Evening Star Newspaper, December 15, 1934, Page 6

{THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON,D.C. SATURDAY. December 15, 1934 THEODORE W. NOYES. .Editor Caemme e The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11tn ot e Penpivivania Ave . and_Pennsylv i New York Office: 110 East 42nd 8t. icago Office: Lake Michixan Bullding. opean Office: 14 Regent St.. London. England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edition, Evening Star 45c “er month Evening and Sunday Star * Sund >'0e per month v c per month | B¢ per copy Night Final Edition. bt Final and Sunday Star. 70¢ per month | a th m ht Fin: tar - ¢ per month Collection made st the ‘end” of each ! month, Orders may be sent by u ol telephone NAtional 6000 —— Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. 11y and Sunday. .1 yr. $10.00; 1 mo.. 85¢ ily “only 1 yr £6.00% 1 mos Aoe unday only 1yrl $4.00: 1 mo. 10¢ All Other States and Canada. aily and Sunday, 1yr. $1° mo.. $1.00 EHY only . 1y $: The nday onl: bue Member of the Assoclated Press. The Associated Press s exclusively en- fitled to the use for republication of all aews dispatches credited to it or not other- wise credited in this paper and also the 1ocal news published herein All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. Naval Conversations End. At the end of two months of futile effort, the Anglo-American-Japanese naval conversations have at length come to an end. Their inglorious re- sult has been apparent ever since Japan revealed her inflexible purpose to insist upon equality with Great Britain and the United States. All that remained to be done was formally and finally to wind up the discussion, and this is about to happen. The date fixed for that sad and significant event is December 20, at which time the Japanese have indicated their in- tention of abrogating the Washington treaty with its 5—5—3 ratio provi- sions, thus officially obliterating the limitation principle and paving the Way to a resumption of naval compe- tition. Closing developments in London eoncern mainly an effort to fix re- sponsibility for failure of the conver- sations and for to prolong them. The American delegation de- clined to fall in with suggestions that 1t leave England before Japan's actual denunciation of the treaty. Ambas- | sador Davis and Admiral Standley ‘were unwilling to be put in the posi- tion of prematurely terminating the talks. They announced that they would not sail for the United States until December 29, nine days after the date on which the Japanese pro- | pose to proclaim that the limitation system is at an end. ‘The Americans properly insist that responsibility for that situation shall remain exclusively where it belongs. | Nor have the spokesmen of the United States yielded to entrealies to look upon the conversations as merely ad- journed and subject to resumption some time next year, The Americans hold that it is useless to commit them- selves to further discussion as long as Japan is adamant on the question of equality. Our representatives stand on their original decision that the actual end of the conversations and Japan’s denunciation of the trealy must be simultaneous. Ambassador Davis, in his recent public statement at London, fore- shadowed what now seems to be in- evitable—a period of renewed rivalry in navy building. It is not a com- forting prospect, but the American People have at least the consolation of knowing that the United States, tak- ing the Nation's needs at sea into full eonsideration, did everything possible to avoid the situation that has un-| happily arisen. The onus for wreck of | naval limitation does not rest on this| side of the Pacific. ——— e refusal ‘The French Chamber of Deputies has a plan to turn surplus wine into motor fuel. An situation has been reached in which a man who can afford a garage should also be able to support a wine cellar. —— e Large cities are making a drive on small gambling, which will enable citizens to enjoy a little more currency for the purpose of Christmas shopping. ———————— economic A Winning Threesome. “More and more fishermen—fewer and fewer fish,” runs the plaint u([ the average amateur angler. “Nol #0,” replies the Bureau of Fisheries. “More fishermen, true. but more fish ‘bureau is entirely without regulatory | source as this Federal bureau | proved itself to be, the campaign can- | theirs has been offered Lo the Govern- for a win rather than to be thankful for a tie of itself indicates progress. The new angler who takes out a license and buys equipment—and each year sees more of them—is an adult, and if at first not competent, shortly becomes so. The bureau will' try to match him with a sizable and com- petent adult fish. It is the constant aim of the Federal hatcheries to re- lease larger, stronger fish, those that will have the best chance to grow to that maturity which gives a maximum ‘of sport. The States are following suit. Through studies of diets and of selective breeding the bureau's scien- tists aim not only at mere size, but at, improved strains. ‘What many citizens may not realize is the fact that this highly important powers as far as the United States proper is concerned. It seeks the causes of depletion, then suggests to | the States remedial measures so that the latter can carry on that part of | the good work. The angler himself is the third and equally important party to this three-fold campaign. He must content himself with fewer and bigger prizes—not a difficult task. If each of the three elements involved does its proper part all will be well. With such jority of drivers are considerate of pedestrians so situated, the danger is always present that some may not be so minded but may start their cars at the flash of the green signal and make the pedestrians jump and run to clear the way. The timing of the lights is not in all cases adapted to the needs of the traf- fic flow. The placing of the lights, furthermore, might well be changed to insure the fullest view by pedestrians as well as drivers. If this situation is thoroughly studied with regard for the rights of both walkers and drivers and proper correctives adopted the accident toll in Washington will be lessened. r-oes Mr. Richards Should Be Retained. ‘The retention in office for two more years of Willlam P. Richards, asses- sor, who will reach the statutory age for automatie retirement in a litlle more than a year from now, depends upon the President. But the recom- mendations of the Commissioners in this matter will cargy weight, and it is sincerely to be hoped that they will vigorously champion the proposal of the House Subcommittee on District Appropriations that Mr. Richards be | retained. To the pleasant and de- served commendations of Mr. Rich- a note of encouragement from such a | ards’ work which have been voiced by has not fail. e A comparison of taxation in other large cities with that in Washington, D. C, may assist in calling attention to the fallacy of assumptions that the National Capital, owing to its prox- imity to Federal Government, has managed to arrange some adroit sys- tem of mercenary advantage. e Endowment for Science. The Science Advisory Board, headed | by Dr. Karl T. Compton, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology, has appealed to the Federal Government for a grant of sixteen million dollars to finance a program of scientific research. “Spe- cific projects vital for national re-| covery” are designated for the en-| dowment, the list including public | works, new Industries, public ln‘flllh‘ and the more economical and efficient | use of land. The plan also would con- stitute a relief enterprise in that it| would afford employment for & large | number of engineers, mechanics and | others “whose plight has been passed over in efforts to provide suitable jobs | for other classes.” Public interest in the matter, doubt- less, will be exceedingly keen. ‘The American people, as never before, urer “science couscious.” Developments in | aviation and radio during the past| two decades have educated the masses | to &n enthusiastic aeppreciation of | “applied common sense.” Especially | among boys and girls, & veritable mania for scientific knowledge is rampant. And circumstance is | one about which there may be general | rejoicing. Many, if not all, of the current the | capable official members of the subcommittee, the Commissioners might appropriately #dd the important fact that as long 8s his services are available he is needed at the District Bullding. Good health and continued vigor make Mr. Richards still available, There 1s the sentmental considera- tion that he has served the community for forty-three years: that he has been faithful and efficlent In his du- Ues, and that age, which has not im- paired his usefulness, should not force him from office against his will. But there is the additional selfish consid- eration that Mr. Richards’ services as assessor are too valuable to be un- necessarily lost, Congress has found Mr. Richards & whose honesty has never been questioned, comply with the letier of the law in assessments here may have brought hardships to members of the com- munity which might not have been ex- Perienced under an assessor less zealous in his practical interpretation of the law. But Mr. Richards has never been afraid to defend his policies. His in- tegrity has never been involved in his occasional differences of opinion with the taxpayers, whose respect he con- linues to r‘njuy. His slandard of pub- lic service has been as high as his assessments, and he is (oo valuable a man to retire until he wants to retire, When the matter of his retirement comes up, the community will stand behind the Commissioners in any- thing they may do o keep him on the job. His efforts 'to | C, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1934, A—6 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, ) ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. ‘What s thing is memory, indeed! A Wi , rather well known to thousands of persons, re- cently found himself in & quandary. He knew that some one had in- vited him to lunch, but he could not recall who, nor exactly the day, although he thought it was Thurs- day. Even the occasion of the invitation escaped him. All that he could remember, and this somewhat uneasily, was that some one was expecting him to lunch. That was as far as he could go in the matter. It may be necessary to add, for the Information of some readers, that 1o, he had not imbibed in any form, and that he was not one usually to forget his dates. This particular one, through press of other business, simply went out of his mind. Those who found occasion to laugh mildly at his perplexity were in- formed that the thing was not funuy, but serious, LI Forgetting, truly, is a serious matter, ‘The other person involved never sees any reason for it. In the case of the above-cited gen- tleman, for instance, it was impos- sible for the host to understand clearly that the guest had many things to do and many such invita- tions. The host, or intending host, had nothing on his mind for that period and so had no trouble in remember- ing it, but the guest was in another vas an active man, one who had many lrous in the fire, all of them ueeding tending. It was unusual for him, however, to forget; no doubt that was why the matter irked him, What was he to do about it? He first called those of his familiars who might have invited him. Tacitly he was informed that none had, although all issued immediate and pressing invitations. The field was narrowed, but still the question was: Who? * % * % ‘The upshot or this affair was as amusing as the rest of it. The well known suddenly remembered! Now why had he forgotten, and why had he remembered? The only answer is the mystery of memory. Some persous have good | memories, especially for such things, others have recollections not so good. times, as every one knows. Take the case of the local man who recently wrote a letter, and after- ward could not recall whether he had mailed it. He called his secretary, and asked her to lovk on his desk. She reported no letter there, he must have mailed it. He was not so sure. * ¥k & The reason he was puzzled was that he had no mental picture of himself mailing the letter. He could see himself writing it, even putting it in its envelope, but there memory ceased to function. Washingtonian | Even the best memory will fail, at | He had no picture of himself af- fixing a stamp, and especially none of him dropping the letter in the box. Perhaps it is not always realized how these mental pictures are helpful to most of us. They come to mind, in- stantly, when there is any doubt, and 50 settle the matter at once. “Did I drop the letter in the box?” ‘Why, certainly, one can see one's self doing that very thing, so the matter is settled, ‘These pictures are very brittle, how- ever. They tend to escape one on the slightest interference with the set pro- ram. It one is interrupted, for instance, | while writing & letter, and absent mindedly, as we say, seals it and affixes a stamp, the flow of conversa- tion may be enough to take the mind off the letter, When it is dropped in the chute at last no clear impression is left. The picture has been blursed. * % x % Perhaps all memory is simply pho- ! tographle, although we may not al- | ways recognize it as such. Mankind has & way of confusing memory with intelligence, of course, | s0 it may be nothing to wonder over, that the fact that a memory is merely a méntal photograph is not always held in mind. Exceptionally bright children show tremendous I. Qs, or intelligence quo- tients, thereby offending parents of children with wonderful memories. ‘The latter can sing 50 popular songs, perhaps, but that means little except that they have good memories.. It says | uothing about their brains at all. A good way to have & good memory is to make mental pictures as one goes along. ‘This will require a certain amount of thought and to that extent may be | regarded as intelligent, but in the; main it is nothing but the focusing of | the attention upon something or other al the very time it is done or said, * k kX ‘This makes a picture, so that after-| ward all one has to do is “see” one’s self doing or saying the thing. It is all very comforting. Especially the person given to what one’s friends call worrying will find few things more satlisfying in the everyday life. All one has to do. in & given case, | is to realize that one is doing some- (drawing out the ideas of students thing, or saying something, at the time one is doing or saying it. ‘This is not as complicated as 1t | sounds. It simply means mental awareness, call it by whatever other name one chooses, | It denfunds that nothing be done offhand, in a forgetful, indifferent way, but that even the smallest things of | | life be given a certain dignity. Burely this is & good thing, even if | some careless persons choose to call | it worrying, or say that it tends to | make one 100 serious. No, it is not serious to a fault, but simply to the good extent of keeping something worth doing firmly in mind. | At any time thereafter one gques- tions one’s self, one is able to remem- | ber accurately, because one can see just who, what and when. The mental picture does it. ——— How hard 1t is Lo settle an argument is illustrated by Newton D. Baker, who 1s still carrying on the controversy he had with the Du Pont Powder Co. sevenleen years ago. problems of humanity may be solved | by the application of constructive | thought, and the scientific method of approach already has demonstrated its value, The world needs the logic, the altruism and the devotion of any po- tential Fultons, Morses or Edisons there may be alive and as yel undis- covered. Nor does it require to be argued that labor designed for na- tional profit should be funded by the Nation. The old practice of expect- ing science to furnish its own capital | has long been outmoded it was wasteful, unjust and unkind, and it bore & fruit of inequities and abuses. Dr, Compton and his associates, it would seem, already have the sym- pathy of President Roosevelt, They likewise are entitled to the support of | the public they are pledged (o serve. | No more worthy proposition than | i ment in many years. It should be | accepted promptly and gratefully, - - Pedestrians and Drivers. In a slatement regarding the lack of pedestrian control as a factor in the serious traffic accident situation in the District, Ernest N. Smith, an officer of the American Automobile Association, declares that adjustment of conditions must proceed on the as- sumption that motorists and pedes- (rians have equal rights and equal ob- ligations, and that rules must apply equitably to both, This is undeniable, but the difficulty lies in the fact that the traffic rules are disobeyed, or at least disregarded, by both motor to keep pace with them.” Although ; many lekes and streams have been ! overfished almost to the point of extinction, the battle thus far on the | whole has not been & losing one and | the bureau makes the avowal that, | notwithstanding the steady increase in the numbers of fishermen, it will eventually be a winning one, It sounds like & large order, but & review of the expansion and ac- complishments of this governmental branch since its beginning in 1871 will revive faith in its efficiency. This promise is emphasized in a small but pithy pamphlet lahelcd‘ “Punctions and Activities of Bureau of Fisheries,” which has re- eently been printed under the aus- pices of the Department of Com- merce and whose author is Frank T. Bell, commissioner of fisherles. For those anglers who had poor luck last season, or for several seasons, and who see over-gloomy forebodings in print, this booklet will make pleasant Winter reading. Despite the ever- increasing load, the commissioner states, fisheries have, on the whole, been maintained. But he goes fur- ther and declares that & new con- eept, particularly for recreational fish- eries, has come in: “We must not only maintain the supply, but actually increase it, so that every one who 80 desires may have more and beiter fishing Inevitably it is & slow business, Bome anglers who recall President Hoover's plea made a few years ago for “less time between bites” may and pedestrians. Mr. Smith says: Lights should be so arranged as to give the pedestrian plenty of time to cross at intersections, which is not uow the case. Motorists should be strictly prohibited from “second” chiseling al the expense of the person on foot. But, by the same token, pe- destrians for their own safety must be compelled to obey traffic signals and subjected to such control as is neces- sary to the safety and facilitating of traffic as a whole. The pedestrian should have a chance to cross the street without - ———— Assistance will be given by Gen. | Hugh Johnson in code revision, at least to the extent of pointing out codes that cannot be expected to work. D e E— Uncle Sam can frown on munitions to the extent of refusing to accept big forelgn armaments as loan collateral, Owing to the crime wave, Christmas holidays will be automatically cur- tuiled for grand juries. B SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. A Home Product. When de sunshine’s gettin® scarcer, cause de Summer’s passed awsy, We's got to do de bes' we kin to make it, day by day. An' if you keeps on tryin', you will find out, by and by, IUs mos' as good as reglar sunshine sent down fum de sky. We gels as generous as de circum- stances will permit, An’ goes an’ cuts & Christmas tree— biggest we kin git, An’ opens up our hearts an’ tells de sunshine to come in. It ain’ de sho-nuff kind, but we has done de bes’ we kin. Dat Christmas tree, it blossoms in de brightness of a smile An’ bears de fines' kind o' fruit if you Jes' wait awhile; De storm can come a prowlin’ an’ s howlin’ roun’ de do'; But we's all of us too busy to take notice of de snow. De chillui jines in singin’ when de ol' folks starts de tune, An’ it's all &s warm an’ pleasant jes' de same as if 'twas June. De thing dat folks calls happiness— dat ain’ so hard to win It you makes yoh mind up to it an’ Jes' does de bes’' you kin. Happy Innecence. menace on the green light. This chance should not be reduced by cor- ner turners who make the swing at afoot. It should not be lessened by the premature starting of waiting ve- hicles &t the show of the yellow light. On the other hand, pedestrians should not step into the street until the green light shows in their favor. It is the common practice of pedestrians—in consequence of fear that the green light will not prevail long enough to enable them to cross the street—to press out upon the pavement, thus blocking the way of drivers turning corners and narrowing the space for those mmking the straightaway crossing. At many corners the light interval is not adequate for pedestrians to make their way across the street “on the green.” This, as. Mr. Smith states, should be corrected on the basis of a study of conditions in the congested area. In many cases also the lights are 80 placed that the pedestrian has no visual warning of the state of the think that little or no progress has been made. But, as with a foot ball team, the very determination to piay \ signals and in consequence is often caught unawares in midstreet by I' change of light. While the great ma- “S0 you told your boy that you had been impersonating Santa Claus?” “Yes.” “Did it not grieve you to destroy the | speed and without regard to those | his general illusions?” “yesn “How did he take it?" “He said he knew it all the time. But as long as I seemed to enjoy it he didn’t see any use of speaking up and spolling a good thing.” \ A Wonder, ‘There was a man of wisdom great. He made, with diplomatic skill, No enemies in harsh debate And many friends by keeping still. Fanciful Finance, “Time,” remarked the wise person, “is money.” “Perhaps,” answered Mr. Sirius Bgrker, “but it shouldn’t be brought to the attention of some banks I have heard of. Instead of clearing house certificates they may find it comfort- able and convenient to issue eight- day clocks.” “It ain’ near as foolish,” said Uncle Eben, “foh a boy to believe in Santy Claus as it is foh a growed-up man to sit down and trust to Juck.” " u To the Editor of The Star: That we have finally awakened to the serious crime menace confront- | ing this country is evidenced by the Crime Conference now meeting in Washington. To Attorney General Cummings the country owes a deep | debt of gratitude for realizing the { gravity of the situation and then hav- ing the courage to act. It is to be hoped that his efforls will not be in vain. but I am not overly opti- mistic regarding the ultimate results. Why? Because I realize the futility of talk. Less talk and more action is the prime need today, if the fight now begun 1s to be won and the forces of crime put to rout. ol I realize the magnitude of a dis- cussion of the crime problem, so will confine myself to hitting upon the high spots. Now what is the remedy, it any? ! Nothing will be accomplished in the way of eradicating crime so long as public opinion regards the criminal as & hero und worships at his shrine. That is the first big point I wish to make. Instead, public opinion must line up solidly behind the forces of law and order and present & united front. In-short, public opinion must change. ! Nor will the passage of additional already have and a great forward step will have been taken. When I say “enforce” 1 mean just that. I mean that sentences should be made to mean something. This idea of indeterminate sentences, whereby & malefactor is sentenced for 10 years and released after a year and a day for good behavior is fundamentally wrong. That is no deterrent to crime. What criminal would not be willing to gamble under these cjrcumstances? Therefore, I say, tighten up on your laws and make them mean something. Instlll the fear of the law into the heart of every criminal, and the battle is half won. ‘What happens today in this country when & murder has been committed? Immediately your sob sisters raise a hue and cry that justice will not be accomplished by invoking capital pun- ishment; that two wrongs do not make & right. How ridiculous! And then we wonder why our country leads the world in numbers of murders com- mitted. I believe in capital punish- ment, because I know it is a deter- rent. When people say otherwise it is because we don't give it a chance over here. I have always believed that once you make a potential mur- derer realize that he must forfeit his own life for that of the victim taken, and I stress the word “must,” he will Chaco, a Line Fence War, Prom the Scranton (Pa.) Times. If the war between Bolivia and Paraguay is on its way to an end as & result of the smashing defeat of the Bolivians, as reported in press dispatches, South America and the whole world will sigh with relief. Strange as it may seem, this war has been going on for more than two years. Practically in our back yard, if South America may be so described, it has rivaled in its vigor and slaughter wars among the little powers in Europe which have at- tracted much greater attention. In May of this year one battle cost over 6,000 lives. The war is over the Gran Chaco, a vast and hardly inhabited interior plain in Bolivia. That is to say, Bolivia claims it, but the Para- guayans question its boundaries. Just as truculent neighbors fight over a line fence rather than mediate or arbitrate, so do these two South American nations fight it out without recourse to law, order or interna- tional pacts for peace, non-aggression Analysis of the Cause and Cure of The Crime Evil in the United States laws alleviate the situaton one fota. | Enforce strictly the laws that we think twice before taking another's; life. One of the prime reasons why we lead the world in murders committed is because the criminal, provided he isn't too poor and lacking in influence, | knows he has a better than even chance of not being convicted, or else, being convicted, that he will get out | shortly for good behavior. As long : as these conditions exist don't look | | for any solution of the crime prob- | |lem. Unfortunately, but true never- theless, most people forget all about the murdered victim's family and lavish pity on the murderer’s rela- | tives. Many a defense counsel has | | brought & jury to the point of tears ! | by relating what it will mean to the | poor old folks “if this poor boy's life is snuffed out by the State.” How about the victim's poor old folks? My solution of the crime problem is to follow in the wake of our English | cousins across the pond. Study their | Judicial procedure, for in so doing one will soon realize the efficiency of their system. Whereas they put em- phasis on speedy apprehension, speedy | trigls and speedy convictions, we em- | phasize delay, encourage appeals and | place all manner of obstacles in the | path of the prosecutor. That I may | not be misunderstood, let me say that while I favor capital punishment, I do not favor its application in cases of circumstantial evidence. Prohibition I believe to have been | the greatest curse to ever befall this | Nation, for the outgrowth of its evil influence was not only the rise of the racketeer and gangster, but the pro- motion of disrespect for all laws. People, and I speak generally, have lost respect for all laws, because to many a law means nothing. Take the matter of traffic laws, for instance, what do they mean to many autoists? Absolutely nothing more than a joke, If an officer tries to do his duty he is curtly told: “Do you know who I am?” or words to that effect. And therein, gentle reader, lies the main trouble with the administration of our laws today, the hesitancy to question the acts of the big fellow while clamping down on the little fellow. So long as that condition exists conferences are useless. As a parting shot, permit me to say that I don’t favor making peni- tentiaries so attractive as to induce men to want to go there, even if they fail to make the foot ball team, and thereby suffer keen disappointment in not being able to play against the Police team in the great game of the year, So while I have only grazed the surface of the crime problem, I have endeavored to show just why I am not %0 sanguine of any good coming from this conference. All I can hope for is the best. LELAND F. JAMES. and arbitration, to all of which they are party. On the Bolivian side the warriors have been led by Germn-trained generals, while the Paraguayans have been under the tutelage and leader- ship of the French school of strategy. Mercenaries out for money and ad- venture have fought with both sides. That applies especially to aviators. What part munition manufacturers have had in prolonging the war is as yet undisclosed. That they have profited, regardless of how free they may be of keeping the war going, is certain, —_—————— Radio Performers, Prom the Saginaw Daily News. Walter Damrosch denounces par- ents who let their children perform on the radio. What this country needs is more Walter Damrosches. Halloween. Prom the Toledd Biade. i ”?ummmim to life again to cut about 21 days off of Y) | fulfilling the requirements of accu- THE LIBRARY TABLE BY SARAR G. BOWERMAN. MYSELF. By John R. Commons. New York: The Macmillan Co. ‘Those who know John R. Commons think of him first as an exceptionally Tfl and interesting personality and only secondly as the distinguished economist and sociologist. In this book he takes time from his work- ing lLours, now forced down to “two, or three, or nothing,” at the age of 71, to tell briefly of his life and the development of his economic ideas. For 30 years he has conducted at Wisconsin University a discussion group of graduate and senior students whom he calls his “Friday Niters.” It is for these “Friday Niters,” who have in the university set up a labor re- search library under his name, that he writes this book, which is the fare- well of a great teacher. Dr. Commons has been often called upon by both State and Federal Governments as an adviser in labor disputes and his| last economic advisory work outsjde | his teaching was in 1928 when he was in Washington for five months aid- ing in the promotion of & bill for the stabilization of prices by the Federal Reserve System. His investigations of immigration, of the operations of public utilities, of labor conditions in the steel industry, of the Federal Re- serve System, his organization of a bureau of economy and efficiency for the Socialist government of Mil- waukee, his administration of a voluntary plan of unemployment in- surance in the Chicago clothing in- dustry, and his many books and articles (a full list of which is given in his “Institutional Economics™) con- stitute an important record, which en- titles him to a place as one of the foremost of American economists. But the hundreds of students who have saj in his classes, met in his home for evening discussion or in- formal economic visiting, and made sociological pllgrimages under his leadership, many of them now dis- tnguished in various branches of economics, are the human record. Some of them will remember the “half-crazy pauper-tramp” brought as & laboratory specimen to the class in criminology, the commotion made when Emma Goldman was intro- duced to speak to a class, and Dr. Commons’ class - room method of | and then raising doubts and “getting my students mixed up.” He was never dogmatic and theories must square with facts to merit his acceptance, EEE ISRAEL. The Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe. By Hervey Allen. New York' Farrar & Rinehart. A new and inexpensive edition of the biography of Poe, originally pub- lished in two volumes, which brought to the attention of readers the story- telling gift of Hervey Allen, even be- fore he had written “Anthony Ad- verse.” The wild. morbid, secret na- ture of Poe, and the reflection of his nature in his poems and tales, gave 10 his blographer material tempt- ing to one with Hervey Allen’s feel- ing for drama and psychological values. The result is a narrative rate historical study, but going be- yond that and applying to the strange story of America’s strangest genius all the findings of modern psychol- ogy and the art of an able chronicler. Mr. Allen was aided by the acci- dental circumstance that “the pass- ing of time had brought about the | release of sources, hitherto inacces- sible, which also made it possible o tell amply the strange and startling | story of Poe’s youth.” * % % % CANTERBURY TALES. By Geoffrey Chaucer. Rendered into Modern | English by J. U. Nicolson. With | Tllustrations by Rockwell Kent. New York: Covici-Friede. Rockwell Kent's Chaucer illustra- tions were originally drawn for the limited $50 edition published in 1930 and are now, with several additions, made available for a less opulent public in this handsome one-volume edition. The modern English verse rendering of Mr. Nicolson retains the spirit of the original admirably, with as few changes as possible in form and apparently none in thought. The prioress “never from her lips let mor- sels fall,” the friar “unto his order he was a noble post” (the footnote “that is, a pillar” is hardly needed), the merchant appeared “with forked beard, and girt in motley gown,” the clerk “looked hollow and went sober- ly.” the franklin “loved right well his morning sop in wine,” the cook “could roast and seethe and broil and fry, and make a good thick soup, and bake a ple,” the physician “offen kept a patient from the pall by horo- scopes amd magic natural” and the ever-popular wife of Bath had “been respectable throughout her life, with five churched husbands bringing joy and strife.” Mr. Nicolson is the translator of Villon and is also & poet in his own right, as one would in- stantly know after reading a few lines. Dr. Gordon Hall Gerould of Princeton University writes the in- troduction to this work and speaks highly of the faithfulness of Mr. Nicolson's rendering, its fluency and its catching of “the subtle essence of the original.” Chaucer lovers will | find it a pleasyre to handle this beau- | tifully printed and illustrated book and through its pages to renew friend- ship with the “father of English poetry,” and no more attractive medium could be found by those who do not know Chaucer for making his acquaintance. * kK ox THE WESTWARD STAR. By Frank Ernest Hill. New York: The! John Day Co. A vigorous novel of the settling of the trans-Mississippi West. It deals with the loves, hates, murders and starvation of & group of pioneers who made their way across the prairie in & string of covered wagons in 1847, crawling toward the Pacific. And it is in verse, the form into which Long- fellow put his stories of “Evangeline,” “Hiawatha” and “The Courtship of Miles Standish,” Scott his Highland tales of “The Lady of the Lake” and | “Marmion,” and Stephen Vincent Benet his Civil War saga, “John Brown's Body.” ER GAY CRUSADER. By King-Hall. New York: pleton-Century Co. ‘The author of “The Diary of a Young Lady of Fashion” (written un- der the name of Cleone Knox) now imagines the frivolous side of the Crusades, which, in spite of their re- ligious motive, undoubtedly had their frivolous side, unless they differed from every other great movement in history, She shows gay and adven- turous men and women journeying from England to the Holy Land be- cause there they expected to find re- lief from boredom and possible haz- ards of an amorous or financial na- ture. Perhaps some such motives ac- tuated a small of those who did “war work” in France over six centuries after the Crusades, - * K kX ‘THEIR OWN COUNTRY. . By Valma Clark. New York: G. P. Put- nam’s Sons. Back from the shores of Lake Cay- uga in the lovely lake region of Cen- tral New York, where Miss Clark her- self grew up. live Jim Thorpe, his wife Claudia; his sister Pauline and his niece, Abby Wipslow. Between fan} | | | Magdalen D. Ap- BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any question of fect by writing The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Direc- tor, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How many engineers were used on the vecord trip of the streamline train across the continent?—F. L. M, A. The engineers on the Union Pa- cific Streamliner on its recent trip from Los Angeles to New York were C. M. Beard, O. J. Mitchell and H. D. Robinson. These men each worked in shufts of two hours on and four hours off. Q. How many golf courses and goif players are there in the United States? —S ET. % A. There are about 4000 golf| clubs and 5,800 courses in this country. ‘The number of people playing golf is estimated at over 2,500,000 and less than 3,000,000. They play, yearly, be- tween 90,000,000 and 100,000,000 rounds of golf, using about 60,000,000 new golf balls. Q. What are the principles of Sun Yat-Sen, by which China is supposed to be guided?—N. H. A. They are: Nationalism, democ- racy, economic modernization and well-being. Q. What is an indeterminate sen- tence?—B. F. A. In criminal law, it is a sentence which fixes the period or amount of punishment only within certain lim- its, leaving the exact term or amount of punishment to be deterniined by the executive authoritigs, usually a| board of managers. The term is ap- plied to such sentences where the re- lease before service of the maximum period is upon parole as well as where it is by absolute discharge. Q. What is a ceroon?—H. F. A. A seroon or ceroon is a package or bale of goods, such as fruit, wrapped in the hide of an animal. Q. Please give a biography of Joe Penner, the comedian—C. R. C. A. Born at Nadgybeck Kereck, Hungary, Joseph Pinta. early became & comedian in vaudeville. Before en- tering vaudeville he had been a maga- zine salesman, choir boy, filing clerk and property man. His success in vaudeville led to a radio engagement and recently he played in the picture “College Rhythm.” Penner married Eleanor May Vogt, a former chorus girl Q. What is the name of the man in Texas who has compiled a diction- ary of Shakespeare?—K. G. A. Anderson Baten of Dallas, Tex., has spent six years compiling his 1,- 500.000-word Complete Dictionary of Shakespeare, which contains a defini- | tion and discussion of every word used by Shakespeare, Q. What is the ful! name of Father Coughlin?—C. T. A. His name is Charles Edward Coughlin, Q. How did the poinsettia get its | name?—H. F. A. It was named ior Joel Roberts Poinsett. As Secretary of War under President Van Buren, he gave close personal attention to Florida on ac- count of the Seminole Indians. A student of botany, he called scientific attention to the plant which now bears his name. Q. Who invented the character Peter Rabbit?—F. B. A. Harrison Cady, the artist, de- veloped the character of Peter Rabbit. Q. Do the officials of race tracks know the exact variation of the track from day to day?—J. K. A. They do not. It is estimated from past experience. A fine, dry track is called fast and a wet, soggy track is called heavy. A track hali- ;vny between these conditions is called air. Q. What city has the most beauti- ful harbor in the world?>—L. A. 8. A. By many, Rio de Janeiro is thought to have the most beautiful. Q. How is cayenne pepper made?— A. Cayenne pepper is a hot and | pungent powder made by drying and | grinding the fruits or seeds of several species of the genus Capsicum, espe- clally Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens. There are about 30 species, natives of Central and South America. They are now grown in various parts of the world both for the fruit and for ornament. The principal source of cayenne pepper is C. annuum, the spur or goat pepper, a dwarf shrub, a native of South America, but com- monly cultivated in the East Indies. It produces a small, narrow, bright red pod, having very pungent proper- ties. Cayenne pepper is manufac- tured from the ripe fruits, which are dried, ground, mixed with wheat flour and made into cakes with yeast; the cakes are baked until hard like bis- cuit and then ground and sifted. The pepper is sometimes prepared by simply drying the pods and pounding them fine in a mortar. Q. How long has the Thoma$' Reg- ister of American Manufacturers been published?—E. 8. A. For 25 consecutive years. It has its original name, ownership and di- | recting personnel. Q. What does a baby elephant weigh?—J. J. A. The approximate weight of an elephant at birth is 160 to 200 pounds, Q. What was the Supreme Court decision regarding military training? |—K. R. A. The decision of the Supreme | Court sustainéd the right of land- grant colleges to require military training as a part of their curricula | and to deny admission to students who refuse to comply. Q. Is there any difference between baggage and luggage?’—E. C. A. They mean exactly the same. The word baggage is in general u<e in the United States, while in Eng- land luggage is usually heard. Q. In some springs, a lighted match seems to ignite & gas. What is the explanation?—8. L. M. A. Sometimes quantities of me- thane or marsh gas are present in springs. If a match is tossed into | such a spring there will be a slight puff of flame which will then go out Q. What was the Academia Brazil- eira dos Esquecidos?—H. A. A. Translated, the name means | Brazilian Academy of Forgotten Men It was a sort of literary hall of fame established in Brazil in 1742. Q. Where did the expression, hoist on his own petard, come from?—J. M A. It is from Shapespeare’s “Ham- let.” Q. Is there a difference in compass between an alto and a contralto voice? —H. P. A. There s practically no distinc- tion made between alto and contralto. although formerly the latter meant the deeper voice. Critic’s Role Assigned Borah In Republican Senator Borah’s demand for reor- ganization of the Republican party has attracted country-wide atiention to the question of the party's future. The press refers to him as & natural critic of G. O. P. policies, and, while his plea receives praise, doubts are expressed as to the part he may play in the creation of,definite policies. Quoting several Republican leaders as agreeing with Mr. Borah that “the party should be reorganized along pro- gressive lines,” the Milwaukee Journal (independent), adds that “just as help- fully, the Old Guard, in the person of Chairman Fletcher, throws cold water” but that “all the makings are laration for the Republican party.” “The Idaho Senator's high stand- ing and Nation-wide prestige.” ob- serves the Roanoke Times (Democrat- ic), “insures that his words will com- | mand respectful attention among the rank and file of the party” and that paper believes that “his demand for a ‘complete reorganization’ will receive strong support from the liberal ele- ment, which has been growing steadily of late years.” The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer (Democratic), suggests that the defenders of the present attitude of the party “may delay until the American people have another oppeor- tunity to show that the twentieth cen- tury is well on its way.” “Senator Borah,” comments the San Francisco Chronicle (Republican), “proj a reorganization to liber- alize the Republican party. That is & desirable object. Yet nothing could be more certain than that if Senator Borah were named as the chief re- organizer, or as one of a group to do the reorganizing, the job would not be done, 1f it depended at all on him.” ‘The Muskegon (Mich.) Chronicle (Republican), is convinced that “Borah does not know how to work with any- body, and that is why he never has been a leader, and never will.” “The Senator is & perennial stirrer- uper” is the opinion of the Newark Evening News (independent), “and, as such, is useful. But his record shows he is a better starter than fin- isher for new political alignments. ‘When election time comes the old Re- publican party looks pretty good to him. The young Republicans have reason to fear that, if they try to run away with the party, Mr, Borah would leave them out on' a limb. As for the Old Guard, it has heard Mr. Jim and Abby exists a friendship so close that it produces conflicts of jealousy in the family group. A tragedy, out of keeping with the quiet charm of the setting, but wholly in keeping with realities, is skillfully de- veloped by Miss Clark. “This quiet- looking little lake is very treacherous,” says EEEE CRACK OF DOOM. By Hugh Ed- wards. Indianapolis: The Bobbs- Merrill Co. Mr. Edwards, who served in the British Army for 12 years, in the West Indies and Africa, prefers the former setting for most of his stories. ‘This one shifts its scene from Jamaica to Barbados and to Jamaica again, as it relates the fightings and gal- lantries of the Struttons, Clennells and Javets and the frequent inter- ruption of their love affairs by earth- quakes, fires and fighting, which do not, however, discourage the partici- pants. Told with spirit and good Jocal color, Reorganization | Borah cry ‘Wolf! Wolf!" too often to | be greatly alarmed. Senator Borah | can stand as pat as any of them when there is voting to be done.” “What we hope the elder statesmen will do,” says the New York Herald- | Tribune (Republican), “is to welcome cordially the expression of views now under way,” and it concludes that “granted a healthy growth in new leadership, the future of the party and the definition of its policies wi{l take care of themselves.” The Wichita Eagle (independent), advises: “There | come occasionally great issues which break men away from former alle- | giances. Parties form around issues— | the thing that happened just previous to the Civil War. As a crisis gave here for a thoroughgoing new dec- | birth to the Republican party, so now | & crisis would instantly reinvigorate | the Republican party, and neither Mr. | Fletcher nor Senator Borah would | have much to do with its inclination to the ‘right’ or to the ‘left.”” “If the American people want pro- longed radicalism.” argues the South Bend Tribune (Republican), “they need not vote Republicans back into power. The Roosevelt administration has shown willingness to try anything at least once.” The Manchester (N. H.) Union (Republican), states: “In any event, if the Idaho Senator’s advice were followed, the result would nece: sarily be to deepen division and dis- sension at & time when unity is the one thing that is needed.” “The surest way for Republican well-wishers to show their friend- ship,” remarks the Canton (Ohio) Re- pository (independent), “is to hope the party will not make itself ridiculous by trying to imitate the Roosevelt wing of the Democratic party. If the pen- alty of conservatism is going to be death, there is some merit in meeting death gracefully instead of trying foolishly to outfox it by assuming a disguise. A party which can poll 45 per cent of the total vote in a congres- sional election may have one foot in the grave, but it has its other foot and both hands on ballots.” e Not Too Fast. From the Charleston (W. Va.) Daily Mail, The relief administration, we are told in an Associated Press dispatch | from Washington, has given tentative approval to the establishment of 50 rural industrial communities for the unemployed “in the face of a ruling by Controller General J. R. McCarl that such use of relief funds is illegal.” The controller general may be right or he may not be in his ruling. His opinion, nevertheless, deserves to be respected until and unless it should be upset in a proper test of the legality of the projects under consideration. The administration would make a seri= ous mistake by proceeding otherwise. The proposed rural industrial com- munities may represent a very worth- while idea and one from the carrying out of which mueh good might result. Should the question of illegality cloud their establishment, however, their value would be greatly decreased. Misuse of public funds needs to be guarded against with the greatest pos- sible vigilance today when millions are being poured out for a variety of causes, some of which undoubtedly are good, but others of which are of questionable benefit. The relief administration should be sure of its course before proceeding further. Illegal acts in high places are to be condoned no more than in the ordinary walks, a oA