Evening Star Newspaper, April 10, 1932, Page 26

2 THE' EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. !FNDAY.........Ale 10, 1932 THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Ne';n_pu Company Business Office: 11th St. and Pennsivania Ave New York Omce. 110 East 4nd Bt Office: 14 Resent. .. London. Engluna. - Editor Rate by Carrier Within the City. ening Star. .. . .45c per month and Sund; ar 60 per month 0 65¢ per month nday_Star S0 se per copy tion made at the end of each month Ordess may be sent in by mail or telephone NAtional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. ily and Sunday.... .1 sr. $10.00: 1 mo aily only $6.00; 1 mo. Bunday only . 85¢ 51y I1yrl $4.00! 1 mo.l 40c All Other States and Canada. Daily and Sunday...1¥r.$12.00 1 mo. $1.00 aily only ... yr.. $8.00; 1 mo. nday only [ 1¥r. $500' 1 mo. 50c Member of the Associated Press. “The Associated Press is exclusively ertitle the use ‘or republication of all news d hes credied to it or not otherwise cred- d in this paper and aiso the loral news published herein All rizhts of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. = Cantankerous Europe. In his now celebrated letter to Senator Borah on the Far Eastern situation Secretary Stimson admcnished the world to have patience with China in its tedious task of building a demo- cratic civilization on the ruins of an archaic and discredited imperial autocracy. Current events seem to dis- close the necessity of similar compas- sion for the efforts of Europe to put its house in order. The Old World, thirteen years after Versaliles, remains divided and distracted. The latest manifestation of that unhappy situ- ation is the failure of last week's con- ference at London for consideration of & Danubian economic confederation. France, supported by Great Britaln, proposed a preferential tariff union among Austria, Hungary, Czechoslo- vakia, Rumania and Jugoslavia. This would involve, cf ccurse, the surrender by cutside powers of their rights under most-favored-nation clauses in commer- cial treaties. Germany and Italy re- fused to relinquish these rights. Their contention was that the abandonment of them, while not helping the Dan- ubian states, would needlessly add to German and Italian economic difficul- ties. On its face, this is a pladsible argument. It would be all the mgre convincing but for the suspicion that the German-Italian pesition springs, at least in part, from the determination of Berlin and Rome not to sancticn . anything that would strengthen the ‘influence of France as first violin in the “concert of Europe.” ‘The net result is the collapse, in its initial stage, of the one concrete plan which has yet emerged for the salvaging of the European politico-economic situ- ation. It is a sad and sorry curtain- raiser for the realization of Briand's ideal of a United States of Europe, for it is an eggregation of apparently hopelessly disunited states that have falled to effect a solution cf what, from this remote angle, appears to be & rea- sonably simple problem. The desperate plight of the Danube countries is ad- mitted on all hands. The readiness to ameliorate it is manifest everywhere in Europe. Yet when things come to the stlcking p-int, ancient grudges, old- ineradicable rivalries, win the day. Now comes Fascist Italy, expressing itsclf through the political party en- throned at Rome in the Signor Mussolini, and declares that both reparations and war debts must be wiped out. Until they are “settled,” by which the Fascists mean until they are oblitersted by cancellaticn, the first necessary step toward world economic recovery will not have been taken, The Black Shirt manifesto is directed at the United States as much as it is at the reparation powers. It does not pre- sent the American people with & new idea. But it has the virtue of re- arresting our attenti'n to an issue which this country, through Congress Wwill be called upon to meet before the end of 1932, The evil day cannot be postponed beyond December 15 next, when the first European war debt annuitles after the expiration of the H-over mcratorium will be payable. Eight months are not a bit too far ahead to begin thinking about one of the most momentous inter- national questions the United States Government has ever had to face. B e e Ar Ohio medical school is sald to cvided the finger sent to a rich Cleveland man with & demand for money. The bar associations have taken steps to preserve dignity of the law, and n feel called action to safeguard in the same upon their profession S s — An Airship Line to Europe. Hard on the announcement of Pan American Alrways that it was joining with Transamerican Air Lines in pro- Jecting a Northern crossing of the At- lantic g0 Europe comes word from the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation that plans have been completed and funds are ble for at might be termed a W gton-Parls lighter-than-air service, inasmuch as Hybla Valley, just below Alexandria, has been tenialive selected es the United States term Theor the airship service has been in tion for the past five years. Meteorclogists have been studying weather conditions during tMis period, and the route as now planned will be south of the usual steamship lanes and will embrace the Island of Ber- muda. This is news interesting indeed. Bince Count Von Eckener successfully | flew the Graf Zeppelin around the globe, and even before that, when in' other dirigibles he won world-wide renown by his exploits and came to be known as the generalissimo of lighter- than-air craft construction and piloting, the plans for a transatlantic airship line have steadily gained momentum, although the general public, until the Tecent announcement, was unaware of just how far they had gone. So now it lcoks as if the air traveler of the near future will have his choice of the type of conveyance, airship or airplane. If he has no particular ge | | perscn of | keep warm and comfortable. The air- piane will probably get him there faster, but who cares about speed when he can have the luxurious accommodations obtainable aboard a giant dirigible? It is a toss-up either way, and it may not be long before “All aboard for Paris” may be heard simultaneously in New York and Washington, one group of travelers go South by Bermuda and the other go North by Canada, to mew a few days later in the French metropolis. Prevent a Gas Tax Surplus. It appears that a doubling of the Dis- trict’s gasoline tax in connection with the other taxes on automobiles will produce a greater revenue than Is needed and can be wisely expended upon the activities and objects which ! logically and fairly should, in & great measure, be sustained by automobile ;owners There are several claimants of | this prospective surplus. One suggestion is that Uncle Sam, | having exempted his own automobiles from payment of the gasoline tax, chould apply this surplus, exacted solely from inaividual automobile own- ers, to reduce the lump-sum contribu- tion which meets, inadequately, his obligations in connection with the maintenance and upbuilding of the Nation's city. It would be a clever stroke of high finance for Uncle Sam to exact & new or increased tax from automobile own- | ers, except himself, in such fashion as | to relieve himself entirely from partic- | ipation in the co:t of maintenance and | developinent of Washington's streets, | which, in the original city, were given | | to him and which he owns in fe simple and exclusively controls; which he uses and damages with solid-tired trucks | and which, solely for national purposes, | he has planned of abnormal area in- | volving extraordinary and excessive ' expenses of development and main- | tenance. It would be a second clever | stroke for Uncle Sam to use the surplus of this tax, exacted solely from others, to reduce his equitable payment loward general expenses of the Capital. Uncle Sam, through Congress, has unlimited power to make these clever strokes, but | it is inconceivable that he would be | guilty of this gross, self-serving abuse of power, violating every principle of | American fair piay. ! Another suggesiion is that part of this surplus revenue from a 4-cent gasoline tax be diverted for expendi- tures on sidewalks, despite the fact that ‘ automobiles are forbidden, under severe penalties of law, to use sidewalks. * The last suggestion for use of this prospective surpius is that it be di- verted to park and parkway develop- ment, although the District has been committed to the expenditure of some $16,000,000 for future park purchases in the next 16 years and must, in ad- ‘dluon. contribute an estimated $25,- the same time. However, since the prospective sur- plus serves only to arouse bitter and hurtful contreversy over which of sev- eral improper uses shall be made of it, why have a surplus? If the gaso- line tax must be raised at all, why raise it beyond the point where it will meet logical demands? If any in- crease in the gas tax is needed muni- cipally, why not increase it 50 per cent instead of 100 per cent? Why not make the new tax'3 cents instead of 4 cents? A 3-cent tax would be nearer the average for the country as & whole than & 4-cent tax, according to figures from the Bureau of Public Roads. The aver- age tax is 3.44 cents for the six-month period ending July 1, 1931. Furiher- more, it is a “weighted” average, a more accurate estimate than the Bureau of Efficiency’s unweighted average of 4.1 cents, struck by adding the tax rates of the States and dividing the total by the number of States. A few changes in tax rates since last July may change the average slightly, but not materfally, Should there be a 3-cent tax in the District, such a rate would compare with the rate of 2 cents now in effect in Con- necticut. Missour, Rhode Island and New York (New York's 2-cent rate will bs! increased to 3 cents May 1), and with | the 3-cent rate now in effect in Cali- fornla, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kan-' sas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minne- sota, New Jersey, North Dakota and Pennsylvania. Of course, there are higher rates. , There are 17 States, according to ! January 1 figures compiled by the | National Automobile Chamber of Com- | merce, where a four-cent rate is in | effect. There are 16 States where the | rate exceeds four cents and goes, in the case of two of them, to as high as ! seven cents. But in several of these States gasoline tax revenues have been diverted into general taxation funds and used for schools, unemployment relief, inland waterways and even sea- wall construction. The citizens of Balti- more pay, through their gasoline iaxes, | 80 per cent for State highways and only 20 per cent for city streets, But their 20 per cent, in turn, is augmented by 20 per cent of the rural citizens' gas; tax payments. And the money raised through gas taxes for many State high- way projects is met, on a Afty-fifty basis, by Pederal road-building appro- priations. The Federal Government should not contribute to the perversion of the gas- {oline tax by losing sight of the sound principle that this tax represents a fair levy upon those who make most use of the sireets, but becomes vicious and | 1 discriminatory when regarded as an- | other form ol generzl taxation. In the case of the District of Columbia a proportionate burden is already levied upon motorists for street paving and upkeep through the two-cent rate. Rev- !enue demands call for no increase in | that rate. If additional revenues were sought in order to permit the Federal Government to spread the street tax contribution to other projects, a three- cent rate would more than meet the demand. ———— Respect for the Flag. Saluting the American Flag as it is carried past on parade appears to be a forgotten custom, a tribute abandoned by the civilian population of our coun- try. In a short time perhaps only those in service of the military organizations of the United States will pay this honor. At least, so it would be indicated from an observation of the recently . thought. | society of some kind, let every one con- 1 000,000 for park maintenance dufln{! THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., APRIL 10, hats in the minority, but those who did render proper recognition were few and far between. Even the uniformed police in many instances falled to give the military salute. Surely the chief of police, a retired Army officer, could give | members of his force the proper in- i structions | In each preceding parade, dating iback a number of years, it has been noticed that the Stars and Stripes re- jceives less and less tribute. To what will this lead? In time will American audiences fail to arise when “The Star Spangled Banner" is played? These tributes are not compulsory, it is true, but they are marks of respect to the flag and to the Nation for whith it stands. It is not only sentiment, it is patriotism and loyalty. There are many organizations and associations in the country today—one or more for almost every school of Instead of forming a new stitute a committee of one to recoz- |nize our flag and pay it the proper respect. ————————— Lloyd George to Retire. Once again comes from London eir- | cumstantial news that David Lioyd George has virtually decided to desert public life. Advancing vears and in- different health are the determining factors, although the litile Welshman expects to go in for writing and farm- !ing as an alternative to politics. The announcement will come as & |surprise to those who recall the vigor- ous speech Mr. Lioyd George delivered in London last month on his return from a trip to India which he under- took earlier in the Winter for the pur- pose of recovering his strength. In that address “L. G.” hit out with wonted fire and satire at Walter Run- ciman, Sir Herbert Samuel, Sir John Simon and other British statesmen who once upon a time marched shoul- der to shoulder with him in the Lib- eral cause. One is not far wrong in guessing that the decided slump in Lloyd George Liberalism's fortunes may be the real cause of the old leader's decision to plow a lonely furrow in private life The general elections of last October spread devastation not only among the ranks of Labor, but hardly less in the Liberal camp. They left Mr. Liloyd George the head of a faction doomed to indefinite impotence in the House of Commons. Even united with Labor, of which there has been talk, it could not hope to make much headway against the overwhelming Conservative bloc that now rules the roost at Westminster. “L. G.'s" place in contemporary British history, nevertheless, is secure. As the | prime minister who organized victory for Britain in the darkest days of the World War his name and fame are imperishable. European statesmanship will be far less colorful when he is out of the picture. President Hoover's conomy yard- stick” is expected to carry gersuasion, even though not identical with the big stick once prominent in the Nation's affairs. | e —e— Bonus discussion at present appears to accomplish little more than to suggest a way of pushing the budget still further out of balance. EUE s e e A “war against depression” is part of |a new and powerful movement to give 'the word “war” a meaning not homi- cidal but philanthropic. —————————— Taxation brings the United States Senate face to face with the anciently Flease everybody at once. ————— Finland abandoned prohibition, only to find racketeering still determined to keep a finger on the wine card, —e—————— SHOOTING STARS. AY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Quest. A man was distant and severe. With ceference as I drew near, I thought him very wise indeed; His slightest word I meant to heed. His concentration so intense, Which 1 beheld with reverence, Was, I discovered when he spoke, An effort to recall a joke. I chided him and he replied, “Your words of blame are undenied. But there are scenes of want and woe Disclosed wherever you may go. In vain we seek both far and near The smile that may efface a tear. Abundant are the shades of care. An honest jest is far too rare.” Sense of Humor. “Do you think our people have a sense ot humor?” “Oh, yes,” answered Senator Sorghum “But my observation is that of late years we Americans haven't been get- ting so very much to laugh at.” Jud Tuakins says one way to lose a friend is to try too hard to help him It makes him think you regard yoursell as knowing more about his business than he does. Playing Rough. The things our present authors write Are frequently most impolite. The intellectual game grows tough, ‘With Genius trying to play rough. The Money's Worth. “Are there many complaints in Crim- son Gulch about taxes?” “No." answered Cactus Joe. “The Gulch was educated on sporting lines It needs taxes to meke prosperity and they stand something like your ante in a jackpot. You don't enjoy putting it up. But look what you stand to win!" “Too often,” said Hi Ho, the sage of { Chinatown, “people imagine that one ! who has led them into trouble is the only one who knows the way to lead them out.” In the Plain Vernacular. When Triumphs are announced with pride, Reminders of Distress Linger till it must be denied ‘That war is a success. Plain speech #bout the fearful test That Wisdom could not stop Tells us each awesome show, at best, Proved something of a flop. “'Course,” said Uncle Eben, “you's preference he may well use the Northern ' held Army day parade along historic | gotta git disappointed in meetin’ stran- réute in the Summer for coolness and the Soyghern route in the Wintf§ to the civillan watchers who doffed thelr was nothin' but a bunch o Pennsylvania avenue. Not only were ly robins birds." gers. What I mistook for known fact that it is impossible to! MORE OF BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES CHARITY E. FREEMAN, D. D, LL. D, Bishop of Washington. Text: St. John, iv.20—"Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and ye fay that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Insular ways of thinking and practice are common to most of us. That 8 man is no larger than the place in which he lives we cannot accept as a dictum, but it frequently happens that the limits of the community in which we reside, or the coterie with which we fraternize, determine the metes and bounds of our outlook. In no aspect of our life is this truer than in our religious faith and practice. It is this that makes for | bigotry, prejudice and narrowness of view. Some one has well said that “we inherit our politics from our fathers and our religion from our mothers” In one sense this may have large value, but where it is an inheritance that places limitation upon our thought and prac- tice, it is a liability and not an asset. ‘We know of nothing more paradoxical than the almost universal habit con- spicuously indulged in by the avowed followers of Christ than that which lays claim to a su or and exclusive ex- pression of religious bellef and practice and that denles to others the right of legitimate standing in the large and comprehensive fellowship of Christian believers. This more than any other thing of which we have knowledge has hindered the growth and progress of the Christian religion. We are hound to believe that in this later age bigotry, prejudice and narrowness in this re- spect are less evident than they were in the preceding generation, but not- withstanding this there is still much | to be accomplished. Recently there met in Washington a distinguished group of high-minded men and women, broadly inclusive of religious thought, who came together to discuss what further steps should be taken to allay bigotry and prejudice in the field of religious activity. The out- standing religious organizations were represented by people of broad culture, wide reading and unchallenged distinc- tion in their respective flelds. It was generally conceded that there was ur- gent need, especially at this time, of creating a better understanding, more of mutual respect and, above il else, | more of Christian charity in judgment of and intercourse w-xrn‘lh ail n;lm elme'::- engaged in the several religious enter- prises of the country. If the spirit of this conference could be widely diffused, and its findings made effective in the churches of every name, it would mark the beginning of a new day, a new day that would affect not only the internal life of the church but every department of human activity. When Christ sat at the close of day with the woman of Samaria and carried on His remarkable talk with her ehe raised an issue that has constituted one of the chief contentions of the church throughout the succeecing centuries. ! Samaritan that she was, she Wwas amazed that He, a Jew, should hold; converse with her. To her mind she presented an irresistitle argument when she said, “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jeru- salem is the place where men ought to worship. dn was & pn;vtn‘c‘u‘lazsewTot the scope of religion. To ler mind, locallty had to do with the valid- ity of worshlp. It was an exaggerated clan {dea that she held. Today we would call it an exaggerated sectarian spirit. Gently, but firmly, the Master admonished her in unforgettable words. “The hour cometh, when ye shall neither In this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.” In a single sentence He dismisses a theory long held and cherished. He broadened the whole scope and purpose of religion, saying as he did so that the only valid ground of worship was the recognition of the universal domain of those who were to be accepted as worthy worship- ers, and they were those who with sincerity worship the Father ih spirit and in truth. It was such that the Father sought to worship Him. Al of us who are seeking to make this vworld a better place in which to live, whichi is one of the high purposes of religion, can flndhgmch to ponder in these great words that fell from the lips of the world's Supreme Teacher. BY GEORGE VAN SLYKE. NEW YORK, April 9.—The series of | interesting State primaries !hrou(h: which the national campaign is now progressing is defining sharply two fun- damental and distinct movements of utmost importance to the political parties. One is the strength or weakness of the several candidates contesting for the Democratic nomination for Presi- dent. The other is the first revelation of any pronounced and definite drift of sentiment or affiliation of voters as between the major parties, pointing prohphetically to election day in No- vember. In respect to the Democratic pre- convention situation, the evidence has been written so clearly into the primary | results of 10 States that it cannot be overlooked nor misunderstood. Gov. | Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York started three months ago as the leader in the race. He has swept through a long series of hard primaries in doubt- ful States with an unbroken record of | victories, South, East and West, gain- | ing steadily weck by week. The favo- | rite son candidates have dropped by the | wayside one by one; the proposed coali- | tion to “stop Roosevelt” has made no progress and none of the other Demo- | cratic candidates in the long list has | succeeded in making even a start. * o ox In so far as the primary voting has expressed a state of mind of the elec- torate, the political observers read into | the returns a swing of a big protest | vote away from the Republican party. | While it is too early to conclude there is a Natlon-wide drift in prospect or to | base on a few primary returns a fore- cast of what may happen in November, that tendency dreaded by Republican leaders has shown itself and is the subject of great concern and close | serutiny in administration circles in | Washington It is patent on the face of the re- turns that tens of thousands of Repub- licans must have left their party ranks | and the La Follette organization in the Wisconsin primary this week to vote for | Roosevelt in the Democratic column. The voters can do it in that State. The New Yorker polled 566,292 votes, & re- markably high count for a Democrat. | John W. Davis had only 68,000 in the | general election in 1924 and Alfred E. | Smith, a great favorite in that wet State, had 450,000 four years ago. e The La Follette vote showed a sharp falling off, indicating that the radicals | of the State may have turned to Roose- | velt, as well as the protest Republican vote. The Roosevelt delegates polled votes equal to the Republican vote in most parts ol the State, showing that Wisconsin will be classed as doubtful in tbe election predictions. The Hoover conservative faction will control the State delegation by 15 to 12 and the Republicans score by cracking the La Follette machine. Something of this same tendency of a protest drift away from Hoover and to the Democrats was seen recently in the North Dakota primary, where the j voters in that Republican State ac- cepted the New York Governor as the radical in preference to Gov. Murray of Oklahoma. Also, it was seen in lesser degree in New Hampshire, where the | Democrats made an exceptionally good |showing. In California, the Democrats | have rolled up a record registration of more than 800,000 for the May 3 presi- dential primary. o ox o As each week piles up the primary results in all sections of the country a fairly accurate cross-section view of the Democratic situation is presented. In the early stagzs of the primary campaign there was much discussion ot a favorite-son coalition to head off Gov. Roosevelt. It was easy to tie up some 450 delegates to favorite sons and candidates with substantial following outside their home States and figure that an alllance could be worked out, a'ong the lines followed in many con- | ventions, whereby the leader in the race could be blocked and the convention deadlocked. Alfred E. Smith of New York, Speaker | Garner of Texzs and Gov. Murray of | Oklahoma were counted on in such an enterprise to hold together at least 1250 delegates and probably more, leav- | ing it for th> other candidates to con- | trol their own States and furnish the | other 140 required for a one-third bloc to exercise the veto power over the con- vention and hold the nomination open until June. While the primary object of such a movement was supj to be & common purpose to prevent Roose- velt running away with the nomination, some of the participants were credited with not being le to the New Yorker, but merely adhering to the be- lief that the best interest of the party required that no candidate should fore- close on the nomination this early in the year. * ok ok % As the States hav- me through their primaries, Roosevelt made a clean sweep of it in every test and into another big week with close to 200 dele- gates in Iine. Actually 155 are in- structed for him and 48 have indicated | a preference for him without instruct- ing. "§ntte nis steady march through the contests in New England, the Midwest and South has been impressive, adding steadily to the momentum of his candi- dacy, another phase | ! | able to Smith. Roosevelt won, three Roosevelt Primary Gains Held to Imply a Protest Swing From Republican Ranks| ing complimentary ballots and faling in with the Roosevelt parade. Smith has met defeat in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maine and New Hampshlre. | Garner's ticket was beaten badly in Georgla and Murray met defeat in North Dakota Based on present indi- cations, this trio of prominent candi- dates may not have more than 150 delegates when the convention opens. Murray has another important test next week in Nebraska and Smith has nis big chance in Masachusetts and Pennsylvania late this month. Esti- mates are that Mr. Smith will do well to get another 75 delegates and that Murtay and Garner may have little support outside their home States. * x ok If the present trend continues through the month, the question ex- pected to present itself is whether the favorite sons can muster the neces- sary one-third to exercise the veto over the convention. So far the only can- didates, excepting Roosevelt, who have won support outside their home States are Gov. Murray, who has one delegate | from North Dakota, and Al Smith, who captured one of Wisconsin's 26. One of the politically important pri- mary votes of the last week, although involving only two delegates, was in the Buffalo district, where there was a sharp clash between Al Smith and Roosevelt in a district strongly favor- to one. The significance was that it was the first and only test of Demo- cratic sentiment to date in New York State. Tammany maintains a hold- off attitude and its leader, John F. Curry, insists the biggest unit in the convention will not indicate a pref- erence prior to the gathering of the convention in June. The Buffalo re- sult has spurred the Roosevelt man- agers to renewed efforts in going after the uninstructed delegates from his home State and now insist that in the event of a break with Tammany they can hold 36 of the State’s 94 votes. (Copyrisht. 1932) e Promoting New Wood Construction System BY HARDEN COLFAX. A new wood construction system which is expected to have a far-reach- ing effect upon building activities in the United States, has been worked out | by Government agencies. This was disclosed today by the National Com- mittee on Wood Utilization of the De- partment of Commerce, In co-operation with the forest prod- ucts laboratory of the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Stand- ards of the Department of Commerce, the committes preparing a report to be made public soon dealing with the description and application of the vari- ous types of metal “connectors” which constitute the main feature of the new system. Heading the committee is Axel H. Oxholm and assoclated with him are | prominent engineers, architects, con- tractors and builders. * ok ox o Mr, Oxholm has studied extensively the development of construction meth- ods in Europs. In the announcement | of the new syst>m he points out that the weakness of 2]l previous types of wood construction has always been the joint. During the war, when steel was scarce, the Eurcpean enginesrs—par- ticularly in Germany and in Scandi- navia—were forced to m:ke use of lo- cally produced timber and in doing so develo) the metal connection idea remarkably. More then 60 different types of such connectors have been collected and studied by the committee. It also has the benefit of Mr. Oxholm’s study of outstanding radio towers, air- glnne hangars, auditoriums, exhibition alls and other buildings in Europe constructed on this system. Some of these auditoriums have a seating ca- pacity of 75,000 people—sizes unheard of, even in the United States, where t'mber available for construction is far surerior to that in Europe. Wooden bulldings surpessing in size and econ- omy of construction snything hereto- fore constructed are towsring against the sky in continental Europe. Radio towers 300 to 400 feet high, and built largely of American lumber and other materials are dotting the map of Eu- rope. * ok ox ox Perhaps one of the most important results of this survey will be the possi- bility of using for construction purposes woods that have been less favored for buildings under the old systems. This has been the case in Europe, where even white fir, which heretofore was princi- pally used for boxes and crates, is now extensively used for build of vari- ous kinds with verfect safety. The architsctural possibilities are very great since the metal connectiors lend them- selves very readily to framed arches and curved roof profiles. Through the introduction of metsl conne~tors it will be pos-ible to fabri- cate the structural members in facto- ! ries, shipping the raterials to tre build- | ing site for er-ction. This is exactly the same system that is successfully followed today in the steel industry. Prominent engineers who have looked into the results of these investigations made by the National Committee on t. tors Hull of | undertal 'ru‘muug .!:texlohlmun g: Arkansas and Barkley entucky—have stepped 1932—PART TWO. Capital Sidelights BY WILL P. KENNEDY. Let us revert to a style of reporting in elder days. Let us take a precent- tense incident in which one of the most interesting groups of Government work- ers participated—folks who are doing most serfous work for the Nation, and see how they can lay dull care aside and make merry over some of the thorns-in-the-flesh of their daily grind: The Society of Federal Translators of the National Federation of Federal Employes recessed its regular order of business last week while the histrioni- cally inclined members of the society donned the masque of comedy and pre- sented before an appreciative audience of nearly 100 members and guests a short, snappy playlet of two acts en- titlea “Tne Iransiator's Dream,” writ- ten in aeigntfuily humorous vein b, Mr. Burton H. Lamore, chiel trans. of the State Deparimeni, and played under the able airectorstip of Mr. Lebel. Both acts were introduced by pro- logue, this portion of the program be- ing rendered by Miss lda May Stocker, who charmingly prepared the mood ot the audience for the lines to follow ‘The scene of the first act was laid in Merrie England, the events occurring any time between 1400 and 1800, and the tale told in old English character- istic of the times of “Odds bodkins!" The hero, a meritorious Government translator “sore beset by those who hold the reins of petty power within the modern state,” falls into a troubled sleep and begins to dream a most un- happy dream with a strange en anduced by the exacting d made upon him during his wakelul mements, fragments of the dream gre subconsciously magnified into a serics ©i horrible situations wherein gross in- justice mounts the throne o reasun and a Freudian King of England, sym- bolic of thcughtless authority, dispenses robust injustice in rollicking mood, even to the inclusion of the unhappy translator for being unable, upon ae- mand, to instantaneously translate into Muscovite a most recent speech de- livered from the King's throne. The poor transiator seeks to rea- son with the King, explaining that what he really needs is an interpreter, one who concentrates on one tongue only. The King listens not, again de- manding the translation but denying him the right to use his books of ‘heathenish characters” or even t) per- mit him some moments’ reflection con- cerning a language so different. Unable to accomplish the task, the King states his sentence shall be a light one, being inclined to mercy, viz, that he be flogged through the streets of London behind a cart covered with posters pro- claiming his guilt in many tongues. later to be hanged and his feet weli weighted with foreign books. And to his doom thus does go the unfortunate translator while the King makes merry with his mimes. The second act, taking place some time later, finds all the characters nd others in the satanically lighted audience room of Lord Lucifer Satan, who is attended by his secretary. One by one the characters are called be- fore him to receive the benefits of Luciferian justice, which, strange to say, excels earthly justice. To the ‘King who greets him with a warm expression of delightful surprise, Luci- fer is torridly cool. Demanding of his secretary the rec- ord of the King's career, he is informed that among his outstanding sins was the execution of a poor linguist who could not translate instantaneously his bombast into the Muscovite tongue. Sa- tanic punishment is meted out at once and the Luciferian scales of justice balanced accordingly. The hard char- acters of earth follow one another, re- ceiving condign punishments, including that hardest boiled character of earthly governments, known as the controller general, whose specialty is the disal- lowance of expense accounts. Thinking to receive Lucifer's hearty spprobation, he stated that he had avolded sticking his head out of the window at right angles, so that he could make his trip to the Satanic kingdom by the most direct route, He presented to Lucifer his expense ac- | count on a small slip of paper in the simplest form, but Lucifer ruled “Dis-! allowed,” to his everlasting and eternal horror. Pinally, the translator was sum- moned before Lucifer, who regarded him long and fixedly. Then he said, “Translator, you have had your hell on earth. You may have a ticket for the celestial regions, but you are wel- come to the coolest room in the place while you remain.” Said the trans- lator: “Your majesty, I am getting a square deal” As Cicero would have said: ‘Trahit sua quemque voluptas,” or, in other words, ‘Let well enough alone’ I'm staying here.” L. S. Perkins made an impressive King of England, speaking sonorously and majestically as befits a king, whose work wes excellently supplemented by K. F. Rogers, playing the part of the Jester, and by his Page, Miss Blanche S. Pollock, who skilifully rendered her lines. R. True performed the dif- ficult feat of carrying five different roles in very good style, while A J. Gallant did equally well in assuming four other roles, A. Lebel mede a very convincing Controller General with the efficient mannerisms characteristic of that office. P. Vogenitz and Mrs. A. E. Warthen gave a very entertain- ing interpretation of Satanic judictal life. I Jawney played the part of the Translator in a most realistic manner snd brought the playlet to a happy ending. The performance as a whole was ex- cellently done and, because of the ab- sence of theatrical facilities amd cos- tumes made one think of the days when Shakespearcan theaters were no better equipped and when actors must have possessed a most excellent ability to hcld and entertain the audience by | mere acting alone. EREE Revresentative Louis Ludlow of In- ! diana, who recently shook the gold dust of lucrative Washington correspondence from his homespun clothing and is now suffering in the depression of dirt- farm and running away from it to leg- islate, told his colleagues the other day that he is doing his part to swell the profits of a certain manufacturer whom a friend of his named Jerry Dugan claimed was making so much money he could not count it. “I cannot believe it,” said Bill Hall, another Hoosier friend, “every manu- facturer I have talked to tells me he has lost his shirt in the last year. What does this friend of yours manufacture “Ah,” said Jerry, smiling sweetly, I told you what he manufactures you would know why he is getting rich. He manufactures red ink.” * ok x ok George R. Farnum, former assistan t attorney general of the United States, while on.a hurrled visit to the Capital the other day, gave us a little quota- tion from former President Calvin Cool- idge, who is recognized as something of a “seer.” Mr. Farnum was speaking of former Senator Willlam M. Butler, who has been mentioned as one of those asked to manage the campaign of Presi- dent Hoover for re-election, but the quotation may give heart to the de- pressed American people when applied to those who are now seeking a way to | €T “balance the budget” and reduce Gov- ernment expenditures so as to lessen the burden upon the ple. Here are the words of the Northampton oracle: “The great fact seetns to be that| when a man dedicates nis whole soul to his work, when he fully determines to meet the' responsibilities that he incurs, in his time of nesd some power outside himself directs his course and gives him the strength to prevail. To such men come revelation. They do better than they know. Therein lies the hope of the world. Goethe Name Puzzling. Prom the Newark Evening News. has stirred g nds | Recent developments in the news have had to do with matches—the suicide of | Ivar Kreugar, the Swedish match king. | and the activities of the United States Government in barring imports of Russian matches because dumping in violation of the customs laws had been alleged. Such statemenis inevitably make le wonder how so slight and ephemeral an item of consumption as a match can make a money king and be- come an international issue. How great fortunes can be amassed out of the manufacture of an article which, in the United States, is given away by the hundreds of millions seems a mystery. The fact that the match is so ephemeral, that its use means its in- stant destruction, combined with the circumstance that the use is so uni- versel, make the business a large one. | | The individual who looks at a packet ot paper matches which he has ac- | cuired for nothing or at a neat box containing anywhere from 60 to 100 matches which he has boupnt for a penny may be pardoned for wondering | how the fragile stem can afford the basis of millions in wealth. The muitiplication table is the answer. One | man uses one match at a time, but 5o | many men and women have occasion to use so many matches in the course of a day that the aggregate attains startling figures. Actually, the packet of paper matches handed to the purchaser of cigars or cigarettes as a gift has cost somebody something. An advertiser has his name on the cover. He has pald for the matches in order to put his advertising message into many pockets, likely to be read, subconsciously at least, as often as the packet is used. There are only 20 matches in the ordinary paper packet, but it probably is about the cheapest form of advertising. It would |cost a good deal to put an advertise- ment in a newspaper for 20 insertions. Also the advertiser can be reasonably | certain that the same man, the man who has the matches, will glance at | his name 20 times in the lighting of them. The value of repetition in ad- vertising, of incessant drilling into the mind of a prospective customer a cer- tain trade name, is emphasized as a prime factor in advertising psychology. Sweden's Fine Match Wood. ‘The aggregate production of matches is so great that bulk sales and ship- ments are often made In units of tons. A tcn of matches seems like enough to furnish a community a lifetime, but they are used with such rapidity that ply the wood employed in those of that materfal and for the making of wood- pulp for the paper matches. The small size of the match stick would suggest that odds and ends of lumber would be adequate to supply match factories. They are not. Whole forests are con- tracted for and loggers establish camps | to bring out thousands upon thousands of tons of timber, The match industry has been cen- tered in Sweden for many years because Swedish timber is especially well adapt- ed to matchwood. The fine clear tim- ber, almost free of knots, works well in the machines and produces straight- grained match sticks which do not every year forests are cut down to sup- | THE MIGHT OF MATCHES BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. the Soviets, gone Ino the business on a huge scal There is a Japanese match industry, suc- not. | too, but it has not been | cessful. The Japanese matches | have the same of straight, clear wood and they break off readily. The United States produces a vast supply of matches, largely of the old-fash- ioned kind, long stemmed and heavy and used more for lighting fires than | for smokers' use. Matches were made in Russia before the World War, but it was mot until the Soviets took over the great manu- facturing enterprises of the nation that the match industry rose to the prom- inence which now it occupies. As far back as 1893 we have production figures for matches. In that year 1,825,193,000 boxes of matches were made in Russia and 17,091,000 boxes were exported. By 1914, the beginning of the World War, this production had grown to 4,157.- ggs.noo boxes and exports to 309,400,000 xes. Russian Production Increases. The World War and the revolution disorganized all industry to such an ex- tent that match production fell to a low point of 1,424,000,000 bowes for the years 1972 and 1923, with exports of about 32,000,000 boxes. Recovery was slow, along with recovery in other lines, and by 1927 production had reached 4,324, 000,000 boxés, with 100,000,000 boxes exported—about the position of the in- dustry before the World War. Then came the five-year plan, with all production being put on a scheduled basis. The next year match production rose to 5.489,000,000 boxes, ‘with 732.- 689,000 boxes exported. and continued to gain. Last year production was 10,000,000,000 boxes, or nearly three times pre-war, and exports around ,000,000 boxes. The n schedule calls for a 1932 produc~ tion of 12,400,000.000 boxes. This plan called for the expenditure of 25,000,000 rubles, or about $12,000,000, in recon= struction and expansion of the incus- try. Eleven old factories have been ex~ panded and 10 new ones constructed, and there has been complete mechaniza~ | tion of all plants, according to the best | information available. | Russia now claims to produce one- fifth of the world's matches. She ex« ports to all principal countries, but dur ‘dng the last year has encountered dif- | ficulties. Germany is her best customer, taking half of her total exports of 18,040,000 metric tons. Great Britain and the United States each have been taking about 2,250,000 metric tons, but the dumping difficulties have slowed the trade in recent months. It has been claimed that Russia has sold here below | the cost of home production, and that is against our tariff laws. Russia de- nles this charge, pointing out that under the Soviet system of ction, in | which no profits have to be paid to capital, matches can be made far more cheaply. Before the World War Russia had 98 small privately-owned match factories, ‘employing 20,000 people. Now, with | some 25 factories, emplo; 24,000 people and much addition: labor- saving machinery, several times the pre- war output is obtained. The industry is under the immediate direction of the Soviet trust known as the All-Union snap off when struck. The industry has reached over into Germany and the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Esthonia and Poland, and now Russia has, under | Match Syndicate, which comes under | ;he hPyeople'n commissariat for light ine | dustry. Mellon Reaches London as “Devil’s” Cauldron Boils . BY A. G. GARDINER. LONDON, April 9.—Ambassador An- drew W. Mellon arrived in London Fri- day to take up his new task at the Court of St. James at a moment when the devil's cauldron of European poli- tics seems on fhe point of boiling over. No anxiety is felt in regard to the { result of the second ballot in the presi- | dential election in Germany on Sun- | day, President von Hindenburg's re- election being taken for granted, but the breakdown of the Danubian con- ;mou omious fact. No one doubts the gravity or urgency of the position of the Danubian states, which are faced with immediate bank- | ruptey, the consequences of which on the rest of Europe are incalculable. The necessity of instant measures save the situation was universally rec- ognized, but the issue raised in the most acute form the crucial question of German or French influence in tral Europe. EE The difficulties in reaching a solu- tion were aggravated by the imminence of the French and Prussian elections. The result of the latter is regarded as doubtful, and it was feared that the appearance of a victory for French diplomacy in Central Europe would turn the balance in favor of the Nazis. On the other hand, Premier Andre Tardieu, threatened with an electoral swing to the Left, naturally was anxious to turn the Danubian situation to poli- tical advantage and give the impres- |sion that the co-operation of France |#nd England implied something like a revival of the Anglo-French entente. This idea, enthuslastically exploited | by the Paris press, added to the dis- quiet of Germany, which was increased by Tardieu’s preliminary visit to Pre- mier Ramsay MacDonald of England on Monday, giving the impression of a cut and dried Anglo-French scheme. This impression was unfounded. There is no disposition on the part of the British government to revive the Anglo- French entente, and MacDonald, while anxious to secure adoption of a Danu- bian scheme, is firmly opposed to that scheme having an anti-German bias. Unfortunately Tardieu, in insisting on the exclusion of Germany, Italy and espacially Bulgaria, from its benefits, doomed the scheme to failure, x ok ox * Once more the purely economic prob- lem, affecting the financial fate of Europe, is bedeviled by the political calculations of Germany and Italy in | rejecting the Tardieu scheme and by Tardieu's refusing the German and Italian alternatives. While delay is perilous, opinion here is not wholly dis satisfied with the resuit, in view of the effect on the elections. Tardieu’s attempt to check the swing to the Left in France in a dramatic vic- tory over Germany in foreign diplom- acy has failed, and it is confidently hoped that the French nationalist pol- icy, which has been the chief stumbling block in European reconstruction since | the armistice. will be repudiated in the |May elections. It is believed that the pressure of events in France will com- pel the new French government to re. cunce its dog-in-the-manger attitude, opled Niherto, and make drastic | concessions for the rehabilitation of Europe. * The effect of the rejection is expected to h: a favorable influence in G many in strengthening the position of Chancellor Heinrich Bruening against | Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader, in the presidential ~and Prussian ~_elections. Meanwhile the fate of the Danublan States is held in suspense until Paris, Berlin and Rome can see eye to eye on the plain issue and agree on a policy, not dictated by the interests of this oup or that, but by the common ne- cessities of Europe as a whole. * x ok X The political uncertainties that shat- tered the Danublan conference hang Iike £ wet blanket over the Disarma- ment Conference, which reaisembies for a critical session on Monday. It is un- fortunate that this vital issue reaches a crisis in the midst of the electoral atmosphere. this correspondent has gathered that the prospects of substantial results on disarmament are unfavorable. The German demand for equality will be ference in London on Thursday is a | the Se From the highest cources | Fifty Years Ago In The Star ‘The prospect of congressional locking to the reclamation of t"2 - tomac Bt brightensd \ J _50 - | River Flats ago to the paln | : Reclamation. expectaticn that last, after many years of erdeavcr, vitally Important work would be up~ | taken, Star of April 3, 1832, - interviews published in s | ment of the River Front show a p: | tical unanimity of sentiment cn hd right side of ti question. Ascor to lea | who have no doubt had excellent cp- | portunities of learning the views of 0 | their fellow Congressmen, both Houses stand ready to vote money for the | proper and permanent improvemsnt of | the river front. It is probably not | within the power of Con to do more for the National Capital, th a sin- gle act, than could be accomplished by the reclamation of the flats. Thes flats are known throughout the coun- try as the plague t of Washington. The city itself is all that could be de- sired in the way of cleanliness, beauty and health. The le of the District have done their toward mak- ing Washington what it ought to be, and 1t now falls upon the General Gov- ernment to remove the only blemish | remaining, the miasma-producing flats. |1t is all important that the action of | Congress upon this question shculd be prompt, in order that the work of re- claiming the marshes should be entered upon this Spring.” * * ‘The Star of April 4, 1882, contains an account of the killing of Jesse James, a Jesse James Slain ::xp,nu ',-:bi By a Confederate. ber, at St. Jo- seph, Mo, A dispatch from that city gave the fol- lowing particulars of the tragedy: “After having eaten breakfast Jesse James and Charles Ford went to the stable to curry the horses, and on re- turning to the room where Robert Ford was Jesse said, ‘It's an awfully hot day.' He pulled off his coat and vest and said, 'I guess I will take off my pistols for fear somebody will see them |if I walk in the yard' He unbuckled |the belt in which he carried two .45« | caliber revolvers and laid them on the |bed with his coat and vest. He then picked up a dusting brush with the in- | tention of dusting some pictures which |hung on the wall. In order to do this he got on a chair, his back being now turned to the brothers, who silently stepped between Jesse and his revolvers, and at a motion from Charley both drew their guns. Robert was the quick- er of the two. In one motion he had the long weapon on the level with his eye, with the muzzle not more than 4 feet from the back of the outlaw's head. Even in that motion, quick as thought, there was something which did not escape the acute ears of the huntsman. He made a motion as if to turn his head to ascertain the cause of that suspicious sound, but too late. There was a quick flash, a sharp report, end a well directed ball crashed through the outlaw’s skull. There was no out- cry, just the swaying of the body, and it fell heavily on the carpeted flcos | ball having entered the base of his | and made its way out through his head over his left eye. It had been fired out of a Coli's 45 improved weapon which had been presented by the dead man to his slayer only a few days ago. Mrs. James was in the kitchen when the shooting was done, separated from the room in which the bloody curred by the the shot, and, droj duties, ran to the t room. She saw her husband lyin, met by the familiar French demand for security, which is translatable into no terms consistent with the effective ful- fillment of the disarmament undertak- ml in the treaty of Versailles. it indications that the E‘n’mtwwfin offered will & guarantes that a |’