. M. A. Benjamin and Hiram Twiss were 'n, Conn., 1820-1832. Q. What is degras?—C. C. H. A. Degras is & dark brown unctuous fat derived from crude grease obtained by sheep’s wool. It is used as leather stuffing, a belt dressing compound, producing lanolin, for mak-. ln'd prlnfll')l‘ulnls, also special soaps ! ang B Q. How much beer was luced in { America before prohibition?—T. M. A. About 60,000,000 barrels a year. &hfi & market value of about $400,- e QN Where was Bosworth Field?— A. This field, on which -the last bat- tle of the Wars of the Roses was fought | in 1485, is two miles south of Market- Bosworth. This in turn is 12 miles west , England. On this His op- ponent, the Earl of Richmond, was afterward King Henry VIIL Q. Was Lucullus considered a volup- tuary?—V. 8. A. Hardly. He was very rich, and sfter he retired from politics he en- joyed an elegant leisure, luxury refined taste and tempered by philos- gzh! for which he verbial. has become pro- ?a' vghn causes bowlegs in children? A. The deformity may be congenital, but is usually due to rickets. Some- times it occurs in and hea children who mnd“::‘nuh whz quite young. Q. How do riding boots, hunting boots and polo boots er from each other? -A. P, A. A riding boot is stiff one-half way down the leg but there is a soft place to | between the stiffness and the foot that shows creases after being worn a few times. A hunting boot is laced all the way. A polo boot looks like a riding boot but is stiff all the way. It is not so comfortable for general riding as a regular riding boot, as the soft place above the foot gives flexibility. Q. Why do more corporations de- clare stock dividends than did so for- merly?—F. S. A. It has been found that such dividends are not taxable as income. In the seven years between March, 1920, and March, 1927, 10,245 corporations declared stock dividends. Q. How did the slang phrase “to bant” originate>—M. B. A. This humorous name for dieting with the purpose of losing weight origi- nated in the making of a verb from the name Banting. Banting was the advo- cate of such a system, which bears his name, Q. Are steel-jacketed bullets still made?—W. B. A. There are no steel-jacketed bul- lets made in the United States. In there are some cartridges made which have steel (really soft iron) Jackets, with a thin wash of oupro nickel. Most bullets called steel jack- sted in the United States are made with ‘| & cupro nickel alloy jacket. Q. What percentage of proteid is lost when potatoes are boiled?—E. A. A. When peeled potatoes are placed at once in bolling water 8 per cent of the proteld matter and 19 per cent of the mineral matter present are ex- tracted by the water. Q. How did the expression scot free originate?—S. B. C. A. Scot means & tax, contribution or fine. Scot free is a natural combina- tion " of words conveying the idea of being free without payment of fine, Q. When did the Red Cross issue its first seals?—C. B. P. A. The first Red Cross seals were issued in 1908 and continued to be issued by the Red Cross in connection with health work, such as the anti- tuberculosis campaign, until 1919, when the tuberculosis campaigh took it over entirely. Q. What color is a coyote?—A. M. | A. The standard color of the coyote is brown or tan. Its larger cousin, the timber wolf, is a gray color. Q. Why doesn't the moon rise a certain number of minutes later each night?>—A. S. H. A. The moon's orbit around the earth is not a perfect circle. The irregularity in the intervals of the moon’s rising on successive days is due to two causes, namely: The eccentricity of the moon's orbit, and the variation of the moon's declination. If the moon moved in a circular orbit in the plane of the earth's equator, it would rise each day 50': minutes later than on the day befofe. Q. Please explain the difference in almonds.—E. L. A. Almonds are of two kinds—bitter and sweet. The bitter almond is culti- vated to a limited extent in Mediter- ranean countries, and the nuts are used in the manufacture of flavoring and of prussic acid. The sweet, or edible, almond is grown on a commercial scale in the south of Europe, in Cali- fornia and in some other countries. Snowden’s Rise Elevation to the British peerage of Philip Snowden, a man who has risen from humble beginning, is viewed by Americans as one of the si de- Vel s of polm.e:. His it um a natlonal emergency wm in comments and he is cr:‘: Some Americans believe that his retire- ment from active affairs is foreshadow- ed by the action of the government. “Few of the changes wrought by time and circumstances have been more pro- nounced than his elevation to the peer- age,” says the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, paying tribute that “in the recent eco- nomic crisis he was one of the first of the Laborites to put country above party.” The Jersey City Journal also views his career as “a illustra- tion of the vicissitudes of fortune,” with the recognition that his career “typifies the grit and persistence that the world has learned to expect in the British character. tensions he has made throughout a useful public career,” according to the Cleveland News, “they may, perhaps, oe viewed purely as the reward of great- . ¢ * * Some of Snowden's dis- gruntled comrades may sneer at his new-found honors, accuse him of play- ing to the grandstand, but the world will not believe them. He may turn out to be a useful friend at court for the very man who criticizes him. Certainly - aumds:mm the nuglue!‘: ), or §TOUp W] on muuw career.” f Lords,” observes the pital, “contains many plenty of lee;tls 0 are peers are few. hold the office of become the party of Lords. is is that labor needed properly represent- body of aristocrats. Qe E 8 F § BE2EE E”?éqs ey ~giize Kl other people’s children—who must of | % course 'ive tfi: the same world with her own—as well as every man who straight will ask Congress to dl:chéunxn: Dr. Morgan’s attack as a remnant of medievalistic reasoning and therefore not relevant to our machine age. . SCOTT BALLARD. ————— Curtailment in Order. From the Lowell Evening Leader. The latest play of Eugene suggests that our dramatists m‘:'yuegel tending toward the five-day week. e Gangster a Necessity. From the Janesville Daily Gazetté. A cartoon says that Chicago has aiding the United States (‘)OVEmmbe;‘l‘: in gettinz rid of gangsters. The onl, ald Chicago rendered was to fi the gangster. . schools have all the children. Here the place for such fundamental, mm‘f irian instruction sectarian, as will give tone and vigor to the moral sense and conduct of our coming citi- zens. Groups of broad-minded Catholics, Protestants and Jews sometimes gather about tables to confer as to the great ideas and teachings on which agree, and the bearing of these ideas on the problem of better human relation- ships. It is not too much to hope that soon some such group will prepare and present & brief manual of rel in- struction for American youth, The schools of Washington, the Capital City, would be an excellent place in which to introduce the use of such & manual, to Viscount Stirs Interest in His Career Young plan, his country took him to its heart as a favorite son. Forgotten were all the cruel things said in the war days. A poor man's son, who has pursued his public career under a se- vere cal handicap, he will wear his title worthily.” “Snowden’s whole career,” in the judgment of the Manchester Union, “has been a bitter struggle with physi- cal weakness and pain, and yet his n- -domitable spirit has risen above these handicaps and achieved for itself an honorable place among the leaders of the nation. For a quarter of a cen- tury his voice was heard in the British House of Commons, and, although at times the rapier thrusts of his logic cut to the quick, he won the admira: tion and res) of his bitterest en- emies, - As chancellor of the exchequer in two Labor ministries, he exhibited a range of ability that has not been sur- passed by any of his predecessors in this important office.” “Few men more deserve the honor,” attests the Newark Evening News, add- ing: “Philip Snowden was created it by the King for services as real to the nation as any fleld marshal's or admiral's, and far more noble than contributing a fortune to the war chest of a political party. Snowden kept England’s credit and fortune from dis= solution by tremendous effort and great | genius, which cost him his health and | the affections of the party for which he had given a lifetime’s service. The title is but a courtesy acknowledg- ment of the man’s real nobility.” Protests Destruction of East Capitol Street Elms To the Editor of The Star: I wish to thank you for interest The Star is taking in the wanton destruction cc‘r m:gnmcem elm trees on East Capitol street. Architect Lynn's explanation as given in tonight’s Star is the lamest explanation I ever saw. No legislation has been enacted providing for the widening of East Capitol street and what right has he to assume that it ever will be? That would involve the destruction of a mile of the finest elm trees in the city, and the conversion of a beautiful street into a desolation. As beautiful as the Capitol Building may be, it does not begin to compare with the arched elms of East Capitol street and to destroy them to gratify an ill-advised whim of the Na- tional Capital Park and Planning Commission is nothing short of a crime. It is to be fervently hoped that Congress will never consent to any such desecration of one of the most beautiful vistas in the city. If that is the best the National Capital Park and Planning Commission can do, it had better be decommissioned. To save one iire | magnolia tree in the Mall $5,000 will be spent, but hundreds of beautiful elms, much more stately than the magnolia, are to be given the ax! What a commission ! Mr, Lynn had no right to act as if the widening of East Capitol street had been authorized and destroy these trees be- cause it was the most convenient place 800d |to run the tunhx‘!el trench. Why was it Soouh when he o lowed his family, too. not placed the Supreme Court grounds beneath the location of a walk or driveway? A lltll:dfi-hnnln‘ ‘would have avoided the n destruction of those trees. Only God can grow a tree, but—. ALBERT M. LEWERS. Changes in History. From the Haverhilf Evening Gazette. Now, we are told, Noah's flood lasted 150 days instead of 40; and we expect to hear soon that Jonah's whale swal- R All's Fair in War. Prom the Louisville Courier-Journal. East is East and West is West, but they seem to have about the same ideas when it comes to jumping on a weaker