Evening Star Newspaper, December 25, 1931, Page 8

' A8 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY. . .December 25, 1931 . Editor THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: and Pennsylvania Ave. Office 110 East 42nd St Lake Michigan Building. 14 Regent f%.. London, England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. The Evening Btar....... 45c per month The Evening and Sunday Biar 60c per month .hl"hlln C‘ und;nfl) A5 o une Evening and Sunday Uwnen 8 Bundaye) ..o 68 per month coper copy ach mon! w e Sunday Star be sent in by mail or telephone st 3 Collection made at the end of e Orders may NAtional 8000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Dally a Bundai 1yr.. $10.00: 1 mo., 85¢ lllao y. z 1yr., $6.00: 1 mo., 50c unday only 1yr., 34.00; 1 mo., 40c All Other States and Canada. Dally and Sunda; 1yr. HEDO' 1 mo., $1.00 : ¥ Raliy only 1yr §8.00: 1 mo.. i8¢ nday only 1yr] §5 00; 1 mo., 50c Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively ectitled to the ‘use for republication of all news dis- atches crediled fo it or not othersiso cre ted in this paper and also the local news published herein * All rlchs of publication of special dispatches herein are ulso reserved Christmas Day—And After. There are few, indeed, who will go hungry in Washington today. The Christmas baskets are many and brim- ful of good things. There are few stockings, “hung with care” as well as hope and faith, that did not have scmething in them this morning. There are few appeals, on this day, that do not find ready re- sponse from cheerful, willing givers. The atmosphere of Christmas time stirs some of the finest emotions, and their outpourings are expressed in terms of heavy baskets of food, bundles of toys, gifts in money and in clothing for distribution among those who need them most. It is comforting and in- spiring to think of all the good things that are being done. The plight of some bereft or stricken family on this gladdest day of ali the year, if gener- ally known, would bring quick and gen- erous response from literally hundreds of persons whose hearts were touched by discomforting contrast. Yet Christ- mas comes but once a year, while the realistic and prosaic business of caring for the weak and the unfortunate is always pressing Unfortunately, the enthusiastic spirit of “Christmas giv- ing” does not last much longer than a Christmas basket. The obvious method of overcoming an old handicap in the work of organized charity is the substitution of intelligent giving for the giving that springs from spontaneous emotions alone. And while emotional giving is a natural and com- mon impulse, the development of intel- ligent giving depends upon a long- drawn-out and sometimes tedious proc- ess of education. It is not necessary— In fact it would be altogether deplora- ble—to seek to dissociate organized giv- ing by an intelligent community from the spirit of sweet charity. But it is eltogether necessary to change the meaning of charity as it has for too long been understood. Charity to some one visited by calamity does not end with the provision of a basket of food. It is the provision of means with which to overcome a far more important def- icit than the lack of a Christmas din- ner. It means the provision of essen- tials, but in addition the careful recon- struction of what has been temporarily disabled. In many cases the will to survive and to regain self-dependence are the things that have been weakened. The administration of such work, in turn, requires skill that is born of knowledge and experience, tact, good Judgment and patience that is part of the job. One may gain immense satis- faction from personally visiting a family in distress and personally wit- nessing the gratitude that rewards a good deed. But is one willing to do this throughout the year? And if not, is it not a sign of social enlightenment that more and more people every year are willing and even insistent that the administration of real charity be car- ried on by competent and experienced persons, who have chosen this business as the work of a lifetime? It is. And one of the silver linings of this cloud of depression has been the demonstration, repeated in scores of communities, of the progress now be- ing written in organized giving and in organized and efficient administration of charity. Public charity, as distinct from political charity, has gained more in the last few years than in any com- parable period despite the resistance encountered from well meaning theo- rists who would sacrifice it on the ground of failure to bring the mil- Jennium, One hopes that there will always be Christmas baskets, laden with good things, and bundles of toys at Christ- mas time—these to be regarded as the Joyful trappings of the season, and not As the real expression of the com- munity's responsibility to those who are heavy laden. o Tn 1919 the per capita circulation of money in this country was $45.95. In 1931 it was only $34.54. There is just as much money now as then. Come on, John Citisen, and’ give that ten dollars an airing! R Japan Goes Her Way. Great Britain, France and the United States have deposited remonstrances at ‘Tokio against the impending advance of the Japanese Army on Chinchow, the sole remaining stronghold necessary . to make the occupation and conquest of Manchuria airtight. The American protest was delivered to Premier Inukai in person by Ambassador Forbes yester- day. No formally official communica- tlons have sa far been returned by Japan, but the premier told Mr. Forbes verbally that Japanese troops are not engaged in offensive operations against Chinchow. They are “merely suppress- ing bandits.” Japanese activities to this end are described as necessary because all Chi- mnese administrative agencies in the area have broken down. The prime minister added for our Ambassador's information that Japan has strong evi- dence that many so-called bandits are Chinese soldiers in civilian garb, who are really acting in concert with the Chinchow It is therefore diffi- cult for Japanese troops to distinguish between bandits and soldiers. Japanese foreign office officials do not Tegard4the British, French and fAmeri- L=~ much es “an expression of concer They are evidently looked upon as| sufficlent of a warning to cause the Tokio military authorities te order at least a temporary halt in the march on Chinchow. A pitched battle with Chinese troops ncvertheless seems im- minent. Its outcome can hardly be doubted. It will be a Chiness rout. Chinchow wi'l fa'l. 2nd the city will be held as a l°gitim-te military prize. The Chincse, who bave refused to retreat behind the Great Wall at Japan's in- vitation, will find themselves there under compulsion, but at any rate under less humiliating circumstances — provided there is a genuine show of resistance. Meantime, Toklo's feeling that the Western powers mean to register “con- cern” over Japanese action in Man- churia is fully justified. The Occi- dental world is concerned. It is not excited to the degree that in other times and amid different international conditions migtt lead to far graver protest than diplomatic notes. ‘The governments and peoples on this side of the globe are concerned chiefly over the contempt with which Japan has seen fit to treat international cove- nants. They are concerned because seldom in modern history was there greater need than now for the world’s carefully manufactured peace machin- ery to be kept intact. There is loose talk everywhere of possible repudia- tion of contracted debts. The nations are about to foregather at Geneva for the purpose of reducing excessive ar- maments as yet another step toward solldifying the peace structure. If enlighter~d statesmanship has not entirely vanished in Japan, Fer re- sponsible leaders must realize that events of the past ninety days in Man- churia justify the world's concern not so much for the fate of that great Chinese province, as for the principle of honest dealing and for maintenance of faith in international relations. — e reee—s — Newton D. Baker Speaks. Newton D. Baker imn a letter written by him to an editor in North Carolina expresses a desire to fight, “whether carrying a banner or marching in the {ranks,” for a “revived liberalism and a refreshed idealism in this country.” 1ln some quarters this statement by Mr Baker is being interpreted as a willing- ness to become a candidate for the presidential nomination of the Demo- cratic party next year. The North Carolina editor to whom Mr. wrote was Sanford Martin, editor of the Winston-Salem Journal, who published an editorif? calling on Mr. Baker to enter the race for President. Mr. Baker sald in his letier that he rejoiced be- cause those who urged him to run for the presidential nomination based their pleas on the need for a revival of lib- eralism and idealism in this country. The quotations from the letter, con- tained in a dispatch from Winston- Salem, may or may not have given the full expression of Mr. Baker's opinion. Mr. Baker in another part of the let- ter not quoted may have declared his intention not to become a candidate for President. from his letter now published here ap- pear to open the gate to his candidacy. Ohlo Democrats who have talked with Mr. Baker insist that he has told them definitely he will not be a candidate for the nomination. In Ohio the law requires a candidate for the presidential nomination to declare himself, if he is to have a delegation to the party's na- tional convention pledged to him. The delegates are chosen in a preferential primary. Those Democrats who are in the “know” regarding the sltuation in the Buckeye State insist that Gov. George White will have the Ohio dele- gation to the Democratic convention; that the delegates will run in the pri- mary as White delegates, and that they will be elected, probably without oppo- sition. Whether a White delegation from ©Ohio would turn to Mr. Baker is proble- matical, if Mr. White failed to have a real chance for the nomination next year. The White delegation will, it is said, not be “hostile” to any other candidate, but merely supporters of Gov. White. There is a good deal of sentiment, however, among Ohio Democrats for the nomination of Gov. Roosevelt of New York for President. But it is believed that Gov. Roosevelt will not enter the Ohio primary as a candidate, but that he will be content to have the delegation instructed for Gov. White, with the expectation that in the end the delegation will come to the Roose- velt banner anyway. More and more pressure s being exerted to persuade Mr. Baker, the Secretary of War in the Wilson ad- ministration, to agree to be a candidate, or at least not to declare his unwill- ingness to accept a nomination if it comes to him from the national con- vention. Mr. Baker has insisted that he is not a candidate. But many Demo- crats believe that in the end he could be prevailed upon to accept, if the party demanded that he run. On the other hand, there are plenty of poten- tial candidates for the Democratic nomination who do not have to be han- dled so delicately. Mr. Baker's letter to the North Carolina editor is of great interest under all the circumstances. ——— e Now one of the guttersniping authors has called the early' Virginia clergy “the scum of England.” Maybe so— a lot of them Tose to the top over here and stayed there. e 1 ‘World Idleness. From Geneva come tidings at once sad and comforting. The Interna- tional Labor Office there has issued a Christmas eve statement to the effect that there are at this time no less than 100,000,000 needy people in the world, men, women and children. It states ful that the number of workers now But of employment is twenty-five millions, the United States leading the world with six millions. Russia, states the labor office, has no unemployed. It may be remarked parenthetically that idleness in that land is not a misfor- tune; it is virtually a crime. Second to the United States is Germany, with 5,350,000 jobless persons, and then Great Britain with 2,650,000. Thus these three countries account for four- teen of the twenty-five milllon jobless people. The French labor federation reports 1,500,000 idle, whereas the gov- ernment’s count is only 91,000. This discrepancy is the more striking be- cause of the claim made during recent months that France has practically no workless people. 0% 5 warnidg 8 Ao much for Mba hed news, MNow {5 enteciainio’ Ithen indeed has Baker | But certainly the quotations | THE EVENING STAR. WASHINGTON, L RIDAY, Di LER 25, 1931. the good tidings. The Geneva labor office accompanies this Christmas eve statement with the declaration that with the solitary exception of Russia— where idleness canot exist, officlally— employment is steadily increasing throughout the world. If that is true, the corner been turned. Optimi-tic views regarding the general situation havs not been un- common of late. Quite recently cne has been put forth by Dr. S8amuel De Wolf of Amsterdam, who is regarded as an authority cn world economics. He has sald in an address to the Counell of the Netherlands Society of Factory Workers that he belleves the end of the depression will come in 1932, and that it will be first noted in the United States, spreading later to Europz. Dr. De Wolf reminded his hearers that he predicted the depres- slon three years ago—when everything was booming—and he was then severe- ly criticized by Dutch economists. It is sincerely to be hoped that he is as accurate in his present forecast as he seems to have been in that one. ————— Procrastinating Motorists. ‘Washington motorists who have failed to secure titles to their automobiles or 1932 license plates have at least one consolation if they are forced to do without thelr cars during the first few days of January. There will be plenty of others’in New York who are in the same boat. According to figures just released by Motor Vehicle Commissioner Harnett of that State, less than flity per cent of car owners have applied for the new tags, which must be affixed to every machine after December 31. It is evident that motorist procrasti- nation is not confined to one locality, but just why this bad habit is indulged in at all is difficult to understand. 1t leads only to inconvenience, delay and hardship for the procrastinator. Ample time was given all Washington drivers, for instance, to procure titles. Did they do it? They did not. Tag buying, through the system just installed by the Traffic Bureau, was made exceptionally easy this year. Will all Washington motorists have 1932 tags on thelr cars after midnight of December 31? They will not. And so it goes —_— ———— —s The roar of Niagara Falls may be broadcast to Britons as a return com- pliment for the chimes of “Big Ben." Later in the entertainment there will be a radio connection between the an- nouncer and a “British Columbla lumberjack eating his lunch.” Any Britisher who has never listened to a lumberjack eating lunch, or any other meal, will be astonished if not thrilled, provided he does not diagncse the sound as plain static. r——— In the home of a Cambridge, Mass., man raided on suspicion of prohibition violation was found a fine pickerel swimming around in the bathtub. The owner explained he was “fattening him for Friday.” There is & thought here for those who like to tell of large fish are meticulous ounces. ———— A stone ax, declared by archeolo- gists to be at least 10,000 years of age, has just been unearthed in Stotland. It is rather well worn and it is thought probable that it was in use until some forty or fifty years ago. about pounds and ———— New York's new “Radio City” will in- clude the name of its backer in its formal title and be either “Rockefeller Center” or “Rockefeller City.” There is, it seems, already an Oil City in Pennsylvania. e The only reminder of St. Nicholas in modern Russia is the whiskers. e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Christmas Usefulness. Mebbe you ain't numbered With the lucky few That come home incumbered With their gifts so new; Mebbe you have faltered, Haven't made your pile— But the fact sin't altered; You kin always smile. If you can't spend money Helpin' cheer along; If you can't be funny, Play ner sing a song; You kin still be heeded Fur your happy style. Folks are always needed That know how to smile. Apprehensive Frame of Mind. constituents when you get home?” “Too soon to think about that,” re- | plied Senator Sorghum; “if some of the | harsh criticism going on in my district keep up, mebbe I ain't going home.” Thought Measurement. “A man is as big as the terms in which he ordinarily thinks,” remarked the wise citizen. “This is dreadful!” exlaimed Miss Cayenne. “My father is a sclentist and is accustomed to getting his ideas with 1a microscope.” High Cost. And as we offer large sums For weights and measures small The price of peace, alas, becomes The highest price of all. Practical Considerations. “My family tree- " began the titled suitor. “I'm tired of hearing about family trees,” answered Mr. Cumrox. “In the part of the country I came from, a man's industry and consequence is measured by the size of the family wood piles.” A Vain Desire. We dream of idle hours whose song In murmuring measures drifts along. The bee that toils in flerce unrest, The bird that tends its cherished nest, The cloud on high that sails the sky Fulfill a duty ere they die. ‘The tinfest insect in its flight Is fain to do some task aright. The petals of the fading rose Show beauteous change, but not repose. ‘We vainly seek in mortal pride What to all else has been denied. 'Tis whispered, 'mongst the very flowers, “There are, in truth, no idle hours.” | captured with rod and reel and who THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. ‘What better day can there be for reading Charles Dickens’' masterly story, “A Christmas Carol,” than Christmas day itself? For the past five years this column has advocated the reading of th's story on Christmas eve. Perhaps that s the happlest time. But if any one forgot, today 15 as good as any. There were hundreds of Christmas stories before the great novelist penned his “carol,” and there were hundreds written afterward. Not one of them, however, managed to get into itself a certain spirit of a hearty Christmas which the world has come to assoclate with the celebration. Only “A Christmas Carol” succeeded. Dickens himself tried to do it again and again, but he never exactly hit it. Since his day, the forma! writing of Christmas tales has fallen by the way- side, along with so many other Victorian habits of mind. For a time, following the World War, it was a fashion among the so-called intelligent porticn ot young America to sneer at the Victorians. Scarcely anything they did, and espe- clally scarcely anything they wrote, was to be regarded as worth while or held in _estecem. Holding anything in esteem, as & matter of fact, was rather suspicious, in itself. The popular attitude wes to thumb the nose at respectability and all that respectability held dear. Holding anything dear, as a matter of fact, was unthinkable. If one wanted to thank any cne else for a favor, the thing to do was not to say, with simple courv.sy, “Thank you” or “Thank you very much,” or some such genteel statement, but to blurt out, without any approach to politeness, as the old fogies knew it, “The usual thanks,” or some such fiippancy. * ok ox % There has been a revolution during the past few years among the young people. Many of them are getting their bear- ings in life. They are beginning to see that Charles Dickens, for all his flubdub, was a great writer. Tennyson is once more regarded by our young intellectual: as a true poet. It is to be suspected that many a young man of high school age has read A Christmas Carol,” not because it was written by Dickens, not because it was a product of an era long past, but simply because it is a rattling good story, and one which does somehow manage to incorporete a warm feeling of humanity of the sort we like to think about as associated with Christmas. Just how this effect was achieved it is impossible to analyze. Surely the rat. or superabundant, florid manner of Dickens had scmething to do with it. His heavy, elaborated style, when held down to a minimum, as he saw it, gave a breadth even to his slightest mental whims. The Dickensian, in reading the “Carol.” is conscious all through it of the flavor of the writer. Now that is not pleasant to every reader, especially if one possesses that curious trait of mind which manifests itself in literary impatience. Literary impatience is a disease which has not been studied enough. The man of wide tastes will not shrink from any writer simply because that writer hap- pens to write in a way which is perhaps not his first choice. There are only a few writers in the world who suit any one reader from every standpoint. But the man of breadth of vision is willing to read any man, 5o long as he feels certain that he is getting the result of honest thought. Such a reader will not cut himself off from a possible good thing | for the sake of whimsy. He will not be impatient with an au- thor simply for the sake of showing his own independence of mind. Most, of those who flout Dickens as a somewhat clumsy artist, if they give him that title at all, fail to see that this writer had his own method, and that the method made as great a suc- cess in his own day as any method of our own popular writers. Perhaps half a century: from now the storles of some of the present pop- ular fictionists will seem as qaeer and out-of-date to the young irtellectunls of that era as do the long stories of Dickens. The point is, especially with such a story as “A Christmas rol,” did ihe writer achieve what he set out to achieve? The answer must be that he did. His object was twofold: To tell a good story and to get into it the spirit of | Christmass. And the spirit of Christmas, which he achieved therein, has managed to over- shadow the story itself. The atory 1s good, but its spirit is better. It is a hearty, even beefy, spirit, if you please, but it is none the less spiritual for all that. | "1t takes the good things of earth and | uses them to point the way to the finer | traits of mind and heart which consti- | tute the cternal verities The really existent things! They are difficult to see, sometimes, in the midst of so much chatter, so much clatter, so much listening to the loud mouths which call, “Look!" Kindness of heart is something which | really exists as much today as ever, if one is fortunate enough to find it. It really exists, and therefore is an eternal verity. Old Scrocge managed to find that out, all by himself, of | course, for the various supernatural | beings which aided him did not really exist. Scrooge must be given the credit for | finding out about kindness to others. | All the spirits of all the Christmases past, present and future could not teach a bit of it to a living soul if that soul | did not have enough decency left to find it out for himself. | Every human being is a bit of a | Scrooge, at times, end works himself out cf it by clinging with the right hand of his heart to the eternal veri- ties, the really existent things. | The mind is the Old Scrooge of hu- | manity. It is the mind which whispers delay when the right thing is to act at once; it is the mind which with- (holds the quarter demanded by the beggar and says, “He will spend it on liquor, so do not give it to him.” The mind is Old Scrooge, the gentle- man who needs the lesson of kindness and will get it at last, God willing How this is to be accomplished must be left to Scrooge. co-operating with the | good fairies of his heart. The peculiar feature of the modern | Christmas is that most enjoy it while | at the same time they pretend they do nct. They need a dosé of Dickens, some hundred pages or so of “A Christ- | mas Carol.” This is a specific If Santa Claus remembered you with | a eopy. or you have an old copy around | the house, sneak away for an hour this afternoon and read “A Christmas Carcl.” It will do your soul good. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC Washington politicians are at a loss to understand why so little excitement has been generated by the throwing of Newtcn D. Baker's hat into the Demo- cratic presidential ring. Not that the Ohioan has not all along been con- sidered a receptive contender, but be- cause to date Baker has maintained the coy attitude, preferring the role of a shrinking violet to that of an avowed | aspirant. This week, apparently un- noticed by the country at large, he went the length of announcing that he “wants to fight no matter whether it is a case of “carrying a banmer or marching in the ranks” In other words, the Wilsonian Secretary of War is ready to become his party's stand- ard-bearer in 1932, if sufficiently urged. Baker’s manifesto was addressed to Sanford Martin, editor of the Winston- Salem Journal. It was written in re- sponse to an_editorlal calling upon Baker not to discourage those who are working for his nomination. Current events revive interest in the attitude of the little Cleveland Napoleon toward | debt_cancellation. Partisans of Frank- lin D. Roosevelt are suggesting that Baker has a cancellation record, though he is not today as 100 per cent League of Nations as he used to be. Who is, with Manchuria as a horrible example of League impotence? * X ¥ % It remains to be seen whether Re- publican woman politicians will look upon Mary Emma Woolley's appoint- ment as a delegate to the Geneva Dis- armament Conference as commensurate recognition of that branch of the sex which has always claimed to be Herbert Hoover's principal prop. The G. O. P. sisters have never sald much about it during the past 2!, years, but now and then it oozes out that they're a “What are you going to tell your |little disgruntled over not having been handed more cream puffs at the Hoover pie counter Miss Woolley is a regis- tered Republican, was active in the 1928 campaign on the President's behalf, and the honor that has just come to her is universally approved. The fair sup- porters of the Hoover cause got their first jolt when Mabel Walker Wille- brandt was allowed to revert to private life two years ago. Mrs. Ellis A. Yost, shrewd director of the Republican Na- tional Committee'’s Woman's Division, says that 35 women have been ap- pointed to 26 Hoover commisisons. Two women are on the President’s Unem- ployment Commission. He asked sev- eral women whom he found in office to continue to adorn their jobs. Mr. Hoo- ver named Annabel Matthews as a member of the Board of Income Tax Appeals and appointed women for the first time to administrative posts in the offices of education and Indian af- fairs. * X % % ‘To their keen disappointment—that's really putting it mildly—the members of the American delegation to the Geneva Conference are crossing the Atlantic in a 14,000-ton cabin ship, the | steamship President Harding, instead of the 49,000-ton de luxe Leviathan. The State Department moved heaven and earth to get the owmers of the Leviathan not to decommission her until after one more eastbound crossing in January, but it couldn’t be done. So the delegation is condemned to spend cight days on the Midwinter Atlantic. There are British, French and German ships of greyhound type that could have landed the party in Europe in just the right time for the confer- ence, but there's that law t ‘Yankee officials jo&;fldlng on the high seas except under Stars and Stripes. * oKk ¥ in Washington, the rest of the country and abroad the story goes the rounds that the United States is preparing to abandon the gold stand- ard. One of the it who knows Persistentl; they're formulated, says that “theorftically, vaguely and distantly abandohment of the gold standard is “De man who claims dat money is|that his best friend” said Uncle Eben, hapj m:i‘enly or unexpectedly. ‘would take many “never looks like he had.found Very {wo years of il ROOEY, »0d, deain 6 WILLIAM WILE. explains the authority in question, there would have to be some well developed school of thought advocating the step. There is no such school of thought at the present moment, beyond the bi- metallist group which burns incense | before Bryan's memory, and the Euro- pean wish that is father to the thought. * oxox % “Power and Glory," by Walter Daven- port—a biography of Boles Penrose—is one of the season's political books Washington is reading with more than ordinary Interest. The author revives a breezy passage at arms between the Pennsylvania boss and James Hamil- ton Lewis when both of them were in the Senate during the war. Lewis was one of the few who stood in no awe of Penrose. Now and then in debate Jim Ham made much of the Pennsyl- vanian's figure and tonnage, always to Penrose’s annoyance. “It is true,” said Penrose ponderously on a certain occa- sion, “that I am a big man. I am in the full vigor of manhood. That is apparent even to the gentleman from Illinois. | Therefore, I do not have to resort to | dyestuffs to make an appearance.” Re- torted the wearer of the most widely ad- vertised pink whiskers: “And I do not require an annual coat of whitewash.” J * x % % Judson King of Washington, the David who is in perpetual pursuit of the Goliath power trust, has had a | Joyous communication from Represent- |ative Rainey of Illinois, Democratic | majority leader in the House. Rainey | was in Russia last Summer, giving the | Soviet system the once-over. One of | the wonders he observed there was the building of the gigantic Dnieper River | power plant, of which an American en- | gineer, Hugh Cooper of New York, is in charge. The Bblshevists told Mr. Rainey that when the plant is in full operation it’s going to supply domestic | electric current to Russians at the rate | of one-eighth of 1 per cent a kilowatt | hour. Perhaps the Stalinskis didn't | point out that the conditions under which Soviet labor is employed have | something to do with the production of | cheap “juice.” * o % X | Hobbling around on his famous | crutches in Washington. renewing ac- quaintance with old congressional cronies, is former Representative Wil- liam D. Upshaw of Georgia. When Upshaw lost out in an attempt to re- main in the House five years ago the dry cause was bereft of one of its real pillars. The arch-foe of Demon Rum from the Cracker State has surveyed Capitol Hill and says it's still a Sahara —from the political and vote stand- points, anyhow. He’s convinced that prohibitionists have nothing to fear from a showdown on repeal or modifi- cation—that a test would only reveal the water-wagon's invincibility. Up- shaw has returned to the lecture plat- form, (Copyright, 1931 e 'Reduction Is Urged In Rents and Trusts To the Editor of The Star. I have seen in the papers Te- cently several recommendations about the reduction in pay of the employes of the Government and of different corporations. Can you tell me why no one has sug- gested “that reductions be made in rents, payments on trusts, mortgages, or_other obligations of the kind? You know that reductions in pay will very likely result in the loss of prop- early paid for. STl yR%‘I J. MICKEY. R Shakespearean Statesmanship. From the Newark Evening News. e Study of Shakespeare is recommes to stnt{men by John Drinkwater 8s a steadying influence in these stressful times. To our own members of the Congress we recormend: “Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice. ———r— Not a Collector. From the Worcester Daily Telegram. Senator Borah insists that some of our foreign debtors are in default, as far as he is concerned. This doesn't mean, however, that Mr. i3 golng out 20 ik e cobta Shmelt, 0 Repudiation of Federal Debt to District Hit To the Editor of The Star: Have the morals of our Federal Gov- ernment been contaminated by asso- ciation with foreign governments that evade or repudiate their just debts? our Government itself started on the road to repudiation? Repudiation of just obligations is repudiation of debt, and there is no e<sential difference bstween avoidance of a just obligation to pay equitable repudiaticn of its debts expressed in a bond. « The Federal Government stands in & unique position of advantage in dealing with the District of Columbia in that it has the power to refuse to pay its way without fear that the mu- | nicipality will sell its property for non- payment of equitable taxes. It is the goie arbiter to deterrmine whether it shall pay any tax at all. Now that 1t is proposed to go more than half way toward repudiation, why should | Congress not go the full length at once and refuse to pav anything toward the exxlafnael of n:’e Capital? conceded by every one that if | Washington were not theyleat of Fed- |Erll Government this city would be in a bad way. In fact, it never would have become & city of half a million people except for that fact. It was created as the Capital and would never have come into existence except for that purpose. We are fortunate in re- siding here and have been favored by that circumstance of destiny. Very few of the population would have coms here except to find employment, with the Federal Government. Let us admit the Federa]l Government is “the whole thing” in the life of the city and that all of us depend upon it directly or indirectly for our living and wellbeing { #nd we are glad to reside in this beauti- ful city. | However, that same statement in some degree applics to many other cities that do not exempt their factories and other business interests that form the background of their prosperity from the payment of taxes Gary, Ind., was built by the United States Steel’ Cor- poratlon as a location for steel mills, but the Steel Corporation pays its taxes. What would Detroit be without Ford nd other automobile manufacturers that pay their taxes on the very facto- ries that give the people their means of livelihcod? New York's skyscrapers house the corporations that give em- ployment to the people, but they are taxed. The pictures at Hollywood pro- :mteu:he euen;lml employment ~there, ut they pay their full share of 4 So_it is everywhere. Sy ‘Whenever a citizen of the District of Columbia receives a permit from our in- spector of buildings to improve business house and residence to better adapt them for use, that proceeding is fol- lowed by an increase of his tax to allow for the added improvement without re- zard to any increased income such im- provement may bring. But now, when the Federal Government is properly housing its employes in buildings that will provide more economical and needed facilitles for its busine:s. it pro- | poses to cut down instead of increas. ing its own taxation. All of these happenings are coming into prominence about three wreks be- fore the District of Columbia proposes Pleces of real estate for non-payment of taxes, rated higher than they would be if the Federal Government paid its taxes on the same Pasis of appraisement that applies to privately owned real estate. A large proportion of these de- linquent taxpayers are employed by the Government, but there is no suggestion that any one should assist in keeping them in’ their homes bscause they have taxation without representation, This all happens concurrently with a moratorium of payments on debts of our foreign debtors to our own Gov- ernment, proposed by ourselves, and there is advocacy of cancellation of those debts by some of the Very men in Congress who are indifferent toward own employes on the taxation auctior block and who advocate having the Federal Government refuse to pay its %qex;leuble taxes on the workshops it uses [ t is not usual for taxpayers to the amount of their own xfx,y-nd if lfii people of the District of Columbia are to have no voice in fixing the amount of tax treir big corporation shall pay is it not time to call in some disinterested body to act as mediator and to deter- mine the principles that shall apply to taxation? ~ Congress is easily excited over arbitrary and selfish acts of pri- vate corporations. It is readily re- sponsive to appeals to have our private corporations pay their just taxes and invokes the machinery of the Govern- ment to see that the amount is fixed high enough and is fully paid. ‘Why not apply the same reasoning to the big Federal corporation with its 110, 000,000 stockholders, whose directors consist of their Senators and Repre- sentatives in Congress, who actually fix the tax on their own shops in the Dis- trict of Columbia on a vanishing scale. An untaxed Federal building in other citles is no criterion for the applica- tion of that rule in the District of Co- lumbia. A post office is devoted to the business of the community in which it is located. Here Federal Government buildings house the people who are em- ployed in conducting the business of 110,000,000 people, less than one-kalf of one per cent of whom live here. Members of Congress should remem- ber that they form our town council and legislature combined and. indeed, in matters of taxation, our supreme court also, because there is no appeal from their decisions. In this day of marchers, it is about time the many thousands of disfran- chised taxpayers of the District of Co- lumbia promote a march on the Cap- ital. bearing banners inscribed: “‘Honesty Is the Best Policy.” “It Is Not Brave to Club the De- fenseless.” “Ill-gotten Gains Do No Man Good.” “Equity at Home Comes Before Gen- erosity Abroad.” CHARLES E. KERN, ———— iTalk of Reducing Federal Wages Hit To the Editor of The Sta In the time of the great conflict, the World War, the Government clerk was allowed a bonus of $20 per month. But at the same time additional help was employed on Government work at very high rates. We were all patriots and stinted ourselves of various foodstuffs so that the allies might be fed. Now the idea seems to be to forgive our foreign friends and late enemles their debts and to reduce the pay of the Government clerk on account of his past deeds and present misdeeds. It may be true that some Govern- ment employes are paid too high, but it is a positive fact that the rank and file are not overpaid. The agitation on the subject of reducing wages of the Government people is positively cruel. The dread, the uncertainty and the thought of the matter is lowering the morale of the force and acting, in a small wnyfat least, a5 & bar to the resumption of prosperity. Thlx):;l that are needed are not bought. Charity or help to the less fortunate is reduced and a general cur- tailment of many necessary expendi- tures is the order of the day. Can- i'lnntwf.he e fbet-he enbby zlpl(-gfix tion of qu n - ernment salarles and reductions and increases be made when it is found such action should be taken as a matter of ;umee? If some of those folks favoring a re- duction of pay of the Government clerks were compelled to fill an ordi- nary Government job at the present pay there might be a decided change of opinion on the matter. CHARLES Prom the Fort Worth Star 'l‘eluum‘. - “Lese majeste” was invented for use of uu’s for keeping their crowns on safe places, but it never has been used to better advantage than when that Carnegie Institute professor dis- covered mflm freshmen Know a§ el & j the answers appear in the newspaper. | The space is limited and would not ac- | and when you meet your obligation to | commodate a fraction of such requests. | the bank as evidenced by the note, | The answers published are ones that | taxes by the Federal Government and | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Many readers send in questions be compelled to sell it, if you cannot signed only with initials, asking that |take up or transfer your note, but the | collateral must be returned to you if Q. What is the population of Finland? the one who asks the question only. —H.J. B. All questions should be accompanied by | A. The population of Finland is ap- the writer's name and nddressl and 2 Proximately 3,600,000. cents in coin or stamps for reply, Send = your question to The Evening Star In-| @ Who was Columbine?—D. P. L. formation Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin,| A. Columbine is a conventionalized Director, Washington, D, C, character in an old Italian comedy pub- — !liched first in 1560. She is the daughter Q. Why was the contract match be-|of Pantaloon and the subject of Harle- tween the Culbertsons and Lenz and |quin's adoration. Jacoby fixed at 150 rubbers?>—T. H. N. to sell at public auction some 40,000 | the sacrificing of the homes of their | A. Because it was assumed that in | 150 rubbers the element of luck in the distribution of the cards would be ap- | proximately even as between the team: and the result therefore would be a test | of the systems and skill of the players. | Q. Is a zebra a white animal with black stripes or a black animal with | white stripes?>—L. G. B. | A. The basic color of a zebra is| white, and his stripes are black. This | is proved by the fact that when a zebra is crossed with a donkey the off- spring are almost invariably of a light | tan color with heavy black stripes on the legs and faint black stripes on the | neck and body. | Q. What country is called the nrden! of Europe?—P. W. H. A. Worcestershire is called the gar- den of England on account of its scen- ery, Touraine the garden of France on account of its fertility, Sicily the gar- den of Italy on account of its climate and Italy is called the garden of Eu- Tope on account of its scenery, fertility and climate, Q. What is Demerara sugar’—C. T. N A. This i3 the name given to the finest of raw sugars—sugar before the refining process. The term was for- merly restricted to the Demerara sec- tion of British Guiana, noted for its high-grade raw sugar, but is now ap- “de to similar sugar from the West ndies. Q. What are the phases of & business cycle?—A. W. G. A. Authoritles on economics state that the business cycle occurs in dis- tinct periods—Airst, the crisis, the turn- ing point which marks the collapse of the period of properity, usually initiated by & buyers' strike as a reaction from high prices; second, emergency liquida- tion; third, depression; fourth, read- Justment; fifth, recuperation; sixth, prosperity, and seventh, overextension and speculation. Q. Is the water of Lake Utah fresh or salt?—G. B. W. A. It is fresh and is one of the prin- cipal sources of the Great Salt Lake. Q. Who is secretary to the Prince of Wales?—M. K A. His secretary is the Hon. 8ir God- frey J. V. Thomas Q. There is a statue of Peter Pan in & small park in Toronto, Canada. Is it an original or a copy of a similar statue?—C. G. C | A. This statue is a replica of the | original Peter Pan, which stands in 8South Kensingtcn Gardens, London, | England. The original statue is an at- | tempt to cateh in sculpture the Peter | Pan of J. M. Barrie’s conception of life. | Q. Suppose I have a note for $500 in a bank, with collateral worth $1,000 de- posited, and the bank fails. Does my collateral become a part of the assets of the bank and do I merely become a creditor for the amount of the realized value of my collateral cver and above | my debt (note) to the bank>—W. R. F A. Your collateral does not become a part of the bank’s assets. The bank may | would be about Q. Does the size of the brain indicate intelligence?—T. E. L. A. The United States Public Health Service says that the theory that the weight and size of the human brain evidences brilliancy or lack of knowledge | has been advanced, but it has never been definitely proved. Generally speak- Ing, in the animal kingdom the larger the brain the higher the animal is in the evolutionary system. . Which were invented first— daguerreotypes or ambrotypes?—E. F. S. Daguerreotypes were in use prior to ambrotypes. The former were in- vented by Daguerre in 1839, the latter by 8cott Archer of London in 1851. Q. What is the international position of the Vatican State’—M. P. N A. It is an entirely independent sov- ereign state, and in its relations with other nations it occuples precisely the same position as any other country might Q. What is the fastest flute solo?— G A Tt is a flute transcription of & tarantell> by Paganini. This composer is the author of a number of works for the violin and this culer composi- tion has been transcribed for the flute, Q. What is the penalty for conviction under the white slave act’—H. P. A. Under the Mann act the penalty for white slavery is one year's imprison- ment, or $10,000 fine, or both. Q. Where are the active pack trains with the United States Army’>—H. R. C. A. They are located as follows: lst, 3d, 4th, Fort Bliss: 2d. Fort T. H. Rus- sell; 5th, Fort Ringg 6th, Fort Clark: 7th, Fort Huachuca; 15th, 16th, Canal Zone; 34th, 25th, Philippine Islands Q. How can lead foil be distinguished from tin foll>—E. H A. Lead foil is heavier and has & duller finish than tin fol Q. How does the co: compare with that THR A. The shore length of Maine, due to numercus bays, is 2.000 miles, though & Cirect e dravn from its extremities a U 1t st line of Maine of California?— Califern coast line. It i miles, or somewhat I of the whole coast States. Q. Why isn't a decimal system of units used for circular measure?—J. H A. The sexagesimal system of circu- lar measurement has be extstence from a very early per: It was used by the early- Greek mathematicians. Their influence was o great that all the medieval astronomers and mathema ticians, Christian, Jewish and Moham- medan, used the same system. When a particular form of measurement has become established through the ages there is always reluctance in making a charge, because of the confusion thst would be involved: calculations would have to be changed and existing text s, tables and reference books would be cut of date. length, Chicago as Convention Host Hopes to Help Self and Party Selection of Chicago for the Repub- lican National Convention has resulted, according to the majority of comments, from the city’s determination to redeem | her civic standing and tre party’s desire for additional strength in the West. | “Chicago has promised,” says the| Rock Island Argus, “that factionalism | and hostile political demons!mnons.‘, such as were witnessed in 1920, will be | taboo; that stern measures will be adopted to maintain decorum at all| times.” The Argus discloses that “Chicago is exceedingly anxious to make a favorable showing” and that ““Mayor Cermak is desirous of proving to the country that the city's attitude toward crime has changed.” The NEW-i ark Evening News ranks Chicago as “the leading convention city for most purpgses, because it has the most to offer”” and that paper adds: “Some- what under suspicion of being the law- breaker's paradise, it wants to show | how groundless that suspicion is.” The Evening News avers that it “is in many ways physically the most hl‘zhly‘} developed city in the country”; that “in recent years the municipal ' improve- | ments and engineering feats effected | have been among the world's wonders.” | “Chicago will take good care of the convention.” is the assurance given by the Davenport Democrat, with a state- | ment of the “certainty that a meeting | there would attract a larger attendance than one held nearer any of the coun- try’s borders or coasts.” The Toledo Blade observes that the arrangement was brought about after “the president | of the Chicago ASsociation of Com- merce gave the assurance that bad characters were locked up” and “pic- tures were shown of the new Stadium— an auditorium equipped to seat 21,000 in a 70-degree ice-cooled atmosphere.” The Hartford Times advises that “it is needless to point out that Chicago, despite the oceans of notoriety that have almost inundated it, is second to no municxgnmy in the country in civic pride.” The Times concludes that “the up-and-doing spirit of Chicago is dem- onstrated by the fact that, although it | is already in the midst of preparations for the great World Fair of 1933, it| didn't think it too much an added | burden to bid for both national con- ventions.” * Kk X “The Republicans,” thinks the Ann Arbor Daily News, “could have done much worse than select Chicago for their battle of the century. For that matter, the Democrats could do worse than to meet there in this coming year of great opportunities. And the con- vention funds accompanying the bid- ding are worthy of consideration at a | time when campaign contributions might not be overgenerous. With so much ready cash on hand, incidentally, one might hazard the opinion that Chi. cago might decide to reimburse its pub- lic school teachers for services rendered, one of these fine days. Though, of course, it cannot be expected that edu- cation will be permitted to interfere wlzl:d»omlc& That never has hap- pened.” San Francisco has been a candidate for the role of convention host, and the Chronicle of that city remarks that “even if Chicago has the usual brand of Midwestern Summer weather on _ta] the delegates can put up with it for day or two.” That paper adds that “it must be conceded that the tip of Lake Mi is nearer the center of popu- lation than is San Francisco.” “Chicago is a city of marked and genuine culture,” says the Providence Journal. “Its well endowed art insti- tutlons, its great university, its mani- fold equipment for the intellectual and | inspirational advancement of mankind | on are among the finest i the world. And all this must be said despite the sorry reputation for law and order that has been acquired by the Lake Michigan metropolis during the last few years of g—wwanlnd thuggery within its municipal lers.” “but a convention in Chicago will prove strategic for that city.” The Roanoke Times, however, points out that “the Republicans will be meeting in ‘the enemy’s country’ when they go to Chi- cago, the State of Illinois and the city having returned sweeping Democratic majorities in the last election.” The ‘Times suggests that the part: to “start a wave of enth will sweep the State back to its ancient political ~ moorings.” The Houston Chronicle concludes: “The G. O. P. has selected Chicago, has co which is today frankly do from the Republican moorings of 60 years. To win back the West is good political strategy. It was shrewd policy on the part of the Republican National Committee to visit Kansas It is probably as canny a move West again to Chicago in 1932 “The conve! will begin on June 14 next,” records the New York Sun. “will be the eleve Republican gathering. there since the foundation of the party. Only three of the nominees— Blaine, Taft and Hughes—were de- feated. Lincoln was named there in 1860, Grant in 1868, Garfield in 1880, Harrison in 1888, Roose in_ 1904, Taft in 1908, Harding in 1920. It was & lucky convention city for Grover Cleveland. who was named there in 1884 and in 1892; his losing nomination came to him at St. Louis. Bryan was nominated twice in Chicago. In 1904 both parties convened in that favored city.” “The city must create an atmosphere of friendly welcome and generously courteous treatment that will leave lasting impression,” advises the Chicago Daily New e Traveling Man Finds Minnesota for Hoover ‘To the Editor of The Star: Several weeks ago your paper was quite concerned about the attitude taken by Harold Knudson in advocat- ing that Minnesota send an unin- structed delegation to the Republican National Convention. Being a sales- man traveling out from Chicago, I have just covered the territory in Mr. Knudson's district in Minnesota. From very good sources I am informed that on account of his attitude he will have strenuous opposition for nomination. Minnesota has a fighting Republican party and Hoover will get the delega- tlon” without _any question. ing a Smith Democrat, it is an matter for me to get political in- formation. I find in Wisconsin Blaine is going to be sacrificed by the La Follete faction for the Governor. That was the talk all over. In:Jowa the Democrats have Brookhart slated for defeat and in North Dakota Nye is going to be defeated by a leaguer with Democratic Jeanings. The Democrats have been working a smooth political game effectively in stirring up the Progres- sives. McMaster of South Dakota fell a victim to the trap and they all but had Schall. ‘The Democrats have been boring from within for some time and they hope the split they have made in the ranks of the Republicans will enable them to get control of the Senate. Several Democrats pose as Progressives solely for the purpose of fanning the Republicans to their destruction. In this territory Smith is still strong. Roosevelt has lost out by what is con- sidered his insincerety In playing in with the liberals and trying to back up his position on the prohibition question. HENRY ALGUIRE. —ee—— A Dubious Gift. Prom the Louisville Courier-Journal. A blind man in Los Angeles identi- LR “No city will be more strategic than FR AR S R RN P fled by smell a prisoner as the thief ‘who had robbed him and sald he could detect the prisoner in a crowded court room. That is a delicacy of scent which will enyz, (i