Evening Star Newspaper, March 18, 1932, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY.........March 18, 1832 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star N Company T Rate by Carrier Within the City. Evening Star.... . .45¢ per month Even| and Su ar (when 4 Sundays) 60c per month Evening and Sunday Siar ‘when * Sutdays) 65¢ per month nday Star 8¢ _rer copy lection made at the ei ed ‘each month Qpters may be semt in by mall o telephone NAtional 6000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. y and Sunday.....1or. h’* a5 oniy i All Other States and Canada. fly and Sunda: .00: 1 mo.. §1, ily only ; 2 58.00: 1mo. 7 inday only 3 #0imen doe) Member of the Associsted Press. oclated Press is exclusively cutitled 2o e ‘e or epublication of Wil newh dis- stches credited 1o It or not etherwise cred. nd & tocal e e 80T 09, e of Pubiication of ispatches herein are also reserved. = Local Unemployment Relief. The President’s action in forwarding to Congress a bill for the appropriation of $600,000 for local unemployment relief, the money to be taken from local funds, is dictated by an emer- gency, the significance of which can- not be escaped. Washington's pri- vate charitable and welfare agencies, supported through generous local con- tributions to the Community Chest, have found themselves without suffi- clent funds to meet the extraordinary demands for relief this Winter. Money set aside by the Community Chest for relief of the unemployed and admin- tstered by the District Committee on Unemployment will not last beyond April 1. If, on that date, those here- tofore under the care of this commit- : were turned over to other organi- fons, such as the Associated Char- itles, those other agencies will find their budgets taxed beyond their al- ready slender resources. Additional relief, from other sources, is necessary. Practically every commu- nity in the United States has found it necessary to supplement private relief funds by public funds. The same necessity has arisen here. The question has been where to get the money. During this emergency the principle that local relief is a local problem that should be dealt with by each locality has been successfully upheld in the face of continued and growing demands that the Federal Government appropriate funds for such relief. It is possible that President Hoover's request for congressional action in appropriating funds for unemployment relief in the District of Columbia will be considered inconsistent with his firm stand against Federal relief for the country as a \whole. As a matter of fact, it is not incon- sistent. Congress occuples the status of & State Legislature or & City Council fm exercising its exclusive over the District of Columbia. Representative Simmons’ recently ex- pressed view, which differentiates be- tween our municipal funds handled by Congress as our municipal legislature | and national funds handled by Con- gress as the national legislature and protests against the automatic applica- tion to the former of decisions con- cerning the appropriations of the latter, is sound. Congress serves in a triple capacity in relation to the National Capital. As the national legislature it appropriates some of the national funds, to which the people of the District are relatively large tributors, to the maintenance and development of the Nation's city, just us it appropriates millions for internal improvements and for education, etc., in the States. When Congress trans- forms fitself into the District's State legislature or municipal legislature, as #t will in action on the President’s rec- ommendation, it is dealing with local funds and should not be restricted by limitations self-imposed upon its ap- propriations as National Legislature of national funds. It is on the assumption that the $600,000 now requested for local relief represents local revenues and not national revenue, and that Congress in this case is acting as Wash- ington's “City Council,” that the Presi- dent has sent forward this bill. —e— Encouragement may be found by Alfalfa Bill in the fact that fastening & quaint nickname on a man often proves one of the best possible ways to promote him in a public career. ————— publishe special Resubmission Planks. Gov. George White of Ohio, Democrat, elected in 1930 after having had the indorsement of the drys, has declared himself in favor of the resubmission of the eighteenth amendment. The Ohio Governor has not indicated that he is favorable to the repeal of the prohibi- tlon amendment. But in the eyes of many of the most ardent drys ‘he has gone from the straight and narrow path. Those who looked te the Ohio Governor as the dry hope of the Demo- cratic party in this presidential year will be disappointed. Gov. White, on the other hand, may argue as many friends of prohibition argue; he may hold that & mew vote! on prohibition in the States would show the eighteenth amendment to be as firmly fixed in the Constitution as ever. He and the other prohibitionists who take this view have faith in the dry cause and in its support by the Amer- ican people and their State Legislatures or State constitutional conventions, whichever may be the vehicle of ratification. Notwithstanding the apparent in- fcrease in strength of the wets in Con- gress, it is obvious that the drys are still In & strong position. Two-thirds votes in the House and Senate are re- quired for resubmission of the eight- eenth amendment to the States, and should the Congress order resubmision, then three-fourths of the States must ratify any change in the eighteenth that about. Back of the movement for resubmission planks in both party platforms are many men and women who sincerely believe that the eight- eenth amendment should be amended or repealed. And with them stand others who would like for one reason or another to have prohibition removed from the coming national campaign 88 an issue. The latter group takes the view that if the Democrats and the Republicans both agree in party con- vention that they are willing to have resubmission of the eighteenth amend- ment, prohibition cannot be & serious question of debate between the two parties this year. The resubmission planks suggest to them an easy way out of a dilemma in which prohibition cuts across the lines of both old parties. The resubmission group has adopted as its slogan the phrase: “Let the peo- ple decide” It is much the same slogan that was used by the drys when they sought to have the eighteenth amendment first submitted for ratifi- cation. It has become clear that a very considerable number of American citizens are opposed to the conditions that now exist under the mational pro- hibition laws, & sufficient number, the wets hold, to warrant a resubmission of the amendment. ‘What is to happen in the event the Republican and Democratic National Conventions adopt planks pledging their respective parties to support s resolution of resubmission? Individual members of Congress have protested against any attempt to bind them to support a resubmission plank. Such protests have come particularly from members in the dry South. At the same time, members of Congress from wet States have not felt themselves compelled to follow their party in sup- port of platform pledges in favor of prohibition enforcement. A resubmis- sion plank in party platforms may, after all, be merely a gesture, designed to permit the parties to take the hurdle of the coming election without having to take off on the slippery ground of prohibition. The pressure for such planks is growing stronger. “Grandmother Dead!” Adolf Hitler, who ran second to Von Hindenburg in the indecisive presiden- tial election last Sunday, becomes & poor prospect for the run-off balloting that is to be held on the tenth of April, as a result of raids conducted yesterday throughout Prussia upon the headquar- ters of his National Soclaljst party and the homes of many of the “Nazi" lead- ers. Acting upon information that the Hitlerites had planned a mobilization of their half-million “storm troops” for an attack upon the government, upon the broadcasting of a signal read- ing “Grandmother dead,” the govern- ment swept through the centers and gathered files of correspondence and membership lists, having already un- covered stores of arms and ammuni- tion. Hitler has issued a statement from his headquarters in Munich ac- knowledging that a concentration or- der had been sent forth to his fol- lowers, with the explanation that the movement was intended as a counter- attack upon the Communists, who, dur- ing the past few weeks, have been sniping his partisans, killing forty and wounding thousands, He charges that the raids are a political maneuver to strengthen the hands' of the Von Hin- denburg supporters in the run-off elec- tion. This explanation is not accepted and the impression prevails that the Hitler's campaign has from the be- ginning had & military basis. His fol- lowers have been drilled in military movements. His demonstrations have taken the form of parades in arms. He has cultivated the spirit of strict dis- cipline in the ranks of the “Nazis." It was not belleved, however, that -he would engage in any definite subversive movement pending the election. Prob- ably it has not been his design to move in this direction until the second ballot- ing was concluded in April. The action of the Prussian govemment undoubt- edly cripples him, both as a candidate for the presidency and as a plotter for of the results of the raide, by the tenth of April the German electorate will have been fully advised of the real purpose of the “Nazi" leader. 1t is hatrdly conceivable that Hitler will make = relatively better showing in the run-off election than he did in last Sunday’s balloting. Rather is it likely that he will lose votes, while Von Hindenburg will probably gain. The choice in April will be by plurality, so that the maintenance of the president's vote will give him the victory. It is even possible that Hitler will not ap- pear as a candidate & second time. If this state-wide raid was a political maneuver it was a shrewd and effective one. Hitler has overplayed his hand and Von Hindenburg has called it, showing in his action the courage and resourcefulness that marked his mili- tary leadership during the war, ———— “Judge” has retired from publica- tion. Its very title became a handicap, implying a resbectable restraint that disqualified it for competition with current pictorial comics. e Many Germans feel that Hinden- burg is old enough to know his way about in politics, and are not so sure about Hitler. e Reaction in Manchuria. Further information is required to permit an estimate of the strength of the movement reported from Manchuria designed to overthrow the newly or- ganized government of the “three east- ern provinces” of China, formed under the auspices of the Japanese. Dis- patches state that 100,000 volunteers are marching on Mukden, the former capital, from three directions, destroy- ing the flag of the new government in all the villages they reach and hoist- ing in its stead the Chinese national emblem. The insurgents appear to have some semblance of organization and are led by s Manchurian named Tsing Hal. The Japanese have pre- pared for a campaign of resistance. While formally turning over the ad- amendment, Thirteen States would be|ministration of Manchurian affairs to sufficient to block any change in thefa “native” government, the Japanese Constitution on the subject of national | are undoubtedly present still in con- prohibition. siderable military strength. There is But the insertion of a resubmission|no knowledge of the number of their plank in the party platforms is another | troops in the provinces. Not much matter, In the first place, a mere ma- | confidence is felt in the fidelity of those fJortty vote in the Republican and Demo- Chinese military leaders whe have emite Wottonal Conventions eould bring espowsed the oause of the seperate 'y ‘ THE EVENING Manchurian government. It is quite possible that some of the alleged hun- dred thousand Chinese who are now reported to be in movement are from those “armies” that figured last Fall in the fighting in the northern province. The taking of a few villages and towns in the outlying parts of Man- churia by the newly active insurgent forces does not of ftself signify a formidable campaign. In all likelihood, they are loosely organized and poorly equipped and provided with munitions. |, They may be little more than the “ban- dits” of whom so much has been heard in the course of the Manchurian story of the past six months. Nevertheless, they are symptomatic of a condition | tak that will probably continue for a con- siderable period to keep Japan occu- pled in the effort to maintain the new government of Manchuria. vt Charge of extra fare will not be permitted when two weary travelers book for a single berth on a sleeping car. This may assist in a small way to preserve to railroads the revenuc from passengers who prefer to travel by motor and rest at a wayside inn. The railroads have already revealed a serious lack of competitive induce- ments. e When Albert B. Fall hears of the suggestion on the Senate floor that the Department of the Interior be dropped he can hardly fail to think of the amount of difficulty he would have bean spaved if such a step had been taken long years ago. —ee—e A present idea seems to be that by going ahead patiently and providing one new amendment after another the United States Constitution may even- tually be made as complete and satis- factory a document as it was considered in the Nation's earlier history. ————————— It is not easy to explain why a few statesmen are so willing to reduce the salaries of Government workers, when nearly every one represents an im- portant element of voting strength out home. —r———————— Ondy a gifted man could resume an interrupted career exactly where he left it off, as J. Hamilton Lewis has done. He is as radiant as ever with ideas for impressive attire and for public policy. ————————— Criminologists may easily arrive at more or less reliable conclusions as to why crimes are committed. What the world is now most anxious to know is how they can be stopped. None denies that Herr Hitler has initiation and energy. It is also obvi- ous that German difficulties have at times been due to an oversupply of those qualities. ——r————————— While other important business is being attended to, the numerous Demo- cratic presidential possibilities might get together and decide among them- selves as to a recognized banner bearer. r————————— A candidate inclined to classical quo- tetion might overwhelm “Sidewalks of New York” by reviving “Schooldays” for service as a popular campalgn song. e —r————————— Stiffening the penalties for kidnaping will not at this moment make condi- tions any safer for children who have already been abducted. i e ——r—e——————— The income tax form should be pre- served with care. Next year it is likely to seem a souvenier of happler days. o SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Reliable Relaxation. ‘Whatever be the cause of grief, ‘We know that pretty soon We'll find reliable relief And sing the glad old tune. The difficulties great and small At last we will explain And try to end them as we all Go voting once again. ‘The holidays will swiftly range ‘Through this uncertain clime. However much the seasons change, It's always ballot time. For polls informal we may call Our feelings to explain. ‘We take new courage as we all Go voting once again, It is the national sport, indeed, ‘Whose charm is never lost Of every mc > we haste to read In sunshine or in frost. It's even betier than base ball ‘To soothe each mortal pain. Whate'er befall, we still may all Go voting once again. Obsolete Metapheor. “Don’t you think you are trying to rise too rapidly in your political career?” asked the constituent. “No,” replied Senator Sorghum. “Remember the poet wrote, ‘The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight.’ " “Yes, But that was written long ago, before they had tall bulldings with modern elevators.” Jud Tunkins says Uncle Sam ain't the first youngster that spent money lavishly for nothing much except a headache. Inevitable Conclusion. Taxation analyzed with care Presents this universal plea: “To be intelligently fair ‘They should tax every one—save me.” Functioning. “Do you see any excuse for un- employment?” “None whatever,” answered Mr. Dustin Stax. “When prosperity is to be recovered, it's time for methods to be devised to keep everybody as busy as possible.” “It is not easy,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “to offer good advice that will not be regarded as & reproof instead of an assistance.” That Old Friend Bee. Ere long the bee with generous pride ‘Will go, when the days are sunny, To gather wealth from far And wide, Like humans making money. Though thrifty and industrious, he Would think it rather funny Could he not share with you and me. He never hoards his honey. “De reason jeducation goes kind o slow,” sald Eben, “is dat so many of u listen to & banjo -n-&—‘fll#‘;..._.. STAR. WASHINGTON. D.- C., FRIDAY, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. One of the queerest things success breeds in some men is the conviction that they must be right in anything they care to turn their minds to. Not in everything they undertake, let it be emphasized. ‘I;hetu would be nothing queer about | ot s Becaute & man succeeds in one walk | of life is no reason why he knows any- thing about another. And it is right there that our biological specimen makes his b resent | mis- e. He holds the soothing '.heorht!hlt on any problem in the universe judg- ment is as good as any other man’s, even the man who has made a specialty of it. Here is one who has succeeded largely in politics, let us say, who happens to express an opinion as to a change in weather. * ok ok % As a mere opinion, that and nothing more, his expression would be inter- esting, but not necessarily <onvincing. He convinces himself and feels angry if he does not carry a similar convic- tion to others. | “The wind has changed to the South,” he says with deep finality. | “Tomorrow will be warmer." ‘That night Old Man Weather plays a low trick on him and sends the ther- mometer tumbling to the cellar. The next day a friend twits the know-it-all on his ability as a prophet. “Thought you said it was going to get warmer," he asks in all innocence, not supposing that the other took his pretensions at all seriously. * ok * % The would-be meteorologist almost foams at the mouth. Instead of admiiting with a laugh that he tried a buff and nature did not agree with him, he begins to excuse himself as best he can in angry tones, as if determined to scream down an opponent. juch tactics are old, but always good in the hands of a skillful man. Thus_ many an argument has been ended in favor of the real loser, unfortunately for the cause of eternal truth. It may be stated in passing that eter- nal truth resides quite as often in small matters as in large. In the history of the human race & small word often has | been the key to mighty outcomes. Nothing is from the universal standpoint. EEE How does it come about that a man interested in politics, for instance, and in almost nothing but polities, could think for a moment that his opinion on weather conditions would be of any value? In his youth, no doubt, he heard many nursery rhymes built on meteor- ological themes. “Mother Goose's” fin- gles are full of them. Predicting the weather from the layman’s standpoint is as easy as rhyming two words. Many of those old sayings were based, however, on centuries of close observa- tion, and have a great deal of common sense in them. This does not mean that they are scientific, as we use the latter word today. Above all, it does not mean that they have universal application. While it is true, for instance, that when the wind turns to the South after blowing from the North for several days the likellhood is that the tem- perature will moderate, there is noth- ing at all sure about it. The real “weather men,” those who | have studied such things for years an have made their living by such studies, know that the wind is but one of sev- eral important factors in prediction. * % x x Probabilities, showing tendencies, may be derived from any of the factors go- ing into weather study, but any one of them may be upset overnight by any other factor. ‘These xl:igle facts, apparent to any |O one who think about the matter, were overlooked by our political gentle- man who set himself up as a weather prophet and then got angry because he 1 afled. ‘What he was angry at, of course, was that his pretense had been discovered. No one in this world likes to be caught at anything. It is another curious tralt in human nature that a man is reasonably well satisfled even if he realizes his bluff is seen through just 20 long as it is not called. * ok % X ‘We have the pretty spectacle of able men speaking learnedly on subjects about which they know nothing, and such are the conditions of modern life that few dare to say a word in opposi- tion to them. r)}‘;obm‘ly of any intelligence at all is fooled in the least, however. ‘“Shoe- maker, stick to thy last” is an old, old saying, one as applicable today as when it was coined. Alexander Pope wisely pointed to the necessity for tasting deeply of learning 1f one is to set one’s self up as a moni- tor of mankind. In a world of such diversity as this displays a superficial acquaintance will not do if one is to “rush in where angels fear to tread.” If one is going to be an oracle, one must train for oracleship. If one insists on displaying universal knowledge, one must do more than make chance remarks in the hope that time will bear them out. * %k ox % Modern life has demonstrated one thing to a nicety—that the specialist in any line has a better chance than he who might be called & “diffusist.” A scattering of forces does not per- mit that concentration of mind and | effort which makes for success in any walk of life. But if this is true, it is equally so that narrowing one's work has a re- strictive tendency which reacts all along the line. If a man concentrates on the manu- facture of automobile engines, what right has he to expect people to con- sider him a philosopher? His general ideas as to life and liv- ing may be ort & par with those of most men, but that they are any better, and especially any truer, is an entirely dif- ferent thing. Surely it is this inner realization that specialization does tend to narrow one’s very life and viewpoint that im- pels many an otherwise sensible fellow to mistake success for authority to speak forth views on any and every- thing. * * ok X What still sticks in the craw of the honest observer is that such men will not admit, even to themselves, that othefs may understand their failings and their lack of universal knowledge. ‘Why should they mind their failings being pointed out to them? Surely no human being is so foolish in this world as to believe that any one man in this day and age can make even a pretense to “knowing it all.” Perhaps at some time in the dim past, when mankind had reduced life and living to & scheme of things, fairly | 8Tee. uniformly held the world around in civilization, there might have been men of such mental grasp that they had a right to pretend to “universal knowl- Tl:;ufl.:::in f the hot g of e tizons of science has left that time in the A The palpable evidences on every m of specialized knowledge in the form of machines, engines, chemicals, utili- tion of laws of physics, of universal laws, leaves the d of the individual staggering under the weight of all there is to know. If David could stand in amazement before the wonder of life, 50 can we of today; and that very life today presents many aspects of which he was ignorant, so that our wonder is all the greater and our sense of ulti- mate ignorance all the m T. “How wonderful ?.n the works of Thy hands, Lord,” even truer today tha when David sang. d 2 WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS ‘The zero hour for filling 1931 Fed- eral income tax returns has come and | gone. The tabulation of the returns and the totaling of the cash receipts is proceeding as rapidly as possible, and the full extent of business stagnation, shrunken incomes, vanished profits and staggering losses of the past year will soon be revealed by the tax figures. Income tax collections, which have been slumping badly for the past eighteen | months, are now in a final nose dive. It is more than coincidence that the income tax res will come out right | on the eve of next week's vote in the House on the new tax bill. Though the, Democratic revolt in the House on the sales-tax plan is of substantial pro- portions, both Democratic and Republic- an House leaders are quietly confident that their coalition in support of the bill, sales tax and all, commands votes enough to insure its If a final club is needed to cinch the sales-tax plan, its proponents Messrs. Garner and Crisp, and its Republican allies, Messrs. Snell and Hawley, are relying on the sad news from the Treasury of the March 15 tax collections in its relation to the mounting Treasury deficit and the falling prices in the security markets. * Kk *x ‘The new member of the House from the fifth district of Mississippi will ar- | rive next week to be sworn in and take up his congressional duties. He is L. Russell Elizey, a school teacher, who won a three-cornered contest in a spe- cial election last Monday held to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Repre- sentative Percy E. Quin. Mr. Ellzey has never previously held political office. He is a native of Mississippi, on the sunny side of 50, is married, and the of a large family of Ellzeys, who are scattered all over his section of his State, and who rallied to his sup- port in the recent contest. The new Congressman as superintendent of the Copiah Lincoln Agricultural High School and Junior College of Wesson, | Miss., to enter public life at the National Capital, * kX % The French consul at Boston is J. C. J. Flamand, who has resided there for half & century and is widely known to the French-American citizenry of Massachusetts. His initials “J. C. J" stand for “Jesus Christ Joseph,” the name with which he was christened. Mayor Curley of Boston announced that Consul Flamand will be on the “pledged-to-Roosevelt” Demo- cratic Convention delegate slate, which the Boston mayor is putting into the fleld in tion to the &}:d(ed-to- Smith s! sponsored by regular Democratic organization in the Bay State. The question of the propriety of an accredited member of the French can brought to the attention of the Prench embassy at Washington. It was a novel question. The iy | B has promised | lady present, |all the cabinet members, followed by to keep myself in the background hl; fiuhnum. I don't want the ll.mg-t i * %ok % Gov. Roosevelt is proposing to make two personal appearances outside of New York State next month. It will be the first time since his presidential got formally under way that :‘l:turcd to travel. come to Washington on April 13 to attend the Jefferson da Democratic round-up here. He 'lfi attend the annual meeting of the gov- ernors' conference, scheduled for April 24 at Richmond, Va. Roosevelt managers will be c that his nomination at the Chicago convention is an assured certainty, and the eyes of the country will be on him as never before. * ok k% The feminine contingent of the Cap- ital's jouralistic corps, banded m'ethgx under the aegis of the Women's Na- tional Press Club, held their annual frolic this week and did themselves proud. Thelr skits, satires and parodies of current events and current notables, male and femsale, were staged for an audience exclusively feminine, and ac- cording to the eye-witnesses were of superlative excellence. Mrs. Hoover and Dolly Gann were absent. Mrs. Charles Evans Hughes was the ranking d by the wives of the six lady members of the House, wives of Senators and such laity as 4 . Mrs. Eugene Meyer, Alice Longworth, Mabel Walker Willebrandt and many more to the number of 250. Martha Strayer, president of the club, was mistress of ceremonies. * ok ok ok How did shell fish come to be ex- empted from the sales-tax plan of the House Ways and Means Committee? Representative John W. McCormack of , who Jed the successful effort to spare these morsels from tax burden, will tell you that he owes his victory to the poetic propaganda written for him by Clayton F. Moore, one of the clerks of his committee. If a poem saved Old Ironsides, so did verse pro- ::c't. _the Massachusetts clam. Here Let Texas sing the praises Of its famed 'Angora ram— It cannot hold a candle to The Massachusetts clam! The Georgia song of uts, Of peaches, too, and jam, Doesn’t go in Harvard's precincts with The Massachusetts clam! And so0 on for half s dozen stanzas. Moore is the son of J. Hampton Moore, mayor of Philadelphia, whose famous poem made the Nation laugh some years ago, twitting Jack Garner for winning a duty on Angora wool in a Democratic low tariff bill. Copyrisht, 1932. Women Sh::].;i Demand American-Made Goods To the Editor of The Star: with the campaign against idle dollars, why not issue a call to arms to American women? Let their dollars for modll" Our products are American women stand the best; suckle, | behind them and demand American- made articles. Is there any more effective way to fight unemployment, to create jobs and bring prosperity and safety to the country? 1t is up to American women to demand American products, first and last. MRS. DOROTHY P. MOYER. back Winter's Last Swing. "‘o-n |=' Cineinnatt m‘h-:m out of , Winter, Jour-tusber, avings Bard from hid MARCH 18. 1932. System of Government Parking Garages Urged To the Editor of The Star: ’fl‘ m.n nlllht wl\luwkm:w the all-day an - par} problem ™ Three remedies have bee i remedies have N suggested repeatedly. These are: (1) Pass a law prohibiting such parking. (2) En- courage private capital to erect neces- sary garage space. (3) Have the Gov- ernment supply parking space for Government employes. So far these three proposed remedies have failed to fu;‘(;tllon.1 o ere is a fourth possible re; y the solution of this difficult prg‘bmfz remedy for which there is ample pre- cedent in recent congressional action along finance lines. I refer to the | setting up by congresisonal action of | & non-profit Government-controlled cor- | poration with a revolving fund of ample | proportions to completely meet problem. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent or are in the process of being spent to create in ‘Washington the best and most beautiful capital city in the world. The beauty of the Capital is seriously marred by the!| thousands of automobiles which line the curb day and night. If it were possible to decide upon a basis of measure, the statisticians of Government and private business could show an enormous money loss due to the slowing up of traffic and the inaccessibility of busi- ness establishments. Any plan which s&l!\;e: trlgéshx’)m:icm Enn be credited with < imed value: ubiiity. 'S of beauty and Citizens of Washington are in search of a Congressman who will sponsor & bill for setting up a suitable revolving fund for the construction of a series of parking garages of such size, type and in such locations as may be suit- able for dealing adequately with this problem. Such gerages may be of the ramp type. the elevator type, the Fer- ris wheel type or anv other type which shall aosomplish the desired purpose of efficient and economical parking. The financial success of the plan and the return to the Government Treas- ury in reasonable time of principal and suitable interest is assured if certain fundamental principles are established and adherred to. These principles may be summarized briefly as follows: 1. This auto parking corporation is not in competition with any private business. 1It's purpose is to solve & problem which private investment hay falled to solve. 1If this corporation shows the way, private business may step in to complete and carry on the Job, but in doing so exploitation by private capital can be prevented in- definitely by the whip hand of this non-profit organization, which exists only because private initiative has failed to_function in this direction. 2. This auto parking corporation is charged with the duty of getting parked automobiles off the streets day and night. This means the establishment of a sufficient number of such garages and such sizes and locations as shall completely meet the problem. 3. Confiscatory rates are necessarily self-destructive. If an owner must pay a nzwhrrkln( charge every time hé leaves car for over an hour, for in- stance, the cost cf automobile owner- ship is_increased to a prohibitive de- . Every owner of an automobile mfi'fi x‘:i“h}:e or she must ]meec cer- charges. A monthly parking charge paid direct to the auto parking corporation or collected like taxes— which would supply a ticket or tag usable in all of the corporation’s garages —can be made adequate to meet oper- ation, interest and amortization costs. If planning, construction and operation are consistent with the most up-to-date quantity production and sales methods, there is no reason to anticipate pro- hibitive parking expense for any auto- mobile owner. parking The erection of the necessary would be a material aid in the gar: soluf of the unemployment problem— more nearly permanent and i an aid satisfying than charity. WALLACE HATCH. Lesson in Depression Seen Possible Good To the Editor of The Star: Economists have become decidedly chary of late in their forecasts of the return of prosperity. The just-around- the-corner era gone out of date. In a recent lecture a noted economist hazarded his reputation on a 10-year prophecy, which seems safe enough. But prophets or no prophets, we can | th reasonably expect that the depression will end some time. The important question is: When it ends, will we have learned our lesson? No less than 30 times in the finan- cial history of the United States has our country seen depressions. Some of these lasted but a few months; oth- ers, like the present, dragged on into several years. We have always emerged from ese periods, but how? Even though these events have been writ- ten into our histories; even though they have been analyzed by experts, such experts have not always agreed as to the basic cause of the return of ty. It seems that each gen- eration has to learn from bitter ex- perience the fundamental lesson that to speed up production during times of prosperity without means of di ing of that product will inevitably lead to a glutting of the market and & period of depres- sion. If our manufacturers had all increased wages in proportion to the increase in production they wouldn't have made as much money during the time of prosperity, it's true, but they would have nmeg more than mere “paper” money and they wouldn't losing it now, either. e How are we to learn our lesson? To what are we to ascribe economic re- covery when and if such recovery takes place? And when we are again on the road of easy money and lots of it, will we take the trouble to look back upon this depression and learn tn_:gl it hn'pl'&l :void‘mothcfl e com] 'y of the situation makes the answer to & very difficult one, turn of prosperity, or the Reconstruc- tion Finance Corporation, or unem- ployment relief, or the farm loans, or the baby bond issue, or the anti-hoard- ing campaign, or the sales tax, includ- g::y ,35 & barrel on 2.75 beer—or will 'Tis indeed a hard nut to crack. 5:: nlx‘u ;‘n pmblm;‘the answer of which secure, if we are to earn our right to that which we would Jike to be called—viz, the most civilized people that ever inhabited this And not only that. ressions keep on getting worse and worse the day may come when the Secretary of the Treasury may have to run up over his multi-pillared edi- fice the white of unconditional financial surrender. None living today will see that humiliation, but the pres- ent crisis has demonstrated its possi- bility. GERALD SCHNEPP. WhyPassMore Kidnaping Laws? Letter Writer Asks ‘To the Editor of The Star: I note much 1s being said written by the public and g o making Kldnaping. This i vers el be bas been advised relative to catch- | the ing the per? the one essential. The next | DY ‘This is essential is to apply the law complete- ly and promptly as it exists. I note t.h?lt n;f tlt‘z‘m:ent case of Mrs. Don- nelly nsas City the only part: caught in this eney: the m-yn whg knowingly rented a shack to the kid- napers for the purpose, was not found guilty of anything wrong by the jury. Why pass more laws when those we the | preeding, Adair County, Ky., 1 to the iliness of Mme. Lenglen. providing _the | pop earth. But if these |} ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. This great service is maintained by The Evening Star for the benefit of n.uI readers, who may use it every day without cost to themselves. All they have to do is ask for any information | desired, and they will receive prompt | answers by mail. Questions must be clearly written and stated as briefly as possible. Inclose 2-cent stamp for re- turn postage, ahd address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D, C. Q. Can you tell me something about | Mr. Traylor, the Chicago banker, who | has been mentioned as a possible candi- | date for President?—S. D. A. Melvin Alvah Traylor was born at in 1878. | He has lived in Kentucky, Texas, East | St. Louis and Chicago, and has been successively a school teacher, lawyer and banker. He became ident of the Pirst National Bahk Chicago in 1925. He is married and has three | children, is a Democrat and & Mason, | and golf is his favorite sport. He was president of the United States Golf Association in 1928. Q. Which country normally has the largest number of nationals in Shang- hai?—E. F. H. A. Upon a basis of five-year resi- dence, there were 15,000 Japanese, 7,000 British, 3,000 Russians, 1,800 Americans, 1,400 Portuguese and 3,000 other na- tionals in Shanghal before the present hostilities began. Q. Why were the tennis matches be- tween Helen Wills and Suzanne Lenglen abandoned?—P. McE. A. They were not completed, owing Q. Is a person who makes a bet a “better” or a “bettor”? I see that Bozeman Bulger spells it “better,” and I always thought the other form was the correct one.—C. W. A. Webster's International says “bet- " A few dictionaries give “bettor” t most of tes as an salternative form, them prefer “better.” Q. Is the Catholic Church or Catho- lic University in Washington, D. C., developing a Catholic community cen- ter similar to the Eplscopal National Cathedral M. lic University of Amer- A. The Cal ica is such a center. It has a number of buildings in connection with it for educational purposes, also an immense gymnasium and a very large stadium. On the grounds also is a magnificent Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (a national shrine), which will be one of the finest in the world when com- pleted. Q. How high is the highest moun- tain in Hawail?—A. H. A. Mount Mauna Kea, with an ele- vation of 13,825 feet, is the highest. Q. What is the name of the musical instrument which is commonly calied “sweet potato”?—F. N. A. Tt is an ocarina. It is of Tyrolean origin. Q. Is voting compulsory in any coun- try?—W. C. C. A. In 1893 Belgium passed a law making voting compulsory, with penal- ties for failure. In voting has been compulsory since 1908, with a tax increase for failure. Certain Australian provinces and Swiss cantons, and since the war Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Hol- land, Hungary, Luxembourg, Argentina, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand and Tasmania, have had compulsory voting laws. Senator Capper has a law adding 1 per cent to the income tax of persons failing to vote. Q. How many cities fn the United States are named Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Jefferson and Sherman?— A. There are 26 cities by the name of Madison that have post offices, 23 with the name of Monroe, 18 with the | life | tory. power house, grain elevator, rail- | Pl name of Jackson, Jefferson and 9 Sherman. Q. Has America a distinctive archi- tecture of its own?—C. E. A. A. Philip Newell Youtz says that it has. Even in its colonial %ou World designs were subtly to suit the new country. Today American architecture is an epitome of American The skyscraper, the modern fac- 11 with the name of with the name of Wway terminal, school building, hospital and theater are sll examples of original American thought and design. Q. Wrere can birth records be ob- tained in Ireland?—J. McG. A. Birth, marriage and death records of Ireland may be obtained from the General Register Office in Dublin. plants that are operated under permits issued by the Government. These plants are under personal supervision o{lg':\'emmem officers stationed at the Q. How much coal does it take to move a passenger train one mile?>—T. B, A. This would depend upon the num- ber of cars. The Rallway Age says that in 1931 it took 14.5 pounds of coal to move a passenger train car one mile. In freight service it took 110 pounds of :olll to move 1,000 tons of freight one mile. What was the political doctrine Q. | of Machiavelll which bears his name?— J.c.C. A. Niccolo Machiavelli, a Florentine statesman who lived from 1469 to 1527, believed that any ireans, howeve” treacherous and despotic, were justifiad when employed to maintain a stiwe® central government. Q. How is wood bent which is used where curved pleces must be employed? LK. W. A. The Forest Service says that in bending wood the steam process is used. ‘Wood that is used for purpose is usually hickory and ash. A straight g:mofmawoodunumod thoroughly live steam, then bent over any kind of sl to suit the purpose and chmperdnwn until it is Q. How many pieces of mail were sent from the one-day post office at Mot Vemon on Feruary 81— 'A. The Post Office Department says that there were htly more than 500,000 pieces of mail sent. Q. How did the slang phrase “Pass- ing the buck” originate?—M. H. M. A. It is derived from card games. The counter or other object is placed on the table before the dealer and passed by him to the next dealer to prevent mistakes as to the position of the deal. In poker a marker is put into a jack , another jack pot being in order when the deal passes to him who wins the pot containing the buck. % v;mz was an Indian “potlatch”? A. Potlatchs were the great Winter ceremonials among the tribes of the North Pacific from Oregon to Alaska. The word has into speech along the Northwestern from the Chinook ’T‘ into which it was adopted from the Nootka word “patshatl,” giving or a gift. hs were mainly marked, as the name im- plies, by the giving away of quantities of , commonly bhn{eu Q. Of what material is the 1st Divi- sion Victory Memorial Monument in the park just south of the State Depart. ment and across Seventeenth street i;.mi the Corcoran Gallery of Art?— A. This imposing shaft is carved out of pink Milford marble, brought from Milford, Mass. Briand One of World’s Great Verdict of American Public Though Aristide Briand is dead, the influence of this French statesman will continue to be felt, in the on of e American public. While death is a distinct loss to the cause of inter- national unity, it is pointed out. the licies he formulated and the ideals e upheld will stand forth in the fight against nationalism. Many tributes are paid to him, both as a man and as a diplomat and statesman. “In that golden age toward which the world is moving,” declares the lens, Star-News, “they who promoted peac they who bound up the wounds of man- kind, they who lifted humanity nearer to Heaven will be glorified above all others. Then the name of Aristide Briand and others like him will be magnified and glorified.” “He should live as a tradition in France,” thinks the Salt Lake Deseret News, adding that “though his body is dead his ideals should become more ular in a war-torn world.” The Rutland Herald feels that his death “will bring regret to the hearts of those who not only remember his courage and resolution in the dark days of the war but his gifts of statesi p_when, after turning over to others the leader- ship of Prance in war-time, he was again drafted info the difficult business of making s peace.” “His policies and negotiations,” says the Atlanta Journal, “redounded to the prestige and favor of France. Yet he had to strive continually against a jealous nationalism. That he accom- Dlished in these circumstances more perhaps than any other man of the last twelve years for international concord and co-working is an immense tribute to his mind and his character.” The Akron Beacon-Journal pays the tribute: “The immediate dream of unity is now in the grave with its dreamer. An Old World steeped in an intense national- ism does not presently want to be saved from the conflicts th>: plague both its ce and prosperity. But in the years o come, &s existing conditions become ever more intolerable, a troubled Europe will resort to that grave for the ideal that it rejected. When that hour comes Aristide Briand will need no better vin- dication or memorial.” * ok ox ok “France and the world will miss the brmh'rfit llllfl b(t‘y Brlmd.h' " ¥ ‘\ml miss the eloquent figure who fought so many valiant battles in behalf of peace earth and ‘ Houston Chronicle avers: folk of his Breton countryside, the peas- ant peoplé of Cocherel, where he lived simply and in ki with standards of his rural neighbors; the tollers of Paris—these have lost frie So have the masses of the world.” The Columbia State says: “The world shares with him the sole regret of his career—that this career could not have ended with Aristide Briand, Prenchman of the French, the President. What an ture that would have made!” "‘;lle] was & creative “'.'!J:“ in the fleld of diplomacy,” remarks the Birmingham Age-Herald, while the Topeka Dl'ltfi Cspital concludes that “the world not forget his services,” and that “as man who conceived the mt of Paris, outlawing war, ratified tely vernment on the globe, he to the homage of the na- G 1900 o 1093 e e pic- .” The South the appraisal: “From 1909 to 1932 was one of the world's foremost figures, whether in public office or out. France apparently has 'no cn: lg fill his place.” * “Prance is likely,” according to the Ann Arbor Daily News, “to encounter many have are so often not applied? E. N. SIMMS. ——————— Didn’t Refer to Winter. the a puzzling situation when it will wish that Briand was available. Seldom, if sitting in the chair of | " Mr. Briand in a more personal 3 We wonder what his country will without him.” The Toronto Daily Star is convinced that “history will place him among the first and the most bril- liant of those statesmen who, by reason of their services to world soclety, belong to the whole human race,” and the Houston Chronicle be- lieves that Briand, the statesman, “will live forever.” Holding that “his career was as spec- tacular in its variableness as in its ¢ sistencies,” the New York Sun says “Whatever the rank among statesmen to which history may ll:fzn Aristide Briand, among his contemporaries he came to be looked upon as master of every resource and expedient of politi- cal craftsmanship. If managing men is an art, he was almost foremost in his day among the practitioners of that art. PFew other contemporary knew s0 well when to persuade and dignity personified; in th would be jovial in the exchange of pleasantries with the best of them.” The supreme tribute is paid the Milwaukee Sentinel: “M. Briand was undoubtedly the greatest statesman of his generation. If Europe ascends from nationalistic madness in time to escape catastrophe, the world will sanctify his memory. For it was he more than any one else whose prodigious labors for an understanding between the two oppos- ing factions of Europe have made Euro- peans think, if only a little bit, of political peace and economic unity where before they had thought of na- tional prosperity and security as ends obtainable only behind fortresses and rows of ready bayonets.” Fingerprinting Urged For All U. S. Citizens To the Editor of The Star: To eliminate the uncertainty of identification in cases of amnesia and serious accidents and to