Evening Star Newspaper, January 7, 1932, Page 8

" A8 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON. D. C. THURSDAY, e e f 7 : {I‘HE EVENING STAR lm come here and stay as long as they | problem than by arresting the“man who | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS please. b This is their National Capital. |acks for & dime, sentencing him to j2il | T Shnpi ey B at a cost to the community of ninety- cents & day, embittering him against society and the ccmmunity that thus deslt with him—and accomplish- ing nothing to stop begging on the street or to eradicate the evil causing it. Nobody can centest the need of the | law against soliciting alms on the street. In these days of hold-ups and crime, | when a blackjack is apt to be the se- | quel to & request for a dime, pan-| handling on the streets is more than an ordinary menace. There is more of it than ever before, in spite of such ! institutions as the Salvation Army, the Gospel Mission, the Central Union Mis- | sion, that make it thelr business, sup- | ported by funds donated for the pur-| pose, to feed and to house hungry and homeless men. Yet, despite common knowledge that panhandling is prob- ably, a “racket” the majority of us| will give a dime to a beggar with the thought that “There, but for the grace i of God, goes John Bradford.” The police cannot put a stop to this evil unassisted. As long as panhandling pays panhandling will continue. The community could put a stop to it in short order if eyerybody, approached by & mendicant, referred him to the place where he can get a meal. As ninety- five out of & hundred men would rather give a dime than do that, the police, as usual, will have to make the best of a bad job and enforce their end of the law. But cannot the Police Courts spend | a little more time trying to determine whether the defendant bafore them is | guilty of being hunzry, or guilty of vio- lating the law? Human nature, if not the law books, knows there is, after all, a difference. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY.....January 7, 1832 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company | 11th 8t B“&‘i"‘?“ oml“ nia A . Penneyivania Ave New York aflke 110 East 42nd Bt. ghlrnro Office: Lake Michigan Building. i ropean Office; 14 Regent .. London, England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. e Evening Star.............45cper month | e Evening and Sinday Siar (when 4 Sundays) ... 60c per month The Evening and Bunday Star (when 8 Sundays) ! The Sunday Star ... 5c_per copy | Collectior, made at the end of each month. | Orders may be sent in by mail or telephone NAtional i 65 per month Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. fly and Sunday.....1yr. $10.00; 1 mo iy only 1yr) $6.00: 1mo unday only .88 * 50 it | Ci oc | 1¥r, $4.00;1mo All Other States and Canada. Iy and Sundsy.. 1yr.s1200: 1 mo.. 81,0 e 0§ 5 T, $8.00: 1mo.. 75¢ [1yr. 35000 1mo. 50c is exclusively en! ation of ll rewsd s credited to this paper and published herein. Al rights of publication of specinl dispatches herein are also 1cserved. Tllogical Inconsistencies. The inconsistency of following one| appropriative practice for the District while another remains in the form of mandatory and unrepealed law is ap- parent to everybody, including the members of the House who, by seck- ing the repeal of the law after its evasion, by that act confess their in- consistency. Other inconsistencies, hurtful and unfair to the politically impotent tax- payers of the District, are discussed in today's chapter of The Star’s series of articles on the history of fiscal rela- tions. They are evident in connec- tion with what has happened and what is happening to surplus revenues, amassed by exacting more from the District in taxation than is appro- priated. It required the persistent efforts of Washingtonians, made in the face of hostile ridicule, to interest Congress in | the claim that the District was eptitled to some $5,257,528 collected from local taxpayers under the fifty-fifty system of fixed proportion, but unappropriated during the lean years of the war. Tt required a joint investigation by Con- gress to uphold this claim in 1972, And it required & valiant fight by fair- minded men in the House and Senate to obtain congressional recognition by statute, tardily enacted in 1925. But while the claim was recognized | that the District had supplied these funds in excess of appropriations, and that such funds were collected under the statutory agreement that they would be matched in equal proportion by Federal funds, Congress refused to meet its half of the bargain and the surplus of 1922 was merely transferred to the credit of the District without being matched by the Federal money which in equity and consistency should have been paid. The crowning in- equity was the appropriation, without Federal money to match it in any pro- portion, of $600,000 of the surplus funds for’ purchase of the last link of | the Rock Creek-Potomac connecting parkway, a joint undertaking con- ceived as & semi-National project. But if the injustices and the incon- sistencles of the old surplus of 1922 are ancient history, the status of an- other surplus accumulated by the Dis- | trict is current history. When Congress enacted the change to 60-40 in 1922, it included as part of the new arrangement & provision under which the District was to be| placed on a “pay-as-you-go” basis at ! the end of five years, or by the month | of July, 1927. Theretofore, with semi- annual tax payments not required, the District collected the greater portion of its tax revenue in May, just bewrc‘l the close of & fiscal year. This meant | that for about eleven months of the year the District was living on money advenced from the Treasury. The Treasury was paid back, and the ad- vances to the District amounted to| nothing more than a bookkeeping transaction. But Congress wanted the District to meet its bills with its own money. It required the District to accumu- Yate in five years a surplus sufficient to tide it over between its own tax re- ceipts. ‘The Commissioners decided that $3,000,000 was necessary. But the whole necessity was based on the sixty- forty law. Congress in appropriation practice annuglly ignored the sixty- forty-law, substituting a lump sum available at the beginning of each fiscal year, which made the necessity of maintaining the surplus open to question on equitable as well as practi- cal grounds. But the surplus was accumulated and has been maintained, and the tax rate| fixed to assure it. The appropriations | for the current fiscal year are t‘xpvc'vdi to reduce it by about $1,200,000. In| addition, the surplus of $3,000,000 was felt necessary for an appropriation bill | ©of some $30,000,000. Now that appro- priations exceed $45,000,000 there is! mlready talk of having to build up & farger surplus, The glaring inconsistency of requir- ing this surplus les in the fact that the plan was part of the new system | of appropriations, or the €0-40 law. If Congress saw fit to scrap, by tem- | porery annual evasions, one law of | its making, why does it insist on car- rying out what, in effect, was a con- tingent part of that law? | Is justice and fair dealing for the! District to be measured only in terms of the Federal dollars that are in- volved? If Congress is the only power on earth that can write the terms of | its bargain with the people of the| District, does that not strengthen its obligation to live up to these terms? - One can say all he desires against foot ball, but basket ball, bowling and hot-stove base ball dope are like serv- ing cereal at the end of a banquet, A Little Hard on the District. Gov. Pinchot and Father Cox and the ten thousand or so damonstrstors from Pittsturgh are welcome to the city that they can call their very own But will not Gov. Pinchot and Father Cox and future arrangers and sponsors | one of hunger marchers to tke Capital give a | little thought to the bothers-me detall | \ | of food during the visit? The people of Washington do not want men and women to go hungry while they are here. But the people of | Washington constitute a rather small! community, dependent for the most | part upon moderate salaries, and they ! have their hands full attendirg to the | needs of Washingtonians who have felt | the blight of the depression. Now, out | of a fund of about $10,000 for the emergent care of the unemployed, they | must spend approximately $1,000 for food for their visitors from Pennsyl- vania, or one-tenth of this money that must be made to last a long time. Pennsylvania is the second largest State in population, and one of the wealthiest, of the Union. Pennsylvania is represented in Congress by two Sena- tors and thirty-six Repressntatives. Will not Gov. Pinch-t and the people of Pennsylvania, numbering some 9,631, 350 persons, take care of the m-ttor of sancwighes for marching Pennsyl- vanian§ in the future? The 486,000 people of the Dis unrepresented in the Congress receiving the petition of Pennsylva , have a good many problems of their own, and their supp; cf sandwiches, coffee, etc, is relative ed at will happen if all the States | follow the example of the recent “hunger marhers” end the Pittsburgh marchers anc scnd delegetions here to | demonstrate nability of the sovercign States to take care of their own needs? e A Great American. Julius Rosenwald’s name will be enshrined, as long as philanthropy re- mains one of mankind's cardinal virtues, with those of the greatest benefactors of all times. His bounty knew no creed, no color, no frontiers. A sturdy Amer- | ican in every fiber, he distributed his vast fortune in the spirit of a citizen of the werld. No worthy cause, however remote, knocked in vain at his opulent door. Charity, with Julius Rosenwald, began at home, but did not end there. One has to tabulate the monumental endowments created by the Carnegies the Sages and the Rockefellers to find a classification expressive of the bene- facticns of Julfus Rosenwald. The fund which kas financed the innumer- able projects which he either launched or supported was started in 1917. In 1928, by gift of en additional $2.000,030, Mr. Rosenwald brought his total contri~ butions to it to $20,000,000 and found that it had appreciated to $35,000,000. But this more or less permanent endow- ment by no means exhausts the stcry of his almost fabulous munificence. It does not include, for example, the $5,000,000 Rosenwald Industrial Museum now rising in Chicago, the $6,000,000 for Jewish colonization work in Russia, the $3,000,000 presented to the Univer- sity of Chicago cr a sum of $2,500,000 set aside to build mode] apartments for Negroes in Chicago similar to the ones erected in Harlem by John D. Rocke- feller, jr. Julius Rosenwald, to wkom riches came suddenly and copiously, recog- nized the obligation incumbent upon the upper ten thousand to minister to the needs of the myriads less fortu- nate than themselves. “From the stand- point of toth social morality and busi- ness efficiency,” he once said, “I hold that the fortunes which men have made in this day and age should be employed by them in the support of such educational, benevolent or hu- manitarian enterprises as will benefit heir contemporaries—them and their children, no more, Interitances ex- tended to the third and fourth gen- eration have proved a handicap rather than an incentive.” It was in the spirit of this practical creed that Julius Rosenwald comducted his benefactory activities. He was born in Springfield, Iil, within the shadow of Lincoln's home. His friends always ascribed Mr. Rosenwald's unflagging interest in Negro welfare to the cir- cumstance that the Great Emancipator remained through life one of his ideals. Tuskegee Institute and Negro Young Men's Christian Associations through- out the country, as well various other institutions and causes associated with the advancement of the colored race, were recipients of Rosenwald aid on an unceasing scale. No tribute to this great American would be complete without a testimonial to his eminenfe as a business man Yet money for its sheer possession, or even as a badge of commercial suc- cess, meant conspicuously little to Julius Rosenwald. He came to acquire merely in order that he might have more to distribute. He belied gloriously the taunt that Americans are dollar chasers One of the richest men of his time, a self-effacing modesty remained to the end his distinguishing characteristic. His proudest achievements were new mercies rendered. The American people—peopls every- where who venerate charity as the noblest of human attributes—will mourn the loss of Julius Rosenwald. It was characteristic of the man that thoughts of his humanitarian works preoccupied his last conscious moments. The children of such a fathes show him a shining tribute in determining to per- petuate the Rosenwald Fund, that it may live and thrive to his eternal mem- of great wealth who come after him A grateful country stands at the bier of Julius Rosenwald, proud to have num- bered him amcng the first citizens of the Republic. — v ——— A newly discovered nebula is de- clared to be speeding away from the earth at the remarkable rate of 11,000 miles per second. And who can blame it? . Duty—and the Hungry Man. Chief of Police Glassford did his duty { when he responded to a hungry man’s request for & dime by escorting him to the n the “wagon.” And the court, after hearing the evidence, did its duty ac- cording to its lights when it sentenced the man to thirty dzys in jall, in lieu { of the fine he could not pay. | Corntossel. | pleasure from its pcssession that a slot ory and as an inspiration to Americans ! ' asked the matter-of-fact man. est patrol box and calling for | r————— All remember the prideful Pharisee who thanked God that he was not as other men were. Nevertheless, and with all due respect to the big-heartedness of traffic authorities, their last-moment leniency to the deliberately tardy makes those motorists who were prompt in ob- taining titles and licenses feel just a mite peeved and, what is worse, tempted to take their own sweet time another year. e If one canned afford & month’s vaca- tion, then fa# for five days and the result will be the same, is the advice given by a speaker at a scientific con- vention in New Orleans, The principal | trouble right now is that too many American workers are doing both at the same time. ———— The principal difference between a Scottish angler and one of another na- tionality is this: When a big one gets away with the fly, lure ‘or hook of the latter his alibi is bettered; with the man from North Britain the grief is doubled. - A big Berlin, Germany, store accom- modates its customers by having at hand employes familiar with sixteen tongues in all. Sometimes American emporiums seem to use but two—Eng- lish and the cne they stick out at patrons. ———— ‘The merchant who declares and be- lieves that business is fine and dandy, and who conducts himself accordingly, usually proves himself dead right. ——— They have derided the Scots for years on account of their saving proclivities, but, .somehow, nobody ever joshes the Prench. e ——— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Suppressed Emotion. I am willin’ fur to worry 'Bout the doin's on this earth When the hurry an' the flurry Ain't appropriate to mirth. I am willin’ to conjecture Over questions so abstruse An’ to whoop it up an’ lecture, But—what's the use? I am willin’ to be raisin’ Arguments with all my strength An’ to make a talk amazin’ For its fluency and length. Things I'm not quite comprehendin’, If I wanted to turn loose, I could talk on without endin’, But—what's the use? There is always a temptation To rush in an’ lend a hand, Interferin’ by oration With the folks that understand. With a little careless chatter You kin sometimes play the deuce With a highly serious matter, And—'tain’t no use! Patriotic Sacrifices. “Is your Congressman willing to make sacrifices for his country?” “I should say so,” replied Farmer “He gets up in Congress and talks by the hour, when he might be gettin’ real money for printin’ the same thing in the magazines.” A man may hang onto money so closely that he gets about the same machine does. Occupations. Oh, life would surely be more gay | after New Year. { this paper f And all seem pleasant and polite Were we as glad to work all day As to get out and dance all night. Restraint. “Have women a sense of humor?” “Oh, yes,” replied Miss Cayenne, “but she has to curb it. If women laughed at everything they saw that's funny, they would spoil efforts to propose by some really nice men.” Attentions Missed. “I thought Crimson Guich had re- formed.” “It had,” replied Broncho Bob. “But it seems wide open now.” “We had to make some kind of a demonstration. There's nothin’ we used to enjoy so much as havin’ a good talker come along an’ tell us how wicked we were. We've been s0 reg’lar respectable that nobody pays the least attention to :us an’ we feel slighted.” Natural History. In every barnyard dar cecurs But the sympathy of the mejority goss out to the hungry man who asked Outside of the sovereign Btate of Penn- sylvania, it is the only city in the world where they can feel at home and exer- cise some of the prerogatives of owner- that there must be a more humane, a5 happy dat dey makes for a dime, and not to the dutiful Chief of Police or to the court. Why? It is because most people agree Some fightin’, you all know. | De rcocter what ain’ got no spurs Stan’s mighty little show. “Some folks,” said Uncle Eben, “is 50 terrible busy tryin’ to look like dey was put- .u;!mu-mm@m well as intelligent, way of handling a fickly miserable. | BY CHARLES E. The friend of Nature shrinks the: days from the sight of discardes Christmas trees. | On every hand one sees them, in gutters, sitting at front doors, at back doors, thrown away in vacant lots, lying in back yards. Every one of them, if they had been | rooted and kept in earth, could have been transplanted to the outdoors. Instead of hundreds of thousands of withered, brown Christmas trees, good for nothing, there might have been hundreds of thousands of bright, fresh evergreens beautifying the home grounds of America. | It is a gigantic waste, % x X As_the situation is, however, it is merely a part of the anti-climax of Christmas. ‘ We refer to the New Year. | The New Year celebration, coming s0 close on the heels of Christmas, is| perhaps the biggest anti-climax in the world. | Cleaning up the old trees is part| f it. What o do with the trees and what | to_do with all thy wreaths? What s there fo do with them but throw them away? | x k Xk ¥ One may wonder what plan the av- | erage family has in relation to its Christmas decorations. | Some people yank the wreaths down | immediately after December 25 Others permit them to remain until Others are in no hurry about it, evi- dently, but just clean them up when they happen to think about it, which often is as late as February. | If onc attempts to put any logical | conclusion to the Christmas tree and the Christmas wreath, it would seem that from the day before Christmgs to | the day after New Year would be about | right. At least, there is some sense to such | a plan. decorations should be in place by Christmas eve, else they might as well not be put up at all. * % % % In some respects, the celebration of Christmas _eve transcends that of Christmas day_itself. All the candles and all the wreaths and all the holly and mistletoe are in place at least by December 24. Sev- eral days beforehand is not too much. Then the question arises, how long after Christmas should wreaths and the liks be permilted Lo stay in place? If the home is warm and as dry as most houses are, this question will be answered by the pessage of time. Wreaths hung up indoors will e faded and brown in a week. Christmas trees not in tubs will look rather shabby in about the same length | of time. * X X * Wreaths hung outdoors, however, will last many days. Why take them down? Evidently a_great many people op- erate on this theory, as one may deduce | from sceing hundreds of wreaths still | decorating doorways. “As long as they will last"—evidently | that is the plan of action. | | ploneer, in some things. THIS AND THAT TRACEWELL. Yet there is not much sense to that, fter all. The Christmas wreal thing, with a special sig red symbolizes the bloo spilled for the redemption of Its green stands for the Christian hope of immortality for the soul of man. If these special decorations are to re- main beyond their special time, commemoration of the birth of Jesus their proper place is in a church, nof on the outside doors of homes. It would seem, then, to some that there is a mild sort of desecration in- volved in the rctention of Christmas symbols too Jong ‘The everyaay life, whic ligious, overwhelms them sense belittles lhe"m, x th is a special nificance. Its | d of Christ, | f mankind. | | h is not re- ' and in a, * New Year, as a special festival, might | ¢ as_well be abolished. It is an anti-ciimax to Christmas, | anyway, and has no special significance of its own. ©Oh, y of course, after all? Mankind always « significance in the first of anythi “America is a peculiar offender queer quirk of thought. To be first of the United Sta transcend our fello There is & magic about ! which is scarcely warranted i tie very | 51 it the thing. 0 h constitution_of Sl e in others, is to be! d, or, atbest, noth- it is the beginning of a year, but what is there to thai, has put too much ing. in this tes, is somehow to “the first” | very | to be the ploneer, merely slightly absur ing at all * kK X New Year day, as some call it, is the s v of the new year B v there was & great deal of | pother about making resolutions on this particular day. but that seems to have been one of those Victorian tradi- tions which have been discarded by the modern generation. Does anybody make New Year Tesolu- tions nowadays? There is no particular need of it. A good resolution Is just as good on | any other day of the year. The modern mind somehow does not seem to need the stimulus of a formal, Set day for such a good deed. Perhaps the truth is that the formal New Year Tesolution came to be so generally bro- ken that the bottom fell out of the custom. A resolution made on January 2, or January 5, or any other day, in Janu- ary or any other month. had a better chance of survival than if made on January 1. PR Christmas, as a celebration, turns sour only in the mind of the person who looks upon it as a time to get, rather than give. The real joy of Christmas lies in the | As this is | giving, not in the getting understood by almost everyoody, Christ- mas remains, despite inimizal influences a truly great festival, as it is one of the oldest. The New Year celebration, however merges so completely into the remainder of its year that it really has no more point than a withered wreath on a door. Highlights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands VENING POST, Glasgow - am not exaggerating one little bit hen I say that the average ublican is finding himself in a Very, very serlous position at the moment. “The government have gone a step just to far, and the public are evi- dently not going to stand for it. The budget will secure nothing like the figure aimed at; in fact, there is every indication that there will be a big loss “Something will have to be done, and done soon, if the situation is to be saved.” These remarks were made to a rep- resentative of “The Evening Times” today by a prominent license-holder in Glasgow, and were a reflection on the general situation following upon the in crease of 31s on the barrel of beer in- troduced a month or two ago. Publicans generally agree that the slump is the worst experienced by the trade for almost half a century, and that it will become very much werse in the immediate future unless steps are taken to ease the burden on the liquor. “There is not a single publican but | will admit that he is down anything from 30 to 50 per cent, on his sales as | compared with a year ago, and even | then they were poor enough,” said the license-holder * % % “Glorification” of Accused Athlete Regretted. helped construct the Borlin subway, will be in charge of the Moscow opera- tions. T Cortes Committee Asks Banishment for Alfonso. A B C, Madrid—The committee ap- pointed by the Cortes to examine into the conduct and responsibility of the ex-king during his tenure of the mon- archy has delivered its report. The delinquencies of Don Alfonso de Bor- bon, according to the findirgs of this commissian, were many and varied while he was the constitutional head of the government, and not less dur- ing the period of dictatorship which he appointed. Don Alfonso stands con- victed of malfeasance, incompetence and extravagance, both in his public and private relations. He is found culpable of at least technical treason to his people in that he made the national interest subordinate to his own. The penalty demanded for Don Alfonso's misdceds is perpetual banish- ment of himself and his family, and confiscation of all his property and estates in Sain, the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of which is to be used for the indemnification of those | who were the most severely afflicted under the discriminations of his sway Chief of these now to be succored in recompense for past hardships are the unemployed and those unjustly per- secuted under the monarchy. Honoluln _ Advertiser —Notwiths t to the contrar red in a recent issue of | iring the achievements | of one of th» players in a foot ball| game who is now on trial charged with | a hefnous offense. Directions had been | issued that this young man was not | oi‘cd in the sports columns | unless h> comvletely cleared himself of | the ugly charg>s which he is facing The offensive “glorification” of this youth is a matter of regret. P Britain and America Will Pay for Tariff Barriers. Le Journal, Paris—Great Britain and America, in raising tariff barricrs | against the countries with which thoy have so long carrled on trade, scem to forget that these former customers are not all imbued with such a benevolont fecling that they will continue to pur- chase goods from nations which so dis- criminate against them. In fact, be- cause of such policies of restricting in- ternational trade, exterior nations could not buy from them even if they do- sired to do so, for a nation cannot con- tinue to buy when markets for disposing of its own products no longer exist Great Britein, for instance, wishes to sell to France. even though she buys nothing more from her. Such a scheme of things is intolerable and impossible There must be a proper equilibrium be- tween all exporting nations in the matter of reciprocal trading. France, in particular, should be accorded such ressonable treatment by her former customers, for when her foreign trade languishes all foreign trade languishes. * X ¥ X Peiping Sunlight Contains Health Giving Rays. Yenching Gazette, Chengfu.—That the sunlight in Peiping contains nearly es much health giving ultra violct radiation as in Honolulu has been shown by a student doing research work in the laboratories of the department of physics, Yenching University. This gentlemen, Mr. Ch'en Shang-yi is con. ducting a protracted series of experi- ments on solar radiation for the pur- pose of putting on record a quantitative analysis of how the Peiping sunlight varies from time to time, depending upon the season of the year, and chang- ing weather conditions. The method employed derives results from exposure of plates made specially susceptible to violet rays. * k% Moscow to Spend $438,000,000 for Subway. Soviet Economic Review, Moscow.—It has been decided to build a subway in Moscow at a cost of 876,000,000 rubles ($438,000,000). Five trunk lines will be constructed, radiating from the cente: of the city. Thirty-five million rubles will be expended during 1932; 130,00 000 in 1933, and the remainder by 1936, when the subway will be completed. Its total length will be 73.5 kilometers (46 miles). Work on the first line has started and is expected to be finished by October, 1932, During the first year's work 15,000 workers will be em- ployed, and this number will increase E until 60,000 are at work in 1936, Whai off street Don Eduardo Ortego y Gasset, the | chairman of the committee, announced that all ambassadors of the republic in foreign countries will be officially ad- vised of these decisions as soon as they are ratified by the Cortes. A mirority report, signed by Don Antcnio Royo Villanova, and Don Josz Centeno, sub- mitted that inasmuch as the constitu- tion and the royal function and pre- rogative were suspended under the dic- tatorship beginning in 1923, Don’ Al- fonso could not be justly held account- able for the performeances of the gov- ernment during that interval. To de- prive him of all his hcnors and titles should be punishment severe enough. Above all he should not bz threatened with trial or death in the event of his return to Spain. £ ¥ Bakeries to Produce Bread and Cakes for Charity. El Universal, Mexico, D. F.—The| Department of Public Assistance is| planning to effect a considerable sav- ing of expense during the ensuing year by establishing bakeries to supply a'l the bread and cakes required in its charitable operations. Other economies in providing and preparing the food given the poor will be adopted besides. | o Better Outlook for Oil. From the Oklahoma City Times. Oklahoma, as one of the foremost States in the petroleum industry, can find some cheer in Secretary Wilbur's forecast of a better year for oil in 1932. He points out that the Kansas-Okla- homa-Texas compact on proration has been of tremendous importance in sta- bilizing production, and adds that there has been a reduction of imports of for- eign ofl. He thinks a further reduction of imports can be arranged by the Fed. eral Trade Commission, or a simila fact-finding group, and re is a chance of that without the tariff sought by independent producers. ‘There may some politics in the Wilbur report and forecast, but there is at least the basis of a better-working proration plan than tha industry ever achieved before. The Oklahoma shut- down, plus proration, did raise the price of crude somewhat from its disastrous low price that preceded the shutdown. If the imports can be cut deeper, that will mean a further advantage. No re- currence of the halcyon days when oil was “black gold” are in prospect, but there is some chance of profit in the production of such an essential com- modity. The state and the nation that have ofl in abundance, even if in too great abundance, still have real wealth. e Guess by Thousands. From the Duluth Herald One rule, when guessing the size of a big crowd at a foot ball game, is to add | a few thousand for good measure. By G. Gould Lincoln. Chairman John J. Raskob of the Democratic National Committee has made a discovery. He says that the South is not so dry after all. For that reason in part he believes that his “home rule” plan for the control of the or traffic is likely to go through and ratified by the requisite num- ber & States, although there are those | Who do not believe that such an end o|can be accomplished “in & hundred years.” is prohibition proposal for the Democrats Mr. Raskob denominates a ferendum.” But it differs from the nal submission of the eighteenth amendment only in method as a ref- crendum. Mr. Raskob’s referendum calls the submission of his hom= rule plan to the voters through State constitutional conventions, elected par- ticularly to consider that question. The eighteenth amendment was submitted 0 the voters through the State Legis- latures, whose members were elected !by the people, though not merely for the purpose of passing upon the prohi- bition question. R Once the “home rule” plan of Mr. ob is submitted by Congress to th | State conventions, the question before the people who elect the members of the State constitutional conventions as to do anything, With us |Proposed becomes immediately a wet and dry affair. Those voters who be- lieve in national prohibition will nat- urally oppose it, for it does away with national prohibition end permits the individual State to legalize the man- ufacture and sale of alcoholic bever- ‘3215 Those voters who favor the man- | ufacture and sale of liquor will vote for {it. Mr. Raskob contends that drys and i o can well afford to vote in | Cong for the submission of the \bome rule plan constitutional amend- ment advanced by him because they should be willing to have the people speak on the question of national pre hibition. As a matter of history, how- 1(‘}‘»r it was only those members of Congress who came to support the pro- hibition cause who voted for the sub- mission of the eighteenth amendment to the people through their State Legis- latures It was a referendum which the wets in Congress and out took very good care to oppose. X k% However, Mr. Raskob may be able to get his plank, or one very similar to it, into the Democratic national platform. In the first place, there will likely be as many “wet” delegates to the Demo- C national convention as will be iry,” perhaps more. The platform is adopted by a majority vote in the national convention. =~ Also, there is- & great demand that some common ground may be found cn which the wets and the drys in the Democratic v stand or at least move about y kind of way. They do not wish a great break between the two wings of the pariy, the Southern drys and the Northern wets, over this issue. £kl & The wets in the Dciacoratic party are further cncoursged toiay by the vie- tery Tu of a wet ccrat in the first New Hamp-hire congressional dis- trict, where Rogers, the Democratic nominee, wen in the by-election over Bartlett, the Republican dry. However, the hard times had far more to do with the victory of Rogers on Tuesday than did the liqu'r question, and many of the Democrats are quick to realize that fact, even the wets. It was the same thing in Michigin, where the eighth district was carried in November by a wet Democrat over a dry Republican. Some people ere seeking to make it appear that these victories have been won because of the wet and dry issue. EEE o Gov Albert C. Ritchie is to be the guesi of honor at the annual Jackson day dinner of the Concord Club in Bal- timore tonight. It is reported that Gov. Ritchie will state h's position with re- lgard to the Democratic presidential | nomination very ciearly at this dinner, | which is to be the real launching of | his campaign for the presidential nomi- |nation. No one has doubted that Gov. | Ritchie would be in the ring when the battle staited.- But there has been a reluctance of candidates for the presi- | dential nomination to come forward. Indeed, the comments so far heard from men who have been mentioned prominently for the nomination have | been discouraging in tone. Newton D. | Baker and Owen Young have declared their wish not to get into politics. Gov. ‘Rm.sl‘\'nlt, of New York, though it has !long been realized that he was a can- dicaie for the nomination, has said on Governor of New York, :ntimating that he is not_thinking of the presidency. And now Gov. Ritchie is about to break the ice. Before long some of the States will be holding presidential preferential primaries. They, too, will help to bring the presidential candi- dacies out in the open. The only Re- publican who so far has announced as a candidate against President Hoo- ver's renomination is former Senator France of Maryland, who has opened headquarters in Washington. But that does not mean that other Republicans irom Hiram Johnson of California to Calvin Coolidge of Northampton, Mass., have not been importuned to get into | the race. Indeed, they are being urged to do so right now. Former President Coolidge, however, has continued to lturn a deaf ear to all those who are urging him to become a candidate or at least permit the National Conven- tion to nominate him. He has sent one or two of them away with a flea in their ears. | | * ok ok ¥ A new chapter, dealing with Sena- tor William E. Borah of Idaho, has been added to “The Mirrors of 1932, first published anonymously, but whose authorship has since been announced with Ray T. Tucker of the Seripps- Howard newspapers as the author. The Borah chapter is to take the place of the chapter on the late Dwight W. Morrow of New Jersey. Mr. Tucker pictures Senator Borah as much hap- pier in the Senate than he would be in the White House. “The Senator,” I imagine, “would prefer to be a perpet- ual puzzle than President,” said Mr, Tucker, who adds: “The presidency would afford less opportunity for his peculiar genius than does the Senate, He is attracted by causes, nct by poli- cles.” However, in the opinion of Mr. Tucker, Borah may openly oppose Mr. Hoover this year in the presidential race, and the author said: “Certain it is that he will not again campaign for Mr. Hoover.” An amusing anec- dote of Borah and Coolidge is given in the chapter. as follows: “Toward Taft and Coolidge he was ever cold. He never lifted his hand or voice for either one in a presidential campaign. In fact, he was unable to feelings for the little Ver- Coolidge asked him to the vice presidential v in 1924 by ‘takin’ a place e et,” Mr. Borah asked: ‘Which plas Mr. President?’ “‘It was the last time I ever tried humor cn a New England President,’ ]commenled the Senator some years ater.” ce, * ¥ Xk X Newton Jenkins, a Progressive Re- publican, is seeking the Republican nomination for the Senate this year against Senator Glenn. Jenkins is strongly anti-Hoover and if he won in the primary in April against Glenn, it would be a blow for the administration, which has been strongly supported by Glenn. * Jenkins kngcked at the door for the Republican Somination for the Senate when Mrs. Ruth Hanna Me- Cormick and former Senator Deneen were fighting it out in 1930. He did not make much headway at that time, Jenkins hopes to have Support of Re- 1 Progressive leaders this year, including Senator La Folletts of Wis- ccnsin end his brother Gov. “Phil” La Follette. v Policeman Aids Jobless. From the Hamilton (Ont.) Spectator. A policeman in California found em- ployment for 140 jobless in one month. Which is the best way.of mo them oQIDers We e ok - l e The Proper Place. Prom the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail. Two hundred officials and employes became ill at.s Christmas party given by a hospital. Well, if one is to be- come ill, what more appropriate place? y that he is attending to his job as| BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. When troublesome questions arise, avail yourself of the service of this department. It costs you nothing— you have only to send 2<cents for post- age on the personal letter you will re- ceive in reply. Any question on any subject, provided it does not ask for legal, medical or financial advice, will be answered. Address your letter of inquiry to The Evening Star Informa- tion Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, direc- tor, Washington, D, C. | Q. How many licensed_airplane me- | chanics are there in the United States? | —R. A. A. In 1930 there were 8,003. Q. Please name the women who are serving in Congress.—M. H. A. The widow of Senator Caraway has succeeded to his seat in the United States Senate. Woman members in the House of Representatives are: Florence Kahn, California; Ruth Bryan Owen, Florida: Edith Nourse Rogers, Massa- chusetts; Mary Norton, New Jersey, and Ruth Pratt, New York. Q. Has China an organized postal service? Does English appear on any of their stamps?—E. A. C. A. The Chinese legation says that the modern organized postal system of China was formally established by an imperial decree on March 20, 1896. English as well as Chinese appears on the stamps now in use. Q. How long has it been the practice to give mortgages as security for debts? —A. W. D. A. The American Architect says: “The oldest existing mortgage record is sald to be one found in 1893 by an archeological expedition of the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania. It is a clay tablet stating that in 430 B. C. an inhabitant of Nippur, Babylon, borrowed 30 bush- ¢ls of aates from a fellow townsman and pledged his ancestral lands as se- curity for their return. It has been definitely established that similar agreements were in common use as long ago &s 2200 B.C.” Q. What is the expansive force ex- erted at the moment of freezing of water?—H. G. A. The sudden expansive force exert- ed at the moment of freezing is suffi- clently great to split iron water g)lpu, being probably not less than 30,000 pounds per square inch. There have been instances of its splitting cast tubular posts of iron bridges and of ordinary buildings. Q.'How old is the General Electric Co.2—M. L. A The General Electric Co. was cre- ated and incorporated under the laws of the State of New York under a spe- cial act of the Legislature in 1892. Q. When do the sons of the reigning monarch of Great Britain move into establishments of their own?—F. R. A. Atter they become of age or m they usually have separate establish- ments. Q. What is an Oregon boot?—B. G. A. It is & kind of shackle used for criminals, Q. Where is the smallest Catholic Church in the United States?>—N. F. A. It is sald that the Monte Casino Church at Covington, Ky, is the small- est in the United States. This shrine accommodates three worshipers. Q. Has Jessica Dragonette ever been a grand opera star? What is her real name?—I. L. A. Jessica Dragonette is the real name of the radio artist. She has never been a grand opera star. She Court, N. J, and was selected as the only solo voice in Max Reinhardt’s production, “The Miracle.” Q. When was the period known in old times as Twelve Days>—M. H. S, A. It commenced directly after Christmas and extended to the 6th of January—that is, from Christmas to Epiphany. Epiphany, or twelfth day, was formerly celebrated as the closing day of the Christmas festivities. Q. Who was the first woman to hike up Pikes Peak?—S. C. R. A. The Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce says that Mrs. Holmes of Lawrence, Kans, was the first woman to \accomplish the feat. She hiked up in 1809, Q. Can watermelons be used in mak- ing vinegar?—B. D. A. Watermelons have been used suc- cessfully for making vinegar, but the juice must be concentrated to about half its original volume to give the proper sugar content. Q. Is the word archipelago applied to an island-studded body of water or to the islands themselves?—A. P. C A. It was first applied to the water, but is now applied to either. It was originally the designation of what is now known as the Aegean Sea. Q. What name was first given to Helena, Mont.?—T. L. A. In 1864 Helena, Mont., was found- ed by a band of prospectors headed by John Cowan. At first it was called Last Chance Guilch, as they had been looking for gold all through the Spring :’Pa\lt success and considered this lefr last chance for that season. On June 15, 1864, an abundance of gold was located. Q. When was the first airplane flight made to Nicaragua from this country? D, V. ». A. The Pan-American flight was the first one made from the United States to Nicaragua. The flyers left the United States December 21, 1926, and returned April 23, 1927. Q. How many vessels go through the Iocll‘xs;b Sault Ste. Marie In a season? A. From the opening of navigation on April 10, 1931, to the end of No- vember, 12,812 vessels passed through the Canadian and United States locks at Sault Ste. Marie. That means a vessel locked through every 26 min- utes, on the average, day and night during this period of seven and two- thirds months, al Q. How is cereal water prepared for an invalld>—A. S. C. A. Barley water is made most fre- quently, but rice, oatmeal and wheat water are all good. One tablespoon cereal, two tablespoons cold water, two cups boiling water. Mix cereal to smooth paste with the cold water, add boiling water, cook in double boiler 30 min- utes. Strain, add an equal quantity of water (about two cups). Q. What is the meaning of the word yoga?—J. F. A. Its meaning in Sanskrit is con= centration. The essence of this school of lrhnosophy is meditation. Theoreti- cally, at least, its devotees can acquire even in this world entire command over elementary matter by certain ascetic practices. Q. It there a portrait of Roger Wil- liams in existence?—B. P. A. There is not. When the State of Rhode Island presented a statue of her founder to the Nation to be placed in the Capitol the artist had to make the came to New York from Georgian memorial from an ideal conception. Broadcasting of grand opera from the Metropolitan organization in New York is received with satisfaction as evidence of popular interest in entertainment of hi grade, and as pointing to future | radio development. It is suggested that | the success of the Christmas experi- ment with Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” points to future international | programs. . i Recognizing the success of the first presentation, now established “by letters | and telegrams frem distant points,” the | Pasadena Star-News believes that “this foreshadows the development of | radio broadcast in future.” The Star- | News is convinced that “the very high- est and best in music can be given suc- cessfully to the public with a measure of appreciation which cannot be cal- culated.” That paper adds: “Television will be made available soon, without doubt. It will be possible in the near future to sit in the home or the office and see as well as hear programs of the highest excellence. What a boon it will be, in that marvelous future which is on the way, to have the highest triumphs in musical art taken into the homes of the humble, as well as the opulent. Radio is destined to become one of the most potent of all inspira- tional, cultural influences and instru- mentalities.” Realization that it would but “whet the appetites of music lovers,” and that the public would go to grand opera “even more willingly” is commended by the Schen: Gazette, with the con- clusion: “Undoubtedly, broadcasts from the Metropolitan at frequent intervals during the season will play a part in increasing appreciation of musie throughout the country, ging this home to the people better than in any other way known to mankind. Further, we need not be surprised if, in the course of a few years, the radio brings us operas from the great centers of Europe, from La Scala in Italy and from the home of this kind of dramatic music in Berlin, as well as elsewhere. Whether or not one understands an- other language, music can be under- 'Newspapers Join Applause For Grand Opera Broadcast stood and appreciated in all parts of the world.” “Hundreds of congratulations, imme« diately received,” in the judgment of the Baltimore Evening Sun, “left no doubt of the enthusiastic welcome that the experiment received.” The Evening Sun considers “the public response most important of all” and offers the further comment: “We as a Nation appear to be cursed by the assumption upon the part of those who provide our pleasures that it is foolhardy to risk any production that calls for a receptive mentality greater than that of 12 years. But after this experiment it should be reasonably clear that there is an extensive group prepared to enjoy the very best and not content to sub- sist on the pap that the radio so gen- erally offers. There must be many people without radios today who, hav- ing heard of the broadcast from their friends, are convinced that if this sort of thing continues they will have to have them installed.” Emphasis is placed by the Allen- town Morning Call on the service to the uninitiated given through the com- ments of Deems Taylor, himself a composer of note. On this subject the Call states: “If one were to go to the opera without consulting a libretto and without any previous knowledge of the story of the opera and without reading the program to learn the names of the principals, he would be glad to have a companion who would Wwhisper in his ear from time to time just such necessary and timely in- formation. This is exactly what Mr, Taylor does. He gives the desired in- formation. at just the right time. He is the friend whispering into one's ear and answering the obvious question as it arises. And his whispering does not Interfere with the singers nor with the action of the opera. None except the radio audience hears a word that he says. So the Metropolitan may well continue the services of Mr. Taylor. tliu ls';n'-hlnd‘:spegsabg;: adjunct at this me e broadcast of opera will be for a very longnfime,"pe el Rustics Prove Poor Pupils as Kidnapers From the Bloomington Pantagraph. One of the strangest stories of crime, considered in its inception and de- nouement, was that in which one ot the wealthy women of Kansas City was kidnaped, held a day mdamm a prisoner by captors, who d a king’s ransom, and then released un- harmed, but without the payment of & penny to her kidnapers by her relatives O e nitial chapters the story Tooked ts chapte: like work of a band of hardened crimi- nals, probably from some large city, guided by the head of some notorious gang of thugs and butchers. ‘When the threads of the narratives were pieced together and some of the main plotters ‘were brought into the open it proved to be & “job” done by & band of country bandits, or rural out| laws, whose very inexperience and con- sequent nervousness led them to give up their prisoner just at the point w] success might have rewarded them with a large sum of money. Oniolv.hemnwntmfllhmr. another the owner of & the iy ek i, T ) an - :‘uud > vantnes in_Kansas City, whom they held in for part of two days, amid ings of dirt and disorder which pro- duced a b sbock! :z gzhr woman than the mere er cap- ture, The confessions of the tmfln. cipal actors in the kidnaping like the statements of immature adventurers who started something they knew how to finish. One wonders when reading of this case how such an idea of bold outlawry ever entered the heads of these rustics. ‘The most md X.bthwncmm lelohll they had read of such things being done mezyhe great cities, and they started out The conspir- Texas Plan to Combat Bank Robberies Urged From the Akron Beacon Journal. Twice within a week Ohio has had bank robberies in two of its villages, one at Strasburg, in Tuscarawas Coun- ty, the other in Avondale, a suburb of Cincinnati. In both cases the robbers seemed to be easily the masters of the situation. They looted the banks at thelr leisure, taking a toll in excess of $20,000, after terrorizing the offi- cials and clerks who were guardians of the funds. The ease with which the thieves perfected these jobs and escaped with the loot is not compli- mentaryecto the Ohio system cf police protectioh that is supposed to func- tion toward the security of life and property. ‘The fact that robberies of this type are of more than weekly occurrence should lead the communities which are threatened by their insolence to n | concert their efforts to end such raids. Texas has managed this business pretty well. Its bankers and local govern- ment organized a defense society which offered large rewards for dead bandits who had specialized in bank robberies. Within A.gew months there were many new-made graves in the cemeteries, filled with the crooks who had been looting the banks. In the result all their living successors gave the State a wide berth, and none of the present-day bank robberies seems to carry a Texas date line. This can be done everywhere if there is the right determination in any State to stamp out & desperate criminal oper- ation that every month seems to be growing in audacity. ——— Two Bites Would Help. From the Hamilton (Ontario) Spectator. Something more than the finding of a petrified apple is required before the world wil belleve the garde