Evening Star Newspaper, January 28, 1933, Page 4

A—4 THE EVE NING STAR WASHINGTON, D. C. SATULDAY, JAN seven when, in 1902, he published his “Salt Water Ballads,” with its ringing “Consecration”: i Others may sing of the wine ‘and the ‘wealth and th:. e~ b e ot & Mine 0 dirt and the dross, the dust and scum of the earth! {THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Merning Editien. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY....January 28, 1833 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star N¢ per Company Business Office: . and Pennsylvania l:!i 110 East European Office: 14 Regent 8i England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. The Evening Star, ..o i 45¢ per month The Evening and Sunda: e et \ehen 4 Sundasg g 65¢ per month Sc per copy when s sundays) The Sung ta Y by mail or telephone ay Collection made a! Orders may be sent in INAtional 5000. Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. Maryland ll‘ul vi’l{o‘:}“i - Baly ang Sundnv.- s diedh: 1 me: B Sunday only . Daily and Sunday. Daily only . . Sunday only .1 Member of the Associated Press. socintcd Press is exclusively entitled to the Aite {0 republication of ail news-dis- atches credited to it or not otherwise cred- e i T3 piver, and aito the local news Tights of by Boeuial disbatcht are also reserved. A Sound Policy. The Congress of the United States Jaid down a sound policy in the mer- chant marine act of 1820. It declared that: It is necessary for the national de- fense and for the proper of its foreign and domestic commerce that the United States shall have a mer- chant marine of the best equipped and most suitabie «ypes of vessels sufficient to carry the greater pertion of its com- merce and serve as a naval or mili- tary auxillary in time of war or na- tional emergency, ultimately to owned and operated privately by citi- zens of the United States; and it is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States to do whatever may be necessary to develop and encourage the maintenance of such a merchant marine. In pursuance of this policy, which ‘was reaffirmed in the merchant marine act of 1928, the Congress has appro- priated annually for the carrying of the foreign mails by steamships sums not designed to pay the mere cost of such transportation, but sums caiculated to | aid in the establishment and mainte- | generally allied with Mr. de Valera, | nance of steamship lines flying the American flag on the seven seas. It has made loans at advantageous rates of interest to American shipping com- panies. What has happened in consequence? America has a merchant marine that is | constantly developing, with new vessels of a type capable of being used as auxil- iaries of the Navy in time of war, ves- sels which can render in time of peace such service as to gain for them the carrying trade not only of this country, but of cthers. Annually, however, attacks are made upon the Government's announced pol- icy of bullding an adequate merchant marine. They materialize when the ap- propriation bills come up for consider- ation in the Congress. And such s fight has recently been waged in the House and for several days has been in prog- ress in the Senate. Those who believe In the development of the merchant ma- rine prevailed in the House. They should prevail in the Senate. ‘The opponents of these mail contracts ~—which they dub “subsidies”—are no friends of American national defense or of American foreign commerce, although necessary to seek another cause of the clemency of the Winters in the regions where in Iate years this condition has been observed. This brings to mind & complaint made some years ago by some people of the British Isles that the cutting of the Panama Canal had caused achange in the climate there. It was held that the islands were suffering from greater cold in Winter and less warmth in Summer because of the diversion of the stream into the canal. Of course, that was a preposterous notion, inasmuch as not a gallon of water flows from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the canal, nor from the Pacific to the At- lantic. Somehow the fantastic idea had spread in Great Britain that the canal actually flowed from ocean to ocean and that the Gulf Stream had thus been diverted or depleted. It re- quired explicit explanation of the char- acter of the canal, with its series of locks, to dissuade the British sufferers from & supposed climatic change that the American enterprise was the cause. The Gulf Stream was probably flow- ing along the American coast in just bus approached these shores. It will Pprobably continue to flow thus for cen- turies to come. Perhaps some day & seismic change will occur to cause its shift—some convulsion that affects the ocean bed, causes a deepening here or & shallowing there, 5o that the surface current will be blocked or seek another course. Until then there is no occasion for concern. Navigators can continue to chart their courses with reference to this river of the sea, which is at once & guide, an aid and a menace to them. ————r—ee— A Freer Irish State. The Irish Free State has moved a league or two nearer a political fact and correspondingly farther away from & merely geographical term a8 a result of last Tuesday's elections to the Dail Eireann. President Eamonn de Valera, that Celtic product of the sidewalks of New York, has swept to a clear ma- jority over his combined opponents, leaving the Republicans in indisputable control. With sixteen seats still un- accounted for, the President's Flanna Fail party holds seventy, and the total opposition, Including seven Laborites sixty-seven. The Republicansareconced- ed no more than a handful of the seats for which returns are outstanding. Thus, in all probability, Flanna Fail will rule the Dail by possibly as much of a margin as ten or twelve, and sub- stantially more than that, if Labor, which captured seven seats, once again aligns itself with the De Valera gov- ernment. ‘There is no longer room for any doubt that Irish Free State sentiment backs its fighting chief in his program for progressive severance of the tie with Great Britain. The recent elections were fought on that issue. Mr. de Valers went to the country, deliberately seeking approval or censure of his de- flant denunciation of the land annuities due Britain under the act of union, of the oath of allegiance and of the tarift war which the Irish have waged with the “mother country” during the past year. Representing the moderate attitude toward Great Britain, with severance and independence to come through ne- gotiation and not by force, the party led by fgmer President William T. Cosgrave has gone down to decisive de- about its present course when Colum- | Theirs be the muslc, the ecolour, the glory, the gold; Mine be a handful of ashes, & mouth- ful of mold. Of the maimed, of the halt and the blind in the rain and the cold— Of these shall my songs be fashioned, my tales be told. Twelve months later he could print & second volume, but it was nearly a decade before “The Everlasting Mercy” and “The Widow of Bye Street” ap- peared, and his place among the bards of his own generation was secure. “Dauber” and “The Daffodil Felds,” sternly realistic, were printed in 1913, “Lollingdon Downs” in 1917, and “Rey- nard the Fox” in 1919. All were ac- claimed for their color, their rotundity, their sonorousness of style and their searching quality of thought. People might shudder at the content of some of his lincs, but none could question the honesty and the beauty of his idealism and his craftsmanship. Masefleld’s novels have the values of his verse, but he is a poet, not a mas- ter of prose; he needs rhythm of the measured sort to support the passion that is rampant in his mind. His back- ground is an amalgam of Longfellow, “The Ingoldsby Legends,” Tennyson, Scott’s “Ballads,” Percy’s “Reliques,” |Macaulay’s “Lays of Ancient Rome,” | Chaucer, more or less in the order named: and men so equipped think best in regulated numbers, | When the account of his endeavor | finally is cast Masefield, it may be sup- | posed, will be remembered for two | things. The first of these will be his | power to build Jines like | I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, And the wheel's kick and the wind’s song and the white sail's shaking, And a gray mist on the sea's face and & gray dawn breaking. ‘The second will be the attractive per- | sonality and character of the man him- | self. 1t seems right that & poet should be gracious and kindly, optimistic, | helpul and innately good, a mercitul {man. Doubtless, he could mot have written any of the verses for which he is famous if it had not been for the spiritual gifts for which he is loved. s, It is expected that Mr. Farley will |be Postmaster General; no especial ; claim is lald to gifts of prophecy. His | party services have identified him as a | man capable of hard work and one who, |in the language of business, “Knows ithe right people.” o Stalin had a program for making | everybody work, which is now followed | by notice to unemployment that it must | move on regardless of the fact that it | has nowhere to go—excepting perhaps [that old destination of the politically | rejected, Siberia. | ——oe—s | The season has arrived for social | visits, which are represented to confid- ing newspapers as having brought dis- tinguished men all the way across the |ocean for the purpose of passing the | time of day and paying compliments. — e | Declaration by Warden Lawes of Sing !smkespcare's lyrics, Milton, Keats and | |1n the first place. BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. The librarian of s comparatively small collection was lamenting his lack of room. “I need more shelves,” he said. What he needed, however, was not 80 much more shelves as fewer books. And not less books, exactly, but a revision of his lists. There comes a time in the life of many & volume when it needs to be retired from active service. ps it had no business on the shelf, in the first place. It is curious, how those who love | gtan books manage to ocollect many which they ncver needed. This comes about, in part, because | ding every book is & book, and so in & way possesses the charm which every well made volume exerts on those who love them, It will be found that in proportion to one's real love of books is one’s recep- N e e booklover will harbor some e true Ve books for reasons which he might find difficult to explain. Even in the best managed of small libraries, where professional exigencies often tend to overpower the omniverous tastes of the individual bookman, many a volume or set of books will creep in that never had any real place in the Nlnmlmoflu il this happen at the begini 7 of such _an " inatitution, whether it be in the home or in some professional or business establishment. Even the booklover is not above want- ing to make a show. slhzn this is coupled, as it is, with a genuine fondness for books just be- cause they are books, it is no wonder, indeed, that all shelves contain speci- mens whose welcomehl.l lg:tg mrere:; or whose e has n served. S Time fuves, o i St which never should have been there Most of the latter reached their sheltered nook because there were empty spaces to be fllled when the shelves were first set up. Every one who has made & collection of any sort knows how it is. Those who have postage stamp al- bums want to “fill 'em up,” just as tropical fish enthusiasts constantly de- sire more aquariums with more in them. The booklover, no more than the gardener, is free from the vogue for numbers, A yawning space on the shelves cries to be fllled. One is grateful at first for almost anything that will fill the void. The easy solution of leaning sev- eral books one way, propped at the end by a few in a pile, as a sort of book end, does not occur to the home librarian, at this stage of his progress. He wants those shelves filled, and fill them he will if he can find the material wherewith to do so. In most instances this is compara- tively easy. Thrcugh one expedient or another he manages to gather together enough volumes to place side by side down the entire rows of all his shelves. Many of them are not exactly what he would like, he tells himself, but it will be easy to remedy that, as more acceptable and appropriate works are secured. It is here that he makes his big mis- take, if any one wants to call it so. After all, it is no mistake, if the owner will profit by it. The chances are, however, that time will tend to give unwanted volumes a sanction which, often enough, they do not deserve. The bocklove can go into any M- and pick at random many books mhfl- no-real place in it. Yet if he suggested as much to the All well and good, but then there is no use to complain about lack of shelf room. It is not shelf room, but weed- ing out, that is needed, in most in- ces. " l!ouu:;vu used to call such a drr:s- c procedure a “ridding out” or “red- out,” in the vernacular. It 1s nowhere needed more than on & bookshelf. . For books do grow old; they have their time, and pass out of existence as living things. Some of them do not, of course. Such are called masterpieces and lassics. They are timeless and are never Ve ‘moved. They gunu immortality. In addition, every booklover has classics of his s own which he treasures because of certain profound and mov- appeals to himself alone. ese are the books which do not grow old, which deserve the places they occel Nflm lainer, however, than ann all o not ‘fulfill these con- itions. Some books are useful upon occasion, but the occasion does not occur often. ‘Why d they clutter up the shelves? Then there are fashions in books. There are trends, such as are incor- porated in various popular novels. These books seem great upon publication, with the accompanying ballyhoo, but some- how the passage of the years puts them in their place. They fall down and down, become members of the great cl “down and out” club of bookdom, the | books which made a stir in their day but which are for various ‘NIMDB un- worthy of being cherished forever. ‘The most perplexing question faced by the home booklover in relation to his comparatively limited housing comes when he decides that a revision of his lists is what is needed more than new shelves. What about these old hobby books— books upon some single subject, out of which has passed, at least for him, the old-time fervor and devotion? Life is a stage of hobbies, in one | sense; perhaps only the hobbyist will understand this. ‘To such & man, however, life is di- vided into & number of sectors, each one occupied and glorified by a par- ticular interest in some one hobby. As the years pass, some of the en- thusiasm wanes as newer interests come | to take the place of the old ones. This | | will not mean, however, that the old | love is forgotten. Far from it. Above all do its books keep it alive ever in | memory. The bocklover is able, by | looking over his shelves, to pass in re- view all the hobbies of his entire lfe, | from childhood down. lory. " BY SARAH G. BOWERMAN. Probably no more single-minded phi- losopher ever lived and devoted his life to meditation than the Dutch Jew of specifically pers - raphy, with only so much analysis of Spinoza’s philosophy as is inevitable in relating the life of a man whose whole life was one Of thought. Readers of Lewis Browne's blography, “That Man Heine,” know his ability to make a living emerge from his pages, regardless of the centuries which have elapsed since his subject walked the earth. Heine was, of course, a more sensational subject for a biographer, with his inferiority complexes and sex cbsessions; but Spinoza, austere, con- sistent in adapting his life to his be- liefs, lacking in egotism, almost with- cut faults, appears as equally human and arouses greater admiration. -That he was excommunicated by fhe Syna- gogue of Amsterdam was a theological proceeding and did not concern his essential character. L e 1uu“r§mmmu$ e ‘Al ical ure, espec tmmmhg:l:r days, positively crawls with eccentrics, monsters, fools, and blath- erskites. But rare is the life story of 2 good man. And, therefore, the biog- raphy of such a one as Spinoza is peculiarly deserving to be retold. Here is & man who was indisputably good. Even his plous contemporaries had to | concede that to him. They considered his idcas pernicious and abominable, and his books the sinkholes of Satan’s | Yet his conduct. they were | own lies. forced to admit, was exemplary. His unflagging love of the contemplative life, his utter disinterestedness in fame cr fortune, his fortitude in the face of wasting disease, his patience under re- lentless persecuticn, his sweetness, tility and superlative tolerance—these were virtues which none could deny him. Not until centuries later did his romantic admirers begin to describe him as the ‘holy outcast’ and the ‘God- intoxicated man.’ But even at the time of his death his barber already spoke of him as ‘Mr. Spinoza of blessed mem- That Spinoza, in spite of un- interrupted poverty and illness, was a happy man, as well as a good one, was due to the fact that he was able to live his philosophy and find com- plete satisfaction in it. “That is why one finds in his writings no trace of those repressions which rise from the mouths of the conventional saints, like stench from hidden carrion The man was integrated, never lunging frenziedly to lay hold of some abstinence, and ihen falling back in hysterical despair. He was secure in gcodness, serene in his joy of life—becauss he let reason guide his steps. * * * These are days when men are once more learning to doubt the saving power of reason. But This fact alone gives his shelves a perennial interest lacking in the home | collecticns of those who practice no | hobbies, who are not alive to the | smaller’ vital interests of life, life in | which all things, properly seen, are vital enough. | It is not suggested that one get rid | of such books. They must be kept. | Whet he may do, however, in regard | to them, is to move them to less con- | spicuous quarters. This is one sort of “ridding out” and a good one, since it | secures results, but does not deprive | one altogether of prized old volumes | Wwith their memores. Roosevelt-Hoover Efforts Win Indorsement of Nation here was a life ruled completely by reason—and who shall say it was not saved?” * X x X Baruch Spinoza inherited from his mother a tendency to tuberculosis, which he alternately contended with and ignored until his 45th year, when he succumbed to the disease. The chill and dampness of all his places of resi- dence, invariably on the edge of canals, in Amsterdam, Ouwerkark, Rijusburg, Voorburg and The Hague, and the na- ture of his occupation for eaming a livelihood, lens grinding, did not give him any aid in throwing off the dis- ease. stemious eating. A few pence a day were all he allowed himself for food. In an unheated attic room, which he often did not leave for weeks at a time, he ground his lenses and studfed and wrote. Books were his only ex- travagance, and before he died he had Neither did his habit of ab- | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY- FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Few Americans realize how much their Government does for them. Star can draw activities through greatest libraries, laboratories and ex- perimental stations are at their com- manc. Ask any question of fact and it will be answered, free, by mail direct to you. Enclose 3 cents in' coin or stamps for reply postage. Do not use postcards. Address The Evening Star Director, Washington, D. C. . Is there a standard loft for iron golf clubs?—K. W. A. There is not. Each manufacturer determines the loft of his clubs. The angle of loft for certain clubs does not vary much. The putter has the least loft and the niblick has the most. Q. How does the area of the United compare Wwith the area of 2] B e tal area of the United States and its dependencies and territories is 3,738,393 square miles. The area of Russia is 8,144,228 square miles, Q. Does the Government still coin silver dollars?>—N. K. A. The colnage of the silver dollar was discontinued in 1928. There is no coinage, Q. In what condition is the mansion in Arlington .Cemetery?—W. A. dition in which it was when a private furniture could not be secured, since it had come from Mount Vernon and has been returned, but period furniture has been used. It is a handsome example of a plantation home before the Civil War, Q. What is a language called in which entire thoughts are combined in one word?—C. A. L. A. It is called holophrastic. American Indian tongues are examples of this | They often compress a whole sentence |into a word, the length of which is often remarkable. Q. Why is a certain shade of red hair called Titlan?—8. H. A. Because the famous artist, Titian, often painted women with dark red- gold hair, Q. Does the United States Govern- ment contribute to the mail carriers’ pension fund?—L. W. A. The Government does not contri bute toward the mail carriers’ pension fund at the present time. At first an original appropriation of approximately $20,000,000 was made for the fund. Q. What grounds must a person have for seeking a divorce in Canada?— E M T A. Adultery. Q. What comment about the value of the office’ of President did Calvin Coolidge make in reference to his son's death?—N. A, A. “When he went. the glory of the presidency went with kim.” remodeled recently? What are some cf the famous stones which it con- tains?>—A. M. A. The gold framework was taken | to pieces and reset to make it more | cecure. Among its famous stones are the Black Prince’s ruby, which dates of Queen Elizabeth; the second largest part of the Star of Africa diamond. welghing more than 300 cerats; the great sapphire frcm the crown of Charles II; the sapphire from the coronation ring of Edward the Con- fessor and_other symbols equally as historic. Besides these larger stones there are 2,783 diamonds, 277 pearls, 16 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 4 rubles | in the crown, | Q When a widow remarries, what Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, | existing law that authorizes funhv.“ A. It has been restored to the con- | residence. A great deal of the originai the power and® Q. Why has the British crown been | back five centuries; the pear! eardrops | name does she use for her middle name, her maiden name or the name of her first husband?—N. H. A. She uses her maiden name. If Mary Jones marries John Smith and later marries James Brown, she be- comes Mary Jones Erown, Q. What does it cost to light the strects in New York City? The public buildirgs?—T. K. A. The annual cost of lighting the streets, parks and bridges in Greater New York is $6,969.856. The lighting | of public buildings costs $3,783,000. Q. What can be used to make writ- ing on old manuscripts more legible? —L. 8. A. When writing on old manuscrips | has become faded and illegible it can | frequently be restored by the following | method. ~ The effect on parchment is usually of a lasting nature, but fresh | applicaticns are necessaty on ordinary | writing paper: Lay the paper as flat | @s possible and dampen it evenly with | clean cold water. Brush over the Writ ing with a flat camel-hair brush dipped in a solution of sulphide of ammonis, when the writing will immediately ap- pear plain and readable, K. What is George Bernard Shaw's favorite sport?—P. D, A. Sea bathing, How do plants adapt o thev can live on descrts? A The structure cf desert plants, which are known technically as xero- phytes or drcught loving plants, has i been modified to enable them to exist | for longer pericds with very MNttle or no motsturé. The roots are enormously elongated and specially developed for secking out water in the tubsoil. The g v thick and woody for preserving themselves R. G. periods. Leaves are usua very smail to avoid transpiration surs face and there are in some cases ab- sorptive hairs present. Q How far ahove Johnstown, Pa,, was the dam which and caused | the flood>—A. D. | A. About 10 miles. There was a fall | of 300 feet in that distance, and the S reached Johnstown in about an our. | Q Is it possible to get prepared menus of low cost which will provide ecessary food elements for families in aryland?—M. M. A. Throughout the Unjted States va- rious social agencies are equipped to supply such material. Many State uni- versities are lending their aid through | their colleges of kncwn economics. The University of Maryland issues leaflets giving low-cost m sugeestions, with | especial emphasis ood needs and appetizing combinations. | Q. Wnat was the value of perfumes m:znuéaczurcd in this country last year? A. The 1932 figures are not com- piled. The preliminary report for 1931 values perfume manuiactured at $10,- 306,714 and toilet waters at $4,908,281. Q. What are the requirements for practicing medicine and for entering a medical school in the United States L. G. M. * A. Statutory requirements in all States now provide that to practice medicine in any State a doctor must be a graduate of a reputable medical school, pass a licensing examination be- fore a State or national beard, and register anrually with some officer in the county of practice. In addition, & pital interne year is required in 14 ates. The minimum requirement for admission to acceptable medical schools, in addition to the high school work, will be 60 semester hours of collegiate Work, exclusive of military and physical edu- extending through two years weeks cach, exclusive of holidays, in a college approved by the Council on | Medical Education and Hospitals. thcy would be horrified at the sugges- tion that they did not believe in either. ‘They are playing into the hands of the | accumulated more than a hundred vol- “umn. He declined an offer of the : chair of philosophy at the University | the | other peoples and a fuller, practical | of Heidelberg, which would have given | new realization of the : |Sing that the criminal of today may feat. The impressiveness of the Repub- H & 4 X licans’ victory is evidenced by their | ¢ the 20od citizen of tomorrow is hope- popular vote. In twenty-four Dail con- | It cannot remove the fear that | county ver e omvabrougtiout country over the prospects of a foreign maritime nations which are competitors of the American merchant marine for the carrying trade. How did these foreign nations sweep the merchant vessels of the United States off the seas before the World War? By the granting of subsidies to their own vessels; by the payment of low wages to the seamen. The laws of the United States compel better treatment of the crews of the American flag vessels; they compel the employment of a cer- tain percentage of Americans on the vessels, and thereby force higher wages. And now, in the name of economy, it is proposed to break down the policy and the methods adopted by the Con- gress to bufld up the American mer- chant marine. Can there be the slightest doubt that this is good news | to the foreign shipping companies? When Congress announced its policy toward merchant shipping in 1920 it had recently had a severe lesson. During the World War, when the country found itself without an over- seas merchant marine, the stupendous sum of nearly $3,000,000,000 was ex- pended to put a fleet of merchant vessels on the water. Millions were wasted in experimenting with wooden ships and concrete vessels, in the effort to build quickly a fleet that could carry American soldiers and supplies abroad. American commerce suffered grievously 8t the outset of the World War be- cause of lack of shipping. The carriers needed for the business of this country were withdrawn to the use of the belligerent nations. It seems utterly impossible that any one would have this Nation return again to the state in which it was found when the war broke out in 1914—with no overseas merchant marine at all. Yet a with- drawal of the Government support as now proposed weculd not only prevent any further expansion of the merchant marine but would wreck many of the water carriers under the American flag. Ireland boldly announces in effect that it will never b§ content until it is the only country in the world with- out serious political complications. Gulf Stream and Climate. For several seasons the Winters have ‘been comparatively mild in the North- eastern United States and in Eastern Canada. Various explanations have been offered for this phenomenon, one of them being the theory that the Gulf | Stream has changed its course to bring 1t closer to the coast. While no scien- tific proof has been forthcoming to this effect, the idea has prevailed that some- thing has happened to cause the warm waters that pour steadily and strongly from the tropics northward along the American shores to draw closer and thus to spread their influence to the mainland. Now comes testimony to the contrary. A British destroyer has Just cruised from Halifax to Bermuda and in the course of the run observa- tions have been made, to the effect of demonstrating that the Stream is still running in the same path as that which ‘was charted many years ago, when it stituencies the number of first-prefer- ence votes cast for De Valera's support- ers was 528,000, as against 422,000 a year ago. In the same regions the Cosgrave opposition received 334,000 votes, compared to 357,000 in 1932, President de Valera may now proceed full steam, and probably will, under what he has every reason to regard as a national mandate to cut loose from British authority over the Free State. His avowed ambition is to set up Ireland as an utterly independent unit among the nations of the earth. His courage challenges admiration. England, Scotland and Wales are the Free State's richest and virtually indispensable market. The Anglo-Irish tariff war has already cogt it dearly. But in the pursuance of his unalloyed independence ideal, De Valera apparently is not terrified even by the spector of economic Tuin. His long-time efforts to persuade Ulster also to sunder the bond which links it with Britain are now likely to be renewed intensively. Should Northern Protestant Ireland succumb to the secession fever, too, John Bull's other island is destined sooner or later to wrench itself completely away from the commonwealth of nations that now forms the British empire. That is dis- tinctly the menace and the meaning of the week's events at the Irish polls. —_————————— Economy demands arising in the United States Senate are so compre- hensive that some of the old-fashioned politicians are wondering whether there is to be such a thing as & porkless pork barrel. ——r——————— While public interest has & conceded right to make inquiries, the Reconstruc- tion Pinance Corporation makes it clear that it has enough customers without calling in the aid of publicity. —_——re—————— John Masefield. A man of gentle manner, liberal and generous mind and hopeful spirit, John Masefleld, the unpretending poet lau- reate of England, made many friends on the occasion of his recent visit to Washington. Those who met him or who heard him read will not forget him, and even those who merely en- countered his name in print will feel that somehow, perhaps hazily, they know him better than before he came, are somewhat more intimately acquaint- the past. Masefield is a people’s poet, as’ well a5 a king’s. He was born at Liverpool, in 1875, and the circumstances of his early life were humble in the extreme. He wandered over many countries as a youth and followed many different occupations. His experience included service before the mast and behind a bar. ‘Those were difficult years, but strangely they had a refining influence. ‘They stripped him of the barriers which normally lie between soul and soul, but which a poet cannot tolerate. They made. him one with other men, with other races, with other worlds. They gave him both freedom and wealth—the riches of & brimming memory. ed with him than ever they were in| underworld influences are at work to throw the idea into reverse. ——————— | Railways have always been prominent | in financial circles. Many a banqueteer will sigh for the pre-war days when | Depew, did not feel called upon to take | them quite so serfously. ——oor—s Opposition to debt cancellation has | become so strong that many diplomats | are searching their minds for some new phrase or formula which will mean the same old thing. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Mr. January. Mr. January, won't you put on your ! skates? | A lttle way out yonder past the H sunshine gates | April 1s a-watchin’ with & springtime song. Slip along, January, slip along! | Mr. January, won't you go for a ride? | Never mind the skidding if it helps you slide. | You wished us Happy New Year, but you're in all wrong. Slip along, January, slip along! Not Inclined to Experiment. “Have you any ideas as to how to improve the government?” “No,” replied Senator SBorghum. *“I regard the Government as such a fine piece of machinery that I'm perfectly eatisfied to keep it poliished and in smooth working order without looking for inventions to improve it.” “A good loser,” said Cactus Joe, “is a man who doesn't care to add to his losses by wasting time on unavailing sympathy.” Joys of Procrastination. An argument prolonged doth bring A peaceable delight. 8o long as folks keep arguing. They must postpone a fight. Fatal Accuracy. “How did you lose your position?” “For being too accurate,” replied the typist. “I took down the boss’ grammar exactly as he spoke it.” Art and the Intellect. “You don't enunciate clearly,” pro- tested the stage manager. “Who cares for the words,” said the haughty musical performer. “But you can't have singing without words, you know.” heard a Tyrolean warbler.” ‘The Real Relief. Advice, & remedy refined, Doth bring, beyond a doubt, | ‘The most relief unto the mind Of him who gives it out. Confusion. “We ought to bring sunshine into the lives of our fellow men.” “Yes,” replied Uncle Bill Bottletop. was first surveyed. Hence it Will be' Laboring and writing, he Was twenty-" mistake moonshine for sunshine.” 'S that, graceful speaker, Chauncey M. | “Oh, can't you? Evidently you never | D spirit of co-operation between the pres- | ent and the incoming administrations on the subject of European debts. Great benefits are predicted. Commendation is general in relation to the method by i which President-elect Roosevelt is to act through President Hoover and Sec- | retary of State Stimson. “It is momentous news” days the | Newark Evening News, with the feeling | that “nothing so constructive has come out of Washington since the morato- rium, and it s exactly the sort of co- operation between the two national leaders for which the whole world has | been anxious.” That paper concludes that “no parley between two men in | modern times, not even the conversation of Gen. Foch with the German armis- tice envoy at Compeigne in 1918, has had greater potentialities than Mr. Hoover’s agreement with Mr. Roosevelt.” The Buffalo Evening News observes that “the world-wide reactions show unmistakable encouragement; it is the most distinet ray of hope that has been enlightening the depression in many weeks.” The Dayton Daily News calls the agreement “the most - important event of many a week,” and con- vinced that “it comes as a of light upon a darkening world.” e Lowell Evening Leader emphasizes the point that “so far as foreign relations are concerned there will be no break when the new administration comes into *x ok % “It may well be,” thinks the Kansas City Star, “that the move taken by the President and the President-elect to respond to Britain's request for a re- consideration of the debt settlement will break the log jam that is holding back world recovery. The debts in themselves are not so important. The important thing is that so long as they are unsettled there can be no effective effort to stabilize British currency, on which the currency of half the world depends. So long as these currencies are fluctuating, forelgn trade is blocked off to an extent that holds it far below normal, even for the depression.” The Star adds that “the settlement of the debts in order to make possible the stabilizing of currencies is the essential to stimulating international trade, which in turn is essential to world recovery.” The Youngstown Vin- dicator advises that “once the world has assurance that the nations will co- operate to settle their problems and that sound methods of finance will pre- vail over the inflationary schemes which have everywhere undermined canfidence, then the way will be prepared for recovery.” The Indianapolis Star remarks that “a solution seems to have been found for the problem of bridging the interval between administrations lauds services of Secretary of State Stimson, declaring that he “is in a splendid position to further the cause of co-operation and to assure a smoothly functioning foreign policy wml':nlthe new Executive is taking over control.” “The war LR d:ebu have produced the : , “not money Sanf “The trouble is that too many people fact that this is a | give-and-take world.” | * oxox % | “Our statesmen. of the outgoing and | incoming administrations,” thinks the | Baltimore Sun, selves to recognize that revision, if not outright cancellation, of the war debts | is in our own interest. In Washington | they have begun to catch up with those | who are more interested in customers | than in impoverished debtors. Having begun to catch up, it will be all to th: good if candor is made the rule of the day, and no more dust is thrown into | the eyes of the American public.” The | Scranton Times states that “ability Jf the debtor to pay will be the outstand- ing consideration in_any agreement.” while the Hartford Times comments: “Getting underneath the formalities, one may say with fair confidence that | in the near future the United States and the European governments will be | in conference through their diplomatic agencies, both serially and together, for re-adjustment of the debts and for combined assault upon the world de- pression through international action in the direction of stabilizing and facil- itating exchange, better distribution of the gold holdings and the diminution of artificial trade barriers.” The New York Herald Tribune voices the opin- ion: “Every American who believes that moderation and reason ought to be used in this affair will earnestly hope that the European powers will be able, now that the machinery has been created, to advance some definite proposals on their own account which will permit of establishing at least a common basis for discussion.” ‘With expression of uncertainty as to the scope of the matter, the New York Sun says: “Probably Mr. Roosevelt be- leves t the discussion of the debts and the world economic problems to be considered with them can be so_man- aged as mot to commit the United States to & course which might be em- barrassing in the economic and dis- armament conferences that are ex- pected to follow.” The Akron Beacon Journal utters the warning that “the defeated administration was soundly reproved for having given too much time and thought to Old World inter- ests and not enough to emergencies confronting our own country, and the conditions which inspired the political upheaval have not changed.” Chicago Denied Again. From the Buffalo Evening News. ‘The ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States in the Chicago di- version case stands, the ruling that fixed 1,600 cubic second feet of water as the 1imit to be abstracted from Lake Mich- igan for the city's drainage canal, after December 21, 1938. This the court| & y | made clear in refusing to Mississippi Valley States permission to file a peti- tion seeking modification of the decree in the interest of the Lakes-to-Gulf wa- terway. Chicago has been trying to get a per- him a fixed income, distinction and security, because he feared to sacrifice | his freedom of time and thought. At the time of his death his “Ethics” was ready for the printer. He left direc- on the book. “He did not want his doctrine to be called after him; it was true and needed no signature. He was proud of the book—he knew it was his life work—but he saw no reason to vaunt his pride.” * x % x A foreman carpenter, obstinate and disagreeable, is the hero of Neil Bell's novel “The Marriage of Simon Harper.” Harper led an austere and independent life in his native village of Brenton until he met and married Bessie Pearce. Then he progressed rapidly to riches, the mayoralty and the paternity of numerous chiidren. But happiness did not attend his success, His children did not turn out very creditably, his wife was not very satisfactory, and then the World War came and spoiled things for him generally. An old man, he had lost his independence, his purpose and his prosperity. * % ok x The tenth volume of the Dictionary of American Biography, consisting of 676 articles, has been completed, under the direction of the American Council of Learned Societies, with Dr. Dumas Malone as editor in chief. Though Thomas Jeflerson's career receives the most space, it is rivaled in length by the biographies of John Jay, diplomat and statesman; Robert M. La Follette, Wis- consin Senator; John Paul Jones, naval hero, and Sir William Johnson, colonial superintendent of Indian affairs. The biographies range from Jefferson to Capt. Kidd; from Sidney Lanier, poet, to Jean Laffite, pirate; from President Andrew Johnson to Kicking Bird, chief of the Kiowa Indians. Among the many colorful figures included is Mike Kelly, Boston base ball player, whose name is perpetuated in the refrain, “Slide, Kelly, Slide.” Newton D. Baker, Secretary War in President Wilson's cabinet, con- tributed the sketch of Tom L. Johnson, mayor of Cleveland. The article of greatest interest and length is that on Thomas Jefferson, who is portrayed by Dr. Dumas Malone, the editor of the dictionary, not only as a philosophical statesman, but also as a major prophet of American development, a notable g;meer of American culture. and per- ps the most versatile of the great figures in the history of the Republic, * X X ¥ Franklyn Bliss Snyder in his “Life of Robert Burns” gives some evidence that, however intoxicatéd may have been when he sang his songs at the tavern or dashed across the moors at night on his horse, he was at least fairly temperate while working at his job as gauger for the Excise Board. Against his name in the records of the board is the entry: “Never tried; a . Turns out well”. Against other names are often such entries as: “Can do, but drinks” and “A drunken crea- ture.” * ook % In her latest novel, “Young Jona- than.” Sophia Cleugh carries the chil- dren she introduced in “Matilda, Gov- erness of the English” It ed fiction. The English setting is sketched with good light and shade, abundant blue skies ted | and few gloomy clouds and showers. * k%% A quiet, not at all imposing, Augus- tinian monk of Brunn, of | that phosphorescent High Lights on the Wide World i | Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands | to make a choice of a profession: “Don't under any circumstances study to become & lawyer,” coun- sels one of that calling. “If you want to make money and enjoy happiness don't enter & profession which will require you to frequent the courts. The pro- | fession is dangerous and poorly paid. It is both exacting and exhausting and "your life will be mostly spent among “have b - | tions that his name was not to appear | E_PETIT MARSEILLAIS, Mar-, rought them- | | seille —Advice to a youth about are by no means high—among burglars “Don’t study medicine,” advises the doctor, “unless you wish to be at the perpetual service of those who call you out at all hours of the night and then decline to pay your little account. | If your patient recovers he would have convalescent when you began attend- ing him; if he does not recover, it was all because of your faulty practice. Your diagnosis will be always wrong and your efforts vain.” 2 And so on; the scientist would dis- suade any one to become a scientist, the clergyman any one from taking the course in theology and the painter recommends that the embryonic genius discipline himself against his innate love for art. Professional capacity of any sort, or even an adequate educa- tion for the more ordinery pursuits of life, are no longer acquisitions which for more or less unappreciated and can be done about it? x % x New Hair Styles Regarded as Barbaric. Evening Post, Wellington—A London message published yesterday stated hairdressing was the latest fad of fashion. The phos- phorescent powder causes the hair to glow in the darkness with a pale blue, red or ?reen gleam. The fashion reminds us of the at- tention given in all ages to what St. Paul called “woman’s glory”—though the same St. Paul declared against the artificial adoroment of “broided hair.” In recent years there has been less of this adornment than in any historic period. Bobbed. shingled and Eton- cropped styles have, indeed, been saved from m‘xt\e Sxtreme of sx:;eflty only !:y ing uity in dressing wi “permanent” w-':; what hair is left uncut. There has been none of the barbaric hair- dressing of the early Georgian days when leaders of fashion wore their hair plastered and pasted in high powdered colffures. Tlluminated hair seems to indicate a return to barbaric styles. Possibly it will provide work for some one. ready hairdressing, even in its simple severity, demands a great array of ma- chinery. This fact was disclosed at the Hairdressing Fashion Fair at Olympia. The collection of machinery would almost lead one to believe that all the best hairdressers were electrical . There were new hair- W & woman to cut his hair, and the only instruction he portant hypotheses in biological re- search. The title of the Plgil' was “Experiments in Plant Hy tlon’ and the monk was Gregor Mendel. I was not until 1900 that other sclentifi researches to light the theory brough of Mendel and the Mendelian law of | ‘most it of scientific discovaries. A “Life of Mendel” by Hugo ILis, has recently been published. heredity wes proclaimed as one of the portant people whose incentives and proclivities | and wife-deserters, and even worse.” | regained his health anyway and was | obtain for one more than opportuniiy | seldom recompensed service. And what | the only thing to be said for it is tkfit‘_ need give to barbers is “Not too much off the top.” * x % ¥ Tax_Increase Scored By Palestine Leader. Palestine Bulletin, Jerusalem.—At the meeting of the income tax committee held at Tel Aviv last night, Dr. Ruppin strongly criticized the proposal to in- troduce the showing that the main burden of taxation was borne by the urban population (mainly the Jews) and not the peasantry. and proving his statements with figures. To introduce a new tax, not to reform the msmx system of taxation, was wrong, he sai | * X X X | Dominican Jails | Cheerful at Yuletide, La Opinion, S-nto Domingo.—The | Senor Secretario de Estado de la Presi- dencia, Leido (abbreviation for “li- | cenciado,” ie.. “licentiate”). Jecinto B. Peynado, has informed us that by man- date issued from the presidential palace | the chief magistrate, Gen. Rafael Leon= | ides Trujillo, with that generosity of im- | pulse so characteristic of his heart and ‘:\vuun. has authorized, with the sanc- | tion of the cabinet, an expenditure of 1,000 pesos for the greater comfort and happiness of all the prisoners in our | jails d the holiday scason. This fund will be used to provide special food and varicus entertainmenis for those whe through ignorance, propensity or error have come in conflict with the le- golities of our complicated existence. It is gratifying to_note this char- "ltablo disposition of President Trufillo, revealing, as it does, another time his | thought” and care for the unfortunate | and errant in making it possible to so- lace them, despite the diminished assets of the republic, during these occasions so bright and beautiful for those of us | more favored in our associations and | enlightenment. £ X % % | Theft of Hcly Jewels Spoils Festival. El Telegrafo, Guayaquil—After nine days of greit enthusiasm and joy there terminated yesterday at Babahoyo the festivals prepared in honor of Santa | Rita, the patroness of thit municipality, | which ~ are celebrated _every ar throughout the parish of Barreiro. year, however, the ceremontes have had & very disagreeible aftermath for the faithful devotees, since, night before last, under circumstances which as yet have not been fully ascertained, some evilly disposed persons absconded with the crown of the virgin, together with & number of gold and silver relics, and some jewels, all of them constituting a rich and artistic collection bestowed to adorn the image and to venerate the saint by true believers during a long succession of yeirs. The crown stolen | is of solid gold, and the total loss re- sulting from the robbery is estimated at some thousands of sucres. {John Stewart Mills’ Words -| Are Pertinent at Present To the Editor of The Star: - ‘W1l you publish the quotation below from John Stewart Mills' Political Economy, Volume II, page 9? “Profligate governments having until | a very modern period seldom scrupled, for the sake of robbing their creditors, | to confer on all debtors a license to rob | theirs, by the shallow and impudent artifice of lowering the standard; that least covert of all modes of knavery which consists in calling a shilling a pound, that a debt of 2 hundred pounds may be canceled by the payment of 100 shillings.” 'n'x.: x’e.[crenec to “proiligate govern- ments” is pat. GEORGE F. DOMINICK, Jr. o]