Evening Star Newspaper, January 22, 1935, Page 8

A8 THE EVENING STAR from admission fees—twenty-five cents for grown-ups, ten cents for young- sters. Only the construction cost would require financing. The main- tenance and operating expense would be small and could be met without difficulty from ticket sales. Surely the subject is one which need not be argued. A planetarium is an educational instrument which is its own justification. The fate of the hu- man race depends upon cultural prog- ress, and the Capital of the Nation should have the equipment to set an With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C TUESDAY....January 22, 1935 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. Editor ‘The Evening Star Newspaper Company ) ‘Bustness Office: 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. i e Michigal R R g R S England Rate by Carrier Within the City. Rezular Edition. The Evenine Star 45c per month The Evening and Sunday Star (l’}En‘n ‘4 8 dfls.\\u s‘li()bflel month e Evening anc Sunday’ Star R hen b Sindays) 65¢_per month The Sunday Star 5c¢ per copy | Night Final Edition. 1 Night Final and Sunday Star. 70c per month Night Final Star <o 55¢ per month Collection made at the end of each month. Orders may be sent by mail or telephone Nation: Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia, Datly and Sunday. : 1 mo.. 85¢ Daily "only. .. :1mo.. 50c Sunday only. . $4.00: 1 mo” d0c 19 1y st All Other States and Canada. Dally and Sunday 1 ¥r.$12.00; 1 1no.. $1.00 Daily only. ... yr' SR00:1mo. 75c Sunday only.....1yr. $5.00:1mo. B0c Member of the Associated Press. | The Associated Press clustvely en- titled to the use for republication of all news disnatches credited to it or not other- wise credited in this paper and also the local s published herein. All rights of Dublication of special dispatches herein | are also reserved Under Misdirected Fire. Attacks on the Juvenile Court Jjudge for alleged “sentence” of two fifteen-year-old boys to the National | Training School indicate an ill-ad- | vised tendency to jump at conclusions. ‘The community will do well to sus- pend judgment until there is a| better understanding of the facts than | now seems to be the case. One of | the families has engaged competent counsel, and if there is an error at| law, it will be corrected in the course of appeal. The public is not as well| informed as the court as to the past records of the boys or the conditions | which in the opinion of the court | made correctional measures advisable. | In the first place, there has been €ITONneous comparison between the “sentence” of six years given the boys and the maximum sentence of | five years which a court of other| Jurisdiction might impose in the case of adults convicted of “joy-riding.” In the case of the Juvenile Court, the | boys are not “sentenced” to an in- determinate term at the National Training School for Boys. The Juve- nile Court commits them to the juris- diction of this national institution during their minority, the law per- !in the President, under the bill, by Congress. No power is greater than the money powerf-the power to spend where and how the Executive decides. In the administration’s bill men- tion is made of a dozen things for which the money may be used, rang- ing from slum clearance to rural electrification. But the House Com- mittee which framed the legislation made no effort to earmark any of the money for any of these purposes. Furthermore, it is provided that the money may be used for any “other useful Federal or non-Federal work.” | copy in any publication. | ment is admonished that the ends of | Union.” | ening of Vladivostok example for other communities. As President Roosevelt has said, life in America must be made worth living. One way to achieve that end is through the wise and generous development of the instinct for increased knowledge which is active in the mind of the people. It happens that knowledge is power in the twentieth century as never before since history began. ) Editors of college papers write star- tling jokes, but it is seldom that a commencement essay is accepted as e Japan and the Soviet. Decidedly the significant portion of Japanese Foreign Minister Hirota's address on the international situation at the opening of the Diet in Tokio today was his velled warning to the Soviet Union to abandon provocative activities n the neighborhood of Man- choukuo. Although Mr. Hirota asserts that Japan is planning to “accelerate the peaceful development of Soviet- Japanese relations by redoubling her efforts for the solution of other pend- ing problems,” the Moscow govern- peace can only be served by “hearty co-operation on the part of the Soviet ‘The Japanese foreign minister does not specify what sort of “co-operation” by the Soviet is “essential” to peace- ful relations between them except to say that he hopes Moscow will give “special consideration to the erection of military works in the Far East, es- pecially along Soviet-Manchoukuo frontiers.” Unquestionably this has reference to modernization of fortifi- cations at strategic points dlong the Amur River, as well as to the strength- as a milit naval and air base, and the double- tracking of the Trans-Siberian Rail- road to that easternmost outpost of Soviet power. Mr. Hirota's reminder to Moscow coincides with Japan's cur- | rent military moves in the Chinese Jpro\mre of Chahar, which have, | among other objects, the frustration mitting no other course where this institution is concerned. In the second place, one might con- clude from published reports that the boys had been sentenced to an insti- tution which bore over its gates, “Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here,” and that the sentence carried | with it the implication of imprison- ment behind the bars in the cobmpany of hardened criminals. This denotes an unfortunate lack of understanding of the National Training School for Boys, an institution maintained by the na- tional Government for the redemp- tion of wayward youth, more than for mere punishment or confinement. There the attempt is made to deter- mine scientifically the cause of juve- nile delinquency and to seek the best methods of counteracting those in- fluences which have led boys astray. ‘While under such observation the boys are given the opportunity for voca- tional and other training. After a period they are eligible for varying degrees of parole and freedom. The National Training School for Boys, in other words, is no Alcatraz. It is maintained to give boys another chance. It is always tragic when a boy must pay the legal penalty for a seri- ous offense, such as stealing an auto- mobile. There is universal sympathy for the parents, as well as for the boys. But the influences of youth are the making of the man. The “public enemies” of today, whatever their numerical ranking, were boys of fif- teen not so long ago. There has been a tendency to blame much crime on the easy paroles won by men whose first and second offenses were no more serious than the theft of an au- tomobile. The community should be careful now not to injure grievously these boys by sentimentality. The publicity from which they have suf- fered already is probably the greatest handicap the authorities, responsible for their redemption, must face. — e The wisest men may disagree on matters of public policy. Even in the Supreme Court of the United States a unanimous opinion is infrequent. ———— Planetarium. The Nation’s Capital should have a Pplaneterium. Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles already are so ad- vantaged; New York soon will have the Charles Hayden establishment, made possible in large part through a Federal loan, and Washington, the natural cultural center of the United States, has claims equal, if not su- perior, to any of these other cities, Those who have seen planetariums operated know their value. They demonstrate the orbital paths of the planets and their satellites; they dramatize the celestial pageant. An sudience of hundreds may sit in a darkened circular auditorium and witness in an hour the whole parade of the firmament, the while a com- petent lecturer explains the science of the spectacle. Inventive genius has perfected the original conception of George Graham, first patronized by the Earl of Orrery and called by his name, so that by mechanical means it is feasible to reprduce on a dome equivalent to “Heaven's ebon vault” the business of “stars unutterably bright.” Children, particularly, are entranced by the display, but adults, also, are fascinated by the exhibi- tion. A planetarium in Washington, it would seem, should be administered by the Smithsonian Institution™ It | demanded in the name of emergency. of Moscow’s purpose to complete the Sovietization of Mongolia. It is plain from the Tokio foreign minister’s statement that Japan still looks upon a conflict with the Soviet | as a possibility that requires earnest | consideration. It is no less evident that, in view of such a contingency, the Japanese intend to omit no op- portunity to strengthen and expand their position in China and to con- tinue to give the “Empire of Man- choukuo” all the support, political and military, that is required to maintain it as a formidable buffer against any Soviet advance in Asia. Mr. Hirota declares that “Japan attaches great importance to her friendship with other states in East Asia,” but in the same breath he deplores that anti- Japanese agitation in certain parts of | China has not yet ceased and calls | upon the Chinese to “undertake to meet the genuine aspirations of our country.” If by that Mr, Hirota means the aspirations of Japan more and more to dominate China, Tokio is| likely not only to encounter Chinese opposition, but continuously to arouse suspicion and resentment among the nations and governments of the West. There will be nothing but gratifi- cation abroad over Mr. Hirota's ex- pressed hope that another naval pact may be concluded to take the place of the one Japan has just de- nounced. Unfortunately, he holds out no prospect of any recession from the position which the Japanese maintained at London and which wrecked the recent negotiations there. All in all, this latest exposition of Japan's foreign policy, despite its proclamation of friendship for other nations and its protestations of peaceful intent, unmistakably re- asserts her purpose to remain in su- preme authority in Asia and to brook no opposition to the preservation of that primacy. ——— e e At first many people said that Henry Ford's car would not run reliably, Now he asserts a belief in his ability to run the entire N. R. A. A Big Bite. The administration’s $4,000,000,000 work relief bill delegates to the President huge powers. They are The theory is that in times of great stress a Chief Executive must be able to act swiftly in the public interest and that his hands must be free. No one will deny that an un- employment emergency continues to exist in this country, notwithstanding the efforts which have been made under the New Deal during the greater part of two years. The ques- tion arises whether the underlying causes of the emergency are being or can be met by continued dele- gations of power to the Executive and the program which has been undertaken, The work relief bill is designed pri- marily, as explained by the President, to make it possible to take 3,500,000 people off the dole and put them to work. To accomplish this end the President is to be handed this huge sum of money to be expended as he sees fit on all kinds of public works, He may select any agency of the Gov- ernment he desires to administer the fund or any part of it. He may create new agencies of government; he may transfer or wipe out other governmental agencies or continue in might be built with Public Works Ad- ministration funds or by direct appro- priation of Congress. The investment could be returned wlgfln a few years existence some already created that might be on their way out under the laws creating them for the “emer- gency.” All these powers are vested Could any description be wider, could more leeway be given? This is the bill which is to be put through the House under a special rule permitting no amendments to be offered except by the committee which is sponsoring the measure. It is to be hurried through the Senate as fast as that body will permit, in the name of emergency. To make the emergency nature of the bill more ef- fective as an argument for speed there has been included provision for the transfer of $88¢,000,000 from for- mer appropriations to be used also by the President to care for the relief rolls until the work relief program is put into effect. The need of this money to keep the relief work going is said to be imminent. — e Inquiries are made as to how to invest funds. Public speaking is now s0 much in request that a course in a school of elocution looks like a good buy. ———— The Saar plebiscite makes Hitler feel stronger than ever. His next proud assumption may be that he has kept the world out of war, -t & Sensational *publicity does not al- ways help a criminal. Al Capone had more of it than he knew what to do with. So had Dillinger. . SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Next Merry Christmas. The moment arrives when the merri- ment drops And the lights all have faded awa; The Christmas tree wearily flickers and flops That once was so honest and gay. The snow and the sleet will encumber | the street At the sport of the wind and the rain; The old fairy story is closed and com- plete And we'll have to start over again. The laughter, like stars, becomes dis- tant and cold As we struggle to live and to learn; The fables of old have been frequently told And as often forgotten in turn. The woe or the weal that events may reveal The future alone will explain. We'll welcome the hope of another New Deal And we'll gladly start over again. Element of Immutability. “It is the privilege of a statesman to change his mind,” said the political adviser. “That is a physical impossibility,” said Senator Sorghum. “He may find it expedient to change his opinion. But he has to go on working with the same old mind.” Jud Tunkins says he might have | run the farm more successfully if he had called mother and the girls and the hired man into conference and called ‘em a brain trust. Fascination. The world enjoys a sporting chance And craves a ringside seat, Where men may gather at a glance The clash when foemen meet. And so they go from day to day To see, but not to stop, Those figures in eternal fray— The gunman and the cop! Mercenary Lady. “You have had chances to marry?” “Yes,” answered Miss Cayenne, “I had a chance to marry an art collector and a stamp collector. But for finan- cial security T am disposed to favor a tax collector.” Same Old Slogan. My radio! My radio! Your words bring true delight. Even the old-time editor, you show, In his belief was right. You don’t forget the man of biz Whose ways have proved so wise And frequently remark, “Now is The time to advertise.” “I has seen lots o’ folks,” said Uncle Eben, “but I never saw any rich or comfortable enough to quit tellin® what he would do if he had more money and more time.” Open Saloon or Health Department Activity To the Editor of The Star: Something should be done about t—quick! According to the reports in the daily papers, as a result of “Washing- ton’s peculiar system of mixing drinks behind hidden bars” a “shameful” condition exists. Unused “portions of beer-filled glasses left by one cus- tomer” are reported to be refilled and served to another. (From the agita- tion for the return of liquor, one would never have dreamed that there would be leftovers.) 8till worse, we are told that “cheap brands of blended whiskies are being served the public for “bonded liquor”— memories of the days of good old “corn licker.” To remedy this unsanitary condi- tion one solicitous legislator “proposes to introduce a bill to bring the bar- tender out in the open”—the open saloon. Sounds like the old story of getting roast pig by burning the sty. But legislation is likely to be slow and “lots of folks” in this good old D. C. may not want the open saloon if they are given a chance to vote on this and other questions in which they are vitally interested. Hence, in view of the exigency of the question, some one sh@uld notify the D. C. Health Department at once, instanter! © W. W. COBLENTZ. THIS AN It is not what the artist thinks of snow, nor what the Street Cleaning Department thinks, or the traffic man- ager, but what you think of it, that makes it either good or bad. In the whole realm of Nature there is no phenomenon quite like this, with its magic way of making familiar things look so different. It is a curious fact that the white beauty of snow makes a city appear upbelievably dirty in a very short + time. This is not on the streets alone, but on the roofs. Traffic has more penalties than danger. Destruction of this beauty is one, On the roofs of the,city, though, we might hope for beauty's escape. Alas, it is in vain. Not smoke, so much, as contrast with brick and stone, dulls whatever beauty there may be to the snow from that viewpoint. * % % X Snow is too white, It makes bricks look shabby, stone out of place. ‘The tops of average buildings, whatever their pretensions from the street, are never works of art, and somehow the snow which covers them from time to time makes them look even worse. Surely this old-fashioned view of a city is not as popular as once it was, in the days when most popular novel- ists used it to accent the moods of their characters. Loneliness could be no better shown then than by the picture of the hero looking out desolately over the roofs of the city. Usually his vantage point was an attic window. It is impossible to know how some-of the elder novel- ists, especially of Europe, could have got along at all without their poor heroes in attic dwellings. Loneliness was accentuated by the blank expanse of roofs, unoccupied save by some prowling cat in the dis- tance or a few sparrows somehow icking up an equally sparse living in the eaves Emile Zola in his first days in Paris is supposed to have caught birds out his attic window and roasted them for his supper. When his traps fatled to catch anything, so the legend goes, he went hungry. * ok ok ok Pen pictures of cats on high roofs used to be a feature of European lit- erature. Perhaps the picture s no more au- thentic than the equally popular i pression that “cats have nine lives.” Nothing could be more erroneous The domestic cat has but one life, and that a very poor one, according to records. The average life of the lcity cat is about 6 years, although | | there are many exceptions. | Few of them will be encountered on | Washington roofs. At first thought | one might think that so far the traffic situation had not become bad enough to drive them aloft. But if they used housetops so consistently in Europe, surely it was not the traffic situation there. Probably their preference for | the roofs was brought about by their | possession by many families living in | apartments. Then their only outlet to freedom was an open window. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1935. e T A s S e S —— D THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. even then: they prefer the great open spaces, things being what they are. - The office worker who has a seat by & window—and there are thousands such in Washington—will have time, now and then, to spend a few moments viewing the roofs of the city. He will look in vain for cats on the prowl. Perhaps no city in the world has fewer cats on view from office windows. This is something to think about. Were the great Europeans wrong when they wrote their novels and invariably placed domestic cats on roofs? Or are our American tabbies more shy and refined? * % % * Even snow, beautiful snow, cannot make roof scenes enticing. Just different, but whether that s a merit or not in the situation is something that must be left to each observer. b ‘To one spectator, at least, the snow aloft fails miserably to aid the scene. It gives & contrast not favorable to honest brick, stone, tin, bronze, slate. Somehow the bleakness of the aver- age roof view is accentuated. Perhaps the white makes flat surfaces look flatter, scarcely desirable, since flat is enough. The building up of the ap- parent thickness by several inches is lost in view of the fair spread of snow, unmarred by tracks of any sort. It will be found that most of the ground charm of a snowfall is lost aloft, despite the fact that it is not sullied by grease, oll and the like. No doubt this is dte to the lack of distinctive features. There are here no shrubs to catch snow on thelir branches; no boughs of trees, no earage roofs to lend an air of en- chantment to the scene. Chimneys scarcely form vantage places for snow, owing to their regu- larity, and the plain fact that the fall does not stick to them long. * ¥ ¥ % ‘Then there is the question of arti- ficiality. Unquestionably snow goes best with natural things, such as trees, shrubs plants of all kinds in their dormant state. There is nothing natural about a | building, a chimney. Man’s latest artifice, the airplane, is no more artificial than a building probably not as much so, since it emulates the bird. A building of any sort, large or small, is strictly man’s interpreta- tion of Nature. That is why, we believe, the snow ! does not seem to “fit” it as well as on the ground places of earth, close to the natural mother of all. * X * X A small branch of a tree is a mar- vel of beauty when it is clothed with & delicate soft layer of very wet snow. The slightest touch will break the marvel to pieces, but if no wind blows it will stay there for hours| without harm. This delicate balance of Nature— it is this which makes every old fence and hedge a beautiful sight in a snowstorm. And as long as our man-made things are close to the ground—the garage, the car parked by the curb, the fence post—they melt in with the snow, and are made beautiful by its whiteness. Whatever the cats of Europe must put up with, those of America have | free exit to the good earth. Being | nocturnal, they prefer night. Few of them will be found on the streets | STARS, MEN Laboratory BY THOMAS R. HENRY. | bel Another bad measles season may just ahead. Last Winter was one of the worst | the country has known and the dis- | tribution was rather general. Judging | by the experience of the past, the ! country could expect about a three- year respite from a widespread epidemic. But reports coming to the Public Health Service show an even greater incidence than at this time a year ago. Last week 11,000 cases were re- ported, with definite increases in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, West Virginia, North Caro- lina and Colorado. The District of Columbia showed no increase. Ordi- narily this common disease of child- hood, dreaded because of the severe illness it causes and its occasional serious after-effects, runs in waves, with sharp crests every three years. It has been difficult to predict, however, because the time curve differed for different areas—sometimes quite lim- ited. Last year's epidemic was the most general and the largest up to date. A peak continuing over two years will break precedents. A measles epidemic usually starts about this time and reaches its high- est point in late February or early March. * %k k *x Up to date this has been a hot, dry Winter, according to the records of Herbert Lyman of the Weather Bu- reau. The first two weeks of January piled up a heat reserve of 103 degrees above the normal for the District of Columbia. It was about 7 degrees warmer every day than the mean for the past 50 years. Almost day by day the temperature has paralleled that of the first two weeks of January last ear. 4 The Winter of 1934, as everybody remembers, was a record breaker for cold, but January was actually about 7 degrees above the normal until the last three days. Then there was a sudden drop, which continued through February, with a daily average of 10.7 below normal. The similarity to date cannot be interpreted as meaning that -t will continue through another ub- normally cold February. The chances of such a remarkable parallelism are very remote. The first two weeks have produced only about a third of the rainfall nor- mal for the season. Ordinarily Jan- uary is a dry month here. The mean precipitation is 1.85 inches. This year there has been only .64 of an inch. * % % * Some of the world's largest and most picturesque animals are being pushed to extinction, according to a report just received from the Amer- ijcan Committee for International ‘Wild Life Protection. “There 18 still a great deal to be done, and quickly,” says this report, “i we are to save certain species from sharing the fate of the passenger ! pigeon, the European wisent, the South African blue buck and the quagga. As a tsetse fly-control measure of questionable value, nearly 60,000 animals have been destroyed in Southern Rhodesia in four years. This entailed the slaughter of 2,000 head of big game in a year. Zwasiland government tried cutting down the number of wildebeeste in that territory by using poisoned water. “The black rhino is disappearing all over Africa as a result of a trade demand wich makes poaching profit- ™ Up on the roofs it is a different story. The shingles are too high from the ground. Though snow starts high, its natural place is the lowest it can find. AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, and Study. able. A report recently published by a French Army doctor, lately retired from the colonial service, described | appalling slaughter in French equa- torial Africa. This is carried on by natives armed with modern rifles or surrounding game with fire. Our in- formant recently had occasion to save 150 elephants from being burned alive in one of these fire rings. Such, no doubt, explain the famous elephant cemetesjes. In addition, professional white hunters add to the depletion of Africa’s game by selling the meat to highway or railroad gangs. “The game situation in India is badly in need of attention. The Oriental market for rhino horn liter- ally makes this substance worth its weight in gold and is directly respon- sible for the existence of well-armed gangs whose depredations largely are responsible for the disappearance of the great Indian rhino.” * X % % The Government was considering seriously a semaphore line between New York and Washington in 1838— the year Samuel F. B. Morse filed his first patent application for the elec- tric telegraph. It requested the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia to investigate the practicability and cost of such an in- stallation. A copy of the curious old report has been found in the Franklin Institute journals in the National Mu- seum. The scientists reported back to Washington- that such a line could be installed for an initial cost of about $100.000 and maintained for about $62,000 a year. They calculated that it would be possible, under efficient operation, to transmit a message of 100 letters, or 100 semaphore signals, from New York to Washington in a little less than a half hour, provided there was clear weather. The proposal favored was for the erection of 40 towers approximately 7 miles apari, each provided with a semaphore device and a telescope. The “sending instruments” were to be vertical poles approximately 8 feet high, each with two horizontal, mov- able arms. At each station it would be necessary to catch the signals by means of the telescope and retrans- mit them. The operators would be kept continually on watch. While the scientists did not commit themselves to the feasibility of the scheme, they called attention to the fact that a number of similar systems for trans- mitting messages over long distances were in successful operation in Europe. Work Is to Be Had by Those Willing to Work To the Editor of The Star: Everybody hears continued com- plaining that there is no work to be had, I fhad a lady rent a room from me this last week. She told me she came to Washington to get j work as housekeeper or general house- work, as you call it. This last Sun- day, the twentieth, she put a small ad in your paper stating that she would like work as such. On Sunday she had 24 callers and 2 telegrams, and Monday morning she got 3 more letters and several more callers. In all I think she got about from 32 to 34 answers to her ad. I inter- viewed some of these myself. They all had the same sad story; that it was almost impossible to get a woman for housework. All I talked with would pay, anywhere from $4 a week | destroyea construction | Equities of Adjusted Service Certificates To the Editor of The Star: In a recent press dispatch from Washington, published in The Star, President Roosevelt made public his opposition to immediate cash pay- ment of adjusted service certificates. In listing his reasons, the President emphasized the following statement: “The adjusted service certificates are a form of paid-up endowment in- surance of which dependents would be deprived in cash if paid now.” In fairness to the readers of The Star and the World War Veterans in your community, the Veterans of For- eign Wars of the United States pre- sents the following facts in refutation of this argument: ‘When Congress created the adjusted service certificate in 1924 these cer- tificates represented an average value of $1,000, payable in 1945. At that time the purpose back of these cer- tificates was to give each veteran a paid-up endowment policy that would mature 20 years later. ‘Two years after date of issuance each certificate carried a loan value. Veterans in need of funds were forced to borrow on these certificates, paying compound interest cn the loan. When unemployment conditions became acute in recent years, Congress in 1932 enacted a law making it possible for the holder of one of these cer- tificates to borrow 50 per cent of the face value. Today there are approximately three and one-half million adjusted service certificates outstanding. Gov- ernment statistics, quoted by Mr. Roosevelt himself, show that more than three million veterans have bor- rowed the full 50 per cent of the face value of their certificates. These loans are being made by the Federal Government at the expense of the veteran for the compound interest charges being deducted from the bal- ance that remains. Unless these certificates are paid immediately, they will be valueless to the veteran until January 1, 1942, when he will be able to borrow $30.04. One year later he will he able to obtain $38.25. On January 1, 1944, he will be eligible to an additional oan of $39.79. On January 1, 1945, | When these certificates fully mature, the average veteran will receive the miserable sum of $68.50, all that will be left as a result of compound in- terest charge deductions. In other words, through mere driblets and interest charges, the value of the certificate will be de- stroyed. Neither the veteran nor his widow and children will possess any protection in the form of an endow- ment policy or financial benefits. Back in 1925, when these certifi- cates were first issued. the theory of | insurance protection for the depend- j ents of veterans was perfectly sound. But now that the principal is being through the issuance of loans and the deduction of interest charges it is obvious that the original plan is no longer practical. The so- | called insurance protection which Mr. Roosevelt anxiously seeks to preserve will be dissipated long before 1945. As national commander of the Vet- erans of Foreign Wars of the United States, I speak for the overseas vet- erans of this country when I invite | every patriotic citizen to support this | demand for veteran justice. We are convinced that our proposal offers the {only practical and constructive | method of administering Nation-wide relief, stimulating industrial recovery | and simultaneously reducing the na- tional debt. It will force the sum of | @pproximately $2.200,000,000 into the channels of trade and industry, with resultant benefits for the Nation as a whole, and America’s World War Veterans will receive the benefits which Congress intended they should have when this obligation Was recog- nized in 1924. JAMES E. VAN ZANDT. e A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Wash- ington, D. C. Plecse inclose stamp Jor reply. Q. Which is more satisfactory for foot ball pants jockey satin or balloon cloth?—C. H. | A.Each has its advocates. At present the trend seems to be toward | balloon cloth. Q. What proportion of the news- papers and periodicals are published many and France?—J. L. H. periodicals published in the world is estimated at about 50,000. Of this number some 40 per cent are pub- lished in the United States and pos- sessfons, 13 per cent in Great Britain, 13 per cent in Germany, 7 per cent in France. Q. How old is the author of “Life | Begins at Forty?"—E. P. | A. Walter B. Pitkin was born Feb- ! ruary 6, 1878. Q. Where is real champagne made? —A. A, sparkling wines is what is known as the champagne region, and all wines made in these departments of the Marne are entitled under the Prench law to bear the word “champagne.” ‘Epurkllng wines in other parts of | | France are not permitted to bear it The term champagne has been used in many countries improperly, but broadly to designate a sparkling wine. Q. When was the mongoose intro- duced in Jamaica?—C. T. A. About 1870 It caused great | havoc because it killed not onl snakes, but also poultry, ground-nest- ing birds and small mammals. Q What is Stepin Fetchit's real name?—S. M. A. His name is Lincoln Theodore Q. Why does fresh air heat more quickly than stale air does?—N. A. A. This is because the fresh air— that is, air containing a large percent- age of oxygen—has a higher thermal conductivity than carbon dioxide, which forms a large proportion of stale air. Q. Where are the Four Lakes?— M. C. B. A. They are a chain of deep lakes, Mendota, Menona, Waubesa and Kegonsa, in Dane County, Wis., con- nected by short outlets. Q —P. A. The Codex Sinaiticus, recently purchased by Great Britain from the Russian government, is an ancient and very valuable manuscript of the What 1s the Codex Sinaiticus? D. F. Testament (including the Apocrypha) the Epistle of Barnabas, and part of the Shepherd of Hermas. It was discovered in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai by the Ger- man _scholar “Tischendorf, February 4. 1859, while he was traveling in the | East for purposes of research by the desire of Czar Alexander II. The Codex was taken to St. Petersburg on loan from the monastery and later was presented to the Czar. It is written on parchment in four columns in the uncial characters and is judged to be probably older than the Vati- canus. Both are generally accredited to the early fourth century. Q. What is Donald Richberg’s reli- | glous affiliation?>—T. G. A. He is a Lutheran. in the United States, England, Ger-| A. The number of newspapers and | | A. In France the great region for Perry. | Greek Septuagint version of the Old | also the whole of the New Testament, | ‘—0. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. 2% Who Invented Monel metal?— 'A. Ambrose Monell is the inventor, Q. How many pupils attend high schools in the United States’—E. R. A. The number of pupils in public high schools 1s 5,140,021; the number in private high schools, 403,415, mak- ing a total of 5,543,436 pupils in sec- ondary schools. Q. How much thread will a pound of wool make?—G. R. A. A pound of the finest wool yields nearly 100 miles of thread. Q. Is a tight curl in Persian lamb an indication of good quality?—D. R. A. The pelts vary considerably in | quality and are graded according to the | closeness and character of the curl and | luster of the fur., The coarser grades | are sometimes classed as astrakhan. | Q When was the Chesapeake & | Ohlo Canal built>—G. W. W. A. It was begun in 1828; 30 miles | was completed by 1830 and the whole canal was completed by 1850. Th | cost of bullding the canal was $11.- | 071,176.21. Q. How does John Masefield rat | the Liverpool Cathedral>—W. 8. H. A. The Poet Laureate speaks of it a« !“the greatest of modern cathedrals Q. To whom does the Mississip; River belong?—B. M. A. The Mississippi River is under t! Jurisdiction of the States which bord. it. the boundary line being in the mi dle of the river. For purposes of inte state commerce and navigation t Federal navigation laws apply si this is a navigable stream. T United States, however, does not o\ either bank. Q. How far out was the Great Ea ern when the first ocean cable broke |P. w. A. Twelve hundred miles. Thirte | months later the cable was recoverc | Q. How much has Negro illiter: decreased in the past 65 years?—S. A. Negro illiteracy has been duced from 95 per cent in 1865 to le than 20 per cent in 1930. Q. Who invented the Bowie knife —k T, | . A. James Black, a blacksmith | Washington, Ark. James Bowie | 1800 ordered Black to make him | knife according to a pattern Bo | submitted. Black made it, but als | made another on a somewhat altered ‘pz:'.xem When Bowie called for his | knife Black offered him a cholee of | the two. He selected Black’s pattern Bowle became famous as a knife fig er and his weapon gained fame, ad- | venturers coming from distant places to buy Bowie knives from Black | When Bowie fell at the Alamo, | rounded by dead Mexicans, thi Black had made him was still grasped in his hand. Q |—H. B o What is meant by Nobel prize S. A. They are a series of five annu rizes provided for by the will of Alfr | B. Nobel, Swedish scientist. mai tained for the research of individu: | who work for the benefit of manki in the domains of physics, chemist: medicine, literature and peace. Q. How pairs of stockir does the average young working won an buy in a year?—S. D. A. The average is set at twent; five pairs a year. Q. Is it true that The Evening St owns the Washington Shopping New N. H many A. The business manager of T Evening Star says that newspaper has no financial st or other connec ! tion with the publication named. Parents Should Prefer Teachers to Be Models To the Editor of The Star: | As generally known, the Public | School Assoctation of the District of | Columbia made an appeal recently to the Board of Education against the | habits of school teachers in the use of alcohol, tobacco and other nar- cotics. Judging from a story which ap- peared in your columns on December 13, 1934, it might readily be inferred that, when this appeal came before the board for consideration, on the previous evening, a smart woman was | on hand to fight the suggestion and was quite successful in ‘“‘vamping” this dignified body. Looking in from the outside, one wonders how the board could find the time to hear this unnecessary tirade. It has always been the vogue in some circles to hold up to ridicule any person (or organization) with high ideals and without fear in speaking out for them. It would seem to be most unfortunate that this absurd practice or attitude should lately creep into school circles. Now, pointing an ideal does require courage. This is specially true, per- haps, in these times of great moral slump. Certainly, we do not expect any person or any group in this world to be perfect. Such person or group would be entirely too lonely. How- ever, what real harm can come from ers ought to have exemplary habits? Probably, every thoughtful parent would prefer to have his children under the tutelage of men and women strong enough (and not too “spine- less”) to control their own lives as to the unwise use of the narcotics in question. Most assuredly, even the active pro- ponents of this revolutionary plan did not expect it to be adopted. The trend of the times in matters of morals is toward laxity rather than severity. However, if our educational leaders are to take the line of least Tesistance in their own personal con- duct, if they insist on “following the crowd” and “being a sport,” what will ultimately become of the “bulwark of this Republic”? Truly, children now- adays do need all the help they can get from adults both at home and in school, both by precept and by ex- ample. EVERETT M. ELLISON, President the Citizens' Service Asso- ciation for Law and Order. _ Our Loading Platforms And the “Jay Walkers” To the Editor of The Star: Are the officials who are complain- ing about jay walking the same gen- tlemen who are responsible fom plac- ing loading platforms for street cars in the middle of the block? D. E. RENWER. —_—— to $8 per week with room and board. This lady, of course, selected the place she thought best. Now what I want to know is why don't the relief authorities place a Iot of these women on some jobs doing housework? Nearly all I talked with blamed the relief, because the relief pays them from $6.50 to $9 per week without ever doing a thing. So why work? Iam told some people have been on straight relief for over two years. In fact, I know of one case personally that has been on two years. I think it is right to help where it is needed, but it seems to me there are lots of jobs for housework for some that care to work. ‘nn.s‘ F. O. STEINSON. the suggestion that our school teach- | { constitutionall., of the Government's abrogation of the gold clause in bond contracts is the subject of extended comment in the press. The general opinion is that, whatever the wisdom | of the administration’s action in this matter, failure of the court to sustain Congress would result in serious }flnancml difficulties for the country. | _The Wall Street Journal observes: “If the gold clause should be sus- tained the corporations would find | their indebtedness increased by the | difference between the former gold ! dollar and the devaluated one, or about 40 per cent. Even the bond- holders may well ask themselves if they would be gainers or losers in that event.” “The power to coin money and de- termjne its value is the greatest of all powers delegated to the Govern- ment,” comments the Canton (Ohio) Repository. “Once exercised, it can be altered in the future only with consideration to what has been done in the past.” With these opinions many newspapers agree. “That the court will find some way to avoid full condemnaton of the action is a reasonable speculation, although it is hard to see how, upon a straight issue, that can be done.,” thinks the Charleston (S. C.) Evening Post, while the New York Herald Tribune says that “what the country hopes to see—and what there is every reason to expect—is a strong decision by an overwhelming majority of the court deciding the status of the gold Arguments on Gold Clause Widely Reviewed by Pres: The impending decisior by the | United States Supreme Court on the clause solely upon constitutional grounds of the broadest character.” This is likewise the opinion of the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury Herald anc¢ the Milwaukee Journal, and the Watertown (N. Y.) Daily Times be- lleves that “the natural instinct of patriotic Americans will be that Gov ernment, corporation individual should carry out pledged oblig 3 the letter, let the conseq be what they may.” “Whether or not the Nation ought to have been placed under the new monetary orders now existing, a attempt today to displace those orders and drive the country suddenly back to the old system, invites far-flung con- fusion.” holds the Boston Transc and the St. Paul Daily News, agree- ing, calls such a decision “unthinka- | ble.” On the other hand. the Phila- delphia Evening Bulletin calls th Government’s action plain “repudia- tion.” The Paterson (N. J.) News makes the suggestion that “so | means should be evolved whereby legislation, of the constitutionality of which there is any doubt, might placed before the court for a ruling before it becomes effective.” | The Rochester Times-Union direct: attention to the fact that “in many perhaps in most, cases it would b not only grossly unfair to expec payment on the old gold basis, but such payment would be simply and sheerly impossible.” This is also the | view of the Syracuse Herald, while the Lowell (Mass) Courier-Citizen maintains that “so long as currency is not seriously depreciated, the gold clause is of little importance to any one, as a practical matter.” Free State Prosperit Related to Sweepstakes To the Editor of The Star: In your issue of January 18 there appears a letter from Andrew I Hickey in which he writes: “The De Valera government has demonstrated that Ireland contains such potential resources as make her (Free State) | independent of England.” The entire | letter is so far from the facts of the| matter that it is foolish to lose time in recognizing or discussing it. The only prosperity in the Free State at| present is represented by the sweep- | stakes, and this only to the govern- | ment, which gets a good slice of the profit. The loss to nearly all the peo- ple who purchase tickéts is very con-| siderable. i To give some idea of the condmon‘ of the cattle trade—their chief source ! of income—it is only necessary to re- | port that many thousands of calves| have been sold for 25 cents each to| meat markets, and the farmers are vicious at De Valera and his meth- ods, but unable to help themselves. The conditions have been such that farmers have been trying to smuggle cattle across the border into Northern Ireland, but are only successful to a small extent. It is the opinion of this writer that Engiish statesmen were really grieved at the sad condition of Free State farmers, despite the non-payment of money due England, and agreed to| exchange coal for cattle to alleviate | some suffering. Perhaps Mr. Hickey belongs to that ty‘re of Free State Irishmen who & | | have been trained by their ancestors | for hundreds of years to look upon England as their enemy. The time has long since arrived when they should have a change of thought. The letter, however, gave me a lit- tle laugh. It brought me back many years when I was standing on Sack- ville street, Dublin, and noticed a small Irish terrier barking viciously at a mastiff on the other side of the street. It was very amusing, and I consider the analogy entirely good. R. LAPPIN. ———— Native Painters Should Be Given Portrait Work To the Editor of The Star: In the past it seems to have been the custom for national celebrities, such as President Roosevelt, Gen. Pershing and many others, to let for- eign artists paint their portraits, In this country we have many re- nowned artists; quite capable of doing ample justice to any one on canvas, and at present there are many who are actually hungry. Take also the galleries and mu- seums; if they would cater more to our talented artists and not pay fabu- lous sums for old masters, it would mean that our talent would be recog- nized to such an extent that not only would the money be spent here, but we would eventually become first- rankers in the world of art. It would also mean the devélopment of a taste for paintings among the people in the | ordinary walks of life and an educae tion as to who are our best artists, R. L. LAMB. ,