Evening Star Newspaper, May 27, 1933, Page 6

//TH\E-E)VE.\'IXG STAR WASHIN GTON, D. C, SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1933. A THE EVENING TR A S G e e e ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. THE EVED With WASHINGTON, D. C. @ATURDAY... .May 27, 1938 NING STAR Edition. THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor S The Evening Star Newspaper Company oy OB v nnsylvan i Now vark Ofce: 110 East 428 Bt icago Office: Lake Michigan Buildine. Shropean Omce. 14 Regent 8t.. London. Ensland. arrier Within the City. "‘o‘m‘n’. cfllll 45¢ per month Sunday Btar 60c per month c per month Star ... .Bc per copy TS ilockion mace at thy and of each mont ors may be sent in by mail or telephone fi!lfllll “00 o te by Mail—Payable in Advance. pe glryllnl and Virginia. ily and Sunday 00: 1 mo. Bz All Other States and Canada. Dafly'and Sundar.. 1yt 1100 Tmo’ s Bladas"on ) 3300 1mo. sy only . ber of the Associated Press. Trl:';:lmuuen Press is exclusively entitled | to the use for republication of all news dis- atehes credited to it or not otheTwise cred- | It hi er A 0 the local nt'x‘ publial iblication of special 100 | 8¢ soc o reserved jtrust laws to a conaiderable extent. | the sense that benks are forced to close in the face of & run, or whether |1eaving ‘the gold standard was merely part of & monetary policy, the wisdom and honesty of which depend upon a point of view. ——o——————— Industries-Public Works Bill. The House after two days' considera- tion passed the public works and indus- tries bill, most ambitious of all the measures included in the administra- tion's recovery program. The attention of the public has been centered par- ticularly on the revenue feature of the bill and the strife over the income tax provisions and the proposed manufac- turers’ sales tax. Far reaching pro- visions of the measure as they relate to| industry and the life of the country| have been overlooked for the moment | taxation. bill, however, for nullifying the anti- These laws are to be broken down, it! is claimed, in the interest of preventing ! over-production. Yet these laws were designed to preserve and protect com- | petition, and competition is yet the most efficient means of preventing over- | Repudidtion—Temporary or Per- manent. ! Inasmuch as such an authority as | Senator Carter Glass of Virginia re-; gards the administration resolution for abandonment of the gold standard as an unconstitutional repudiation of cbli-‘ gations, while such an authority as Representative Steagall of Alabama Jooks on it as a sort of boon that “will bring & revival of prosperity and happi- ness to the American people,” there is| 2 naive species of optimism in the ex- planatory statement from the !errelaryl of the Treasury, who says that the yesolution is “designed to clarity” the result of recent legislation on the status | of the gold clause in public and private | obligations. i It the purpose of the resolution was clarificatfon of a condition which properly can be regarded, and will o | be regarded by millions here and | abroad, as an act of repudiating a sol- | emn prcmise to do a certain thing, entered into by the United States Gov- ernment and accepted in good faith by {ts own and other citizens cf the world, then the resolution will fail of that! se. w’l'r:fle resolution is backed by the ad- ministration and will probably pass. But, far frem clarifying anything, it will precipitate an issue between re- pudiation and non-repudiation that will live and wax strong for many years to come. There are some who have regarded the temporary abandonment of the gold standard, through embargoes on ship- ments of gold abroad and redemption in gold of domestic currency or bonds, as an emergency action dictated by a series of circumstances, and as such unavoidable. ‘The hope of “sound money” men has been that as soon as the emergency was passed these em- bargoes would be lifted, possibly in union with restorstion throughout the world of the gold standard at & new ratio between gold and the currency which it supports. During the course of this emergency §t became obvious that the United States Government would not redeem the pledge which it wrote into its obli- gations—amounting now to some $22,- 000,000,000—agreeing that principal and interest “will be payable in United Btates gold coin of the present standard of value” And if the United States Government refused during the emergency to redeem its own pledge, it was obvious that all debtors who| had borrewed money—including the debtor nations abroad—and had en- tered inte eontracts containing a sim- {lar gold clause, would follow suit. The real purpose of the resolution in- troduced yesterday by Mr. Steagall and Benator Fletcher is clarifying only in yespect to the fact that it seeks to legalize, and adds a discomforting de- gree of statutory permanence to, this repudiation of the gold clause agree- ment. It deprives the President of his present power to view the suspension of specie payments as merely a tem- porary expedient compelled by imme- ‘ Aate necessity, and to resume specie payments in his discretion. It converts & supposed postponement of specie pay- ments into permanent repudiation. It invalidates contracts specifying payment in gold coin by saying that debts can be paid in any other sort of currency. It makes all currency legal tender for | the payment of debts contracted on the gold ‘standard, or in terms of the gold dollar which was defined by the gold | standard act of 1900 as “consisting of 358-10 grains of nine-tenths fine” and | which said that this dollar “shall be | the standard unit of value.” ‘The resolution uses the words that the existing emergency “has disciosed that provisions of obligations which pur- | port to give the obligee a right to re- quire repayment in gold or a particuler kind of coin * * * obstruct the power | of the Congress to regulate the valye of | the money.” But the value of our| money it established in gold. This res- elution does not repeal the gold stand- ard act, which defines the value of the | dollar, nor does it change the value of | that dollar as defined. It merely says, in | effect, that debts can be paid in any kind of money. And there is evasion in the use of the word “purport.” The | gold clause was written into Govern- ment obligations because it strengtl ened the demand for those obligations, | secured them in the name of the United | States Government, gave the purchaser the definits guarantee that, if he bought them and paid for them in gold. th2 Unitsd States Government would re- | deem them in gold. There was noth- | ing accidental about the inclusion of the gold clause. The borrower bene- fited by it. The borrower’s credit was strengthened by it. And the fear of many now is that the borrower’s credit will be weakened at home and through- out the world, just as it was strength- ened throughout the world by inclusion ©f the gold clause. In the end, the righteousness as well #s the legality of this act may come to depend upon & showing of whether it ‘was necessary, in the light of the emergency. There is more gold in the possession of this country today than ot any time in its history. Forty per eent of the world's supply of gold is in the United States. The question which the courts may | unit of operaticn. | parently will tend to protect the present | than the prosperity which preceded it | and the prosperity which, providentially, production. As a matter of fact, fallure to enforce the antistrust laws, and the creation of the great trusts and chain organizations in industry and business have done more to bring about over- production than any amount of honest competition. Under the control of industries law, | competition is to be still further at- tacked. Indust:ial concerns are to be | permitted to get tcgether on the matter | of production, prices, wages and hours | of labor. It is obvious that the prices wil be so fixed as to give a profit to the concerns whose costs of production are the highest. Where does the con- sumer figure in any such arrangement? The ccnsumer, as usual, comes out at the little end of the horn. The bill's intent is to put people back to work, to give industry a new lease on life. It might be far better if the Government should undertake to break down the huge eggregations of capital and busi- ness and permit a return to the smaller The bill is called an emergency measure and is to be operative for two years. There is always the possibility that it may be made permarent. For two years, at least, individual initiative and efficfency are to be restricted. And if there is inefficiency the public is to pay for it. Furthermore, the bill ap- concentration of wealth. It may well lead to still greater concentration. Once more the House has turned its back on the manufacturers’ sales tax. This was expected, notwithstanding the fallure of the present income tax sys- tem to produce the needed revenue for | the Government. When it was devel- opd 2t the Senate Banking Committee hearing that the twenty partners of J. P. Morgan & Co. during the years 1931 and 1932 had paid no income taxes, the supporters of the income tax sys- tem as it has been written and en- forced caught their breath and there was a roar from the men and women of moderate means who have been paying taxes from their meager incomes to support the Government. In a hurry the opponents of the sales tax rushed forward with another amendment to the income tax law, so as to prevent the carrying over of net losses from one year to the next in arriving at the base for the payment of income taxes. It still leaves possible, however, the writing off of these capital or net losses in the income tax returns for the year, and while weilth may not have the same opportunity so to utilize such losses, spreading them over two years, it still will have that advantage. The huge public works program, to cost the people $3,300,000,000, is car- ried in this bill. If it is put through in its entirety it may well sink the Nation in a mass of increasing debt. An upturn of business, for which’the whole Nation waits and hopes, may not make it necessary to go forward with all these projects. The people are going to psy for this program by the sweat of their brows, < — el A resignation rumor arouses compar- atively little interest at & time when so many subjects arp clamoring for atten- tion that even a eabinet official can come near to being classed as a for- gotten man. ———— The World's Fair. The Chicago World's Fair opened this morning. Theoretically it was designed to commemorate the centenary of a single civic community, the Lake Michi- gan metropolis. Actually it symbolizes a whole century of progress, universal in scope, international in character. The eyes of the world are turned momen- tarily to a single eenter where, over an area of more than 400 acres, the scien- tific, artistic and industrial interests of mankind are gathered for display. Not Chicago only is coneerned, but rather the entire civilization of which the city happens to be a part. It is said that the enterprise repre- sents an investment of more than $37.- 000,000. At first glance the sum seems astronomicel in its proportions. The ouestion may be asked: How can na- tions sunk in the poverty of an unpre- cedented economic slump spend so much on a mere spectacle? But the answer is obvious, The depression is a hideous reality, but it is less important will follow it. The earth is rich and the far-flung human family is rich. So it is possible to devote large capital to such a purpose as that of the great spectacle which now is in evidence at the Windy City. Every penny of the money, it may be presumed, will be well spent. The fair | agement and sorrow into new hope and new aspiration. That is the spiritual value of the display. And, of course, it is the spectacle’s signifi- cance as an expression of the soul of man that is most important. The fair | done during ten decades past. It like- wise serves to indicate what théy may | do in the ten decades next to come. SR Peace Via the League. War along the Amazon has been ended on the shores of Lake Geneva. On Thursday Colombia and Peru, who which both claimed, signed an agree- ment with the League of Nations Council to bring their war to an im- {in the more spectacular conflict be-|meljate close and abide by a later made of it, if tween the two schools of thought on | grhitral decision of a League com- | Provision is made in the miusion, which will meantime police | js the disputed area with forces under its command. Colombian troops now i there may be “internaticnalized” for the purpose. The peace terms are basically those approved by the ccun- cil in 1932. They are noteworthy from two aspects. To begin with, it is the initial instance of a League writ of area, and also it is the first time that to uphold a League writ. Geneva properly heralded the Colom- its own wireless system as an epochal achievement. Fervent hopes found of the Amazon belligerents and stack arms. Naturally, expectation is liveliest that neighboring Paraguay and Bolivia, hitherto impervious to peace pressure in two hemispheres, will now be moved to signal the “cease fire” in their war. Even French Foreign Minister Jo- seph Paul-Boncour was moved at the Council's South American peace session to say that he saw in it an incentive to the solution of pending European differences over disarmament questions and the definition of an aggressor. Naturally, China’s Council member de- rived from the Amazon peace that it extend to the Great Wall of China. Without mentioning his own country or Japan, Dr. Wellington Koo. said: “No nation to be, proud of can run counter to the world’s moral opinion, as expressed in Geneva, without losing far more in the long run than any temporary material advantages it may gain for itself.” Colombia and Peru, he said, have proved their loyalty to their League obligations and have set an example worthy to be followed at all times by all nations. Geneva, more rich in rhetoric than accomplishment, has a right to plume itself over a practical peace achieve- ment in the heart of Latin America. May it be the forerunner of many others still to come. s Shutting them in a warm, over- crowded room does not discourage some of the inquiring Senators. On the con- trary, it serves only to make them the more irritable. —— e The correspondence of the Morgan company reveals a way of making investment information absolutely re- liable. ————. Alcoholie stocks are setting a pace so rapid that there will be little surprise if in the course of time it grows some- what unsteady. ——————————— ‘The only economy & few of the Eu- ropean war politicians would consider is to reduce the price of armament so as to render it more readily available. —_——rmers Many who find funds uncam!ombly“ scarce are st least being hopefully re- | minded that there is still an immense | quantity in the world. ———— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Endless Investigation. They tell us naught is made in vain, And maybe this is so. The heat, the cold, the wind, the rain Each has its use we know, But why are whiskers waving light And why are mice and rats. Why does a sax band howl by night And why are funny hats. And why sare books ncbody reads, And why are earthquake shocks, And why are flelds of noxious weeds, And why are fancy socks? 8o many things come drifting by Which deeply we deplore We pause, and wjth another sigh Investigate some more. The Public’s Privilege. “The public is fickle,” remarked the conatituent. “Not exactly,” answered Benatcr Sorghum. “After it has applauded awhile the public sometimes gets tired of calling for encores and wants the curtain to ring up on a new ac Jud Tunkins says there are people who are happy no matter what kind of a congressional fight is going on pro- vided they can get a ring-side seat. Rake-Off. I'm fond of animals indeed, And yet it seems a pity ‘That in finance I help to feed So ravenous a kitty. Listener. “Do you ever talk scandal?” “Never,” answered Miss Cayenne. “I sit before my radio and listen to it.” “I do nmot assume too much responsi- bility,” said Hi Ho, the sage of China- is a gigantic advertisement, and “it pays®to advertise.” Far from being an anachronism, s contradiction, the exposition should demonstrate its worth in the stimulus which, normally, it should afford to business of every kind. It ‘is not merely a magnificent show; rather, it is a vast and all-inclusive market. It marks a gathering tcgether, in one single place, of all the com- modities which men make and ex- change, And that fact of the inter- change of the products of human genius and labor is the central verity of such cultivation, wealth and hap- piness as the peoples of the world have attained in literslly hundreds of cen- turies. Bave to answer is whether we were " off the gold standard and to repudiate the gold in The fair will serve as & magnet dur- ing the next five months to draw its town. “I knew the sun will rise on time and am mnot tempted to amash all the clocks which go not agree with my own.” Santa in Wall Street. When I am told of lavish gifts My weary soul the tale uplifts And I am cheered once more because | Perhaps there is a Santa Claus. The “sock” I got not long ago Beside the chimney I shall show And hope, though Spring is nearly past, That he may come my way at last. “When you tells your troubles these days,” said Uncle Eben, “you's lucky to git polite ML\G let alone ympsthy.” 3 . ' multitudes of guests out of didcour-] iflflm.l‘nl!l’lul what the nations have| have been quarreling since the end of | Isst year over the Leticia territory, | peace Tumhing in Monroe Doctrire| international forces will be employed bian-Peruvian peace to the world over ceremonial exprestion that other states now at war would follow the example might prove sufficiently contagious to| h Regret is an emotion not so deep as sorrow, but more sincere than remorse. | The better a human being is, the more sure is he to know regret, upon occa- sion. It is of real interest because it is so common, ‘and so unregarded. being | smothered in the heart and mind. Mostly we find that other persons cannot .understand our own regrets, |and so we come in time to keep them to ourselves. Is it not so? The sensitive man or woman has a hundred regrets to ope of the non- sensitive person. Therefore, it will be well for such a human being, at times, to consider just what this emotion is. and what can :n)’lhin(.‘ ret. according to our dictionary, sorrow for the loss of person or | thing; repentance or annoyance con- cerning a thing done—or left undone; vexation or .disappointment caused by {an_occurrence or situation. | Remorse is bitter repentance for a | wrong committed. According to some | definitions it does not carry true re- | pentance with it, but is sly, thinking l‘}:ly of the loss to one's self. gret, therefore, is easier to under- involve any of the religious motives, which are len,*(o: l:enur occasions. * Real regret comes over the inevitable, and the irretrievable. For such regret »s is genuine there is but one real cure. That is time. How time operates in removing such hurt is always a mystery, but that it does 50 operate is known to every one. It soothes, even in the more severe dis- asters. It brings, not forgetfulness, but less and less bitterness, a lifting of that sad weight of feeling that something {is very w For the oregret of which we speak, time does surely bring some cure, or what amounts to the same thing. In such regret there is a certsin nobleness of spirit, and in it, after the hurt has worn down, the right-thinkin, man or woman may take some smal iegitimate pride. ik * It 1s noble to sorrow over little things, because the mistakes made are recog- nized as being the result, in the main, of some four or five failings. The first of these is ignorance. How little we know, compared with what may be known! ‘ ood, Cenceit is the all: it claims thousand. In every undertaking, no matter how well prepared one thinks he is, ignor- ance pops up its ugly head. There is something unknown, which ought to have been known: there was something left undone, which should have been done; there was, alas, come- thing done which should not have been one. Ignorance, ignorance all. eatest ignorance of ts victims by the | Lack of foresight is a second falling of time leading straight to regret. It is always easy afterward to see wherein one failed to do the right thing. One should have known better— perhaps one did know better (but more of that later), Few men or women possess any true powers of prophecy; if they did, per- haps the roll of regret might be re- | duced largely. | History of the last three years has stand: as ordinarily used, it does not | This is the oldest cry of sincere man- | THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E, TRACEWELL. | shown definitely that the * men” knew no more than the “little fellows’ what was to come. ‘There is every real reason, thsrefore, | for being charitable in regard to this [ailing. One may excuse one's self, in this/ ' matter, better: than in’ many other | leadings. * ok ¥ % | Faulty thinking must be included in | our homemade list. | is different from ignorance, and |much better, because it is at least a E%m the right direction to the light. e unfortunate part of it, however, is that s0 often its results are dire. To think wrong, or partly wrong, is be | better than no thinking at all, at least | &, in theory, but in actual practice some- times it works out worse. If one jumps at a conclusion, and the | conclusion happens to be correct, then | Jumglnl at conclusions is all right, but Hf the conclusions so easily leaped to| | happen to be “all wrong,” then the re- w:;n reached is likely to be no good, | 0. : * x % % Too great optimism, one may feel, | 8lso belongs in the list of human fail- iinr often leading to regret. | t is well to belleve in the better and the best, but sometimes this becormos but any easy assumption, resulting in fallure to take essential steps when such steps are needed, and, above all, could result in some good. | It is possible, at times, to feel that good always comes of optimism; that thinking brightly makes for brightness surely, and without mistake. It is sad to wake up to the lamen- table fact, upon cccasion, that truth it- self has not heard of this. ok % x “Losing one’s grip,” as it is phrased, |15 another very human failing, more accountable for regret than is commonly understood. It shows itself in many small ways, many of them so minute that not only others never see them, but the person manifesiing them does not see them. or even suspect them. | _This failing requires a very large de- | gree of personal honesty. The man who likes to flatter himself and others, who delights in “big talk,” who prefers to fool himself at the same time he be- lieves he is fooling others, will never be able to understand this as one of the failings leading to regret. It is the crux, to some extent, of | them all, and until one has learned to be on guard, one is in danger of failing here more than any place else. * % % | Genuine regret has only one good | feature, and that only if one is able to learn. It is that one may profit by experi- ence, | Usually this requires & bit of self- | lecturing, a solemn adjuring of the self to try not to repeat the same mistake | 2gain, if humanly possible to avoid it. | Not that there is very much satis- fection in the process. In fact, there |ds none at all, but it is about the best that one can do. One may resolve, and highly, under like conditions, if they ccme again, not | to let ignorance stand in the way; to try | to look ahead, to think as straightly as possible. to guard against overoptimism | and realize that one’s precious “grip” is lost in more ways than one. | The past is gone. There is no re- | trieving that mistake, that wrong, ex- cept by not doing the like again. The |old hurt is not helped by such a re- solve—only time can assuage it to any 'emnv—but let us try not to make the same mistake again. While a_small section of the public is skeptical of the complete success of the President’s plan for the coptrol of industry and the use of public works to increase employment, the country as a whole expects the depression to be con- quered, if sufficient speed is shown in €execution. While the billions of dollars to be employed by the Government will furnish only a limited number of jobs, there are expressions of confidence that this labor will increase consumption and thus extend the demand for out- side labor. Some voice the hope that the public works construction may | try, and that the least burdensome form of taxation will be employed in providing the jobs. “In his plan.” according to the Cleve- land News, “President Roosevelt cuts at | the depression with a two-edged sword. | It is not by chance that he combined | Jjob relief and industrial relief. He be- lieves the two are indissolubly con- nected.” The News adds that “it would | seem to provide th> framework for a | new standard of working and purchas- ing values, based on jobs and aug- mented sales,” and urges that Congress must see that “all s of citizens are treated alike.” The complete change in \public sentiment*is pointed out by the Hartford Times, with the statement that “such a plan, presented by Presi- dent or legislator, as late as a year or even six months ago, would have gone automatically to the waste basket' ; chat it “would have been declared unconsti- tutional and unworkable.” “It creates additional buying power,” says the Omaha World-Herald, “to serve as a stimulus for prices and for business; it creates additional private employment to provide materials the public works require.” The Roanoke World-News explains also that in the conduct of business “the bill aims at abuses that both industry and labor are interested in correcting” and that “there will be more rellance on skill of workmanship, efficiency of method and excellence of product.” The Philadel- phia Evening Bulletin finds assurance that “big business, with its consolida- tions or combinations, already formed and held in restraint by anti-trust laws, has been seeking freedom from such | hobbles and is expected to accept the plan of Federal control as a fair price for the desired privilege.” The Glen- dale (Calif.) News-Press suggests that “the request that the Government stay out of business has been heard many times, but apperently it cannot stay out. if business is to continu “The usefulness of the pational in- dustrial recovery bill,” in ‘the opinion of the Atlanta Journal, “depends upon the promptness with which the ma- chinery for which it provides is put into operation.” The Youngstown Vindicator holds that the plan “goes back to the good old common-sense practice of | | sort of man, and a nation which has been hamstrung for years can be trusted not to abuse its new freedom.” The Toledo Blade feels that “while such emergency enactments may tear to shreds the remnants of rugged indi- vidualism and vaunted freedom of ac- | tion in business, they are designed to | serve all the people.” The Newark Eve- ning News explains that “by setting up voluntary but enforceable self-discipline in all production groups it brings to a point a demand for socfally responsible industry, the need of which has been increasingly apparent”; that “in a gen- eration we have seen decentralized ownership replace centralized owner- ship,” and that “industry has become impersonal amrd often irresponsible.” “Foresight over a long term is some- thing new, as applying-to plans for industry as a whole,” thinks the Topeka Daily Capital, while the Dan- bury News-Times holds that “much will depend upon the loyalty, the gen- erosity, the understanding and the un- selfishness of leaders in every walk of life,” and the Uniontown Herald stresses the fact that “the President may use his own judgment in accept- ing or reject codes of practice.” The Jersey -City Journal offers the judgment that “the President has launched the country upon the most radical scheme of economics ever at- tempted in this country, and at the same time has counterbalanced this making sure that it will equitably distributed through the coun- | putting power in the hands of the right | Business and Labor Control Set New Standard of Values | not put the Treasury into a bottom- less hole.” The Wall Street Journal concludes: “In all probability it can be made to serve some part of the great ends toward which it is designed”; that “it may not be literally true, as Steven- son said, that ‘to journey is better than to arrive,’ but it is at least better than standing still.” The Abilene Reporter looks to the “restoration of the buying power of the people.” Quoting a statement by President Green of the Labor Federation that *'6,000,000 men will be re-employed,” the Ban Antonio Express adds that “in that event the resultant stimulus to industry generally could be counted upon to put most of the other half of the unemployed back on the pay rolls.” ‘The Fort Worth Star-Telegram asserts that “when the mass starts moving, the greater portion of the economic battle will have been won”; that ;when such a volume takes action in any given direction it has all the ruthless- ness of a glacier, an av evolutionary L | ‘The Altoona ‘many who doubt the | wisdom of the Government embarking | in such enterprises will support it in the hope that it will affo such a stimulation to private industry that it need not be continued even long as | the two years contemplated.” As an illustration of the extension of demand the Boston Transcript refers to exist- ing contracts to supply raincoats for the forestry army. That it is only an emergency measure is emphasized by the Houston Chronicle, while the hoj that there will be no pork barrel dis- tribution of the public works is voiced by the Chicago Journal of Commerce and the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. A revenue problem is recognized in the pur) to raise the more than three billions for the public works pro- gram. The Akron Beacon Journal favors the use of Treasury currency, While some new taxation is foreseen by the Lowell Evening Leader. The need of controlling the debt situation is emphasized by the Salt ILake Deseret News and the Lincoln State Journal. Commenting on the necessity of rais- ing $220,000,000 in taxes to finance the operation, the Charlotie Observer sees a limit in the number of jobs offered, and asks: “Would the result be worth the expense?” The Buffalo Evening Opposition to the plan is ex- pressed by the Lexington Leader, while the Baltimore Sun asks: “Are price fixing and production rationing not im- plicit in the whole scheme and in- evitable if it is to be carried out?” The | Indianapolis News declares: “The country is in imminent danger of losing its greatest economic asset—the equal- | ity of opportunity by which every citi- | zen can aspire to accumulate a com- | petence and succeed in the employ- ment of capital.” Reviewing the whole problem, the Rochester Times-Union comments: “If | sul luses can be controlled, wages and profits adjusted and labor employed, the public” will not bother much about | the details.” . Baby-Tending Science. Prom the San Antonio Evening News. Refuting the new psychologists, Dr. W. C. Beasley of Johns Hopkins says that rocking and tossing the baby do no harm. However, careful parents will not stand the tot on his head. Reforestation Risks. Prom the Bruniwiek Pilot. We are afraid of this reforestation |idea. Think of the poison-ivy pensions | | future generations may have to‘pay. — e A Cutter. | Prom the Newa:k Evening News. ‘Tax Commissioner Whittle, newly ap- | pointed in New York, at least has an | auspicious name. - International Anthem. From the Roanoke Times. The new interngtional tune: Bilver notes smong the gold. THE LIBRARY TABLE BY SARAH G. BOWERMAN. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE IRON- CLAD WARSHIP. By James Phin- ney Cambridge: Harvard University Press. The old wooden battleship was about to become merely a museum piece by 1860, and when the Monitor and the | Merrimack met in their famous combat, armored vessels were already built or in process of building in Europe. Euro- pean navies were revolutionized and war talk became common. Reverbera- tions affected diplomacy. On the whole, the ironclad warship perhaps caused as great changes in the world as the in-| stein theory. This book, by an asso- ciate professor of history in Harvard University, may, therefore, be classed as diplomatic history, as well as naval history and a discussion of naval archi- tecture. As early as the, 40's there were | projects for ironclads, and in the Cri- mean War the Russians constructed 15 armored rafts, while some British and French gunboats of the time had sheet-iron screens as protection against musketry fire. The first seagoing iron- clad feet was French, and “the great revolution in naval construction was due to the will of Napoleon III and to the genius of Dupuy de Lome, his di- recteur du materiel, who had submitted |a plan for a seagoing ironclad as early | as 1845.” With France in the lead, Great Britain entered the race, which, with the addition of other entrants and a rapidly accelerated pace, has con- |tinued ever since. The beginning of the ironclad revolution in the United | States was, of course, the battle of the Moniter and Merrimack, but Prof. Bax- ter thinks that its influsnce on the | policy of European governiments has ! been greatly exaggerated. The battle | was a symbol of the passing of the old and the coming of the new. It taught the average man what naval construct- ors already knew. But the consequence: of Hampton Roads have been many and some of them are discussed in the final chapter of the book. The bib- liography, which is extensive and in- teneive, includes manuscripts in the French Archives de la Marine and Ar- chives Nationales, in the British Ad- miralty records, and in the United States Navy Department archives, as well as many general works of refer- ence. * ok ok X |OTHER FIRES. By Maxim Gorkl. Translated from the Russian by Alexander Bakshy. New York: D. Appletorf & Co. . ‘This is the third in Gorki's series of novels about the growing spirit of revolt in Russia and its climax in the Revo- lution and Bolshevist rule; the two for- mer novels are “Bystander” and “The Magnet.” Goiki has lived through the whole course of revolutionary progress in Russia, and has been in turn hon- ored and discredited by the Soviet gov- ernment. For most of his life he has been tuberculous and has sought health in Switzerland and along the Mediter- ranean, but his writing has been con- tinuous and he is without doubt Rus- sia’s greatest living writer. The chief character in this series of three novels is Ciim Samghin, through whose obser- vations, reflections and emoflons the whole historical period of forty years is represented. In “Bystander” the spirit of revolt is still individual, anarchist. In “The Magnet” the next stage Is reached, the formation of more or less organized revolutionary theories and activity, which leads to ‘“bloody Sun- day,” in January, 1905. In “Other Fires” we see the Bolshevist insurrec- t in Moscow, in 1908." Gorki ‘does not neglect the human story in his Kre- occupation with the his of these troubled times. Samghin’s life reflects the disorders of the society about him, as well as its bewilderment and disori- ented action. He goes to the provinces, where disorders are more individual, organized, where assassinations e less and hold-ups defy what law and order are left. becomes estranged from his wife, without any effort on either side to prevent it; enters into a liaison with Duniasha and a friendship with Marina, whom he comes to fear because of her growing influence over him. She is the head of a secret religious sect, which believes in communion with pure spirit and the practice of % is in opposition to revolutionary princi- ples, and Samghin finds it also incom- atible with his trained intelligence. 'he book ends as he ieaves Marins to go abroad. A fourth volume in the Gorki's othér works and, in fact, of most Russian novels. Samghin is a middle-class intellectual and he and his friends talk endlessly and as elliptically as people actually ta:k in real life. * Kk ¥ % MAJOR MYETERIES OF SCIENCE. By H. Gordon Garbedian. New York: Covici-Friede. The five parts of this popular book on the mysteries of science and their artial solution through the years to he present time are “The Problems of the chine Age,” “The Story of Life,” “The 8Secrets of the Earth” “The Challenge of Cosmic Problems” and “The Romance of the Skies.” The fore- word states that prominent scientists, including Robert A. Millikan, Henry Fairfield Osborn, Arthur Compton, Ales Hrdlicka, George Crile and Alexis Carrel, have read the chapters pertain- ing to their particular fields and have given advice concerning them. Mr. Garbedian has as his purpose to de- scribe the march of science from the early time when notice began to be taken of phenomena which we today call scientific down to our complicated scientific speculation and discoveries of the 1030s. Puture possibilities of sci- ence are also suggested. “The differ- ence between the cave man, who for- aged for food with a club on his shoul- der and crept into the nearest hiding place at the sound of thunder, and the modern man, who jumps into a high- powered motor car or electrically driven express train each morning to drive to his office in an 80-story office building, may be summed up in the one word— science.” The rt on the machine ge ends with “chemis:ry remaking the 1d,” the same conviction as that | expressed in W. J. Hale's “Chemistry Triumphant.” The part on the story of life culminates with “the enigma of the human mind"—still an enigma, as is the origin of life. The part on the secrets of the earth concludes Wwith some of the riddles which still defy the explorery The part on cosmic prob- lems asks the final question, “Can we conquer space and time?” ~The fifth part, on the romance of the skies, com- pletes its story with a discussion of “beginnings and endings of creation, summarizing the theories of Jeans, Ed- dington and Einstein. 8o it is all a riddle, an enigma. Will it ever be any- thing else? If a scientist should arise who could unravel all the mysteries for us, spread out the solution like a map, would the people all flock to hear him or would they snrug their shoulders and g0 to a movie? 5 * % % % Socrates does not seem at first glance | a_good choice for a biographical novel. There is little known about him except what Plato told of his philosophy and that he had a vixenish wife called Xantippe. Babette Deutsch is cour- ageous, however, and has written & “Mask of Silenus,” of which Of course, she i, jum” of Plato, and has in- \'fg::dpo‘chu‘nuers and dialogue, as is the right of even a historical novelist. The young Athenian Theodotus is im- tant in the story an example of m youth whom Socrates was supposed to corrupt. paid to Xantippe, the story could have been much enlivened. . ok Burton _Stevenson, whose “Home | Book of Verse” is probably the most| comprehensive of poetry anthologies, is now at work on “The Home Book of Shakespearean Quotations,” which will contain all of the most familiar pas- series is to follow. The style of the| three books is the naturalistic style of | If more attention had been | R! sages in Shakespeare’s plays and many which, because of their philosophy and book. There is no other agency in the world that can answer as many legitimate questions as our free Information Bu- reau in Washington, D. C. This highly organized institution has been built up and is under the personal direction of Frederic J. Haskin. By keeping in con- stant touch with Federal bureaus and other educational enterprises it is in a position to pass on to you authoritative information of the highest order. Sub- mit your queries to the staff of experts whose services are put at your free dis- posal. There is no charge except three cents in coin or stamps for return rlt- e. Do not use ards. Address, e Evening Star Information Buresu, ’tzfi'd:)"cc-" Haskin, Director Washing- Q. What major league pitcher holds the nécord for games won in a lifetime? A. Cy Young holds the record for the most victories in the major*leagues, | with 811, Q. What is the average age of World War veterans now?—H. J. A. The average age is iorty-mz. Q. What proportion of farm mort- l‘e"?“ ’;re held by insurance compan- 87— A. They hold a ately 23 per cent of the total billions in arms. Q. Who is the Governor of the Pan- ama Canal Zene?—T. C. ight mortgages on A. Col. Julian L. Schley, who suc- | ceeded Brig. Gen. Harry Burgess last | Beptember. Q. What does kilograd mean?—F. N. A. The word kilograd is made up of a | Greck word meaning “a thousand” and a Latin word meaning “a wep.” It is the name proposed for a t'iermometer scale divided into 1,000 equal degrees between the absolute zero and the melt- ing point of pure ice at atmospheric ' pressure. Hence 1,000 degrees kilograd equals 273 degrees C. nearly. In de- rivation it is & hybrid; in theory it can not be exactly realized, as the value of the absolute zero, in terms of me: urable values, is not accurately known. Q. Please define honey—N. C. T. A. Honey is the nectar of flowers, :athered. evaporated, and modified" by ees. Q. Is it true that the ancient Greeks buried money with their dead to provide money for their passage across the Styx?—C. 8. 8. A. A coin called Charon's Toll was gh.t:dwin tmcnh\.omh rer hrnd of :ge e pay ron for ferrying the spirit_across the river Styx to the Ely- sian Pields. The coin was about equal to a penny. Q. What is the population of Italy? ¥ pop: y A. She has a population of 42,118.- §33. Her colonies have a population of . What is the origin of the word “calf” as applied to the calf of the leg?—W. E. M. A. The origin is obscure. It is con- jectured that it was adopted from the |G- Gaelic “calps,” meaning leg. Q. In cribbage, how many pairs are there in a set of fours?—S. T. T. A. There are six. It is easily dem- onstrated by making a square of the four cards. Draw a line from each card to the next and diagonally from corner to corner. Each card will then be connected with each of the others. Six lines will have been drawn. Q. Why are persons who have been in Ij,lunnog\euma callea “canary-birds”? A At one time certaln desperate convicts were dressed in yellow, and jail was the cage of these “canaries.”” Q. Are as many foreigners natu- t and a half | American ralized each year'as the number of im- ;ux;finl? admitted to this country?— A. Until 1930 the number entering the country far exceeded the number already here who were seeking natu- ralization. In 1931 only 97,139 immi- grants were admitted, while 140,271 toreigners became naturalized citizens. Q. On what date will “Summer be- gin* this year?—A. F. A. The sun will reach the end of its journey northward in the sky on June 21" at 4:12 o'clock, Eastern standard time. Q. What kind of a plan lichen?—F. D. s A. Nature Magazine says that it is quite well established that a lichen 1s a combiration of two kinds of plants— an algas and a fungus. Algae, being’ green, manufacture plant food from | the carbon dioxide of the lurnish a place for the alga rrotected from direct contact outside air. Q. Which wing of the United States Capitol was built first>—H. P. A. The north wing of the Capitol was finished for the occupancy of Con- | gress in 1800. The south wing was not | completed until 1811. | Q. What are the expenses borne by ?GLMBHE"M at a church wedding?— A furnishes the wedding ring and a ding gift for his bride; the | marriage license; the clergyman’s fee; wedding tles, gloves and boutonnieres for his best man and for each usher; any personal gift which he desires to | make to his best man and ushers; the | bouquet carried by the bride and the bridesmaids’ bouquets; all expenses in- cidental to the wedding trip, including kes his bri e to with the from her home to the pier or hotel. He is not responsible for the motor in which his bride rides to the church and in which he returns with her after the m_::umwy. tives own cars, egroom | not, one of these may be placed at his | disposal or he may sccept the loan of a friend’s car for trip from the bride's home to the railway n.’:uan ':; Q. How was the Spanish Republic brought about?—N, D, A. It was brought into being by a municipal blection, held April 12, 1931. Two days later, King Alfonso left the country. Q. How old is the Brooklyn Bridge and what was its original cost>—E. T. A. It is fifty years old, its semi-cen- tennial was celebrated on May 24 by Brooklyn. The total cost of the span was $25,000,000. How much did it cost to supply the newspapers with the account of the Republican convention in Chicago, 1932?—B. A. 8. A. In the "Editor and Publisher, Marlen Pew says that the press spent about $300,000 a day in covering the . O. P. convention. He said there were 726 reporters pre t, constitut- ing 38 per cent of the floor assembly, also that the mayor of Chicago put two ambulances at the of the rewspaper photographers to rush the photographic &mu from the conven- tion hall to the airport where planes ‘i:'n waiting to carry them to various cities. Q. How does the music collection in the Library of Congress rank?—W. B. A. 1t is one of the three largest in | the world. Q. In what play is the following: ‘Age _cannot wither her, nor custom | stale her infinite variety"?—H. M. & A It is in Sct 2 of tony and Cleopatra.” High Lights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands E PETIT MARSEILLAIS, Mar- seille—Among the passengers on the packet-boat Champlain, terday, was M. Jacques Stern, national deputy and former minister, who, in the course of 10 days just pessed in Americs, had an interview with President Roosevelt. The impressions of M. Stern in re- gard to-America are optimistic. He de- clares that the energetic measures for deflation sponsored by M. Franklin Roosevelt, a deflation budgetary and banking without precedent, have wholly rescued the financial situation. M. Roosevelt has proceeded with reduc- tions in government expenses already amounting to 30 milliards (30,000,000,- 000) of francs, has strengthened tne resources of 4,000 banks, the condition of which was precarious, and has suc- ceeded in restoring to the vaults of Federal Reserve banks immense sums in gold totaling 30 mildards of francs. These measures have provoked, natur- ally. a monetary deflation of impor- tance. “My opinion,” said M. Stern, “is that this reversion to a regime of sensible economy in the United States will bring about equivalent betterments in | France and Great Britain, and that these three nations, working together with new ideals of reciprocity and soclal E:indple, can easily lead the world ck to sane and permanent recovery. President Roosevelt is animated witn very friendly sentiments toward France, and will work conscientiously with the leaders of ou, government for the con- summation of a new and better era for all nations. “In the United States I met a mul- titude of politicians, journalists, and financiers, and everywhere was treated with the utmost kindness and cordiality. ‘There is no doubt that the three great and powerful democracies, England, France and the United States, workirg in_harmony, can, between them, not only resuscitate the parlous egonomy of the world, but also advance humanity notably toward the realization of per- manent peace.” EE Siam Declared Forced To Raise Tariffs. Bangkok Daily Mail—The Increase in customs duties on for- sign imports are not pleasant to contemplate but, like some other re- cent measures, they are absolutely necessary. ‘The new tariff schedule probably will not rajse very much additional revenue, but obviously it was not introduced as a revenue-ralsing measure. Siam's vis- ible balance of {rade has been favor- able for months past—that is, ex have exceeded imports by a fairly large margin. But this favorable balance has been maintained only by one factor and that has been the export of gold. Most of the gold was in the form of ornaments and trinkets. In a manner of speaking, these ornaments and trinkets represented during this whole period the difference between a favor- able trade balance and an unfavorable trade balance. Without thig ‘export Biam's visible imports would have ex- ceeded visible exports very nearly, and, counting the more or less invisible fac- tors, such as immigrant remittances, we would, without this gold export, be in the position of sending away a great deal more money than we are getting. Whether this gold export has already begun to decline—has begun to ap- roach the point of exhaustion—is not revealed by recent statistics, but it highly likely that it has. The issue in any case is clear: Siam has not the resources to withstand the strain of a continued unfavorable trade balance, and the ly known answer is to re maxim character, should be more popu- larly known. Having s good index, it most valuable which arrived at Le Havre yes-| latest | (s | cittes. " A visual strict imports. It is a bitter pill for every one of us; but it is a measure of necessity. How far the latest increases will serve to cut down the total of | mains to be seen. g reises do not seem to be exorbitan any means. The general tariff is in- creased only 5 per cent and the heaviest specific raise is on matches. If our gold lugply has begun to reach the point of exhaustion, imports will need to be cut down heavily, not merely trimmed. In this connection, the authorities might do well to try to avoid repeated changes in the tariff schedule. e cofimercial community is bearing a considerable burden already and will have to bear more in future, but a single, effective and comprehensive tariff raise would be more welcome than the same dose ad- ministered by degrees. Fach time tariff schedule is changed commerce under- goes a period of coma from which it re- covers only with the greatest difficulty. * ok ok % Uruguayan Capital Increasing Its Debt. Imparcial, Montevideo. — It was brought out at a meeting in the City Hall this morning that the munici) debt will ascend at least to 4,000, pesos at the termination of the fiscal year. (The gold peso is worth $1.) The new deficit incurred during the current year from February to December amounted to 900,000 pesos, bringing the total obligation to 3,600,000 pesos, and at this rate the remaining period will, without any exaggeration or transposi- tion of figures, easily bring. the final figure in the immediate proximity of 14,000,000 pesos. At the conference |lvded to. one of the unofficial s | tators asked a very impertinent ques- | “Just what” he inquired from his | seat in the balcony, “does the Munici- | pal Council propese to do in the hope of | solving the calamitous situation now in- volving the urban finances?" The answer was categorical, but little | satisfactory: “Absolutely nothing!” Whether this response was made in Jjest or in all seriousness matters not a whit, for there is no doubt whatever that the administration, far from re. ducing the cited deficit, will do all it can to make a new one! _ Arts for Pleasure. Prom the New York Sun. Tests by Dr. Walter Bingham, direc- tor of the Personnel Research Federa- tion of New York, showed that engi- neers dislike poetry. Their feeling tos ward graphic art was mnot recorded. New York surgeons, physicians and dentists lean to etching. In literature doctors have made an impressive show- ing and in pictorial art they can point with pride to Sir PFrancis Seymour Haden, the English surgeon-etcher. The Haden Etching Club was named in his honor. There is an exactness about the process of etching which naturally appeal to & surgeon, Business men with an art sense in- cline toward .. When a Busi- ness Men's Art Club was formed in New York it was stipulated that mem- bers must be over 30 and have talent or desire to pain ar to Business Men’s Art Clubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Boston and other training method course by mail at Columbia University at- tracted janitors, elevator bu:ine?d lm'l\d'nd of roduc reds of patntings, uf o “hibiting physiiins sk genits Noud \We should be, reference [