Evening Star Newspaper, December 24, 1931, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. ..December 24, 1931 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office 11th 8t. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd St., Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Bulldin®. European Ofice; 1 Regent §t., London; neland, Rate by Carrier Within the City. The Evening Star... 45¢ per month The Evening and_ Sund r _(when 4 Sundays) . .60c per month ar 8¢ per month e 000y | the ‘end ‘of ‘each month Orders may be sent in by mail or telephone NAtional 8000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sund: 151, §10.00: 1 mo., 85¢ Datly only .1yr.s $6.00: 1 mo., 50c Bunday only ", [1yr, $4.00; 1mo., 40c All Other States and Canada. Daily and Sunday...1yr.$1200: 1mo., $1.00 Daily onfy 130 %5300 1 e s Bilnday oty $3.00: 1mos soc Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associated Press is exclusively ertitled 20" the ‘uise for Tepublication of all hews dis- atches credited to it or not otherwise cred- ted in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of publicetion of special patches herein eserved. —_ s More Moratoria. When President Hoover recently in- formed Congress that “further tempo- rary readjustments” in Plan Advisory Committee report at Basel yesterday. This body of experts, headed by an American banker, calls for adjustment of all reparations and | other war debts “to the troubled situa- tion of the world.” Action must ensue “without delay if mew disasters are to be avoided,” because adjustment is “the only lasting step capable of establish- ing confidence, the very condition of economic stability.” The experts' recommendation is a demand in effect, if not in words, for extension of the one-year moratorium expiring July 1, 1932. Basel con- templates a two-year extension. The experts afirm unequivocally that Ger- many’s finances will not permit her to resume conditional reparations when the “Hoover year’ terminates Summer. lugubrious findings, in which the French committeeman concurred, it is easy to divine that they hold uncon- | ditional reparations, with which the ‘Young plan forbids them to deal, as far beyond the Reich’s capacity to pay as are conditional reparations. By a striking coincidence the Basel experts formulated their conclusions at the moment President Hoover was signing the act of Congress ratifying the existing moratorium. The resolu- tion does not specify opposition to its extension. But it does breathe hostility to further reduction or cancellation of war debts, It is also distinguished by & conspicuous omission. It fails to ap- prove President Hoover's recommenda- tion to revive the World War Debt Commission for the definite purpose of considering “further temporary read- Justments.” The Basel experts assert that they cannot refrain from drawing attention “to the unprecedented gravity of the crisls, the magnitude of which un- doubtedly exceeds the ‘relatively short depression’ envisaged in the Young plan, to meet which the ‘measures of safeguard’ therein were designed.” Grave as the German problem is, its ramifi- | cations extend far beyond the borders “of Germany alone.” The committee but repeats what has become an inter- national aphorism when it says that the problem is world wide and without any previous peace-time parallel. Before the governments mainly con- cerned assemble to weigh and presum- ably to act upon the Basel report, the people of the United States will do well to indulge in some heart-searching. The proposition will come home to this country, sooner or later, even though we are not directly interested in repa- rations or the Young plan. France has already served notice on Washing- ton that if there is to be any further postponement or remission of German reparations, such postponement or re- mission will automatically have to be passed on to governments which are creditors of France. The Balfour declaration of 1923 lays down as Brit- ish policy the principle of not exacting from Britain's debtors any more than she is required to pay her own credi- tors. In all such affirmation and pro- grams the name of the United States is principally in mind. Like it or not, Uncle Sam is face to face with stern economic realities in Europe and the certainty that their repercussion will rebound upon him. President Hoover, in a statement ac- companying his signature of the mora- torium ratification law, says that in saving Germany from collapse by one year's postponement of debt payments, the American people “have done some- thing greater than dollars and cents.” Our action, Mr. Hoover adds, “has contributed to maintain courage and hope in the German nation, to give opportunity for the other European countries to work out their problems.” Basel now flashes to the world an admonition that if the blessings which flowed from the “Hoover year” are not to be swept away, that period of grace must be prolonged. Before long this common sense people of ours will have to decide whether enlightened self- interest or blind prejudice shall deter- mine America’s future course. If we are wise in our day and generation, it will be the voice of reason, speaking in the accents of our own welfare, which will prevail. et Nor will either of the Rileys have to remain incarcerated for a period equal- ing liitle Edith’s stay in that dark closet. Long Distance, Please. Distance pitted against man’s in- genuity was forced to bow again in defeat yesterday when, for the first time in history, Washington talked with Honolulu on the telephone. To Ray Lyman Wilbur, Secretary of the Interior, went the honor of putting in the first call over the new system. Picki up phone in his office he told the ator that he wished to speak to Gov. Lawrence M. Judd of Hawail. Soon the two officials were cxchanging greetings and a new era in radio- telephoning had been begun. Tt 18 & far cry from the long-distance of & hundred miles or g9 of yes- . ™gear to the long-distance calls of intergovern- | mental debts might be necessary, he | almost textually anticipated the Young | next | Between the lines of their today of five thousand miles. Twenty years ago it was almost as much of an event to speak from Washington to New York as it was yesterday to carry on a conversation between the Capital and Honolulu. With the increase in the distance that the human voice can be wafted has come a corresponding improvement in service in the borders of the United States. Today San Francisco can be reached from Wash- ington under normal conditions in a minute or two, only a little longer than it would take to complete a local call. Naturally transoceanic telephoning re- quires a greater period of time, but in a few years, at the present rate of prog- ress, the calls will be put through al- most as promptly as strictly overland connections are now made. As a matter of fact, it may be only & few years before a person will be able to telephone to any point on the globe. ‘Washington and Tokio, or Cape Town or Moscow may be in daily conversation if conditions demand. Around the world by telephone in the near future is not & fantastic prophecy. —————————— Questions and Answers. Despite the fact that anonymous ccmmunications to the editor of The Star almost invariably are promptly tossed in the general direction of a copious waste basket—it being The Star’s theory that men or women who are unwilling to subscribe their names to their opinions are not entitled to have those opinions taken seriously—one swch communication recently received is, because it deals with matters upon which it is high time the public was enlightened, herewith accorded unusual privilege. It is signed by “15 Potential Sub- scribers” to the Community Chest. It asserts that no concrete denial has been made of the “many stories” in circu- lation as to the Chest. It asks the fol- lowing questions: What salary does Elwood Street re- ceive? Is the wife of Elwood Street now on the pay roll of the Chest, or has she at any time been on said pay roll, and, if s0, what salary does she receive? What percentage of the money col- lected by the Chest is consumed in pay- | ing salaries, commissions, rent, etc.? How many employes on the pay roll of the Chest, including Mr. Street, were brought to the city from elsewhere to carry on the work of the Chest? Mr. Street recently said that the money subscribed by Government em- ployes and designated for surrounding towns would not go through the Chest end that no commission would be chaiged for collection. As all the money that was subscribed for Wash- ington is to be deducted from the em- ployes’ pay and forwarded to the Chest, 15 it possible that the Chest is going to charge a commission on that? Is 1t true that Mr. Street is paid a commission on all money subscribed for the Chest? The Star, being in a position to do 5o, is glad to answer these questions seriatim. Mr. Street, the head executive of the Chest, is paid a salary of $10,000 a year. This salary is the smallest paid to the head executive of any Chest in the country comparable in size to Washington's. Mr. Street was brought to Washington from St. Louis about four years ago at this salary to start the local chest. His salary here has never been increased, despite the an- nually increasing scope of his work and responsibilities. It is a fact unques- tioned by any of those intimately asso- iated with Chest affairs in Washington that the extraordinary success of the three past local campaiggs has been due to his energy, ability and experience more than to any other three factors combined. As the responsible head of an enterprise involving in the neighbor- hood of $2,000,000 he is paid $10,000 and makes a substantial personal contri- bution to the Chest. No one of the scores of leaders of this community who volun- teer their sbilities in helping to direct the affairs of the Chest doubts that Mr. Street earns every cent of the sal- ary paid to him. Mrs. Street is not upon the pay roll of the Chest, and never has been. She does a large amount of volunteer work for the Chest, for which she, of course, receives no compensation save that of a conscience assured that its owner is playing a fine part in a fine civic en- deavor. About 4 per cent of the money col- lected by the Chest is spent for salaries and rent. The total cost for raising and disbursing the Chest funds is about 7 per cent, including the above indi- cated expenses. This compares to an average cost of above 15 per cent to the individual agencies before the in- troduction of the Chest, a cost which ran in individual instances to above 30 per cent. In these last quoted percent- ages the salaries of the chief executives of the individual agencies did not play a part. In brief, the Community Chest raises a great deal more money for its component members than they ever did by individual effort, and at less than half the cost. The only individual other than Mr. Street who was brought to Washington to carry on the work of the Chest was his secretary, whose experience in other Chest work has been most valuable to him in organizing and carrying forward the local endeavor. The final two questions of the anony- mous correspondents may be answered together as follows: The Chest pays absolutely no commissions whatsoever on money collected for or subscribed to the Chest. ' The Star reiterates that the charac- ter and position in the community of those who are responsible to the com- munity for the efficlent and ethical conducting of Chest affairs should make questions of the above order absurd to any thoughtful citizen. But if it be true that potential subscribers to the Chest have been seriously considering this type of propaganda and insinuation as the truth, then it is perhaps as well that the facts be fully aired. , ———ve— A Virginia legislator plans to intro- duce a bill restoring Williamsburg to her ancient status as State capital. If he tries this he may find himself mut- tering, like King Richard III, “I think there be six Richmonds in the fleld.” ‘Washington’s Symphony Orchestra. ‘Washington has made a most grati- fying beginning in the establishment of a symphony orchestra. The organiza- tion has demonstrated its ability and the director has proved his capacity to lead and develop ths performers into an effectivé composite capable of the artistic rendering of the classics. The financial support given has sufficed to assure the completion of the adopted program for the present season. Now comes Hans Kindler, the director, who THE EVENING has won the affectionate esteem of music Jovers of Washington, with a statemeht regarding the future. If the orchestra is to be a permanent insti- tution at the Capital it must be en- dowed. A minimum of $150,000 must be pledged to maintain and carry on the orchestra, and unless this sum is realized by the 1st of May next Mrl Kindler doubts the continuation of the project for another season. He says: Washington has now arrived at the place when it must decide, after two months of sponsoring a resident sym- phony orchestra here, whether the Capital of the United States is a capi- tal in fact and one which will support its own orchestra, or whether it is merely a large town which finds such an organization “over its head.” At this time, with one-third of the cur- rent season already over, I leave the matter to Washington and its music lovers to determine. ‘There should be no question about continuing the orchestra. The answer to Mr. Kindler's statement should be given promptly and lfll\’mafivel}" Time is the essence of the contract, as’ it were. Orchestra building is not a matter of a faw weeks. Competent mu- sicians canfnot be engaged for a sea- son on the eve of the first performance. The men who have so capably con- tributed to the success of the orches- tra so far this season must be assured of definite engagement in advance. Otherwise they are compelled to seek employment for their maintenance in other lines of work. Already some of the members of the orchestra, uncer- tain of their future, have accepted such engagements which will prevent their continuing through the remainder of this season. This adds to the diffi- culties of the director and militates against the progressive development of the orchestra. A guarantee of per- manence is required, and that must be given by the people of Washington scon after the close of this current program if they are to have a sym- phony orchestra established at the Capital as an institution. e Luscious watermelons have been ralsed down in Georgia for distribu- tion as Christmas gifts, while the same State calls attention to December peach blossoms. If only Washington electric fan distributors could have foreseen conditions! . An Army officer who twenty-three years ago was in his own person the entire Air Service of the United States Army has just been made a major general commanding that corps. There is nothing like starting something. It appears that a bear census has disclosed the fact that California leads all the States in the known number of those animals. New York may not have so many, but hers do more damage. —————————— Ely Culbertson will now take on Harold Vanderbilt as a partner. It just seems impossible to keep those Vanderbilts out of things over in N'Yawk. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Christmas Tragedy. 'Twas the night before Christmas, Old Santy drew near. To a lamppost he carefully hitched up his deer. He looked for a chimney down which he might crawl But the kind that they build nowadays are too small. The blazing old fireplace so wide and so warm. Has quite disappeared. bad form. Old Santy exclaimed with & scowl and a nudge, “I thought it was wood. Oh, fudge!” And the children who once sang a gay Christmas song Were dancing the tango and going it strong; And the toys that he brought, once so welcome to all, Looked merely like trifies pathetic and small. For the times have grown rapid and tastes they reveal Content with naught less than an auto- mobile. Banty, .discouraged, drove round the block. Suspicions abound which would give you a shock. The worthy policeman spoke gravely that night Of a pleasant old gent who had whiskers of white. The tracks of a sleigh that was bound ) for the Pole Were wabbly as if the machine lacked control. And Santy, the gossips in confidence say, Had a headache next morning that lasted all day. Sacrifices. “Have you ever made any sacrifices for your country?” “Of course, I have,” replied Senator Sorghum. “Why, I go out every year and make speeches free of charge in- stead of turning my intellectual produc- tions over to a lecture manager or a publisher.” After a man has built a few Christ- mas trees for ¢hildren of his own he begins to realize what heroes his father and mother were. A Holiday Wish. While we go forth and search the map, Our generous gifts afar to pour, Let's hope we will not miss some chap Who faints and falters at our door. It's considered It's a gas log! Poor on i Penology. “What's the matter with this show?” asked the man who was making for the exit. “Well,” confessed the manager, “this is & number two company.” “What do you mean by a ‘number two company'?” “One composed of people who have been sentenced to leave New York and 80 on the road for being bad actors.” Praiseworthy. From the laurels of heroes, oh, hand him a twig, ‘This shopper who follows a generous plan; Who carries home bundles that aren't too big And spares the hard-working delivery man! “Of course, dar is some loafin’ jobs to be had,” sald Uncle Eben, “but de fight * it takes to git 'em ap’ hold harder dan regular i3 STAR | ica. WASHINGTON, D. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. If any one has any doubt about the existence of Santa Claus, let him listen 'ol;dt-hc wisdom of Mary, who is 6 years Mary had heard that there wasn't any Santa Claus. Also she had heard much talk about a strange state of gffairs called & “de- pression " Putting two a=d tgs together, she argued down her qoun mrades, as follows: “There must be a Santa Claus,” she sald, “becguse fathers and mothers couldn’t possibly.buy so many presents.” And there you are! Bk e Mary is a cgnny little lady. She belleyes in clinging fo the safe side, even in a skeptical age. “I have noticed,” she says, “that children who believe in Santa Claus get the most presents.” Perhaps that is as safe a rule to fol- low as any when one is very small. Mary recently heard a strange bit of folk lore, which assured her that if a child placed a fallen tooth under a pillow the fairies would come in the nlfcht, remove the tooh and leave & bright, new dime in dts place. Mary received this assurance with her usual calm. “If it's fairies, that's all right,” she said earnestly, “But if it's fathers and mothers, I hope they make it more than a dime.” * ok ok ok ‘These small, true stories of Christ- mas are presented as pleasant preludes to a more ambitious tale, fit for Christ- mas_eve, ‘There is a gentleman in this town, 50 the story comes to us, who has been out of work since last Summer. The going has been hard. He and his wife | have been able to make out, but they could see little prospect for Santa Claus for the three children. ‘The little ones had heard discussion | of a depression, too, but somehow all that did not strike home at Santa. They were sure of that. Each child talked of some toy or other, which it hoped the kind old saint would bring. ‘The father listened to their chatter with a sinking heart. Surely, Santa Claus would have to miss them this year. There seemed to be nothing else to it. But the gay, happy talk went on. * ok % So what did the father do, & few days before Christmas, but take the family car, fortunately still in his possession— Take it down town, and sell it— 8ell it for $75— And come home with the entire sum in his pocl and a smile on his face— And say, “Well, you see this money? I'm going to spend every cent of it on presents for those kids! And that, according to this modern Christmas legend, is exactly what he did Not a penny did he keep for gro- ceries, or rent, or clothing. Maybe he was foolish, but many still think he was sublime. At any rate, he was Ameriean. * x %X x ‘There is a child in & nearby suburb who will believe in Santa Claus more than ever tomorrow morning. What she will never know is that Santa was not one, but many, in her case. Santa has a way about him, there can be no doubt about it. Sometimes he is one, sometimes he 1s multiple, such is the power of right- eousness, This child wrote a note to Santa Claus, a not unusual action, of course. Mililons of letters have been written to him, recently, all of them necessary. Some foolish adults may think that cer- tain Santa Claus letters are scarcely essential, since Santa happens to know their parents so well. ‘This is an error, however, in which wise children do not fall. They know that all letters to Santa Claus are very necessary, one as much 50 as another, * ¥ Kk x This child mentioned in her letter, as was right, that her father was 1ll. The letter happened to fall into the hands of a kind woman before it went on to Santa Claus. 8She showed it to “one of the boys.” “Why, I know that child,” he ex- claimed. Before he got through there were 28 Santa Clauses, or, rather, 28 assistants of Santa Claus. Perhaps that is a bet- ter way to put it. Several of these were on small sal- aries, but they “forked over” magnani- mously, just the same, Together they constituted as queer a Santa Claus as ever trod .this earth. They were young, they were old. ‘They were flippant, they were serious. Some were what is known as good looking, others could be described in no other word but homely. If it takes nine tailors to make a man, as Harry B. Smith assured us in Reginald de Koven's “Robin Hood,” sometimes it requires 28 men to make * x X% % Our friend, Templeton Jones, who! possesses the heart of a child, recently purchased a small toy, of & sort par- | ticularly popular with the youth of the city. | He got it, he confided to us, for a youngster whose father happened to be | out of work. | Jones had noticed that this lad was | not in possession of one of these whirli- gigs, as he called them, so he purchased one downtown that day. | “He was in the habii of seeing the boy every evening as he came from downtown. “I'll make him & present of this one, careless like, just as if I happened to | have it in my pocket, and not know | what to do with it,” smiled Jones to himself. | “In his spare moments at the office, | when he thought no one was looking, the eminent T. Jones, esq, would take out this toy and put it through its paces. Jocular associates caught him once | and it was several days before he heard the last of it. Jones, however, was not a bit wor- ried. He pictured the kid playing with | the toy. That was all. | As he walked down the block he could see the grin of delight on the | boy’s face, & shy grin, but a happy one, too, for he was a decent, normal Amer- ican boy. But there was no boy. He had moved away that very day, his father having ! ::elcure'd a job. Three cheers for Santa aus! Effect on American Trade Seen in Tokio Action on Gold The effect on American trade of the | action of the Japanese government in placing an embargo on gold is the sub- Jject of considerable comment in Amer- Its bearing on the cotton and silk trade especially is speculated upon. It is assumed that the embargo, which had been discussed for some time, was forced by present economic conditions and will not become a permanent policy. “The Manchurian trouble may have had something to do with the fall of the Wakatsuki ministry in Japan, but it seems to be the general conclusion that the row with China was certainly not the major issue involved,” observes the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. “Rath- er, it was opposition to the Wakatsuki government’s policy on the gold em- bargo (faverable to the gold standard), not _its policy either in Manchuria or at Geneva, which forced the premier to step out.” Declaring that “the world at large is just as sensitive to this financial operation as it is 1o events in Manchuria, and so are the Japanese,” the Louisville Courier- Journal suggests that “the new govern- ment may be less of a menace than it was at the head of an opposition party.” The Chicago Daily News says: “Infla- tion and jingoism seem to be the new government’s prescriptions for Japan's | They are more easily applid | troubles. than any others in the political phar- macopeia, but, as Japan may discover, they have a tendency to foster greater ills than they cure.” That the dropping of the gold s!lnd'-v ard by Japan “was not from choice’ is the opinion of the Oakland Tribune, as it points out that “it is because for- eign trade has dropped, the balance is | unfavorable and Japan lacks the gold to pay her bills that the abandonment of gold becomes an emergency meas- ure.” The Springfield (Mass,) Repub- lican states: “Japan might perhaps have made a harder fight for the gold standard if it had not been losing trade to the British since the slump of sterling. The new ministry is very sympathetic to manufacturing in- terests.” * kK % The Cincinnati Times-Star notes that, “like Great Britain after the war, Japan overreached herself in 1930, when she restored the yen to its pre- war value. Again like Britain, she now realizes the need of adjusting her currency to that of her customers in t? Far East.” Discussing the effect on the yen, the New London Day re- marks: ~ “Despite the fact that the reaction on the yen may be unfavor- able at first it probably will not suffer any great decline as balanced against the economic benefits that are expected in the nation itself” The Hartford Daily Times declares: "It is recog- nized in Japan that, while the em- bargo on gold will lower prices in some lines, it will raise values in others. The drop in the value of the yen immediately caused stocks to rise,” while the San Antonio Express points out that “the break in the yen's value is expected to reduce operating costs for Japan’s cotton mills, which obtain their raw material mostly from the United States.” “Buying a large store of cotton at gold prices and selling the goods in the future on a non-gold basis places Japan at an advantage with England in competing for the Oriental trade in cotton goods, unless boycotts work against her,” in the ju ent of the ‘Wall Street Journal, which sees Japan, for the present at least, “in a favorable position as a world producer of cotton goods.” Pointing out that “this coun- try is the principal customer of Japan as far as silk is concerned, and the Japanese buy large quantities of Amer- ican cotton,” the Lexington Leader be- lieves that “the new decrees in Japan, because of which her currency has fallen off in value as compared with the dollar, will affect this cotton and silk trade, which is carried on exten- sively between the United States and Japan.” The South Bend Tribune, al- though recognizing that ‘“Japanese trade is not so voluminous,” declares: “Nowadays, however, all nations are linked more closely than ever before. ‘The Japanese financial crisis, therefore, is not inconsequential. It may materi- ally affect the American cotton and silk trades.” As to the position of France and America as countries still on the gold s ogum de- THURSDAY. DECEMBER Dollars, pounds, francs and other mon- | {eys would fluctuate without limit, gov- erned only by the number of people (that pought and sold them.” As the | Buffalo Evening News views the mat- ter: “Neither Japan nor any other |country can improve financial condi- | tions by such a device. It is at best | |only & means of bridging a temporary | difficulty.” The Oshkosh Daily North- | western states that the “new Japanese | cabinet has adopted a financial policy that complicates the werld situation centering in the problem of stabilizing currency exchange and trade.” Commenting on another phase of the question, the Rochester Times-Union remarks: “In the larger view, there is, of course, the danger that if the number of countries remaining on a gold basis should continue to decrease until the United States and Prance should stand almost alone in this re- spect, the value of our large gold holdings might also decrease.” The Duluth Herald says of such a situa- tion: “It may become apparent soon that, instead of sitting on top of the world, as they may have thought when they got all that gold, they are sit- ting on top of a point so sharp that acute discomfort may compel a move.” In the opinion of the Allentown Morn- ing Call, “the United States cannot continue indefinitely and without limit to export gold and get none in return,” and that paper suggests that “while it may not drop the gold standard and bring the train of financial evils that would be likely to result from such a move, it could with propriety adopt & reciprocity program and refuse to ex- port gold to countries that are not on the gold standard.” Calling attention to the fact, how- ever, that “no other standard has been adopted as a substitute for gold,” and that the “15 nations expect even- tually to go back to a gold stand- ard,” the San Francisco Chronicle re- marks that “the pound sterling, the yen and other monetary values will be subject to wide fluctuations, while the dollar and the franc will be steady, because their gold value is secure.” As the Columbus Ohio State Journal sees it: “The United States dollar, based on a gold foundation and already at a premium in every market of the world, will soar higher, continuing to demonstrate, in a manner that argu- ment cannot discount, that the gold basis for money is the most impreg- nable—the basis to which foreign na- tions, after these recurring spasms of financial troubles are ended, will re- turn.” B Destruction of Holly Protested in Letter To the Editor of The Star: It is to be hoped that The Evening Star, which has rendered such splen- did service in ched preservl&:flyo:flgg dogwood, will render an eq = tive service in the saving of the holly trees. Possibly due to the depression, per- haps du]ey to the market, whole holly trees are being shipped into Washing- ton for sale. The holly tree is of the slow-growing species, and 2 small branch might have required several years to produce. It is not so much 2 question of the holly that is used at Christmas as it tlf"thn n:"::xmuu wasted. Great quantities rema n- sold and are destroyed after the Christ- mas season. Certainly unless we give some con- sideration to the matter, the time will rapidly approach when this most beautiful of tinct. Surely, in our desire to prop- erly celebrate Christmas, we ought not to destroy one of nature’s choicest Ve g2 b smoReTn — e Sensitive. From the Janesville Dally Olul:'. o A Kansas small town brass scared & mule to death. These Kansas mules are as temperamental and as high strung as its politicians. oo ———— Boners. Morning News. * T At oo ‘many the bridge. puses and ems, especially of the con- all trees will become ex-|be '|she State. i e T e 24, 1931. The Political Mill By G. Gould Lincoln. ‘This i§ not a propitious time for the foreign debtor nations to suggest to the United States a reduction or cancella- tion of the debts they owe this coun- try, growing out of the World War and post-war conditions. In the first place, the United States Government faces a possible deficit of some $2,000,000,000 or more. In the second place, a national campaign, with the Republicans and Democrats striving for mastery, is about to be launched. Because of the deficit and the present need for ipcreased tax- ation in this country, the American people and their representatives in Congress do not look with favor on any proposal to grant further reduction in the amounts due them from other na- tions. They resent the attitude of the foreign governments that their pay- ments to America shall depend upen the reparation payments made by Ger- many to the allled nations. The Amer- ican view is that huge sums of money were loaned to the allied nations, many of them after the war had ceased, with the distinct understanding that the money was to be paid back. No sug- Fiany was (o be the actual peymmsster e actual aster of America. Lt L Congress has just, by an overwhelm- ing vote, agreed to the Hoover one-year intergovernmental debt moratorium, by which the United States foregoes the collection of $252,000,000 during the present fiscal year from the foreign debtor nations. But at the same time, without a dissenting voice being raised on the floor of either the House or the Senate, has added a section to the resolution of ratification declaring it to be against the policy of the Congress to reduce or cancel the foreign debts to this country. Neither the Republican nor the Democratic party is going into the campaign next year as an advocate of debt reduction or cancellation if it can help it. When times were good in this coun- try there was strong: sentiment against debt cancellation. Now that times are bad. this sentiment is even stronger. If it is shown that the foreign debtor nations cannot pay, then America must agree to a further postponement, unless it is prepared to seek to collect the money by war—which it is not, nor does it desire to go to war. No matter what the experts of the Young Plan Advisory Committee have recommended or may recommend, the sentiment in this country is against scaling down the debts further. * ok % Politics is playing its part in the rep- arations and debt situation in all the countries involved. In Germany it is unpopular to keep up the reparation payments and one large group ras tak- en the position that a refusal must be made to pay further. Such a campaign slogan is gaining adherents there. In France, political leaders who seck to relieve Germany from these payments are attacked and lose ground immedi- ately. In America, cancellation of the war debts owed this country in all the circumstances is criticized as an ef- fort to make the United States pay the war debts of Germany and all the other countries involved, although this country had nothing to do with the initiation of the struggle. It begins to look as though the foreign debtor na- tions, so far as this country is con- cerned, would find themselves simply in the positicn of defaulters, if they under- take not to pay when their payments fall due next year. * ok ok % There may be no economic justice in such an attitude. But it is an attitude which political expediency is likely to bring about. I. won't be long now be- fore the House Ways and Means Com- mittee begins work on a bill increas- ing materially the taxes paid in this country. President Hoover already has recommended large increases in taxes. There is talk in many quarters, too, about the reduction of all Federal sal- aries by approximately 10 per cent, or certainly all those of $2,000 or more. Some of the” Democrats have been urging Speaker Garner to sponsor such | a proposal. But so far none of the Democrats of the House have shown a | desire to head the drive for the pro- posed decrease. It may come. Senator Borah of Idaho is out with a recom- mendation that all Federal salaries of $2,000 or $2,500 or more be cut 10 per cent in order to help meet the govern- mental deficit. Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Com- mittee, has offered a resolution declar- ing it the sense of the Senate that ap- propriations for the next fiscal year shall be cut to a péint $300.000,000 be- low the estimates submitted by the President and the Budget Bureau. Sen- ator Harrison has not yet said whether he would include in the slashes of the budget a cut in salaries, but it would appear that if such a large sum is to be eliminated from the budget there must be material reductions of salary. The budget submitted by the President amounts to $3942,754,000 for the fiscal year 1933. Under all the cir- cumstances, the time is not a good one to talk about scaling down debts owed this country, * K ok X Senator George H. Moses of New Hampshire continues to rerain as Presi- dent pro tempore of the Senate, despite the efforts of the “Sons of the Wild Jackass” to dislodge him. When the Senate met two weeks and more ago, the Progressive Republicans, asserting that Senator Moses had “threatened” them with reprisals if they did not sup- port his candidacy for re-election as President pro tempore, began balloting for other Republican Senators, while the Democrats have stood steadfastly by their candidate, Senator Key Pitman. Many ballots have been taken on many days, but without result, since a ma- Jority of the Senators voting is needed to elect. Moses holds, under a resolu- tion of the Senate, until his successor is chosen. It looks as though the dead- lock would go on through the remainder of the session of Congress. With the introduction of important legislation, interest has flagged in the esident pro tempore row, over which the coun- try, needing relief from the depression, can summon up little emotion unless it be derision. No great principle is in- volved. It is a question of personali- ties. Senator Moses makes an excellent presiding officer and when he is in the chair legislation is expedited. Many of the Senators realize that they could go far and not do half so well in the se- lection of a presiding officer, to sit when the Vice President is absent, if they set aside Mr. Moses. The row over the of- | £ fice of President pro tempore of the Senate was lald aside to take up the consideration of the Hoover moratorium resolution. It looks as though it would be laid aside again whenever there are matters of lmp:rhnc: to be considered. x X x The Republicans out in Kansas are striving to get together, perticularly on a senatorial candidate for mext year to Tun against the Democratic incumbent, Senator McGill, who was elected in 1930 due to a wide split in the Re- Publican ranks in the Sunflower State. Some of the Republican leaders have sug- ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDER! ‘What s your question? Whatever it may be, unless it be a request for legal, medical or financial advice, it will be answered without cost to you, and you will receive the reply in a personal let- ter. Write your question clearly and briefly, inclose two-cent stamp for re- turn postage, and address The Star In- formation Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Q. What is the average weight of the rubber worn off an automobile tire in driving one mile over a paved street? R. A. The Bureau #f Standards says that it depends on the size of tire, load, | and condition of | speed, temperature, pavement. For a 4.40-inch tire, as used on an ordinary light car, the amount of rubber worn off is in round numbers about 0.0003 pound per mile, or about two grains. Q. Who originated the idea of gold as a standard>—C. W. A. It grew up imperceptibly in Eu- | rope. The early Venetian bankers drew bills secured by gold and the bankers of Antwerp later did likewise. These practices may be regarded as the fore- runners of an established gold stand- ard involving & gold reserve against paper. Q. How many dog cemeteries are there in the United States?>—T. C. A. We have record of four: Aspin Hill Kennels, Brookville road, Aspen, Md.; Hartsdale Canine Cemetery, New York City; Cleveland Cat and Dog Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio, and Illi- nois Pet Cemetery, Chicago, Ill. Q. What makes ice slippery?>—R. G. A. The slippexjness of ice is due to the fact that its resistance to motion is very slight. It depends on its even and crystalline structure. The mole- cules of water are held together so smoothly and evenly that the resulting surface is also extremely smooth and even, Q. Who imported the known in America?—S. T. A. In 1784 John Jacob Astor of New York imported the first planos. They were small 4'; to 5 octave square pianos with eight legs. first pianos Q. How strong are the lights in the Lindbergh Beacon at Chicago?—A.V.8. A. The upper one is the beacon proper and has an output of 2,000,000~ 000 candlepower brought into a beam five feet in diameter and revolving at the rate of two revolutions per minute. The lower light has an output of 1,100,000,000 candlepower brought by a parabolic reflector into & beam 36 inches in diameter fixed to direct vis- iting airmen to the Municipal Airport It is computed that at a distance of comes equivalent in brightness to the full moon. Q. Who was known as “the second Moses"?—A. T. A. Moses Ben Maimon, the Jewish savant, a Talmudist philosopher, as- tronomer and physician. Q. How many automobiles are in use in the United States?>—M. L A. The motor vehicle registration for the year 1930 in the United States to- taled 26,523,779 Of this number, 23,042.840 were cars and 3,480,939 were trucks. Q. Is it possible for any one to get an amdition in the N. B. C. studios? —W. D. A. The National Broadcasting Co. has adopted a new system. Heretofore thousands of auditions have been granted. A study of the auditions rec- ords for several years revealed that all applicants who successfully passed the initial trial were persons with some training or experience. This resulted in ! the presentgsystem, which requires an applicant to answer in writing questions | as to training, experience, style, and, | | RISH INDEPENDENT, Dublin— A suggestion that a huge scheme | ! of road roconstruction should be | undertakep in the Free State with the primary object of providing | work for unemployed agricultural work- | ers, and that the scheme should be| financed by a £1.000,000 loan on the road fund, was made at a meeting of the Roads Committee of the Meath | County Council. * % x % Overproduction Held Depression Cause. ! Japan Times, Tokio—A strange; | muddle this, into which we have fallen of late! People starving because we have produced too much food, going about in rags bacause we grow too much cotton, barefooted because we have made too many shoes, sleeping in door- ways and barns bccause we have built * Manufactured prod- tain high without a market, while millions lack the common decencies of lifs! A gloomy picture? Yes, but a fair one, plain for all to see. Not so plain is the cause of it all. One hears many explanations—ov=1production. These are all factors in the situation, without doubt, but none of them explains it nor | all of them together. The real cause,| I am convinced, lies much deeper, in| an organic malady, a virus in the blood stream that poisons the entire system. In the large, the whole economic| process of production and distribution is carried on by just two groups—those | who furnish the labor and those who furnish the capital. The first group gets its return from wages and salaries, the second from profits and dividends. But the only way the second group can get profits is by selling back to the first T the goods the latter have pro- uced for more than the cost of pro- duction. Suppose, for example, that| capital expends a hundred million dol- lars for raw materials, wages and sal-| aries in the production and distribution of certain goods. These goods must be so0ld at a profit—they must bring $125,~ 000,000 or $159,C0,000. Obviously, however, the consumers have no more to buy with than they have received. And since the goods they have produced are now priced at $50,000,000, therc is a $50,000,000 sur- plus which they cannot absorb. In this & surpius of unsold commodi- ies accumulates year after year, not because people do not need them, but because they are unable to buy them . There can be only one result. At last business slows down, factories close, wages are reducad, employes are turned off and industry goes into a tail spin of depression. From this vicious circle it can recover only after a large part of the accumulated surplus has been dis- sipated—either given away, thrown on some other matket or sold at bargain prices which sacrifice the surplus values. That is exactly the course to which we are now being driven, to check the present decline and start again on the upgrade. Prices of all commodities have gone lower and lower and vast ac- ¥ °f | cumulations of surplus value in the hands of a few are beginning slowl: to be distributed in the form of relizyl - | work and charity. ‘warring if he were nominated with that he would be ac- all he could be elected despite on. Mr. Hoch by an early announcement might keep the fleld to himself in the Republican primary. is expected to make a statement on or be- fore Kansas day, January 29, when the Republicans usually have a big 1ally in Former Senator Henry J. Allen is among those urging Hoch to make the race. If there is no agree- mmmlml‘e.mhuke o Clyde Reed 6is0 is &.possible eon- If this analysis is correct, it seems evident that it is this element of profit or exploitatiop, which is the root of our disease—the “poison that vitiates the whole economic process. It is a sort of narcotic, without which industry its present form cannot live; but which He like alcohol stimulates only to stupefy, paralyze, and at last destroy. * X X x Deplore Suspension Of Spanish Newspaper. A B C, Madrid.—The director general of national security announced recently that publication of the periodical La ndencia Militar has been sus- 55!, miles the Lindbergh Beacon be- | IC J. HASKIN. if a vocalist, quality and strength of voice. Q. What is the area of the Metropol= itan district of New York?—J. S, A. It covers an area of 3,768 square miles. The area of the City of New | York, including the five boroughs and ‘no;?e small islands, is 308.95 square miles. Q. What are carbuncles?—H. H. D. A. Carbuncles are deep infections of | subcutaneous tissues which take place | through minute cuts or through the hair follicles. Q. What were the names of the men who captured Maj. John Andre?— D.J. 8 | "A. He was captured by three Amer- |ican militiamen named John Paulding, David Willlams and Isaac Van Wart. Q. How are papal bulls named?— [N. L. L. | _A. They take their titles from the first word or phrase of the text, which invariably is written in classic Latin. | Thus the bull which bears the title | “Antiquorum habet fidem,” is named for the opening phrase which, trans- lated, reads “He has the faith of the | Ancients.” The title of the bull, “Ex- | surge,” means “Arise.” There is no way | of determining from its title what the subject matter of a papal bull may be. | Q what toys do children prefer? | —W. M. A.'A comprehensive survey leads to the conclusion that building blocks are | the favorite toy for children up to the age of seven. Drawing and painting materials rank high. With little girls, dolls and housekeeping equipment are favorites. Sand and clay for modeling | retain the interest of most children. | Mechanical toys, on the other hand, are soon discarded. Adults usually enjoy | the mechanical toys more than the | children for whom they are purchased. 0. In looking over laws of Vermont | T frequently see “town or gore” What is a gore?—S. T. | ATt is an old name for a triangular plece of land, a minor unorganized ter- ritory, common in both Maine and Ver- mont, as between the corners of neigh- | boring counties | Q Why was Wall street given that !name?—C. D, 8. A. In 1652, Peter Stuyvesant, as Gov- ernor of New Amsterdam, ordered s palisade constructed where the street now is to protect the town from feared invasions by the British. The last of the wall was removed in 1699 and both sides of the street were quickly built up. | Q What Senator entered the Senate l!)—ef:{re he was 30 years of age?—M. M. | A Henry Clay was elected to the United States Senate before he had reached the official age. He was born April 12, 1777, and when he entered | the Senate, December 9, 1806, he lacked four months and three days of being 30 years. Q. How did Scotsmen get tation of being stingy?—A. S. | A. Scotland throughout its history has been a poor country. Its land, with | small exceptions, was infertile, its cli- | mate bad, with long hard Winters and | short, frequently dry Summers, and it has also, through its history, been the scene of much strife, both foreign and civil. To surmount such conditions & | people must be of a more frugal, indus- | trious and persevering habit, and the | exercise of these virtues may at times have developed into a hardness and thrift which have been commented on unfavorably and undoubtedly much ex- aggerated. the repu- 8. Q When was vegetarianism invent- | ed>—R. E. F. A. Vegetarianism as a word came into use about 1847, but prior to that there were people who lived on a diet that excluded flesh, fowl and fish. Highlights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands of the recent campaign in Africa. The government charges that the paper supported the Moroccan insurgents, rather than the government, and so cast discredit and created dissatisfac- tion among the troops of the republic. Not only that, but they are charged with misrepresenting the attitude of the | Toyal officers in Morocco, and even pub- lished in their columns a letter pur- porting to come from one such Senor Martinez Amido, in which was in- cluded the sentence, “I congratulate you particularly upon the campaign which you are making in your paper.” Senor Anido denies making this state- ment, which was published in the form of a postscript. Once more we feel obliged to com- ment upon the taking of such action by the authorities, for such an order strikes at the very life of a periodical, and is in direct conflict with the con- stitutional prerogative of the press, & right which we have always defended for papers of true ideals. As for the others, there are civil and criminal courts to care for injuries inflicted by them in private or public matters. Street Car Company Blamed for Own Loss To the Editor of The Star: It's hard to understand why the street car companies complain of loss of patronage when it is entirely their own fault. Besides the excessive street car fares, the public has to suffer from antiquated, uncomfortable cars. Just let some of the street car offi- cials ride on the Cabin John car line some time and happen not to be for- tunate enough to find a seat next to the window. Then let them try to hang on to the end seat and see how physically worn out they will be before their des- tination is reached. They will soon discover why the average patron prefers to ride in most any other conveyance but the street car. ‘There is no reason why we shouldn’t | have decent cars, and we could also stand a few more in service between 4:30 and 6:30 in the evenings. EMILIE LEWIS ECKLOFF. - The Inflamed Ego. From the Toledo Blade. Inflammatory importance is set down as the cause of many automobile acci~ dents. “Get out of my way!” That is the spirit of many drivers, who impa- tiently forget that the roads belong to all. Dr. Paul Schroeder, State criminolo- gist of Tllinols, finds that concelt plays an important part in criminal motor offenses. He has examined drivers held for manslaughter and found among them a prevailing tendency to be cocky and impatient of the right of others. The inflamed ego is an arrogant, in- tolerant road hog. Some accidents seem unavoidsble. More could be charged to disregard of the rights of others on the part of driv- ers who never heard of the Golden Rule, or consider it just another law enacted e in | by some State Legislature. | Most self-importance on the as elsewhere, is the outgrowth rance. — et A Graphic Aid. | Prom the St. Louts Times. The suggestion that comic strips be placed in the Congressional Record is not such a silly idea, since it would give far better idea of the real ;unn-!-tl- IS