Evening Star Newspaper, February 6, 1932, Page 4

A4 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. BATURDAY. ... February 6, 1932 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office and Pennsylvania Ave. York Office: 110 East 42nd St. Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. European Omu-ru‘iie;rm S, London, England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. The Evening Star 45¢ per month and Sunday Sar undavs) 60c per month The Evering and Sunday Siar 5 Sundays) 65¢ per month | The Sunday Star Sc pri copy Collection made at the end of each month. | Orders may be sent i by mail or telephone | NAtional 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. | nd Sun 1yr.$1000: 1 mo., 85¢ 1yr. 3600 1mo. 80c 1yr, $4.00:1mo.. 40c Daily Dail; Bunday only All Other States and Canada. 12.00° 1 mo $8.00: 1 mo., £5.00. 1 mo’. $1.00 8¢ 50c Member of the Associated Press. < exclusively ¢ ation of reserved. | Japan Promises to “Explain.” Tokio that 8 tomorrow ex- It is anncunced from statement will be i plaining the reasons for Japan's dis- patch of reinforcements to S 1 and pledging that they will be with- drawn as soon as the objectives are at- | tained. It is indicated that this will be in the nature of a reassur the powers that there i on the part of Japar aggressive warfare in na, It would be much more to the point 4t Japan would explain more defi the grounds upon which the recent military movement in China Proper was begun. It is known course, that the Tokio government made certain demands upon Cl respecting the boycott and that those demands were not granted. Gauged by the ord:nnry‘l scale governing in h matters of in- ternational disputation inadequate time was given to China to comply, if com- pliance was possible. The military movement almost coincided with the demands. The situz suddenly be came acute, with fct rag peril of the forei ternational Settlement small size of the had all the planned surprise attack 'his promise of a statement to the powers in explanation of the reasons for the increase of the Japanese forces at Shanghai—a divicion has boen indi- cated as size of the new contingent —would be far more effective in allay- ing n T rding It pecified the “object which are in view. It is p those objectives are But for the ferce it asnects of carefully of a pre irposes t guess what viously it is the pi gecure & positic tance from the port effective com ese naval base. The reduc- tion of the Woosung forts, at the mouth of the Whangpoo Ri is evidently part of that program Other Tokio dispatches relate that & division of has occurred in pose of Japan to Shanghai which e forces at a dis- leaving the way cations with at councils Japan end that the civillan and mil- | tary suthorities are at odds over the policy to be pursued. Such a division occurred in December in regard to the Manchurian program and the then sit- ting ministry res'gned. the military in- fluence dominating. If now the mili- tary faction controls another step toward an intrarsigsnt policy respecting China will have been taken, with con- sequences not now to be gauged. If on the other hand the ministry vetoes the sending of large forces to China with- out specific pledges of withdrawal upon the securing of the guarantees of free- dom of trade which are demanded, the way for effective interna- tic adjustment of the difficulty without actual ntion in force No reply has been made yet by the four powers to Japan sponse to the five-point note. Such a reply, to have any effective bearing at all upon the situation, must be made very quickly. It is vitally urgent that the utmost dip- Jomatic pressure be put upon Japan to define its purposes in explicit terms, to pledge the earliest possible withdrawal of its troops from China and to agree in the fullest of good faith to submis- sion of the dispute to peaceful arbitra- tion. will be oper 1 Dublin school chi plained, neglect their sory lic, but are at with fresh American gleaned from the cators only realized n, it is com- study of compul- times pr it, this is but a modern manifestation of the impulses that led to the vast emigration of the 1840's and 1850's. Washington dance marathons have gone to join old friends the “tag day” and the free lunch E . = America Regains a Record Thanks to Gar Wo again broken the English monopoly on speed. Some g0 Britich men began a very determined capture the w t the air, on the and when Kaye Miss England II rock waters of Lake Garda rate of one hundred an hour the conguest was com land speed record of two I seven miles an hour had been taken away from Ray Keetch, an American, by the late S hundred and ort to speed T in nd and on tk >on last Sur a water, I sent th ths ver one miles an hour and then olm Campbell at two hundred y-five miles an hour. England did not have to worry much about the air spced mark after America withdrew from Schneider Cup competition. Wood with his American speedboat record of oue hundred and one miles an.hour was all that stood in the way of the trlo of titles, and Don's dash last year removed the remaining oF-tacle to British supremacy. Wood, however, did not care par- ticularly about giving up the title that he had held for nearly a quarter of & @entury, that of the speedboat cham- plon of the world. He did not intend to give up without a struggle, and he promptly set to work to make changes in the hull and engine of his ninth $1iss America. In the Winter he made tests on Indian Creek near his Florida astate and {n the Summer he trans- | partment. d, America has| ry Segrave at two | ferred his activities to the Detroit River. He kept everlastingly at it. A few days ago, with his twenty-four- hundred-horsepower ~ motors super- charged to more than thirty-two-hun- dred-horsepower, he broke Don's rec- ord, but his claim was not allowed be- cause he falled by three one-hun- dredths of a second to drive the re- quired one-half mile faster than the previous mark. Undiscouraged by this, he hauled Miss America from the wa- ter and put additional weight in her bow to hold it down. Yesterday he reached a speed of one hundred and twelve miles an hour, a wide enough margin over Don to assure him the | | undisputed championship. Now it is Don'’s turn again, and that he will seek to recapture the record goes without question. With the air speed and the land speed records apparently hopelessly out of America's reach at present, the United States must turn |to Wood to battie alone for the water mark. The Detroit veteran is capable cf shouldering the burden, and it should be a merry battle between him and the British sportsman for top honors. SO, One Great Building Contract. Decision has been reached by the Treasury Department to combine in one operation the superstructure work for the four buildings planned for the sec- tor of tre Mall-Avenue triangle im- mediately east of the Commerce De- Bids are soon to be invited | for a single contract for this construc- tion, instead of for four different con- tracts. This plan, it is belleved, will make for greater economy, for greater efficiency end for greater speed. On these considerations the single-contract plan is undoubtedly preferable The consolidation of the construction work in this sector will insure co-or- dination of the operation. The struc- tures will be virtually a single unit, the fabric being continuous from the | northwest corner of the Labor Depart- ment to the northwest corner of the Post Office Bullding. Division of the work into sections, with different con- | tracts, would entail possible delavs due | to differing rates of speed. Consoli- | dation will permit the production and | assemblage of material on a large scale and the completion of the several ad- strative units simultaneously. prob- | ably within a shorter period than if | different organizations were engaged. This great contract will make a rec- [ ord for size. 1t will entail a total cost lof about #21550.000, the largest sum ever spent in the history of the coun- try for a single building operation for | the Government. That great sum will spread over a wide territory of produc- tive and manufacturing activity, giv- ing employment to a vast number of | workers clsewtere than in Washington in addition to the assembling force en- | gaged here | In former times the policy of the| | Government has been to spread these | works out, in point of boih organiza- tion and time. Now there is urgent need of speed, as great speed as is con | sistent with sound workmanship. The Federal service is cramped for quarters and its efficiency is lessened in conse- | quence. The various units that are to| occupy the structures about to rise in this sector of the triangle are now in | inadequate houst Even the Post| Office, with a building of its own, which will be removed as soon as its successor is available, is not properly accom- | modated. It is expected that by the time the quadruple unit for which bids are about [ to be opened is completed the Depart- | ment of Justice, situated two blocks | [to the east, will likewise be ready for | occupancy, perhaps earlier, owing to! | the slightly advanced beginning. Mean- | while the so-called “apex building.” east of Seventh street, will have been begun and will perhaps also be nearing completion. Then it will be possible for to raze the old Post Office and complete | ; the unit that has had its beginning | |in the Internal Revenue Office. That| | will conclude the operations in the tri- | angle, save for the successor to the| | Southern Railway Building and the | | consolidation of the present Municipal | Building into the fabric of this sector. Thus the decision to consolidate the | contracts for the four-structure unit| | signifies a program of continuous action at the highest speed consistent with | quality of construction, It is & move in the direction of (1> wisest and most | effective economy, of cost and of time, | which will reduce the period of waiting | for the first complete housing for the Federal administrative agencies in the | history of the Government. | - .. o Some one with a penchant for sta- | tistics might delve into the proportion- ate injuries n American foot ball and Olvmpic game bobsledding; also the proportionate physical and moral bene- | fit per thousand of population. He | should not forget, either, that, in addi- ticn to nature's generous contribution, a first-class “run” costs nearly half a million dollars, America will never be entirely happy until every rural highway, whether of two, three or four car width, has an extra strip on each side, reserved ex- ively for post-sundown parking. ——— | .- New York's Grand 0ld Man. John R. Voorhees, New York City's grand old man,” is dead at one hun- dred ond two and a half years. S5 |1ong hes he served in public life, so| he been grand sachem of Hall, and so continuously he been in various official | that there is actually cause | | for surprise in his final passing. He | had come to be accepted as a tradi- tion. It seemed almost as though he were blessed with immortality. Last | December he was formally retired from | | his latest official position, that of pres- ident of the Board of Elections, a spe- clal act of the Legislature permitting | him to relinquish office at full salary, this upon the urgent recommendation of the Governor, Who wrote in a mes- sage, “This case is not merely excep- tional, it is unique.” There was little danger of establishing a precedent. Voorhees was a record breaker in more Tespects than the maintenance of active duties after passing his hun- drc th year of life. He served as Grand Sachem of Tammany for more than twenty years, although the by- laws of the society provide that no | She digs anew the soldier's grave man can hold that office for more than two years. This rule was evaded by the simple device of the members vot- ing for themselves so that there was no election, and thus the “grand old + THE EVENING man” held on for ten times the period permitted by the law of the organiza- tion. There were certaln eccentricities in the character of this interesting senior. He was an implacable partisan, boast- ing that he was “that kind of a Demo- crat who could never in any circum- stances be induced to vote for a Re- publican.” He abhorred certain inno- vations, especially daylight-saving time. He called it “crazy, fraudulent, false and foolish.” Though he kept all his own clocks in accord with “old-fash- foned time,” he finally permitted the cook in his domestic establishment to keep one in rhythm with the “idiotic and criminal schedule” if she wished. But he ate his meals according to his own clocks, Though Voorhees shaved himself until he had passed his hundredth year, it 1s the proud record of a certain bar- ber that he cut the hair of this remark- able man for more than fifty-five years. One may ponder over the amount of conversation that passed between the barber and his patron during that period of more than half a century. It is to be hoped that somebody has the data for a history of this exceptional career. Perhaps the barber could fur- nish entertaining material. 2 . ——— For a big double thrill try to match the cese of the two prisoners, & man and & woman, who not only tried o escape the Kansas Penitentiary, but who were setting out with the expressed purpose of eloping in marriage. There is a movie scenario for you! When a superstitious woman, as re- cently reported from Chicago, seeks to find a husband through an $8.50 “magic mirror,” an $8.50 husband is lkely to be the sort she gets. R “Hack” Wilson, National League slug- ger, will do well if he regards that big new “B” on his uniform as standing not only for Brooklyn but also for “Be- ware!” ————e New York bankers are perfectly will- ing to export gold coin, but only with the strict adjuration of the policeman, “Keep moving, you!” e - o Vicious criminals are executed swiftly and mercilessly. Patriotic and extraor- dinarily courageous naval seamen die lingering deaths in sunken submarines. | ——— -z It is wondered how great a member- ship a national “Ex-Millionaires” or- zation would have. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON Civilization. Civilization! Mighty word, : Which with all reverence is heard! ' You teach the world to read and write And into day transform the night And yet ‘tis ever in your nam: That armies march to fearful fame As we your blessings great compute We ask one favor more: Don't shoot As pictures fair entrance our eyes, And splendid buildings swiftly rise, Some of your skill you set apart For guns to shatter works of art. As Science seeks our lives to save As you are wise and resolute, We pray, be generous, Don't shoot! The Inevitable Ego. “A man should think not of him- self, but of his country.” “True,” answered Senator Sorghum. “But if a statesman neglects to take care of himself at election how is he going to hope to put in practical opera. tion his patient and far-reaching plans for the public good?” Jud Tunkins says the intelligent en- yment of music depends on whether an accomplishment or a bad habit. The Curtailed Month, Old February we must praise, Since by the calendar we find That it ic long on holidays, Though shy upon the other kind. TUnavoidable Delay. “Has that man done anything worth mentioning in Congress?” “Not yet,” replied the loyal constitu- ent. “He hasn't had a chance. He is still explaining how he got there.” Interesting Indorsements. In days of old a great man spoke And eager listeners heard, Whene'er the silences he broke, Respecting every word. Each cried: “How plainly now stand out The truths he represents. Whate'er he says—without a doubt— Those are my sentiments!™ But now with self-complacent grace The orators arise, Discoursing for a little space On heroes brave and wise. Each says: “They lived too long ago | For fame complete to shine Upon them. They'd rejoice to know Their sentiments are mine.” “Dere’s a few grown folks” said Uncle Eben, “dat’ knows how to man- age chillun; but dar's a heap mo' chillun cat knows how to manage grown foiks.” - Many-Sided Beer, From the Nashville Banner. Beer down in Georgia has been found to contain alum, aloes, turpen- tine, lime, potash, saltpeter, arsenic, strychnine, ammonia, hop pollen, sul- phuric acid and nux vomica. The find- ings really rcveal less serious things than one would have guessed from the tasbe. e Not a Sham Battle. From the South Bend Tribune. The retiring Governor of Mississippl was snubbed on inauguration day by the incoming Governor. This justi- fies suspicion that th> Mississippi guber- natorial campaign was not a sham battle, v Tip for Divorce Mills. Prom the Goshen Daily News-Times Chihuahua, Mexico, has boosted busi- ness by reducing the divorce process to one day. With that tip, some en- terprising American city ought to grant a man & divorce the instant the Tolling pin glances off his head. R Those Peace Demands. Prom the New York Times. It has been ncted of Japanese de- mands on China that if the demands are rejected the Japanese attack, and it the demands are accepted the Jap- anese open fire. 9 J STAR. | would |in tone, must contain much w WASHINGTON D. C., SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6. 1932. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL, Happy is the man who knew George ‘Washington was & great man without waiting for the Bicentennial Commis- sion to tell him so. Happy is the reader who has loved “Alice in Wonderland” since his child- hood days, although he may not have realized until recently that a great many people felt the same way abaut it. We would like to consider today, briefly, the belief on some peaple’s part that children themselves do not care for this grand old classic of chil- dren's literature and its successor, “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” Children have kept them alive, as & matter of fact. Without the interest of the little ones in Alice and her delightfully absurd adventures, it is safe to say that there would be no plethora of editions in the | stores, no celebrations in honor of the memory of the writer. ‘Where people make their mistake, we believe, who insist that average boys and girls do not care for Alice is in expecting all children to like all books. Little readers no more do that than big readers. There is no book ever written which makes exactly the same appeal everybody alike. That is one of the many reasons why books are the de- lightful things they are xox ok K There is another reason, too, why some children fail to appreciate “Alice in Wonderland.” They are given editions with illus- trations other than the original. There never has been, in our opinion, and there mnever will be, illustrations for Alice like those provided by Sir John Tenniel We have seen many editions, some by renowned artists, We have seen them with illustrations colored and in plain black and white, a “motion picture” edition, and have seen “Lewis Carroll's” own illus- tration But not a one of them has managed to catch the spiriL of the story, to achieve that close relationship to the text which is the province of the hap- piest _tllustrations. A book had much better be without pictures than provided with those which somehow fail to catch the spirit. Mere prettiness will not do. It is the same in music. What would Sullivan's “Mikado” be without the words by Gilbert? Would the late Victor Herbert have achieved a llke success with his music if the words for so many of his songs had not been written by Harry B. Smith? A It is probably true that sume, at least of the best part of “Alice in Wonder- land” will be missed by all except ihe most precocious juvenile readers. But that makes no difference. hete s still a world of good left for the little reader Nor are children such dummies, we convinced, as many grown-ups like to make them out. Boys and girls do have tie most estonishing grasp of good books. They can tell you why a book is good as well as any one. And for the same reasons. It is safe to say that the chiidren who do like “Alice in Wonderdlana™ are quite as well aware of its transcendant tom- foolery as any adult reader who ever read it ‘The supreme nuances may b> missed by them, but those, after all, are not s0o much in the book as the resuit of the book upon experience. A great b~ok, whether heavy or light ich has been set down in the light of experieace It has life in it. In encient times rhey had & way of saying, not that a person ar ‘Wrigley a Dramatic Figure In Sports as in Business Comments on the death of Mr. Wrig- ley for anything that he undertook, his ! organizing ability, services to the sport- ing world, especially through base ball, and his philanthropic zeal “He was one of the outstanding finan- cial princes of the generation just past.” recalls the Ann Arbor-Daily News, voic- ing the opinion that “he was an oppor- tunist who developed a kind of inci- dental sideline busiuess into an im- portant indastry. The Davenport Democrat declares that "his death leaves a gap in the business and sport world.” The Yakima Daily Republic concludes: “Whether his career is measured by the ardstick of wealth or by any of the' ther activities in which he took part, it can be said of him that he was at | least a little more successful than other people.” “His career was marked by a dash and virility that had kept him in the public eye.” recalls the Glendale News- Press. while the San Antonio Express appraises his achievements with the statement: “Mr. Wrigley's saying. ‘If vou lose your self-confidence, you're lost, as forcefully might apply to any business or industry, or even to the Nation. His entire career was marked by an unshakable confidence in the country’s economic soundness. It was such confidence as any well informed business man—or any loyal citizen, for that matter—should feel. Too, Mr. Wrigley generously was equipped with | that quality which Emerson held essen- tial to accomplishing great things—en- thusiasm . Such was the trait that, for example, took the broken-down Chicago Cubs and built up a strong team. That achievement also sct & precedent richly worth following in business, industrial and civic enterprises.” PR “He was to base ball what Sir Thomas Lipton was to yachting.” states the Pasedena Star-News, recognizing that “his influence was & stimulus to the game.” and suggesting that “bettered base ball would be a splendid mon ment to him.” That paper continue “Mr, wholesome influence in base ball. He had deep Interest in the fortunes of his two clubs—the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels. His hopes and fears followed the fortunes of these two | clubs as keenly as the hopes and fears | of the manager on the fleld. Mr. Wrig- ley was known far and wide for his| good sportsmanship. He gamely strove to win a world series championship through the Chicago Cubs. He had dis- appointments. But with each succeed- ing seasonal defeat he came up smiling end began to build for the next year. Ad 50 he continued until his death.” “He was one of the influential build- ers of Chicago,” avers the Sioux Fal Argus-Leader, “and that city will miss the vigorous enthusiasm and keen sa- gacity with which he approached every task.” The Oshkosh Daily Northwes ern remarks as to his expenditures: “Large sums of the Wrigley fortuve went into philanthropic paths, espe- clally for improving civic conditions and promoting social velfare. He gave $100,000 to the recent relief drive #t Chicago and do erties for the feeding and sheltering of jobless men.” His interest in the welfare of other persons and business interests is lauded by the Salt Lake Deseret News, record- ing an incident of the aid given to a sugar factory, in which he paid a cer- tain price for stock which was selling for one-fifth of that emount. The News gives another story of financial tance: “A dozen years ago the notes of the company were held by & bonk which, because of the sudden turn of financiel matters, greatly needed the money although the notes were not due. Mr. Wrigley, when he learned of the cendition, took them up himself, pay- ing the cash and relieving the tense situation of the bank.” * K K K “A sound philosopher as well as £n able and accomplished citizen, he fur- nishes a success story that contains sevare] morals of value,” says (he Prov dence Journal, declaring that he “had to | We have seen | ¢ | them that the thing is “classic.” emphasize his natural enthusiasm | . Wrigley for vears has been a nated one of his prop- | had died, but that he “had lived.” The living was the important thing. Experi- rtnce comes with living. * oK K K It must be manifest that when Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the mathe- matician, turned himself into Lewis Carroll, the writer of children’s storics, he could not divest himself of Charles L. Dodgson altogether, Nor could Prof. Dodgson keep out of his eyes something of the look of Lewis Carroll. They were different faccts of the same fellow. Into his most flippant gayeties there fcrept something of the adult person which only another adult person could quite grasp. Just what this something s will always be hard to define, but that it is there no one who loves “Alice’s Ad- ventures in Wonderland” and its sister book, to say nothing of the less well known juveniles by the same writer, will for a moment dispute. | Because it is there, eminent political gentlemen are constantly using images out of Alice’s book. Every 10 years or | so some political writer draws up a satirical attack on the enemy in the ‘lurm and after the manner of “Alice in Wonderland.” * X x % Despite these heavy-handed dippings. the book remains essentially a children’s classic, with, alas, all that the word “‘classic” means. It means, in the first place, that many little ones will be scared away from this book; if the ‘classic” end of the matler is borne in too heavily upon them. There have been more good books spolled for good readers by the brand of “classic” than perhaps by any other one label. This seems to be particu- larly true of children. The one sure | way to keep essentially bookish boys and girls from reading a book is to tell { That | one word, and the book is ruined for them. They may read it, but it will never be quite the same book it would have been for them if teacher had never recommneded it as a classic. | The only book of Dickens which the writer here does not like is “A Tale of | Two Citles,” and the only real reason | he can see for his dislike is an en- | forced reading in school. “You can lead | & horse to water, but you can't make | him drink.” Especially if he has a | stubborn streak in his disposition, perhaps. Good books of the best sort need no | high-pressure salesmanship on the part of teachers or others. They will make their way! If the brands of “classics and “essential books” and “recommend- | ed reading” all be served. were junked once and for * ook Of course, the word mean something, after all just what “Alice in Wond, it mean, what any it mean, haps the conscious use of the term is sometimes & mistake. A classic is a classic, think, because somehow needs of humanity. “Alice in Wonder- land” does it, by showing the world, once and for all, that weighty, heavy subjects are not the only subfects, for books or deaily life. A true classic, such as this old bool the world delights to honor. contains a quality above the themselves. It leaves a feeling of “classic” does It means nd" makes good book makes it meets the honesty and worth in small things as, well as in “imporiant affairs” It makes us realize that life is larger and greater than scme would have us believe the zest of life to an unusual degree, and it was to this that he largely owed his great achievement.” The Indianap- olis News maintains that “his success was due to his belief in the value of consistent advertising.” which, as the Providence Journal points out, “was done in 30 different languages.” Asbury Patk Press, caliing him “one of the country's richest men.” asserts thit this was the result of “advertising on the grand scale.” “The story of his business career is another thrilling chapter in the grc: epic of American business.” is the com- | ment of the Lincoln State Journal, em- phasizing the point that he “built an | enormous fortune with pennies.” “Some of his hobbles.” observes the Duluth Herald, “are evident from his ownership of the Chicago Cubs, on which he is said to have spent six mil- lions: from the sky-plercing whiteness of the Wrigley Building in Chicago, and from his wide interests in_motion picture enterprises and various Western | resorts, including Catalina Island. His career teaches the power of having a purpose, of having faith in that pur- pose, of sticking to it through thick and thin, And, above all, it teaches how profitable it is to do intelligent adver- tising.” “The energizing elements which en- tered into the success of William Wrig- ley, jr. were never more needed in American business snd industrial life than they are needed today,’ says the Chicago Daily News in a eulogy of the chewing gum manufacturer, who has just died. The Daily News calls him “a dynamic personality in the business life of the Nation. e Cruelty to Animals In Capital Assailed To the Editer of The S.ar: I live in a fairly fashionable and supposedly civilized neighborhood. I say supposedly civilized, for cruelties are done here every now and then which make me doubt this civilization. Only last week two cats were poisoned by having ground glass put in their food. Both died in agonies which wring the heart. I have read that the savages of the Gobi Desert roast their cats before a | roaring fire until they are a quivering mass, then throw them away. This they do for their amusement. We call them savages, but are they s0 much worse than those who place little kittens on the street railroad tracks to die under the wheels, throw them in the snow to freeze and starve to death or have them chased by dogs? I know waves of kindness are spread- | ing all over the world to mitigate the | sufferings of these speechless creatures which look to man for mercy, but there are many cases of barbarities like those I have mentioned From April 17 to April 23 is “Be Kind to Animals” week. Will not every one come to the defense of those that are so defenseless? \‘ KATHARINE BIRNEY SEIP, |Liquor Prescription | Charge Held Unfair | To the Editor of The Star: | An Associated Press story published recently stated a former president of | the American Medical Association de- clared before a congressional committee that over 90 per cent of the liquor pre- ‘;c;slpuom issued were for bootleg pur- es. As an “innocent bystander,” I do not see how it would be possible for one man to obtain this knowledge, and, barring scme localized condition in this country, it seems manifestly unfair to | his brothers to issue such a statement, H. LEWIS, —ee—s Alalfa Bill's Cross-roads. Prom the Lvnchburg News. The Nation is at the eross-roads, declares Gov. Alfalfa Bill. We though. it was on the broed roed that leads to destrustien, the cause of good literature would Our belief is only that per-| one likes to| The | THE LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover Mystery stories are today probably the best literary sources of income. There seems to be & market for an al- most unlimited number of them and the consumer does not demand per- fection of quality. The habitual reader of mystery concoctions is able to consume several a week, but is often not able to remember either author, title or plot after a volume is finished. Mysteries are supposed to be relaxing for the mentally weary, though their harrowing plots would hardly seem re- laxing to those not numbed by their frequent use. Others make for mys- teries the clalm that they are alinost the only “clean” fiction today, “clean,” meaning not overloaded with sex. But from another point of view the ingenious murders perpetrated in the pages of mystery stories do not seem too ‘“clean.” Occasionally & writer who has demonstrated his ability to write other types of fiction well, who possesses the gift of achieve- ment of style, turns to the mystery story, either as amusement or for pur- oses of revenue, Such a writer is ikely to produce something better, if not more popular, than the hack mystery story. Examples are Hugh Walpole, with his “Portrait of a Man With Red Hair,” and Eden Phillpotts, with his “Red Redmaynes.” * ok K K Eden Phillpotts has recently pub- lished another mystery story, not equal to the “Red Redmaynes,” but superior to the average of the type. “A Clue From the Stars” begins to deal out mystery from the start, for the title itself 15 & mystery not solved until the last sentence of the book, and then the solution is rather far-fetched. How- ever, the story itself offers considerable interest and novelty. There are suffici~ reader is offered many guesses at the real criminal, for, of course, the story starts with a murder theory. Suspense is sustained until the very end by the device of making away with the only real clue at the beginning. Thus the reader is as much puzzied as the Scot- land Yard detective inspector Wwho comes from London to Clyst Warring- ton, Devon, to investigate the case. The reader may guess evervthing, but the first cause of the trouble, he cannot guess tkat, because Mr. Phillpotts has carefully removed it from the neighbor- hood before beginning his story. The literary qualities of Mr. Phillpotts are displayed in other ways than in the intrigue, though the intrigue is a good one. We become interested in the characters entirely apart from their participation in the tragic happeni at Clyst Warrington Detective spector Thomas Warner of the Criminal Investigation Department of Sco.iand Yard, with his unusual power of ch acter reading. is apparently hampe in his investigations because he ki well all the inhabitants of Clyst rington and a pe 1 friend some of them. We come to h sympathy for him when his eflor so continually thwarted. The children of Sir Julia h the rath of mistic outlook, and Mary, more clever and more intuitive than her brother, are real enough but do not become more vivid as the story unfolds o esidents of Dower House, Winton Ver- his wife, and his sis! h Foster, almost drop out ! after its beginnin sceing more ot voluble Winton friend, as he of 4 the 1 Verrall, Sir Ju dividual and has £0 many eccentricities that we incline at times to connect even him with the crime. Character inlerest cen ever, in the twin brothers, | Nicholas Maydew, farme at | Barrows Farm. near Tudor “They both stood s 0 both drew tre scale at f and both took pride in breadth of chest and weight of bone and muscle. They were gentle giants and by no physical feature would it have been e ssible to tell them apart. Their broad faces, heavy jowls, big mouths. close-cropped black mustaches and placid forcheads, un- der thick black hair, differed in no particular: but it happened that the sole qualities which set them apart were mental and the expression of the. eyes differed a little The men difference between the two brothers an important part of the story. x o % x In a quite normal way Mar: of Tudor T ring decides to walk meadows by a foot-path to dine with his frien e Verralls and his flancee, Mrs. rah Foster, at Dower House. He arrives, has a pleas- ant evening, presents Mrs. Foster with a jeweled pendant, listens to a speech from America over the air, then starts back homeward by field path, man servant helps into his light overcoat and accompanies him through the dark copse near the house and!as far as the wicket gate. Julian cross the road and the bridge and go over the stile into the field path which runs above Three Barrows Farm. Then he returns to Dower House. He is the last person who sees Sir Julian. All this occurs after 11 o'clock. Sir Julian never reaches Tudor Manor. His absence is not discovered until the next morning, when his valet comes awaken him and finds his room empty In the search which follows not a tr: is found of Sir Julian. He has dis- appeared as completely as if carried off in a chariot of fire or an airplane. St. Hubert, the beautiful bloodhound of Winton Verrall, is brought into the search as soon as Tom Warner, de- tective and friend of the Marchants, has arrived from London. He is given an old tweed Norfolk jacket of Sir Julian's for the scent and is then taken on leash. Baying deeply, he turns into the larch copse, comes to the high road and crosses it, passes over the foot bridge, and comes to the field path. Here he strides forward steadily, nose to earth, and proceeds as fast as the holder of the leash can follow. Half- way across the field, about equidistant from the stile at either end of it, the great hound suddenly deflects his course, turns at right angles to the path Sir Julian Clyst War- the he goes of the meadow. Suddenly he stops, lifts his head from the ground, and refuses to go farther. The scent has failed. The hound can do nothing more. Not the slightest sign of Sir Julian nor any clue to his disappear- ance appears at the place where the scent fails. A year elapses before the mystery is solved, in spite of all the skilled searching and the psychological theorizing of Tom Warner. * * k% Frank Harris in his biography “Bernard Shaw,” which he calls in his subtitle “an unauthorized biography based on inside information,” intended to treat Shaw without tenderness for his egotism. Fate gave Shaw the last word, however, for Frank Harris died and Shaw wrote the “posteript” to the volume., He did not scruple to retaliate and conveys the impression that Harris was of course not equal to the inter- pretation of Shaw and that his un- fayorable opinions were the result of personal animus. So Shaw wins, as he did in the correspondence with Ellen Terry, which he recently caused to be published. The general public cares little about Shaw controversies. Shaw amuses them and they do not take him or his ideas too seriously. They know that he does not carry into practice his most radical ideas and would be al- most disconcerted if he found others attempting to do so. In his biography Harris asserts that Shaw has not grown with his years and with a changing world, that he is still the eccentric theorist, living in a past that has vanished. R Coffee for Panhandlers. From the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Brazil is suggesting the use of her surplus coffee for the jobless. They might send a few million bags up to us so we could earrv cround a pocketful to hand to all the panhandlers who bone us for “s nickel to buy & cup of coffee.” ently numerous characters so that the | ERS TO QUE BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ANSW What is your question? Whatever it may be, unless it be a request for legal, medical or financial advice, it will be answered without cost to you and you will reccive the reply in a per- sonal letter. Write your question clearly and briefly, inclose 2-cent stamp for return postage and address The Eve- ning Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D, C.| A. There was at one time a herd of - | camels which was imported into the . How many golf professionals are | American Southwest to act there in the United States. What does | animals. They escaped and e one have to do to become & pro?— ber of years remained in Arizona and |E. 8. W. | New Mexico in a wild state. However, | A There are about 3,300 golf pro-)they did not breed well and gradually |Zesslonals In thls county, ' To beldied off, so that the herd has been eligible membership in rofes- | ¢xi e e S ne s e R { tablishes one’s standing as a profe: fonal, a player must have had three | jears’ experience as an instructor un- der a recognized professional. seen two of their own number become Presidents of the United States, onc a Vice President and many others foreign ministers, members of the Supreme Court, cabinet officlals and United States Senators.” ’ Q. Are there wild camels in Ari- zona?—8. T. Q. What percentage of graduates of law schools pass the bar examination the first time it is taken?—M. R. A. It is estimated that less than 50 per cent pass the bar examinations at the first trial. ‘Q. Has Abyssinia's name changed to Ethiopia?—C. D. A. Ethiopia is in rea'ity the true official name of that country, and Abyssinia is a name applied to it by Europeans. At the time of the receny accession of the present Emperor, His Majesty Heile Selassie I, the name Ethiopia was revived in official usage. Q. How many deaths have been caused by automobiles in the last few | years?—E. H A. In 1929 there were 31,000 automo- bile fatalities and 32,500 in 1930. The estimated number of motor fatalities in | 1931 was 35,000, Q. To what country do the islands | of St. Plerre and Miquelon belong?— T Chu A. The small islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, off the southwest coast of Newfoundland, are s colony of France, The area of the colony is about 100 square miles and the popu- lation about 4,000. Q. Who was Jane McCrea who Wwas slain on July 217, 1777?—A. G. A, Jane McCrea was born about 1757. Her father was a Presbyterian clergy- man, a native of Scotland. Her mother died when she was very young. She was brought up by her father, who died when she was less than 20 years | of age. Ste then went to live with her | brother, who was an ardent patriot | Her fiance, David Jones, was a loyalist | Since he was located near Fort Edward, | She insisted upon staying in his viein- | |ity. or she was in correspondence with | { him, but did not wish her brother to| | know of her attachment. It was finally planned that she should run away to| Burgoyne's lines, where David was lo- cated. She was to be accompanied by | | some Indians. On the way she was| | killed during an Indian attack. She | was to have been married when she been Q. Please explain the _consclence rml":dsm the Treasury Department. A. The consclence fund was opened with a contribution of $5 in 1811 Money received for this fund is no: carried on the books of the Treasu. Department as such, but is listed miscellaneous receipts. The amounts sent in range from 2 cents from a per- son who failed to put a T letter when mailed. to several dollars from persons who goods into the United States paying import duty. Usually | sent are small. No special use of the money. It sim general funds of the Department total amount of the fund is $577 Q. Where should a thermo hung to record the most door temperature?’—B. R. A. It should be hung on the north side of the house, in a sheltered place, such as & porch. The hook should be long enough to keep the thermometer an inch or two from the wall. Al He sees Sir| to | and gallops straight down the middle | | American military government?—L. K A, From October 18, 1898, to May 1900. Q. How many castes are there in India?—J. C A, At the present time there are es- ated to be between three and four 1sand social units and, in addition les, who are of no caste considered to be be- 1 an: yond recognition. Q. Is there a spc hun use when they A. Hunter-Trader-T is a recognized lost si: are fired into the al two shots a few secor 1 ‘A signal _that ost?—R. A says there Q Were the men who wrote the ion men of marked ability at h E W A. Elson says: “An abler body of statesmen has not assembled in mod- em times than that which made our Constitution in 1787, nor has any as- scmbly met with truer motives. or pro- duced a grander result. The Whole number of delegates was 55, and therz was scarcely & man among them who had not been distinguished in the state or in the field, who had not been a Governor, a member of Congress, or a commander in the Army. A few had crved in the Stamp Act Congress in 65, others had set their names to o immortal Declaration in 1776, and one had framed the plan of union at Albany in 1754. Could these men have ed into the future they would have reached the fort. i Q. How long was Porto Rico under | Q. How long has Ol capital of Washingtor A. The municipality of Olympia be- ympia been the M. E. W. territory of W has been the capital ever since. Washington became a Sta in November, 1889, and Olymp Q. How many separate compos are there in the Book of Psalms A. The Bibical Review says tha Book of Psalms as a whole contains 150 independent compositions . When was the tower added to Independence Hall in Philadelphia?— T. R A. Erection of Independence Hall be- gan in 1732 and was completed in 1747. The tower was added in 1750. Q. How long has the Hooker re- flecting telescope been at e Mount Wilson Observatory?—M. M. S A. It was erected in 1919. It has a mirror or reflector 100 inches in diameter. Q. Can Chinese become natur: in Hawaii?>—J. P A. Chinese cannot be natural 1 Hawail, since the naturalization laws c the United States apply 1o i try as well. Q. Where is Mount Lindbergh? R.C. C A Mount Lindbergh is located in the Antarctic region and was explored by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd. Highlights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands | ENCHING GAZETTE, Chengfu: Rumors are sometimes started | intentionally by one desirous of playing a joke, although some- times merely a “slip in the | night” A Peiping editor asserts that | he intended to stir up patriotic feeling |among the people when he issued alarmist reports on the recent Tientsin riots. He did not realize that instead of encouraging the people he frightened them, and instead of preparing them- selves for the defense of the nation, they ran about to draw money from {he banks, draw provisions from the stores and engage rooms in the legation quarters. In answer to the accusation that the Yenching Gazette has been guilty of founding and promoting rumors the editor can only answer by re-empha- sizing the duty which the Gazette feels profoundly to be not only that of jour- nalism as a whole, but more especially its own. “The primary duty of a news- paper is to chronicle accurately and truthfully the events of consequence in its environment.” We feel this to be our duty, and the fulfillment this duty is our aim. But even in the face of the meaning of those words “accurately” and “truth- fully” the Gazette would like to pass on a little motto for every one to muse over as they face the crisis of the pres- ent—"Don’t believe a thing you hear and only half of what you read.” * % * X Resolve Macedonia Should Be Independent. LA MACEDOINE, Geneva: On the occasion of the anniversary of the sign- of ings were held throughout Bulgaria declaring against the unjust clauses of this treaty which have burdened the Bulgarian people for 12 years. In Sofia the upper classes of the population as- sembled in a great convention of pro- test, which resolved in the course of its discussions to demand a revision of this treaty in the interests of peace and harmony. The same resolution asserted that an indispensable condition to the mainte- nance of tranquillity in the Balkans existed in recognition of the religious and national rights of the minorities now distributed arbitrarily amongst sev- eral different alien nations, regardless of the original geographical and ethno- logical unity of these now separated and scattered people. e resolution further declared that the serious and insistent Macedonian question can be permanently settled only in accordance with the formula of the famous premier Willlam Ewart Gladstone, who always claimed that as a matter of essential justice and constructive bene- fit Macedonia should be free and inde- pendent. The resolution was unanimously rati- fied by the immense concourse which participated in the meeting. * K kK Manchuria Regarded As Japan’s Life Line. MANSHU NIPPO, Dairen (trans- Jated by the Manchuria Daily News).— Manchuria used to be regarded as other than China’s integral part from old. Even as late as the late Chang- tsolin’s time (father of Marshal Chang- hsuehliang), it was a special district looked upon as not strictly China’s integral part. So were Tibet, Outer and Inner Mongolia and Hsinkiang. None of these special districts should be confounded with the integral parts of China. In'this connection, Japan's special into. When the Muscovite Russia got hold of Manchuria to get the strongest voice in the Orient, Japan, from her neces- Bussia, &ity; to keep in existence, 1 “ ing of the Treaty of Neuilly, mass meet- | English | relation to Manchuria must be looked | | staking her very life and at a tremen- dous .sacrifice. Kwantung Leased Ter- ritory and the running of the S. M railway line were the fruits of her sacrifices. Since, by well sustained | effort, she has built up in Manchuria the outermost line of her national de- fense and people's living. Today, the | relation of Manchuria to Japan has become bound up inseparably from the existence of the home country. | This is why Manchurla “is regarded as Japan's life line. However, Japan is not after her own gain only. She is hoping to share the ‘l’wulunt benefit with the Chinese in- ‘hablunu and other residents. in order |to set up a zone of joint labor and enjoyment. | Such a plan might sound rather | meddling with part of a neighbor ocountry’s territory. Still, the recent | events in China have driven Japan to conceive such plan. T : Bull Fights | Barred in Camaguey. EL MUNDO, Havana.—Recently we received in our editorial offices the visit of the Senora Conception Mulet de | Serra, a delegate from the “Bando de | Piedad” (Band of Mercy) of Camaguey, who has come to this city to interview the Secretary of State, and secure, if possible, his co-operation in forbidding the “charlotta,” or mock bull fight, which has been advertised in a number of Camagueyan papers as a holiday attraction. La Senora Mulet de Serra suggests that military order No. 217, applying in the aforesaid district of Cube, and dated May 28, 1900, not only prohibited the actual bull fights them- | selves, as distressing and demoralizing spectacles, but also extended the em- bargo to any similar sports in which the animals were merely harried and tormented. |Hiking Paths Are Urged On Mt. Vernon Highway To the Editor of The Star: | May Tadd my “second” to the pro- | posal of John B. Umhau, as printed in | your issue of February 3, that hiking | paths be provided along the new Ar- lington-Mount Vernon Highway. Hav- ing personally covered .the roadway afoot a few Sundays ago, in the face of more than 20,000 cars, T can appre- ciate the hazards which beset any one who would choose pedestrianism as a | mode of locomotion along this route of motor travel. Since landscaping of the highway has not been completed, it is tinlely to consider the rights of the | minority of the road. Let's have hiking | paths, that people afoot may enjoy the scenic charms of this territory. LOUIS V. WOULFE. ——— Balm Prices Cut. From the Sioux City Journal. A girl sued her former flance, and was awarded $100.01 by a jury, which | thought he should pay for her trousseau {in the amount of $100 and 1 cent for “mental anguish, humiliation and em- barrassment.” Well, the times are dif- ferent and prices are lower. ——— Japan's Diplomacy. From the Detrolt News. It is now pretty widely understood that if Japan says yes, she means no, and if she says no, she means no. e Our European Relatives. | From the Columbus Ohio State Journal. | Sometimes we wender why all Europe doesn’t just admit it is up agamnst it and ask Uncle Sam's permission to 2 eyer here until times.get better,