Evening Star Newspaper, March 8, 1933, Page 8

/ THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C WEDNESDAY.....March 8, 1833 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 11th_St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd 8t Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. European Office; 14 Regent St. London, England. X by Carrier Within the City. QIE‘V‘:Hh')y Slll’sv {t.'u: per month e Evening and Sul o e ot e Evening and Sunday Btar T ehen 5 “Sundars) 65¢ per month ; id of each month. tion made i of eac 4 Ordors ‘may be sent in by mal of telephone NAtional £000. 85¢ 3 1yr. 3 1yr, § All Other States and Canada. Daily and Sunday.. ‘iyr.n: 00; 1 mo., $1.00 ayr nly .. $8.00i 1mo.. e ASRHEN 15r., $5.00; 1mo. 50c ‘Member of the Associated Press. The Assoctated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dis- patches credited to it or, not otherwise cred- Tted in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of publication of special dispatches here also_reserved. e Bravo, Secretary Swanson! No one who is familiar with Claude A. Swanson’s long-time senatorial rec- ord of constructive friendship for and interest in the Navy will be surprised by the tenor of his maiden statement as Secretary of the Navy. In it he speaks out promptly and plainly in be- half of the strongest American flect permitted under existing intematinmli agreements. Specifically he calls for | building up to the full limits prescribed in the London treaty of 1930 and main- taining the ratios therein provided. Secretary Swanson, moreover, demands that such construction be undertaken *as quickly as possible.” A year ago the new civilian head of the Navy was at Geneva as a member of the American delegation to the World Disarmament Conference. Hel labored long and zealously, but, through no fault of his own, unsuccessfully, to| persuade other conference powers to| scale armaments of all categories to the materially lower level proposed un- der the Hoover plan. Secretary Swan- scn, in his new official incarnation at Washington, is still an advocate of | naval limitation, but strictly on the| condition that the United States’ requisite margin of strength is at all times kept on the contractual ratio, as to Great Britain and Japan, that ‘le‘ are entitled to have. “Whether we/| shall get that ratio by increases or de- creases,” Secretary Swanson says, “is & question for the State Department,” | by which, of course, is meant further international negotiation. Amid the Nation's perplexing eco- nomic difficulties, which must take pre- cedence over all other considerations, | sight must not be lost of the enduring | problem of national defense. Even the complete rebabilitatfon of our disordered financial structure would avail nothing if America’s international position were to be put in jeopardy. There is plenty of inflammable materigl lying around in the world to justify circumspection and caution on the part of every coun- try with vulnerable interests to protect. America’s “sure shield” is the fleet. It snust not be neglected. Representative Vinson, Democrat, of Georgia, who is about to become chair- man of the House Naval Affairs Com- mittee, gives gratifying indication that the requirements of the Navy are im- mediately to engage the attention of Congress. He has already served notice that he will introduce a bill providing for the new construction necessary to expand the fleet to treaty strength. Buch a program, it is estimated, would involve laying down by December 31, 3936, a total of 287,330 tons at a pro- &pective cost of $1,000,000,000. It would be distributed over 119 vessels—three aircraft carriers, seven light cruisers, 89 destroyers and 20 submarines. Mr. Vinson calculates that, if carried out “along gradual and progressive lines,” the required treaty Navy can be built at an annual cost of about $63,- 000,000. Such a figure would represent only a fragment of the total Federal budget. Pending world agreement on maval reduction, the expenditure of that money would be an indication to all eoncerned that the people of this coun- try believe in national life insurance, and are prepared to pay the premiums 3t costs. Life insurance is not a luxury for individuals. It is a necessity for a mation. ————————— It was a great and eventful time, fphilologically as well as politically epeaking. The demonstration marked the exit of the term “lame duck” from ghe legislative vocabulary. ——————— During the parade Alfred E. Smith did not yearn for the sidewalks of New York. The middle of Pennsylvania gvenue was good enough for him. b2 —— Thoughtlessness. Yesterday's symphony concert was such a splendid artistic success that 4t is something of a pity that a portion of the audience was not a trifie more thoughtful. Granted that the hour was unusual, the program lengthy and the auditorium warm and uncom- gortable, it nevertheless remains a mat- ter for regret that people were in such haste to depart at the conclusion of the final number that they were rude to Arturo Toscanini, the conductor. Certainly, they were not conscious of their deficiency of manners. There was no wilfulness in their rush fcr the doors. They simply did not think. fhey were just thoughtless. But men and women capable of ap- reciating a symphony program—and hey did appreciate it very much indeed §-should not be careless of the amenities f such an occasion. They surely know hat while the conductor remains on e platform, acknowledging applause, ey should remain in their seats. They |, ved little time by their panic hurry. ’Esd they waited, their consideration would have cost them only two or three Ininutes at the most. Toscanini was jnaking his farewell appearance. He pas entitled, for that reason if for no ther, to their attention. His artists erited the courtesy. The more civil rt of the audience took its cue from he demeanor of the wife of the Presi- ent and were guided by her example. hose who fled down the aisles in heed- ss precipitance were doubly out of i Neé'eic cf geod menners mgyyxbem » small fault to complain about, but it may be indicative of a significant flaw in the character of a people. The great Lord Chatham spoke of politer ness as “benevolence in trifies,” imply- ing that urbanity is synonymous with kindliness of temperament. His eminent contemporary, Lord Chesterfield, de- clared that “manners must adorn knowledge, and smooth its way through the world.” Both were amply right. A cultivated nation should be watchful to rebuke uncharitableness, and a cul- tivated class should be mindful to pro- tect its refinement. Emerson was among the number who have realized the truth that good manners need the support of good manners in others. Civilization; it is obvious, is ccnstituted of little things, and each of the com- ponent factors must be guarded. Xt would be regrettable for an unpretend- ing boor to disturb a gathering of gentlemen and gentlewomen; it is in- tolerable for an ordinarily decorous individual to do so. i The importance of yesterday’s inci- dent, however, is its suggestion that it is excusable to be rude. Of course, it is quite the contrary. There is no alibi for impoliteness except that of the undeveloped character of the trans- gressor. In recent years attendance at both concert halls and theaters has been robbed of much of its legitimate Dleasure by the thoughtlessness of a careless minority. This group richly deserves correction, for its own as well as the general good. Business as Usual! Business as usual! gan of the hour. The banks are closed to depositors and withdrawals of cur- rency. Pay rolls are held pp for lack of available cash. People generally have been caught by the emergency with little or no funds. And yet busi- ness is as usual. That is a phenome- non of great cheer, a manifestation of confidence in the eventual and prob- ably early restoration of complete solvency. Indeed, this immediate distress, while not at all to be regardéd as a boon or a blessing, is certainly evocative of the spirit of confidence in the essential soundness of the business and financial institutions of this courtry. In one respect it has been advantageous in that it has more fully acquainted she people with the functions of the banks and their methods and with the safe- guards that have been thrown about them by the laws. There has been a differentiation in the public mind be- tween the sound and well-conducted institutions, which are in the great ma- jority, and those that have been less wisely or scrupulously conducted, which are a small minority. Business as usual in this emergency means that those who are now short of funds through the chance of general bank closing without warning are find- ing that they have credit for the future meeting of their obligations. . They have earncd this credit by faithful dis- charge of their debts in the past. That credit has becomé their capital, upon which merchants are now drawing with full guarantee of an early meeting of all accounts. The spirit of adjustment that pre- vails is a valuable asset to the com- munity and to the Nation at large that cannot be expressed in terms of mil- lions of dollars. Everybody looks for an early clearing of the skies. Nobody is disposed to put a time limit upon the stringency as a measure of endur- ance. Yet, of course, all hope earnestly for the speedy restoration of currency for general use, but if that is delayed for a few days there will be no catas- trophe. A man with only a few dollars in his pocket is now sharing them with the one who has fewer. Generous co-oper- ation is the order of the day. Nobody is ashamed to acknowledge that he is broke. Rather is he proclaiming the fact as a somewhat amusing situation. The taking of a walk to meet an en- gagement instead of riding in a taxicab or even a street car is found to be a pleasant experience, with a sense of virtue born of necessity. Business as us:al! 'This is the rally- ing cry that is stimulating all who carry on in the face of temporary adversity. Failure of the District Bill. If Washingtonians cannot agree with the manner in which Congress chooses to legislate for the District of Colum- bia, they can at least take philosophical comfort in the fact that the respon- sibility for legislating remains with Congress. There is no earthly reason why Con- gress should not have disposed of the District appropriation bill, and cleared at least that much of the business from the cluttered decks of the extra session. The conferees, or & majority of the conferees, had agreed on a com- promise that, although representing expediency rather than equity to local taxpayers, would have enabled passage of the bill. To junk the whole bill and start over again does not represent wisdom or stand for any considered j course of acticn. But that is what has been done. dam. As far as local taxpayers are con- cerned, the most unfortunate part of this proceeding is the uncertainty and confusion now prevailing over ade- quately providing in the next fiscal year for the care and relief of un- fortunate and needy citizens of this community. For the balance of this fiscal year the needs will be attended to in some fashion. For the next fiscal year there is a greater and more com- plex problem. It is to be hoped that the new Congress, closer to the reali- tles and with quickly passing time de- manding constructive action, will not fail in its duty to the District. - ————————— - Uncle Sam decides that in order to prevent gold from being hoarded, for a few days there shall be no gold. ——te— Leeching on the People. A dispatch from Denver states that loan agents in that city are preparing to cash pay checks at a discount of ten per cent. A representative of the Becret Service of the Treasury is quoted as saying that if such a move is made those en; g in the practice ‘“are going to jail,” for such an action would be in direct violation of the President’s proclamation. Tt is well that such a warning should be given. Apart from the legal aspects of the case, the mulcting of the people in the present emergency, with banks It is now water over the That is the slo-| THE EVENING closed by order of the Exgcutive, with currency lacking, would be the mean- est conceivable form of profiteering. In their stress of funds, with urgent need of immediate cash to meet actual necessities, those who have been paid in some form of check or scrip for services, or for purchases, are apt to become victims of such rascally enterprise, without recourse to the law. Those who take their “paper” at a ten per cent discount, or at any other rate below the face value, are not gambling, for there is no uncertainty of full re- demption of all such obligations. They are playing on a sure thing. In every time of financial disorder leeches thrive upon the need of the people for currency. The money changers call it “accommodation.” It deserves :a different name, a shorter one, a five-letter word meaning the taking of that which is not one’s own. —————— A Proven Friend. In the eight years that Senator Cap- per graced the chairmanship of the Senate District Committee he gave to that position & new significance in the life and affairs of this community. A champion of national representation for the people of Washington, the Senator believed that, lacking such representa- tion, the people of the District must! count most strongly upon members of the House and Senate District Commit- tees, and that these members should, in matters affecting the District, take the part of representatives and spokesmen of thelr silent constituency. As chairman of the Senate District Committee he lived up to these princi~ ples as few men have done before him. He represented Washingtonians in Con- gress as faithfully as he represented the people of Kansas. He made it a rule that the doors of the District Commit- tee room were always open to Wash- ingtonians. His committee sessions were never cut short before all who wanted to testify had their say. Once impressed with the needs and desires of the local community, as well as of thelr equity, he became their champlon. Senator Capper’s many valuable serv- ices in behalf of the local school system and of other local projects are well known and will be long remembered. He leaves the chxln{mn.shlp of the com- mittee with lasting 'gratitude of Wash- ingtonians for his interest and labors in their behalf, and for the unfailing courtesy and sympathetic friendship with which he served them. He was never stern judge as much as helpful friend, and it is pleasant to feel that he will continue in that capacity as rank- ing minority member of the committee. ——— The present purpose is evidently to get away from a gangster system, which was providing too many likenesses for the rogues’ gallery and not enough suit- able for the Hall of Fame. —— e China and Japan may be persuaded to realize that the problem of civiliza- tion 1s not success in arms but that of getting food from where it is super- abundant to where it is needed. ——————— The history now being made would warrant educators in substituting for awhile the dailly and Sunday news- papep for the school books. Co-operation is now advised rather than competition. A general purpose is more to be considered than small rivalries. —————_ «SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Cheer Up! I Told You So! Some time ago when I was feeling glum. I said, “Cheer up! The worst is yet to come!” As time went by, the worst came draw- ing near, . And called us faithfully to presevere. It was a small sarcasm; yet it proved A sentiment by which our minds were moved. And when the world set forth its tale of woe I ventured the remark, “I told you so!” And now, as hearts prepare for courage true, ‘While brighter skies present themselves to view, I shall répeat in accents firm ghough bland, “Beware! The better days are hand; Beware the recklessness which may arise ‘To scatter hopes that seem so near the prize. And when prosperity ere long we know, T'll venture to repeat, ‘I told you so!’” now at Interrogation Merger. “You are not starting any more in- vestigations.” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum. ““We have asked questions until we know all the answers. The big question now is to decide what to do about them.” Jud Tunkins says after a b} parade is over, its up to the serious citizen to take some time off and think up what it was all about. The Rhymester’s Barter. T need a little corn and beans. I hope they're not beyond my means. The statesmen, who are truly wise, A mode of barter improvise. Some steak and mashed potatoes, too, I fain, upon my dish would view, Perhaps when barter’s going strong , You'll grant them to me “for a song.” No Novelty. “How will the bank holiday affect your community?” “We wen't noticz it,” answered Cactus Joe. “Crimson Gulch has been doin’ business mostly with poker chips for the past four years.” “Sorrows must pass,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “yet we fear their shadow, as our .superstitious ancestors used to fear an eclipse of the sun.” Reciprocal Relationship. I have & hen ‘Whose work I praise. She cackles when An egg she lays. She to say, “I represent The proper way d content. My f¢ is due, _You must agree. If I feed you, .« .You must feed me.” “Satan ' goes after evildoers,” said Uncle Eben, “but he p more foolish folks dan he does af " ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. One. of the lamentable features of the present situation, and commonly .is that so many human beings are utterly ignorant of what it is all about. They do not know, honestly, what the know about money is to take it, if they can get it, and to spend it. Ignorance, therefore, seems to be the uns ted guest. this is one way of making an unfs situation familiar, to reduce it to one of its lowest terms, and then | their ll}lle‘ l; it for l:nhuz. A igh finance, in many of ts aspects, either as it affects international rela- tions, or nations, or communities, or individuals, is .a mystery to the so- called average man. n he pretends to understand “what it is all about,” but the truth is that he knows very little, and is willing to admit it tq himself, if to no one else. Ignorance! The old enemy of mankind crops up at_every turn. So well has America, as a Nation, understood this enemy and this danger that she has installed a “little red school house” on every hill. Literacy has been made a test. Privately, every man alive ought to make it his own test in the present situation. Every cne, especially those who are young, ought to determine, here and now, to begin to learn something about finance, as it is and has becn. ‘T little of it has been taught to the masses. As men have had special aptitude, they have come into financial circles, but too many of their fellow citizens have been unable to follow them—in thought. It is in thought, after all, that the majority of human beings must follow the great leaders, whether in war or peace. Understanding is necessary, if fol- lowing is to be done without balking and inner resisting. Confidence, above all, depends upon the true type of understanding. ‘The sorry truth is that in the past too little stress has been placed upon the subject of finance. A little arithmetic, & bit of mathe- matiés, a smattering of algebra, trig- onometry, and perhaps some calculus for the exceptional student—these sum up the offerings of the public schools. The broad principles of buying and selling, of house purchases, of mort- gages, are left to the special student, when some knowledge of them should be & part of every youngster's early life. In some miraculous manner, the av- erage young man is expected to pick up this knowledge as he grows older. Well, some do—and many do not. Indeed, the world is beginning to suspect that some of those who talk the most learnedly really know the | least. They deal in words whose inner | meanings escape them. * k% x Ignorance! It js mankind's oldest foe. In every special line it sticks up its ugly head, even daring at times to de- mand that we call it pretty. Let it be to our credit, most of us, that we know it for what it is, and re- fuse to be satisfled with it. ‘We want to know! That is mankind's cry through the ages. ‘We want to know, we must ?w, we shall know! This is the eternal battle front of life. It is the ringing challenge to heaven, the appeal for mercy, the silent prayer. It was sent up in beginning ancestors from whom mankind today would draw back in horror, perhaps, but in whose brains and hearts re- posed the same desire, at one with ours. ‘They wanted to know, they felt that they had to know, that, with God's mercy, they should know at last. Theirs was the determination, when they had nothing to go on, nothing but hopes and their confidence. Shall not the world today be ashamed of itself, if, with centuries of progress to go on, it should lose its hope and its confidence? ‘The battle on general ignorance is, therefore, the crux of the battle still. ‘The nged for a continuance of this warfare is as paramount today as ever. There is no release in this war. “learning” we possess, the less satisfled ™ only the csentially § nly the essentially ignorant person is ever content with his progress toward the degree of knowledge which he feels is somehow the right of every one equipped with a mind. Few human beings approximate the ths of understanding which is right- fully theirs. Even when they do, usually it is some single branch, of which they know more than the average. Sadly enough, this specialization leaves them almost com- pletely ignorant of other branches. * x % % Does schooling, as such, and general experience, give the average human be- ing all the knowledge he is able to assimulate? A good case might be made out for | that, but a second look, we believe, | shows that not enough sympathy has | been shown in the educational life with the problem of giving the right fare to the student at the right time. Financial history, the subject of money, and so on, these are taught children in connection with history, but what real personal interest can a schoolboy have in such a subject as “scrip?” It was only recently that many a man grown actually realized that scrip was used in 1907! He was in school at that time, and money and the subject of money meant nothing, literally, in his young life. He had not the interest then. ’ | He has the interest now, but he hasn't the knowledge. It is one thing to say that he should have it, and quite |another to have it. It can't be made |up_ in a minute. [ ‘Theorists are forever declaring that | something or other should be, or ought | to prevail, when the plain fact is that it %_\:t doesn't,, ere was & mad scramble Monda: | throughout the United States—to read up on the theory of a subject which every human being ought to know all he can about, since it concerns eve: one of us every day of our adult lives. It is just one focus of ignorance, however, let us never forget that. There | are hundreds of subjects about which most of us really know very little. Perhaps it is not human that we | could know much, but surely most of | us could know a bit more than we do. | We want to know, we must know, we | shall know! Upon knowledge is built I honesty, and upon honesty is built hope, | and upon hope is built confidence. And upon confidence everything rests. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. President Roosevelt met the Wash- ington correspondents at the White House this morning for the first time, | has and they are his. Agreement is unani- mous that, as far as the press is con- cerned, there is a completely satis- factory New Deal. Following the President’s request to shake hands with and individually greet each of the scribes, he electrified them by announcing that the ancient system of written questions, handed up in ad- vance of press conferences, would be abandoned. F. D. R. will receive verbal questions. He will answer every one he can or which he thinks should be answered. He will supply “background” on those occasions when he may not be quoted directly. The “White House spokesman” is dead and not to be| resurrected during this administration. The applause which the assembled corps of Capital news men and women dinned into the President’s ears at the end of their first joyous confab was a token of their belief that presiden- tial news, like the coun itself, is on the verge of a new . If today's experience is a criterion, there is to be an atmosphere of cordiality, informality and directness in White House press relations, of almost unprecedented nature. * k% * Communists are not the only people who found their way to the White House barred this week. The Demo- cratic hunger marchers discovered that their path was blocked, too. Under ordinary circumstances, the patronage army would have been besieging the executive offices by this time and making President Roosevelt's life a bur- den. But through Postmaster General Jim Farley word went out that “No job-seekers need apply” is the slogan from now until further notice. That time will not arrive unijl the banking situation is well in l; s n:&lonol!l C&l"l; fidence restored, an e ship s on an even keel again. The financial crisis, from the patronage standpoint, is & blessing in disguise for F. D. R. Incoming Presidents, as a rule, are run Tagged by party henchmen with de- signs on the Federal pay roll. President Roosevelt would have been subjected to high pressure for jobs for the mere reason that his supporters have been in the wilderness for 12 long, lean years. But the depression aggravates matters beyond all precedent. Wash- ington is filling up with $50,000 l'nd $20,000-a-year men—executives who've commanded those salaries in business life—now eager to nab $5,000 or $7,500 Government positions. * K X * Col. Edwin A. Halsey, who tomorrow will be elected secretary of the Senate, began life as & page in that body in 1897, by appointment of his uncle, the late Senator Thomas S. Martin, Qsmo- crat, of Virginia. Since then has served as assistant secretary or secre- tary of the Democratic membership, both when it was the minority and the majority. No man at the Capitol is so well a ted with the history and procedure of the Senate as Halsey, and no Senator matches his recozd of 36 continuous years of service.' Col. Halsey has been busy ever since inaugu- ration day rearranging the seats in the chamber. The Republican side of the aisle, with & mere 36 members, will cut a sadly denuded and disproportionate figure opposite the phalanx of 59 Demo- crats. Henrik Shipstead, tall Nor- wegian eagle of Farmer-Labor, be placed amid the decimated. Repub- lican . * X %k % snmu;v Dsmocntlfil Bem: y Chesley W. Jurney, is 0 at arms of the Upper House, in succes- sion to the deposed David H. Barry. ‘With his familiar black sombrero, sym- bol of his Texas origin, Jurney for many years was the secretarial right- hand nman of the late Senator Culberi- son of the Lone Star State. After Cul- bertson passed from the scene Jurney became secretary to Senator Copeland, Democrat, of New York, and has been at the doctor-nlgmln'. ellaoé!;l for the 10 years. ice upon a time Jurn andn n’:‘ ‘unsuccessful attempt to eleetednbcntm-,flauuoln:z: resentatives from the Waco, Tex, trict. * ¥ k% Lord Palmerston, one of Queen Victoria’s famed prime ministers, ussd to call Germany “that damned land of professors.” Well, President Roosevelt started in to convert the District of Columbia into a happy hunting ground for professors. Prof. Moley oi Columbia has been appointed an As- sistant Secretary of State, Prof. Tugwell of the same university has been named Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, and Prof. Berle, who is also attached to Nicholas Murray Butler's citadel of culture on Morningside Heights, is scheduled for an assistant secretaryship of the Treasury. The trio constituted the Roosevelt campaign ‘“brain trust” of 1832 renown. Professors in high places at Washington are no novelties. “Bill” Castle, who has just quit the undersecretaryship of state, was a Harvard don. John Lee Coulter of the United States Tariff Commission taught economics for years at the University of North Dakota, before becoming its president. Senator Fess of Ohio is still called the “schoolmaster of Yellow Springs.” * k% % Senator Carter Glass of Virginia welcomes Harry F. Byrd as a coileague in the Senate for many reasons, but conspicuously on account of Byrd's istrator. Virginia's State finances were never in better shape than when Gov. Byrd left office, conditions being such became possible. Glass expects to find in Byrd a vallant and well-posted leutenant when the time comes—as most authorities think it is bound to come, and soon, too—to defend sound money from attack by inflationists, radical silverites, gold-dollar devalu- ators and others. There's a margin of exactly 30 years in age between the senior and junior Senators from Vir- , Who are already dubbed the strongest combination boasted by any State in the Union. * Kk ok Seniority brings Senator Key Pitt- man, Democrat, of Nevada to the chairmanship of the blue ribbon com- mittee of the Senate—Foreign Re- lations. Though the chairmanship changes politi complexion, its geog- raphy will continue to be Far Western, as it was when Borah of Idaho held it. Pittman is one of the acknowledged best minds of the Senate. President Roosevelt holds him in high regard. He accompanied the Democratic presi- dential nominee on the triumphant swing across the country last Fall, serving as confidential adviser on oc- casions of high political strategy. The Nevadan enters this week upon his twenty-first successive year in the Sen- ate. He took part in the Klondike gold rush as a youngster of 25 and his first public office was that of prosecuting at- torney at Nome, Alaska. The world- ‘wide cause of silver will have a power- ful friend in the new Senate Foreign Relations boss. * % k% Jokesniiths, rhymsters and other wisecrackers, including punsters, will have to revise their designs on the sur- name of Secretary of the Treasury Woodin. The tip is out that he pro- nounces it Woo-din, and not like the word wooden. * X ok % One of the quips of the current bank- ing tie-up has a plutocratic Washing- ton bank director as its butt. At a board meeting on the eve of this week’s New York next Saturday night. He will broadcast over a Nation-wide network on “Republicans’ Duty in the Premises.” (Copyrisht, 1933.) —————————— Located. Prom the Louisville Courler-Journal A soun that the the coast of Puerto Bl‘o. ‘The more letters, and degrees, and ! record at Richmond as a fiscal admin- | that a substantial reduction in taxes | LetThere Be Daily Prayer For the Nation’s Succor ‘To the Editor of The Star: the President of the United States following a Senate reso- lution urging him to take this action. This proclamation recommended that a moment’s prayer for the Natlon's success in war be offered at noon each day by each and every individual. From some time in July until Armis- tice day in November sirens sounded and bells pealed as a reminder that the moment for prayer had arrived. ways since the formation of our Gov- ernment there have been hours and days appointed for prayer in times of national peril. Never at any other time was there so long a continuous period of national prayer as while the World ‘War was in progress. One prophet writing at the end of the war, foreseeing continued trouble, that we continue this custom of prayer, that since war had ceased two years sooner than many had pre- dicted, no one could deny or affirm what share prayer had in this speedy culmination of hostilities—yet did we stand in great need of prayer while the wounds of war were healing and hatred lessening. Like many another prophet’s cry, the plea was disregarded as far as general prayer was concerned, and again we went our separate ways. Today the average individual has but a hazy recol- lection of our practice in those war- time months. ‘There are so many definitions of yer. One writer has defined it as “the identification of self with some- | thing better which on the one hand is part of self, on the other infinitely transcends it.” Speaking of the power of prayer, it was said long years ago, “He has given us a share of His power, will. justice and love, the world is in our hands.” If these things be true, if it be equally true that no human being ex- ists who has mot at some time felt a sense of divine alliance, then does it not follow that we as a Naticn should make use of this unseen force and “with one accord, make our common suppli- | | cation” for divine wisdom to guide us| through these most troubled times. It is therefore earnestly suggested | that we revive this almost forgotten | moment of national prayer. KATRINA HINE ECHOLS. {'Women’s Apparel and | | Prosperity Promotion | To the Editor of The Star: | | _ Perhaps the Madame Secretary of | Labor might initiate a new movement | to restore culture and the resulting Frosperity through an investigation of | | the relatively large influence of ap- | parels, particularly that of their pro- duction in the way that was the vogue T | when self-esteem was more prevalent —“the order-made” or the “custom- made” way. i The benefits of the old way are so ! manifold that it is a wonder the subject has eluded the attention of esonomists. In the first place, when a lady of suf- | ficient means used to patronize the dressmaker or the ladies’ tailor she was not only helping a better circula- tion of money, but also was thus pat- | ronizing the artist, and in turn inspir- | ing the latter with incentive to create | or develop excellence. And again, half | a dozen girls could often he kept busy | to produce a single oeautiful gown, ail | delighting in their shere of the work, | while the prevalent method of “ready- | made” deprives more than half of the | workers from what would have been | their alloted share. | ‘The present writer remembers the time, before the war, when prices were | low, and profits very modest, having | enough work to employ at least two men and about 16 girls. The prices ladies pald for their suits in some cases were less than they pay for ‘“ready-mad:" | even now, but because they took pride | in having their clothes made to their own tastes they were unkncwingly | helping to create employment for a comparatively larger number of per- | sons. To think that to discourage people to buy jewelry or to order hats and | gowns or suits helps economy is to| defeat the very purpose of national life, which is development. One can- | not see what is to be gained by educat- | g the rich people to hoard their surplus money, as it h2s been done since the false application of economy started in every community. It may be all right to eliminate unnecessary bureaus of experimentation with no im- portant benefits to the Nation, but the rich man or woman, who has the money | and delights in patronizing the best | !lets the money circulate, where is_the wisdom of discouraging them? May women start the ball rolling again! | C. PHILIPS, |Protests Cost of Filipino Mission to Washington | To the Editor of The Star: The Philippine mission of five men which arrived in Washington 'way back | in December, 1931, is still in the city according to the radio address of cne of its members the other night. This | is the longest “mission” that has visited Washington, and this mission is not yet thinking of going back home despite the fact that the Hawes-Cut- ting bill was enacted into law by Con- gress on January 17. We Pilipinos protest to President Roosevelt and to Secretary of War Dern against the expenditure of the Filipino people’s money for the vaca- tion of our leaders under the guise of a lon. The four mission members are spending $5,000 2 month in Wash- ington, which is enough money to tide over 10,000 Filipinos back home in these days of hardship and depression. And the mission has already spent about $175,000 since they came over in 1931. We want fair play, and we ask the American Government to help us get fair play from our leaders. LUIS S. QUINAS. Proud of Co-operative Spirit of Republicans To the Editor of The Star: I was a supporter of Mr. Roosevelt before his nomination and, of course, afterward, and am proud of all he has done since, but I am even more proud of the patriotism, loyalty and co-opera- tive spirit our Republican friends have shown in this emergency. No more beautiful spirit of loyalty and stand-together purpose has ever been manifested than at this time in my recollection, either in peace or in war. [EORGE McCORKLE. A Cabinet Acrostic As a Happy Forecast To the Editor of The Star: To aid in rememi to memory such a sentence as the Yol- b , the words of which begin with the initials of the members of the cabinet: artists in every line of work, and thus | | what we are deing.” The Evening Post | % | murk BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ‘Thousands of Government experts are working constantly for the benefit of all citizens of the United States. They will work directly for you if you will use our Bureau. This newspaper employs Mr. Haskin to act as an agent for its readers. He will take your matter to the proper au- thority. State vour inquiry briefly, write clearly and inclose three-cent | stamp for a personal letter in reply. | Do not use postcards. Address The | Evening Star Information Bureau, | Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing- | ton, D. C. — | Q. What minor bese ball leagues | were operating during the 1932 sea- | son?—C. D. B | A. The Sporting News says that the followings minor leagues completed | their 1932 schedules: American Asso- ciation, International League, Pacific Coast League, Southern Association, Texas League, Western League, New York-Pennsylvania League, Piedmont League, Central League, Middle Atlantic | League, Western Association, Mississippi | Valley League, Nebraska State League. Q. How many races did Phar Lap run?—A. E. A. He ran 48, and placed in all but nine. During October and November, lt?:x}iu he won eight races out of nine starts. Q. What part of New York City was called Hell's Kitchen?—E. McK. A. In the middle of the last century the name was applied to that section of | the city lying west of Ninth avenue. Q. Is there any record showing what American newspaper printed the first cartoon?—M. B. A. Benjamin Franklin published it in the Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754. It represents a snake cut into eight parts, the head being New Eng- land, and the other parts New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. It was immediately copied by the editors of other Colonial papers. The popularity of this cartoon was so great that it was revived twice during | critical periods in American history, once when the British Stamp Act was proposed, and again at the outbreak of | the Revolution. Franklin gave this fa- | mous cartoon the name—“Join or Die.” = QB. What is meant by “game fish?"— A. It is a fish which, because of its cunning or wariness, or the violence of its struggles when hooked, affords sport to anglers, Q. Please suggest some Bible passages to read when one is blue and discour- | | i aged and lonely—W,_ S. A. When things ook blue, read Isaiah 40; facing a crisis, Psalms 46 and 139; discouraged, Psalms 23 and 24; lonely or fearful, Psalms 27 and 42; | when things seem going from bad to | worse, Second Timothy, 3; when friends seem to fail, First Corinthians, 13. | Q. Where was the Ne Paul | Lawirence Dunbar, bornsood, . | A. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, June 27, 1872. He died February 9, 1906, in | Dayton. | ! Q. Where was the National Capital beiore it was moved to Washington?— | _A. New York was the Capital of the United States for cne year. ‘The Capital was then moved to Philadelphia where | it remained from 1790 to 1800. It was then moved to Washirgton, D. C. Q. What are the principal items of export and import in the island of Jamaica?—K. L. | A. Americap vice consul at Kingston, | Gaston A. Cotrnoyer, says that during | 1932, bananas were the leading article | export to the amount of $6,467,124. | The purchases of the United Kingdom ! | have frozen while amounted to $4,380,159, the United States, $1,243,660, and Canada, $815,944. article of Flour was the It for 1932 totaling $1,142,001, divided as follows: Canada, $897,064; United Kingdom, $213,638, and the United States, $31,389. . Q. If & coin bears no mint mark, how is it known which mint made it>—P. L. 8. A. All mints except Philadelphiy use mint marks. A coin with no mint m:rfi( was struck at the Philadelphia mint, Q. How long may the ownership of ; pl:benud inventién be contested?— A. The true ownership of a patented invention may be contested within two years after the patent has been issued. Q. Who wrote the air which is played when the President of the United States appears?—E. M. P. A. The song, “Hall to the Chief,” words by Sir Walter Scott, music by James Sanderson, is the musical com- position played when the President of the United States appears. Q. What js the difference between hail and sleet?>—W. C. A. Hall, which usuglly ocours in the Summertime, is caused by an up- rush of air which carries raindrops so high that they freeze. This process is | repeated until the hail stones are so heavy that they fall through the rising air. Sleet consists of raindrops which falling through a surface layer of cold air. Q. Whkat was the play in which Robson and Crane made their last | appearance together’—L. H. . The last joint production of Stuart Robson and W. H. Crane was “The Henrietta” which was first pro- cuced in New York at Union Square, September 26, 1887. Q. At what time are the Japanese cherry trees in bloom in Washington?— H. W. C. A. The single Japanese cherry blos- soms usually bloom between April 1 and April 15 and last about 10 days. The double blcssoms usually bloom between the 15th and the 20th, and last about two weeks. However, the dates depend a great deal on weather conditions. Q. Are cigarettes popular in Can- ada?—P. R. A. Cigarettes stand first in the forms in which tobacco is used in Canada. Of the $75.000,000 total value of to- bacco production in the industry in 1931 cigarettes were valued at abomt $43,000,000. Q. What is meant by the line, “One was the wife of a jemadar-sals”?— F.E M pcem “The Ladies,” popular refrain “An’ 1 learned about wcmen from ‘er!” A sais, or as more commonly written in English, syce, is & grocm, or a Hindu servant who cares for his master’s horses. Jemadar is a certain type of groom. Q. What is the Russian plant which can be used for rubber?—I. M. G. A. The plant which has been men- tioned in the press as a new source of rpbber is tau-sagyz. The Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce says that Russia is reported to be in the process cf planting a considerable acreage in this plant, but it is not yet a source of commercial rubber. Q. Has a code ever been invented which could not be read by experts?— W.D. B. A. No system has ever been devise for the transmitting of messages by code which has been accepted by ex- perts as being absolutely undec:phe:- :ble by one not in possession cf the ey. Alfred E. Smith Bring s New Aunvention to Bond Issues Because former Gov. Alfred E. Smith has become a private citizen but retains his knowledge of public affairs, his statements before a committee of Con- | gress on the needs of the moment are made a subject of general comment. His views on the basis of taxation are widely approved, but the proposal to | issue bonds for public works to relieve unemploymeht is debated, especially in view of the need of a balanced budget. His attack on inflation is commended by the New York Herald Tribune, | which adds: “Certainly more debatable | but no less forthright were his sug- gestions that the Federal Government oat a huge construction bond issue and recognize Russia.” That paper con- | tinues: “Mr. Smith is now in a position | to hew to the line of his thought_and let the chips fall where they may. He | has nothing to lose and everything to | gain by candor. But, even so, it is the very rare politician who, even in retire- ment, sloughs off the habit of non-com- mittal utterance.” The Herald Tribune feels that “he might have stated that he had moved from the mental confine- ment of official life into the open spaces of private conviction.” “As tos Government expenditures,” | says the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, | “he showed f extremely liberal. A big public _works program, withcut too much R. F. C. ‘red tape’ would be | relied on to restore purchasing power and start the wheels of industry re- volving. The Treseury sluices would be opened to let unlimited funds gush forth over the country. Liberty bond issues and tactics would be repeated to provide the billions to create jobs. There were other points of the Smith program more conformable to conservative views; pithy pronouncements against inflation and for economy; pleas for govern- mental reorganization and the spread of taxation, deriving weight from his own administrative experience and’ im- portance from his position as spokes- man and leader of an important ele- ment of his party. Before he had fin- ished Mr. Smith had presented a pro- gram dealing definitely with most of the subjects which must form the main | content of governmental policies for the next four years.” “To issue bonds for a program such as he recommends,” in the opinion of Charleston (S. C.) Evening Post, “would be a measure of infla- tion, however indirect. o That is not to say that some such emergency lan would not, in the curious way that uman blundering has of producing contradictory results, accomplish good. Logically it should not, but the whole economic situation now existing is illog- ical, for in the midst of plenty there is poverty and distress and we are suffer- ing from overproduction rather than | from a lack of resources. But there | should be no misunderstanding as to | adds the tribute to the former New York Governor that he ‘“touched on a score of subjects, illuminating each of them in homely and perfectly under- standable phrase, with a fund of prac- tical sense that seems inexhaustible and that comes like a breath of air from the heights to blow away the “He expressed his views for relief in frank language,” says the Fort Worth sm-fiegnm, recognizing his stand for d issue and for moratorium on foreign debts for at least five years. and concluding: “When a little time is found after the ‘New Deal' job of reducing the cost of Government has begun to register, those subjects might well be given much considera- tion.” The Oakland Tribune voices the criticism: “His main proposal, that | for a bond issue, comes unfortunately before Congress has done anything Perennial. From the Port Worth Star-Telegram. tor tman appears to have b::;omgfih-dlvermechhm toward balancing the budget, though this ‘is solely the fault of Congress. His utterances were those of a prac- tical administrator rather than a stu- dent or philosopher,” avers the Altoona Mirror, while the Providence Bulletin describes his talk as “primarily com- mon sense, the product of a sharp patural intelligence, unclouded by de- votion to trivialities and non-essentials.” The Lowell Evening Leader offers the estimate of his contribution in the pres- ent instance: “There are possibilities of public service outside of public ljfe, and his disposition is to make the most of them.” The Akron Beacon Journal con- cludes: “All that he did was to give the committee a pocket edition of the campaign speeches he has been making for several years and to urge that they be put into application. In other words, exchange the war debts for trade con- cessions from Europe, recognize the Russian government and relieve our in- dustrialists of the present furtive trad- ing with that nation, get rid of pro- hibition, enlarge credit facilities for American business and industry, and, above all else, take the tax collector's greedy hand out of the pockets and cash registers of the people. Take it or leave it! What cares Al?” “Any government that is a heavy deficit is not in a good position to borrow heavily in a time of reduced unanc.al rcscurces,” thinks the Spring- field (Mass.) Union. The Chicago Jour- nal of Commerce advises: “Mr. Smith is knowing enough as a statesman to recognize the stalking menace of fur- ther drains on the Federal Treasury; he knows the States, too, for the most part are in\bad shape; he knows that, whaumh&)cmmmybemthem- ture, the Government has not yet shown any intention to live within its income. Yet he would have all the future generations of Americans paying far steeper taxes than are now levied to provide hypodermics for a sickness— temporary in character—which his generation was too timorous to meet fairly and squarely with the sure medi- cine of private industry.” On the subject of taxation the Mil- waukee Sentinel offers the judgment: “Broadening the base of taxation by the adoption of a sales tax would be a long lt:‘: wxol"’t‘.hx-whll'e step toward & sane system of taxes. It is ennounw to note that some statesmen who Op- posed such a tax violently before elec- tion have recently acknowledged con- version to the idea. Mr. Smith's little le's:m should be read by a good many others.” Argentina Shows the Way to Equalize Taxes To the Editor of The Star: ‘Way down in a corner of The Star of March 4 was a great piece of news: “Argentina has placed a tax on the in- creased value of land through which new auto roads are built.” Only a three-line item, but, for large countries, marking a new departure in distribu- tion of incomes and equalizing the burden of taxation. This act of Ar- gentina ranks in with the inaugural address; would that unfllon ‘The the greatest appeals for al deavor. However, until the arrival of the millennium, voluntary co-operation will be somewhat less than universal; while the profit motive persists there must be some measure for equitable contribution to public expensc. President Rocsevelt’s plan for de- velopment of the Tenncssee Basin is magnificent, espe-ially with its vision of country-wide extension on the we order. If these projects are to be - liquidating in fact, if all the people the realiza Argent distributes the cost of W. C. DUNCAN.