Evening Star Newspaper, January 7, 1935, Page 8

A-8 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON,D.C. MONDAY....,.January 7, 1935 THEODORE W. NOYES..Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11 8 SR Bennevivanta Ave . an 3 New York Office: 110 4%!‘!5 8t icago Office: Lake Michigan Building. opean Office:, 14 Regent St.. London. England. Rate hy Carrier Within the City. lar Edition, 45¢ per month r n 4 Sunday: 0c per month Evening and Sunday Star T when 5 Sunaays 65¢ per month The Sunday Star 3¢ per copy ht_Final Edif n Star.. ... b5c:er month Collection made at the end of each month. Orders may be sent in by mail or telephone NAtional 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Datly and Sunday. .1 3r..810.00; 1 mo. 880 1 only. .. £6.00; 1 mo., 50¢ Binday "only’ $4.00: 1 mo’. 40¢ nd Canada. 1.00 0. T8¢ $5.00: 1mo.. 80 Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively ens titled to the use for republica all news dispatches credited to it or not other- wise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved, —_— The Capper Resolution. By his introduction today of & joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution empowering Con- c per mont! the area of one of the most important trials ever held in America? It was simply curiosity. There was nothing to be seen but just another small town and just such a court house as may be seen in any other county seat. None of the participants in this sad spectacle of inquisition into one of the most dastardly crimes ever com= mitted in this country was within view. The prisoner himself was close- ly confined. The lawyers and the witnesses were all at their respective homes, resting from the ordeal of last week’s proceedings. Just a small- town main street, with its shuttered and a commonplace court house, A few of the visitors, perhaps, got & thrill inside the court room by sitting in the seats of the jurors; some pos- sibly sat in the chairs occupied by the accused man and his accusers. It is related that a few of them were snap- shotted in these positions, thus get- ting precious souvenirs of their thrill- hunting expedition. Far better would it have been if the building had been closed and all this indecorous perform- ance prevented. The Roman-holiday spirit prevails today despite the long lapse of time and the supposed advancement of mankind since the arena drew ex- cited throngs to witness hideous spec- tacles of cruelty. R The District Budget. Citizens of the District have thelr gress to enfranchise the citizens of | first opportunity today to study the the District, giving them the right|local estimates for 1936, as sent to of representation in Congress and ac- | Congress by the Bureau of the Budget. cess to the Federal courts, Senator | But publication of the estimates to- Capper renews an effort that has con- | day occurs after they have already tinued for many years and will con- | been reviewed in detail and sub- tinue until this act of justice to the,jected to change by the House Sub- disfranchised Americans who consti- | committee on District Appropriations, tute the Capital community is con-|Which has prepared the District summated. The amendment which is | bill for submission to Congress, per- proposed in this resolution does not in | haps this week. What changes the itself achieve this end. It must be | cOmmittee has made will not be ratified by three-fourths of the States | known in detail until the bill is re- before it is effective. That such rati- | Ported from committee—a fact which fication will be given if and when the | serves to accentuate the utter lack of amendment is adopted by a two- |Voice by local taxpayers in the ex- thirds vote of both houses of Con- | Penditure of their own money. gress is not to be doubted. As for the estimates themselves. the The amendment in itself merely |significant reduction is in the Com- authorizes Congress to enact legisla- | missioners’ recommended figure of tion to the end that the District shall | $8,317,000 for a lump sum which be given the right of representation | Would more nearly approximate the in the Congress which under the Con- | Federal obligation to the District. stitution exercises exclusive legislation | The Commissioners presentgd a con- over the area set apart as the seat|vincing case to the Bureau of the of Government. It grants to the now | Budget as to why the increase in thg disfranchised half million the funda- [lump sum was justified. The budget mental American right of participa- | figure of $5700,000 is inadequate, tion in the making of the laws affect- ing them and admits them to the polls in the selection of the President and Vice President. In the course of the long struggle to obtain this emancipation the peo- ple of the District have repeatedly demonstrated the injustice of the dis- crimination which sets them apart from their fellow Americans, putting them in the category of the criminals, the insane and certain other groups of the disfranchised. Their case is susceptible of no logical denial. The fact that the Congress, to representa- tion in which they seek admittance, is their sole legislature, making all the laws which affect them in their daily lives, prescribing the rates of taxation and the size and character of the appropriation of their tax con- tributions toward the maintenance of ; their municipal organization, granting or withholding the Federal contribu- tions to the cost of municipal gov- ernment, as well as the taxes which they pay as citizens of the Nation, gives this plea for national representa- tion & force of reason and justice which cannot logically be denied. Adoption of the proposed amend- ment, with ratification and mbse-‘ quent legislation to carry it into ef- fect, will not in the least change the relations between Congress and the District. The present form and meth- od of local government and adminis- tration will remain unless and until it may be changed by act of Con- gress, in the doing of which the Dis- triet will have a voice through its proportionate representation in that body. If the powers of the Commis- sioners are enlarged, as proposed, the people of the District will, under the proposed constitutional amendment, have a chance of participation in that development. Thus the adoption of the amendment proposed by Senator Capper’s resolution, with legislation ensuing to give it effect, would not lessen the power of Congress to amend both as regards the extent of the national obligation to Capital City maintenance and development and as regards the real needs of the District which should be financed. The resulting loss to the District of revenues which would be secured through an increase in the lump sum again restricts the District to a pro- gram chiefly representing mainte- nance. The outlays for permanent improvement remain curtailed. While the budget represents a total in- crease in proposed expenditure of about $2500,000 over the current year's appropriations, about half of that amount is represented in the res- toration of full salaries for the next fiscal year. Another portion of the increase will come from revenues of the gasoline tax, to be utilized in grade-crossing eliminations, and an- other part is applied to beginning or continuing construction on six new school buildings or additions. The estimates this year were for- warded to Congress and have been ex- amined and revised by the House committee while an examination of the local tax burden is in progress un- der the direction of the President. What this examination of tax burdens alone will reveal remains to be known, and the results will depend largely upon the interpretation of the figures in the light of Washington's peculiar status as the séat of Government of the Nation, exclusively controlled by the Nation. Certainly the results of the tax comparison, standing alone, can mean little in an attempt to make more equitable a system of appropriat- ing for the Capital that leaves impor- tant needs unmet, and which shifts a disproportionate burden of what should be a joint, fixed responsibility to the shoulders of the local taxpay- ers. The President will doubtless extend his examination of fiscal rela- tions beyond the comparison of taxes, ‘Washington’s hope is that the budget transmitted to Congress is to THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 1935. does not include the workers without Jjobs who may not be on such relief rolls, nor does it conform with the higher estimates of the American Fed- eration of Labor. ‘The country can continue to stand this expenditure for relief, as the President says. It cannot continue to make these vast expenditures fovever, however, as the sincerest of the New Dealers will' admit. Nor does the President contemplate such a pro- gram, Constantly he refers to the fact that he expects American private industry to absorb the jobless. If that much-desired end is to be attained, it is clear that industry must be given encouragement. Yet little enough has been said in the way of its encourage- ment. Rather, there is the threat of Governm' 1t interference with in- dustry for one reason or another. ‘These reasons ring with sincerity. They are of excellent purpose. Yet they can scarcely be said to be quiet- ing to the nerves of industry. There is no present intention on the part of the administration, it is clear, to seek a balanced Government budget, except at some indefinite time in the future. The ryelpts of the Government will not ‘equal, in =all probability, one-half of the expected expenditure for the fiscal year—which ends a year from June 30 next. Apparently it is the intention of the President to carry on along the lines of the New Deal recovery program al- ready attempted. A year and a half, the period these plans have been in qperation, generally speaking, is not conclusive. He has indicated that the plans of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration are to proceed, that the N. R. A, certainly in part, is to be continued. And the effort to prime the pump through a huge public works program is to go forward on a scale even greater than before. The Congress is asked by the Presi- dent to #gree to this program. It is likely to do so, although there will be here and there bitter opposition to certain features. The Congress, as well as the President, must be fully aware that actual recovery in thig country depends on industry and busi- ness. The Government cannot substi- tute for industry and business in ihis matter indefinitely. What does the Congress and what does the President intend to do for business and in- dustry ———— People made great fun of the Sweet Singer of Michigan years ago for her earnest crudities of grammar and versification. If she were alive today she would look with complacency on the unconscious imitations of her style in radio lyricism. ——ee. Some of the older statesmen feel a friendly interest in keeping the youth- ful Mr. Holt of West Virginia out of what might prove dangerous company. —_—— e The Secretary of State is an ex- ample of the serfous and diligent statesman who has not even time to write a book. R Tiny Tim'sgentle salutation will not be permitted to pass into temporary forgetfulness along with the rest of the holiday greetings. ———e—e— Trotsky has been silent a long time. Everything comes to those who wait, including a turn at the microphone, SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Motivation. Great Wisdom is a better thing Than money, any day, Yet worth we keep on measuring By what we have to pay, As with a practical intent ‘We face this life of care, The Profit Motive must be lent To make the deal seem square. Great Wisdom still retains its pride, 'Mid mercenary strife! Its influence is not denied In any sphere of life. With patient skill we calculate Results that should be due, And our transactions demonstrate A Profit Motive, too. Study. “You advise everybody to study law.” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum. the system under which the District be merely the foundation for an | “Everybody knows that it's easier to is conducted as an American com- |8PPropriation bill which in final shape | study law for yourself than wait for munity, specifically pre-empted by the will reflect a greater recognition of | the police to teach it to you.” Constitution as the seat of Govern- ment of the United States. obligation to its Capital by the na- tional, exclusively governing United "Jud Tunkins says times are never This resolution is an expression of States, with more funds available for | so hard as to prevent a good crowd an urgent plea by the disfranchised the permanent improvements which | from shoving in bets at the race track. District that it be made fully Ameri- can so far at least as voting repre- sentation in its national Government, have been postponed for many years, — et Voice tests are to be used in the legislative and executive, is concerned. | Hauptmann trial. They may be con- ‘To gain this voting representation will | fusing unless precautions can be taken give the District a distinct and obvious | to prevent any exercise of gifts for power in place of present impotency. | vocal imitation. —_——————— — e The experience of Col. Lindbergh is For Recovery. @ strange one. After conquering the skies he is compelled to face an ordeal ‘The Congress has before it in gen- eral broad outline the President's ofithe e continued recovery program, Today % hios the budget message of the President Flemington's First Sunday. was transmitted to Capitol Hill, con- Yesterday all roads in New Jersey, | taining in dollars and cents the esti- fed by the roads from adjacent States, | mates of outlay for the various proj- Jed to Flemington, the scene of the |ects and proposals. Those who have trial of Bruno Hauptmann for the | conferred with the President in recent kidnaping and killing of the Lindbergh | days place the entire budget at above baby. And they were crowded from | $8,000,000,000. Of this one-half—a dawn until dark with motor cars |vast sum— is to be expended to carry carrying some sixty thousand people [on relief work, or work relief, as it is intent upon viewing the town that | termed under the new plan of the has become famous and the court | President, to take the unemployed off house where this trial is being held | the dole and place them on the pay and, indeed, the very room in which | roll. the prisoner and the parents of the | The measure of recovery under the child he is accused of stealing and [ New Deal is held by the President to slaying sit close together. Not all of | be very considerable. It is obvious, the sixty thousand went inside the | however, that the United States has building, for the guards made all who jmuch yet to do. The expenditure of sought entrance sign a register, and | $4,000,000,000 a year for relief— that so checked the flow of the visitors | whether it be work relief or any other that only about five thousand actually | kind—is predicated upon & great mass gained admittance. of unemployed. The President esti- What was it that drew this multi- mates that there are 5,000,000 of these fude over the roads. drew them within jobless workers on relief rolls. That 6 A Fortitude, 7 The various worries We've all had to know Must vanish like flurries Of scattering snow. ‘We may not be wealthy— For fate we're prepared, With every one healthy And nobody scared. Recognizable. “There is no difficulty about recog- nizing Russia.” “None whatever,” answered Miss Cayenne. “Some of its old manners and customs remain entirely too fa- miliar.” “Our tongs administer justice in their own silent way,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “but they save much money for the taxpayers.” The Insatiate Public. No more as cannibals we go Some victim to destroy, And think he may be made to show An hour that we enjoy. ‘We call upon the world to heed We have grown more palite, Though Crime may need new souls to feed A morbid appetite. “I don’t mind bein’ cheated,” said Uncle Eben, “as much as I do bein’ laughed at by de man who did it.” > | ‘The almost irresistible temptation to leaf through new books received at Christmas is very well known, There are two schools of advice in this matter. One is: Don't! ‘The other, and it seems to us the more sensible, is Use discretion! There is a real booky pleasure in glving in to the desire to read a page or two here and there in a new volume. If the privilege is unwisely used, however, the best edge can be taken off the finest story. D The thing to do, therefore, is to dip into the hind pages very easily. Suppose it is a book of plays, for instance. The drama, above all, must not be tampered with if one wants to enjoy the mood which the playwright builds up. Even more than in a novel, this mood is the direct result of words and actions. Each follows on another. There is, especially in the written play, little explanation to help build the mood. That is why, no doubt, many per- sons say they cannot read plays in book form. They are sincere. They simply are unable to build the mood, following in the footsteps of the dramatist. * Kk K If the booklover reads too lavishly in the last act, he runs a very grave chance of spoiling the effect the play- wright tried to create. Let us go on the assumption that the written words do create the effect, if read right on. It is this reading straight ahead | that builds up the mood. In sampling a scene here and there, in a desultory fashion, the reader takes an unfair peek, as it were. He sees what he is not supposed to see, especially at the time he sees it. This is just another way of saying that he is unfair to himself and to the writer. EEE What does being unfair to a writer mean, anyway? If one has bought his book, that is fair enough, Is it not? Well, scarcely. The true fairness lies in reading him as he wrote. Too often this is not understood. A reader may pick up a book with sus- picion, be swayed by the opinions of others, be stampeded into trying to like or dislike what he has written. It is being fair to a writer to read him with an unprejudiced mind, and to make up one’s own opinion. * % X X Thousands of persons undoubtedly have not been fair to James Hilton, the English author whose small book, “Good-bye, Mr. Chips,” has sold more | than 76,000 copies in this country. “A minor miracle,” said one review. “A sentimental masterpiece,” de- clared another. The truth, as some see it, is that the little story is neither minor nor a miracle. It simply is a well-told story of a | schoolmaster, and it got its big sale | through judicious radio blurbing. But every reader knows it is supposed to | be sentimental, and he works hard to find it so, often without achieving the | mood at all. The thing is a very | THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL, straightforward piece of work. Its merits are essentially non-sentimental, it being strictly realistic; but in school-trained America, as in Eng- land, older readers have been only t00 willing to smear such a story with the smack of sentimentality. Being fair to such a story is to read it as it was written, getting the good and failing to be swayed by the boost- ing of others who know no more about such things, after all, than the average reader. * K K % ‘What does being unfair to one's self mean? In the art of reading, it means that the reader falls to go along with the writer, for one thing. He may be held back, as pointed out, by opinions of others, opinions set forth as the last word, but which, in reality, are nothing but a one-man verdict, after all. He may be kept back even more by jumping around in the book, instead of doing as he ought to do, starting at the first word and ending at the last. Women, particularly, are held up as offenders, in this respect, but the popular verdict may be questioned, as s0 many popular verdicts may be questioned. He who questions them is always doing a public service, even when he may be wrong. Sometimes this, too, is not admitted, but it may be sub- mitted that he who questions glib ver- dicts, when and wherever they occur, is doing the world a real service. * x x % Men, no less than women, are prone to read a few pages here and there in a book, in the belief that just a few pages will do no harm. Unless these are totally unconnect- ed with other pages, hence other hap- penings and speeches (we refer to plays), they will give away, in the most unexpected ways, the entire plot. It is rather old-fashioned, perhaps, to refer to the plot of a play, but there is such a thing, after all, and 1t is a growth, a movement with be- ginning and an end, as strange as that may seem to some who believe that “brittleness” of lines is all that makes the modern play worth while. The plot's the thing, and if one insists on dipping into the story, he wrecks the plot for himself. Unless, | of course, he is going to act in the thing. Then the more he knows the play, in every detail, the better off | he s, in all probability. * X X X If the " “der will use discrimination, however, .2 may dip around in any play that ever was written. He must totally disconnect what he has read with the remainder of the play. This is best achieved by not reading too much in any of the later acts. If one must dip in, then dip in the first act, preferably, or the very first pages of a one-act play. Rightly used, this dipping process will do no harm at all. It may even do good, through the chance of some one sentence drawing one to read the remainder of the play. This is particularly desirable in & book of plays, such as the collected dramatic efforts of Galsworthy or Molnar. The new reader may feel inclined to slight certain titles, but let him dip in for a few pages, he will find something or other that sticks in his memory and leads him on to perusal of the scenes in regular order. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Politicians and business leaders are waiting to digest today’'s budget mes- sage before deciding definitely whether the Roosevelt “new order of things” is trending right or left. Meantime, scrutiny of the President's earlier message produces a fair unanimity of view that he has chosen a middle-of- the-road course. While his relief and socfal security programs are frankly humanitarian and liberal, they are | not diagnosed as radical. On the contrary, they are found to contain plenty of points to reassure conserva- | tives. Foremost among such indica- | tions is the statement that work re- | lief will be financed “within sound | Goverpment credit.” This has the earmarks of an @nti-inflation pledge. | Affirmation of the President’s belief in the profit motive, the guarantee that relief-work wages will not be higher than those prevailing in private em- ployment, and promise of & minimum of Government competition with com- mercial and banking enterprise—all these things are welcomed as signs | that Mr. Roosevelt is not steering the | ship of state to the left, 3 Most criticisms *of the President's program thus far voiced assail its “vagueness” and “indefiniteness.” F. D. R. all along emphasized that his report on the state of the Union would be confined to a broad outline of “policies and objectives.” Congress | will soon be surfeited with brass-tacks from the White House. Message after message projecting specific pro- posals will be forthcoming in & more or less incessant stream. They will be brief and concrete, As far as pos- sible, it is the desire of the President and the Democratic leadership that one proposition shall be out of the way before another is tackled. None of the major measures suggested by Mr. Roosevelt in his message to Con- gress has so far evoked hints of not- able opposition. There will be scraps over details and some attempts to go farther in matters like relief, public works and social security. But with the underlying purposes of the ad- ministration program there is a vol- ume of agreement and approval that forecasts relatively easy sledding for it all along the line. Comment is uni- versal that it represents the most “human” set of legislative plans ever submitted to any Congress in the Nation’s history. * k k% Louis J. Alber, veteran lecture im- presario, who is now directing the speaking and radio activities of the Federal Housing Administration after having served Gen. Johnson in a similar capacity at N. R. A, has per- suaded one of the big broadcasting chains to place on & Nation-wide network a fourth weekly F. H. A. program glorifying the vixtues of the New Deal housing scheme. It will be the first Government-inspired feature to go on the air under com- mercial sponsorship, as it has been sold for & period of 26 weeks to one of the country’s leading manufac- turers of electrical appliances. The program will be entitled “What Home Means to Me,” and will be opened on Sunday afternoon, January 13, from the John Howard Payne house at East Hampton, Long Island, where “Home Sweet Home” was composed more than a century ago. Mr. Alber says that the purpose of the new housing broadcast is to make radio listeners “more aware of the true value of the home, more home con- scious and less inclined to indulge in the too prevalent cynical conception that home is just a place to hang one’s hat when there’s nowhere else Rt x Xk X% As the bonus Sght wil eventually be decided in the Senate, interes attaches to same of the recent ) - torial election results. Among the 27 Senators who voted to sustain Mr. Roosevelt's veto of the independent offices bill, including much of the bonus program, were four who were candidates to succeed themselves. All of them were re-elected—Byrd of Vir- ginia, Connally of Texas, King of Utah and O’Mahoney of Wyoming. In several instances the bonus was 8 major campaign issue. Senators Connally end O'Mahoney, who voted against the original bonus proposals and then supported the veto, were each opposed in November by a popu- lar ex-service man who had pre- viously served in the House of Rep- ‘resentatives and made & strong bid‘ for veterans’ support. SR Something like the famous battle against the League of Nations is in | sight, with the impending attempt to secure Senate ratification of the re- vised proposal for American member- ship in the World Court. Republican progressive Senators Borah and John- | son are expected to lead a bitter op- position fight. They will have some support among both Republicans and Democrats, but not nearly enough to overcome the strength that Senator Joe Robinson, Democratic majority leader, will muster in favor of court entry. The vote will be the first graphic test of the administration’s power to impose its will in the Sen- ate on practically all occasions—the bonus always excepted. Affirmative action will take place not far from the twelfth anniversary of the date on which President Harding first recommended such a step—February 24, 1923, * % K X Whether or not he emerges as head man of the vast new Federal public works rellef scheme, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes is certain, practically all authorities agree, to remain a potent New Deal figure. If and when he quits the embattled scene, they say, it is sure to be of his own choosing, for President Roosevelt continues to hold “Honest Harold” in highest esteem. Some Democratic politicians do not hide their dislike of the Chicago reformer, first, because they consider him a Republican out- sider, and secondly, because he has; not loosened up on P. W. A. funds and methods to the extent they de- sire, * ok ok X Women in the new Congress are seven instead of the eight who sat in the preceding House and Senate. There are now six in the House and Mrs. Cataway in the Senate. That's one fewer in the lower branch, be- cause of the defeat of Mrs. McCarthy, Democrat, of Kansas. Mrs, Clarke, Republican, of New York did not seek to come back, but the Empire State elected Mrs. Caroline O'Day, Demo- crat, as Representative-at-Large. * Ok kX His American colleagues are inter- ested to learn that Sir Arthur Willert, one-time Washington correspondent of the London Times, is retiring as press officer of the British foreign office to engage in literary work. While in Downing street Sir Arthur fairly revolutionized British government news practices, substituting for jtraditional secrecy and aloofness the American system of intimate contact between officialdom and the press. Sir Arthur is a trusted adviser of Prime Minister MacDonald, . (Copyright. 1935.) —— e The Changing Times. Prom the Wichita Easle. Corporation salaries are to be dis- closed by reports to the securities commission. They will show that a vice president isn't what he to be. 9 The Political Mill By G. Gould Lincoln. ‘This week will see Congress get into action. It will have before it the President’s program, so far as dollars and cents go. The budget is being delivered on Capitol Hill today. The President has indicated that he will ask for an appropriation of $4,000,- 000,000 to be used by the Zxecutive to carry on the vast program of public works by which 3,500,000 workers are to be taken off relief rolls and given jobs. Furthermore, he will ask that this sum be left very largely to the discretion of the Chief Executive in its allocation, The argument ad- vanced for this is that the work of relief may go forward more efficiently if the money is not tied up to certain projects, some of which might take a long time to get under way. The argu- ment, from an administrative point of view, is sound enough. When Con- gress makes such an appropriation, however, as it is expected to do, it will have again given a major demon- stration of how far it has departed from the traditions of other days, when the legislative insisted upon de- ciding just for what purposes every dollar of Government money was to be expended. * ok ok % ‘When it comes to writing the appro- priation act to take care of this vast sum of money to be used for work relief—public works—there is likely to be used certain language, similar to that in the President’s annual message to Congress when he described the field that this program would cover. But while it may specify that the money is to be used for slum clearance, rural housing, rural electrification, refor- estation, highway work, etc, it ap- pears the Congress will be asked not to nail down particular amounts for particular projects. Whether in the end this method of appropriating will be carried out remeins to be seen. It would have raised a roar of protest from the members of Congress a few scant years ago. * k kX Representative John B. Hollister of ©Ohio, of the old Nick Longworth dis- trict, becomes ranking Republican member of the House Banking and Currency Committee in the new Con- gress. In other words, when the G. 0. P. regains control of the House, he will be chairman. Mr. Hollister has served two terms in the House and is starting on his third. He was re-elect- ed last November by an even larger majority than two years earlier, indi- cating that there are some Republic- ans left in Ohio and in Cincinnati, his home city. During his service in Weshington Mr. Hollister has forged steadily ahead in the House. He has some very definite ideas about what the present Congress should do in re- gard to the Home Owners' Loan Cor- poration. “It is to be hoped,” Mr. Hollister said today, “that the President will include a request for a further ap- propriation to the Home Owners' Loan Corp. When such vast sums are being spent by the Government on various relief schemes, many of dubious value, due consideration should be given to the plight of hun- dreds of thousands of our citizens who, through no fault of their own, but because of inability to keep up the payments due on their mortgages, are faced with the loss of the property which they hold most dear, their homes. Some of thege are, of course, beyond help, but many can ultimately | work out of their situation if some | leniency is shown by giving them a short moratorium or a longer spread in the time of their payments. What makes the situation doubly distressing is that frequently through chance or neglect, or even through maladminis- tration, or favoritism by local Home Owners’ Loan Corp. offices, the selec- tion of home owners to be helped has been often arbitrary or capricious. Many duly qualified applicants have been kept in hopeful expectation for months, only to have their hopes dashed by the general order of a few weeks ago to the effect that because of impending lack of funds no appli- cations which had not reached a certain stage in the approval process coyld receive further consideration. Meanwhile, other applicants whose requests had been filed much later have received the desired help.” * X X x Mr. Hollister expressed complete confidence in the authorities in Wash- ington in charge of the operations of the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation. He said he believed they were fully alive to the abuses which had crept into local administration. He strongly urged that Congress should make an additional $1,000,000,000 available to the corporation to care for existing applications from home owners, in the order of their priority. Senator Robinson, Democratic lead- er of the Upper House, has placed Senator Carter Glass of Virginia and Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi on the important Democratic Steer- ing Committee. This committee de- cides upon the program of legisla- tion for the Senate. Both these Senators in the last Congress were members of the “Policy Committee.” ‘The latter committee acts in con- junction with a similar committee appointed by the House to consider the legislative program for the Con- gress. Senator Lorergan of Connecti- cut, now senior Senator from the Nutmeg State, also has been placed on the Steering Committee. To the Policy Committee Senator Robinson has assigned as new members Sena- tor Byrd of Virginia, Senator Neely of West Virginia and Senator Van Nuys of Indiana. Assignments to these two committees, which have important voices in determining the procedure in Congress and in the Senate, are greatly desired. The com- mittees act as advisers, especially to the Democratic leaders, who in turn, | take the programs to the floor of the two houses. * ok ok X Does it pay to pay as you go? Judging from the results of the re- cent congressional elections, the an- swer is “no.” For the Republican National Committee has liquidated during the last year all its debts and is out of the “red” and in the “black.” The Democratic National Commit- tee, on the other hand, still has a half a million dollars deficit. Every one knows that the Democrats had the bet- ter of the congressional elections last Fall; that they won overwhelmingly. However, the Republicans believe that in the long run the people will ap- preciate a party which mops up its debts and its expenditures as it goes along. Perhaps they believe that the country will look at their method of dealing with the party expenditures and that of their Democratic oppo- nents, and then take a look at what the Democrats are doing in connec- tion with the expenditures of the Government. * koK X The Republicans had & deficit of $206,000 last July when the new chair- man of the Natiopal Committee, Hen- 1y P. Fletcher, took charge, They not only wiped this deficit out, coming over from the 1932 campaign, but they met all the expenses of the Fall campaign. If they are inclined to pat themselves on the back, it is only natural. A party that can clean up used | its debts this way certainly shows of life. The Democratic debts ANSWERS TO QUE STIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can 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. How many new airports have been proposed?—G. J. A. At present there are 26 under consideration. Counting all airports and landing fields, there are now 2,280 in the United States. Q. What does the Bureau of En- graving and Printing make?—B. M. A. It designs, engraves and prints for the Government United States securities, United States and national bank currency, Federal Reserve notes and Federal Reserve bank notes, Fed- eral farm loan and joint stock land bank bonds, revenue, customs and postage stamps, Government checks, checks and other securities for the Emergency Relief Administration and many other classes of engraved work for Government use. It performs a similar function, as authorized by the Bureau of Insular Affairs, for the in- sular possessions of the Government. Q. What was the name of the child to whom Mrs. Roosevelt turned over the Gimbel award?—H. F. A. Walter Fox of Philadelphia is the 8-year-old boy who will be sent as a patient to the Warm Springs Foundation with the money awarded Mrs. Roosevelt. Q. What is meant by a general ship?—E. B. A. A general ship is one which has been advertised by the owners to take goods from a particular port at a par- ticular time, and which is not under any special contract to particular merchants. If the owners of a gen- eral ship have advertised her as bound for a particular port, they must give notice to every person who may ship goods on board, of any alteration in her destination, and they will be llable for the consequences of neglecting to do so. Q. What is laughing gas?>—R. B. A. Laughing gas is the name which was given to nitrous oxide after its remarkable physiological effects were | discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy and announced in his researches pub- | lished in 1800, Q. Who built the sailles?—G. E. L. A. The palace is mostly the work of Louis XIV. It consists of a central block surrounding the three sides of a large court and of two immense wings, each inclosing two or more courts. The total length of the building with | its dependencies is nearly one-half | mile. It houses a picture gallery upon which alone Louis XIV spent $5,000,000. Palace of Ver- Q. In the early days, where were our important lighthouses?—A. D. A. Important Colonial lighthouses were off Newport; on Sandy Hook: on Cape Henry; an island off Charles- ton: on Tybee River, Savannah, and Boston Harbor. Q. When did Congress vote pen- slons to men who served in the Revo- lutionary War?—S. G. A. On August 26, 1776, Congress offered pensions equal to half pay to the officers and enlisted men who were disabled in the Revolutionary War, with proportionate pensions in the case of partial disability. An act granting pensions to invalids was passed in 1785, but the first service pensions were granted by the act of March, 1818. Q How old was Cellini when he began his autobiography?—F. L. K. Richberg State New Interest Statements by Donald Richberg of the Roosevelt administration at a luncheon opening the Civic Exposition at Cleveland are interpreted as show- ing that the Nation's relief problem is under better control than was ex- pected earlier in the season. His plea for private employment inspires vary- ing reactions, but it s generally con- cluded that - the administration has reached definite conclusions as to the way in which the burden will be shared for the remainder of the sea- son. “He had something to say about re- lief needs,” states the Birmingham Age-Herald. “which was very signifi- cant. ‘Contrary to common misunder- standing,’ he said, the Federal relief load this Winter ‘is now and may be | expected to remain’ about 2.000,000 cases less than that of last Winter. If that is a fact—and certainly Mr. Rich- berg must know what he is talking about—it deserves to be much more widely heralded thai. it has been. Most people have been under the im- pression that the Federal relief load this Winter is heavier than last year. That certainly was the expectation in advance. * * * The fact that the Fed- eral relief problem is diminishing, ‘slowly but steadily,’ is extremely sig- nificant. Mr. Richberg Is justified in thinking that the failure of the an- ticipated increase in relief needs to materialize is the ‘most heartening indication of & permanent gain in employment that could be presented.’ It is so truly heartening that much more should be made of it than has been done.” Commenting on Mr. Richberg's ef- forts to increase employment, and on his desire to avoid the use of the dole, the Charlotte (N. C.) Ob- server comments: “It is interesting to recall that only a comparatively short while ago the same sources now advocating a dole instead of work relief were expressing violent opposition to anything savoring of the | English dole system. Thus changing | conditions bring changing views of the same issues. Richberg presuma- bly was giving expression to the views of President Roosevelt on the dole- work relief question, upon which | opinions in America seem to have | been lately becoming more sharply divergent.” “Mr. Richberg suggested.” accord- ing to the Roanoke Times, “that many business men favor the dole ‘because it will cost less than to give men work.” This, in the opinion of the recovery chieftain, is a ‘very short- sighted’ view, and he gravely warned his Cleveland audience that America faces ‘internal dissension’ unless the unemployed millions are given work. It is not a pleasant thing to contem- plate, but the probability is that Mr. Richberg is right. There are men on the relief rolls in this and every other State who will never do another day’'s work as long as they live, provided | the community, the State or the Fed- eral Government will feed, shelter and clothe them. They were jobless be- fore the depression began, and job- less from choice. But they do not hangover from the 1928 campaign, which they financed in a big way. It seems almost & joke, however, that the light of the present situation A. This work was begun when Cellini was 58 years old. Q. What was the name of the first subway in New York City?>—C. E. T. A. The first subWay of any kind in New York City was known as the Beach Pneumatic Underground Rail- way of New York City, which was opened to the public in 1870. 'This was not successful. The first success- ful subway started in 1900 and open- ed on October 27, 1904. This subway was opened by the Interborough Rapid Transit Co. Q. Which painting by Whistler was the first which the artist sold to & public gallery in America?—D. M. A. “The Sarasate.” In 1896 the Carnegie Art Institute bought this painting. The price paid was $5,000. Q. Is there a new crime laboratory in the Federal Government?—F. E. H. A. A new scientific crime laboratory is being created by the Department of Justice. This laboratory will have specially designed microscopes, pre- cision instruments, fluoroscopic mae chines and other aids to the modern sleuths. It established its first lab- oratory in 1932. Q. What causes evergreen shrubs to get brown patches on them in the Wintertime?—R. M. W. A. High winds and sudden short warm spells in January and February cause the drying out or burning of their foliage. A burlap screen will prevent this. Q. Can cormorants be trained to catch fish?>—J. L. M. A. In Jepan fishermen train core morants to work for them. The birds dive for fish and catch them at the rate of as many as 100 an hour, bringing them to the boats and deliv= ering them. Q. When was the art colony estabe lished at Taos, N. Mex.?—H. K. A. The Taos art colony was founde ed in 1898. of the words in everyday use come from Latin?— HEM Q. How many A. About 20 per cent of the words used in normal conversation are of Latin derivation. Q. When was the first Tournament of Roses parade held at Pasadena?— H.J A. In 1889 the first of these events was held in Pasadena, having been in- spired by the Carnival of Flowers at Nice, France. At first the festival was called the Battle of the Flowers. Later the affair took its name from the governing board, which was called the Tournament of Roses Association. Q. What is the population of Brite ish Honduras?—G. C. K A. British Honduras has a popula- tion of 51,000. one-third of which live in Belize, the capital and principal seaport. Q. What is the largest ship which has been built under the Nazi regime? —A. S. A. It is the Scharnhorst, recently launched at Bremen, and built for service between Germany and the Far East. Q. With how many languages fis | young King Peter of Yugoslavia fa- miliar>—T. W. A. At the age of 11 the young King | has a thorough knowledge of five lan- | guages, Serbo-Croat, English, French, | German and Russian. English is used | nearly as much at the court of Dedinje as Serbo-Croat. Q. How much money is paid out in Xes in the United States?—R. W. S. A. It is estimated by the National Industrial Conference Board that the taxes paid annually in the United | States amount to $9,500,000,000. | ta: | ment Stirs in Relief Work represent the majority, nor are they | fair examples of the unemployed as a type.” The Times concludes that “Mr. Richberg declines to believe that the energies of American busine's men and the courage of American financiers have been exhausted.” The Sioux Falls (S. Dak.) Daily | Argus-Leader complains that Mr. | Richberg “seeks to obtain support of his objective by scares” but the Wichita Eagle asserts that “America’s | chief hope is that private industry will speedily reach a point where it can employ most able-bodied per sons.” The San Francisco Chronicle emphasizes the point that “as em- ployment in industry increases, those on Government work will be absorbed in private industry, while the unem- | ployables will be a permanent charge on the States.” “It will be noted” agrees the Charlotte News, “that Mr. Richberg |is not discussing the alternatives of feeding or of not feeding the hungry, and clothing, after a fashion, the naked. Rather is he arguing for his own choice of the method by which they are to be fed and clothed. It | may or may not be a commentary on | the co-ordinator that he favors the more expensive way. * * * No matter what might be said against it, C. W. A, during the Winter of its existence was twice s effective and half as expensive a method of relieving the unemployed and making them put out for it as any public works pro- gram yet devised.” “The new Federal policy puts a halt upon the increasing dependency of the,States upon Washington,” in the opinion of the Newark Evening News. The Indianapolis News cone cludes that “this country will go to the dole with great reluctance.” r——— Price Fixing. From the Charlotte (N. C.) Observer, It is the studied opinion of S. Clay Williams, heading the N. R. A., that price fixing ought to go out of the catalogue of the New Deal. In which he, of course, is correct. Price fixing that is arbitrarily im- posed by a Federal authority is bound to be too inelastic to give that proper play to competitive interests. More than that, Mr. Williams has the constructive idea that the same end can be more democratically as well as more efficiently reached by another road. Fixation of minimum wages and gauging the work week, on the basis of co-operation between buginess and in- dustry and the Government, will ge* to the same objective, while, at tho same time, doing no violence to thc time-honored principle of price fixing on the part of the producing and sell- ing intermediaries. Mr. Williams, incidentally, is strik- ing fire in his high position. When in New York the other day for an address, seats were set for 1,200 ind more than 1,400 came to hear him and kept him the remainder of the afternoon answering questions flung at him in regard to his conception of New Deal operations. —_———— Puzzling. From the San Francisco Chronicle. Russian plotters, tried on a Wed- nesday, were executed on the same which the party finds itself, that hang ‘Wednesday. Criminal lawyers here are baffled by the coincidence.