Evening Star Newspaper, December 5, 1932, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR ‘With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY......December 5, 1932 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor . .45¢ per month ) r . .60¢ per month vent | (when 5 Sund: _85¢ per month The Sunday Star. [ 5c per copy Collection made at the end of each month. jers may be sent in by mail or telephone FAtional 5000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virgini Daily and Sunday....1yr,$10.00: 1 mo. 85 ily only .. ..1yr., $6.00: 1 mo. 80¢ | jundey only .1yr. $4.00: 1 mo.. 40c afforded the Nation's chosen leaders. All work and no play may not make a man dull, but there can be no question about their power to make a man weary. Rapidan is and will remain one of Mr. Hoover's monuments. He created the camp and left the impress of his personality upon it. Others may profit by his endowment of it, but in the public mind it will continue to be more intimately associated with his name than it ever can be with that of any successor. Incidentally, in gratitude for his in- terest in them and care for them, the mountain people of the vicinity long will remember Mr. Hoover. He was their friend, and they are sorry to see him go. e The “Lame Duck” Session. The short session of the Seventy- second Congress—perhaps the last Legislature—assembled today at noon, All Other States and Canada. | Daily and Sunday...1yr., $12.0 | Daul; only 1388 J1yr. 8. Sunday only . | people. Mcmber of the Associated Press. | sociated Press is for republicatio 1 patches credited 10 it or 1 i fted in this paper and also published herein. All rights of publics special dispatches herein are also reserved. s = “Marchers” Efficiently Handled. Depiorabic though their piight may | be, the hendling cf the “hunger march- er:” who entersd Washingten yesterday by the District euthorities was highly | creditable. The failure of the crgan-r izers of this spectacular “demand” (ur‘ alleviztory legislaticn to provid housing | fcr the three thousand who came from | all sections of the country made it neces- | gary that they be concentrated at scme with the country waiting eagerly but not very hopefully fcr action on matters | | The impotence of the “lame Congress, because of its make-up and the results of th~ recent national election, is sufficient argument for the adoption of the constituticnal amend- g | ment doing away with cuch sessions. Although by an overwhelming vote the cuntry has placed the Democratic party | in control cf both the legislative and executive branches of the Government, its rewly elected representatives are not to function during the next thres menths. The weary grind must go for- | ward with the old Congress on the job, | a Congress that is almost evenly dividad | politically and that has shown itself in | the past incapable of acting qui r without extreme political bias. Fortu- | nately the constitutional amendment to | THE EVENING impaired position relative ta other sig- natories of the five-power and three- power naval treaties, nor for preventing further undermining of that position.” To bring this country’s fleet to the strength contemplated and provided by the treaties of 1922 and 1930 the United States would have build be- tween now and 1936 a total of 135 ships, involving 316,530 tons. Congress had made no provision for this con- struction. As a result, the United States lags behind, a poor third, with Japan leading in the number of exist- ing combatant ships, 219, and Great Britain next, with 187, while the United Btates has 148. Nearly all of these American ships, except submarines, are operating with only about 85 per cent of their enlisted complements. All of Japan's vessels, some being classed as in the reserve, are fully manned. British and Jap- anese battleships and heavy cruisers “lame duck” session of the National|®™® with minor exceptions, in c8mmis- sion, with complete officer and crew personnel. Only eleven of America’s fifteen battleships are fully commis- sloned. The United States keeps ten . STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1932. Just why is choice so difficult? Especially is the task of right selec- tion in the smaller affairs of life hard for many. ‘To choose properly between two courses of action, in some major crisis, is no way near so difficult for some of us as to make a selection between two kinds of soup.at lunch, or among four differently colored ties, lamps or what- not. This Is a mock tragedy of the every- day which never seems to have been given the consideration it deserves. There have been, of course, various explanations based on psychoanalysis, | but the common sense of most human | beings all along rightly put such hocum in_the place it belonged. | Learned looking beards and scientific | sounding words do not always carry | conviction with them, especially in our | modern society, which is in flux to | more than the ordinary degree. | Today people want more than words in explanation. They want, truly, the explanation itself; if words must be | used, they are to be so arranged that | theytell something, not just look pretty | out of eighteen light cruisers in full | or sound difficult. commission. Al of Japan's twenty ves- sels of that category are at sea in full commission. The United States has no destroyer leaders. The British have ten in full commission and Japan twenty-four. International conditions as of today spell no immediate danger to world cace or to America in particular. But they can hardly be described as stable or promising for an indefinitely war- less future. that American needs at sea are real. They should not be ignored. - “Internationale!” Lest {here be mistake as to the nature of the “hunger march” which arrived in place where they would be subj:ct 1o rectify this situation is in the making | WWeshington yesterday attention should control. street cn the outckirts cf the city, so bounded as to insure concentration, was chosen as the halting pont and there | they were held for the night. There was | ©o disorder in their arrival and so well | laid were the police plans that there‘ was no chance for either interference by the public cr an uncontrolled spread | of the unwelcome visitors to the Capl- | tal. And es the resut of an unheralded | change 6f route by the largest :cetion | ©f the “army,” bringing it into the city | 2t an unannounced point, there was far | less concentration of curicus onlookers | then had been feared. | It Is not an agreeable spectacle that | Legislatures of seventeen of the States. The Congress is faced with many de- mands of many groups of people. The | farmers are insisting upon rellef legis- lation, enabling them to get the full | benefit of the tariffs on wheat and other | crops. The opponents of prohibition demand immediate repeal of the eight- | eenth amendment and passage of legis- lation legalizing beer, holding that the Tecent election is a mandate for such action. Thz Chief Executive has in- dicated a desire for the creation of a new agency to deal ‘with the foreign nations owing the United States in the neighborhood of twelve billion dollars. 15 thus presented, of several thousand | The President, however, is in no posi- people herded in the open with no | tion to make a demand upon Congress facilities for their comfort, no dependa- | effective because of the fact that his ble provisions for their feeding. But | successor has been elected and he holds 4t is the best that can be done in the | his present office after a defeat at the | A comparatively little used|and has already been ratified by the| DS called to the fact that the first group to reach the city, that from the north, was headed by a band clad in a replica of the uniform of the Soviet army of Russia. It proclaimed its ar- rival on the legislative front with a rendition of the “Internationale,” the war song of communism. There is some controversy as to the authorship of this revelutionary hymn, the words of which, however, are known to have been written by Eugene Pottier, a French radical. The Communists ac- credit Pierre Degeyter with the com- position of the music. Pottier's poem begitis in the French with thess words: “Debout, les damnes de la terre! Debout, les forcats de la faim!” This may be translated: “Arise, ye damned ones of the earth! Arise ye victims of starva- tion!” 7 Secretary Adams shows | Why is it hard for some people to | select the color they want from several colors? Our guess that it is a sort of selfish- ness in their character, at bottom, rather than any psychic hesitancy. They cannot come to & decision be- cause they want them all, not just one, and, knowing they ought not to &:t more than one, dilly-dally over the choice as long as they can. Like all bad habits, this one grows | on them, so that in time they come to | the point where they never can make a | quick decision about anything. The sad part of this business is that | they are never satisfied with their se- | lection after they have made it. | If the time consumed were all that {were lost by such dilatory selection it | would be bad enough, but there is the | genuine dissatisfaction which so often | ensues. If one could just be satisfied, having | finally come to a decision! | But every one who is afflicted with this trait knows very well that no matter which one of several, in any line, he chooses, the ones he did rnt accept locm afterward as the most de- sirable. Especially when a choice must be made among artistic creations of mind and hand does the hesitant person find his woes piled upon him. \ Som-times he comes to believe that artistic leanings, and appreciations, are in a sense a sort of curse, in that the desires they make are so many and the means of satisfaction often too few, since usually there is no relation.be- tween the two at all. Too much appreciation of beautiful things—this is one facet of this stum- bling-block. One pcssesses a sort of divine piggishness, in that one wants manifested In books, flowers, jewels, dogs, cats, old furniture, Persian rugs or_whatnot. ‘Therefore the choice becomes diffi- cult, when one is faced with plethora, and has a straightened pocketbook, or all the beauty there is, whether it be | THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. and for decisiveness, when all he mer- its is a tin medal for slapstick methods. Choice is thus seen to be more than a on the surface. No ly character, when all the time he mani- fests nothing more than a lack of re- gard for the nmiceties of life, with a safe method of approach to cultural things. Decide quickly if you want to make a show hefore others; but if your de- sire is to impress yourself, take your time and be as hesitant as’ you please, if that is your character. Nor be afraid of the small choice. This sort is the most difficult of all, precisely because it is of no pa: importance. If it were a matter of great moment, the old sanity of the race, vhich seldom fails one in a crisls, would come to one's aid. But .since it is merely a question of which pie, whether pumpkin, apple or custard, one is to choose, it will re- quire a great deal of palaver and think- ing “about it and about.” y The “strong, determined character” makes & grab for the nearest piece, whatever it may be, not because he is so all-fired strong, nor yet because he is determined, buhb largely because he doesn't give a whoop. He is not interested in which pie, but in pie. Food, not flavor, is what he wants. He is, in other words, no artist in culinary matters. “Just so it is something to eat,” he says, or, nenmrtthe truth, “Jest so it is sumpin’ to eat.” Cong:lt, or lack of it, is the real key- note here, as in many of the other af- fairs of life, If & man has enough conceit to value his own opinion highly, the chances are that he will be thinking of the im- pression he is going to make. In that case, even in so simple a matter as pie selection, or the choice of a necktie to go with a new suit, he will think that he is on parade, that all eyes are upon him, and believe that he must make an instantaneous selec- tion to show himself a man of forceful character. Deeper than that, however, runs his egotism. It is & part of him, whether he feels he is on parade or not. His choice, his instant choice, will be right. So much he has made up his mind osition; hence it follows as the glg t the dey that he cannot be false to any man, especially his own precious inner man. Invariably will such a conceited per- son, by nature, justify to himself every act, every choice, whether made with true conviction or not. Little is to be said against this atti- tude; it is a workable, practical plan of conduct, one which has been utilized, without conscious thought, by many eminent and successful men. ‘There will always be, however, a cer- tain number of men and women who utterly lack, also by nature, any portion whatsoever of that conceit, that egotism, which makes selections so easy a matter for others. They are never sure they are right about in advance, as a general Working | the today T T form i arner ke to them. they wi they said when they promised in their platform uncondi- tional repeal of the eighteenth amend- ment, or they didn’t. A great deal was made during the campaign of lucidity of the Democratic platform as it applied to the prohibition issue. The Republican pledges regarding prohibi- | tion were held up to derision. Now, it appears, the Democrats in the House are to be put to the test. The Speaker is perfectly right in his stand, which is entirely unequivocal. The resolution for the repeal of the eight- eenth lmenddment which he hn;‘ had T and proposes to get a vote on ’i‘n“:}l\':dflousemmrflu out the party's pledge. | * X % % Less courageous, perhaps more prac- tical, men in the Democratic party are | shying away from the acid test put up| to them by the Speaker. They are say- z ing that provisions should be written | into the repeal resolution making a re- | turn of the saloon impossible and prom- | ising adequate prctection to the States | which remain dry. They insist that it | is impossible for the wets to get a | resolution through Congress for uncon- | ditional repeal of the prohibition | amendment to the Constitution, and | that it would be even mere impcssible | for them to have such an amendment ratifled by 36 of the 48 States once it | had been submitted to them. It is even | | pointed out that the Committee on Reso- | lutions which drafted the plank pledg- | | ing repeal of the eighteenth amendment | was made up almost entirely of men | who did not hcld either legislative or executive office, and who, therefore, did not understand that dry constituents | have votes as well as the wet constitu- ents. Otherwise, it is suggested, the Platform Committee would have gone| little further than did the Republicans | in dealing with prohibition. * ok k ok It looks as though the Democratic party, having promised outright prohibi- tion in its campaign for election to office, may have gone too far. It looks, too, as though the party itself may split over this question. The Democratic leaders in the Senate say very candidly that they see no prospect of putting through a straight repeal resolution at e short session of Congress now open- ing. If the effort for such a resolution is to be made, it must be made when the new Congress assembles. But even then the Democratic leaders do not believe that such a resolution can get through the Senate. In other words, they say that some kind of a com- proraise must be made. Otherwise the fanatic wets will prevent, they say, any change in the Constitution dealing with prohibition. In view of the overwhelm- |ing votes needed in Congress and in the States to put through prohibition | repeal, there may be something in what these Democratic leaders are saying. | But as Mr. Garner has said, it was | &ru%};t repeal and no compramise that e Democrats promised the people in their platform. * X % % the | in coin or stamps ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC }HASKIN. is wel- Anyn-dno(ehhmspz: come to make use at any of the free information service of this depart- | degres Fahrenheit. For the assumed ment. Address gur inquiry to The | maxhum Summer temperature of 105 Evening Star formation Bureau, | degres Fahrenheit this steelwork will Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing- | lengthn, according to figures, & total ton, D. C., and you will receive a per- | of 10 iches; for the assumed minimum sonal letter in reply. Inclose 3 cents | Wintertemperature of 5 degrees below, for return postage. | Fahremeit, it will shorten a total of 20 Do not use post cards. Be sure to|inches. In other words, for & range in state your question clearly and to write | temperayre of 110 degrees Fahrenheit your name and address plainly, ;thrre is . range in linear motion of 30 | inches. | Q. When were Christmas _carols first collected and printed?>—R. S. B. | Q. Wha is the name of the school in Prancéwhich corresponds to West There are two manuscript coliec- | Point?—J. g, tions of carols which may be dated circa 1500-35. 1t is evident that Christ- | A 'Saii Syr 15 the French Military cademy. Xance also maintains other pleased both the devout and the roister- s ers, and it 15 inevitable that they shouid | SUPPlementay military schools. Sod thelr way into print. e etiest| Q. How wany priscoers were oa parole on Jum 30, 1931?—N, P, A printed collection is probably Wynkyn de Worde's “Christmas Carolles Newely | At the erq of the fiscal year there 2,644 perams on parole, as com- (1520). Only a single leaf | yor pared with 1,93 in the previous year. It contains two complete carols—one a hunting song, with no When was ymputation first per- reference in it to Christmas, and the other a boar’s head carol. E A. The charactiristic signs of am- Smith utation have beenfound in prehistoric BB | bones. 1In the broze age (1500-5400 A. He served four times as Governor | B.C.) surgical saws ind files were plen- of the #tate of New York. He was | tiful everywhere, fron Egypt to Central elected November 5, 1918, when he | Europe. served one term. He was elected No- | . iy | vember 7, 1922, and re-elected for two| Q. How hot does £ get fn the Afri- successive terms. The term of the|can desart and jungis’—A. L. A. The temperature rises to greater office of Governor of New York is twi s i b ™© | neights in the Afri Jegions have a WOT has been fabricated to & definite lengh at the normal temperature of 68 mas sol had a wide appeal; they| 4, = | form How many times was Alfred E.| elected Governor of New York? | P! ears. > A | the jurgle, Q. Who is now the head of the Bona- | very small percentage of bumidity, while parte family?—M. C. | the jungles have an avemge humidity . A The present head of the family |of 80 degrees, consequent]y the heat in is Prince Louls, the son of Napoleon | the lafter region is pressive to Victor (died 1926), who Was born in | white persops. In the of North- 1914, and lives in Brussels. ern Africa ‘the temperatu’s may rise S very high in Summer; the average in ey ohat, effect has a depression on | july exceeds 90 degrees; 110 degrees is = T T oftes reached on the coast; 120 degrees in fhe interior. At Azizla, in Tripeli, the thermometers have registered 136 degrees in the shade, the’ highest re- corded on the earth's surface, Q. Are many of the stoeks bought on the New York Stock Exchange d for in full and transferred to the s in their own names?—D. W. fA. A very small portian of stocks is id for in full by clients who wish A. According to the conclusions reached from certain indices of the trend of child labor in New York State, namely, employment certificate, school | attendance, and inspection records, a decrease in child labor during the de-l pression years is indicated. Similar statistics for the next few years will be of especial interest in showing whether this represents a permanent decline in child labor or merely a temporary fluc~ tuation due to scarcity of Jobs. em transferred to their own names, Q. What duty is paid on Fordson |Jut all stocks are paid far in full wh tractors made In Europe and brought |Purchased, either by the broker into the United States>—R. K. |Clent; that is, the broker must pay A. The Customs Service has held |full for the stocks purchased. that Fordson tractors are used chiefly o for agricultural purposes and are, | Q. How much of a pedigree must a therefore, admissible free of duty under | horse have, if any, to race on the big paragraph 1604 of the tariff act. tracks in this country?—Q. R. ——— A. A horse that is not register Q. Were Indian parents devoted to/p thoroughbred cannot be run 2, their children”—B. D. licensed race track. A. Both the father and mother of | Indian children were entirely devoted | | Q. Is prohibition enforcement under to them, and bestowed upon them every e Department of Justice or Treas- mark of affection and solicitude. Chil- dren crippled by accident were treated by parents and companions with great tenderness, GQ(.}tht is the Philatelic Agency?— y?—F. M. E. 'A. The Bureau of Industrial Alco- l&; is under the Treasury t; United States Bureau of Prohibi- tio is under the Unifed States Depart- meit of Justice; the United States 1t 15 absurd to suggest that tifese 3,000 | s e United thatee t ‘A. The Philatelic estab- the inability to “loosen up,” which | about anything, although they may be circumstances. No funds are available | POLls. for the housing of these petitioners. | ‘Their own agents and stimulators, who were definitely told that they could expect nothing in the way of shelter or | supplies, have failed them. That, how- | ever, was of little concern to the mana- | gers of the march, who are perhaps| secretly pleased at the turn of events. The more lamentable the situation of these wretched people, gulls of their in flammatory ‘persuasion, the more fuel for their incendiary enterprise. It the announced program of the| leaders of this march is carried into effect an attempt will be made tomor- row, despite the prohibition of the Dis- trict and legislative authorities, to parade these petitioners through the streets to the Capitol to present their demands, perhaps also a parade to the White House for the same purpose, with demonstrations at certain other points, notably the offices of the Ship- ping Board and the headquarters of the American Federation of Labor. Per-| mits for these parades and assemblages have been denied, and unless a change of decision occurs none will be granted. Should a mass demonstration be at- tempted it will be checked with possibly the result of conflict, but more likely with little disturbance. 1t is with relief and gratification that Washington finds the misguided peti- tioners so effectively and peaceably re- | eeived, and it hopes that their stay will be short and their departure will be as uneventful as their coming. — et Even a presidential campaigner can- not expect to reach the pinnacle of Au- tumnal prominence. His years of dis- cretion are necessarily too far advanced | to permit him to qualify as an impet- | Uous foot ball star. | | | | Good-Bye to Rapidan. The President’s camp at Rapidan has been closed. Mrs. Hoover spent a few | days there last week, picking up family | belongings and setting the place in| order. On Saturday she said good-bye | and journeyed back to Wnshmgwn.f"’ patronage, but a lean year for the | There were no formalities. | The property, for which Mr. Hoover | 4T comes to begin chopping in the | paid fifteen thousand dollars and upon | improving which he spent approximate- | ly two hundred thousand, now becomes & possession of the State of Virginia by courtesy of his gift. It has been recom- mended that it be made available to succeeding Presidents. The suggestion | Patronage is relatively untouched by is worthy of remembrance. It is obvi- ous that & woodland retreat should be | fishes and the loaves, without regard | a convenience for any overburdened Chief Executive. Reasoiably near to| the Capital and exceedin’ .y beautiful to the eye, the spot is ic.al for the uses of a statesman in need of a hermitage become as popular as “Sidewalks of | in which to “loaf and invite his soul” | New York” if, by any chance, he coud | M5 € € 3 o e in the approved Walt Whitmen man- ner. | But Mr. Hoover never was able to make the most of its opportunities. He | tried often enough, but circumstances forbade him leisure to relax. When he went to Rapidan he perforce carried his burdens with him. The newspapers and the telephone followed him. Sccretaries end stenographers went along, The roads hummed with speeding motors, going and coming. A steady siream of messengers came and went. Even from | may suffer, The country, despite the involved and illogical situation existing because of the hold-over of officials of the Gov- ernment after their successors have been chosen, will still continue to hope that something may be done during the short session of Congress to aid in the present depression and crisis. If it has to wait three months before these pressing problems may be taken up nd effectually disposed of, the country In the meantime its hands are tied. S R A Fat Year for Patronage. ‘There is a certain incongruity in the fact that a patronage list is being com- piled by the Civil Service Commission. That is the one agency having to do with Government personnel that should be, in practice as well as in theory, re- moved from the spoils system. But the Civil Service Commission in sending out a questionnaire to all de- partments and independent establish- ments asking for “the number of offi- cers and employes in the executive civil service whose appointments are not made through competitive examina- tion” is merely following established precedent. Th> same thing was done wHen the Wilson cdministration came into office and again when the Harding administration began. Now the Democrats, out in the cold for twelve long years, are with a lean and hungry look asking that the same information be compiled again. Of the approximately 575,000 employes in the executive service, about 108,000 of them hold jobs which are regarded as the spolls of war. Some of the incumbents ] have lived untouched by the changes of | administration, and many of the in- | cumbents will go through the storm of | March 4 untouched. For there are men and women in these jobs whose worth makes them immune from the fate of those who live by the political sword, and by the political sword expect to perish. This will be a fat year for dispensers taxpayer. Unfortunately, when the Federal establishment in the name of economy, those who feel most the ef- fects of the ax are not the beneficiaries of political patronage, but those who by dint of merit and indust>y have earned the right to work for the Government. economy. It will ps dispensed, like the | to the meagerness of supply. e James J. Walker is said to contem- plate writing another song. It might de Al €mith to sing it. e The State of the Navy. Secretery of the Navy Adams, in his annual report just issued, admits that | the cohdition of the United States fleet iln commission is satisfactory, but his conclusions and those of the general |board with reference to American sea | power, as compared to that of Great | Britain and Japan, are worthy of seri- | ous and prompt attention by both Con- gress and the country. To the extent persua 8cross the sea, business intruded UPOD |ty the nexorable demands of Federal any attempt to escape from Toutine.|econgmy permit, the United States The camp was a forest equivalent of| feey's geficiency in units permissive White House offices. |under limitation treaties should be It wes at Rapidan tbat Mr. HOOVET | opoqieq with all possible dispatch. conferred witih Prime Minister Ramsay | «oyurtaflment of expenditures,” says MacDonald. It was there, too, that he | Secretary Adams in a report conspicu- talked with cabinet members and other | ;. ¢or its restraint, “has been made important Government officers, Mem- | yrincipally at the cost of the fighting bers of Congress, Governors of States, | fieet” Mr. Adams makes no direct rec- industrial leaders and representatives ommendations, contenting himself with of the press. The people 8t IATEE|tne presentation of numerous compara- thought of him as resting, but they were mistaken. He worked just as steadily and just as devotedly in camp #s he did in Washington. Perhaps some future President may e more fortunate in using the place. Certainly it is much to be desired that opportunity for relaxation should be tive figures and tables of the strength of the British, Japanese and American navies. Most striking of all in this telltale revelation is the disclosure that the present building program of the Washington on their cwn initiative or solely for the purposs of asking for relief. They have come at the instance and by means of an organization of Commuinicts now resident in this coun- try who are seeking to foment revolu- tion, who are known to be stimulated, if not directed, by the Third Internationale at Moscow, who are promoting schools of revolution among diseontented - work- ers in this country, even among the children of workers. They utilize every phese cof distress and discontent to evoke manifestations of revolt. Their contention that this present march is the exercise of a constitutional right is an insolent perversion of the funda- mental law. These agitators, themselves always chrewdly keeping just within the law, have no compunctions Tespecting the safety and the welfare of their tools, whom they arouse to radical actions by Inflammatory speechesand a flood of per- nicious propaganda which itself is kept just short of actual incitation to armed rebellion. The pity is that these pro- moters of public disorder and personal distress cannot themselves be handled as are their mcre courageous prototypes, the avowed criminals who rob and slay for their own gain. ———————— So-called “hunger marchers” have traveled a long way and nobody re- ports starvation. The responsible peo- ple of the country are still generous, even in the face of unreasonable dem- onstration. ——————— Marchers arrived in this city with- out mishap. With proper deference to a friendly but firm police escort, they may expect to depart in the same way. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. On With the Dance. Of course, we'll have a little dance And welcome one and all; At gayety we'll take & In an inaugural ball. Though serious the time may be And hard the dally grind, There is & proper hour of glee That’s due to all mankind. Grave problems bid us shake our heads And fill us with surprise. We'll try to ease the passing dreads And “shake a foot” likewise, Duties Unending. “You will soon resume your old dutfes,” remarked the sympathetic friend. “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum. “That’s the destiny of a true states- of unfinished business.” Jud Tunkins says Communism may be a matter of opinion, but he can't see it as a paid profession. Co-operation. ‘We're disappointed now and then, And so are all our fellow men. So let us not in Anger shout, But try to help each other out. Confidence. “Do you believe in Santa Claus?” “Why not?” responded Miss Cayenne. “His pame is established, and he can ays be r on to produce divi- dends once a year.' . “To boast,” sald Hi Ho, the sage ©f | Chinatown, “arouses a suspicion of pre- tending power, with an implied threat.” Christmas Spirit. Priendships threaten a disbanding. We will strive for all we're worth, Nevertheless and notwithstanding, To remember Peace on Earth. 'Spite of pleas or propaganding, ‘When of cash there is a dearth, Nevertheless and notwithstanding, These are times for Peace on Earth. United States does not provide for a treaty navy for the next four years, nor “De world 1s gittin' better,” said Uncle Even, “but some parts of it is repostin’ “the rectifying of our already seriously progress faster dan others.”, petitioners for legislation have come to | | amounts to the same thing. Indecision is not such a bad trait of character, after all, in such a case. It simply may indicate, not a lack of character, but a lack of greenbacks; not something vital missing in the back- bone, but something essential in the purse. If one is in a hurry, over such mat- ters, and at the same time has no real taste, he will find it no task at all to make a selection. Often such a per- son gets credit for genuine ability, ‘The Seventy-second Congress is now definitely launched on its last session. ‘Will it prove epoch-making in its treat- ment of the many serious issues con- fronting it or will it prove hectic and futile, as so many lame duck sessions have proven heretofore? As was ex- pected, a double-barreled attack on the “noble experiment” features the open- ing moves on Capitol Hill, and liquor— “to be or not to be"—holds the center of the stage. Speaker Jack Garner, fol- lowing what he regards as the “cate- gorical imperative” of the mandate in the recent, elections, starts a fast and furious driVe for naked “repeal” while an independent move for beer “‘around the corner” is taking shape by the hour. The brewers are githered in force to tell Congress of the state of their in- dustry and presumably that they are Teady to begin operations. growers are among those present to tell of the condition of their vineyards. The organized battalions of the drys are mobilized to offer stout battle to repeal- ists, modificationists and revenue seek- ers alike. In the midst of this situ- ation, pregnant with drama, all are awalting President Hoover's message on the state of the Union. What, if any- thing, will he say on his attitude toward immediate legislation of beer? A word of encouragement from him would hasten action, but it is by no means cer- tain that his disapproval would seriously affect the mfomentum of the drive in progress. * oK ok x Sectional lines will undoubtedly be drawn in the fight over the speaker- ship in the next Congress. Some con- tend that the Democratic party should prove that it is national in scope and gain strength by selection of a Speaker from some other section than the South. On this theory and also because so many of the major committee assignments go to Southern Democrats by right of seniority, the odds would certainly favor the gentleman with the flowing tie, Henry T. Rainey of Illinois. This is not a prediction. In this connection, how- ever, it is interesting to note that 17 Speakers have come: ffom that strong- hold of Democracy, the South, and 26 from other sections. The Far West has never been represented. Kentucky has led the parade of States with six Speak- ers of the House and Massachusetts has trailed with five. Virginia and Penn- sylvania have each furnished four. I ‘With the bopus issue destined to crop up again, and economies that would affect war veteran payments being strongly agitated, considerable interest will attach to the numerical strength and the caliber of leadership of the ex-service men that will sit in the Seventy-third Congress. The ex-service men in the Senate and in the House of Representatives fared on the whole rather well in the political hurricane that swept over the Nation on November 8. One hundred ex- service men held seats in the Seventy- third Congress, 86 in the House and 14 in the Senate. Twenty-four of these, 3 Senators and 21 Representa- tives, were either defeated at the polls or were not candidates for re-election. The indications, however, are that this loss will be more than offset by the new- comers. In all probability, men who fought for Uncle from' the “Halls of Montezuma to the shores of 'mPau" will constitute some 20 per cent of the new National Legislature. It should be said in passing that ex-service men by no means voted as a bloc on con- troversial issues affecting the veterans, and that bonus men and anti-bonus men were among those elected and among those who went down to defeat. * k kX Unless all Signs fail, the question of President beer will be put m‘w it Hoover for the second e in Th The wine | d It may be hats affects more correct, in most matters, than their fellows. They like to think, in rare moments, that they see too much, and know too much, and are too fair in their evalua- tions, to arrive at ready ju¥gments on a hit-and-miss basis which involves no more than a satisfaction of the egotisti- cal spirit. Even in so small selection of a new rug they will doubt the sanity of their choice, as they recall the beautiful specimens they left behind. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS | can pass the responsibility for a decision | should Congress decide to legalize the | foaming brew. ik ot ‘The histaric old Senate chamber in the Capitol, which has been used by the Supreme Court of the United States since 1859, will be preserved for pos- terity when the Nation’s highest tri- bunal moves to its spacious new build- | ing now under construction. While dis- position of the court room and adjacent offices will fall under the jurisdiction of the Democratic-controlled Senate in the next Congress and the offices will un- doubtedly be used for committee rooms, it is now definitely settled that the fa- mous old Senate chamber, in which the voice of Daniel Webster was so often raised, will not be touched during any changes to the Senate wing of the Capi- tol. Prior to using this chamber—that is, prior to 1859—the Supreme Court occupied a room immediately beneath, now used as a law library. e ©One of the numerous visitors to Wash- ington for the opening of Congress is a comely young Portia who maintains law offices in Johnstown and Harrisburg, Pa—Miss M. Vashti Burr. While her Johnstown law partner, Representative Howard W. Stull, deliberates in the House, Miss Burr carries on the legal affairs at home. There may be a time in the not-too-distant future when she also will come to Capitol Hill in an offi- clal capacity, but up to the present Miss Burr has graclously declined the importunities of her friends that she put herself in the running for a seat in the Lower House, maintaining that just now her chief interest lies in her pro- fession. Outward signs would seem to indicate that she is making a success of this job. Miss Burr has been retained by a group of Pennsylvanians to study the direct primary system in the Key- stone State and draft a bill suggesting needed changes in it for the considera- tion of the Legislature. She is promi- nent in the councils of Republican women of Pennsylvania, is legislative counsel for several State associations of the larger citles and coumties, is the only woman practicing law in her county and was one of the first women to serve as deputy attorney general of the Keystone State. ik In his campaign for re-election, Sen- ator Ellison D. Smith of South Caro- lina, who will be chairman of the pow- erful Senate Committee on Agriculture in the next Congress—“Cotton Ed” to the home folks—sought to prove to his constituents that he was one of the few real dirt farmers in the nate. To accomplish this he grouped his col- leagues on the basis of their activities in private life, such as lawyers, doc- tors—Senator Copeland—and so on. But | the designation for Mrs. Hattie Cara- way had him stumped. So he labeled her the Senate's only “housekeeper.” X A It is interesting to note that Presi- dent-clect Roosevelt will not lack for able council in the United States Sen- ate, #s far as fiscal matters are con- cerned. The new Senate will have two distinguished Democrats who have served terms as Secretaries of the Treasury, namely, Carter Glass of Vir- ginia and Willlam Gibbs McAdoo of California. Before becoming Secretary of the Treasury the peppery Virginian had established himself in our banking Hall of Fame as one of the principal conceivers and framers of the Federal Reserve act. It was Mr. McAdoo who headed the Treasury during the flota- tion of the Liberty loans, out of which came & considerable part of the money loaned to foreign nations. (Copyright, 1932.) ———— Hats and Sanity. From the Dayton Dally News. true that ‘without men men . At Jeast, we_suspect habit has driven some bat makers nearly crazy. Gave Them the Slip. From the Newark Evening News. 2 matter as the | Before many days the country will hear even more about beer and the Ppos- sibility of its Jegalization at the pres- ent session of Congress than it has heard in the past. It is proposed that the Volstead act be modified s0 as to permit the manufacture and sple of 3.2 per cent beer. That is beer con- taining 3.2 per cent alcohol by weight, or about 4 per cent by volume. The proponents of this measure would con- fine the manufacture and sale of bev- erages containing so much alcohol to malt drinks. They intend to specify in their bill, if they can, the beverages shall be of that character, béer, ale, porter and the like. It seems rather ridiculcus that a drink of this kind containing 3.2 per cent alcohol should be permitted while the law should place. a ban on wine or coca-cola, for exam- ple, containing a similar amount of al- stage of the game. They talk, too, of legalizing beer, declaring in effect that it is a non-intoxicating beverage if it contains 3.2 per cemt of alcohol by’ weight and no more, and at the same time of having the Federal Government say how it shall be sold, whether in bottle or on draft or both, and where it shall be sold. They have dug uj decisions of the Supreme Court whicl seem to hold that the Congress, be- cause of the eighteenth amendment, has a right to control the sale of non- intoxicating beverages which contain alcohol. This may be correct, but it will seem like a lot of nonsense to the ordinary run of the mine citizen. * ok ox % ‘There is one of the States in the Union which is reckoned still dry, al- though the Democrats carried it in No- vember. This is the Sunflower State, Kansas. In proof of the dryness of the State it is said that all the candidates for Congress, Democratic and Repub- lican alike, ran as drys, except one Democrat, who was beaten. Senatory Arthur Capper, who knows his Kansas as well and probably better than any man in public life today, insists that the people of the State are still wedded overwhelmingly to the cause of pro- hibition. Mr. Capper is one of the few members of the Senate and House who are still ready and willing to lift up their voices and talk publicly in favor of continuing the_ eighteenth amendment Jjust as it is. If there is doubt in the mind of any one regarding the weak- ening of the drys in Congress, let him g0 out and #ry to get a ¢peaker among them to discuss prohibition in his own district or State, or in a national forum, and take the position that there must be no change in the prohibition laws, unless the change is for stricter en- forcement. * oK ok X Senator Cordell Hull of Tennessee is one Democrat who has not changed his mind regarding the need of doing something about the tariff. He wants this country to take the lead in bring- ing about an immediate 10 per cent he tal reduction of the tariff duties, in the hope of stimulating international trade. The Tennessee Senator is con- vinced that permanent improvement in the economic conditions of this country and the world cannot begin until steps are taken to break down the trade bar- riers which have been raised here and | abroad. There are other Democrats in | Congress, however, who shy away from tackling the tariff issue right away. They do not look forward to a special session of the new Congress next Spring dedicated to a general revision of the tariff. They do not, indeed, want a special session at all. But if one must come, they prefer to let it deal wif taxes, bition and farm relief, an to avold if possible this tariff tangle, except for some kind of a declaration that tariffs shall go no higher and that there shall be an international confer- ence regarding trade barriers. * Ok ok K ‘When Woodrow Wilson became Presi- dent in 1913 he called a special session o new Congress almost immediately and it undertook right away to revise the tariff laws. The result was the UnderwoodsSimmons law. What might have happened eventually to industry in this country under continued opera- tion of that law in peaceful times must remain a matter of conjecture. ‘World War in 1914 changed everything almost overnight. Europe had to have the products of American labor and farm. It was unable to export its own Bates™ 1 BrECidint-elcot " Rovsevelt cohol. But there is Jittle rhyme or rea- son in the propm&‘n{ beer at this |H- R, The | low.” ury Department, and, in collabo- ratih with the Bureau of Prohibition, help} to enforce prohibition. it wise to manufacture and sell Cy was lished jn December, 1921, for the pur- pose of supplying collectors and dealers with United States postage stamps and other stamped paper of current issues and such discontinued issues as may be on hand. So far as ible, well centered postage stamps will be supplied. Postage stamps are sold at face value, plus returr: postage and registration fee. The Philatelic Agency is connected with the Post Office Department, ‘Washington, D. C. Q. How should one take care of an umbrella?—W. C. - A. Before taking an umbrella into the rain it should be rubbed with a soft piece of silk in order that the dust may be removed. e : Q. How much longer is the W -Hudson River Bridge the Summer than in the Winter?— Allotment for Farm Relief Proves Puzzling t(‘\ Country “Domestic allotment,” which is now before the country as a possible solu- tion of the farm problem, is widely discussed, with some optimism on the part of those Who believe that it will be adopted as a policy of the new Fed- eral administration. There are some who hold that the plan is too intricate | -H to diselose certainty of success. Bearing | }_’e'guge Z’Q,fm‘,’é‘?o i upon the subject is a resolution adopted | New York Sun, 15 at & conference of business leaders at|Sstand. Even if the Chicago, making the statement as to If an increase in national needs: “Inasmuch as it will be a slow process to negotiate reciprocal tariff agreements, and make govern- mental debt adjustments in such a way as immediately to increase exports to a material extent, we advocate the im- mediate development of & plan which will establish a domestic price level for basic farm products, which is far enough above the world level to re- establish an equitable price ratio be- tween farm and industrial prices.” “The voluntary allotment plan,” as explained by the Houston Chronicle, “visuaMzes a subsidy for those farmers who will reduce their production of cer- tain staples now overproduced. The subsidy would vary, diminishing as prices mount, the idea being that with a reward given for acreage reduction the supply of the staple in question would decrease, and the price thereby automatically be advanced. The entire process would be under the protection of a tariff wall. The costs would be immediately passed on to the trade in the commodity affected, the traders be- ing compelled to pass it on to the gen- eral public, no payments from the Fed- eral Treasury being contemplated. The proponents of this plan argue that it will accomplish two essential purposes, increase farm prices, and so solve all questions of mortgages and taxes and low living standards, and at the same time produce the required balance be- tween supply and demand necessary to maintaining sound conditions.” The plan is called “the most plaus- ible program” in this direction by the Asbury Park Evening Press, which records that “farmers, business men and statesmen have been free with their praise,” and that “many mem- bers of Congress are enthusiastic.” That dscussion. . ers ultimatel; Whigh thréatema. 1 tion,” says the rm larm ot lation of the United States npruenw‘zl about, one-fourth of the whole popula- tion; of this fourth some 20 per cent are economically. concerned with the production of wheat. It is thus pro- Posed to tax approximately 95 per cent of the public in order to pay bonuses to the remaining 5 per cent. Like | every other artificial scheme to cantrol the law of supply and d¢emand, this one Tests om erroneous assumptions. In- | stead of increasing gom | tion and reducing e! |it is likely to decrease domestic con- sumsmon and increase the exportable surplus, The notion that increasing by this means the farmer’s buying power will promote economic recovery amounts to a supposition that prosperity can be | assured by mulcting 95 out of every 100 | persons in order that the other five | may have more spending money.” | ‘It is difficult to escape the conclu- :slnn that the plan is too highly theo- retical to be put to practical advan- tage,” thinks the Boise Idaho States- | man, while the San Francisco Chronicle | argues: “All direct attempts to help the }Inrmer by boosting his selling prices, |like Brazilian coffee valorization, the British rubber scheme, the Japanese camphor moxwmly and the others | wherever tried, have given ‘momentary profits and in the end left him worse ' off than in the beginning. Tariff has done something and could even da more. Yet tariff protection cannot go beyond certain limits with farm crops produced in surplus to be sold on a worl, 3 The American tariffl on wheat, for example, absolutely shuts out importa- tlons of foreign wheat for use in this country. The American wheat farmer has no competition in the American wheat market, yet, because he produces paper comments: “It is_obviously su- |& surplus, world prices set a lmit on perior to other farm relief programs, | What he can get for his even at most of which nullified themselves by |home. In the same way tarit offsetting price increases with increased | shud'.: out im| of all’ but 1 production which, in turn, reduced the | &rades of foreign cotton. Nevertheless price to its former level or below. The | the American cotton grower, because price increase will be paid in the form | h¢ raises a large surpius, is dependent of & Federal tax by the domestic pur- | JPoR the world price of cotton. Parm chaser; it will be equal to the tariff on | frifls are actually effective in better- the product, and it will be distributed | 1€ the | i T thay among the farmers by the Government | APRI. 0 Somme guly or on a pro rata basis. It stipulates, how- 71 108 the !gx‘rile "'7“"'"" Unfortu- ever, that farmers enjoying this reward | groun’ nere o com; cu wmm the will not to increase productiol | chief preiucts of & grtat met p Lo over their former average, thus Dre- | Country: No faom Cabhe Wohy venting crop increases and the price | offective so lons ns et S0y VAOHY declines that would be ceriain to 10l- | Gro ety ogt oabens Nicaind cotton |also corn and the other grains.. The wheat and cotton cures flmg: will stand analysis have yet to be found.” ————— Towa’s Fuel Supply. Prom the Pasadena Post. Towa has counted its corn finds that it has husked 5: bushels of the {e dance of fuel. China’s Perspective. Prom the Springfield (Mass.) Union. “Bernard Baruch, one of the Roose- velt advisers,” according to the Char- lotte Observer, “has recommended that lied to wheat alone, but Crop an 39,000,000 This as- an abune