Evening Star Newspaper, December 9, 1932, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sundsy Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY.......December 9, 1032 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: it & wnd Penasyivania Ave i Sirore York Office: 110 East 42nd Office: Lake Michigan Bullding. an Office: 14 Regent St.. London. England, Rate by Carrier Within the City. R: Evening Star. .45¢ per month Evening and S (when 4 Sundays).. 60c per month ‘The Evening and Sun 65¢ per month 5c per copy (when 5 Sundays). ‘The Sunday Sta Collection made at the end of e: Orders may be sent tn by mall or telephone NAtional 5000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Su 1yr.$10.00; 1 mo.. Daily only . 1yr, $6.00: 1mo. 50¢ Sunday only ' $4.00: 1 mo.. 40¢ All Other States and Canada. 0., $1.00 Fnuy only 75 junday only The Associated Press s exclusiy to the use for republication of all news atches credited to it or not otherwise cred- ted in this paper and also the Ic published herein. All rights of publication of SDecial dispatches herein are also reserved. America’s Last Word. For better or for worse, America’s last word, cei for the time being, has been spoken on the subject of the war debts. In notes addressed to Great Britain and France, as responses to their second recent app-als for suspen- sion of payments and revision of the whole debt structure, Secretary Stimson has just reaffirmed the United States’ refusal on both those scores. The debtor nations are now definitely on notice that Uncle Sam expects them to step up to the counter on December 15 and settle the accounts on that date due. The British must pay $95,500,000, the PFrench in the neighborhood of $20,000,000, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Czechoslovakia and others smaller sums. President Hoover, in directing the dispatch of these mon possumus mes- sages to Europe, is plainly influenced and determined by the obvious opposi- tion of Congress to showing any sem- blance of further consideration to the | debtor countries. There is enough in the President’s own record to suggest that if his purely personal predilections were to prevail the hard-boiled atti- tude is not the one that now would be | reflected to the transatlantic world. Mr. Hoover is not a cancellationist, but he is an acknowledged revisionist, be- cause he is a realist in economics and | international politics. The President| told Congress a year 2go, when he asked in vain for reconstitution of the World War Debt Funding Commission, that “certain readjustments” in the ex- isting debt settlements would be re- quired in the light of disarrayed eco- nomics everywhere. Mr. Hoover then uttered a truism as palpably evident today as .. was when he first spoke it. But for the immediate future the| die is cast. America stands on the letter of her bond. “They hired the money,” as Calvin Coolidge said on a memorable occasion, and Congress ex- pects “them” to “come across.” Pres- ently it should develop whether the dire predictions of woe, uttered in| Europe as the certain consequence of America’s inflexibility on the debts, are destined to pass into history as empty prophecy or to be borne out by events desigacd to prove that the United Ptales 15 cutting off its nose to spite face, Should that turn out to result of America’s insistence good right, it cannot, at any rate, be sald that there was not plenty of warning of what might happen. The cables bring word that Great Britain, France and the rest of them are making arrangements to meet next ‘week's payments “on the nail” 1t would be a rash seer who would ven- ture to foreshadow that with those pay- ments the debt issue lapses back as a closed incident into the calm state in which it found itself before the Hoover moratorfum. That day is gone, and it will never return. The sooner the American people realize that, the earlier they will prepare themselves for the inevitable—eventually, if not now. ———————————— France s now pondering the ques- tion of whether it is wise to educate that immense group of citizens known as the public to the idea that it is clever to evade a debt. — Farm Plans. ‘The House Committee on Agriculture s to tackle farm relief legislation early next week, in an effort to develop a program that will be pressed for con- sideration in this short session of Con- gress. If it is found impossible to put | through a bill at the present session, | then the program will form a basis | for consideration in the new Congress | which will surely be assembled soon after President-elect Roosevelt enters the White House unless the problems of farm relief and prohibition can be settled before March 4. That these problems can be handled by that time seems today impossible. The Farmers' National Rclief Con- ference, now meeting in Washington and prepared to submit its dcmand.s‘ to the Congress, is formulating a pro- | gram that may stagger .he legislators, | sympathetic as they are to the farmers. | ‘The proposals which the farm marchers | on Washington are making include an appropriation for $500,000,000 to be | used to relieve destitute farmers; a| moratorium on farm mortgages, relief from taxation, a Federal price-fixing | body to see that the farmers get a| reasonable price for their produce and | that prices be reduced to consumers, | and the purchase by the Government from farmers direct of food needed to | take care of the unemployed in the —_— cities. The program of the farm | marchers will be submitted to the Con- gress. The big farm organizations of the the Grange, the Farmers' the American Farm Bu- reau Federation, are also busy with their plans for farm-reifef legislation. Their representatives have talked with the President-elect; they are in con- stant contact with the men on Capitol Hill who have to do with the drafting ©of farm legislation. Where all this preparation for farm ef Will lead 1t is impossible to 53y. | Hoover administration came four years ago it was faced demands from the farmers legisiation. It was these whidh tecughs shagy ihe [ the office wide Telief ach month. | 8¢ | al news | ing of the special session of Congress in 1929, resulting in the enactment of the Federal Farm Board act and the Smoot-Hawley tariff law. The farmers, it is said, do not like the Farm Board. Yet the board has had half a billion dollars to aid the farmers in their efforts tc obtain better prices for their products. ‘The difficulty lies in the fact that in the long run artificial stimulation of when there is no check on production. No scheme so far advanced gives any assurance that thore is to be, or can be, any effective limitation of the produc- tion of farm crops. Much is heard to- cay of the “domestic allotment” plan of farm relief. It has been said again and again that Gov. Roosevelt leans to that plan. The domestic allotment plan is a successor to the ‘“equalization fee” {and the “debenture” plans, which had their days in court during the last eight years, but which were turned down on the ground that they were |unsound and unworkable. The new farm plan is designed, it is said, to give the farmer the benefit of the tariff, on wheat, for example; to give the farmer a good price for the crops which he produces for consumption in | this country. The farmer is to be paid |a certain amount per bushel for his | wheat rai‘ed for domestic consumption ii\bfi\'c the price for which he sells it, | the extra compensation to come from the miller and to be a reward to the farmer for abiding by the allotment of duction set for him. On its face, the plan calls for a huge | force to supervise its operation. It will be a real job to see how the millions of | farmers in this country live up to the ’nllcratfon of production, for example. :Mu.”h will be heard of this plan in the | next few months. Whether it will ever | be written into law is another matter, e | The Corcoran Biennial Exhibition. Any blennial exhibition at the Cor- coran Gallery of Art is an occasion of interest and pride to Washington, but the present show is of especial signifi- cance for reasons which deserve com- ment. What is the purpose of the exhibi- tion? As summarized by the trustees, it is “to present to the public, with exhibition of ol paintings by living American artists which accurately re- flects the trend of contemporary paint- ing in this country; which illustrates as completely as possible what American painters of today are doing; which is broad and truly representative in its scope and character, and which in- cludes the best available works exem- plifying the different schools and phases of painting as they now actually exist.” ‘This statement merits thoughtful ex- amination. It indicates that the trus- tees aim to provide the art-loving pub- lic with the materials from which to judge the present state of American painting. The pictures of artists of the past are not shown; only the represent- ative works of men and women who are now painting appear. If art in the United States is declining, the exhibi- tion should demonstrate it. If, on the other hand, it is prospering, proof of that happy condition must be available in the pictures cn the gallery walls. ‘The public, viewing the show, may decide that American art is, in fact, languishing. But if that were the verdict, it would be unscientific and unjust. Critics of all schools, profes- sional and amateur, visiting the exhibi- tion, have agreed on the esthetic vitality manifested in the three hundred and forty-three pictures entered. The exuberant animation of the present biennial is its glory. Only creative spirits passionately alive and intensely sentient could have produced such vibrant, colorful and memorable work. Naturally, there is wide variation in subject and treatment. No two in- dividuals see alike, no two have the same concept of beauty. One painter may be almost meticulously photo- graphic; another, with greater power of imagination, may be strikingly radical in dealing with things utterly common- place. But, since the trustees, delegat- ing their authority for the occasion to an untrammeled jury of professional paint- ers, are liberal in their attitude toward the artists, it is not too much to expect that the public likewise will be tolerant. There are pictures of all types on dis- | play. Some will appeal to many visitors, some to only a few. But all are neces- sary to the fulfillment of the trustees® ideal of a truly representative exhibi- tion. The catholicity of the show is intentional, and it is abundantly Jjustified by the essential tonicity which the pictures reveal. The point will be eminently clear and plain to those who can remember the blennials of years past. It would be obvious to every one if the trustees could reassemble the pictures shown in, say, 1907. It is evident to those who view the collection of former prize- winning pictures especially assembled to offer contrast to the present display. | Almost every one of these canvases was adversely criticized at the time of first exhibition and subsequent purchase. The particular significance of the cur- rent exposition is its exciting proof of the creative resources of contemporary painters. Art must be glorlously alive | in & country capable of such & demon- | stration. | e : Objection is made to the theory fhat | a debt which reaches the moratorium stage is on its peaceful way to the crematorium, e Marches on Washington. Perhaps from one point of view it would not be a bad thing if “marches” to Washington by petitioners for help and redress of grievances such as the “hunger marchers” of last Winter and this present month and the bonus marchers of last Spring and Summer were to become common. For then they would attract little notice and would probably cease for lack of no- torfety and public attention. These marches are promoted by publicity | seekers. ‘They are organized and con- | ducted for the purpose of attracting | attention, not solely for the causes rep- resented by the pecple who hike across the country to the Capital, but to ad- vance the mischievous propaganda of those who are working for the sub- | version of the American system of gov- ernment. farm prices has no beneficial effect | petitions flow into Washington in a the close co-operation of our jury an | | ticns. | comfort about good roads. | dissatisfled it's always easler to travel THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON., D. C. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9. 1932. arouse to the point of petitioning the Government in person and in large numbers for impractical legislation and | relief. They ate secking to make con- verts of these people by playing upon their sufferings and making them vic- tims of the apparent cruelty of gov- ernment. There is no necessity whatever for the precentation of petitions in person to Congress cr the President. Such great stream constantly, especially dur- | ing sessions of Congress. They are pre- | sented in the House and Senate and at | the White Houce. They are taken into | consideration as representati-ns of pub- lic feelings and needs. Prequently they | lead to legislation. Spokesmen for these ‘p(‘!itmll(‘\‘s are always to be found in | the congressional rank:. Special repre- | sentatives are always at hand to appear | in person before committees cf Congress | in behalf of these claimants for clem- ency or remedial legislation. | The fiasco of the recent “hunger| | march” to Washington wil probably not | diccourage the zealous promoters of | these demonstrations as long as they | are supplied with funds to finance them. | There is plain evidence that such funds | were available to maintain the “hunger | marchers” Who supplied them? An| | answer to that question would be help- | ful in exposing the mechanism whereby the conctitutional right of petiticn is perverted by the enemies of government in the United States. S R i When Japan suggests “unforeseen | consequences” if the League of Nations condemns her Chinese policy, she may | e saying a great deal of nothing at all. | “Unforeseen consequences” are in the | usual course of events, but to announce them with authority assumes that they are not invisible to the imagination. Herbert Spencer might have written quite a chapter on this subject. e Much history has been made since Theodore Roosevelt was President. His- torians might feel warranted in refer- ring to the time that has elapsed since [“fe Bull Moose exit as the era between Roosevelts. N Group demonstrations would be more welcome if they conveyed any informa- tion that was not already under con- eration with the best possible inten- New York City is frankly complain- ing about its debts, in spite of the fact tbat former Mayor Walker sends along photographs to show that he is still having a first-rate time. ) Brewers assert that they can put 300,- 000 men to work in the production and sale of beer. Another song that used to be popular wes one about “Blowing| Pretty Bubbles.” ———— Demands for Philippine independence wculd be more comfortable to consider if the independence, once attained, could be guaranteed as to durability. ———— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Victorian Audacities. My! My!—Didn't we use to frivoll When cigarettes at first appeared, We either snickered or sneered. Of them as “coffin nails” we spoke And blew our morals out in smoke. Side whiskers flaunted in the breeze And some took snuff to make them sneeze. We thought that things were going to the “divvie.” My! My!—Didn't we use to frivoll My! My!—Didn't we use to cut up! ‘When gowns an ankle chanced to show We told it as a tale of woe. It burlesque pictures sought to please They pasted dates across the knees. And if a lady showed a trace Of paint and powder on her face, ‘You couldn't hope to make the gossips shut up! My! My!—Didn’t we use to cut up! Statesmanship and Finance. “There’s one thing encouraging about the stock market,” remarked Senator Sorghum. “Just take a look at this diagram.” “This zig-zag line?” “Yes, If prosperity is just around the corner, there are certainly plenty of corners " Jud Tunkins says there's one great If a man is on and be dissatisfied somewhere else. Mixed Emotions. A thrill of excitement is sure to be found When folks just elected ere gathering ‘round, For duty’s achievements so proudly prepared, ‘With all of them happy—though just a bit scared. Mechanistic Perils. “Machinery is making it harder for human beings to survive,” sald the economists. “Yes,” answered the police officer. “I have observed it especially in connection with automobiles and machine guns.” “Charity,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is a valuable means of for- getting our own hardships in studying | those of others.” Here and There. Let's welcome Einstein. It is only fair, Since he has learned all that is over | there. That he should call again without a fear To learn a bit of what is over here. “I don't know of any better play toys for poor children,” said Uncle Eben, | “dan somé nice, thick chicken sand- wiches.” Parked Cars Handicap Physicians on Duty To the Editor of The Star: Cars parked all night on the streets of Washington are a great menace to the doctors when they make their calls, also to the Fire Department, also a menace to human life. Late last night I was called on a case. At 12 midnight a patient was very sick, living in an apartment on Euclid street just off Fourteenth street. I drove for nearly one hour before I could find a place to park my car for a few minutes. I finally got a place about three blocks | on the other side of Fourteenth street.| ‘That meant that I had to walk five and a half blocks to a patient who was in great denger of perhaps death. Some traffic law! Something should be done about this The Communists in this country are few in number, but they are persistent in their efforts to promote their cause. They have ne compunctions regarding the weitess of the guils whom fheg all-night parking on the public streets. Thls‘fs not & country town. It is a real grown-up city and the use of its public Templeton Jones stood looking into & radio store window. Ten years as a “fan” gave him a right to have a few opinions upon the art and science of the air, he thought. There in the window before him re- posed a number of the new small sets, each no larger, including speaker, tubes and all the “works,” than the old-time “loudspeaker.” Yes, sets secmed to be growing smaller and smaller each year. Jones got to wondering if this meant that finally they would disappear en- tirely, of their own free will, rather than because a rival would oust them from popular favor. Some of the receivers before cost little e than the tiny “crystal set” which he bought away back in 1923. “Them were the days,” of course. How he ,had listened for hours, with an unccmfortable “headset” boring into his_ears. The thing was thrilling, then, with all the zest of wonder and supreme novelty. Just a coil of wire, a bit of crystal, and a “catwhisker”—these conjured Lloyd George out of the air, and the Marine Band, and the rest of them, ‘There had never been anything like it in the history of the world. Gen. Squier was experimenting with his “wired radio,” the Radio Corpora- tion was organizing, the famous Station “KDKA” gave “dinner concerts” to an astonished and highly pleased world of “listeners-in.” No one could possibly just “listen,” in those days; he must “listen-in,” whether the phrase pleased him or not. *r x Now, like the Cheshire. cat, the radio sets were getting smaller and smaller every year, until in this one of 1932 the novelties were no longer than fair-sized books. Templeton Jones wondered where they stowed .the tubes. Surely they must be in the spread of the speaker; {Eere was simply no place else to cram em. He wondered if this heralded just something new, or the ultimate innocu- ous desuetude of the prevailing form of amusement. If such an untimely thing should ever happen, he thought to himself, it would be partly because all those concerned had misjudged the assimilative powers of human beings in regard to music. Music, Jones uy.mghl. was not some- thing which could be taken in large and powerful, and especially in continu- ous, doses. Music is a sauce, a condiment, a sea- soning, In the great days in Germany, when the real music masters “did their stufl” as hired servants, nothing more, of the princes and the other lords, mu- sical entertainment was a fixed thing. It was a sort of divine trick, a pleas- ant tickling of the sense of hearing. Nobody thought of turning on a quar- tet or a symphony, and then turning on some more of the same within & few minutes. s Music of any sort was something to be enjoyed at intervals, as it were, not | all the time. { In mcdern times, before the days of | radio broadcasting, concerts were things of not more than weekly occurance, even in the larger cities. People went to them in a mood, determined to be pleases they did not “understand” t! cal idiom being rendered. | What & lot of unhappiness that one | word, “understand,” has caused in re- gard to music and music appreciation! | Men and women have been so pa- | solemn even if musi- The difference between a candidate for President and a President never better exemplified than in that hardly noticed sentence which appeared in| President Hoover's message on the state of the Union on Tuesday. Speak- | ing of the election, the President had this to say: “It's very tranguillity and the acceptance of its results !umtsh‘ abundant proof of the strength of our | institutions,” Here speaks Herbert | Hoover, President and statesman, after | the tumult of the campaign battle. While admitting the “tranquillity” with which the defeat of the things Xor‘ which he fought was taken, the Presl-| dent gave more than an intimation | that he himself is still strongly wedded | to those beliefs he spousored. He pro- claimed once again the effect of the turmoil abroad on conditions at home, and the benefits accruing from the economic measures he himself had sponsored. There was perhaps a touch of pathos in the presentation of the President’s me e, as was inevitable, since it was read by clerks to a Senate and House, every member of which knew that he has but little chance to have these measures executed. * X K x With a deluge of bills for the now anticipated flood tide of beer and per- chance light wines of “natural alco- holic” ferment (whatever that may mean), the absorbing question now is what will the alcoholic content of the beer be? The Collier bill before the House Ways and Means Committee pro- vides for a 2.75 per cent alcoholic con- tent by weight. The tall, silvery haired Senator Bingham of Connecti- cut, the spearhead in so many anti-Vol- stead battles, proposes 3.2 per cent by weight, while Senator Barbour, Repub- lican, of New Jersey, who survived the Democratic sweep of his State in No- vember, proposes 4 per cent by volume. And so they come, by weight and by volume, but standing by, awaiting their turn among some three score witnesse: is & notable band with banner still u held around the “half of 1 per cen! of the noble experiment—+Mrs. Ella A. Boole of Washington, D. C., head of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and Mrs. Henry W. Peabody, head of the Women's National Com- mittee for Law Enforcement. * Kk ok K With Secretary of the Treasury Ogden L. Mills insisting that he will leave Washington after March 4, former Senator James W. Wadsworth of New York, recently elected from his home district to a seat in the Seventy-third Congress, will secure at least a tem- porary advantage over other aspirants to Republican leadership in the years edlately ahead. The Lames of Mills and Wadsworth are coupled to- gether as two of the real “hopefuls” of the G. O. P. With his knowledge of Congress and of Government in general, with the fearlessness he has demon- strated in his political battles, with determination such as he exhibited when he ran for the House after spend- ing years in the Senate, Wadsworth will command a place of respect that no other newcomer to the House is likely to receive. In the meantime, we may be dead certain Ogden Mills will not be lost sight of. It is generally agreed that he will leave the Treasury with his stature undiminished and his friendships unstained. * kK X x Senator Huey (Kingfish) Long of Loulslana is apparently as determined as ever to force his strident and color- ful personality on that dignified club, the United States Senate. Tradition had it that Senators would abstain from speechmaking until the fourth day after convening. Not so for the Kingfish. At the second session, he took the floor with a drastic and forth- right program of reforms—a la Long brand. And while establishing his reputation as a breaker of “precedents,” he was not too modest to allude to his claims as a maker of “Presidents,” re- ferring, of course, to his activities in behalf of Gov. Roosevelt at Chicago. In his offering of the leadership of the Senate to Senator Norris of Nebraska many observed a recrudescence of the . | the cans uncovered. thoroughfares as & garage is surely a to the dg.m THIS AND THAT | BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. thetically eager to “understand” some composition or other, when all the time the only thing which should have en- gaged their attentipn was the attempt to listen. ‘That was, of course, what they meant, no doubt, when they talked about “understanding” this or that piece of music, but the ordinary meaning of “understand” presupposes a determined use of the brain, and there is no call for that in listening to good music, let him who will dispute it. Music is listened to with the ears, and although these worthy instruments are directly connected with the brain, the orderly processes of thought have a small part to play in the proper ap- preciation of music, at least accordin; to Templeton Jones, lifelong musica enthusiast. Jones had sat through more concerts than you could shake a stick at, to use the homely old phrase; he had always gone to musical presentations to enjoy them, not to puzzle his head about them. Nor at any time did he ever find it necessary to applaud anything he did not like, just s0 that his neighbors to the left and right would not think him a musical “lowbrow.” Jones always had a slight contempt | for the ladies and gentlemen who in-| varizbly applauded lustily when the tenor struck a high note. Hitting that high note was just like punching a door bell—it always got a response. Jones could not help believing that the modern tendency has been too much toward the direction of musical surfeit. While he had always advocated more and better music, over radio, with less speaking, he had come at last, as the result of a decade of listening steadily, to the belief that perhaps more speech- aking might be the salvation of the | art and sclence, after all. ‘To those who knew Templeton Jones' views on such matters (and many did, as he made no attempt to hide tiiem) all this might have appeared highly revolutionary. But the radio listeners must be saved from themselves, from their very over- doing. No man, except he be made of iron, could listen day after day, day after day, almost evening after evening, to assorted musicians, without in time and at last, even if it took 10 years to do it, becoming surfeited with the same. ‘This great universal surfeit, Jones be- lleved, was now creeping over the American listening public. All music, and no speeches, was mak- ing Jack Listener a_ dull boy. It was, above allg blunting his ears. And blunted ears, while they may not be listed in the index, are very real things. ‘The music appreciator who suffers from a bad case of bluntec ears has a cramp in his soul, too. Hence in time he tends to turn off his radio set at the least offense—and he is very easily offended. He believes that he has discovered athex;!s even refusing to turn them on at all. As he goes along the street he hears no way near as many loud speakers as formerly. And in the stores the big, unwieldly receiving sets are giving wiy to mantel sets. and now to pocket-sized sets. ‘Were they getting ready to disappear entirely? Templeton Jones wondered, and hoped not. It was a comforting thought that the astute gentlemen who n:tm-\PM ceived and managed this great business | would do all in their power to prevent | such an untimely p: % WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS of Labor, is one of the personalities on the stage of public affairs who is likely to play a prominent role when the “new deal” gets under way on Magch 4, 1933. Those who make this predic- tion point a significant finger to the clear-cut challenge issued to American industrial leaders and employers at Cincinnati, Ohio, last week by the re- elected president of the American Fed- eration of Labor, who is coming to be as perennial as his late predecessor, Samuel Gompers, as chieftain of the American labor 'movement. Coming from one who has always been identi- fled with the conservative wing of union labor, President Green's declaration that “force,” if necessary, would be used to secure those things for labor, and particularly unemployed labor, that industry, according to him, had failed to supply, is potent with meaning. With liberal and labor elements destined to wield powerful influence in Congress, the A. F. of L. is expected to make some forthright proposals. What will they be? Will one of them be a pro- posal for & 30-hour week for Federal | employes? * ok K X A recent issue of a national magazine contained an article on “Ghost Writing” for officials in Washington. The late Cora Rigby, one of the best beloved and most competent newspaper women of her time, used to tell an amusing story in the “ghost” line. Asked by her paper to secure a statement from a cabinet officer on an incident of the day, Miss Rigby hurried to the office of the official in question. His chief being out. the secretary suggested that Miss Rigby might save time if she wrote a state- ment_herself which he in turn wbuld submit for approval. Returning within the hour, she was ushered into the office of the Secretary of Blank. Hand- ing her the identical sheet she had written, he apologized for the delay, adding that he had had just time to dictate “this brief statement. Will you please read it and see if it covers the subject?” It was exactly right. EE Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, who is due for retirement in 1933, is fond of a story that harks back to his South Carolina’ home. The South Carolina Assembly was in session to determine the vital question of whether or not the State should secede from the Union. In the midst of the arguments, pro and con—mostly pro—up rose the repre- sentative of the small parish of Goose Creek and delivered himself in an im- perishable ultimatum, to wit: “I want it clearly understood that whether or not South Carolina secedes, Goose Creek Parish willl” Admiral’ Moffett has been mentioned as South Carolina favorite-son timber for the Roosevelt cabinet. * ok % % Along with high-powered and high- priced cars which will use the new Capitol garage, under the new $750,000 terrace between the Capitol and the Union Station, will be a battered old flivver with 70,000 miles registered on its speedometer. This is the personal car of Senator Robert R. Reynolds, which he used during his campaign in North Carolina. As space in the garage will be -'assigned according to the seniority of members of Congress, Sena- tor Reynolds’ car will be parked far down the line. “The seniority rule” opines ‘R. R. R, “may be all right for Senators, but it's tough on a car with & record like my old campaigner.” (Copyright, 1932.) Leave Garbage Cans Open in Winter To_the Editor of The Star: In Summer there is good reason for keeping garbage cans closed. But in ‘Winter I believe there is a good reason to keep them uncovered. Why not give the birds and homeless dogs and cats a chance to live on what we have no fur- ther use for? Why waste in the public incinerator food that can relieve the hunger of poor, helpless animals? In ‘Winter no harm can come from leaving States MayMake Compacts With One Another Legally To the Editor of The Btar: The caption which you have placed on the letter by Joseph W. Cheyney, printed in your columns December 7, “No Treaties Possible Between . the States,” is in itself incorrect and mis- leading. Furthermore, Mr. Cheyney, who has evidently read the Federal Censtitution, but not the reported cases of the Supreme Court of the United States interpretative thereof, has suc- ceeded, through your columns, in pub- lishing his opinion upon a very tech- nical question of constitutional law, which opinion is astonishing, confusing and_incorrect, for the reason that it conflicts with law. The criticism which he makes of the article in The Star on page 1 of the magazine section of December 4 last is unfounded and unsupported by author- ity. He states that the first clause in | section 10 of the first article of the | Constitution prohibits such State ac- | tion as the writer of the artitle in The Star of December 4 advocates. Such is | no the case. The views of the writer | of that article in The Star are sound and based upon the highest competent legal authority. It is true that while States are pro- hibited by the aforesaid article of the Constitution from entering into any | “treaties, alllances or confederations,” nevertheless they may, with the con- sent of Congress, enter into “‘compacts and agreements.” In some instances the consent of Congress is either im- plied or unnecessary, depending upon | M the nature of the transaction. Under our Constitution, States possess the right and power, as one of their sovereign prerogatives, to enter into compacts and agreements with each other, as well as with foreign powers, subject, of course, to the constitutional inhibitions. For an example where the Supreme Court has upheld a compact between two States, vide Virginia vs. Tennessee, 148 U. 8. 503, 13 Sup. Ct. 728; compact be- tween a State and a foreign power, vide McHenry County vs. Brady, 37 N. D. 59, 163 N. W. 540, decided by highest ceurt of North Dakota, The distinction between “treaties, alliances and confederations” on the one hand and “compacts and agree- ments” on the other, while not wholly clear and articulate, is practically de- finable from the adjudicated cases on the subject, decided by both the Su- preme Court of the United States and various State courts of last resort. It has been elegantly and concisely pointed out by the eminent jurist Car- man F. Randolph that: “The distinction between ‘treaty, alliance or confedera- tion’ absolutely forbidden and the ‘agreement or compact’ conditionally permitted is not obscure. The United States will not tolerate an imperium | in imperio, or any combination of States against other States, or any con- nection between a State and a foreign country. But compacts not compromis- | ing the supremacy of the United States over the several States, or the equality of States among themselves, may be made with the consent of Congress. And it seems that in some cases this con- sent need not be given in advance, as where the ‘agreement relates to a mat- ter which could not well be considered until its natyre is fully developed,’ and sometimes, indeed, consent may be given by implication.” Vide suits be- tween States, Columbia Law Review, 1502, 11, 283, 364, 377. The undoubted rule is that although the States have voluntarily yielded their right to enter into treaties, alliances and confedera- tions, yet they have not relinquished their sovereign right to enter into com- | ts and agreements concerning purely | non-political domestic matters, with the expressed or implied consent of the Congress. This doctrine of law has been definitely established in about 80 decided cases of highest repute. Compacts and agreements between the States of a non-political complexion have already been sustained by the courts, involving local boundaries, im- provements, public works, joint criminal Jurisdiction’ " over _waters, interstate bridges, fisheries, highways, corpora- tions, common carriers and other do- mestic problems. Vide Irvine vs. Sims’ Lessee, 3 Dallas 425, 1 L. Ed. 665; Holmes vs. Jennison, 15 Pet. 540, 10 L. Ed. 579; Green vs. Biddle, 8 Wheat. 1, 5 L. Ed. 547; Kansas vs. Colorado, 185 U. . 125; City of New York vs. Wilcox, 189 N. Y. Supp. 724. See “The Supreme Court and Sovereign States,” by Charles Warren, notes, p. 155; Rhode Island vs. Massachusetts, 12 Pet. 724; 3 Opp. Atty. Gen. 661. In 1924 Con- gress sanctioned a compact and agree- ment between Maine and Canada; vide act of March 18, 1924, Public Acts and ilaaluzl_?ml. ?my-nmch Congress, Sess. oLE Y, g If my good friend Mr. Cheyney will read the authorities wllectedy:‘hgve. I am sure that he will then discover there is nothing “astonishing” or “confusing” about that meritoriys article in the issue of The Star of ber 4, 1932, HERBERT GROSSMAN. Pay Cuts, Furloughs and Legislators’ Travel Fees To the Efltor of The Star: I was very glad see you take up the cause of the defenseless Govern- ment employes, I hope you will main- tain your stand and fight on with all the resources at your command. There is very little the Government workers can do except write to their Congress- men. To continue the unjust, unworkable economy bill is unthinkable. The fur- lough is a farce. Some are getting as much as 90 days’ “furlough,” yet “can- not be spared” from the office to take the “furlough.” Instead of enacting further unjust legislation C should make it mandatory that a fur- lough be granted for the time pay was withheld, The economy bill, with all its ob- noxious features, should be repealed and annual leave of 30 days should be re- stored. Then if & cus is absolutely | necessary it should be graduated; say $1,000 complete exemption, with $500 additional for each dependent. This is the only fair way. Also T would like to know by what means Congressmen travel that it takes 40 cents a mile to cover their traveling expenses to and from their homes for every session of Congress. Even if they do not leave Washington between ses- slons- they collect their 40 cents per mile just the u:gxe. ‘Where are e watchdogs of the Treasury that the only way they can find to reduce Government expenses is by reducing the salaries of those who earn their money. DAVID BRUMBAUGH. Proposed Pay Cut Is Inhuman and Cruel To the Editor of The Star: ‘Your editorial of the 7th instant, anal- yzing the proposeq continuance of 8l per cent cut of Federal employes’ salary | or wage above $1,000 per annum plus an increase of 10 or 11 per centum more, is truthful, just, humane. The whole philosophy of your editorial is worthy of Socrates or Thomas Aquinas. Why “sock” the clerks? of its reduced and furloughed-with- out-pay monthly pay? Their rents, gas, electric bills, 10-cent street car fares, taxes, etc., are the same as be- ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN® Of the vast number of questions an- swered by this department, only a few can be published in this column. The ones that are printed must be of gen- eral interest, and not personal in their nature. Do mot, therefore, merely sign your initials to your letter and ask | that the answer be published Give your full name and adcress, so that you may receive a personal letter in reply. Inclose three cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Do -not uss _%ost card. Direct your letter to The Evening Star Information Bureau, tPredglcCJ. Haskin, Director, Washing- on, D. C. Q. Which winner of the Indianapolis Classic holds the record for speed—T. L. A. The 1932 Indianapolis Classic was won by Fred Frame. His time was 4 hours 48 minutes 3.79 seconds—a new record. was 104.144. Q. How many liquor manufacturers and dealers are there in the United States at present?—A. J. S. A. In 1931 there were 338 wholesale liquor dealers in the United States and 20,244 retail liquor dealers; in 1931 there were 29 distilleries operating and 46 industrial alcohol plants. Q. What 1s techonological unemploy- it —M. Y. enf oM A. Technological unemployment is unemployment due to the increased use of machinery, and to the improve- ment in processes and methods of man- ufacture. Q. What name is given to burn-off second growth evergreen trees which have been left standing?—L. P. A. The Forest Service says that the remains of a tree which has been burned in a forest fire is known as & snag. Q. Who invented the zipper?—A. R. A. The term “zipper” is properly ap- plied only to the overshoe made by the B. F. Goodrich Co. The hookless fas- tener t0 which this name is often ap- plied was invented by Whitcomb L. Judson, in 1893. It was later improved and patented by Giceon L. Sundback. Q. Has Prance a law regardin - control 1nf0rmnflon?—J.egWP.rV. o A. Until 8 or 10 years ago, France had no law against giving birth-control information. At the present time, how- ever, laws have been enacted to prevent the giving of such information. Q. Does light have weight>—C. P. G. | A. Astronomical observations appear to show that a beam of light (from a distant star) is deflected when passing near a second celestial body (planet)— as if the beam were of the nature of a stream of matter. These observations corroborate theoretical predictions that a light ray shows weight in a gravita- tional fleld. That light produces a defi- nitely measurable pressure on a r refliecting it shows that it has beyond doubt the property of inertia. Q. Is Whistler's “Mother” America?—W. L. A.The portrait has been loaned by the Louvre to the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Q. When was the first air mail route istg[!’l!shld in the United States?—H. "A. The first air mail route was es- tablished on May 15 and 16, 1918, when Lieut, George Boyle and James C. Ed- now in gerton made the first airmail trip from | New York City to Washington, D. C. However, the first aerial mail delivery in the United States took place Sep- tember, 1911. The pilot was E. L. Ovington, Q. Did Vice President Curtis spend his boyhood among the Indians?—D. H. A. Charles Curtis, left a motherless child by the death of his mother when he was but 3 years,old, went to live among the Kaws with his grandmother, the Princess Julie. Q. Which State has the oldest general sales tax?—A, A. K. A. The oldest general sales tax in this His average mileage per hour | | country is the West Virginia tax posed in 1921 as a tax on the and gross income of business and fessions. In 1925 it was changed Q. How old is the infant prodigy, Yehudi Menuhin?—M. L. A. He is 16 years old and was born in New York of Russian-Jewish par- ents. Most of his youth was spent in San Francisco where he first demon- strated his genius on a violin at the age of 4. At 9 he was an accomplished con- He speaks five lan- ts and is unspoiled. certs in the United States, Q. Can Irish potatoes be grown from see B. G. R. A. Irish potatoes produce blossoms, which in turn produce seeds. However, as in the case of so many other culti- vated plants, potato plants will not bear true from seed and a very in- feriod type of potato would result from planting and growing the seed. Only by planting and growing the tuber, as is customarily cone, can the potato plant | be made to reproduce accurately. | o | Q. How can a sweeping compound be madei—W, T. A. Such compounds are largely com- posed of sawdust and silicious material, | togeiher with some bonding medium, such as rosin, oil or tar. Bran and sand are also usual ingredients. The | following formula may be used: Melt 2 ounces of paraffin wax in 2 quarts of paraffin oil over a water bath; then |add 6 ounces of coarse salt, 5 pounds of sea sand, 10 pounds of sawdust, and finally add 1 ounce of oil of eucalyptus | Q. Please describe the game of shufs | fleboard —B. A. | A. Shuffieboard is a popular game jamong passengers on Ocean-goi stcamers, and is customarily a gam-. played with checket-like pieces and & device shaped something like & gar- den rake used for pushing them along the deck. A board, marked off with squares, is placed at either end of the portion of the deck on which the game is to be played and the opponents at- tempt to shuffle their men into the squares marked with the highest num- bers. The highest score wins. g. yh;t was the Hanseatic League? A. The Hanseatic League was first | constituted by merchants of various | free Germanic cities and towns dealing | abroad and later by the cities and owns themselves. The objects were | primarily to secure greater safety and privilges in trading and for mutual de- fense against foreign aggression. It reached the height of its power during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Q. Please give the popular names of some of the best known tariff acts.— T. G. | A. The high protective tariff in 1828, known as the tarif of abominations; | the compromise tariff of 1833, the Walker tariff of 1836, the McKinley tariff of 1890, the Dingley act of 1897, the Payne-Aldrich tariff of 1909, the Underwood tariff of 1913, the Smoot. Hawley tariff of 1930. Q. Who originated the idea of the Floating University?—M, C. A. The “University Aficat” was . inated by Dean James Edwin Lough of New York University. Under the Uni- versity Travel Association, the pioneer cruise sailed in 1926. Q. Was the Roman Emperor Nero posscA-ssed of any redeeming traits?—IL. R. p A. Contrary to the usual belief, at the time of his presentation to the Roman Senate Nero was “justly praised for his modesty, filial feeling, clemency, liberality and affability.” His megm Seneca had endea through his early youth to curb the passions of ambition, cruelty and lusé which were afterward to consume him, Short Work W eck Believed Inevitable in Normal Times Demand of the American Federation of Labor for a five-day week and six- hour day has inspired comments in all parts of the country. Some observers believe that present conditions are un- favorable, w] others hold that the time has arrived for the application of the rule. Examples among isolated em- pioyers are declared to have been suc- cessful. Chief among the objections is the contention that industry is too heavily burdened now to undertake in- creased labor cost. “The enlightened improvement of the circumstances of labor will always mean the improvement of qur whole national economy,” thinks the Des Moines Reg- ister, “and for that reason, if for no other, it deserves the earnest support of every class” The Dayton Daily News, recognizing that “labor is work- ing out a problem of its own for coping with the economic program,” suggests that “its program may be wrong or right,” but advises that “those who come forward to say it is wrong stand obligated to propose a better.” Quot- ing the labor leaders as upholding the of “mastery of the machine,” and “demanding the grest reform through reason,” but holding “force” in reserve, the Newark Evening News ad- vises that if they “can tell how they intend to ‘master the machine,’ they will not have to use force.” “The five-day week in industry is almost a certainty,” in the opinion of the Charleston (S. C.) Evening Post, which feels, however, that “it is begin- ning to be doubtful if that will be suf- ficient to solve the problem.” The Eve- ning Post adds: “Now that man has learned to make machines, it seems that he is in danger of working him- self out of a job. Was Samuel Butler a true phophet? Will man eventually have to rebel against the machine and exterminate it before it exterminates him? Or will the world sooner find a solution to the enormous problem of distribution that will make available to countless millions of the world’s popu- lation the products of science and me- chanics of which they now know little or nothing and thereby prolong, for a while at least, the need for increasing production?” * ok x x “Some industrial leaders have bee: experimenting with shorter working hours, and thus far it has been tried out only on a small scale but with sat- isfactory results,” says the San Jose Mercury Herald, with the conclusion that “there is no better time to investi- gate the possibilities than now,” and that “if it is found that labor is mis- taken in thinking the five-day week and six-hour day is a practical remedy that will cure unemployment, ue‘::ed et'her fore these cut-wage days, or even in-|jzeq CREV 1I§ 1d thmu‘pcled cut be en Jou! e en- acted into law, '.hewloa would not amount to one one-hundredth of a mill in the reduction of the budget of 1933-4. It is a downright injustice, a cruelty. Why not recommend a tax upon the Taxabie’ tercstopaviog Daite” Statos -pa) States bonds? The Treasury has the oppor- tunity in the $600,000,000 taxable one-year bonds soon to be is- of these non- | & sued and offered for investment. The worst that might happen is that some of the con- tents might become a little scattered. Buteufldnmwtu&.'m:m l.neonnnimc,elw sake of W. E. RYAN. one certain accomplishment, how- ever. It is a direct challenge to inertia on the part of the industrial heads. If it has no other merit, it is a recipe that ballyhoo,” clares the Omaha World-Herald, “ week is coming. will clear as to how it happened. How gen- erally farmers will accept shorter work- ing hours is problematical. A read- justment is as necessary on the farms as elsewhere, because there, too, saving machinery has greatly reduced the amount of labor to be done by hand.” * Kk X * One defect in the program is pointed out by the Chicago Daily News, with the statement: “The shorter work week as a means of providing employment for a larger number of workers has gained the support of many farsighted employers who have put it into effect during the depression. The experience thus gained, a survey by the national Industrial Conference Board reveals, suggests that the shortened work week will bz continued when prosperity returns. ‘There is a less faverable opinion, how= ever, regarding the six-hour day. Many executives oppose it as unn in- efficient. It is too long to be worked successfully in one shift, and its division into two three-hour periods increases the proportion of time lost in machinery and in shifting into work=- ing clothes. Further, the expense of permitting costly machinery to be idle t118" hours a day is regarded as prohibl- e. “At a time when a large part of the employed forces are already working less than 30 hours a week, it is difficult to see wherein this further regulation of business would help much,” thinks the Ashland (Ky.) Independent, while the Spokane Spokesman-Review fears that industries might be forced to close if the present wages were continued {\uex-aa1 short ldt?y' md‘:mfinuu: “The vier penalties, the deeper suffering, | the heart-breaking tragedies would be borne by labor.” The Boise Idaho Statesman argues that “instead of giv- |ing more men employment, the 30<hour week under present conditions throw others cut of jobs.” The Hart- forld Times asks if “inevitable increase |in the cost of production” might not “hinder expansion of employment.” | The Hazleton (Pa.) Standard-Sentinel suggests: “There are few who doubt that mass production by machinery will | continue to shorten the working day | and week, but there are limits beyond | hich industry cannot pay a lving vage or make fair profit.” The Lincoln State Journal warns that “strikes and | cther displays of force often take heav- ‘er toll among those participating than from employers.” The Columbia (8. C.) State concludes: “What the country needs most is increased pay rolls, with increased earnings on farms. But | neither can be increaced by proclama- tion. ~Foundations must be built and the workers on those foundations must have common sense and statesmanship.” | A Potential Benefactor. | Prom the San Antonio Expre; Representative Tinkham of Massa~ chusetts says he was re-elected because he delivered no speeches. Can’ the idea to fellow members? o8 , Scots to the Rescue! From the Eureka Humboldt Times. “Why don't they play popular tunes ggenme mmim?l‘; IDS:.I a subscriber. , We suppose it's because they want Ppopular tun:s to remain so. __ Not Today. From the Pasacena Post. Information is banded out from medi- cal sources tha Great died from a such it Alexander the pain in the neck. M