Evening Star Newspaper, December 10, 1931, Page 5

CAN EXPLAN LIFE Dr. E. G. Conklin Discusses Evolution of Mind Before Academy of Scienc:s. Life and mind cannot be explained entirely on mechanistic principles, Dr E. G Conklin, professor of geology st Princeton, said in a lecture before the Washington Academy of Sciences last night Explanation of such phenomena as differential sensitivity and _organic memory, which exist in all forms of | living things and which constitute the basis of mind in the higher animals Dr. Conklin said, demands some funda- mental properties at the beginning which cannot be stated in terms of | physics and chemistry. But once these fundamentals are assumed all the de- velopment of life can be explained by the laws of evolution, with the elimina- | tion of unfit individuals and species | and the elimination of unfit and waste | saovements within an individual Regrowing of Organs Cited. Dr. Conklin stressed the remarkable #bility of regrowing lost organs among the lower animals, which largely has been lost among higher forms of life. Thus, if a lens is cut out of a sala- mander's eye the pupil immediately be- gins to form & new lens. Salamanders as & race cannot have had much ex- perience in losing the lenses of their eyes. It is the kind of an accident ex- tremely unlikely to happen in nature Thus the ability to meet this emer- gency hardly can have come through an evolutionary process of the elimina- tion of those animals not equipped to meet, this emergency and the preserva- | tion of those who could | The biologist said, however, that once | the fundamental properties of persist- | gnce and differential sensitivity are al- | lowed, the evolution of mind can be explained. Every organism apparently possesses the property of irritability. | It is comfortable or uncomfortable, ac- cording to its environment and its ad- | Jjustment. This property of irritability | drives it to seek comfort, at first aim- | lessly and with many movements which | do not contribute to the solution of its | problem. | Evolution Applied. Here the prineiple of evolution, which | always is at work in the species, is | applied to the individual. The useless | movements are eliminated and the use- ful—those which have been successful in meeting a particular situation—are preserved in organic memory, Although it is a long way from the efforts of | the one-celled animal trying to escape an unpleasant situation by numerous | undirected miovements to the mental | activities of man, the progress can be | explained by this principle of evolu- tion. The same process, he sald, can be made to explain such remarkable phenomena as acquired immunity to various poisons. At first the introduction of a poison into the body leads to undirected ac- tivity of every cell that can secrete anything. Some substance serves as an anti-toxin and_eventually, due to the evolutionary elimination of waste | movement, only this substance is| secreted when a particular toxin in- vades the body. A RS SEEK G. 0. P. CONVENTION terday decided to A delgation o the meeting of the Republican National Committee in Washingten next Tues- day to invite the Republican party to hold its 1932 national convention in Detroit. Gov. Wilber M. Brucker, who acted as spokesman for the meeting, said no tangible guarantee of the convention ex- penses will be placed before the National Committee. but the delegation will as- | sure the committee that the expenses will be met from loeal sources. | Schools Get Apples, SILVER SPRING, Md., December 10 (Bpecial) —Nine bushels of apples were dcnated to the three schools of the community by Charles H. Griffith, local justice of the peace, and distributed among the children at the discretion of | the faculty. Mr. Grifith has offered to Tepeat his donation if the schools so desire. Marriage Licenses. Curtis L. Moore, 25. and Zelma L. Trivett 19 Rev_ Robert L. Wood, Jobn W. Cooper. 22, and Irene Thomas, 27; Waller H, Brook: . and Bertha E W. Siffrin i ent,” 21 and Mildred ¥ of 'Richmond: Rev. Mark d * % both o Frederick Ceren . Miler, 1 Lioye A Mortin, 28, ioyd A. 28, oore. 32, Both of Ca Boorde homas inis Donaldson, 29, and Minnie A. Coleman, 39: Rev. Jackson L. Cole. 41, Coronado, Calif., this city: 'Rev. H and Lucille Vi Curtis ersville, Va.: Rev. Girls Sing Folk Songs ' LEARNED SPIRITUALS AND HILL CHANTS IN TENNESSEE BY GRETCHEN SMITH. | | N informal dinner last Spring, | at which Hans Kindler, leader of the National Symphony Orchestra, was honor guest, de- veloped significant proportions for two young ladies from Tennessee. Mr. Kindler was invited to dine at the King-Smith School last Spring and after the dinner two of the| students, Miss Penelope and Miss Re- becca Tarwater, were asked to sing! Negro spirituals for the guests. Born in Rockwood, a small town in the wmountains of East Tennessee, Penelope and “Becky,” the two fair- haired little daughters of Rockwood's “big manufacturer,” were rocked in | their cradles to their mammy’s croon- | ing of “Little David,” “I'se Got Shoes,” and oiher now famous spirituals, Attended “Foot-Washings.” As they grew into childhood and | young womanhood, one of the greatest | leasures of the two sisters was to at- end the “foot-washings” at Negro re- vivals, where the beautiful old songs were sung by the simple colored people in rich, mellow voices, “Some of the spirituals which they sing,” explained Miss Penelope, “are 80 rich in harmony that it is impossible for two voices to carry them properly.” | “The foot-washings,” she explained, | “are held in the Spring. It is a religious ceremony, in which the minister starts by washing the feet of some one in the congregation. That man then| turns to the one mnext him, and re-i peats the performance, and 8o it goes| throughout the assemb) Al the | nmeulw:u nbluuumum n:‘;" mg clr‘l;i_f‘d: on e congregal e spirit- | uals, sometimes singing unbrokenly for Bours at a time.” Sing ‘Mountsin Sengs. In addition to the spirituals, Miss Penelope and her sister have a rich Trousers FREE With Every “Mertz” TAILORED SU[T TO MEASURE $99.50 Make your selection from our vast stock of 100% all-wool fab- rics. From the same bolt of goods we will make an extra pair of trousers without any additional cost. You pay only the adver- tised price—no more. TUXEDO suir to Order Calyin'Van Liew, 22. New Brunswick, N. J. Ida Johnson, 17, this city; Rev. E. C. Bmith John L. Todd, 21. and Fannie J. Misner, 21; Rev. Allan F. Poore. James L. Dial, and Ira Cheeks, 22; Rev. Oliver Wings. Thomas N. 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Noth- before. built especially for small apart- tone vilume of a large instrument, repertoire of folk songs of the white mountaineers. “We have a little Summer cabin in the mountains,” Miss Penelope said, “where we spend vacations and hear the mountaineers sing their songs and it is in that way we have learned many songs which have never been written.” After the dinner last Spring the two young ladies sang a few songs and so delighted Mr. Kindler that they were asked if they would sing some time at a symphony concert. This Fall, when the National Sym- phony Orchestra opened its Winter program, the two girls from Tennessee were not forgotten by Mr. Kindler. They wess again invited to sing, and as a result of the invitation they will be heard at the children’s concert to be held this afternoon by the National School Auditorium. songs for children,” Penelope. “So many are sad that I don't think children would enjoy them We have decided to sing ‘I's Got Shoes’ a spiritual, is one of the most popular songs among the Negroes.” Sings Hours at a Time. “Our mountaineer songs will ‘Comin’ 'Round the Mountain' ‘Come, My Love.” Miss Penelope be and laughed. “No one mountain, but for hours at a time the mountaineers will sing that song.” About this time Miss Penelope was joined by her sister “Becky,” who had just finished her lessons in rhythmic dancing. “Beck] blue eyes shone as FLORISTS *One Overhead & Two Peaks” ~Makes it possible to enjoy the Value, Quality & Service offered today by SMALL'S Fneah Fowers nt |Mrs. |ber of the President’s Unemployment Symphony Orchestra at Central High |- “It s difficult to select spirituals and ghe and her sister were invited after remarked Miss | today's concert to accept a theatrical and ‘Turnip Greens,' which, though not | | New England. ever knew who is comin’ 'round the | CLUB SEEKS WAYS T0 HELP JOBLESS Hoover Is Unable to Attend Dinner of Engi- neering Women. A special dinner meeting was called at the Hay-Adams House last night by the Engineering Woman's Club to discuss ways in which women can al- leviate unemployment conditions. Dr. Lillan M. Gilbreth of New York, consulting engineer and mem- Committee, sald one of the chief tasks of engineering women is to encoursge engineering students not to abandon their studies from financial stress. Mrs. Gilbreth led a round-table dis- cussion and introduced three speakers, Dr. Louise Stanley, chief of the Bureau of Home Economics, Departmeni of Agriculture; Miss Katherine Lenroot, assistant chief of the Children's Bu- reau, or Department, and Miss Mary Anderson, director of the Wom- en's Bureau, Labor Department. Each discussed unemployment from the standpoint of women in Government work. | Mrs. Herbert Hoover was expected to | be present. but was forced to send re- | grets shortly before the dinner started. | Mrs. George D. Barron, Rye, N. Y., | presided as president of the Engineering | Woman's Club. Other organizations represented were the Ladles’ Auxiliary | of Mechanical Engineers, Washington branch of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of Min- ing Engineers and the woman's branch of the Committee of Engineers. which campaigned for Hoover during the last presidential election. MOSLEMS PLAN COLLEGE Move to Found University Ap- proved at Jerusalem Meeting. JERUSALEM, Palestine, December 10 (#)—Establishment of a Moslem university was decided upon at yester- day's session of the Moslem Congress here. [ """A special committee is to ascertain | | what funds are avallable and what | form ' the university will take. | Letters from persons who described themselves as leaders of 30,000,000 Russian Mohammedans, asking that | persecutions which they said have been | suffered st the hands of Soviet au- | thorities be included in the agends,| were read to the congress. she was asked what she would do if engagement. “Oh, we never thought of that,” she replied modestly. “But it certainly would be wonderful. I don’t know | what we would do. We have only sung for our own pleasure and that of our friends " Her sister added, however, that Becky had considerable dramatic talent and had played several leading roles last Summer with & stock company in Miss Penelope’s only misgiving about their singing at the symphony congert is that the children may not enjoy their songs. “So many people laugh at the spirituals,” she explained. “They don't understand the spirit and sincerity of the colored people who sing them.” RSERYMEN LOWERS and plants, by their very simplicity and beauty, establish themselves as the ever-cor- rect gift and home decora- tion. We show but a few of the ways you will find the spirit of Merry Christmas at Small’s. HOME FLOWER MARKET 1503 CONNECTICUT AVE. NO CHARGES o ~ = = 2 | an active leader in the fleld of social | | service, Win Nobel Peace Prize $40,000 AWARD TO BE SHARED BY AMERICAN LEADERS. £ JANE ADDAMS AND NICHOLAS MURRAY BUTLER. By the Assoclated Press. f EW YORK, December 10.—Jane | Addams, Chicago soclal worker, and Dr. Nicholas Murray But- ler, president of Columbia Uni- versity, have been awarded jointly the Nobel peace prize for 1931. W. de Munthe Morgenstierne, Nor- wegian consul general, made known the | committee’s selection here several hours before the official announcement | was made today in Oslo, Norway. Five Americans have previously been | similarly honored. They are Theodore Roosevelt, Elihu Root, Woodrow Wil- son, Oharles G. Dawes and former Sec- | retary of State Frank B. Kellogg. Award Worth $40,000. The annual award has a money value of approximately $40,000. The peace prize was established by Alfred Berny hard Nobel, inventor of guncotton and dynamite, who became wealthy through | the sale of munitions and in ofl opera- tions. Miss Addams, an internationally known pacifist, is president of Hull House, in Chicago, and long has been | She was one of the early| sponsors of social legislation and of laws forbidding child labor, At pres-| ent she Is undergoing treatment at the | Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Miss Addams is a stanch prohibi- tlonist, although she has been critical of | enforcement efforts. She was a member | of the Ford peace party and last Fall | headed a delegation which presented to President Hoover a petition signed by 150,000 women, favoring the limitation of ‘armaments. Last May she was awarded by Bryn Mawr the $5.000 M. Carey Thomas prize for her work in fighting poverty, disease and delin- quency among the “needy, afflicted and misunderstood.” Head of Endowment. Mr. Butler for many years has been active in efforts for world peace. As president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace he has inter- viewed the statesmen of many countries, and, together with Aristide Briand, had an important part in the creation of the Kellogg peace pact. ‘The university president’s labors in behalf of international accord have won him decorations from many countries. He is sald to have a wider acquaintance Distinctive Di Individually Made Home Decorations and Gifts —No Two Alike. Last Indefinitely— .50 « *I0 Plant Containers Smart and MAIN OFFICE & SHOR DUPONT CIRCLE 1501 CONNECTICUT AVE NOrtH 7000 oh g.no DELIVERY among foreign statesmen than other private citizen, To Be Used for Peace. BALTIMORE, December 10 (#).— Highly honored by her selection to share in the 1931 Nobel peace prize with Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler of Columbia University, Jane Addams plans to use her share of the money to advance her work to promote peace throughout the world. A smile lighted the features of the 71 - year - old Chicago social service worker as she recelved word of the award while lying in bed at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She entered the in- stitution yesterday for observation and possibly an operation, but doctors de- clare her condition is not serious. The gratification of Miss Addams was expressed through her secretary, Miss Mary Rosa Smith, who said no official notification of the award had been received. Founded Women’s League. Miss Addams, however, said she felt that if the prize had been awarded her, it was in recognition of her work with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, which she founded in 1915 and served as presi- dent for 15 years. Since last year she has acted as honorary president. The secretary said Miss Addams was “highly honored” and had ruled the money would be used for league work. The league, which will benefit by many thousands of dollars by Miss Addams’ decision, has branches in 26 nations and sponsored the ‘“peace caravan” that recently advanced on Washington to lay a disarmament petition before President Hoover. U. S. ENGINEER DIES Maj. Meigs Was in Charge of Mis- sissippi River Work. KEOKUK, Iowa, December 10 (#).— Maj. Montgomery Meigs, 85, former United States civil service engineer in charge of Mississippi River work, died yesterday. Maj. Meigs was Government inspector during construction of the Mississippt River power plant here. He was born in Rouses Point, N, February, 1847, sh Gardens Unusual Designs 65c RS SRR S5 SR SR SR 2 A R S S S SR S S o S SR SR R SR SR S, S SR S SRR S S 2 S 2 " THE AVENUE AT SEVENTH Saks Specialized Values Gire You— Better Gifts: Lower P You Just Can’t Go Wrong With— SAKS SQUARES OR REEFERS (F course he needs one! 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