Evening Star Newspaper, May 3, 1933, Page 8

TH E_EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 1933, % l THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. ‘WEDNESDAY . May 3, 1933 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd St. Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. ‘European Oflt!":lllRedrtnl St.. London, nxland. Rate by Carrier Within the City. e Evening Star 45¢ per month | e Evening and Sunday Star (when 4 Sundays) 0c per month -......85¢ per month Si Star I.;-5c per copy Collection made at the end of cach month. Orders mav be sent in by mail or telephone NAtional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland apd Virginia. ily and Sund: an only junday only All Other States and Canada. Dafly and Sunday...1yr. $12.00: 1mo., $1.00 Daily only ... 1yr., $800: 1mo. 75¢ | Sunday only . 131y 85,00 1mo. 80c | Member of the Associated Press. | The Associated Press is exclusively entitled | o the use for republication of all news dis: patclies credited to it or not otherwise cred- | ited in this paper and also the local news | published herein. All rights of publication of gpccial dispatches herein are aiso reserved. | $6.00: 1 mo.. 50c ¥r., $4.00; 1mo. 4% A Sound Naval Program. Two events, not designedly related, but inseparable in import, are recorded this week. One is Secretary Swanson's announcement that the Roosevelt na- | | ident and Congress which has made it priations will share the effect of the reduction by dividing the amount of available funds among them. One important feature of the new provision is that its administration will be made as far as possible uniform throughout the service by rules and regulations to be promulgated by the President. That will tend to lessen the danger of discrimination. — vt Action and Confidence. Americans love action and since March 4—two months ago tomorrow— they have been getting plenty of it. ‘To many of them this is comforting and confidence-inspiring. Compared with the post-election paralysis there is assurance in the post-inaugural ac- tivity and the remarkable and sus- | tained co-operation between the Pres- possible. If a good many citizens are bewildered and confused by the speed with which one far-reaching social ex- periment has been followed by another, they seem to be reconciling themselves with the fatalistic philosophy of the soldiers, “We don't know where we're going, but we're on our way!” ‘We certainly seem to be on our way. But there are not many blessed with the ability, the time or the energy to keep up with the direction or the proposed destination of the various pleces of legislation which have been enacted and which are being proposed. It is not quite two months since the val program calls for the expenditure | of $230,000,000 on a five-year construc-: tion program intended to bring the United States nearer to treaty strength The other is the candid declaration by Viscount I:hii, who is leaving Tokio tomorrow at the outset of his mission to America, that Japan expects at the next naval conference to ask for a higher ratio as regards the United States and Gredt Britain than | the sixty per cent now allotted her. Nip- pon, Viscount Ishii indicates, belleves that seventy per cent of the sea power possessed, respectively, by the Ameri- eans and the British is the “lowest mar- gin of safety” with which the Japanese ean afford to be content. With this authoritative indication of the trend which naval sentiment is taking in the Far East, there is extraor- dinary timeliness in President Roo: velt’s plan to proceed at once with rea- | sonable expansion of the United States Navy. The General Board points out that while the fleet’s strength in bat- tleships is satisfactory, this country is inferior in auxiliaries to both Great Britain and Japan. Our destroyers in commission cannot be compgred in ef- fectiveness with those which the Brit-| jsh and Japanese have built since the World War. Most of the American de- stroyers are obsolescent and some are | obsolete. We are deplorably weak in destroyer leaders. The fleet is deficient | in light cruisers of the modern 10,000- | ton eight-inch-gun type. British and‘ Japanese subraarines of latest pattern | far outstrip the best vessels we possess | in that category. These being the actual conditions, little argument should be necessary to persuade Congress to enact without de- lay the naval legislation the Pl’csidcnt‘ and the Secretary of the Navy recom- | mend. Comprehended by the Vinson | bill in the House, it calls for thirty ships to be begun in 1933—twenty destroyers, | four submarines, five six-inch-gun | 7,500-ton cruisers and one aircraft car- rier. Construction would be provided | for under the Federal public works pros | gram by allocating $4€ 000,000 as the | first of five annual installments required | to see the program through to com-‘ pletion. | President’s inauguration. A brief re- view of the legislation in that time indicates the amazing amount of | round already covered. A partial diary” of the President's legislative activities and what has come of them since March 4 might be set down as follows: | March 9—The President asked for emergency banking legislation. The legislation was approved the same day. March 10—The President asked fo authority conferring upon him extraor- dinary powers relating to reduction of veterans' compensation, Federal em- ployes’ salarles and relating to other steps to “maintain the credit of the United States Government.” He was given this authority within 10 days. March 13—The President asked Con- gress to legalize non-intoxicating beer. Beer was legalized by the act approved March 22. | March 16—The President asked Con- | gress for emergency farm relief legisla- | tion. The farm bill has been approved | by House and Senate, which are now | about to reconcile their differences. March 21—The President asked Con- | gress for a three-fold relief program— | First, money grants to the States: sec- ond, the reforestation project: third, a public works, employment-creating pro- | gram. The relief bill has been passed | by both Houses, making available $500.- ' 000,000 for grants to the States, and | | the measure will probably be signed by the President this week. The first con- tingent of the “Forestry Army” is in the | woods. The public works program is being drafted for transmission to Con- ess. March 29—The President asked for legislation protecting the purchasers of securities. Congress is yet to take ac- tion on this measure. April 3—The President asked for legislation to help the farmers with their mortgages. The House passed the | | bill and the Senate incorporated it in i Farm mortgage aid will Perhaps the times which now we blame | the farm bill. be enacted, with the farm bill, this week. April 10—The President asked for legislation for Government development and operation of Muscle Shgals and | other Tennessee River projects. The | House has passed the bill and it is now | before the Senate. | April 13—The President asked for | mortgage aid for the owners of urban | homes. The House has passed the measure and the Senate is expected to act on it shortly. ‘To have accomplished even this much, the President has needed some- thing more valuable than the co-opera- tion of an obedient Congress. He hns’ needed the confidence of the people. They have given Lim their confidence. particularly is petitioned. Many repre- sentatives of this group have given, but & larger number have not yet responded. To the latter, especially, a final call is sounded. It will be an everlasting pity if the orchestra goes out of existence. It has ween & cultural endowment, an orra- ment and an advertisement for Wash- ington. It deserves to survive. But its fate is sealed unless further help comes immediately. ——.— Mustaches have no serious meaning except perhaps in Germany, where the pointed turned-up ends favored by the kalser have been superseded in dicta- torial circles by the small style originat- ed by Charlie Chaplin. R A plan to draft every German youth, rich or poor, for military service, is proposed by Hitler. This may be re- garded as contemplating a situation so desperate that it must be met by mar- tial law. ——r— The delay in filling Government po- sitions enables Postmaster General Far- |ley to have all pay cuts clearly under- stood before those eligible to positions commit themselves to a proffer of services, ———— Some elements of the tariff discussion relate to the question of whether a low wage scale can be successful at home in competition with a still lower wage scale abroad. Rhode Island favors repeal of the eighteenth amendment with early em- phasis. Not large geographically, it pro- ceeds on the theory that every little bit helps. = Objection to noise in the House of Representatives includes references to eating and reading. The reading at least should remain inaudible. —_— e SHOOTING STARS. BY PEILANDER JOHNBON. Grand Dad. All realize the rapid pace That modern life must hit And fear that for a dwelling place Earth soon will be unfit. We speak with great ancestral pride Of military kin ‘Who labored hard to help decide Which troops were going to win. Now hero worshipers display Extravagance ane. I wish they'd think about the way My Grand Dad used to do. My Grand Dad for a walk was caught When e'er to work he went. The transportation price he thought Would help to pay the rent. He ate a home-made lunch And sought no viands strange. He never tried to play a hunch Upon the stock exchange. Himself and family were not ¢lad In fanciful device. He did not seek each fleeting fad Unless he had the price. ‘With cheer we might get through Could we economize, the same As Grand Dad used to do. . Mutual Publicity. “You should try to forgive your enemies,” said the friend. “You mean my political enemies?” asked Senator Sorghum. “Certainly.” “There’s nothing to forgive. A political enemy helps to keep the debate going. We're the best possible press agents for each other.” Jud Tunkins says he's not complain- ing because his boy didn't get any ‘The program, in the President’s view, ‘ There was prophecy in the President’s medals in school, but he thinks the would serve the dual purpose of national | inaugural address. * * o, first of all, | teacher who put up with him so long defense and stimulation of InAUSUY. | let me assert my firm belief that the ought to have one. Opponents of naval preparedness are | prene to overlook its purely economic only thing we have to fear is fear itself— | nameless, unreasoning, vnjustified terror | Varying Figures. aspect. By employment of labor on the | which paralyzes needed effort to con- About a debt you have to fret diversified materials which enter into ! vert retreat into advance. In every ‘When billions are involved. And yet shipbuilding, apart from the bullding dark hour of our national life a leader- | L™ told by credit men I've met itself, creation of naval units is an in- | ship of frankness and vigor has met Ten bucks are 'most as hard to get. dustrial factor of wide importance. Secretary Swanson points out that it | is not certain the $230,000,000 called for will be used. The results of the Geneva Disarmament Conference may | affect the program. But there is no with that understanding and support | of the people themselves which is es- | sential to victory. I am convinced that ! you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.” The President has offered leadership | reason why construction on it should and it has been accepted and supported. not begin at once. Senator Trammell, | The “unreasoning” fear of the banking Senate Naval chairman, has introduced | crisis has been dissipated by prompt ac- a safeguarding amendment to the ap-| tion. There has been a rebirth of con- propriations bill, whereby building could | fidence. Much of what the President | be halted by the President whenever an hopes to do by making his reconstruc- agreement to limit armaments iS tion program effective depends upon his adopted. | ability to retain this confidence. Meantime the earnest purpose of the| There is, at present, one overshadow- United States to develop American sea | ing cloud. It consists of those new e]e-f power to the extent its world-wide in- ments of uncertainty that have been terests and the intcrnational political | injected by the inflationary amend- situation warrant may prove to be & ' ment to the farm bill. A part of this spur, rather than a deterrent, in the | uncertainty springs from knowledge, | direction of relieving sea powers of the | gained from experience, as to the dis- burden of excessive armaments. Until | astrous consequences of inflation, once there is actual achievement in that di- a nation wavers from the more difficult rection on & pro rata basis resting on | but tried and true paths of “sound our demonstrable necessities and ir-| money.” There is also uncertainty over reducible requirements, the duty of the | how the President intends to use his United States is plain—to build up its ' wide powers over the Nation's currency fleet to the limits permitted by exist- | and in fixing the value of money. ing agreements. In his inaugural address the Presi- o dent mentioned two safeguards “against a return of the evils of the old order.” There must be, he said, “an end to e Wheat is being discussed in diplo- matic eircles. Some of the American | farmers might be invited to sit in and jearn that the subject is best handled with a certain formality that will pre- vent loss of temper. — Staggering Employment. Under the policy of budget-balanc- ing retrenchment and cutting expendi- tures below appropriations it appearcd inevitable some time ago that there would be large reductions of Govern- ment personnel. The new furlough plan contained in the independent of- fices appropriation bill reported to the House yesterday is designed to cushion the effect of reductions in salary ap- propriations. Instead of blanket sepa- rations from the service when appro- priations dwindle below pay roll de- mands, employes are to be furloughed in rotation and as many of them as possible kept on the rolls, This means a revival of the “ad- ministrative furlough” system, which went into effect at the beginning of the past fiscal year. It is not to be confused with'the so-called legislative furlough, which was abolished when Federal employes were subjected to a flat fifteen per cent cut in pay. The new furlough plan means additional pay cuts. But the only alternative to the new furlough plan would have been & policy of ruthless dismissals. It is proposed now that, generally speaking, all loyes in & government % of . ‘ment¥jit by drastic reduction speculation with other. people’s money, and there must be provisions for an adequate but sound currency.” There is doubt now as to how long the currency will remain sound. The President may find it appropriate to remove all such doubt by explaining to| his countrymen what his provisions for | a sound currency are to be. [ It is the desire of the French gov- ernment to yemain on the gold stand- ard in spite of economic protests that have been' made against a policy of isolation. PR e P Last Call for the Orchestra. To save the National Symphony Orchestra a total of approximately eight thousand dollars remains to be raised. The campaign to secure the money has been going on for the past month and excellent results have been reported. But success has not yet been attained. Within the next two days the sum still needed must be found. Other- wise the orchestra will disband. Friends of the organization appeal for the help of all residents of Washington. Those who can afford to give large amounts are asked to be generous. But gifts to the fund may be small. Even so little as a dollar is gratefully ac- cepted. The point is that immediate action is imperative. Contributors should act at once. ‘The business community of tbe city Moral and Instructive. “Do you enjoy listening to the radio?” “Very much,” answered Miss Cayenne. “You approve of all the programs?” “Not quite. But as I go on listening its influence is most valuable. It teaches { me faith, hope and charity.” | “When you would drown sorrows,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “beware of the danger of swallowing still more of them.” Aroused to Cheer. Friend Orator, I'm at a loss Sometimes in following what you say. But when you name the real boss, I wake up and exclaim “Hooray “Tain't worth while tryin’ to git even wif somebody,” sald Uncle Eben, “if you have to come too low down in levelin’ off.” ———— Forced Retirements In the Postal Service To the Editor of The Star: The thirty years United States Gov- | ernment service retirement proposed will | no doubt become a law in the near future. I know nothing about the effect it will have in its application to any serv- ice except the postal, but I am familiar with operation of that service—in fact, every one is familiar with the fact that the Postal Department has had a deficit for a hundred years and unless reor- ganized it will have a deficit for the next hundred years. In connection with the administration of the proposed retirement law in the post office service, I wish to suggest that clerks and carriers who have had thirty years of service be appointed postmas- ters where vacancies occur. This pro- cedure would provide positions for 2,500 at this time and for a total of 15,000 during four-year term of present ad- ministration. The above procedure would provide experienced people for position of postmaster, instead of 15,000 inexperienced persons ments would be necessary tions of those promoted. expense would be saved. If 15,000 promotions were made, The in the service, ir retirement annuity would bo nvedfl“e ‘This would be $18,000,000 jonal, or a total of FRANK E. ‘The man who would mistreat books is fit for treason, stratagems and spoils, as Shakespeare said. He varies from the purely malicious or consclous maltreater of things of beauty through various stages of in- difference and carelessness, in many cases quite unconscious. No hard and fast line can be drawn for this malefactor, since little chil- dren often abuse books out of sheer ignorance of their value. The book itself is the thing injured, after all, so perhaps it makes no dif- ference who is the perpetrator of the | evil deed. * Kk ok Yet there must remain a vast differ- ence between the ill handiwork of & | youngster and an_adult. A grown man who would deliberately plunge a pair of scissors into the back of a good book is a pathological case. He is well known to lending libraries the world over. Special funds are maintained in every | public_library to fight this constant (evil. The ways of mistreating books | are legion; many of them are known only to those who must cope with such situations; such devices as crop up , would never be dreamed of by persons { who respect books. * K ok % The child often mistreats books be- cause he has not been trained either in their value or their proper handling. Little hands, clutching a pencil, can scrawl over the margins of & big book in almost no time at all. Subsequent use of a large gum eraser, even when carefully handled, fails to leave the volume in its pristine con- dition. If the book 1is soiled from any | smudge. such an eraser is the book- man’s best friend. but still it leaves a great deal to be desired, as every onc knows who has ever handled one on title page or margin. | Often the best-printed volumes show | smudges here and there, where per- | haps a printer’s assistant, in handling “;: Efltches of sheets, left a thumb im- print. Sometimes these occur in the most expensive volumes, where they look even more out of place on an other- wise falr page, than in the cheap volume. * x % x Proper use of the gum eraser will ter condition, but certain cautions must be taken by the person who handles it. He must remember, above all, that paper, even the best, is liable to crum- ple if rubbed too hard. Now such crumpling of a sheet of paper, especially at the margins, is a worse offense to a book. in a sense, than smudging it. The blackest mark will not be seen, except when the pre- cise page is turned, but a crumpled margin makes itself apparent when- ever the volume is held in the hand. The proper way to apply an eraser to a soiled place in a book is to hold the particular page with the thumb and first finger of the left hand, the two about two inches apart, so that the eraser. in the thumb and index finger of the right hand, may be 2p- plied in an up-and-down motion par- allel with the edges of the sheet. * K k% To rub from the type toward the margin is natural. but almost sure to result in a crumpled page. This happens, in any event, when the left fingers are not holding the page firmly, as advocated, but it is sure to take place if the rubbing is across, not up and down. This is a small discovery, perhaps, | | Not since he addressed the Nation by radio on the banking crisis, on the night of March 12, has any utterance of President Roosevelt been awaited with more interest (or anxiety) than the remarks he will address to the Chamber of Commerce of the United States in Washington tomorrow. Far more than anything else that could possibly fall from his lips at this time the country craves for some |word of the President’s intentions about inflation. Will he exercise the sweeping powers Congress is about to give him? Has he sought them merely to prevent the abuse of such authority, if lodged in less responsible hands than those of the executive? To what ex- tent will he employ them, if at all, and when? Those are the questions mil- lions upon millions of Americans, fear- ing the effect upon their personal lives and fortunes of so-called “unsound | money,” want answered from the only | quarter which can answer them au- | thoritatively. The increasing bulk of opinion, even among persons in and out |of Congress who favor giving Mr. | Roosevelt inflationary sway, is that (1) he will not invoke it until absolutely necessary, and (2) at no time do so to any degree which would Bryanize the currency system, Just the same, Mr. and Mrs. Average Man, north and south, east and west, would feel better if confidence on that score were to be fortified by reassurances from the President himself. * X X % Mr. Roosevelt is credited with a de- sire to have Congress off his hands by the end of the first week in June— roughly five weeks from now. House and Senate will have to move rapidly encugh to accomplish between now and then what the White House has in store for them if the projected ad- journment is to be brought about at the time indicated. To that end sev- eral important measures are not to be pressed in the remaining in- tervl?. Apparently they include the Black thirty-hour week bill, the World Court and the Great Lakes-St. Law- rence waterway. What the President mostly desires is to have all his emer- gency legislation in harbor before Summer time. He believes an ensuing period of legislative quiet for the country, lasting from June until De- cember, not only will provide oppor- tunity for the emergency program to work out, but avert any ibility of clashes between the a: ration and Congress at a moment when national tranquillity is indispensable. The prayers of all concerned are that dur- ing the ensuing Summer and Autumn the lorged-for tun i the times will truly manifest itself. If it doesn’t many flx‘ldman fe’:rs S}“n:&‘riom"}: ma; ‘himself subjec pressus fury extreme action which otherwise he'd be in position to resist. * ok ok % An interesting coincidence figures in the transfer of Hugh Gibson from the ambassadorship to Belgium to the am- to Brazil Belgium two years ago transferred to Washington its present Ambassador here, M. Paul May, after he'd .::lved at Rio de ‘Women elected Herbert Hoover ident five years ago, it used to yet they waited for four years for patronage. far fuller measure by Roosevelt in two months. cabinet do much to restore the sheet to a bet- | THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. but the result of much experience with books. ith 3 Books from old, dirty bookstalls, as the English call them, are all right, but no one could claim that their dust and Tt I 5 groat ploasire to rescu a grea e some worthy volume from such a place, but it is an even greater to put the volume into fit shape for incorporation into a clean home library. ‘The mustiness of old books is not their real charm, and certainly their physical soll is not. Such factors are inimical in every way, after the bocks | are taken home. In the store dust has | a charm, lending an odor of book sanctity, but in the modern homie it is not wanted. * oK ok X ‘The careful booklover, therefore (per- haps some would term him the finicky booklover), will see to it that even the second-hand specimens which come his way are restored to proper paths of cleanliness by means of the dustcloth, tl;:re soft gum eraser, sunshine and fresh air. ‘These latter agencies, so popular with modern humans for themselves, are not always appreciated by the friends of books at their true worth. ‘There is nothing like sunshine for rejuvenating an old book, especially one which has been crowded into dusty shelves for years with others. ‘The beauty of the sunshine treatment for old books is that it necessarily com- bines the fresh air treatment. It is difficult to give a book a good sun bath without exposing it to all the fresh air that blows, too. * K ok % All books which have been subjected to the ordinary abuse of dustiness should be given a good air bath before being permitted to come indoors The best wav to do this is to take the covers carefully in the hands, the front in the left, and the back in the right hand, and, opening the volume | at some page, repeatedly slap the two halves together with a resounding smack. ‘The sensible man will so stand, dur- ing this operation, that the released dust of l'ses blows away from him. By opening the book at several points, and smacking it together again, he will in & few moments release an amazing quantity of it. The application of tfie eraser to tre top edges wili remove further grime ‘The same may be applied to the covers, if handled carefully, but if this 1s be- gun it must be carried through, o®her- wxlsf a streaked appearance will re- sult. * o o % These are some of the good ways to | take care of good books, so vastly &if- ferent a treatment from that to which some persons subject them. It is better to dwell upon the good | ways than upon the bad ways, because | | the ills will continue to happen, no | matter what any one does or says. but | the dgood ‘ways may be augmented by words. | than for correcting evils \‘ Wh'n a happy thing it is that this s so! {, It means that, in regard to book treatment. no results whatever can be | expected from pointing out perpetraigrs ‘ of evil, but that some good happily may | result from instancing ways of taking | care of books. | _Those who love books the most are always on the hunt for ways to b2 good to their friends. simple expedient has been found by one which is not known to another, who is | only too glad to adopt it. ‘Thus the light of ki rled from hand to han WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. |the mint and a w | commissioner constitutes a record for | which Hoover's bob-haired supporters | hankered with hope never destined to realized. The Roosevelt amazons are by no means satisfied with the { laurels already theirs. In particular, | they still have their eye peeled on an assistant attorney generalship. As to that, some of the Democratic faithful are chafing under Attornev General Cummings’ delay in ousting Republican holdovers, like Seth Richardson, Roy St. Lewis and Monte Appel, from as- sistantships on which various faithful are tasting increasingly cove- |tous eves. There is, of course, no less | wistful longing in the direction of the | five other assistantships, already vacated by Republicans and still unfilled—those formerly held by John Lord O'Brian, assistant to the Attorney General, and Aaron Youngquist, Charles P, Sisson, Charles B. Rugg and Nugent Dodd. The eight plums in question are re- garded as some of the most lucious Patronage fruit yet to be distributed. * ¥ ok x Not long ago President Roosevelt let it be known that he'd like to rent his New York house on East Sixty-Fourth street. A wisecracker, who thought, even thus early in the game, he could find out whether F. D. R. will choose to run again in 1936, asked: “Mr. President, do you want to rent the house for four or eight years?” To that F. D. R. shot back: “I'd be glad to rent it for a month!” * ok ok ok | Viscount Ishli, who will be in Wash- | ington at the end of the month to plead Japan's cause, s no stranger to the diplomatic game on the Potomac. He first came here in 1915 to negotiate the subsequently famous -Ishi] agreement, whereby the United States recogni Japan’s “special interests” in the Tegion of the South Manchurian Rallway. Seven years later, at the ‘Washington aments Conference, the agreement was voided. In 1917 Viscount Ishii came back to the United States as Japanese Ambassador and stayed here until after the war. He was one of Nippon's delegates at the Paris Peace Conference and after that figured conspicuously in Japan’s representation at the League of Nations. Ishii is con- sidered at Tokio an ideal choice for the economic, monet and political mission he will presently carry out in this country. et ‘They're not mincing words in Iowa itself as to what ought to bz done to people who commit or tolerate such outrages as the farmers of Plymouth County recently perpetrated on a county judge. Says the Davenport Daily Times: “The Governor should act with vigor and thoroughness in dealing with these outlaws. A community which countenances anything which strikes at the very heart of our system of law and order as does this threat of hanging of dn elderly jurist should be occupied in the manner of a rebel colony. It should be treated as a captured prov- ince, with the troops remaining at the oman civil service | | Words are better for augmenting good | Perhaps some ' n:wled,ge s car-| i | and continued and uninterrupted pros- Alien Interests Control Local Public Utilities To the Editor of The Star: For what port of ownership or control are Washington's public utilities headed? A traction merger drew attention sbout twenty-five years ago. There came a time when North American en- tered the picture. It was portrayed as a holding company, most always be- stowing benefits, never exercising man- agement functions. The community was told by speakers loud and often it should be grateful for the entry of North American into the Nation’s Cap- ital. An angel had come to town, transportation would be improved, track extensions made, schedules revamped, fares pegged at low levels, universal transfers issued, a majority of direc- tors local men. Merger has been au- thorized and the public awaits per- formance. Meanwhile a subsidiary of one traction line adds to the $5,000,000 it has acquired in nine years in excess of 73 per cent net earnings. The gas companies are next scruti- nized by some out-of-town visitors. They read the La Follette statute against foreign ownership by an indi- vidual or corporation. Presto, a com- mon law trust is neither of those things, but is a hybrid, consequently not pro- hibited. Stock is bought up and titled in the hybrid, while regulatory authori- ties chase the hybrid hither and thither seeking its owner, address “somewhere |in New York.” Manifestly a foreign | owner must retain control yet have a board of directors numerically local. That specification is easily met by draw- ing on Stone & Webster, a large Eastern orgenization of engineering | specialists—at one time principally en- g'f:d in construction and surveys—for chief executive and key men of local companies. The foreign owners, having achieved a satisfactory administrative set-up, ask the dear public to help in a merger and, secure vague or fancied benefit. Aware that the companies have earned 18 per cent net on stock, the public begins to feel it is offered a participating interest. Then the public learns it will be asked to pay 7', per | | cent net on about $2,000,000 as a going concern item, and will not be accorded | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. properti State and municipal bonds. Q. Please name some men who re- mained prominent and active after the age of seventy-five—C. D. W. A. Selected from & long list may be cited: John Adams, former President of the United States and member of the House of Representatives; Willlam E. Gladstone, prime minister of Eng- land; Charles Eliot, president-emeritus of Harvard; Frederick the Great Prussia; Elihu Root, world-known law- yer; Thomas A. Edison, inventor; Car- dinal Gibbons, world-known prelate of the Roman Catholic Ch ; Oliver Wendell Holmes, justice of the United States Supreme Court; 1 von Hindenburg, President of Germany; Andrew W. Mellon, capitalist, Secretary of the , Ambassador to Great Britain; Benjamin Franklin, George F. Baker, capitalist and financier; Clar- ence Darrow, lawyer; John Hays Ham- mond, mining engineer, Q. What is the life of a ribbon used as a watch bracelet>—V. V. A. The average life is sixty days. Q. What is the longest office room in the world’—D. T. A. It is said to be the office of the copyright division, Library of Congress. Q. Of what material was the Roman Coliseum made? Did it have a roof?— B. heavy depreciation allowances for con- | M. L. duits in the ground for more than 50 | years and eroded to the point of worth- lessness. Some persons, equipped to see through the smoke that sometimes hinders vis- ion, might be unkind enough to refer to 'the manipulation of several local | utllities as a tragedy. Anyway, while | they meditate, along comes a man from | | Stone & Webster as the new president | | of the electric company. Could it be possible that Stone & | Webster is being drawn on by local | utilities through their foreign owners for the purpose of effecting a monopoly right under the eyes of Congress? On_with the show. The public pays | | the fiddler, whether the orchestra is | for a drama or a tragedy. | EDWARD JOHNSON. | —————————— Our Currency Will & Not Be Debased | | To the Editor of The Star: | It is a little surprising to find among very intelligent people much alarm and | aporehension over the powers being | conferred upon the President by the Congress. and particularly because of | A. It was made of large blocks of travertine. The inner walls were of concrete, with and _without brick facing. '‘They were strengthened by plers of o and fravertine at pointssof greatest pressure. The pedi- ment, olumns and seats were of mar- ble. The Coliseum had no roof. Q. Was Samuel Untermeyer born in this country?—A. J. H. A. He was born in Lynchburg, Va. in 1858. Several generations ¢f his ancestors were born in this comntry. Q. What is the origin of the word satin?—A. T. A. Hirth suggests that the Arabs may have confused the name of Zaitun, a city in China, with the Cantonese sze-tun. Q. What portion of honey is water? H. "A. Honey contains about 17 per cent of water. Q. What is meant by the theme of a musical composition?’—R. K. A. It is the musical subject of the composition, which is varied and de- veloped through the composition. Q. May an alien from a race in- hand file, ol, for spreading grount wax tapers and matches. e Q. How many of the reforestation crews will work in the Nluon.? P:‘rou this Summer?—E. C. W. A. At least 50 of the conservation camps will be in National Parks and Monuments. Taking 200 men to a camp, this will take about 10,000 men. Q. What is the weight of a gallon of ice cream?—S. B, A. The weight of a unit volume of ice cream depends upon the character of the ingredients and the proportion of air incorporated in the produce. Fruit and nut ice creams, also choco= the coppes plate, “whting clectric. stove, etehing of | late ice cream, will run heavier than vanilla ice cream. Different ice creams may range from 4!, pounds to 5% pounds per galion. Ice cream is regu- larly sold both at wholesale and at re- tail on the basis of liquid measure. Tne quart of ice cream sold by the retailer represents 32 fluid ounces. Q. What is the situation between Great Britain and Irelend regarding Tent payments?>—M. F. C. A. e condition between the Irish Free State and Great Britain with re- spect to the annuities is the refusal of Mr. de Valera’s government to continue the yearly payments which were agreea |to at the time of the signing of the | treaty between the two countries to recompense the British taxpayers who advanced money for the purchase of land in Ireland from the landlords, and to permit its sale to the Irish ten- |antry. On account of the refusal of | Mr. de Valera to continue these pay- ments, the British government placed a tariff on certain Irish products, the money to be applied to meet the debt incurred by the British government. Q. Who is the originator of the universal language Ro?—N. T. It was devised by Rev. Bdward P. Foster of Marietta, Ohio, about 1906, | Ro_rejects all existing word roots and |18 based entirely “on the analysis and classification of ideas.” | | @ How long do toads and frogs live? C. A R A. Toads and frogs may live for a number of years if they manage to escape their natural enemies and re- | main in suitable environment. There is a well authenticated case of a toad which lived for 36 years and was acci- dentally killed. The common frog | sometimes requires from 4 to 5 years | to mature in the North and barring ac- cidents which are usual in a natural state would probably live at least 10 or 12 years. Q. Should the same bed and table linen be kept in use. or should one's entire stock of linen be used in rota- tion?—S. B. R. ‘ A There is quite a difference of opin=- fon among housekecpers as to whether the stock of supplies be used in rotae his action in putting an embargo upon | admissible to citizenship be naturalized | tion, by always drawing from the bot- gold. It would seem that this apprehensich is without warrant. The powers con- drawn by it at any time. The President with full authority of the representa- tives of the people in the Congress | assembled. All talk, therefore, of dicta- torship is nonsense. The embargo on gold was an indis- pensable and unavoidable necessity it became evident that the [ European powers were doing all they Tould to depreciate the value of our dollar, and that the continued and ineffective attempt on our part to main- tain its value in the world’s marts by the shipment of gold abroad would in time completely deplete our supply of that metal, and we would be without enough gold reserve to protect our | circulating medium. | Tien, again, it appears to be pretty | well agreed between those who are! competent to have and express an opinion on the subject that a reasonable | amount of “reflation” is necessary, to start us on the road to econothic | Tecovery. | Furthermore, there can be little ques- | tion that Mr. Roosevelt is worthy of the | y | confidence and support of the American | people. They have just given him an! overwhelming mandate to lead us out | of the present mess, and we should not | abandon our chosen leader in his first skirmish to discharge the high and responsible duties we have imposed upon him. His whole life, antecedents and background are against any radicalism on his part. He has the qualifications necessary for dealing | effectively with the present serious situation, and thereby avoiding in all | probability revolution later on. There can be no doubt of his honesty and| courage, or of his thorough Americanism, | or that his first regard is for his own ! country. He comes of a good old American pioneering stock, and while he may be regarded as a “consevative- progressive-liberal,” his antecedents and background are a guarantee that he will do nothing unduly radical. and that his sole purpose is the welfare of his | country and the greatest good to the greatest number. He is committed by his past utterances and by his- associa- tions and personal interests to sound he will abuse the great powers and responsibilities committed to him by debasing our currency. A universal medium of exchange with a fixed value is the great desideratum. In fact it is indispensable to the welfare perity of all nations. It can be attained only, however, by international agree- ment. May we not hope that in the present situation, under the influence and guidance of Mr. Roosevelt, backed by the might, power and resources of America, this great boon of a fixed standard of value for international ex- change may be. ultimately achieved. ALEXANDER SIDNEY LANIER. R Suggests a Scale For Retirements ‘To the Editor of The Star: The 30-year retirement bill will force retirement on many Government em- ployes who do not wish to retire. Many of these will be plunged into serious finan- cial difficulties by the drastic reduction of their income This will increase unemployment distress, hurt social and economic conditions, and tend to delay recovery from the depression. On the other hand, there are other employes who would welcome an oppor- tunity to retire at even a relatively small annuity, but who will be pre- vented because they lack a few years of having the full required 30 years’ service. Therefore I suggest that the hard- ships of retirement may be lessened by changing the law so that employes who have served, say 15 or 20 years, money, and there need be no fear that | that ¢ | automobile for an Could it be, if he has an honorable discharge from the Army or Navy?—C. F. A. During the World War some ferred by the Congress can be with- judges held that military and naval worn out service entitled persons to receive nat- | tom and putting the clean on top, or | whether a set of three or four of each type of linen be in constant use until On the whole, the former seems more desirable has usurped no power, but is acting uralization papers irrespective of racial | deteriorate and yelloy Encourages Announcement of increased produc- tion in steel causes the public to ex- pect general improvement in industrial and business conditions. Volume of business in this line has often been called the barometer, and its gains are believed to be duplicated in other forms of activity. In this instance it is re- ported that automotive intcrests have been gainers. “When steel is optimistic it sings what is a popular song in the industrial world,” says the Toledo Blade, while the Asbury Park Evening Press remarks that “steel, the backbone of the in- dustrial body, is doing things in a big which’ means that there is re- newed activity in many other lin Quoting the head of the United States Steel Corporation as stating that the officials “are buoved up with the hope and comfort that better times are ahead,” the Oakland Tribune com- ments: “When steel looks up the Nation applauds. For a number of years the industry has been silently watching the dropping figures of production The more than 56 million gross tons of in- gots and castings which was the 1929 record have dwindled unui last year's production was about 13', million tons, or approximately the output of 1904.” The Tribune adds that “production is now at the highest point in mcre than & year.” “Ausplcious evidence of increasing ac- tivity” is observed by the Nashville Banner, with the explanation: “Next in importance to agriculture, which in its broad aspect is the basic industry of the Nation, and to the au‘omobile in- dustry, taken in conneciion with those are collateral to it, steel production is the largest in the country. economic dictum of a half century ago that the progress of a conntry can be measured by its use of iron is still rela- tively correct. Its relation in the per- fected form of steel to manufactures, transportation and construction is so close and comprehensive that the steel industry is almost invariably the first to give evidence of the coming of a period of depression. Similarly, it is among the first to afford procf of the weakening of depressing factors in the business structure of the country.” “Revival of activities in a basic in- dustry” is proclaimed by the Cleveland News, with recognition of the interest of its own community in steel produc- tion, and the statement that “a new note of hope is sounded in the automo- bile industry.” The News also states: “Estimates which place Cleveland ahead in steel producing are not based on guesswork, but on the volume of orders piling in. Buying on the part of large manufacturers, against a rise in prices of steel and against a freshening de- mand for their products, is responsible for rapidly accumulating orders. In the automotive industry, one large firm has taken steps to pile up raw materials for six months’ requirements.” “A cheerier automobile market,” agrees the New York Times, “is the main reason for the recent gratifying rise in steel production. But do more automobiles mean recovery or inflation? fl'l}::l grimmer soothsayers insist it is in- on. “But one cannot be too sure. People hdve already been discounting the cheaper dollar. If automobile buying is a flight from the dollar, why should the lower-priced cars be the first to register such an escape? People should be buy- ing the more expensive and psrmanent ur:l thus solving htrl;e douhl;e prgbéel]n of safeguarding a er number of dol- lars and providing one’s self with an indefinite future. inflation? So many back tg 'toflr; in the breweries Tnd accessory industries, so many beer sales- men running around soliciting orders, mean a demand for automobiles.” Statements by Secretary Roper of the Department of Commerce that he “be- lieves the April comparicon with the corresponding month of 1932 would be much more favorable than the returns for the first quarter” are quoted by the Ball Evening Sun, with the statement: “All this has a pleasant sound, but 'Advance in Steel Production Business World tom of the depression. or about turning the corner, or about the early advent of normal business. The Secretary lets his figures speak for themselves. Yet he did go so far as to predict that April, as a whole, will make a_better showing than March, and we submit that even this much prophesy is dangerous. His- tory is far safer. Prophecy was the favorite mode of expression of the new economic era. so whenever a public official phophesies. even as mildly as Mr. Roper has done, we seem to get a whiff of the new era. Let the new deal stick to history and its atmosphere will be much more grateful to the nostrils.” Observing that stockholders of the United States Steel Corporation adopt- ed resolutions “supporting President Roosevelt's ‘economic program’ without reservations, the Topeka Daily Capital see§ evidence that “business is in sym- pathy with a new deal” but takes note of the fact that “it is unusual tor one of the premier industrial corpora- tions to inject politics into its annual meetings.” = This thought also is voiced by the Roanoke World-News, after reyiewing the struggle that the company has made to meet the condi- tions brought about by the depression. The Uniontown Herald takes note of the fact that “steel strikes an optimistic note.” | ————————_ | Takes Issue With Miss Perkins on Child Labor To the Editor of The Star: In your Sunday paper there appeared an article by Miss Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor, favoring a consti- | tutional amendment giving Congress }power to limit, regulate and prohibit | the work of persons under 18 years of |age. The article was rather startling, | for Miss Perkins is a Democrat and | the Democrats have always told us that they believed in State rights and did not_believe in centralizing government | in Washington. Some Democrats have |also told us that we were getting into | the habit of making too many laws. | But now another amendment giving Congress vast law-making powers is |urgeg upon us for bringing in the mlgcrmium. L me gets the impression fre ] article that all child Jabor is D:lren?; that children must be prevented from working. Most men who had to work When they were boys are thankful for the lessons they learned in how to earn a livellhood and for the habits of industry and thrift they acquired. Miss Perkins would prohibit boys like Abra- ham Lincoln from splitting rails in their youth, or at least invest Congress with the power to limit and regulate the number and kind of rails which they should split. One gets the idea from the article that children are exploited. The mil- lions of parents who live on farms and whose children are taught to work at a tender age and who are proud of it should feel slandered at Miss Perkins' imputation. It is believed that parental love is more e lous in rearing chil- dren than congressional nostrums. No doubt there are cases where children are exploited. but it is not necessary to rush to Washington for the solu- tion; the States are capable of pre- venting this. Miss Perkins would add to the bur- den of taxpayers, for if a child is pre- vented from working and its parents happen to be unable to support it, the dole f l& nhlvefl'iol he; ole for support uni reac the age of 18. ds of indigent Negro children now worl on Southern plantations would be fed out of the Federal Treas- uary. Just how this dole would mote self-reliance, industry and on the part of the child is beyond my comprehension. Some opposed the eighteenth amend- ment because it deprived one of the right to drick as he pleased and took liquor control from the States. The same folks should oppcse this amend- ment because it invests C ‘ongress Wwith e & e o O the to work child labor control from