Evening Star Newspaper, March 10, 1932, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR .of sulphur. ‘The illuminant is plucd'lm].s the government of Greater New With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY......March 10, 1832 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspa, Com, Business Ofice i isin 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 ind 8t. Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. European Ofice 14 Regent 8. London, ngland. Kate by Carrier Within the City. e Evening Star ... .45c per month e Evening and Sinday Star undavs) 60c per month (when & Sundavs) ... The Evening anc Sunday Star ¥8) ..........65C per month jer copy (when 5 Sundays The Sunday Star B ¢ Collection made at the end of each mont Qiders may be sent in by mail or telephone Ationsl 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. {ly and Sund: 1yr.$10.00: 1 Iy only 1yr. '$6.00: 1 mo.. lay only " . $4.00: 1 mo., All Other States and Canada. {ly and Sund: $17.00- 1 mo.. $1.00 {ly only 00: 1 mo., Ine nday only 00: 1 mo.. 80c Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively ertitied o the use for republication of all news dis- atches credited to it or not otherwise cred- d also the local news publiration of Iso reserved. mo.. mo. published herein special dispatcnes hercin a _——— The Lausanne Conference. For the declared purpose of agreeing upon “a lasting settlement” of the reparations problem, Germany and the creditor nations of France, Great Brit- ain, Italy, Belgium and Japan will meet at Lausanne in the month of June. The object of their conference is to adopt measures “necessary to solve the eco- nomic and financial difficulties which are responsible for, and may prolong, the present world crisis.” The half dozen governments con- eerned are hopeful that their mere de- cision to come to final grips with the reparations issue “will ease the inter- national situation.” Achieved in the final hours of his late government in Paris, M. Laval epitomized the arrange- ment of the Lausanne Conference as “a very good beginning” and one that would “contribute to the pacification of Europe and the world.” Although the reparation powers are punctiliously careful to exclude any sug- gestion of forming a common front sgainst the United States, everybody knows that this country'’s attitude to- ward Lausanne's problem is as impor- tant from Europe’s standpoint as any single phase of the reparations ques- tion. Whether we like it or not, Europe Jooks upon reparations and war debts as intertwining propositions. Europe considers that the United States itself demonstratively acquiesced in that view last July, when President Hoover launched his moratorium plan. over grids containing trays of iron oxide. Sulphurous compounds collect on the walls of the chamber and are cleaned out once a month. So far as the accounts of the happening go no method was devised for a complete clearance of the chamber of pockets of | gas. The workers used picks to loosen the accumulations. It is believed that a pick struck a hard surface and caused a spark, which ignited the gas that re- mained in the chamber. One theory is that spontaneous combustion occurred. At any rate, the chamber held enough gas to cause a terrific blast and a burst of flame. The virtually imprisoned men had practically no chance to escape. Only one of them, seeing & wisp of smoke, clambered out just in time to save his life. ‘The operation was of a nature to be recognized as dangerous. The result is clear evidence that somebody blundered in the matter of providing safeguards. That is the course in many !ndustrial works, lack of safeguards persisting until disaster occurs. Then the lesson is learned, at the cost of many lives. Safety engineering has been advanced to a scientific degree and the wonder is | that it was not applied at the Camden plant. As the gas cleansing process re- quires a regular clearing of the chanber there should be duplicates, permitting safe work in one after a thorough ridding of all combustible elements. While nobody may be held accountable for the loss of life in this instance, the blast should teach the lesson—which should have been learned in advance by & study of the conditions—to send men into the purifying tank only after a thorough ventilation to insure against the possibility of corxbustion. —— e End the Interstate Jus Nuisance. ‘Washingtonians are strongly behind the effort of the Public Ttilities Com- mission to clear the streets in the con- gested section of the large interstate busses which are making a mo=kery out of the traffic regulations and the rights i of the private motor car owner on the public thoroughfares. April 1 has been set as a deadline by the commis- sion for the removal of the curb terminals in downtown Washington, but so far the varlous companies have appeared extremely hesitant in notifying the commission of their plans to comply with the order. Some of them have answered letters from the Public Utilities body but in most cases the replies have lacked definiteness. Others have not answered at all, and the commission is now engaged in sending out reminders to the delinquents. The bus situation in Washington, from the viewpoint of the welfare of the majority, is intolerable. New ‘“‘ter- minals,” which consist of appropriation of public street space sufficient to ac- That whole project rested upon Amer-|commodate one or more of these large ica's willingness to postpone 1931-1932 | vehicles, have sprung up like mush~ debt payments due to the United States rooms. Each one robs the private owner Treasury in consideration of a cor-|of a motor car of his right to the use responding concession to Germany by|of public space. Not only that, but her reparation creditors. bus operators seem to ignore entirely The Lausanne Conference is essen-|the traffic regulations pertaining to tially in conformity with the Laval-|parking between street car loading plat- Hoover communique, which set forth|forms and the curb, and parking in that sgreement among the European |front of fire hydrants or on crosswalks powers must be a preliminary condi- tion to any reconsideration of the war debts to the United States. The then French premier returned to Paris with the tacit assurance that if Europe suc- cessfully took the initiative in repara- tion readjustment the Hoover admin- istration on its part would urge Con- gress to grant our European Wwar debtors & new period of leniency. The present session of Congress has reflected an American public opinion of more nationalistic hue than any which has been witnessed since the days when the Senate repudiated Wood- row Wilson's work at Versailles. Anti- foreignism, if sentiment at the Capitol is any criterion, is in little mood for . supergenerosity to “abroad.” Yet the time is approaching—it is only three months away—when the Government and people of the United States are likely to be faced by a fateful,decision. The Lausanne Conference will take up its work on the basis of the report made by the Experts Committee of the Bank for International Settlements at Basel. The experts found in effect that the continued payment of repara- tions by Germany under the Young plan 1s unthinkable. There can be little or no doubt that the June meeting of the reparation powers will produce a concurrence in that conclusion, and readiness on their part to give the Ger- mans another moratorium period. ‘That this will be done in the ex- pectation, more or less confident, that the United States will be inclined to vouchsafe debtor Europe commensurate leniency is a foregone conclusion. The 1issue sooner or later will be put squarely up to us. At the moment we are con- cerned almost exclusively with matters of pressing economic importance here at home. But it is not too early for the Nation's leaders, in and out of Con- gress, and for public opinion, to which in the last analysis they will be re- sponsive, to begin the process of heart- searching which will presently be in- cumbent upon us. ‘What to do in the face of a Europe undoubtedly — however reluctantly— prepared to repudiate, temporarily at Jeast, its obligaftions to the United States is the nut we shall have to crack. ———— A determination to relieve depression might even go so far as the appoint- ment of a committee to request Eugene O'Nelll to write a play occasionally with @ happy ending. ot Fourteen Dead—Nobody to Blame! Yesteday at Camden, N. J, & gas purifying tank in which nineteen men were at work engaged in cleaning out the refuse after a month’s operation caught fire and an explosion resulted, killing fourteen and injuring four others severely, One of the men escaped un- harmed. The local coroner, after an inquiry into the disaster, gave the opin- lon that the accident was an “unfortu- nate affair for which no one can be held responsible” and that he would for pedestrians. It needs but a short stroll through the downtown section to observe flagrant violations of this nature. Running in traffic the oper- ators apparently think little of the rights of others. The theory seems to be that every motorist carries a route book of each bus line in his pocket and that he should know that a left-hand turn is to be made at a certain inter- section. Accordingly, the bus driver feels it unnecessary to give any turning signal and in some cases does not even think he is called upon to start the turn from the proper lane of traffic. Washington should have a well equipped union bus terminal located out of the congested section of the city and the busses should be barred altogether from running through heavy downtown traffic. This, of course, applies only to interstate companies. Washington has enough bus lines of its own to take care of, which blend with the traffic stream by keeping in motion, stopping only to take on and discharge passengers, with- out permitting almost “dead” street storage of countless interstate vehicles. The union terminal will come, but not until the Public Utilities Commission makes it plain-to the companies that it is through bickering with them and means to enforce its edicts. In that effort it has the support of a united community. ——e— By going into Pennsylvania politics as a dry, Smedley Butler indicates that he has a lingering sonsclousness of un- finished business in Philadelphia, — Mr. Farley's Interest. Former Sheriff Thomas Farley of New York Coufity, who was recently dismissed from that office by Gov. Roosevelt at the instance of the Legis- lative Investigating Committee in- quiring into Greater New York affairs, was yesterday acquitted on a charge of second-degree larceny for appropriating interest on funds of litigants held by him in escrow. The court held that no criminal intent had been shown and that the accused had been guided In the taking of the interest by the advice of counsel. He expressed the belief, however, that this advice was not in accordance with the law and that if any of the litigants were to bring civil action for the recovery of the interest money the decision would be against the former sheriff. Here is an anomaly. The practice of which the former sheriff was accused had prevailed in that office for a long time. Nobody had previously thought to ask regarding its rightfulness. Per- haps nobody knew or realized that the usufruct of the impounded cash was being taken as an official perquisite Yet clearly it did not belong in law or by other tnan a self-established custom of the sheriffs to anybody but the own- ers of the principal funds themselves. It was just one of those odds and ends that go to make office holding under Tammany & Joy forever—until dis- covered and exposed. hold no inquest unless the public prose- ‘There is no conflict between the ac- THE EVENING York. Yesterday as the acquitted former sheriff was leaving the court room he was asked if he intended to take any action in connection with his recent removal from office. He replied: “I don't know yet, but there will be plenty of action.” Just what ne meant is not altogether clear. Inasmuch as he was fired from his job on quite another count than that of taking interest be- longing to litigants, ot which he now stands acquitted because he did it on advice of counsel without justification in law, it is hard to see how he can effectively appeal his case. Another man has been named to the sheriff’s office. There is no course from the Governor's decision. -Will the “action” which the ex-sheriff threatens take the form of political reprisal? The Governor is the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. Tammany 15 an important factor in nomination and election. Does Mr. Farley speak for it now? — e ——— Sledding Precautions. The “pickings” were rather slim for sledding after Washington's brief bliz- zard of Sunday, but both grown-ups and youngsters made the best of their opp-r- tunities and received the co-operation of the Police Department by shutting Off streets on which automobile traffic would be a menace to those enjoying the fun. This cc-operation on the part of the police has increased year by year, has saved many lives and is a source of gratification to the residents of the community. Ccasting at best is a dangerous sport To realize this needs no more than a backward glance to a few weeks ago at the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, where four of the most famous and skillful tobogganers in the world, run- ning on an especially constructed track, with curbs banked to mathematical precision to insure safety for the sled- ders, were gravely injured. These men were no tyros at the game. They were experienced and mature bobbers, who were defeated by the treacherousness of the unyleldirg ice. It is obvious, then, that the dangers are many times multiplied when coast- ing is attempted on unpatrolled streets in the city. where there is no well de- fined track and where the inexperi- enced are in the majority. The people of this community have paid dearly in the past for permitting their children or themselves to indulge in sledding when the proper safeguards have not been thrown around them. Many streets were ordered closed for this brief flurry of Winter weather. The same sort of prompt action and co-op- eration should be given if another spell of sledding weather should be the lot of Washingtonians. ——————————— It was only natural to put immediate confidence in anything that Mayor Cur- ley sald about the return of the Lind- bergh baby, owing partly to Boston's established reputation as a city of superfor information. desires is that his first statement will prove to be the correct one. . ‘The contest between Smith and Roosevelt causes New Hampshire to share with Maine the distinction of enjoying special attention from the political prophets. No great surprise should be felt, even among those who seek to serve him, at an abrupt manner on the part of Col. Lindbergh. This is hardly a time to ex- pect the formalities of hospitality. ——o— Unemployment in Detroit transfers the mischief Satan finds for idle hands to do, from poetry to the manufacturing business. e Those who regretted absence of an old-fashioned Christmas find no com- pensating satisfaction in the arrival of the customary March blizzard. ——— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Mark. Every baby, every year, Leads parents to remark, “Be happy and grow strong, my dear; Some day you'll make your mark.” Each baby grows into & world Of problems most perplexed. Corflicting banners are unfurled And all mankind s vexed. We're asking what is right or wrong. Our steps confused we trace Upon this earth and stray along Into the realms of space. He says in sorrowing complete: “I labor with a will. The tasks I am required to meet Go far beyond my skill. “And as my brains begin to ache They lead me in the dark. The only mark that I can make 1s another question mark.” Heard “nough. “You still have your ear to the ground?” “I've heard too much,” answered Senator Sorghum, “I've not only taken my ear from the ground, but to keep out the discord I'm wearing earmuffs.” Jud Tunkins says some stump speeches are like the static that pre- vents you from getting the real ideas that are tryin’ to come through. Inevitable Interruption. Our sordid cares we try to drop And bid dissension cease. Just at that point we have to stop And yell for the police. Resemblance. “What is your idea of bulls and bears in the market?” asked the Human Questionnaire. “They're like the animals after whom they are named,” answered Mr. Dustin Stax. “There is no way of taming them sufficiently to know what they are going to do mext.” “We honor our great ancestors best,” l All the pubHCJ STAR, WASHINGTON THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Can a man who has not read books for 10 years suddenly go back to them with any satisfaction? ‘This is the question which has been asked us and our reply is in the affirm- ative, but with this reservation, that it will be difficult. Only difficult things, some hold, are worth while. While there is something in that, it is not universally true. Often one falls into the greatest happiness without aiming at it or deserving it. In the matter of going back to the good habit of reading books—an en- tirely ‘different thing. in one important way, from reading magazines and news- papers—the difficulty comes in re-es- tablishing the habit. For reading is a habit, whatever form it may take. Man is not by nature a reading animal. He is a doing creature. He makes not only poems and books, but houses, rcads, radio sets, suits of clothes, sugar and a thousand thou- sand things besides. The writing of books, in a large sense, is the making of books. Our word for “poel omes frem the Greek jword meaning “maker.” : * X % % ‘The reading of books may be sald to be a special habit, set up because {man is distinctly eye-minded. From {being eye-minded he goes on to being | mind-minded. That s, he comes in time—every in- | dividual comes in time—to build up for himself a special sense, which may be celled the reading sense. 1t begins early, at the age when the average boy and girl learns to read well jenough 10 enjoy reading. As in most thuman activities, there must be some human satisfaction, else the student turns into a youngster who longs to leave school and does so at the first opportunity. To be a reader is not as y as it looks, It demands aptitude at first and then application. If this studious bent comes naturally, as we say, so much the better for the individual, Boys who turn into genuine readers —what we like to call real readers— early become collectors of books. The instinet of the collector is as surely theirs as if they “went in” for stamps, or medals, old coins, birds' nests, or whatnot. Nor is it at all necessary that they collect for the sake of rarity or the like quality. The term “collector” has come to mean, unfortunately, a man who collects rare books, Now there are just as many book collectors who love all books—even brand new ones!—as there are those who would not give you a cent for any but a first edition. There are many more such book lovers, as a matter of fact. To them the reading. not the book, is the important thing, although they, too, prize books as things and would be happy to pos- | sess as many rare items as possible. Readers build themselves up as read- ers. ‘They help create the interest which the book begirs. ‘Without the eager inquiring mind of childhood, Prescott’s “Conquest of Mex- ico” would remain merely four stuffy volumes in the library. ‘With that mind behind it, this quar- tet of old books is a vital force in the world today. ‘The reader, any reader, brings him- self to his books and puts himself into them, as much as the books come to VENING TIMES, Glasgow.—Dr. William Boyd, continuing his series of lectures for teachers in the humanity class room of Glasgow University, directed at- tention to the “essential sameness” of the educational system throughout the United States. He said that, consider- ing the States had the most completely decentralized system in the world, the sameness in buildings, in elective studies, in class room methods and in games was a most surprising phenome- non, The system was seen at its worst in the smail rural schools, with one or two teachers, dotted everywhere over the continent, in which more than 5,000,000 young Americans got their start in life. The great majority of these, said Dr. Boyd, compared very unhvonl?‘lf with the corresponding schools in rural Scot- land. At the other extreme from the rural schools were those in the larger American cities. Whatever might be said about the instruction given in them, they were generally much more intelligently constructed and equipped than ours. In all the big schools and many small ones in some States library work was a most valuable part of the week’'s work. American children were systematically taught to use books for themselves, and when they passed to college they were not so helpless in that respect as most Scottish students. Another feature of the schools was a well equipped assem- bly hall, called the auditorium, to which all classes went at least once a week. That feature represented the co-opera- tive side of school life which “our own stress on competitive work has almost crushed out.” and it helped to make the school a real community with social motives for the work done by the puplls. * x % % Action Against Menacing Homeless Dogs Is Urged. El undo, La Habana—Eight per- sons, the mafority of them children, required treatment in different casas de soccorros (public clinics) of this city for wounds produced by the bites of vagabond dogs. These homeless canines constitute a veritable peril, and there is rarely a day that the volice stations do not register cases similar to those herein recorded. ‘The prolixity of these instances shows in concrete form the urgent ne- cessity of a much greater restraint upon our large itinerant canine population. X Xk x Athletic Competition Gi As New Hebrew Idea, St Palestine Bulletin, Jerusalem—In the Spring we shall be seeing the Maccabead, the sports festival which should delight all who are interested in athletic development. Here, like the youth in many other countries, young Hebrews have formed themselves into Maccabee sports organizations with zeal and enthusiasm, in reaction against the old Jewish view that study was all im- portant, and athletic games but hea- thenish revivals and pastimes, wasting hours that might far more valuably be spent over the pages of the Talmud. One of the Palestine Maccabees re- cently said: “If Jews want to be recog- nized in the world today not as strange survivors of biblical times, but as a living people, they must have a stron sports organization, like every othér Dation. They must be prepared to meet foreign clubs in all varieties of games and acquire a sense of sport for the sake of sportsmanship.” * X k% n Woman Swindled by Dancing Teacher. America Abroad La Suisse, Geneva.—An inf n- ternatios sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, |ally known dancing instructor, Louis “when we so conduct ourselves as to be | Latour, originally of Millau, Aveyron, wator demanded it. A further investi-| quittal of the former sheriff on the gation will be conducted. Interest-taking charge and his dismissal ‘This accident is not, however, to be|by the Governor. He was removed regarded as unavoidable. The fact that{from his office because he would not worthy of them.” Sluggard Aroused. The idle dollar said: “No more known under the pseudonym of “Geo Max,” made the acquaintance, some years ago, at a fashionable resort in Nice, of an American lady, living with her husband in the villa, Sauvagere, at such a thing had never happened before 1s mot to be considered as warranting such a conclusicn. The conditions were such as to havh ciused an explosion at any time, and only good fortune pre- vented an earlier catastrophe. mwfit:flnfl o the po o explain the source of his savings, largely in excess of his salary and other Cimiez. This lady took some lessons from the dancing master at the rate of 100 francs the hour, but one day In slumber may I lurk. known legitimate inccme. The Gov- ernor held that an clected officeholder must prove himself innocent of fraud Thel and graft when charged with such of- | Eben, “Seems to know more dan de old | 3nd ordered his wife to fenses. That hypothesis gravely shocked e DATGRANY CTEARUALAR, Which oon- I've got to hustle to the store. +Jt's time to go to worl the husband was incensed at what ap- by S peared to be rather undue familiarity “YouslJolks nowadays,” said Uncle | between the instructor and his pupil, terminate the instruction, which she did. However, 85 Geo Max had some letters and folks, but dey don't rflfllfll semaiie GAphs of the lady a0d he threatened. waeh” Means Committee, Mempoeagsd e D. €. THURSDAY. | him and put something of themselves —and of !}?flr writers—into him. Reading is & mutual process, beyond time and space. The small boy who came into the world after the World ‘War may go back to the days of Julius | Caesar as easily as turning the pages of Seutonius. | * x % The difficulty occurs during the pe- | riod when a young man begins to get himself settled in the economic world. Before he “starts on his own” he | finds himeelf merely accepting a great deal which later he will see must be the result of his own efforts if ever he is to have the like again. We speak. | of course, for the average young man. | 1t is right here that reading boys divide sharply into two classes, those who keep books around them at all times, no matter how small their earn- ings. and those who drop books out of their lives as unessential. The young men of the first class know that books are as vitally neces- sary in their lives as the very food they eat. The men of the second class, with crude realism, know that something to eat must take precedence of something | to read. Man never reads so well as | when he has a well filled stomach. | It is the ancient law. * K K x But since reading is an acquired characteristic, he who drops it during | the time when he is establishing him- | self, as the phrase goes, in the eco- | nomic world in which human beings live and breathe and eat will find that it cannot be taken up egain as easily | as he might think. ‘The mind has gone rusty in one par- ticular. The one characferistic which | distinguishes the reading of books from | the reading of magazines and news- papers is that of persistence. But |there are persistences and persistences! ‘The man who has refused to make good books a part of his life for a certain number of years, say 10 years, as in the case of the man mentioned, will find that the persistence which has stood him in good stead in the chase after the elusive (how long ago it seems since it was called the al- | mighty!) dollar is not the same sort of persistence which is necessary in reading a good book. A mind which possesses enough na- tive shrewdness to collect dollars often | 1s not necessarily the sort of mind which can cope with the intricacies of in- volved thought, working back on itself in an attempt to elucidate itself to it- self and thence to the reader. A book is a specialized working out of thoughts of such length that the mind of the reader must be more con- tinuously on the stretch. If this con- centration on this specialized work does not seem pleasant and interest- ing to him, he probably will not in- dulge in it at all. And it is right here that the man who has not read books for a definite period of years finds himself at sea. He may lecture him- self because of his failure to be inter- ested, he may wonder why he no long- er finds a good a high spot of his day or night, but he may feel sure of one thing, and that is that in so far as reading books is concerned he has lost his old-time persistence along a good trall, the pathway of the printed word, which runs back to the beginning of history. One may get back on the road, if he loses it, but it takes work. And the outcome is not sure, Highlights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands to send them to her husband in re- venge. Phally he consented to return them to her, one by one, on condition that she send him each month 3,000 francs (about $130). The lady con- sented to this afrangement, and the remittances continued for more than three years when, wearied of the im- position, she decided to tell her hus- band all about it. He immediately lodged a complaint. The police found in the home of the swindler a letter which he was just on the point of mail- ing to the lady, and which established his culpability. Latour has been ar- rested and imprisoned. P Fares Will Be Cut on Rhine Steamships. Deutsche Verkehrsblaetter, Berlin.— Prices for travel on Rhine steamships will be lowered for the coming season, which will begin March 25. The rates for ordinary steamers will be 4.8 pfen- nigs (about one cent) & kilometer. On the faster boats the rates will be two pfennigs higher. Round-trip tickets will be sold for two-thirds of the full rate going and returning. Parties com- prising 15 or more persons will be granted a rebate of 20 per cent on the full rates, un]e;u t:lehzr:\'x:l:u:ln‘l‘:’e;s more than 200, in which c = ance of 30 per cent will be made. Chil- dren accompanied by adults will be car- ried for half fare. ——— Danger Is Scented In World Police Plan | From the St. Joseph Ga: No doubt Senator Borah is right in his sharp statement that no consider- able number of governments will favor the proposal of France at the Geneva conference to create an international police force for the preservation of world peace. No other major power has ever shown any approval of the basic idea of the plan. Conditions being what they are, an international police force would result in an organization which inevitably would be manipulated for special in- terests, the same as any other interna- tional machinery now in existence. Statesmen really desirous of permanent peace waste their time designing such machinery. What is wanted is a com- plete recasting of the ideas and emo- tions behind the world antagonisms that now make peace a Wwill-o'-the-wisp. When that is accomplished it will be easy to create the necessary organiza- tion if, indeed, any is needed. If you grant certain qualifications to the “international mind,” such as dis- interestedness, wisdom, an infallible formula for defining aggression and a strong feeling of world community, in the place of intense nationalism, France's scheme appears sound. But, keeping the realities in mind, one sees the pro- posal as being at best nothing more than an oblique restatement of France's well known ideas on national security. These ideas are reminiscent of Pax Romano. There is good reason for believing, however, that France did not propose the creation of an international police force entirely in good faith. The pro- posal has many of the earmarks of political action designed to convince the home folks that their leaders are pro- ducing what would be great stuff if only foreigners could understand. At any rate, it is hardly conceivable that the tough-minded French politicians have mymhope of selling the scheme to world. the No Self Broadcaster. From the Columbus Ohlo State Journal. Washington was an aristocrat, bt he overcame the handicap by keeping it to himself and going a his work as if nothing had happened. — As Long as “When.” From the South Bend Tribune. 'm:e hpr'ofljzcud l"uler'!l”le tax increases must iporary, & Treasury ment official tells the House Wm How long i 1 By G. Gould Lincoln, The Democrats are at it, hot and heavy. With Al Smith, the party standard bearer in 1928, jolted severely by the New Hampshire primaries and the newspapers interpreting the Roose- velt victory there as an indication that Smith has lost his personal Popularity, Smith supporters are reported to be fighting mad. They are planning, they say, to do all kinds of things to Roose- velt in the Massachusetts and Pennsyl- vania primaries. But can they? In Massachusetts, which Smith carried in 1928 despite the fact that he lost nearly all the rest of the country, the Smith candidacy looks to be a walkaway. On the Smith bandwagon are Senators Walsh and Coolidge of Massachusetts, Gov. Ely and officials of the Democratic State organization. Since Smith decided to be a receptive candidate and gave his permission to his Democratic friends to run as Smith delegates in the Massa- chusetts primary, it has been widely proclaimed that the Massachusetts delegation Was in the Smith bag. Indeed, & defeat for Roosevelt in Massachusetts has been softened and made less significant from the very fact that every one has conceded that Myssachusetts is Smith territory, * X ox % But the fighting in Massachusetts is not over yet. Mayor James M. Curley of Boston, who has a big following in that Democratic city, has no love for Al Smith. He is subporting Roosevelt and has called on Smith to withdraw from the Massachusetts primaries in the interests of harmony, Smith has promptly declined. All this since the results in New Hampshire became known. The outlook appears to be | that Smith will not have a solid dele- | gatlon from Massachusetts when the contest is over April 21, and that there will be such a fight in the Bay State that will leave severe party scars. Nothing could please the Republicans more. The Roosevelt Democrats, head- ed by Curley, are apparently not going to give way in this primary fight. So far as Pennsylvania is concerned Roosevelt looks to have much the bet- ter of it at this time. He has strong backing among the Democrats of the State. The fact that former supporters of Smith in Pennsylvania and else- where do not believe that he can re- ceive the nomination for President this year is militating strongly against Smith’s chances in the Keystone State. * % ok ok Many theories have been advanced regarding the reason for Al Smith get- ting into this preconvention campaign at all. One prominent Democrat from New York, who is not favorable to the nomination of Gov. Roosevelt. said to- day, but not for quotation, that “Smith personally is very fond of Roosevelt, but he is unwilling to have him nominated for President, believ- ing that Roosevelt is not qualified for the job." For that reason, this Dem- ocrat insists, Smith believes himself justified in doing all tkat he can to prevent the nomination of Roosevelt. Smith, he continued, is not a candi- date for the nomination himself; he is merely In the picture to prevent the nomination of Roosevelt. He said, too, that Smith now is a “Wall Street man,” and all his friends, including John J. Raskob and some of the du Ponts, are Wall Street men. This Wail Street group, he added, is intent upon defeating Roosevelt because of his stand on public utilities, and Smith is going along with them in this effort. And there you are. That is the kind of thing that has been widely spread about the Smith candidacy, which is declared, after all, to be merely a hol- low sham to the Wall Streeters them- selves, but which is no sham to the fighting Smith Democrats in Massa- chusetts and elsewhere. It would look as though Mr. Smith would either have to become a real candidate or quit be- fore long. { * x ok x But whatever Mr. Smith may do, it is evident there is a large number of Democrats in this country who do not intend to see Alfred E. Smith become the new William Jennings Bryan of the Democratic party, & kind of perennial candidate for President. What they want is a Democratic President, not merely a candidate. Even if Mr. Smith should have a big majority or all of the Massachusetts delegation to the Democratic National Convention, it is predicted in well in- formed Democratic quarters in New York that Gov. Roosevelt will have at least 75 of New York delegation of 94, and that the Governor may have nearly all of the delegation. * K ok % ‘The Democrats in convention in Min- nesota yesterday picked 24 delegates to support Roosevelt for the Democratic nomination. The Smith Democrats made a desperate fight, but were in a minority and finally withdrew from convention and held & rump conven- tion of their own. Out of some 800 delegates to the State Convention about 200 withdrew. They are not likely to get very far with a protest delegation to the National Convention. Yet in 1928 Smith had the Minnesota dele- gation to the Houston convention with- out difficulty. Times have changed since then. Hoidale, Democratic can- didate for the Senate in 1930, who ran a close race against Senator Schall, is & Roosevelt leader and was elected chairman of the State Convention yes- terday. As a matter of fact, Minnesota is not a Democratic State. The real protest party against the Republicans there is the Farmer-Labor party. The primary and election laws in Minne- sota have gone a long way toward break- ing down party lines, howeyer. The members of the Minnesota Legislature, nearly all of the officials, except Gov- ernor and members of Congress, are nominated and elected without party designation. Under such circumstances the G. O. P, which has been a domi- nant party in the State since the Civil | War, has found it difficult to keep a strong organization in operation, * % % x President Hoover has given written permission to the Honve': candidates for delegates to the Republican Na- tional Convention to run as delegates pledged to his candidacy. He will have the whole Ohio delegation, ac- cording to Postmaster General Brown, who has been looking after the mat- ter. The President, however, is not going to file in the presidential prefer- ential primary. His friends believe that such filing is not only not neces- sary, but would be a mere idle gesture, since he will have the' delegates pledged to him anyway. He was com- pelled to file his formal assent to have delegates pledged to him under the Ohio primary and election laws. candidate for office of delegate to & | National Convention must give his| first and second choice for the presi- | dential nomination, and he is not per- mitted to write in’ these choices with- out the consent of the candidates. There was no other way for Mr. Hoo-~ ver to get a single delegate to the Republican National Convention, The list of Ohio delegates is headed by Senator Simeon D. Fess, Republican national chairman, * ok ko Three haye filed in the Ohio Repub- lican presidential preference g former Senator France ot land, Jacob S. Coxey and Olin J. Ross, Columbus attorney, who filed alsc in 1928. None of them have or will have any delegates pledged to them. So what happens in the presidential pri- mary—a primary that is not binding but merely advisory—will affect the sit- uation not at all. President Hoover has cesired, his friends explain, not to enter into an active campaign, going into various State preferential pri- maries, and his decision not to file in Ohio is in line with his failure to enter in the North Dakota and Illinois pref- l(;l;el‘l(:el - aln 'I.;ll :h“g States, wever, Hoover delegat be put orward for election to the national A| gon,” recalls the Oklahoma City Okla- BY FREDERI There is no other agency in the world that can answer as many legit- imate questions as our free Informa- tion Bureau in Washington, D. C. This highly organized institution has been built up and is under the personal di- rection of Prederic J. Haskin keeping in constant touch with fed- eral bureaus and other educational en- terprises it is in a position to pass on to you authoritative information of the highest order. Submit your queries to the staff of experts whose services are put at your free disposal. There is no charge except two cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Address The Washington Star Information Bureau, ton, D. C. Q. How much does the motion plc- ture industry pay in taxes?—A. N. A. It is estimated that the industry pays $100,000,000 vearly in taxes. Q. What is & Roman holiday?—, B. A. Tt was a day of amusement in an- clent Rome, characterized by gladia- torial contests and other bloody games: hence it has come to mean enjoyment or profit whereby others suffer. Q. Is it dangerous for boys to play in caves?—F. F. A, The Safe Worker says that it of- ten leads to trouble. Cave-ins may oc- cur, and in abandoned mines, old test pits, shafts and tunnels there is al- ways the danger of explosive or as- phyxiating gas. Q. How long has it been customary for political parties to announce plas forms?>—M. 8. A. The first party platform was drawn up in Washington in 1832 at a political meeting gathered to indorse the candidacy of Henry Clay and de- clare principles. The Democratic party did not adopt a platform or “address to the people” until the convention of 1840. In 1844 both Democrats and ‘Whigs adopted platforms and the prac- tice has been uninterrupted from that time. Q. Who suggested a Peace Garden on the boundary betwesn Canada and the United States?—A. L. A. The idea is the conception of Henry J. Moore of the Ontario Depart- ment of Agriculture. The Peace Ga den is to be a permanent memorial, commemorating good will between Can- ada and the United States. Q. Is Shanghal surrounded by wa- ter, or is it on the mainland?—A. B. A. Shanghal is located on the Whangpoo river, a small tributary of the Yangtze, which enters the Yangtze close. to its ‘mouth. Kiangsu Province work of waterways, either natural or artificial canals. Shanghai is, how- ever, on the mainland, and is not com- pletely surrounded by water in the Zense that an island city would be. Q. Whawdoes the German word von mean, as in Von Zel?—J. Y, .?. German surnames it means Q. What piece of music is most often requested as a concert number?—H. H. A. Hans Hanke, concert pianist, says that it has been his experience that the most requests are made for Liszt's “Liebestraum.” Q. Are the bills introduced at va- rious sessions of Congress given new numbers, or does each Congress begin with No. 1?—M. K. A, Bills and resolutions in Congress are numbered by Congresses, the first introduced at the beginning of a new Congress bearing the mark No. 1, and 50 on. Sessions of the same Congress :&ntmu- numbering from the last ses- n. Q. Have early predictions of the growth of American population been Jjustified?—W. C. C. A. Opinions have been expressed in the past on both sides, but most prob- ably were overenthusiastic. In his first annual message to Congress Pres- Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing- is flat and is in fact covered by a net- | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS C J. HASKIN. ! | ident Lincoln declared: “There are already among us those who, if the Union be presetved, will live to see it contain 250,000,000.” In his second annual mq Mr. Lincoln predicted that by 1920 the population would have reached 187,000,000. At that time it was only 105,710,000. The geogra- phers now set the probable static maxi- mum at from 160,000,000 to 180,000.- 000. Q. What birds have become extinct In the United States within the last 200 years”—C. B. A. The passenger pigeon in the 1880's, Labrador duck in the 1840's and the great auk in the 1840's. Q. How much first-class mail wa handled by the Post Office Departm last year?—M. S. A. For the fiscal year ending June 30. 1931: Number of letters, 15911 - 567.916; penalty letters, 511,893,883 franked letters, 38,843,177. Of the to- tal number of letters given in the fir<t | figure, 1,322,080.268 were governme: post cards and 278,008,018 were priva: mailing post cards. Q. How tall were George Washing- ton and Abraham Lincoln?—W. M. S. A. At the time of his death George Washington was 6 feet 313 inches. It is probable that he was considerably taller during the prime of life. Abra- ham Lincoln was G feet 4 inches. Q. Were the coinages of anclent | Babylon, Greece and Rome gold or sil- ver>—W. W. L. A. The coins of the Babylonian Em- pire. were both gold and silver, In Ronfe, from 268 B. C. onward, the ses- tertius was the unit of money. It was at first a small silver coin, but under the Empire a brass sestertius was is- sued. Silver was the standard coinage of ancient Greece. Gold was rarely coined in Greece proper, but it was largely minted by Alexander the Great and his immediate successors, | Q. Do crickets eat clothing?—R. M. A —Crickets do not subsist entirely on clothing, as clothes moths do. In fact, they are essentially fleld insects, which live on plant material naturally. However, they do get into houses for the sake of warmth, and in some cases eat clothing when no other food is available, Q. When and where is this year's | National Aircraft Show to be held?— |H. 8. | ATt will be held in Detroit, April 2 to 10. Q. How many islands are there of {an area of 25000 square miles or more?—W. C. L. | A. There are twenty-eight single | Islands in such a list. This is headed | by the island continent of Australia and is concluded with Banks Island, in the Arctic Ocean, which has an | area of 25,000 square miles. Q. Why is standard time measured from England?—P, N. A. The custom of reckoning the prime meridian as that of Greenwich arose because Greenwich is the Na- | tional Observatory of England. Brit- ish ships naturally referred their | longitude to this meridian and the sys- tem spread all over the world. The advantage of having a single system overcame local prejudices. Q. What has become of the banking house of Rothschild?—R. N. A. It still flourishes. However, so many great joint stock company enter- prises have arisen, doing vaster busi- ness, that the old personal firms are overshadowed. The Rothschilds have no counting house in the United States, although they have correspondents, They operate largely in England and on the continent. Q. How far up is the Missour! river navigable?—F, I. A. It is navigable in summer dur- ing the flood period as far as Great Fall, Montana, and in low water as as Buford, at the mouth of the Yellowstone river. The current German election is of special interest to Americans because , Paul von Hindenburg and Adoph Hitler represent two widely divergent interests affecting the foreign policy of that re- public. The conservatism of the former and the reversal of established policies which is preached by the latter have of- fered an opportunity for a test of strength between the two forces, result of which is subject to speculative com- ! ment here in America. | The Chattanooga Times, in its sum- | mary of all the candidacies, states: “Al- | though President von Hindenberg has | displayed unswerving loyalty to the re- | public, he is described as being a mon- archist at heart. Hitler has developed his movement around the idea of dis- posing of the republic, but last week he accepted a governmental position and took an oath to support the Weimar constitution, thereby becoming a citizen of the republic and eligible for its presidency. Duesterburg, backed by the German Nationalists and the Steel Hel- met organization, is an avowed foe of | the republic. And Thaelmann, who is a Communist, is no less eager than Hit- ler to bring about abandonment of the country’s present form of government.” “Venerable Paul von Hindenburg, according to the Cincinnati Times- Star, “embodies the traditional virtues of his nation. In peace, as in war, he has never failed in courage, in indus- try or in stern loyalty to the Father- land. His determination to carry on at the age of 84 is no less heroic than bis milkary service, that spanned the victory of 1871 and the defeat of 1918, Though he has lived only half of Hin- denburg’s years, Adolf Hitler repre- sents just as completely newer ele- ments in German life—a taste for bold experiment, & passion for display and a_ spiritual revolt born of despair. There is something of the adventurer in Hitler's make-up. An Austrian by birth, he was a middling artist and an interior decorator before he joined the German army and won a medal for valor. Since the war he has been the firebrand of German politics, though only recently did he become a citizen. His speeches, like his polit- ical conduct, have been clever, but im- petuous and often absurd, Mussolini's mimic, he has mastered the modern art of publicity. But his best publicity agent is Germany's economic distress.” “Even in the days of the Armaged- homan, “Americans had a certain ad- miration for Hindenburg. They at least admired the military capacity of the man who conguered the Russian armies at Tannenberg and held the western lines of Germany against an embattled world. Since hostilities eame to an end the Western people have seen their admiration for the aged German in- crease vastly. They admire the way in which he assumed control of a war- wasted nation and became the con- structive Washington of his people in- stead of a self-centered Mussolini. Most military men make & mistake when they assume civic position after a sue- cessful military career. But in this respect Hindenburg is entirely unlike the others. He has added to his fame as President of the German repuslic.” Pointing out the fact that one of the important forces in the election cam- paign has been the interest of the peo- ple of East Prussia, the Hartford Times remarks that “the Polish Cor- ridor is a delicate question, and is Jikely to remain so for some time.” The Ann Arbor Daily News emphasizes the ngerous Hitler in his plank Leading German Candidates Arouse Interest in Policies |on the other hand, refers to yumors that “Hitler is not radical enough to suit the group that has surrounded him,” and that “he is now a pawn in their hands, rather than a leader of the Fascist movement in that country.” Seeing significance in the fact that Von Hindenburg “entered the contest as & non-partisan, at the request of many organizations throughout the land,” the San Antonio Express com- ments on Hitler: “He was born in Austria and served in the German army dufing the Great War. His ad- herents mainiy are drawn from the ‘white-collar’ elements, small farmers unduunl;lrerslty students. Hitler inces- santly denounces the Communists as highly dangerous to Germany, yet he :{;-:nn ‘;l‘d.snthen:n‘ indirectly by attacks ruening government, that is thoroughly bourgeois.” Centennial Recalls Writings of Alger From the Philadelphia Public Ledger. Of the thousands of persons who were reminded that the 100th anniversary of the birth of Horatio Alger, jr., occurred & few days ago probably not more than a handful felt a genuine thrill of rem- iniscent affection. Nearly every man of 40 or older read the Alger books in his youth, but somehow the Alger books were not the sort to inspire cherished | recollections. They were eminently re- spectable, every one of them taught a moral lesson, they all received parental approval; but when it comes to the thrills of boyhood reading, not the whole output of Horatio Alger, jr., can come up with one paper-backed volume of the “Dijamond Dick” school. Alger was one of the first of a school of writers who turned out millions of words for “the young." He was a preacher before he was a writer. But his time as well as his inclinations di- rected the course of his moral plati- tudes, He was neither a stylist nor a master of plot. Many a boy of 30 years 8go soon discovered that all of Aiger's books told the same story of a boot- black or newsboy who rose by sheer strength of character and moral virtue to marriage with the banker's daugh- tAeIr' e:nd"wuzrena m.l':m] wealth. Yet ote and sold 119 bool ":“l:ed'rul’:u one plot. o e . however, was not the only au- thor to use that plot. Oliver o;m{: put it into some 100 volumes for boys, and they, too, sold well. But before either Alger or Optic retired a new type of boys’ book was coming into vogue. It was the adventure tale, full of herolcs, rounded out with moral righteousness, but of & more sturdy nature. It was, in & way, & compromise between the books of Alger and the forbidden “dime novels” about hair-raising feats of frontier heroes. Probably the finest flowering of this type of book came with the G. A. Henty stories, most of them in foreign settings, but all with an su- thenticity of adventure and character that made Alger and Optic seem like pretty tame stuff. Small wonder that Alger waned under such competition. Now, however, Alger has achieved & new status, His books are coming to be regarded as Americana. His first edi- tions are collectors’ items, and prices for them are climbing. He seems, in this centennial year, destined for a sort of fame. But that fame will be the fame of a curiosity, not of a classic. ———— Rain. from | From the Bioux Falls Dally Argus-Leader. declaring for foreign slavery,” and suggests the pos- sibility of the French !ol sction,” State Journgl,! Tegions, the proverbial . generally caused B 8B In rainy