Evening Star Newspaper, February 14, 1932, Page 28

2 THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €, FEBRUARY 14, 1932—PART TWO. THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Editien. WASHINGTON, D. C. New Jersey, New York and the ocean and during the entire time a new device called the sonic altimeter reg- istered with amazing accuracy its near- SUNDAY.._...February 14, 1932 |ness to ground obstructions. Char- THEODORE W. NOYES. e The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11th 8t Abd Penneyiyants A ."and Pennsylvanis Ave, New York Offce. 110 East 4and Bt. Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. European Office;, 14 Regent M. London, n [ Rate by Carrier Within the City. The Evening St The Evenin, d_Sunday Star days) . Sun Editor | operate, acterized as being extremely simple to the machine utilizes current from electric batteries and sends out through an amplifier a series of clicks or “pings.” When the ship was near an obstruction such as one of the Man- hattan skyscrapers the sound from the amplifier increased in intensity snd thus warned the pilot that there was 4scpermonth | 4anoer ahead. The Eeenin, ;Scpermonth| mhe altimeter now in general use (when 5 5, nth 'n(-; ]'s'.}‘?d., TRl t';g&:gflgg“;‘, re?ten o;::y ul&t‘udeulbove ;n level oeerion mude st the end 6f each month. | and not abpve obstructions. Many ac- Orders v be b 1] teleph = SationaSoog; et 10 by mall or (€1ePRONE | jyents have been caused by this Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Dallv and Sunda 17yr, $1000: 1 mo., 85¢ Daily only . 1yr., $6.00. 1 mo., 80c Bunday only . 1yr., $4.00: 1 mo., 40c All Other States and Canada. Daily and Sunday...1yr.$1200:1mo. $100 Daily oniy 1vr. $800: 1mo., 75¢ Aunday only yr. $5.00; 1 mo. 80c Member of the Associated Press. The Assoclated Press is exclusively entitl o the use for republication of all news patches credited o it or not otherwise c: Ited in this paper and aiso the local news lished herein. Al rishts of publication of Epecial aispatches herein are also reserved. — Counfounding the Issues. Ii is a strange mixture of logic and emotion that has been offered to stim- ulate sentiment in favor of the La Follette-Costigan bill for direct Gov- ernment aid, upon which the Senate may vote tomorrow. The mixture takes form in that argument so well stated by Senator Johnson of California as follows 1 say relief, and T do not mean re- lief alone to the bankers and to rai road people. Relief. I say, not onl to bankers and to railroads, but relief just to God's common all, the common people of this land. * * = That testimony shows what? Women sbout to become mothers underfed themselves. That testimony shows what? Little children with rickets increasing in large percentages. That testimony shows what? Tuber- culosis rampant among the weak and among the children. Then, tell me that you will give $2.000,000,000 to bankers and to rail- roads and will deny $375.000,000 of di- rect relief unto these children and those who need it most? Senator Johnson asks why it is that we always begin with our relief meas- ures at the “top,” where obviously, ac- cording to his point of view, float the bankers and the railroads, instead of at the “bottom.” where one finds the “hu- man beings, just like you, sir, and fust like me, human beings; and among those human beings are not only the men, but the women and the little children as well * * * Of course, it is not a fact that the United States has “given” or proposes to give $2.000.000,000 to bankers and to railroads, and it is manifestly miscon- struing the provisions of the Recon- struction Finance Corporation legisla- tion to say that any outright gift of a dollar in cash is proposed. said with truth that there is nothing to guarantee that, even if the total amount possible under this legislation Is loaned, it will ever be repaid. And it can also be said with truth that there is nothing to guarantee that to- morrow morning the earth will not split in half—nothing, in fact, except the prevailing opinion and weight of evidence to the contrary. But the analogy between the vari- ous efforts to loosen the flow of credit, construed as aid to the “interests,” and the proposal for direct aid in the form of Federal money to be dispensed among the thousands who may need it, remains false without resort to tech- nical distinctions between a loan and & gift. There may come & time, and evidence can always be amassed to indicate that it is here, when the breakdown of pri- vate charity and the bankruptcy of the Btates and the cities require that not only the vaults of the Treasury, but the granaries and the warehouses of the Nation, be flung wide open that the hungry may be fed and the naked clotted. But it is nothing less than willful confusion of issues to compare that sort of emergent aid with the re- construction policies now being whipped into shape through bi-partisan effort at Washington. One may with logic contend that Benator Johnson has himself reversed the order of things; that Government eid 15 in reality being applied at the “bottom” and not at the “top.” For it is surely established that it is not the pecple, the “human beings just like you, sir, and just like me, human beings,” who have failed. What has for the time being failed, and brought down thousands of the people in its fall, is the economic structure upon which the people rely for their support. Before the people can recover, this structure must be brought back to proper balance, If any lasting good could be accom- plished by doling out gold by the mil- lions to the people, there would be no question of doing it. But to envision “the banks” and the “railroads” and the ‘interests” as entities above and apart from the people, fawned upon by & servile government that hands them its money bags while men and women starve and children die, is a task that belongs to the fantast on a soap box. The Senate will vote tomorrow or within a few days on the proposal to appropriate the $375.000,000 for direct Federal aid. Those who sponsor the measure have doubtless convinced themselves that the money would al- leviate the sufferings that have been described as demanding this aid; that it will accomplish as much relief, for instance, as the $1.100,000,000 in cash already paid to the needy veterans under the soldiers’ bonus; that it will not commit the Government to & re- sponsibility that no government yet de- vised by the hand of man has been able to meet. But respect for these sincere men prevents the opinion that they have sought this money on the assump- tion that the Federal Goyernment is willing to help the bankers and the railroads, but coldly refuses to feed the starving man or heal the stricken child. —————————— The famous “brown derby” is in the ring again and, without any verifica- tion from the inner band, seems to many to be a size larger. ——e—s A New Altimeter. It further tests are as successful as those made the other day on the dirigible Los Angeles, science will have added another feather to its cap for safe- guarding the lives of flyers. For more than an hour the big ship cruised over death, whereas the chances for & land- for Reno. It can be limitation of the instrument. Caught in a fog which causes him to lose his way, a pilot is often misled by the read- ings of his altimeter, which show ample altitude but not the closeness of a mountain peak into which he is likely to crash. Some of the tragic accidents of the past few years are attributable to this factor alone. Engineers have been hard at work on the problem and many devices have been produced, but none with the apparent accuracy of the new sonic altimeter. Further experiments are to be made, and if it lives up to its promise it will be a godsend to fiyers. ———— King and Assembly. Virginia legislators are in a dilemma. Recently the Governor of the State re- quested the King of England to deliver a radio address on the morning of February 22, presumably on the sub- ject of George Washington, Virginia's favorite son. The King has not re- plied to the invitation, nor is there any indication whether he will com- ply with the request. Meanwhile a movement is on foot to have the Gen- eral Assembly of the State meet at Alexandria on the twenty-second to attend the celebration of the birth- day of the first President, which is to mark the beginning of the national Bicentennial observance. The Governor feels that until the King replies he can- not well subscribe to the proposal to move the Assembly bodily up to Alex- andria for the day. So there is a hiatus in the plans and considerable embarrassment is being felt by several Virginians who wish to participate in the Nation-wide ceremony. However, the case is not hopelessly complicated. If King George should consent to send forth a radio address on George Washington it would not be difficult to receive it at Alexandria as well as at Richmond. Radio has a way of reaching everywhere. It would prob- ably make little or no difference witn the King whether his words, addressed specifically to the Legislature, were to be heard by its members at the State | Washington so often visited and where he attended church and lodge meetings. Indeed, it he were not told that the General Assembly had moved for the day to Alexsmdria he would not know that his remarks were being heard in the State Capitol or in the Alexandria hall of celebration. No word comes as to one point of | considerable interest in this connec- tion. Did the Governor of the State address his request for a radio talk by the King directly to his majesty? Or did he communicate with his royal highness through the State Depart- ment and the American diplomatic representative at the Court of St. James? Possibly the King's silence on | the subject is due to the fact, if that be the case, that the communication went direct from the executive mansion at Richmond to Buckingham Palace. King George perhaps would not pre- cisely know whether it would be en- tirely proper for him to respond to the request of a Governor. He might ask the Black Rod—if that is the title of the master of ceremonies—or the for- eign office. Or he might just call it a day, on getting the communication, and forget the matter. Surely, the suggestion of & meeting of the General Assembly at Alexandria on the twenty-second, which is an excellent one and quite in keeping with the spirit of the occasion, can be adopted without causing any rift in the relations between Virginia and Great Britain, such as they are, whether the King talks over the radio or remains silent. e Vermont’s exhibit at the 1933 Chi- cago World's Fair will present that State under the often-heard title of “The Switzerland of America.” New Hampshire will probably bring suit for infringement of trade mark, not to mention a dozen other States with more or less far-fetched Swiss affiliations. At least, the Granite State was the first to | be called this by admiring visitors. i Parachutes for Passengers. Repercussions of the battle which has been waged ever since passengers began to fly in large numbers over the question of putting parachutes on all occupants of air transport planes are heard from the Capitol. Repre- sentative Celler of New York thinks that all passengers should wear para- chutes. He has introduced a bill which would compel airlines to provide a parachute for each passenger. Cost, Mr. Celler quite properly points jout, is of minor consideration when ! lives are involved. It is safe to say that all airline operators will agree with | him. The American airline operators | have spared no expense to achieve | safety. Ever increased safety of op- eration has been and will continue to be one of the greatest aims of air trans- port operators, as it is of railroad and steamship operators. Many of the operators who have studied the parachute question, how- ever, are far from convinced that parachutes will spell safety. They know that, virtually without exception, ac- cidents which have killed or injured passengers have occurred at such low altitudes that parachutes would have been of no avail. In the case of such an accident as motor failure, they are convinced, pas- sengers would be far safer in the air- plane, except over very bad terrain, than they would dangling below a para- chute. In the case of a landing or take-off accident, at sltitudes below the opening range of a parachute, the possession of parachutes might be & positive menace to ignorant and alarmed passengers. A lesp from such a low altitude would mesn certain i capital or at the ancient city which. ing which will not result fafally are very favorable in almost every case. To be of service, a parachute must be adjustéd and operated properly. Any fallure in this is lkely to be fatal. It is open to question whether the average air passenger, in event of & swift-moving emergency, would be capable of donning and using a para- chute safely. Who is to determing when passen- gers should jump? The average air passenger is not sufficiently familiar with conditions to make him & proper Jjudge. The duty would devolve upon pllot or crew. But there is no certainty that passengers will obey orders to jump from an airplane. Even in the Army and Navy, where members of an air- plane crew are under rigid discipline, frightened mechanics and observers have refused repeated orders from pilots to jump. To the everlasting credit of the pilots, it may be said that invariably they have stuck to their controls under such circumstances and have ridden down to crashes rather than leave & panicky comrade aboard. It disciplined, trained military per- sonnel will not respond to orders to jump, how can untrained civilians. men and women, be expected implicitly to obey, without hesitation, the same orders? It has been suggested that the decl- sion as to whether passengers should jump be taken out of their hands en- tirely. Devices have been developed, some with a fair degree of success, which would permit a pilot unceremoni- ously to dump his passengers through the bottom of the plane and automat- ically release parachutes attached to them. It seems scarcely likely, however, that the passengers themselves will take kindly to such an arrangement. It would be a little too much like sit- ting over & volcano which might erupt at any moment. Then, too, the pilot would have no assurance that his passengers had not tampered with the parachute harnesses so as to de- stroy their chances for & safe drop. It is to be hoped that the many con- flicting phases of the problem will be worked out in a little more satisfactory fashion before any such law as that proposed by Mr. Celler is thrust upon the American air transport lines. s Motoring Washingtonians who travel downtown feel as though they were oc- casionally passing the Leviathan and the Europa moored stem to stern at busy éurbings. All that is needed to complete the illusion and increase the confusion is & flock of Fords warping the giants out into midchannel. And when the word “midchannel” is used, it is used advisedly. ————. Hypocrisy shows itself in bookcases as often as anywhere. Extensive sels of well bound classics may, and often co, impress guests. In but few houses, however, are they ever touched except by the maid or houseman who, at in- tervals, wipes and aligns them. — vt The British Duke of Atholl is proud of the fact that he maintains “a pri- vate army numbering & thousand men, with an artillery contingent.” That item should be kept from Al Capone lest he laugh himself to death. ey A woman, sald to be suffering from hallucinations, who hung around John D.’s Florids golf course, was arrested. Perhaps all she wanted was & bright new dime “for a cup of coffee, mister.” ———————— London now boasts that she has the most powerful searchlight in the world. Whatever its strength, it is of but feeble candle power compared to the flerce beams that beat on the British throne. ————— Some Americans are hoarding over here and others are refusing to leave Nanking and similar places over there. Then, always, there is & small pro- portion playing with dynamite caps. r———————— “Ice Water Found As Affecting Life” —headline. It certainly seems that way some mornings. —re The miniature golt course of 1930 is the open-air produce market of 1932, ——o—s SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Cherry Trees. George Washington, & Nation free Once more salutes the cherry tree Which made your honorable youth ‘The symbol of undying truth! Yet as the years have hastened by We are compelled to breathe a sigh As we at last must come to know That dear old story wasn't so. Another cherry tree we view, A sign of what is brave and true. And wait its blossoming once more Along the proud Potomac's shore. The Friendship that it signified Was of itself a source of pride; " The world would join to say “alas!” 1f it to reaims of myth should pass. Ship of State and Siren. “Has lobbying brought many sirens to Washington?” inquired the visitor to the Capitol. “What kind of sirens are you talking about?” asked Senator Sorghum. “There are none of the sirens who en- chanted brave men with beauty and song. But if you refer to the siren that makes a terrible noise at sea, we have plenty of them.” Jud Tunkins says hoboes get together along the raflroads and tell hard luck stories; and so do the railroad directors. , Valentines. ) Let's hope the words of loving cheer A world affection will recall. A lot that we sent out last year Had no efficiency at all. “He who neither sees, hears nor speaks evil,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “may promote his personal ease. But he will be of very little as- sistance to the police.” Campaigning. Again we start the story Upon the scroll of fame, A great man goes for glory And only gets the blame. Ultra Modern Wedding. “What's the bride crying for? “The groom, in providing for the fu- ture, tried to be too considerate. Among the wedding gifts hs slipped & ticket ™~ STEWARDSHIP BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, D. D, LL. D, Bishop of Washington. Tert: “One thing thou lackest: Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, come, take up the cross, and follow me.” . —St. Mark, z.21. Jesus never maintained that riches in themselves constituted a hindrance to| the attainment of character, The pes- | sage from which the above text is taken has been a source of controversy, and is often quoted as illustrating Christ’s attitude toward the accumula- tion of money. What He said to the rich young ruler, whose enthusiasm and utterly moral life appealed to Him, “Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor,” is frequently cited as conclusive evidence of His disap- proval of material riches. Following this dramatic incident with the rich young ruler He said to His disciples, “How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God.” The apparent de- fect in the rich young ruler that made him unworthy of discipleship was his inordinate love of riches and his utter failure to recognize his stewardship as the custodian of riches. He was quite blameless in other things; he acknowl- edged with readiness his complete obedience to the moral law. To all in- tents he was ethically sound, and he was rightly proud of this distinction. Seeing behind this exhibition of moral rectitude his one great weakness, Jesus admonished him that he lacked one essential quality and that this could only be had through the exercise of real stewardship. The whole incident has a profound significance and a vital bearing on life today. The acquisition of treasures, whether in terms of money or art ob- Jects or scholarship of one kind and an- other, is certainly not to be deplored. It is only where the inclusion of things intellectual and material renders the possessor selfish, arrogant and unre- sponsive to the needs of others that it constitutes & defect of character. Too frequently those who possess treasures are the subjects of ungenerous criticism, as_though on in itself was an evil to be condemned. It is where the possessor of wealth of any kind, Whether of the riches of knowl 3 the genius of the artist or the holder of wealth, is unwilling to consistently share what he has with others that it makes him worthy of condemnation. | Jesus repeatedly insisted in His deal- ings with men that the sense of stew- ardship was indispensable to the pro- fession of Christian virtue. Frequently we find those who profess to belleve in Christian practice refusing to exer- clse their faith by way of service. They need to be reminded of the words of the practical St. James where he said, Faith without works is dead, being alone.” After ail, it is not a question of the volume of what we hold that is the main issue, it is a question of what use we make of it, be it large or small. In this connection it is interesting to note that those whom we honor most, whether in community or state, are those who serve most. There are ex- cellent examples of rich men and women in our country who selflessly seek to exhibit their sense of steward- ship, and they are worthy of high praise. In an English drawing-room many years ago the discussion of the dis- iinguished guests turned on who was the most popular citizen in the British Empire. Presently a secret ballot was had and when the vote had been registered but one name was recorded, it was that of Lady Nightingale. The memory of her services, ministering to sick soldiers during the dark period of the Crimean War, had exalted her to a place of supreme distinction. “The lady with the lamp” had given of hersell and her means that she might exem- plify her Christian faith. We do not builld memorials to those who simply have the genius to acquire and possess treasure: we proudly rear memorials to those who give themselves with their gifts. There is a mighty opportunity today in a distressed and distracted world for the exhibition of that which Christ taught. Nothing is more impressive or convincing of the value of our Christian profession than a practical demonstra- tion of our faith in terms of service. It may be a costly thing to live our faith, but, like virtue, it has its own reward. BY GEORGE VAN SLYKE. NEW YORK, February 13—Gov. | Pranklin D. Roosevelt of New York is about to start a Nation-wide drive to get & majority of the delegates to the | Democratic National Convention before the party meets in Chicago in June. | His campaign now enters s new phase The opponents of the leading candidate likewise are starting their drive to hold one-third of the delegates away from Gov. Roosevelt. The struggle for a majority on one side and one-third on the other now becomes the objective of the rival camps and sizes up the political situa- | tion in the Democracy. The Democrats are up to their old tricks. Such is the result brought about in | one week by the entry of Alfred E. Smith &8 & receptive candidate, deter- mined to assert his leadership of the party. One week has brought the conviction to the party leaders that Mr. Smith cannot hope to be nom- | | inated. It is now a question whether he | cen bring about & combination which will block Gov. Roosevelt. Months of fighting, which may ruin the party’s chances of success, must be gone through with before the answer can be known. | * ok x ¥ | The Roosevelt forces appear to have withstood the first shock of the Smith | attack without wavering. The Governor | has moved quickly to extend his opera- tions. His friends are forming 8 new National Committee, with Homer Cum- 18ings of Connecticut in charge, to in- tensify his campaign. His managers insist they are pleased that Mr. Smith | has come into the open. Seeing their chances improved by the | prospect of a deadlocked convention and a probability that a compromise | candidate may win, the many favorite sons are tightening their hold on local organizations. | The burden lies most heavily on the coalition group. It becomes necessary to pull favorite sons who represent States naturally and intensely against Mr. Smith into a working combination which will stick. It is an unnatural alliance. The development of the fa. vorite-son movement in the Southwest weakens Gov. Roosevelt by cutting into territory which naturally is his. Tem- porarily it may help Mr. Smith to exert a veto. But, having put Gov. Roose- velt out. there is & big doubt as to how long the unnatural combination of Al Smith and the Southwest could hold. | * X K X | Mr. Smith, therefore, has taken on a | | double and most difficult task” He must not only defeat the leading candidate of the party, a lifelong political as- sociate from his own State, but having done that he must be able to name the compromise candidate or dark horse. It is seen as a possibility that Mr. Smith may be able to block Mr. Roose- | velt if he can get together a handful of delegates of his own and then engi- neers the combination with favorite sons. Even that may be doubtful. But having accomplished that first objective, Mr. Smith then must pick the nominee or his leadership fails and he is no better off than when he started. Not being able to get the nomination him- self, it is assumed that Mr. Smith would throw his support to Newton D. Baker, Gov. Ritchie, Owen Young or Melvin Traylor to make good his leadership. Exactly at that point the Smith movement runs the danger of collapsing. If Gov. Roosevelt fails to get the nomi- nation, he still may retain more than one-third of his block to exert the veto power and it is inconceivable that he and his followers would go to Mr. Smith or Mr. Smith’s selection. * X X X The advantage still lies with Gov. Roosevelt, as his friends and most of the party leaders see it, now that Mr. Smith has shown his hand. They say that it is true that Mr. Smith was strong enough to block William G. Mc- Adoo in the Madison Square Conven- tion in 1924, when the Californian came | close to a majority. Now the situation is quite different. The sections which were for McAdoo form the backbone of Mr. Roosevelt's support. But in addi- tion he has real strength in the East, where McAdoo had little or none, and the fight is between the two leading Democrats of New York, not between the united wet East and the dry West and South. The Democrats have been wearing out pencils during the last week figur- | ing up the probable strength of Mr. Smith, Gov. Roosevelt and the favorite sons. It is surprising how so many come close to the same conclusion. ‘The prevailing opinion in the East is that Al Smith, by making a real ef- fort either himself or through his sup- porters, may gather in about 160 dele- gates. He is conceded votes from New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, '‘New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Delaware and Louisiana. He has latent strength in Michigan, Il- linois, Wisconsin and possibly some in Minnesota. His maximum is counted at about 186 and his minimum around 1 * ok x x The favorite sons will take care of at least 272 delegates on the first ballot, according to the present line-up. The States so tied up are Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, O : Texas and Virginia. New Jersey, with 32, and Nebraska, with 16, have been classed as favorite sons, but the probability is the former may go for Mr. Smith with- t Gov. Mc oted'inf Nebiuaka to- Conflicting Mathematics of the Roosevelt And Anti-Roosevelt Campaign Managers without putting forward Gov. or former Senator Hitchcock. The total of Smith and all favorite | son delegations, including the four anti- | Smith Southern States, would be proximately 400 votes. In the conven- tion of 1,154 delegates 770 will be necessary to nominate and 385 will block the nomination. The Roosevelt managers are now claiming to have | 678 votes in sight, but that is regarded as excessive. They claim, also, to have among the favorite-son States more potential strength than Mr. Smith can hope to have in doubtful States. The actual strength now credited to Gov Roosevelt is between 400 and 480. In other words, he alone has more votes lined up at the beginning of the real fight in the State primaries than the combined forces against him have in prospect. The task of the New York Governor | is to hold what he has and pick up| another 150 delegates to reach the half-way mark. He seems reasonably certain of retaining the one-third block. Those against him have as far to go to get their one-third as he has to get | his majority. He has the further ad- vantage of being the leading candidate and going along on his momentum, whereas his opponents have 10 or 15 units to pull together and at least that number of rival generals all jealous of one another. That's Gov. Roosevelt's | advantage. Yet the Smith allies assert confidently they already have Gov. Roosevelt stopped. (Copyright, 1932.) e London Is More Hopeful For Arms Limitations Bryan BY A. G. GARDINER. LONDON, February 13—During the week now ending a more hopeful feeling was noticeable here regarding the world | Disarmament Conference. Fears that events in the Far East would tend to| give the conference an atmosphere of | reality were not realized. On the con- | trary, all the commentators on the Geneva meeting agree that the effect has been to present an object lesson which emphasizes the urgney of action and enforces the imperative need of de- ' cisive results. | The fact that the League of Nations Council was engaged at the same time | in dealing with the Sino-Japanese sit- | uation adds the quality of realism to the discussions. It is understood here that the big powers are now nearer the point of considering the withdrawal of their Ambassadors from Japan and an | economic boycott, if the United States| |is willing to_act’ similarly and simul- | taneously. This is considered uncer- itain; hence the doubt and hesitation, * X ¥ ¥ Moreover, the position of France is| | obscure, and the Londen Daily Express | | on Thursday published a challenging | | declaration to the effect that the Franco- | | Japanese understanding provides for| French support of the Japanese po]iny; in China in return for Japanese support | of France in Europe and at Geneva. The newspaper comments also on the remarkable rise of armament shares in | France, alleged to be due to fulfillment of the arms requirements of Japan by French firms. This statement is re- peated here with caution, but it repre- sents an undercurrent of disquiet with respect to the French attitude and a growing feeling that Japan is not likely to pursue a high-handed policy with- out some assurance from powerful | friends. The sentiment of the League Council was illustrated by the burst of general laughter which greeted the Japanese delegate’s statement that Japan had no intention of continuing hostilities which had been provoked by the Chinese. * % % x Under the shadow of the Shanghai menace the deliberations of the Disarm- ament Conference have developed a wide area of agreement in spite of the perplexing note introduced by the 1 French proposals and supported by the Polish and Belgian allies of France. Comment here is generally critical of these proposals, which involve an en- tirely new basis for the League and the establishment of an armed superstate. It is pointed out that apart from the practical difficulties of the scheine, it rules out the co-operation of the United States and Russia, which would alone | be fatal to the idea. Moreover the French proposal is not related to the purpose of the confer- ence, which is concerned with effecting disarmament, a subject untouched in Andre Tardieu's scheme. The new statesman expresses the view here brutally: “The French plan is not a disarmament plan at all, and it re- mains to be seen whether they intend to upset the apple cart.” * Kok x ‘Whatever the intention of the French scheme, the main current of the dis- cussions at Geneva disclosed powerful support for the preparatory disarma- ment col ion’s proposals, and the speeches of Ambassador Hugh Gibson of the United States and Foreign” Min- ister Dino Grandi of Italy especially made a deep impression on public opin- ion here. Every one, Prance excepted, agrees on the abolition of gas and bacteriological warfare and the immun- ity of civilian population from attack, and & fact generally welcomed here is the practical unanimity in regard to the abolition of heavy armaments, both in sitips and guns, ts, are instru- ing for Capital Sidelights BY WILL P. KENNEDY. ‘The first United States flag ever to fly the 48 sters in the blue 9eld is on display daily at the Capitol. Very few of those who see it each day realize this distinction. It is the flag that was fly- ing over the Capitol building 20 years ago when New Mexico entered the Union on January 6 and Arizona fol- Jowed the next month on February 14. The flag was hauled down long enough to have two large stars inserted and then flung again to the breeze. It is now part of the mural museum which Representative Edmund F. Erk of Penn- sylvania is building up in his office. * x k% “Charlie” Dawes, erstwhile Vice Presi- dent and later Ambassador to the Court of St. James and recently ap- pointed by President Hcover to head up the $2.000,000,000 Reconstruction Fi- nance Corporation, has been good news for the Chief Executive for more than 35 years. He was good news for Presi- dent McKinley even before the latter received the nomination, and McKinley said of him: “Charlie Dawes is one of the finest young men, as well as one of the most capable business men, and shrewdest politicians I know.” Wilson A. Korns, manager of the Daily Reporter in New Philadelphia, Ohio, has treasured a little story for some 36 years, which he has just told us: In 1896 the delegates from that con- gressional district composed of Coshoc- ton, Licking, Tuscarawas, Holmes and ‘Wayne Counties to the Nationai Repub- lican convention held in St. Louis that June, which nominated the martyred President Willlam McKinley, made a trip to Canton to assure Mr. McKinley of their untiring support. They vited Mr. Korns to accompany them ‘They were most graciously received. During their visit Gov. McKinley excused himself once to escort Mrs. McKinley, who was an invalid, from one room to another. She leaned beavily on his arm. On his return to the reception room he was handed a telegram. His* countenance lighted up and was suffused with a delighted smile. He told his visitors: “This telegram is from Charlie Dawes of Chicago, tell- ing me I will have the unanimous, en- thusiastic support of the Illinois dele- gation at the St. Louis convention.” It was on this occasion that McKinley spoke his appreciation of Dawes as quoted above. It will be recalled that McKinley was nominated on the first ballot in one of the most memorable Republican Na- tional Conventions in the history of the party. He was placed in nomination by the late United States Senator Joseph B. Foraker in one of the most stirring and eloquent speeches ever delivered in such a gathering. * x % Seldom has a new man in Congress attracted so much immediate attenticn and been so universally welcomed as a “good fellow” as Representative Dick Kleberg, who arrived fresh from the hurricane deck of & Texas pony. | His grandfather, the late Richard King, founded the 1250,000-acre pas- | ture which has become known as the world's largest cattle ranch. His biography in the Congressional Direc- ! tory is modestly held down to four and a half lines in which he makes no Teference to his prowess as & cowboy and manager of the premier ranch. Young Dick from the first was a man of the soil, ingrained with zest for tilling the soil and animal hus- bandry on generous scale. After a whirl “at branding. range riding. the round-up and other strenuous life in| the great open spaces. he obediently | went to the State university and took | his degree in law—but he never hung | out his barrister's shingle. He prefer- | red to roam through the chaparral and | the thickets of South Texas, and to| busy himself with the branding iron | and lasso. For years he has been recognized u‘ a leader among the fast disappearing cow men of the Southwest. He was chosen to head the Texas and South- western Cattle Raisers’ Association— | the largest organization of its kind in the world. His style with the lasso and lariat | is somewhat cramped in Congress. but he throws an effective speech also, and has won respect for the real men who live most of their days in the saddle, * * x x There recently passed from the pos- session of the Government a property known as the “Congressional Globe Vault,” in connection with the Govern- ment Printing Office. George Carter, the public printer, explains that this property, while of little present value had rendered important service for more than half a century and was the last surviving relic of the printing of the proceedings of Congress by private | contractors | For many years the Globe vault | housed approximately 70.000 plates of the old Congressional Globe, which the Government purchased from the pub- | lishers in 1878. The Government Print. ing Office began printing the Congres- sional Record as the successor to the. Globe with the proceedings of the Forty-third Congress in 1873. Con- | gress appropriated $100,000 for the | purchase of these plates, a quantity of | bound and unbound copies of the, Globe and “the vault” This was a, two-story brick structure located on an alley between Third and Fourth streets northwest, close to Pennsylvania ave- | nue, where stood the building in which the Congressional Globe was printed for many years by F. and J, Rives and George A. Bailey. | The purchase of the plates proved | of little value to the United States Government. In fact, they were unfit for use on modern printing presses On that account the Joint Committee on Printing of Congress several years ago authorized the public printer to dispose of the Globe plates. The metal from 46.000 stereotype plates was sal vaged by remelting for other plate. making purposes, but the 24.000 rub. ber composition plates had to be de-, stroyed, as this material was unfit for further use. In recent years the Globe vault had been used for the storage of old rec- ords and files of the Government Printing Office. The moving of these papers to the main offite files brought to light many interesting historical rec- | | | | | ords. ments of the incentives to aggressive | warfare. As the Manchester Guardia observes, without Germany's equip- | ment in heavy guns the World War would have been much shortened and perhaps never would have been begun. But the real issues at the confer- ence are French insistence on security and Germany's demand for the equali- zation of armaments among all nations at the lowest level. Can the confer- ence achieve an accommodation of these ideals? The difficulty is that the French conceive security in terms of the security of France—but French security is only an element in general security. * kX K The London Times gives prominence to a remarkable letter by Admiral Rich- mond, famous as “the foe of the bloated | battleship,” who argues that a perma- nent condition of inequality is a danger to peace. With the disarmament of Germany, he says, that inequality ex- ists more flagrantly than ever in the‘ history of Europe, and its redress is the | first condition of security, alike in | France and the world. The Times in indorsing the Rich- mond argument asks, “Is there any stronger guarantee against the re- armament of Germany, which is the common source of French and Polish anxiety, than the seizing of this mo- ment to stabilize security on the basis of & new low level of armaments, rati- fied by the world and engaging the in- terests of the world against its dis- turbance?"” (Copyright, 1932.) r—e— A Difficult Approach, Prom the Glendale News-Press. | force. will | not an | younger Soteldo was arrested. Members of the Senate approach the biggest bankers of the country without sign of embarrassment. questions and not ask- The biggest bank in the world has| opened its doors for business. The Reconstruction Finance Corpo- ration, sponsored by President Hoover, has begun functioning almost before the ink has dried on the presidential signature approving the organic act of Congress which created it. 1f there is such a thing as a pulmotor for the re- vival of trade and industry this colos- sal experiment will demonstrate that fact, If the scheme does not work, the idea that any government can influ- erce the trend of economic develop- ments will have received a severe set- back. Government ownership and con- trol will have been administered a de- feat and private initiative will have | been indicated as the sole reliance of a distressed people. This, in brief, is the situation from the point of view of observers at Wash- | ington who have seen many schemes, | both public and private, tried and fail. Never before has any government gone into a peace-time adventure on 50 tremendous a scale. The Congress has provided for the incorporation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, with ultimate resources of the unprece- dented sum of $2,000,000,000. This is as much as the famous first Liberty Loan, the largest single bond issue ever floated by any government up to the World War. The capital stock of the corporation” has been fixed at $500,- 090,000. By authority of Congress the Treasury of the United States has sub- scribed to the whole of this stock and made the money available to the or- ganization. The whole theory of the Reconstruc- tion Finance Corporation is that there shall be sponsored and backed by the force of the Federal Government itself a financial body so powerful that busi- | ness timidity shall vanish. With no private ends to serve, but designed to | dispel the shadows of business doubt and bring fresh confidence to harassed bankers and business men, including the farmers, it is expected that the corporation will Jubricate the wheels of | industry and give that impetus, that shove which the country needs. Capital Instantly Available. . The speed with which important legislation has been enacted has been, in itself, & heartening gesture. There has been very little partisan wrangling over the creation of this huge mother- ing financial body. Half a billion in cash. the amount of the corporation’s capital, is instantly available and busi- | ness is being done. In addition, the| law provides that the corporation may | raise an additional sum equal to three times its capital for the purpose of carrying out the terms of the act. This will mean that an additional $1,500,- 000,000 will become available. To raise this money the corporation is authorized, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, to issue evi- | dences of indebtedness in the form of | notes. bonds, debentures. or otherwise, | to run five years and be redeemable earlier at the option of the board of directors. | Some realization of the magnitude of this peace-time operation may be| acquired from a_recollection of the fact that when the War Finance Cor- | poration was set up. as an emergency | measure, $500.000,000 was provided for its revolving fund. When the Govern- | ment assumed control and operation of | the entire transportation system of the United States. as another war measure, $500.000.000 was provided for its re- volving fund. Now for peace-time re- construction. a sum equal to those two | vast funds combined. has been pro- vided—and then doubled. Two billion h the first quarter of these re- The Biggest Bank in the World BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. sources comes directly from the tax- payers’ joint hoard In the Treasury. The bonds, notes and other forms of obligations are to be sold to the public. While the Reconstruction Pinance Cor- poration is to be partially financed by the general public. in the manner of private business, its bonds will have special advantages. It is expressly pro- vided that they are guaranteed uncon= ditionally, as tc interest and principal, by the United States. Moreover, the income from these bonds has been given the advantage of exemption from the income tax, except surtaxes, estate, inheritance and gift taxes. These lat- ter exceptions from the tax exemption will prevent very rich persons from buying up large blocks of the bonds and enjoying huge tax-free incomes. The smaller purchaser of the general | public may enjoy an income up to the surtax brackets without paying tax on such part of his income as springs from these securities. Cares for Frozen Assets. The head office of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation is established at ‘Washington and the board of directors is planning to open branch offices in key cities. The whole purpose is to make money available to business enterprises which, although fundamentally sound and sol= vent, have been handcuffed by the de- pression and the decline in prices. One of the principal uses of the vast reser- voir of money will be in relieving banks which have been strained to the point of closing their doors or near it. Many of these banks hold paper which is good but which has some time to run before it is due or has, for imperative reasons, been renewed and extended. The value is there, but is not imme- diately available to meet demands for deposits or to provide new credit to stimulate business activity. The big bank, in a better position to wait a bit for its money, is designed to take over this paper and advance real ready money against it. As money due the distressed banks is pald to them they will pay back the sums advanced by the corporation. But it is provided that no more than $200,000.000 may be used at a time in this bank relief. Industries, farmers, & great variety of enterprises may be assisted by loans from the corporation. But the lending life of the body is limited to one year This provision is an indication of how confident the sponsors are that the ex- periment will be successful. The cor- poration will lend for a year and then spend four years in collecting. The lending period may be extended if the President thinks proper. The security behind the bonds to be issued will be the actual sccurity be- hind the paper taken over from the businesses aided, plus the general under- lying guarantee of the United States. The rates st which advances will be made will be subject to change from time to time at the election of the board of directors. The liveliest safeguards are provided against misuse of the $2.000.000.000 fund. Salaries of corporation employes are held down to a minimum and spe- cial provisions are mide for the punish- ment of any fraud sought to be perpe- trated to get money unfairly. The counterfeiting of the _corporation’s bonds is declared expressly punishable and embezzlement is guarded against. The act even goes the length of fore bidding any other business, under pen- alty, from using the name “Reconstru= tion' Finance Corporation.” The Con- gress has shown a determination that no part of this $2,000.000,000 shall be subjected to any sort of racket. Fifty Years Ago In The Star Half a centurv ago Washington was grievously offended by what it regarded . .. as an understatem-nt Washington's of its population by tge : Census Bureau. The Population. siar of February 9, 1882, says: “It is to be hoped that the dismissals from the Census Bureau, on account of the necessary reduction of its clerical include, if they have not already reached, the thick-headed fel- low in that office who kills off or other- wise disposes of several thousand people in Washington by persistently and falsely giving out in its semi-official reports the population of the city as only 147,293, instead of the true number. “The figures named are reached, we presume. by excluding from the enu- meration of the city evervbody living outside of what were in the old muni- cipal days its corporate limits, but who are as much a part of its population today, in law and in fact, as those who | actually lived under the shadow of the | Capitol building. Counting in the peo- ple of what formerly constituted the borough of Georgetown and those living in the suburbs outside of the old boundary lines of the city, in the neighborhood of Columbian and How- ard Universities, and in other direc- tions, which are now to all intents and purposes a portion of the present city ~being under the same laws and gov- ernment, and having precisely the | same interests and destiny—counting in these, we say, as they should be counted, and the population of Wash- ington stood in 1880 at 169,456, as The Star_has heretofore shown. “These close outlying suburbs should no more be excluded fram the enumer- ation of Washington than should the | old boroughs since incorporated into | Philadelphia, Boston and other cities be separated from those places in tak- ing count of their population. The rules which are applied elsewhere man- ifestly ought to be applied here, and arbitrary regulation, which falsely shows the population of the Na. tional Capital to be 22,143 less than it actually is. Whether the blame for this erroneous and injurious exhibit belongs to the original arrangement of enumeration districts, to the returns of the enumerators that branch of the central office which compiles or furnishe; the tables, we do not know. Nor does it make any difference who or what may be charge- able with the result. The statements published from time to time are like untruthful and unjust, no matter where or how the error originated, and they ought to be corrected and printed properly before the final reports of the census are officially given to the world.” * * * On the evening of February 9, 1882, Washington was shocked by a shooting at the office of the Na- Soteldo tional Republican, at Lhe{ 2 southwest corner of Shooting. ‘Thirteenth and E streets. As told in The Star of the next day. A. M. Soteldo, jr.. a well known jour- nalist, and his younger brother, A. C. Soteldo, entered the editorial office about 9 o'clock and engaged in an altercation with Clarence M. Barton. the news editor of the Republican. The dispute developed into a scuffie between the elder Soteldo and Barton, where-! upon the former's brother drew a pistol and fired, the ball striking Soteldo in the neck. After further struggles the elder had received a mortal wound, dying 48 hours later. .*1 “The House Committee on the Dis- trict of Columbia,” sngs The“sulruozl Febru: : 3 New Street Car. did a good thing 5 the other day in Franchises. strangling the proposition to cut up some of the most desirable and best paved resident streets in the city for horse rail pur- poses. This action demonstrates that the gentlemen constituting that body have a just conception of their own duties as well as a pretty accurate knowledge of at least some of the rights and wants of the people of the I themselves or to| e | (Pul i ting Idle Machines To Profit-Making Use BY HARDEN COLFAX. The problem of making the best use of idle plant capacity is engaging the attention of industrial leaders all cver the country and it was learned today that, under the stimulus of thousands of inquiries, the Department of Com- merce is taking an active part in seek- | ing_the solution. | Every day the department receives letters and visits from manufacturers and merchants asking for its sugges- | tions and advice as to how t> employ | the unused capacity which they now | find a drag on their prospects. | Two of the bureaus of the depart- | ment—Foreign and Domestic Commerce | and Standards—receive the bulk of these | requests for help. Questions requirirg technical advice in developing new products, or substantially changwg old | ones. are referred to the Bureau of | Standards. while the marketing and distribution experts of the domest commerce divisions of the other burra: assist those who need advice on less technical matters. * o o ok | The machinery division. in particular. has been bombarded by queries as i0 what can be dcne with machinery and machine tool equipment which, in many cases, is now unemployed to the extent of 50 to 75 per cent. One expert states that through departmental advice a turning lathe concern has developed several new products as the result of a deliberate examination of all the appli- ances in a modern househcld or apart- ment which, while heretofore not turned out by a lathe, might be so made The National Committee on Wood Utilization has also been pressed into | service and is issuing a number of book- lets on the new things that can be made of wood. ‘While the department regards advice of this kind to individual concerns as more properly the function of an engi- neering or business consultant, it never- theless is willing to give counsel to in- | dustries_or groups. Its dometic com- merce divisions have been of particular | assistance in this respect in the direc- tion of helping to solve marketing and | distribution problems. * x % x At the meeting here this week of the American_ Ceramic Society with the National Brick Manufacturers’ Research Foundation _representatives of the Bureaus of Standards and Mines told how the ovens of this industry could be {used to make more than a dozen new | products, thus keeping labor and power {busy. It is also learned that a number of products used in the brick and tile land allied industries which were formerly imported can now be turned out in this country with the same kind | 3¢ equipment—all the way from & new Kind of reinforced brick for arched | bridges to road surfacing material. | During recent months the department i has rendered service in the direction of | developing the new uses for raw ma- ! terfals. It has made a survey of poesi- {ble new uses for rubber and. in co- { operation with the Textile Institute, has | worked out many ingenious new appli- | cations of cotton. (Copyright. 1932)) trict, and for it they are entitled to |and will receive hearty thanks. { “Now, if any more street railways are thought to be a public convenience or necessity in Washington hereafter, let that fact be made apparent to Con- gress by written petition, which should be signed by citizens generally and jalso by a clear majority of property holders and residents on the proposed route. ‘Then, if a franchise be thought advisable, the privilege of building and owning a road ought to be granted to the highest bidder, or to the cor- poration or organization that can e=m- onstrate its disposition and ability to ive the public better service and for ess money than any of their com- petitors. In other words, let the prize fall to the most deserving applicant, instead of being tossed into the hands of the first party or combination that asks for it, as these franchises have been disposed of in the past. The time for surrendering the rights of the public to its strects and spoiling the other people’s property at the beck of vate individuals or corporatisns :‘;l“ e_!o be considered as having passed