Evening Star Newspaper, March 5, 1932, Page 6

A—6 »x THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. BATURDAY.......March 5, 1932 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company 1ith 8t hhd Penmyivants Ave t ., ant ve. New York Office: 110 East 4Ind 8t. Chicaro Office: Lake Michigan Building. European Office. 14 Regent .. London, England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. he Evening Star 45 per pionth e Evening and Sunday Su unda: (when 4 ¥s) 60c per month Sunday St Lo The Evening and when 5 Sundays The Sunday Star Coliection made at the end ©Orders may be sent in by mal NAtions! 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. iy Saly SUneaTioo T P80 1 mo: S junday only .. 1yr., $4.00: 1 mo., 40c All Other States and Canada. S y...1¥r,$12.00: 1 mo., $1.00 of ‘each mont il or telephone $5.00: 1mo.. 80 Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively ertitled 0 the use for republication of all news di atches credited 10 it or not otherise cre ted i this paper and the local news published herein. Al riznts of publication ot special dispatches hi e also resesved. — A Useful Investigation. The Senate has ordered a thorough investigation of the stock market ap- erations. 1t proposes, through ils Com- mittee on Banking and Currency, lo Jook into the operations of bo'h the bulls and the bears. It should do so. The facilities of the stock markel have been used too often to ruin legitimate business. Yet the big interests. whose moves are followed by huge quences in this country and abroad, have maintained that a full and free operation of the stock market is a necessity if business is to be done. The country. however, is becoming rather sick of the way in which business is done on the stock market. If the Sen- ate Committee can throw light on the operations of the bulls and the bears s0 much the better. A country which seems to live by the stock ticker is certainly entitled to know something about the forces that control in the market. Despite the fact that there has been a roar in and out of Congress against short selling—the selling of securities not possessed by the seller for the pur- pose of beating down prices—the reso- lution of the Senate does not propose to put an end to short selling. Perhaps after all the facts are in, however, the demand for some measure of regula- conse- | tion, if not prohibition, of short selling ; will be undertaken by an aroused Con- gress. The defenders of short selling have been those who profit by the practice. According to Teports there is suspicion among members of the Senate Banking and Currency Committee that it will be developed during the course of the inquiry that the bears of 1930, 1931 and 1932 were in considerable part the bulls of 1927 and 1928 and the first three quar- ters of 1929. Big operators find it possi- ble to make money out of the public whichever way the market prices go. The regularity with which market prices have been forced down after every rally during the last two and a half years has been noted. It seems almost as though there was an active force in the market which says: So far you shall go and no farther. And with each raid on the market millions have been made by operators and millions of value in actual business have been destroyed. Although the fault lies not wholly with the stock market there are plenty of men in the country today who lock upon the institution as anything but an unmixed blessing. Back of the mar- ket trading lies, it is true, a story of grossly inflated securities, or values pyramided until they bore no relation to actual physical properties. “High finance” took on an ugly meaning years ago. It has lost none of its reputation for dirty dealing in recent years. The Senate committee is empowered to employ counsel. It should find the best, and go without gloves into a scrutiny of the market operations. Gambling in wheat and cotton and other commodities, as well as in securi- ties, has been a bane of the people for years, The farmer has had no vowce whatever in the prices he takes for his | commodities. He has been told what to take by the operations of the specu- lators. A free market is desirable. But a free market which permits crooked operators to mulct the public and crooked busi- ness to wipe out competitors in a crooked way is another matter entirely. - It was usual to refer to Mr. Mellon | as the greatest Secretary of the Treas- | ’ | Mr. ury since Alexander Hamilton Ogden Milis will cover a long span of history by immediate comparison, if he can be referred to as the greatest Sec- retary of the Treasu Meclion. e Virginia First to Ratify. Although not yet formally and offi- cially notified at the ame duck™ amendment to the Federal Constitu- tion had been proposed by Congress. by two-thirds vote of both House and Senate, the Virginia Legislature on Fri- day gave its r by a unani- mous voie enate and vote of 53 to 12 in the lower branch of the Assembly This action ta; zgesiion of Senator G order that Virginia should be the first of the States to approve the proposed n a was time lmit of the V 2ixty days, expires a: midnght on March 12, and as it holds biennial sessions this prompt action was urged in order that the Old Dominion should have the honor of being first to give approval, although time may yet remain for acticn after the official notice is received ‘The question has been raised whether the Virginia action. in advance of formal notification of the adoption of the amendment resclution by Congress, is legal. It is held. however, by com- petent authorities that the cfficial in- formation i not essential, so long as the exact text of the proposid amend- ment is before the Legislature. The State Department will send out the Jetters of notification to the States on #he eighth of this month. next Tuesday. As a practical matter, it is not of mo- ¢ | amendment of the Constitution in sea- since Andrew forty-three of the State Legislatures | meet next year and it will not be pos- sible for the required ratification by | three-fourths of the States to be ef-| fected until then. I Forty-two of the State Assemblies will | meet in 1933, seven more than the re- quired number for final ratification. Thirty-eight of these States meet bien- | nially, in the odd-numbered years. | Alabama meets quarterly, the next ses- sion being in 1935. Kentucky, Louisi- ana, Mississippi and Virginia meet bien- | nially in the even-numbered vears. Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and South Carolina meet annually. Ratification by the necessary number of the States. thirty-six. is confidently expected, probably within the next| | twelve or thirteen months. That ac- tion, however, would not effect the json to permit the assembling in Janu- ary, 1933. of the Seventy-third Con- gress, which will be elected next No- vember, or the inauguration also in Jan- uary of the President, who will be in- directly elected at the same time and directly chosen by the electoral college | shortly after the November election. { Thus the change, assuming the ratifi- | cation by the States in 1933, will not | take place until January, 1934. The proposing resolution adopted by Congress specified a time limit of seven vears within which ratification by the IStates must be effected. Virginia's |prompt action, in advance of the { formal notification, may be regarded as |an indication that the time limit will not | be even closely approached. (e }Economy at the District Building. Commissioners should | be able to cbtain heipful advice in ef- | fecting operating economies at the Dis- trict Building from the committee of municipal officials, appointment of | which has just been announced. One gathers from the explanatory statement accompanying the announcement that the step is taken in conjunction with the desire to cut down on overlapping i or duplicating functions at the District :‘Bmldmx and that this co-ordinating | body will meet at irregular intervals to pool the ideas of its members and sub- | mit them as recommendations to the | Commissicners There is one precaution the Com- missioners might take at the outset. That lies in adopting as regular policy the practice of makizg the general | recommendations of this co-ordinating | committee public and at least advising | the taxpayers of the nature of the plans before ordering them into effect. It might be recognized at the outset that if the Commissioners expect to | reduce expenses by elimination of per- |sonnel or the curtailment of functions |or the reorganization of varlous sub- departments at the District Building, |any or all of such moves will tend to | create opposition from somebody. The same sort of opposition springs up whenever similar attempts are made affecting the Federal bureaus, and in |large measure accounts for the tedious l‘nnd delayed process of Federal Gov- | ernment reorganization. But it is to | be remembered, at the same time, that if plans are well thought out and possess obvious merit the Commission- ers have the final authority and can exercise it despite opposition. More harm and more criticism will follow the execution of plans conceived in secret than in announcing plans in advance, inviting criticism and putting them into effect if objections are not sustained by sound facts. The reason for a furor over the re- cent shake-up in the Engincering De- partment at the Municipal Building was because the taxpayers were so ut- terly ignored by the Commissioners that resentment against the secretive proceedings followed as a natural con- sequence. After all, the local taxpayers furnish most of the money that the offi- cials at the District Building spend They regard these officials as their own public servants. They have no voice in the matter of framing the budget at the District Building, examining its pro- visions in the Budget Bureau or in the committee rooms or the floors of Con- gress. They have a right to expect an invitation to co-operate with their | municipal officials in the fine objective of saving pennies. It is only when their existence is ignored that resent- | ment becomes outspoken. and schemes that may be perfectly logical and fair | are regarded openly with suspicion. The District e Humorists have found a fund of material even in the war in the Orient. It only remains for one of them to find something comic in the recent ex- | ploits of kidnapers r——— Interplanetary Rocketing. Ever since Jules Verne wrote his fan- | tastic story “From the Earth to the i Moon" man has been striving to find a |way to shoot a missile to the earth's satellite. Indeed. man had been think- | |ing about the matter long before the French novelist presented his unique onstration.” Some years ago a inventor essayed to project him- self moonward in a projectile of his de- | vising, from a Florida jumping-off place, | but came to grief in the attempt. Now the lunar rocket, which has been often | proposed. reappears in tangible form, though on a small scale. It is frankly offered s an experiment, not as a ven- | ture in the solution of the terra-lunar communication prcblem. An organiza- tion styled the American Interplaneta Society has been formed. and under its auspices tests are to be made next month with the first of what it is ex- | pected will be a series of successively larger rockets. The frst is to be seven feet long, and it is estimated that it will make an upward flight of about a | mile. An officer of the Interplanetary So- ' clety predicts that within two years| ! rockets will be built capable of attain- | ing a height of fifty miles. The second | stage of develcpment will be that of | transporting mail and express from | point to point and city to city. The Germans believe that that will be ac- complished in the next two years, and hope eventually to shoot a rocket across ,the Atlantic under two hours. The ;Amt‘l ican rockeleer demurs 1o the two- year estimate and places the transat- lantic shoot at five years hence. It is not in order to laugh at such a ! | project, seriously advanced. There is {no known limit to man's achievement. | “aimed"? { seem | Bottletop. THE EVENING was merely & fantasy of the imagina tion. Jules Verne “predicted” the sub- marine as well as the interplanetary rocket. The undersea craft has be- come a reality. Will the Yocket? That question is not to be dismissed in scorn. Nevertheless there arises a question of vitally practical moment in this connection. Let it be granted that Tockets can be built capable of fight sufficiently sustained to carry them across the ocean—putting out of reckoning for the presént the inter- planetary possibility. ‘What about landing? It is difficult even now, with all the development of the airplane |and the evolved skill of the pilot, to bring & heavier-than-sir machine to rest at the end of the flight. But the hurtling missile is another matter. Can it be ccutrolled? Can it be Can its speed be checked at the end of the flight and the ponderous mass eased down to a resting point | without jar to occupants or damage to ! life and property on the surface? Those questions remain, though they may be regarded as postponable until the rocket itself has been evolved and demonstrates its capacity for trans- oceanic, not to mention interplanetary flight. e There is no more dueling among men of political prominence. It may be for this reason that language is growing rough. Even the word “impeachment” is mentioned in the most offhand manner. “——— Tex Guinan wishes to appear in a play by Aimee Semple McPherson. Both of them know their publicity. New York dramatic critics may as well make their preparations again to “bewar B — Even former monarchists in Spain resent Alfonso's desire to return to Madrid. Politics is too serious a busi- ness to take account of mere home- sickness. — e Unlimited advice is being offered Lindbergh, whose aversion to publicity may be partially due to the eagerness of people whom he does not know to share it with him. ) Prohibition has put the corner saloon out of business, but there is disappoint- ment over the fact that it has not fully succeeded in suppressing the speakeasy. e Those who have pictures of Wash- ington, D. C., in bygone years should keep them with care. They will be valuable to future historian: Ly ——— Economy has not yet gone so far as to suggest that the Government be manned in all salary grades by dollar- a-year men. e No taxpayer who finds himself ad- vertised in the delinquent list feels that he can bf accused of hoarding. What was once referred to as a crime wave has become a deluge. e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Good Intentions. The people pick a happy man And seek to give him all For which, in life's precarious span, A mortal mind could call. We say. “We'll give you ease and wealth And keep you in the sun.” Then Sorrow comes along by stealth And sneers, “It can't be done.” Some chap will seem to beat the game And all that's good deserve. We envy him, but just the same We like his sense and nerve. We say, “We'll never let you lack For fortune or for fun.” But sorrow makes you take it back, Because it can't be done. As He Preferred. “Don’t you think some of your re- marks might be classified as cheap wit?" asked the close friend. “That's the way I want ‘em to be consideres answered Senator Sor- ghum. “Nobody is in favor of any- thing that suggests expense. People even to like their wit better if it can be tagged ‘Cheap.’” ' Jud Tunkins says he can't see why people think they must be havin' a good time simply because they're stayin' up late and havin' difficulty in keepin' awake." Personal Opimbons. O politician bold and free, On public topics you should be Prepared to touch. But your opinions old and new Of colleagues, likewise theirs of you, Don't matier much. Deadly Drink. “Where do you stand on this pro- hibition question?” “Speaking as a man whose digestion is kind o fallin’” said Uncle Bill “I think there ought to be some kind o' special legisiation to pre- vent so much of this here home brew." “When my ancestors invented gun- powder,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “they created an evil force strong enough to offset all tte good !to be hoped for from the teachings o Confucius.” Praise and Performance. George Washington, on you we gaze, Revealed again in honor great, One vhom so many often praise, Anc all too seldom imitate. “Chillun do hurt de feelins of deir folks,” sald Uncie Eben. “Dar ain’ nc law foh de prevention of crueity to parents States Embarrassed By Reappertionment From the San Francisco Chronicle The copy book adage that “practice makes perfect’” may not always be right. But lack of practice s bound to teil. Here is the matter of reappoin- -lonment, for instance. In oher days the States knew what to do chou. distributing their congres- sional seais a. »~ each decennial census. But this year . re is a lot of pother New York, M wri and South Da- kota may ask the Inited States Su- preme Court to direce em in the mat- ter. The situation m.y be attributed o the fact that it is 2v -ars since a reapportionment was maa. and the States are unfamiliar with the process Missouri is particularly embarrassed If the State reapportionment adopted | by the Legislature is not legal, as is averred, the alternative would be to ment that Virginia acted in anticipa- | Fifty vears ago the first whisperings |elect the 13 Congressmen at large. But tion of the receipt of this notice— of the telephone were regarded as especially as there is yet time for un- marvels, radio was utterly unknown Jeged -aetion—inasmuch as and undreamed of and the airplane the State constitution says they must be elected by districts. “Show me,” says Missouri to the Su- preme Court at Wi STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Those who expect an invariably cheery greeting from acquaintances are going to be disappointed. “Every one has a right to be grouchy now and then” says & wise man of this age. It is a right which some people take more advantage of than others, of course. Many feel that it is incumbent upon them to put a bright face forward as much as they can, not only to help themselves along, but to help others. erage person receives quite as well worth while as the cheery greetings commonly exchanged. Because “Good day” and “How do you do?" and the like are such common- places many tend to forget their su- preme importance in the daily life. No matter how often repeatel, they must be said when the occasion de- mands, or else their utterance before was wasted, in a sense. That is the point which the chary greeters miss. Some of them seem to feel that be- friend a month ago. or yesterday, that hould suffice for all time. It will not. It does not. Courtesy is courtesy only by reason of its repetition. The man who would take off his hat in an elevator once and for all, leaving it on Iunllllurl‘d fellow who was asked If he could play the violin. “1 don’t know,” he replied. tried.” “I never * x A large class of persons refuses to | be polite until around 11 o'clock in the morning. They surely belong to those who have a right to be grouchy now and then: their -fauit, if one chooses to call it such. is inherent. Maybe it comes from lack of sleep or a continuance of the awakening grouch which is common to small boys—not all | small boys. of course, but some of them. i They find getting out of bed the most difficult task of the day. Life appears then confused in all of its outlines. Sun streaming through {the windows, fresh air pouring over the sill, birds singing outside—these awaken no response in their souls until they have collected their scattered energies. There was a picture in the old-time “psychologies” showing how the nerve ganglia pulled apart when one went to sleep. Maybe the picture was a true repre- sentation of what happens when one awakes, too. It 1s for all the world as if something or other had to knit itself togetheg again, as if somethings or other had to weave themselves into a pat- tern. Boys and their elders who suffer from the morning grouch are inclined to be of a lethargic nature, scarcely bright and cheery upon demand. Slowly and surely they lose the look of daze in their features as the morn- !ing wanes; they become human beings as the day wears on. A failure on their part to respond to a cheerful greeting does not mean that they harbor resentment against the happy one or that the latter is in dan- ger of losing a friend. So much should understood. * * ox % x There are other chary greeters who need to be understood, especially by the sensitive person who is inclined to re- sent a lack of cordial response to his initial word of cheer. These include those earnest men and women who honestly think that they are so busy they do not have time for small courtesies. In a country devoted to the cult of | rugged individualism the cause of this is not hard to find. Concentration of effort actually is difficult for thousands | Surely there is no daily aid the av-| cause they said “Good morning” to & | thereafter, would greatly resemble the | of people. They do not possess the grasp which will enable them to keep one de- taii in their head while attending to ther. *"In th of their daily work |even tne P]“Y]»_El“" incident will throw even the siightest inci W ‘ . They like to call them off their stride it singleness of purpose. Olhtn say they have a “single-track mind. | Whichever _viewpoint is right. it makes no difference. The only thing | that counts is that actually they do not find it either convenient or helpful to | put much of their energy into a reply to_small courtesies. If they take the time to nod their head and reply “Good morning” to an uttered greeting, it Is just so much | taken out of their direct line of attack, |just so much “time out.” which they Tesent mightily, not only because it in- terferes with their thought action, but | also because they believe that some one else will notice their perturbation. And they are right. * * * There are, too, a large number of | persons who know no better These always need to be reckoned with in a country which has grown as | rapidly as the United States has. One may have been trained in a good family to observe the common forms of eti- quette. Another may utterly lack such a background. But no one, by looking |t the two, could detect either fact. “Beauty is as beauty does” has no | deeper application. Line up two men and look them over. Both are good looking, well groomed. well dressed. Both speak good English, both have good “jobs,” both are “good sports,” 8s the phrase has it One treats his fellow men courteously. however. and the other does not. One | came from a home where courtesy al- ways prevailed, the other from a shanty where every one scrambled for some- Of the two. the latter but that does no! prevent him from being something of & | boor. Even his best friends won't tell | him! These people who know mno better, |like the little lamb in Mrs. Ingelow's old poem, are to be reckoned with by |the man or woman who unconsciously believes in the fair spirit of universal courtesy in the everyday walks of life. It is a great sprit to believe in, and to look for, but it will not do to expect it invariably. Rather it should be re- garded as one of the finest flowers of culture, to be loved when found, but not mourned where not discovered. A pearl of great price, in its way. it cannot belong to all alike. While the ideal of democracy is tremendous, at the same time it is tempered with com- mon sense, which also is a tremendous force. Common sense tells us that uniforms | on bodies do not make uniform minds. To rteach into the spirit by wholesale procedure is equally impossible. Uni- versal education, to that extent at least, | has not realized the expectations of its founders. * ok K ok ‘There still would be a wide diverg- ence in courtesy and its everyday ob- servances, even If all men were exposed to it alike The truth is that few human beings receive such training formally. They “catch” it, rather. out of their day-by-day contacts. Even when the “exposure” is long and pe sistent, the spirit of the individu human being must be taken into con- sideration. There is as wide a divergence in this matter as in most others. While the elements of everyday courtesy are fairly | standard, their necessary occasions are | debated. The important thing to Te- | member is that all people are not alike. | that while one may love the invariably | cheery greeter, he will not always find | him. Roosevelt Action on Fai;ley Wins Friends for Campaign Gov. Roosevelt’s action in removing Thomas M. Farley, Tammany offictal, as sheriff of New York County, is held by the public to have added to his qualifications for the Demoratic nomina- tion, and to have set a new high mark, establishing the ethical gualifications of one who, like the sheriff, serves in public office. There is doubt as to the effect on Tammany support, but the country as a vhole is much impressed The section of the Governor's stat ment which receives particular atten- tion are these words: “Where a public official is under inquiry or investigation, especially an elected offical. and it ap- pears that the scale of his living or the total of his bank doposits far exceeds the public salary which he is known to receive. he owes a positive duty to the communif the deposits, or the source which enables him to maintain a scale of liv- ing beyond the amount of his salary The Atlanta Journal also quotes further from the Roosevelt declaration: “Public service makes many exacting demands. It does not offer large ma- terial compensation; often it takes more than it gives. But the worthy steward of the public is not affected by this. His ultimate satisfaction always must be a sense of services well done, and done in a spirit of unselfishness. The State must expect these standards, because if popular gov- ernment is to continue to exist it must, in such matters, hold its stewards to a stern and uncompromising rectitude. It must be & jealous master. Public office else.” ‘These straightforward words," declares the Atlanta paper, “and the vital truth they voice, have an incom- parably broader bearing than the Farley e They might well be inscribed above the doors of every governmental office in our land, from the smallest town hall to the Nation’s Capitol." The Journal concludes: “Gov. Roosevelt has sounded the slogan of the most critical need in America’s public life today: and because he has sounded it, not in words alone, but in his official acts and his personal character. he is the manifest choice cf millions for the next President of the United States.” * % * “In considering the charges,” says the Schenectady Gazette, “the Governor voiced a far-reaching principle. It is. in short. that where a public official is being investigated, certain matters of his private life should be brought to light * The Gazette concludes: “Should the Governor's dictum be recognize legally, it is certain to have its effect on officials who heretofore have relied upon having their private lives kept from the public view, It will make them far more careful of their actions and in many cases should force honesty Where the tendency 1s toward dis- honesty.” “The Governor's actiol while it hurts him with Tammany." asserts the Roanoke World-News, “raises his stock with the up-State Democratic organiza- tion and immeasurably strengthens his | standing in the South. The West al- ready is largely in his favor, but ihe | South is divided among Roosevelt, Garner, Byrd and others. Those who accuse the New Yorker of vacillation and indecision will be silenced. tem- | porarily at least. True. there was no ther course open to him, for the ev dence against Farley was so convincing and unmistakable that he could not do otlierwice than remove the sheriff from office. But the fact that he acted is in his favor, nevertheless.” “Qutside of New York State the friends of the Roosevelt candidacy un- doubtedly will gain some strength," in the opinion of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. while the Akron Beacon Jour- nal holds that “popular sentiment in New York will sustain the Governor.” The New York Sun makes the state- ment: “Politically the Governor has made a ten-strike. at least outside this wicked city. ¢ to give a reasonable or | credible explanation of the sources of | compliance with | means serving the public, and nobody | Wherever nis followers | | gather together In pursuit of delegates to the convention at Chicago this new charter of ethics, this sermon on politi- cal morality, will be quoted as the | work of another Cleveland. So long as | Mr. Roosevelt is Governor every public officer removable by him—and othes, perhaps—will be examined under the light of this declaration on the ‘private financial integrity' of public men.” * % ok “Gov. Roosevelt unquestionably help- ed his candidacy with the country at large.” thinks the Portland Oregon | Journal, while the St. Joseph Gazetts attests that “the public reaction through- out the country was certainly favorable to the Governor's presidential aspira- and the Pasadena Star-News belicves that “should Tammany Hall retaliate, that course would be helpful toward bringing about Gov. Roosevelt's nomination by the Democratic conven- tion.” Pointing out that “the record shows few instances in which officials have removed subordinates at a possible sacrifice of political fortune.” the AS- bury Park Press feels that “Gov. Roos velt has acted with forthrightness and a high concept of the standards of public office.” “The Tammany bosses.” In the judg- ment of the Des Moines Tribune, “real- ize that the Governor had no other choice. The Seabury investigation dis- closed Farley's activities so plainly that to have refused to remove him would have brought stain upon the Governor himself.” The Rochester Times-Union is convinced that “the Governor took the only course open to him.” The Boston Transcript believes that, in view of the necessity of further action in relation to the office, “it is too early to venture prediction of the political effect of Farley's removal.” “It is not believed,” states the Scran- | ton Times, “that Tammany will retal- iate on Gov. Roosevelt in any support which the New York organization might give him in his race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Farley's explanation or lack of expla- nation not only left nothing else for Gov. Roosevelt to do. but made Farley a laughing stock. It's Farley. not Gov. Roosevelt, that Tammany should cen- sure.” “In_decapitating this political boss Gov. Roosevelt has measured up to the expectations of the country,” says the | Charlotte Observer. and the Newark Evening News makes the comment: | “The Governor's action is a challenge to Tamamny. As long as it puts up men like Farley it must expect to have | them dismissed when their conduct is exposed. Farlev's dismissal is not like- | Iy to increase Tammany’s affection for Gov. Roorevelt. but if he wants to be President he must take just such stands !as this in upholding the standards of | public service and public morality. Anv enemies he may make by such action will be more than offset by the friends he gains. tions,” e Japans Idea of Peace. From the Nashville Banner, Along with big bombs the Japanese are dropping pamphlets assuring the Chinese civilian population that they are at Shanghal in the interests of | peac2” The Chinese no doubt wonder | what war would be like and hope they rnewr find out. e B ) Chicago’s Sad Plight. | Prom the Hurtford Times. | Mayor Cermak says because of the financial situation it may be necessary to close City Hall in Chicago. Wonder ‘ir the Windy City residents regard that s a threat or a promise. | Effects a Balance, From the Hamilton (Ont.) Spectator. School children, reading that teachers' salaries have been cul by 3 Der eemt, will not be mad if the tsachers reduce homework schedules in retaliation, MAR(CH 5, 1932, THE LIBRARY TABLE BY SARAH G. BOWERMAN. When thé next Pulitzer award is made it is quite likely that “The Auto-| This newspaper puts at your dis- biography of Lincoln Steffens” will at|posal a corps of trained researchers least receive some votes. if it does not[in Wi who will answer ques- receive the prize. It is a most read-|tions for you. have access to able book and illustrates the fact that|the Government lepartments. the a really great subject is not necessary | lib , museums, galleries and pub- for a ‘biography. Sir James | lic bulldings an Barrie's mother was & simple Scotch sociations which maintain headquarters woman, but her famous son immortal- [in the Natlon's Capital. If they can d fo the numerous as- | ! good | Adams in “The Education of Henry |came back to his own country without ized her in his memoir, “Margaret Ogilvy.” Jane Welsh Carlyle was not herself a genius, only the wife of a genius, yet her gift for letter writing has caused all her letters, edited by Freude, Ale; to be eagerly read even down to the present time. Perhaps the indication of domestic unhappiness, with some doubt as to the responsibility for it, has had something to do with the popularity of the letters. was not exactly a great man, though he thought exceedingly well of himself, but he could write an interesting diary, which has made him better known to posterity than many other more im- portant men of his time and has given | pleasure to thousands of readers. Stefan Zweig’s blography, & year or so| ago, of Joseph Fouche, undistinguished opportunist of the French Revolution, is as interesting as any of the biog- raphies of Robespierre, Mirabeau, Mme. Roland or Marie Antoinette. Examples might be multiplied of excellent biog- raphies of people whom political or literary history passes by with a mere mention. Perhaps any human being would be a good subject for a blog- raphy, if only the biographer was skili- fui enough. ~Habitual biography read- | ers have been heard to remark when confronted With the two volumes of “The Autobiography of Lincoln Stef- fens” (a one volume edition has since | appeared): “A journalist, a magazine editor, a ‘muck-raker’! And such a long biography! It can't be very inter- esting.” They did not consider that be- ing a successful journalist Lincoin Stef- fens has known how to write up the interesting subject of himself. * ok k% ‘The first 15 chapters of “The Auto- blography of Lincoln Steffens,” the story of his boyhood, are good docu- mentary material for the child psychol- ogist. “Lennie” Steffens was a selfish boy. “Lennie” was a vain boy. As an elderly man he freely admits the self- ishness and the vanity and every page of the boyhood record demonstrates them. His father was a wise man and saw through his son. On one occasion he cast aside his usual reserve and spoke frankly to his son. The son re- membered the diagnosis: “All that wor- ries me is your posings, the bunk you have seemed always to like. I never saw you do anything for the fun of doing it: you always wanted to tell about it and see yourself and be seen doing it. That's psppycock. It does no harm in a boy. but you'll soon be no longer a boy, and there are a lot of men I know who are frauds and bunk- ers all their lives, I'd hate to see you 80 on into that sort of thing." Mrs, Steffens. not s> wise, rather encouraged her son’s egotism and posings, especial- ly when they took the form, as they did for a brief period, of religious ex- altation. Througn the influence of a Mirs. Neely. a farmer's wife, who gave him lcdging and abundant, pampering food on his rides across the country from Sacramento, “Lennie” learned to pray with unction and decided to be- come a preacher. When Mrs. Neely was very ill, “Lennie” went out to the stable and. kneeling beside his poney, prayed for her recivery. He prayed, | not simply and sincerely, but self- | consciously. “It was an exqhisite pleas- | ure, that prayer; so I prolonged it until I was lifted into a state of bliss.” When be told the family about it at the breakfast table the next morning, | here was universal admiration and sympathy, excepting. as I noticed, on the part cf my father. He looked sharply at me for a moment, and he might have spoken if my mother had not caught his glance and warned him: Now, Joseph.' He obeyed. He snap ped his morning paper and read it, he crisis of Mrs. Neely's illness was safely passed and there was a brief period during which “Lennie” and his mother believed that the crisis came ' while he was praying; then the fathe: told them that it came the night bz- fore while “Lennie,” forgeiful cf his ::‘o::;r.i;x‘\':lm:;hwas chasing a_hore. in v with a crowd of other and their dogs and horses, i * ok ox % TEe attitude of Lincoln s toward the different steps of hsi:de!;g- cation (his father gave him a very one) suggests that of Henry Adams,” that. in general, * can- ity But Lincoln Steffens has o mors active, aggressive temperament than Henry Adams. is not such a philosophie pessimist. He entered the University of California in 1885 and might bave stirred the faculty to ridicule or dis- comfort had they known what was in his mind. He says: “I entered the University of California with a set of examination questions for the faculty, for the professors, to answer,” and con- tinues: “It is possible to get an edu- cation at a university. It has been done; not often. but the fact that a proportion, however small, of college students do get a start in interested, methodical study, proves my ttesis, and the two personal experiences I have to offer illustrate it and show how to cir- cumvent the faculty. the other stu- dents, and the whole college of mind-fixing * S0 he was not. sng is not, altogether hopeless over the pos- sibilities of college as an educational medium. For a college degree in itself be has scoin, but he received one from the University of California. Then his tather, rather sad because he would not go into the business that was being held for him. indulgently financed for him European travel and study. This European period became a pilgrimage in search of the real meaning of art, music. philosopty, or more specifically, “a basis, probably in some other scienge, for a science of behavior.” Hc finding this to his satisfaction, though he attended lectures by Kuno Fischer and Wundt. He may not have found answers to the problems either of ab- stract ethics or of practical human be- havior; he may not have arrived at a belief in the sound value of educatior as he had experienced it: but on his arrival in New York he almost im- mediately secured an opening in Jjournalism, a modest “job™ on the Eve- ning Post. Perhaps, it was due to good natural intelligence, for which he could thank Llis parents and more remote ancestors: perhaps, it was partly dus to his not overestimated education: but whatever the cause, Lincoln Steffens was steadily and progressively success: ful in journalism. The “Autcbiograph: is chiefly concerned with this journal- istic career. * ook % James Welsh Carlyle and Thomas | Carlyle. according to the evidence of Froude and others, loved each other through life and made each other | unhappy a large part of the time Carlyle was & dyspeptic and Jane was a nervous invalid, so there was suf- ficient reason for domestic misery. In the novel “Temperamental Jane” by Grove Wilson. the story of the Carlyles is told with only smail fiction admix- ture. The real story is interesting | enough. Mr. Wilson follows the inter- pretation of Froude, that Jane sacri- der Carlyle and others|D. Samuel Pepys ' be of assistance to you, write your question plainly and send with "two cents in coin or stamps to The Eve- ning Star Information Bureau, Fred- eric J. Haskin, Director, Washington, C. Q. What is the principal difference between the American and European methods of speed skating?—R, F. D. | A. The Scandinavian champions are accustomed to racing in lanes and in | two-man heats, best time to decide the | winner. In the American style there are several skaters in each heat. Q. What is the occupation of Harry Flood Byrd, Virginia's choice for the Democratic nomination for the presi- dency?—S. 8. A He is a farmer; is the largest in- dependent orchardist in the world, and is engaged also in general farming, banking and publishing. Q. What was the real name of the person who conducted a column under the name Ruth Ashmore?—P. T. A, Isabel Allerdice Sloan Mallon. Q. Please explain the police radio or teletype system.—M. M. E. A. Police departments have for some time had a system of radio transmittal of police orders which is very similar to any radio broadcasting system. There is also a system used by police and by other interests, called teletype, which consists of an automatic wireless con- nection between a typewriting machine at the place of sending and another at the place of recelving. By this sys- tem the impulses on the keys of the on the machine at the receiving station so trat a compleie letter is written simultaneously in bpoth places. The receiving operator may then reply in the same manner while the connection is still maintained, thereby assuring a complete copy in both places of both letter and answer. Q. How many potatoes does it take to feed the average person in New York City?—C. W. A. The approximate average per capita_consumption of potatoes in the New York area is .18 bushels per month, which amounts to approximate- ly 10.8 pounds. Q. When will the Folger Shake- speare_ Library be opened’—A. G. 8. A. It will not have its collection of Shakespeariana completely installed until much later this year. The formal dedication wif§ be on April 23, when a considerable portion of the collection will have been ins‘alled. At the pres- ent time the building is open to visitors only by appointment. Q. How much dirt or silt 15 carried into the Guif of Mexico by the Mis- sissippi River?—T. E. A. The Mississippl River carries yearly to the Gulf of Mexico 418.000,- 000 tons of silt. On the basis of the chemical analysis of soils over the United States generally, the following estimate has been made of the con- tents of this silt: Phosphoric acid, 627,000 tons: nitrogen, 418,000 tons; potash. 6.479.000 tons. In addition the Mississippi River carries approximately 200,000,000 tons of dissolved matter which cannot be analyzed in this man. er. Q. In “The Story of Elaine.” by Sir Thomas Malory, was the sleeve worn ERLINER TAGEBLATT. — One can buy a car for $5 at almost any street corner in the suburbs of an American city. or, if even less outlay is desired. one can pick one out of a junk pile for nothing. sending machine automatically react | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. | by Sir Lancelot from a dress’—E. K. A. The sleeve worn by a knight at mumr:;nent was not actually a sleeve n from a t. Long ribbons, | Stockings "and * Beautiiul sleeves em: broidered and decorated with jewels were given by admiring women to their favorite knights to wear as a form of decoration during & joust. Q. At what age do orange trees bea: fruit in commercial guantities?—F. B. A. The average life of an orange | grove is from 35 to 50 years. Orange trees, under favorable conditions, re- qQuire about 4 years before they bring returns and about 5 or 6 years before they bear fruit to any large extent. Q. What does the Hawailan expres- sion “Aloha nuf loa” mean?—C. B. A. Translated freely, it means much love or lots of affection. The word oha is one much used in Hawaiian d it has a number of meanings, the | exact one depending on the context. | In this case it means love or affection. Nul is a superlative, meaning much or plenty, while loa is another very useful word, which in this case con- veys the idea of eternity. The ex- pression might be otherwise rendered “Much enduring love.” Q. What is the airline distance from | Los Angeles to Tokio>—R. P. | "A. It 15 approximately 5000 miles fl;ol‘n Los Angeles, Calif., to Tokio by | air, Q Has the City of Odenburg, Aus- tria, had its name changed?—H. G. A. It is now in Hungary, just over | the Austrian line, and is called Sopron. Q Why is Tllinois called the Sucker State?—L. A. A. There are numerous explanations. It is related that the Galena | | One is as follows: | this word inated at | mines in the Fall of 1822, at a time when there was a great exodus. A | large returning party, while boarding a steamer at the Galena wharf was asked, “Wher' ye goin'?” “To hum.” “Well,” was the rejoinder of an old miner, “ye put me in mind of suckers; | they do go up the river in the Spring, :rvn. and all return doun u'gn in ‘V e Fali.” Q_How much higher is the level of the Pacific Ocean at the Panama Canal than the Atlantic Ocean?—R. P. A. The mean level of the Pacific at the Canal is 8 inches higher than the Atlantic. The normal variation be- | tween high and low tide at the Pacific |end of the Canal is about 121. feet, with occasional ranges of 21 feet; while at the Atlantic end it is about one foot. Q. Does pure coffee have a taste or |only a smell>—J. M. A A It has both a characteristic taste | and smell. Q. Was it the same Herod to con- demn Christ to death, who had or- | dered the slaughter of the first-born sons when Jesus was an infant?—J T. W. | A. Herod, governor of Judea at the | time of the birth of Cbrist, was known |as Herod the Great. He died A. D. 4 |and the governor succeeding him, who condemned Christ, was known as Herod Antipas. | vk X R | Q. What was Lincoln'’s pi ition |to the South as to the disposition of | slaves?—L. G. | . A. The proposition made by Presi- dent Lincoln with respect to freeing of | the slaves was not made to | the Southern States, but to Congress |on March 6, 1862. The proposal was for compensated emancipation, and the | Congress took action only with resoect | to the District of Columbia, in which |the proposed compensation was about 18300 per !nud. Highlights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands , |mented and assalled this gigantic | specimen with all the rude weapons |at hand until life was extinct. The final stroke was g‘{ven flt&e & bArpwn.n a weapon s\ after & weapou Suggest great torms E We halted before such a limbo, popu- | As a result of this effort all larly supposed to be one of the biggest the friends of animals and humane “dumps” or junk piles in the East—it | societies in Denmark are very much was in the neighborhood of Chicago— | incensed, and want the amateur whale and for as far as the eye could reach | hunters condignly punished for the be- saw nothing but heaps of broken-down | havior. As yet the usual technicality and abandoned cars. They were liter- | has Interposed — whether or mnot a ally piled up or strewn about for miles. | whalefish is an animal. The animal Though none of these decrepit vehi- | protective associations stoutly maintain cles are any use in themselves. the that whales are animals, and so en- parts necessary for their restoration are | titled to the benefits of anti-cruelty generally available in the other heaps. | laws under the findings of their last Where there is & superintendent of the | International convention. rubbish pile. the mechanical deficien- | The fishermen, as yet out of jail. and cies can easily be supplied without any | unable to bring the defunct whale to trouble by slipping (paying) that cus- | POTt, are t out to in- todian of the wreckage a few dollars, whereupon he will readily find parts suitable for the completion of the chas- sis and body already selected. In the end you may have a synthetic convey- ance, but it will run—and its operation will usually be as satisfactory as that of a brand-new car. Every one in America, even young children, know all about cars. They can recognize the different makes and models as far as they can see them.| Most parts, like mudguards. radiators. | windows and_wheels are often inter- | changeable. The motors are the hard- | est problems to fix up with old parts from other vehicles. But it never takes very long to get one of these cripples working. A few | installations and adjustments in the midst of a junk pile, and the ensemble oegins to snort and buzz, and the young fellow who has wandered out to the ' place of discarded cars, rides back to town in style. Such is the origin of the $5 car. | A little fresh paint, and perhaps a new tire or two, and the transporiation score of purchasers! | * * | Mexican Rail Workers Willing to Co-operate, El Universal, Mexico, D. F.—The dispute between the emploves of the | Mexican Nation Railway and their em- | ployers has subsided into the quietness of a disposition to discuss the whole matter amicably, especially since the executives of the company have ex-| pressed their willingness to submit their books to a committee properly delegated and authorized by the work- ers to review them. This offer. sub- stantiating in_effect the claim of the | raflroad company that it is losing money. has done much to put a new | fare on the situation among the em- ployes who now are evidencing in great- er numbers a feeling of co-operation and voluntary submission to the dic- tates of the corporation. It has been stated by many of them, privately, that | 1f the inspection of the books by their representatives shows business to be in as lamentable a staie as the officials of the railroad claim, they will be willing to withdraw their demands for contin- uance of the former pay schedules un- til economic conditions resume at least | some phases of their normal aspects. When the inspection of the books has been completed a definite announce- ment will be made by officials ol the railway workers' union relativ> t ju what assistance and co-opera'l'n ‘thay fice her own talents which might have made her great in order that her husband might be undisturbed and shelte in_nursuing his greatuess. David Alec Wilson, in his many-vol- umed biography of Carlyle, tells a | difterent story. According to him, Jane ! was an egoilst, Not a genius, exag- gerated her sacrifices, and did only what she liked to do when she indulged in housecleaning orgles. * ok o ow The method of narration employed by William McFee in his recent novel, “The Harbourmaster,” is roundabout will be disposed to render. * 5o o | Protest Cruel atment of Whale, vVaterland, Lucerne. — Advices fron Copenhagen Inform us that fishermen | trom the port of Haderslcben fnally succeeded in dispatching & “blue” whale. 25 meters (83 feet) long, after a battle with it which lasted 19 hours. These men, it appears, understood ncthing whatever about the scientific capture of whales, and cimply tor- | hold her coat. men have it anchored to a hnxe-, where it is plainly visible for its en- tire 25 meters :l ngitude. * % x Irish Free State Still Lacks Perfect Harmeny. Neues Wiener Tagblatt, Vienna.— The Irish Free State is engaged in the celebration of the tenth year of its establishment. For the past decade though peace has reigned between this newest daughter of the British Empire and the central government, the same serenity cannot be said to exist within the territories of the Pree State itself, where occasional and more or less vio- lent debates and collisions reveal that perfect harmony among its people is still & somewhat unattained ideal. No doubt the British government is well content to be relieved of the intimate responsibility for this former part of the United Kingdom. The inhabitants of Ireland, and those of the southern | problem is neatly solved for another counties in particular, have always ob- jected to English control, and have op- posed it as much as they could, or dared, and they dared considerably! et ol Report on the Experiment. From the Milwaukee Sentinel. Perusal of the 75,000-word report on the experimental college of the Univer- sity of Wisconsin is a labor which can be postponed without invalidating pref- atory comment. The newspaper synop- ses are enough to corroborate a precon- ceived belief that no experiment in edu- cation can be completed in four years. No one can say as yet that the experi- ence of the experimental college has furnished a basis for a new formula of teaching; on the other hand, no one can say that the four years have been misspent. Obvicusly the experiment should be continued. American education is in so low & condition that any carefully pre- meditated exploration of the possibili- ties of Smnrovemtl should be cheered = t is proposed that be admitied to the con- tinuation of the experiment, and cer- tainly no one will object. An experi- ment consciously imposing a sex barrier defeats itsell. Hitherto the exclusion of women was compelled by a limitation of =quipment. ‘We predict that the experimental col- loge, if permitted to fulfill its purpose, vill demonstrate that large schools and he-d education are bad. When the mall group is adopted as the educa- tional unit, we shall see more men and women who are truly educaied. ) — Japan's Slip. Prom the. Toledo Blade. Ancther thing Japan didn't anticipate was that she would need anybody to ———— Tactical Blunder. Prom the Cleveland News. but not ineffective. The story is told by Mr. Spenlove, chief enginser of a vessel making & Southern cruise, to those who sit at his table in the dining saloon. The starting point of the | The fool who didn't know it was load- tale is the news of the suicide of the ed had nothing on the auto thief who harbourmaster in & Central American |rentsd a Chicago police captyin'’s gee port. | rage in which to store a stolen car.