Evening Star Newspaper, December 11, 1934, Page 8

A—8 wx¥ THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON,D.C. TUESDAY...December 11, 1834 THEODORE W. NOYES. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 2008t Bt . London. Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Editien. e Event Star. 450 ser month i’ vening and ar w) 4 Sunds #0c per month “he Evening and ar (when 5 Sund: 65¢ per month The Sunday St ..5¢c per copy Night Final Edition. ight Pinal and Sunday Star, 70¢ Hi e 55¢ per month ight Final St o Collection made at the end of each month. sent by mail or . Orders may be telephome NAtional 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. 1ly and Sunday. 1 yr.. $10.00; 1 mo.. 85¢ a Bally *3a.5 Ir. 1 mo.; 50c Sundav only 1y :00; 1 mo.. 40¢ All Other States and Canada. ¥.1yr., $12.00: 1 mo.. $1.00 Datl: U1yrl $8.00: 1 mo. Sune 5.00: 1 mo.. sh;m-y per month All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. ——— A National Pestilence. A pestilence prevalls in this coun- try—not a physical disease, not a scourge of bodily malady, but a plague of crime. Lawlessness is rife in every community, murder, from fraud to kidnaping for ransom. The cost in money, in lives, in character is enormous, beyond cal- culation. This grievous condition, home to the people by a recent prev- alence of organized banditry, against which the Federal Government has made some headway in punishments, is now the subject of discussion by a great meeting in this city of repre- sentatives of the bench, the bar, the police organizations, the penal in- stitutions, the social sciences, the press and the legislative bodies. The object of the meeting is to arouse the country to a -realization of the peril and to formulate a program of correction in defense against a public enemy more dangerous than any for- eign foe. President Roosevelt, in addressing the gathering last night, struck the keynote of the approach to this prob- lem when he said: It is your positive duty to keep be- fore the country the facts in regard to crime as a whole—great crimes, lesser crimes and little crimes—to build up a body of public opinion, which, I regret to be compelled to say, is not in this day and age suffi- ciently active or alive to the situation in which we find ourselves. To know the nature and the extent of a problem is the first step toward its solution. To know that the coun- try is crime ridden, not in mere broad terms, but in specific forms, is to ap- proach and perhaps to reach the point of concerted and effective action. The remedies for this evil include the cor- rection of inequalities in the laws, the establishment of uniform definitions of crime, the purging of the police sys- tems of the corruption that in some areas causes the law forces to be actual participants in crimes, the re- | moval of the stains of incompetency and questionable integrity from &he robes of justice, the arousal of a pub- lic fear of crime as great as the fear that is always felt in the face of a veritable pest and a determination to rid the land of it. In the early days of his evolution man was a predatory creature. Civili- zation has not yet brought him clear of this trait. The task which this country now has before it is to reduce the remnant of the trait. Penological experiments in rehabilitation have not succeeded. Punishments, even the most extreme, have not corrected the primitive tendency of disregard for the rights of others. But that with the broadening of social intelligence, the realization that crime is a disease and the determination by the great majority of the people to defeat it, abatement of this evil will be effected is as much to be believed as that the human race is advancing in its ca- pacity to live in accordance with the highest laws. oot Relief is costing more and more. Economists may find that the sug- gestion of dole is more or less related to the narcotic habit. R The League Keeps the Peace. Americans who have opposeé the entry of the United States into the League of Nations have never denled its usefulness for Europe’s purposes, especially in the realm of preserving peace in the Old World and in the arbitrament of controversies of purely trans-Atlantic origin and interest. In prompt settlement of the Yugoslavian- Hungarian conflict, or at least in bringing about a compromise which has prevented war, the League has Justified its existence and earned the world's gratitude and congratulations. Not since the peace of Versailles has a more menacing danger threat- ened the Continent than the con- troversy provoked by Yugoslavia's in- dictment of Hungary for complicity in the assassination of King Alexander. Not only were angry passions aroused in the two countries directly involved, but other nations allied with or friend- ly to them forthwith took sides—the Little Entente powers and I rance openly supporting Yugoslavia, and Italy unmistakably indicating that her sym- pathies were with Hungary. In the midst of the crisis came Yugoslavia’s ill-advised deportation of Hun- garians from her territory, and then more fat was flung into the fire by Hungary's demand for revision of the war treaties which divided huge slices of her territory among Yugeslavia, Rumania and Czechoslovakia. Even into the peaceful atmosphere of the League Council at Geneva talk and even threats of war intruded, but counsels of calm, common sense and enlightened self-interest finally prevailed, and the cause of peace emerged triumphant, Yugoslavia A ranging from theft to| brought | 'whely abandoned her program ollonly too well were tried in vain. The wholesale expulsion of Hungarian na- tionals and indicated that her only purpose was to secure thorough inves- tigation of the charge that Hungary has harbored terrorists who plotted the Marseille regicide and whose ma- chingtions, unless exposeG checked, threaten all Europe with peril and unrest. Thereupon it was agreed by all con- cerned that the League Council should adopt a resolution proclaiming a cer- tain justification for Yugoslavia's ac- cusations and calling upon Hungary to take “immediate and appropriate measures against any of her authori- ties whose guilt may be established.” It is further proposed that Europe ! shall conclude a convention designed to stamp out political terrorism and set up judicial machinery for dealing with that particular menace to peace. Adjudication of the Yugoslavian- Hungarian controversy over Alexan- der's murder leaves, of course, a host of fundamental issues in Central and mand for territorial treaty revisions, essentially where they were unsettled, and, as such, enduringly potential causes of strife in the ex- plosive Balkans and elsewhere. Nev- i ertheless, there is reason for profound satisfaction that a conflict which acutely threatened war has been nipped in the bud. Geneva is en- titled to full credit for moving expe- ditiously and effectively to that end. e | Preposterous and Il Considered. | “Providence,” writes Ewing Y. Mitchell, Assistant Secretary of Com- merce, “has provided a site which could at small expense be made into an almost ideal airport.” Mr. Mitchell refers to East Potomac Park. It would be more accurate to say that Providence, assisted by the United States Army Engineers, their dredges and the sentiment developed and kept alive by Washingtonians seeking park development for the Capital, provided this site. Had the matter been left entirely in the lap of Providence, the East Potomac Park site might still be buried beneath the waters of the Potomac and its marshes. There is no doubt, however, about the provi- dential development of the site as a valuable recreational area for Wash- ington. Its need as a recreational area becomes more apparent every day. The question raised by Mr. Mitchell is whether this park is now to be taken from the people for whom it was developed and who have paid largely for its development and main- tenance and to be turned over to the airplanes, was proposed by Eastern Air Trans- port, which found itself involved in certain commercial disputes with the owners of Washington Airport. The proposal was made half-heartedly, but the response to the proposal was by no means half-hearted. Every agency in Washington interested in park development and maintenance of plan under concerted opposition. It is no small surprise to find it, bundled up again in new tinsel and tissue, deposited neatly on the President’s doorstep as a solution of Washington's airport difficulties. ‘The plan should meet with similar opposition again. It is amazing to learn that a narrow strip of land, 1,600 feet between roads, is regarded as an “almost ideal” airport, which could be developed at small expense by tearing up the golf course and laying concrete runways. But it is even more surprising to learn that one branch of the Government seri- ously proposes using this park for commercial purposes, while another branch of the Government has just completed a study which shows the Capital's lack of adequate recreation- al facilities and strongly urges their expansion and greater development. Washington Airport, on the other side of the river, is a poor airport. But its most ridiculous feature is an open thoroughfare that runs squarely through it, endangering traffic which uses the road and endangering the planes which use the airport. Fail- ure to close the road is due to in- difference, coupled with red-tape pa- ralysis, on the part of Federal agencies, But even with its defects, Washington Alrport will serve the purpose until the development at Graveily Point, for instance, of a suitable site, or until the red tape is cut and the dif- ferences of opinion are adjusted to permit the enlargement of Washiig- ton Airport. It is not believed that the President will seriously consider a proposal to turn a beautiful public park into an airport, but it is unfortunate that such a proposal could be so seriously considered as even to reach the White House. ———— The old New England idea of the town meeting is finding favor, but no one goes quite so far as to demand the revival of the stocks or the duck- ing stool. The Steadfast Starlings. The starling season, with all its comical concomitants, is again in full blast. Tin cans rattle, smoke-pots smolder, men climb trees or cling to cornices and press photographers snap the proceedings. The starlings chat- ter or slumber fitfully. They are somewhat disturbed, but remain there, or thereabouts. ‘There is a remedy for this situa- tion. Any one familiar with the ways of wild life knows it. It works with buffalo and with chinchilla, with spar- row and bald eagle. No form of game —and the starling has become such— will stand slaughter. It either per- ishes or changes its range. But, like a man needing an operation, or even a dose of medicine, the tendency is to ,try almost anything else first. Some years ago a small city in Northern New York suffered the star- ling pest. The birds were not as nu- merous as here, of course, and were more concentrated, but proportionately the evil was about as great. Experi- ments which Washington now knows A and | | Southeastern Europe, such as the de- ! before | About a year ago the same plan | | recreational facilities smothered the| birds thrived and the central square remained a noisy mess. The local police chief tired of the performance. Disregarding new the- ories and the squawks of “save the little birdies” organizations, he sent out a few trusty and careful officers with shotguns and birdshot in the dark of pre-dawn, just before the birds start- ed for their day’s foraging. No person was injured, for all were warned and few were abroad, No cornices were chipped or marble marred by the tiny soft pellets. Shooting was all upward. The starlings stood it pretty well the first day; the second and third fewer returned at night, and on the fourth evening nong reappeared. They went away and they luyeq away. The starling is by no means a dull crea- ture. This is not necessarily offered as a recommendation to District authori- ties. There may be excellent reasons why such procedure may not be. fol- lowéd here. But the' remedy for the condition which afflicts Washington exists and it works every time. Some way may yet be found to employ it. A stinging reproof was administered by Gen. Charles ‘Gates Dawes to G. Bernard Shaw for being uselessly witty.” It is the duty of an eminent officlal to provide personal example and in this respect the general has never transgressed since, under cir- cumstances of great intellectual stimulation, he exclaimed “Helen Maria!” Gov.-elect Nice may find that $2 tags will be impossibles There are | many things Gov. Ritchie did not | know about the Maryland political situation, but this much he was able to predict. ——————— Gov. Nice has been mentioned as | cases. A little knowledge of criminal practice should not come amiss to any executive in these days. +aor— ‘The old family nest eggs are van- | ishing. The Blue Eagle is still looked to for a demonstration in competition with the famous old goose as a golden egg layer. - R Votes for the District of Cclumbia are demanded in the face of the fact that even a vote in Congress is not as independently influential as for- merly. R Al Capone has had his day and if his jailers are kind will live like & retired business man regardless of how his fortune was amassed. B Fame is fickle. Dillinger is well remembered, but it is necessary to look into the files to find the name of the man who captured him, — Bootleg alconol has about disap- peared from the District of Columbia. Narcotics are easier to peddle and more profitable. It would be gratifying if the re- sponsibility for the King Alexander assassination could be forgotten like so many crime mysteries. e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Self-destruction. These gangsters and these racketeers, Let's view them all with scorn And leave each one, as he appears, Neglected and forlorn. | For crime a vanity displays ‘Which craves the printed page And should be snubbed in all the ways Of social patronage. So let each criminal be met With a contemptuous pride, Until he must in his regret Resort to suicide. Censorship Favored. “Do you think news ought to be | censored? “I' do,” answered Senator Sorghum emphatically. “Our literature lacks originality. News cannot fail to be more vivacious and entertaining if re- porters are compelled to make it up for themselves as they go along.” Jud Tunkins says his wife likes cigarettes and cigars, but she still draws the line on chewing tobacco. Narcotics. Away with narcotics! They're terrible things! They stifle the conscience of peasants and kings. The pride of the dreamer, beginning to fade, Is swiftly revived by shrewd flattery's trade. ? As compliments servile but soothing it brings, Away with narcotics! They're terrible things! Puzzled. “How is your boy Josh getting along at college?” b, “He has us puzzled,” said Farmer Corntossel. “He's a foot ‘ball player and also a female impersonator in the dramatic club. We don’t know whether to treat him like a rough- neck of a lady.” “My neighbor, Hi Hat,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “gives me a haughty stare, knowing that what I know about him renders a frank friendship impossible.” Information. My radio! My radio! Your plaudits are neat. ‘The information that you show Is joyously complete. You interest me more and more With story and with song, Though what I didn’t know before [ ] Is usually wrong. “Dey talks about another war in Europe,” said Uncle Eben. “All I got to say 'bout dat is, if Europe don't do nuffin’ to me, I ain’ gineter do nufin’ to Burope.” e b Aquarium water is something more than just a medium for the fishes to swim in. It is a great deal more, as even the beginner will find out. He may get “white water,” or “green water”; it may become crystal clear, and yet fishes-die in it; it may appear terribly dirty. and.yet the fishes live happily therein. He may wake some cpld Winter morning to find his charges dgad, if he has not taken seriously the ad- monition of older hands that the water in which tropical fishes are kept should never go below a theoretical 70 degrees, at the lowest. He may find his gay swimmers gasping at the surface for air. He may find fishes unaccountably | @ lawyer with experience in criminal | dying. even when he has followed all the rules. R No, water is not just water, but a complex medium, and for the pur- poses of fish in the home aquarium must be considered from four stand- points: 1. Temperature. 2. Oxygen content. 3. Chemical make-up, as to acidity or alkalinity. 4. Mechanical condition. The first of these is by far the simplest. It demands that gold fishes be kept between 60 and 65 degrees for their best keeping, and that the so-called tropical fishes have water never below 70, with a preferred range between 74 and 78 degrees. They can stand it 10 degrees warm- er better than they can stand it 2 degrees lower. The beginner who thinks this “all bunk,” as beginners so often do, will | have it impressed upon 'him some day | by Nature herself, so there is no need to say more on the score. | The great lesson to learn, in fish keeping, is that you can't keep them the way you want to, but must keep them the way they want to. That is just one way of saying the keeper must emulate natural conditions as far as he can. * X % The matter of oxygen content is best taken care of by giving the tanks plenty of strong light, preferably with two hours of sunshine per day, and limiting the number of fishes Carbon dioxide is built up by the life in the water. Some of it, but not all, is absorbed by the plants, which theo- retically give off oxygen in return, but which actually on cloudy days absorb oxygen. sometimes such a gas as methane. the deadly one found in mines. These gases collect on the lower levels of the tank, and in Nature would be whipped | up by water currents. | " Agitation of the water by the arti- ficial introduction of air tends to break up these levels, and afford the gases an opportunity to get to the surface, | where they are absorbed into the air. | The introduction of oxygen by this |means is problematical, but the rid- ding in the aquarium of the hurtful gases works like magic, soothing the breathing of gasping inmates in a comparatively short time. * Kk % X The chemical make-up of the water every bothering their heads about it, and often do a very good job of it. ‘Why bother about it, then? Be- cause there is one plain danger to every fish keeper, that lies in the too sudden change water in a tank which has been running along nicely for many months, perhaps, but in which a few fishes begin to die, for no apparent cause. The owner cleans out the tank, gives it new sand and plants and water, properly tempered, and puts the fishes back.in. Half of them die within a week. ‘What has happened is this: The fishes were in too acid water before, now they are in too alkaline a medium, besides the sudden change from the one to the other was more than they could readjust themselves to so quickly. Besides building up gases, the life processes tend to make the water acid, and this, it has been discovered, is good, up to a certain point. A very elaborate system of water measurement has been bullt up, but one which is easily applied. It is built on the combined electrical and chemical nature of water, and gives us a scale of acidity and alkalinity, with 7.0 taken as neutral. ‘Water taken from the faucets in Washington recently has tested 7.2, definitely alkaline, while water in Chevy Chase, Md., tested last week, gave a reading of 7.6, considerably higher in alkalinity. A tank containing two dozen three- Redistributing Wealth Could Only Work Harm ‘To the Editor of The Star: If, 'as The Star stated editorially on Sunday, Secretary Wallace has called for & more “equal” division of wealth, his phrase should be revised to call for & more “equitable” division. This is no mere quibbling over terms, for no approach to an equal division of wealth can ever be but momentarily in the interest of any one. While there may be and doubtless is too great concentration of wealth, this is not & cause but a result of our condition of undulant fever in finance, and it is treating the symptoms and mlt.hn disease to attack capital di- rectly. As an able member of the Secre- ‘tary's own staff, Dr. Mordecai Ezekiel has pointed out in a recent state- ment, capital must remain in the hands of a “privileged” class, who are both and able to conserve it, for it 1s capital income and not labor income that ylelds that surplus of hasing power upon which rests a highly competitive market for labor with high real wages and standards of living. Any policy which, in an effort to “redistribute wealth,” de- spot Gouramis, the water not having been changed for eight months, gave a reading of 6.4, quite acid, the low- est range being 6 in these elegentary These fishes are & l; healthy and active, and have wonder- ful appetites. Acid water, then, must be healthy? That is just the point—for many of the tropical fishes it undoubtedly is. It may be realized that when a fish is taken out of such water and put into a tank in which the water reads 7.6, for instance, it is being subjected to a tremendous shock in readjusting itself instantly. The average fish keeper, especially | the newcomer, will not be expected to bother about such matters, but it is well for him to keep in the back of his mind the fact that they do exist. For practical purposes he may under- stand that the life processes in an established aquarium tend to make the water slightly acid, and that there- after he should change only a small portion of the water at a time, not all at once, unless this last is unavoid- able. ok x % ‘What may be called the mechan- ical condition of the water is its ap- pearance. Too many fishes put into a tank at once, with overfeeding of dry foods, sometimes results in what is called “white water,” in which a milky appearance shows tiny specks of matter throughout the water. If less feeding is indulged in, this condition ‘There are other gases in water.{ will clear up in about two weeks, but if it does not the water must be changed, even at the risk of harming the fishes through sudden loss of chemical balance. If the water becomes “green,” stays 50, too many fishes, too much light and too much food probably are re- sponsible. The remedy lies in cutting down the light supply and feeding more moderately. Dirty water is not always, or even often, bad water. Fishes do not un- derstand a human kging’s ideas on tidiness! Often enough a crystal-clear aqua- rium is worse than a dirty aquarium, and this undoubtedly is due, of course, to the wrong chemical constitution involved. The average home aquarium en- thusiast, by using the good water | supply hereabouts, but remembering this is definitely alkaline, can supply | a little of this, now and then, to off- set the tendency of the tank to go acid, and so keep the water very close to 7, or theoretical neutral, or even a little on the acid side. Our water as it comes from the faucet is theoretically and actually better for gold fishes than for the tropical or exotic fishes. To the Editor of The Star: A survey of the world should im- press a citizen of these United States with the fact that our country is as the shadow of a great rock in a weary world: and that we can, in- deed, sing with grateful hearts, “My country, ‘'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.” Europe has its age-old hatreds that are racial and religious.. Liberty no longer exists in that part of the world. The shadow and threat of war darken the land and are growing more men- acing every day and bringing despair and hopelessness to the hearts of the people. Should it occur, and may God avert it, it will be the end of civiliza- tion over there, and America will then, indeed, be the last hope of the white race. Notwithstanding, however, our hap- py situation, with our freedom from all arbitrary restraints, ours is not an altogether lovely land. There is much that mars and prevents it from becom- ing the paradise of mankind. There is much, too much, of the vulgar and commonplace amongst us and a very great lack of higher culture. We have more than our share of cranks, and there is amongst us an element of subversive and Communistic tenden- cies that is alarming in its propor- tions. We subordinate too much the spiritual to the material things of life, forgetting that possession of the world is of little profit if we lose our soul in pursuit of it. The tempo of our lives is entirely too strenuous, de- priving us of the beneficent blessings of meditation and thought. And yet, after all that may be said, where else Let Us “Stop, Look and Listen” To Preserve Our Institutions can be found so much general pros- perity and so much ordered liberty as with us? We have a glorious heritage. It is not, however, self-preserving and self-perpetuating. It is trite but true that “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” Con- ditions have arisen in our country that should cause our people to “stop, look and listen.” They should medi- tate upon our political, institutional and economic blessings, and the cost to past generations that bequeathed them to us. We should take stock, and ask ourselves the question Quo vadis? for there are ominous rumblings in our midst, and insidious influences at work to mar and destroy the founda- tions of our economic security and political institutions and replace them with the hell broth of class hatreds and the political and social disintegra- tion of Europe. We need a rebirth of loyalty and patriotism to our Constitution and to the traditions of the past, under which we have grown great, pros- perous and free, and we should set ourselves to the task of protecting and preserving them against all external and domestic enemies. So let us awake from our apathy and indifference, and put on the ar- mor of righteousness and gird our- selves with the sword of truth to fight and overcome the enemies that are attacking our liberties and the insti- tutions of our country and who would make of our beloved land a Soviet republic, ruled by the dictatorship of a cruel, conscienceless and irrespon- sible proletariat. ALlEXANDER SIDNEY LANIER. Man’s First Allegiance Should Be to Mankind To the Editor of The Star: It was an urgent word of Bishop Brent's—“International affairs are just as much the business of the citi- zens as national affairs. Man’s first allegiance is to mankind. Patriotism comes as a second loyalty, to be di- rected and controlled by the first and larger loyalty.” Peace-time patriotism demands more self-denial than that of the conscript in war time. Conscripts have no volition and are part of a machine. The test of patriotism is constant voluntary service without medals, titles or rewards. The effec- tive patriot must reason, perceive relative values and not be influenced by drumbeat and parades to yearn to conquer foreign enemies, and ignore the 95 per cent of all our dangers, which are here at home. This safest of all nations, which has never had any nation declare war against it, cannot achieve “liberty and justice for all” until it does & vast deal of housecleaning. So long as every three years more are killed by traffic accidents than were slain in battle in all our five foreign wars; 12,500 murdered an- nually; our vile movies giving us & “black eye,” the world over; 600,000 citizens dying yearly from prevent- able accident and preventable dis- ease, “100 per cent Americans” must see that we never again have a presi- dential election when nearly 50 cent do not vote. to bet on horse races, to go to prize fights, to care more for contract bridge than for shouldering patriotic duties that stare them in the face? The masses cannot tackle intricate financial problems that are convulsing Washington experts, but they can affect a few vital issues. Let real patriots abolish long, bally-hoo presi- dential campaigns and make nom- inations in September, not in June, and select Congressmen more soberly. Let them besiege the Senate to put us into the World Court; besiege Con- gress until it spends taxes in fighting real dangers, not “building up to parity,” for which.there is no obli- gation, only permission, but to which taxpayers can be cajoled. is very complex, so much so that thou- | of the water for the particular fishes | Manufacturers went on production of sands of persons keep fishes without | stroys capital by disturbing its con- trol by those who can and do save and invest wisely can only do harm to all of us. It is not “radical” policies alone, however, that may create an unfair and unwise control over our reserve of weplth. Established practice is not above the need for reform. The trou- ble is that so many “reforms” are chimerical or disingenouous and result only in changes in form rather than substance, or merely in personnel rather than toward equity and wis- dom in distribution and control of ‘wealth. As has been remarked by a leader of research for a great industrial cor- poration, the basic trouble with our system lies not in any aspect of pro- duction or consumption, but in our bookkeeping. Obviously, this involves our present scheme of money and banking, which, however bad. is being defended as a part of the “American | system” by issez faire” school of “conservative” thought which, in effect, thus prepares the ground for the sowing of the seeds of a radicalism that seeks a blind equality instead of a fair and wise equity in the control of wealth, ALDEN A. POTTER. Why Electric Bulbs Burn Out So Quickly To the Editor of The Star: Permit me to comply with Mrs. James Quinn's request in her very timely letter to The Star, printed | Friday, and to tell her that her com- plaint about the shoddy electric bulbs the country is now flooded with finds a ready response among their users. Not long ago our stores were filled with cheap globes imported from Ja- pan and Germany and sold for 10 cents each. It made great inroads |into the American-made bulb, which sold for almost three times this sum. The fact that it paid the foreign man- ufacturers to pay a high duty indi- cated that our own makers were able to supply this demand with our ad- mittedly higher wages, but paying no duty. Incidentally, it also demon- strated that the intrinsic cost of mak- ing a lamp is but a few cents. ‘To meet this condition our own cheap globes. Here greed for great profit asserted itself in characteristic fashion. They were not willing to make and sell an honest article to give the same service as the imported one, but were willing to lend their name to make an absolutely worthless lamp. By making both kinds they hope to use the cheaper one in order to' dis- credit the foreign article, kill off the market and return to the higher-cost lamp. They never intended to sup- ply a legitimate demand. Another thing: The neon tube now used in most stores and show windows where globes were formerly used made | another inroad into the demand for globes. To make good these losses, and for reasons stated, the manu- facturers are making an absolutely worthless lamp, a lamp that burns out after a few hours’ service. No one really expects the same sort of service or duration of life from a cheaper bulb; but the purchaser has a right to expect to get his money’s worth. Many of us like to replace old |lamps with new ones oftener, pro- viding we get proportional value fog) our money. ‘Thus, by their greed and short- sightedness, the globe makers are slowly but surely killing another great business by permitting avarice to dic- tate and feed their seifishness for profit instead of giving service. The net result is that people are not buying, or buying fewer lamps. He is willing to let his house be flooded with light on occasions and have his fixtures filled with good lamps. But’] with the shoddy things—well, he just buys what he must. ISAAC TEPPER. —~——————— Foreign-Made Electric Bulbs Are Not So Good | To the Editor of The Star: In the Star of the 7th inst. appears a letter from Mrs. James Quinn, com- plaining of the poor quality of electric light bulbs. If Mrs. Quinn will ex- amine her old bulbs she will probably find they bear the indorsement, “Made in Japan.” 1If so, this may account for their poor quality. I have been caught by the same bait, not observing the brand before buying. If she will buy only bulbs made in the U. S. A, as I do now, she will have no cause for complaint in the future. We have both been victims of our beautiful tariff laws, which allow cheap foreign goods, made of poor material by cheap labor, to enter this country in com- petition with American products made out of good material by competent, skilled labor receiving decent wages. Moreover, these Japanese bulbs are misbranded, their lighting power be- ing only about one-half that repre- sented by the brands thereon. JOHN P. HEAP. To Vote Again. From the Seattle Daily Times. A majority of the many farm- ers who were invited to express an opinion on crop curtailment and “consci control” by the Agricul- tural Adjustment Administration re- If voters begin to take their patri- otism seriously, let them get guidance from social experts. This is easily attainable when once conscience is aroused. Permanent prosperity is now largely a moral question. There is enough technical knowledge. Wars and maldistribution of wealth would vanish a thousands years before “world brotherhood” arrives if simply the common sense of common folks aimed at world organization and knew that first - allegiance should be to mankind. LUCIA AMES MEAD. Boston, Mass. —_—————————— The Butcher’s Thumb. From the Toleda Blade. Argentina brags of a butcher who weighs 638 pounds. Including his thumb, of course. Best Sellers and Movies. Prom the Detroit Free Press. If it weren't for the novelists who write best sellers, what would the scenario writers do for ideas? cently voted against having any more of the same. The farm theorists of the A. A. A. are not satisfied; they will not so easily let go. ‘The farmers say they, voted against absentee management of their farms because they don't like it; the A.A. A, theorisis say the adverse vote was due to misunderstanding—in other words, that the farmers don’t know what's good for them. So conscious control proposals have been drafted in another form and the farmers are to be asked to vote again. If the farmers await the results of this new poll -they may miss another Spring planting season and let the A. A. A. put over another crop shortage. Russian Raspers. From the Shreveport Journal. The Russians complain that home- made razor blades are not as good as those turned out by American manu- facturers. But just think how much tougher those Russian beards that have to be mowed, > ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader cax get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Washington Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. Who has been elected captain of Yale University's foot ball team?— R V. , - A. Mather K. Whitehead has been elected captain of the team for 1935. Q. Is the thin air of the stratos- phere of the same composition as the atmosphere? What temperatures have been reached, and what amount of myty encountered in ascents?—R. P. J. A. The air samples which have been brought back and snalyzed have not shown any appreciable difference in composition from that of the air at the surface of the earth. Tem- peratures of the order of 90 degrees below zero Fahrenheit have been en- countered in the stratosphere flights. At the highest points reached in any of these flights, the intensity of grav- ity is about 159/160 of its value at sea level. Q. Has Libby Holman returned to the stage?—M. C. A. Miss Holman is now playing in “Revenge With Music,” which recent- ly opened in New York. Q. What part of the personnel of a battleship is composed of Marines?— B.C. L. A. The Marines form about ten per cent of the complement of large ships in the United States Navy. Q. Who is called the “Edison of Transit?"—M. W. A. Frank J. Sprague is so called. | He is the father of the trolley line, | rapid transit, electric elevators and many other important inventions. Q. How should a person go about.) doing research work in a library?— A P. A. A person assigned a subject in research would logically advise with & librarian. It is probable that the li- brary catalogue is so arranged that the subject in which the patron is in- terested is listed as a separate head- ing. For example, he may wish to do research work in Egyptology. The librarian will indicate to the reader where Egyptology is found in the cata- logue. The reader will then make cut his cards according to the policy followed in this particular library. It may be that the researcher needs to have definite information in Ytegard to what a certain author has said on the subject of Egyptology. In this case, he | consults the index and looks under the name of the writer. Q. What does chiffon mean?—D. D. A. The term chiffon has different meanings in different countries. In| France it means a rag, in Rumania | a bleached cotton shirting, in Ger- many and Austria a stout fine plain- woven linen fabric with a smooth finish, and in the United States a delicaie, gauzelike silk tissue. Q. When were greenbacks first fs- sued by the United States Govern- | ment?>—S R. N. A. Grecnbacks were first issued under act of Congress July 17, 1861, and supplemental acts. These notes were the first ever issued by the United States with backs in green. They | were engraved by the American Bank Note Co. of New York and were signed by employes of the Government with their own names “for the register and | for the treasurer.” This issue of green- backs did mot bear the seal of the United States Treasury. Q Did Ernest Torrence study volce?—T. R. A. He was a trained pianist and singer and did a considerable amount of concert work. He was also a gifted actor. He received his musical educa- tion in Stuttgart, Germany, and at the Royal Academy of Music in Lon- don. About 1913, he sang an from “Faust” -for Thomas Edison in his experiment in “talking pictures.” Q. How are stamps applied to stamped envelopes? Can one be cut from an envelope and used on another one?—E. M. A. The Post Office Department says that the stamp is embossed on the envelope at the time the envelope is made and is a part of the envelope itself. If the embossed stamp is cut from the original envelope, it is not good for postage if attached to an- other envelope, Q. Which railroad first used the telephone for train dispatching?— M. K. A. Telephone Topics says that the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Rail- road was first to put the telephone to this use. This was in 1879. Q. Is the Road of the Loving Hearts paved?—N. D. A. It is not paved. The Samoans laid part of the road from Apia to Vailima, the home of Robert Louis Stevenson, because of their affection for him, and gave it this poetical name. Q. Who introduced the bill provid- ing the first land ancC money for land grant colleges>—L. D. A. It was sponsored by Justin S. Morrill, a Representative from Ver- mont. It was first introduced in 1857, was passed, but vetoed by Presi- dent Buchanan. In 1861, Mr. Mor- frill introduced a new bill, Senator Wade introducing it in the Senate. This was passed and was signed by President Lincoln. Q. What countries are included in the Grand Tour?—M. D. A. This trip, which young English= men like to take, includes France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany, then back to England. Q. In what part of the country do most people have defective teeth?— | G. C. B. A. Basing an answer on War De- partment reports during the draft, the | one great center for defective teeth is |in the extreme Northeast, including the New England States, New York | and New Jersey. A secondary center is in the Northwest, including the States nearest to the Canadian bor- der and those on the Pacific slope. Comparative freedom from defective teeth is found in the prairie States and those of the Southwest. Defec- tive and deficient teeth are much com- moner in cities than in rural districts, despite the better provisions for their | care. This may be in part due to | conditions, but it is more probably largely racial. There is a large amount of defective teeth among the colored people (despite a high natural resist- | ance to dental caries among full- | blooded Negroes), and there is prob- ably a racial lack of resistance in | the old English stock whieh settled | New England. On the other hand, the | sections largely settigd by Indians and Mexicans show an exceptionally low rate of defective teeth. while those sections occupied by French Canadians show the highest rate. Q. How desp is Crater Lake, in Oregon?—H. P. A. Soundings have been taken showing that Crater Lake has & depth of 2,001 feet. 'Discussion of Foreign Policy Stimulated by Hutchins Report Renewed discussion of the merits | and demerits of an isolationist policy has been stimulated by the report of the Commission on International Eco- nomic Relations. This group was ap- pointed by the Social Science Re- search Council. It offers the results of a year's study and outlines a policy which it recommends to the United States Government. Dr. Robert Hutchins, president of the University | of Chicago, directed the work. “The report is a valuable contribu- tion to public thought; even if much of it is bread upon the waters,” in the opinion of the San Francisco Chronicle, which gives this summary of the conclusions of the commission: “Fully accepting the hypothesis that world political readjustment must go hand in hand with local economic re- adjustment, the committee urges im- mediate settlement of the war debts, continued participation in the Dis- armament Conference, co-operation with the League of Nations, adherence to the World Court, continuance of the South American ‘good neighbor’ policy, withdrawal from the Philip- pines, placing Oriental immigration on a quota basis, repeal of the John- son act, and that we should do what we can ‘to remove from international trade quotas, exchange controls, blocked exchanges, import monopolies, linked purchase regulations, milling quotas and a host of other direct and indirect, open and concealed ob- stacles” This is a large program, much of which represents sound eco- nomic thought.” “As recovery grows at home,” ac- cording to the Raleigh (N. C.) News and Observer, “it becomes more and more apparent that American in- dustry and agriculture cannot regain their true’ and proper prosperity strictly within the borders of the Nation. Our mills are built to manu- facture for the world. Our wheat flelds and our cotton flelds are plowed to feed and clothe other people besides our own. Much as we might prefer such neat and tight doctrines as ‘America for Americans’ and ‘Buy American,’ the simple fact is that an isolationist America must be a retreating America. If we re- main at home in our politics and in our trade, then we must be prepared to close permanently many of our factories.” Criticab comments are made by the Springfield (Mass.) Republican, which would approve the conclusions of the commission “on theoretical grounds,” but points out that “there are some students of these problems who al- dark ages.” “It must be admitted that no such radical program of readjustment could here to the World Court at the coming session of the Senate.” “The collapse of our foreign trade.” declares the Wall Street Journal, *should set people to asking why those who once bought freely of our prod- ucts are now taking but limited amounts, and in some cases nothing at all. To come down to particulars, why is Germany, once an important customer, buying as little as possible from us? * * * France, Italy and other countries have erected high tariffs that keep out many of our products, and even England, long a consumer of American foodstuffs, has finally put the United States on a small quota for pork products. These are just a few instances of a world-wide movement, | none of which happened without a cause. But the sum total of these actions of our foreign customers is so large that we cannot afford longer to delay recognizing the fact that world conditions have changed since 1914, and that with open minds we must seek the reason and apply the proper remedies.” “The commission makes a powerful case for reduction of the tariff by stages designed to make the process as nearly painless as possible,” ob- serves the St. Paul Pioneer Press, which feels that “the report should give impetus to the movement for more rapid tariff reduction than is proving possible under the reciprocal tariff treaty act of last year.” The Indianapolis Times states that “the Hutchins report has wide approval in responsible circles,” and holds that “with barriers lifted, neutral economic forces could take hold and build to- ward sound recovery.” The Manches- ter (N. H) Union is convinced that “the plan as a whole reminds one of the pacifist, who, charmed with the beauty of the peace ideal, determines to taboo all war.” Repeal’s Weak Side. From the New York World-Telegram. That, after a year of repeal, con- sumption of alcoholic beverages is more temperate, orderly, social and free of saloon and speakeasy evils than it was under prohibition or before prohibition, we thiak the average cit- izen needs only his own observation to convince him. To that extent he will agree with Chairman Mulrooney enue there can be no such disregard and no such pleasant conclusion. This Annihilation and Prom the Boston Merald. Sometimes we can't hel impression that the big the t race 'mnmb