Evening Star Newspaper, February 7, 1935, Page 8

.. At least two of them—the safety-re-| - Committee stated at the outset of this " 1s due, in part, to the lack of proper A-8 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1935. THE EVENING STAR | With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. . .February 7, 1835 THEODORE W. NOYES. . . Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company ‘Business Office: 11th 8t. and Pennsylvania Ave, : 110 East 42nd 8t Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. European Office; 14 Regent t. London. Ensland. Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edi e Evening Star 45¢ per month e Evening and Sunday Star (when 4 Sundays) .. 60c per month e Eve) and Sun 8tar (when 5 Sundays) 5¢ per month The Sunday Star . 5¢c per copy Night Final Edition. ‘eht Pinal and Sunday Star.70c per month ight Final Star .s . .55 Collection made at the end of eac! month. _Orders may be sent by mall or telephone National 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday. .1 yr., $10.00: 1 mo.. 85¢ Dail; e 31y 6.00: 1 mo.. 50¢ Siinday only. 1101 00: 1 mo.. 40¢ All Other States and Canada. ly and Sunday .1 yr., $12.00; 1 mo.. $1.00 atly only......1 1mo. 7 Sinday only.. 1 1mo. 6oc Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively en- titied to the use for republication of 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 rererved. _— Delays on Local Bills. Within the first week of the present session of Congress the Senate received from its District Committee and| promptly passed eight local measures. g sponsibility automobile driving bill and the strengthening amendments to the | gambling laws —are regarded as of outstanding local importance. But until yesterday the House Dis- trict Committee was to report its first bill of the session. Two meas- ures of routine nature were reported | yesterday after Chairman Norton gave her committee a well-deserved lecture on its failure to function as this committee should function. Some of the blame for delays may attach to the procedure under which subcommittees are appointed to study and report on local bills, for only a few of the more important measures require such treatment. Fallure of the subcommittees to meet regularly, reflecting a possible lack of interest in getting legislative business properly disposed of, results in delay which is inexcusable in view of the fact that the local community is wholly de- pendent upon Congress for the en- actment of necessary legislation. In the case of the automobile safety- responsibility bill practically the same committee handled this measure last year, reported it favorably and pressed its passage through the House. The members are generally familiar with | its provisions and most of them favor it. It should not require more than ten or fifteen minutes to get action on it and place it on the House calendar. Yet a month has elapsed and it is yet to be considered by the subcommittee to which it was referred. In the case of the amendments to the gambling laws Chairman Norton and other members of the District session that the bill, advocated by the United States attorney, the corpora- tion counsel, the police and other agencies familiar with the condition it is supposed to meet, would receive immediate consideration. The subcom- mittee, on the other hand, received it from the full committee and decided to go on a fishing expedition into the fleld of Washington crime in general. So far the investigation has been con- cerned chiefly with the Police Depart- ment and the usual array of sinister insinuations regarding its personnel, damaging to morale and so far un- supported by facts. The anti-gambling bill has been shelved until the com- mittee completes its investigation. But logical procedure, of course, would be to report the gambling bill immediate- ly as one specific remedy for a condi- tion that is known to exist and which legislation. No matter what is re- vealed about crime conditions in ‘Washington, need for this particular bill will remain undimished. ‘There are ten subcommittees of the House District Committee, and there are ten bills which the Commissioners have asked the committee to study. Under present procedure there must be separate subcommittee sessions be- fore the biils come before the full committee. Chairman Norton may find it ad- visable to request action by the full committee on all local bills that do not require the exhaustive study of subcommittees—and this would apply to the great majority of local meas- ures—and then to request subcommit- tees to expedite the discharge of their own responsibilities. It is always ad- vantageous to have local legislation reported early in the session. Local legislation must take its chances in a House busy with nationally important projects, and these chances become more slim as the session is prolonged. At the present rate the House Dis- trict Committee is not covering much ground. who feel that from the many physi- cians of Washington one could have been chosen who would fill the bill. That attitude is understandable, and it is a healthy sentiment which de- mands community representation in positions which directly affect the welfare of the local community. But science and medicine, espe- cially, know no boundary lines. Public health administration has become a highly specialized branch of medicine and there is increasing apd com- mendable recognition of it as such. Washington has a public health prob- lem of its own which demands treat- ment by a public health physician of unique experience and professional qualifications. The committee of local physicians and the Commissioners who asked their advice believe they have found such a man in Dr. George C. Ruhland—and that is the element which overshadows all others. Dr. Ruhland will come to Washing- ton at a personal sacrifice in salary which, it is hoped, Congress will not permit to continue. He will under- take his important work with the good wishes and the wholehearted backing of the community he is to serve. ———————— Relations With the Soviet. There is apparently no present inten- tion of severing diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, thus revoking the recognition granted in November, 1933. But action just announced by the State Department is significant in the highest degree and its meaning is not likely to be lost on Mr. Lit- vinoff, the commissar for foreign af- fairs in the Communist government. Secretary Hull disclosed on Wednes- day that the American consulate gen- eral at Moscow is to be abolished and its staff withdrawn. That means that the purely business branch of our official establishment in the Soviet capital is entirely done away with. It is notice that American-Soviet trade relations are all but disrupted, though diplomatic relations are to be continued with the prospective re- turn of Ambassador Bullitt to his post. As a further token of how the Washington wind is blowing, the acting American naval attache and the Air Service attache are to be withdrawn from Moscow and as- signed to other posts. Other reduc- tions in the embassy personnel are in prospect. Meantime sentiment is manifested in Congress in favor of breaking off relations with the Soviet without further ado. A formal resolution looking to such action is pending in the House of Representatives, and; its sponsor, Representative kahan'l of Massachusetts, will ask for hearings on the subject. This plan coincides with Secretary Hull's suggestion, when the debt and trade negotiations with Ambassador Troyanovsky recently col- lapsed, that the Export-Import Bank, created to finance business with the Soviet, might as well put up its shut- ters. Congress is also in doubtful mood about going ahead with the project to build a $1,000,000 embassy in Moscow. ‘The State Department has moved with commendable decisiveness to let Mr. Litvinof and his government know the state of Washington's mind toward their failure to live up to the pledges given to this country when recognition of the Soviet was extend- ed. Since then no effort has been spared by the United States to meet Moscow’s needs and wishes in a spirit of fairness and generosity. That at- titude on our part having apparently made no impression at the Kremlin, it is possible that the steps the United States is now taking may induce the Soviet authorities to pipe a different tune. They may cause Moscow to realize that, no matter how desirable exports to the U. S. 8. R. may be from the American standpoint, there is a price which we are not prepared to pay for that business. —————te America can have the greatest avia- tion strength in the world whenever she needs it. Airfields will be abun- dant, with due respect for the fact that real estate speculators are not aviators. e Favorite Dishes. Food is a central theme of life, and psychologists have estimated that it receives more consideration in the mental operations of the human race than any other subject. Less substan- tial things, it may be granted, attract momentary attention, but the produc- tion, preparation and consumption of edibles is & routine of constant daily consideration. ‘The Detroit News recently printed a food map of the United States, illus- trating the variety of good things to eat available within the continental boundaries of the Nation. Each in- dividual commonwealth, the chart demonstrated, has at least one favor- ite dish for which it is deservedly fa- mous. Baked beans, obviously repre- sent the dietary preference of Mas- sachusetts; pancakes and maple sirup are the choice of Vermont; beefsteak Time's flight !s rapid and it may not be iong before the trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann is remembered only as the BRH case. L The New Health Officer. ‘When a man is in real need of a doctor he looks for the best doctor available, regardless of personal friend- ships and other considerations that might ordinarily influence his choice. The Commissioners adopted the same attitude when they went on a hunt for a new health officer. What is more, they delegated the task of find- ing the best man available to those most competent to judge professional qualifications and abided by the rec- ommendations of the committee of local physicians whom they selected to advise them. The Commissioners have escaped eny criticism which would have fol- lowed had they permitted political considerations to dictate the choice of a health officer. The only criticism they may expect now is from those But & more inclusive peregrination’of poetry.” pie is popular in Connecticut, and clam chowder is judged delicious in Rhode Island. An aviator, flying from coast to coast along the north route, might be imagined as passing over tables laden with ham and noodles and lob- ster Newburgh in New York, straw- berry shortcake in Ohio, crumble tarts in Indiana, beans and lentils in Mich- igan, roast goose and cheese in Wis- consin, sauerkraut and pork in Min- nesota, game soup in North Dakota, pears with ginger in Montana, salmon fritters and bran biscuits in Wash- ington and apple pudding in Oregon. Coming eastward again, the aero- naut wouild make his way through a menu of. brook trout and fruits in California, carrot pudding in Nevada, oatmeal cookies in Utah, venison steaks in Colorado, fried corn in Kansas, squabs and sauerkraut in Missouri, planked steaks in Illinois, chestnut souffie and fried apples in Kentucky, ham and fried chicken in Virginia. 5 'lxp and down the national culinary landscape would bring him to corn and rice in Arizona, frijoles in New Mex- ico, barbecued beef in Texas, chicken and corn pudding in Nebraska, frogs’ legs in Arkansas, shrimp and pra- {lines in Louistana, roast partridge in Alabama, baked oysters in Georgia and baked red snapper in Florida, not to mention baked potatoes in Idaho, cur- rant pudding in Wyoming, flannel cakes in Mississippi, sweet potato rolls in Tennessee and sweet potato pie in North Carolina. He could “top off” the banquet with johnny cake in South Carolina or marble cake in Delaware. The traveler might feel rather un- comfortable at the end of his journey, but he could boast of having experi- enced a wonderful banquet—perhaps the most widely various to be had anywhere in all the rest of the world. — e Politics and Postmasterships. The bill which has been introduced in both houses of Congress to extend the classified civil service to post- masters of the first, second and third | classes would not become operative until January 1, 1938. But three years 15 not too long to wait for such a desirable objective as that to be attained through passage of this bill. And there are practical considerations which make the delay of three years | advisable. The bill breaks away en- tirely from the conception of the postal system as one of the most fruitful orchards for cultivation of patronage plum trees and would prob- ably accomplish more toward increas- ing its efficiency as a business insti- tution, functioning wholly in behalf of the Nation it serves, than any other single step that could be taken. Postmaster General Farley has given the bill the backing of the administra- tion. Its sponsorship by Senator O’Mahoney, Mr. Farley's former First Assistant Postmaster General, should be helpful. Two of its provisions are especially interesting. One of them en- courages the promotion of qualified men within the postal service to postmas- ters—a principle which always tends to improve the public service wherever it is applied. Another removes the residence qualification from the fifty- two largest post offices which each do an annual business of a million dollars or more. This latter provision will doubtless find many critics, ~even among those who are willing to ac- cept the bill in principle. But it is a necessary provision if the conception of the postal service as an agency vail and if the chief consideration for public service, anywhere, is merit. The bill should be placed high on the administration’s list of ‘“must” legislation at. this session. It has been a long time coming. ot The fear of criticism does not daunt Secretary Ickes, who may recall inci- dents that tend to make the position of Secretary of the Interior no sure inspiration for a ‘he’s-a-jolly-good- fellow” chorus. o After voting for entry into the World Court Carter Glass resumes his task of putting the Nation into a financial position that will enable it to afford international litigation. —_— e A few of the Department of Agri- culture men are inspecting the situa- tion to ascertain whether they are la- ble to a plowing under procedure, ——— et SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Underworld. Our underworld Comes on display ‘With flags unfurled And laughter gay. In may disclose A lavish purse. In night club shows It will rehearse. The Southern pole, ‘Where brave men wait, It soothes my soul ‘To contemplate. It's cold and clean Away down there ‘With men serene In judgment fair. Philately and Fame. “What is your opinion of George ‘Washington?” “He was & great man,” answered Senator Sorghum, “and he knew the value of publicity. By stepping in early and getting his picture on a postage stamp he still impresses the popular imagination as much as Whistler’s mother.” Jud Tunkins says he respects a man with the courage of his convictions except when his convictions have put him in the rogue's gallery. Missing Cues. The weather prophets have their say Predicting as they should. We're sad to find from day to day The weather won't make good. Sentiment. “Women are better politicians than men.” “No doubt of it,” answered Miss Cayenne. “But they are handicapped by sentiment, Every woman poli- tician I know is trying to assist some gentleman to fame and prosperity.” “My triend Hi Hat lent his name to 2 restaurant,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “and hopes to become 50 prosperous that he can afford to eat in it.” Applause, . Vox Populi still lifts a voice And offers many a thought Concerning people who rejoice Although in error caught. Vox Populi is very strong, As history lets us know, Until somebody comes along And gives a better show. “All & man does when he sends 8 comic valentine,” said Uncle Eben, “is to admit dat he's a mighty poor judge serving the whole people is to pre-| THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. 1t is & curious thing, is it not, that 85 many people know more about you than you do yourself? ‘They know not only what others do, but what they do not do; where they 80, where they do not go. They declare their ability to demon- strate where the victim is all at sea in his daily life. 1f he, poor chap, will but listen to them, they will set him right by per- mitting him to do as they do! * k¥ % The basis of their overwhelming know-it-all-ness is not really knowl- edge, but just a sincere desire to take a “fall,” as they say, out of another human being. ‘They achieve this end, at least to their own way of thinking, by accusing the fellow of not doing what they do. This is the gist of the matter, al- though no doubt few of them would call it fair to put it that way. It is too revealing, of course. They prefer to look at it from their own standpoint, that of omniscience looking down on an erring world. There is no office, governmental or otherwise, where there are not two or three of these hardy souls who attempt to set their fellow mortals straight. * Kk ¥ X ‘The thing would be bad enough if they confined themselves to the things they really know. ‘They would be wrong enough, in all likelihood, when they did that, because their deductions are no more invari- ably right than those of mos. people. Where they offend greatly is in their bland assumption that they know a great deal more than they do about others. ‘They know so much (that they don’t know). They twist statements, made at random, to suit themselves, then they proceed to build out of their twistings the most astounding edifices. Here is one who said, in an odd moment, that he did not go to the movies as much as once he did. Pretty soon these distorters have built up the story that he never goes. Now, never going to the movies is a modern crime, is it not? He who never goes—think of it, my dear, nevah!—is fit for treason, stratagem and spoils, as a silly old party named Shakespeare once put it. | W Then the prosecuting (some say persecuting) attorney makes the fol- lowing irritating charge: “You ought to move around more.” The fact that the victim may have moved around exceedingly spryly during the week is no defense. The prosecution has not heard of it, that is all. If-any one wants this type of pros- lecutor to “lay off him,” he must | have gone ‘round with the prosecutor, | else all the rest of his going ‘round will not count. From an isolated statement, that the victim—we insist on that—had not gone to the movies recently as much as he once did, the fellow draws the gratuitous inference that he never | goes. ‘What he means, of course, is that | he never goes with him! * ok kX The world may be divided into two classes, in this matter, as in many others. There are, first, those who run around with their office associates. ‘There are, second, those who do not. Supersensitive members of the first class at times may be inclined to STARS, MEN Laboratory BY THOMAS A repressed tendency toward the “bulldog face” apparently is deep- seated among mammals. The killing of a “bulldog coyote” in Arizona has| just been reported to the Journal of the American Society of Mammal- ogists issued here by Barbara Law- rence of the Harvard Museum of Com- parative Zoology. Besides, there have been reports of foxes, cattle and pigs with the same abnormality. In three | species of dogs—the bulldog, the pug and the aboriginal Peruvian pug- nosed dog—the charaoter has become dominant. The abnor@lity, Miss Law- rence comments, is caused entirely by pronounced shortening of the rostral portion of the skull, due to failure of the facial bones fully to develop. “From the evidence at hand,” she says, “it would seem that this abnormality may occur as a freak in either wild or domesticated animals of a number of different familles—but notably among the dogs.” * k% % The Society of Mammalogists also has received a communication from Sigvald Salvesen of Aamli, Norway, on the ventilation of the beaver hut, which seems to add another accom- plishment to the engineering genius of this animal. “The beaver hut seen from the out- side,” says Mr. Salvesen, “appears to be so tight that it seems astonishing the occupants can get sufficient air. In Winter, when the lodge is covered with snow and ice, one would not think it possible that the animals could live in apparently air-tight dwellings. Near my home is a small lake where, in the Autumn of 1927, the beaver built a dam and a great lodge. 1 “In the outlet of the lake the water was still open and I noticed the foot- marks of the beaver on the thin ice. Twigs and small trunks were dragged to the open water, where the animals sat on the edge of the ice and took their meals. A fox had his usual track over the lodge. More and more snnw‘ fell and the hut was more and more | hidden under the white blanket. Sometimes I noticed that the fox had gone to the top of the dome and evi- dently set there awhile. Close by where he had set was a hole in the snow about half a foot in diameter and with thin ice around the edge. I found that the hole widened down- Notebook of Science Progress in Field, ward and ended on the roof of the lodge. At the bottom the hole was at least 2 feet in diameter and its walls were hard as ice. Up from this hole or chimney rose a warm steam, and the twigs and mud on the roof felt warm and damp to my hand. “This was what the fox had dis- covered. He had caught the smell of the beaver through this chimney, which acted as an air circulator through the snow. In the roof of the lodge was a small hole and as the warm air steadily melted the snow, little by little, the chimney was formed.” * ok ok % Still another peculiarity of animal behavior—that of harvesting and cur- ing food to prevent mildewing before storing it in underground “barns,” is reported to the society by Willlam T. Shaw of the Fresno State College, California. The animal he observed suspect that the members of the sec- ond do not care for them. e Nothing could be further from the truth, in many instances. The mem- bers of the second part simply spread their acquaintances out over diverse areas. They aim to take in many and varled persons, so that their lives will not become cramped by too close adherence to one “line.” The man whose one preoccupation, for instance, is coal, is likely to be all- coal. And all-coal is likely to become somewhat disconcerting to others. We use honest coal because it comes to mind. One may think up an end- Jess list. “Shop talk” is one of the banes of society. Nothing takes the heart out of some persons quite so readily as incessant shop talk. These natures find they must get away from it. * % X % The busybody know-it-all _boys, therefore, must get out of their heads, as quickly as they may, the single- track idea that they really know much about their victims. Said victims ask nothing better than that the single-trackers let them alone. But that, of course, is what the know- so-much boys positively will not do. They know too much, they believe, for that. They must criticize, in the common acceptance of the word, and hence find the somewhat silent and mysterious victim ready to hand. What they really resent, of course, is the feeling that the other is criticizing them, in his turn, by his refusal to take them into his inner life and make them a part thereof. But no man can dictate such things to another, not even if he be head and shoulders over all. He may try, but he never quite gets away with it. ERE I The foregoing thoughts spring to an evanescent life as the result of a letter received by this column from an evidently timid young man who is in the employ of one of the big Gov- ernment bureaus. He wants to know what to do about this problem, which besets him, as no doubt it has beset many another a young fellow and girl. too, in many and many an office, both public and private. If you insist on living your own life, without benefit of associates, | there will always be a few of those acquaintances who think, from one or another remark you let dmp,_nu in the innocent play of conversation, that you are just a bit too hoity-toity for your (their) own good. Hence they will seek to bring you down a peg or two, as they say, by in- dicating that, in their opinion, you do something else than the thing they really are charging you with. To ac- knowledge the latter would be un- thinkable, but to assert that you, poor | soul, do not do something or other which they, great souls, love to do, is to smack you squarely in the place it hurts most. Alas, too often they achieve their aim, especially when the victim is a timid soul who does not know how, or does not care to try, to fight back. Life is a battle, of a sort, that is a reason for war and it is a good one. Even the church militant is built solidly in human nature, as well as in divine nature. He who will not fight back, with the weapons at hand, in this case good words, must continue to be made the victim of these strange souls who insist that they know more about you than you do yourself. AND ATOMS and Study. R. HENRY. where it will be dried by the dust and the heat of the sun. But during the night, Dr. Shaw found, the animals work busily remov=- ing the dried seed to much larger cham- bers deep underground, where it is to be stored for the Winter. In some way this highly intelligent animal has learned the secret of preventing mil- dew. A few other animals have mas- tered the same technique—notably the beaver and cony %ho dry their twigs in the sun before storing them. Dwellers in a desert country, where food is scarce, the kangaroo rat more than most creatures appreciates the value of it. In some cases where the underground dens were gassed by the investigators the inhabitants were found dead—their cheek pouches filled with food from their stores which the frightened creature had stopped to gather up before trying to escape. * % Xk x ‘The automobile is proving a boon to some carniverous animals, especially coyotes, according to a report to the society from William Bebb of Elkhorn, Wis. Hundreds of birds are struck on the wing by automobiles and killed. The coyotes have learned to fre- quent the roadsides to take advantage of this fresh meat. Bird remains are found in their stomachs which would not possibly have been obtained in any other way. On the other hand, it is very rare for one of the carnivores, with the exception of the clumsy skunk, to be killed by the cars. Barter for Warships. Prom the Worcester Evening Gazette. Being a little short of cash at the moment, the Brazilian naval ministry has a simple scheme for building up the republic’s sea strength. Brazil | has plenty of cotton, lard, sugar and various other products—plenty and some to spare. So Protogenes Gui- maraes, navy minister, wants to swap cotton, lard, sugar and the like for anything in the way of warships other nations have to offer. He'll take sub- marines, submarine chasers, destroy- ers. ai vessels and tank ships. He'll probably take anything else, too. That's comparatively easy, if Brazil isn’t fussy about the kind of ships she gets In the swapping process. Eng- land, the United States, Italy, Holland and even Japan would doubtless wei- come the chance to palm off a few obsolete vessels on the big South American republic. * And at that, de- spite the fact that war craft’ swiftly become obsolete, perhaps Brazil might get.enough to keep her up with Chile and the Argentine as a naval power in South America. There are difficulties. It takes a prodigious amount of lard or sugar or cotton to pay for even a second-hand warship. - Most of the nations with which Brazil might dicker are either well stocked with their own agricul- tural products or are committed to buy them from their possessions. And just now, with prospects of a naval building race by the big powers, any ship Brazil could get for a reasonable amount might be too far out of date even for a South American navy. For the same reason, available facil- ities for building new warships are being tentatively reserved in this country, England, Japan and doubt- less elsewhere, -but not for Brazil. When demand is high is a poor time to go shopping in the warahip market. / ThePolitical Mill By G. Gould Lincoln. ‘The American Federation of La- bor, through some of its principa! officials, demands the ousting of Don- ald R. Richberg, executive director of the National Emergency Council, and of S. Clay Williams, chairman of the N. R. A. Board. President Roosevelt turns down the proposal flatly as far as Mr. Williams is concerned, and turns down the proposal flatly so far of backing up Richberg. While the labor leaders are opposed to Wil- liams, the white heat of their anger is directed more particularly at Rich- berg. They explain this quite frankly on the ground that Richberg, who for years was counsel for the Railroad Brotherhoods and an active advocate of organized labor, they have re- garded as “one of us.” Now, they think, he has let them down. Fur- thermore, they contend that he has been in the process of letting them down ever since the N. R. A. was first set up and he became general coun- sel for that agency of the Govern- ment, under Gen. Hugh S. Johnson as administrator. This is the attitude of the labor leaders. Mr. Richberg quite naturally resents being dubbed & “traitor,” nor would he admic that he has let labor down. * ko ¥ Despite the fact that the breach be- tween the President and the A. F. of L. seems to be widening almost daily, the labor leaders and the rank and file have not turned against the President personally. They don’t like his idea of paying less than the pre- vailing wages on work-relief jobs— in fact, $50 a month for such labor. They are intent on forcing through Congress the 30-hour-work-week bill, which the A. F. of L. is backing whole-heartedly. And they want a showdown during the present session of Congress on the meaning of sec- tion 7-A of the national industrial recovery act. They demand that this section, which gives labor the right of collective bargaining, shall be en- forced to the limit. Some of the leaders contend that the Department of justice has neglected woefully taking action in cases where there has been violation of this section. * k% % If the A. F. of L. fails to get what it wants of the administration in these matters, what then? From a political point of view a real ruction between organized labor and the President migh have far-reaching consequences. In the last two campajgns, organized labor _has been wholeheartedly with the President. If an attempt was made to leave the President and the Democratic party, what direction would organized labor take? There has been talk of a Labor party, as dis- tinct from all other parties, for years, patterned after the British Labor par- ty. But labor has fought shy of such political organization so far. It is likely to continue to avoid it, in the opinion of some of its wisest leaders. If no Labor party—as such—is to be organized, three other steps labor might take are to affiliate more strongly with the Republican party or with the Progressive party or the Farmer-Labor party. = aie ‘There are members of the G. O. P. who might leap at the chance of utiliz- ing antagonism of organized labor to- ward the Roosevelt administration. On the other hand, organized labor has pretty effectually turned its back on the Republicans for the last three years and there wouldbave to be some pretty strong' Tepresentations on the part of the G. O. P. to win them over. The more likely attitude of labor would be to join up with the Progressives or with the Farmer-La- bor party, or with both, §f there should be an amalgamation of the two. Prankly there are some Democratic members of Congress who are not at all happy over the situation which has grown up between the A. F. of L. and the administration. It is quite true that the present administration has done more for organized labor than perhaps any other, They think that labor should be satisfied. But labor is not. It does not believe that it has had a fair break in the en- forcement of section 7-A. When the bill to continue for another two years the N. R. A. comes up for consider- ation this matter is likely to be threshed out fully in the House and Senate. In the meantime, a question which is being asked widely is: “Can Richberg stay in his present position?” * x ¥ Postmaster General Farley, it is now predicted, will remain chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He will keep right along in that job through the 1936 campaign, when President Roosevelt comes up for re- election. That is not particularly surprising. He knows his job as chairman and he has a wider ac- quaintance and following as chairman among the Democrats all over the country than any other man who might be put in the place. Senator Norris of Nebraska, a stickler for re- moval of public officials from par- tisan politics has offered a bill which would take ‘the Postmaster General right out of political life. The ad- ministration has countered with a bill, introduced in the Senate by Sen- ator O'Mahoney of Wyoming and in the House by Representative Mead of New York, which is designed to place all the first, second and third class postmasters under strict civil service rules and classifications. Under the existing system of holding examina- tions before appointments are made to these positions there is still a lot of play, into which politics and the delmmrls for patronage insert them- selves. * % ¥ x ‘These demands for patronage, made by deserving Democrats, are awkward things to handle sometimes. A case in point has just turned up. It seems that Mrs. Emma Hyland, Democratic | woman leader in Camden County, N. J, for the last 15 years, who has been serving as acting at the Camden post office since last Sum- mer, was about to be sidetracked. Carroll P. Sherwood, former city com- missioner of Camden, supported by David Stern, Philadelphia newspaper publisher and a sponsor of the Guffey- Earle ticket in the recent campaign, was to have the job. Mr. Farley called in Senator A. Harry Moore of New Jersey and asked about Sherwood. Moore had no objections—then. But soon afterward fur began to fly. Mrs, Norton, Democratic Representative in the House, and the Democratic State organization rose in their wrath at the suggestion Mrs. Hyland should go. And now Senator Moore seems to have reversed his opinion, and the nomination of Sherwood is up in the alr. Mrs. Hyland, by the way, has Jjust been serving as chairman of the committee which handled the Roose- velt birthday ball in Camden. the reappoin ment of Postmaster Hurley—who has been in the service for years.—No Mr. backing the A reader car get the answer to any question of fact by writing The ‘Washington Evening Star Information | S. E. Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, ! Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. Can the Blue Eagles issued in 1934 be used in 1935?—T. N. A. Blue Eagles for particular trades and industries marked 1934, as well as those originally issued under the President’s re-employment agreement, may be used in 1935. Q. What has become of the race horse Mate?—E. R. A. Mate is now racing in England with only moderate success. Q. Was there not another ship named Mohawk in a disaster off the New Jersey coast?>—F. M. A. An original Coast Guard cutter named Mohawk was rammed and sunk by a tramp steamer off the New Jer- sey Coast on October 1, 1917, while awaiting assembly of a troop ship convoy. Q. What are diploma mills?—A. A. S. A. American Universities and Col- leges says: “Diploma mills are so- charters of States where the require- ments are not so high as in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and North Caro- lina, and therefore “legally” able to confer degrees. Frequently they pub- | lish the statement that they are ac- | credited, but do not say by whom. | These enterprises sometimes adver- | tise residence work, but more usually offer to confer degrees for work done by correspondence. The ‘diploma mill’ usually operates away from the | State which issued its charter.” Q. How much has the Government lost on the subsistence homestead proj- | ect at Reedsville, W. Va.”—R. C. B. | A. It has been estimated by the| Subsistence Homestead Corp. that more than $500,000 will be lost on Reedsville homesteads. Q. Is it truem successful per- sons nearly always have large vocabu- tories of Stevens Institute of Tech- nology, successful men and women rank high in vocabulary. Johnson O'Connor, director of these studies, in his book “Psychometrics,” says: “A large vocabulary is typical, not ex- of all successful individuals.” Q. How many manufacturers here and abroad use Mickey Mouse as a trade mark?—F. K. A. The toy is under license by 60 manufacturers in the United States, 35 in Great Britain, 6 in France, 6 in | Australia, 4 in Spain, 8 in Italy and | a sizable but undetermined number in the Scandinavian countries. | Q. Please describe haggis, the na- | tional dish of Scotland—K. L. W. A. The haggis is composed princi- | pally of sheep’s liver, beef suet and | minced onions mixed with oatmeal | finely ground and tcasted slowly until | it s light brown. All this is seasoned with cayenne, salt and black pepper and mixed to a pudding consistency with beef gravy or broth. The mix- | ture is then sewed into a sheep's | stomach_and boiled slowly for lhreel hours. It is served very hot without garnish. Q. Who was our smallest President? [ in height. laries?—E. E. | A. According to studies conducted | by the Human Engineering lnbora-‘ clusively of executives, but probably | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ). HASKIN. | taxes just as other people do. A. James Madison was the shortest | ployes of States and municipalities are President. He was only 5 feet 4 inches Q. What is the derivation of the name of the game “parchesi”?—T. A. Pachisi is from the Hindu word for 25. The game was of East Indian origin and the name indicated the highest throw. pQé What is a mullioned window?— Altisa window in which slender bars or pers form divisions between the panes. Q. What is the largest denomina- tion in which United States postage stamps are made?—E. B, A. The $5 stamp is the largest. Q. What size bars co the mints put gold into?—J. H. Z. A. There is no standard size for bars of gold. The smallest made by the mints is the 5-ounce bar, which con- tains about $100 worth of gold. The largest made is about the size of a building block, about 400 ounces. If a brick 2x4x8 inches in size were made of solid gold it would weigh about 45 pounds. Q. What is meant by saying a per- son straddled the stock market?— called universities operating under |y nr A. It indicates that he was long of one stock and short of another, Q. Where is the largest statue in the world>—W. G. W. A. A heroic statue of Christ of the Rockies is believed to be the largest in the world. It stands atop a tower- ing mountain in Denver and overlooks a rugged region stretching for miles. Q. Are radiograms broadcast like radio programs?—R. T. A. The principle is entirely differ- ent. In radio communication the energy from powerful transmitters is | concentrated into narrow bands and directed, like searchlight beams, on the distant receiving stations, where similar technic is employed to receive the individual beams to the exclusion of others. Q. Please explain the storied “hun= dred isles of Venice."—G. S. A. They are separated by the many canals for which the city is famous. The Grand Canal winds through Ven- ice in the form of the letter 8. It divides the city into two nearly equal parts. The other water streets are as | crooked and mixed up as the streets of London, following the windings of the deeper channels among the mud banks and islands on which the buildings stand. Q. Are foreign languages required in engineering colleges?—L. P. A. The Office of Education says that in many engineering colleges foreign languages are not actually required, but are made elective subjects. How- ever, it is suggested that the student take at least one. The practice in large Western engineering colleges is to study Spanish, because many stue dents hope eventually to get employ- ment in Spanish-American countries. Q. How many Congressional Medals of Honor have been awarded World ‘War veterans?—C. R. . A. The Congressional Medal of Henor has been awarded to 99 officers and enlisted men, including 6 awarded to unknown soldiers of the allies for heroic deeds in the World War. Q. Why are Government employes exempt from income tax?—G. W. D. A. They are not. They pay income Em- not subject to payment of a Federal income tax. e — led by newspaper observers to r General Farley’s gift of unperforated postage - stamps to friends, including the President. “Mr. Farley's enthusiasm for new stamp designs was no secret”” de- }clues the Indianapolis News, “but his | disposition to favor a few friends with |1t was not the intention that these stamps ever should reach the market where collectors bid against each other. That some of them did so is now charged, and as a stamp is worth whatever a philatelist is willing to pay for it, and so few of these specimens ever would become available, the sell- ing price mounted into thousands.” To the Syracuse Herald, “the Post- master General’s amiability took the form of an unfortunate slip.” That paper, continuing, observes, “He should have foreseen what was likely to happen in the round of philatelic reactions, and guarded against these unpleasant probabilities.” The Roch- ester Times-Union is of the opinion that “it is not a major political issue, but it does place position which is embarrassing, to say the least.” “If special stamps have been printed jadvance issues leads to the turmoil | Mr. Farley in a| Farley’s Stamp Gifts Called an l Embarrassing Indiscretion “Indiscretion” is the term generally | postal surplus—which would be im- portant.” It is the opinion of the Williamsport (Pa.) Sun that “the matter may be of importance to stamp collectors who feel they have been slighted, but if this is the most seri- ous offense that his critics can fasten upon Farley they had better forget about it, lest they boost his stock while seeking to batter it down.” The Columbus (Ohio) Evening Dis- patch notes that “no mention is made that he remembered King George of England.” and suggests that. “if Mr. Farley had included the King on his list, it might have made diplomatic relations easier for awhile.” The Danville (Ill.) Commercial- News declares: “In all probability, Mr. Farley acted without thought of disturbing any one's peace of mind. ‘The simplest way out would be for compilers of standard catalogues to re- fuse definitely to consider them for listing, for, after all, the catalogues control the philatelic fate of postal paper.” —————— Comparative Cost of Defense. Prom the New York Herald Tribune. It is perhaps a sign of the times there has been no thought of mone- | tary profit,” says the Milwaukee | Journal, adding that “the principle is | wrong just the same.” The Worcester Evening Gazette agrees that “those who got the stamps got them as curi- | osities,” but adds: “Some day some one on the favored list of a Postmaster General accustomed to_ handing out rare stamps might not have scruples against realizing a few thousand dol- lars. ‘The question raised concerning | Mr. Farley's experience ought to show the possibilities of stamp favoritism and put a stop to it. The incident will, of course, keep the philatelists on the watch for any repetitions of it.” “Purthermore,” points out the New London Day, “there is always the question of what the heirs of the present recipients of these stamps will do with the stamp collections, once the owners are dead and gone. If they are sold, the price received will | be appreciably higher because of the | generosity of Mr. Farley.” It seems to the Manchester (N. H) Union that, “when he went out of his way, as the charge goes, to present auto- graphed sheets of special issues to his ‘friends who are stamp collectors, he must have been aware that the gifts represented considerable more than their face value.” ‘The Ports- | mouth (Ohio) Times states: “It isn't | as though Mr. Farley did anything seriously wrong by getting stamps for bis friends. He possibly is commit- ting an indiscretion from the political viewpoint. Philatelists are notoriously aggressive and touchy where their hobby is concerned—their occupation, in some cases. It would not be wise to let them build up a grudge against the whole Roosevelt administration just to let Mr. Farley accommodate a few friends with the stamps which his department produces.” “If the charges are true,” asserts the Eureka (Calif.) Humboldt Times, “Farley is certainly guilty of gross impropriety,” and the Lincoln (Nebr.) State Journal believes that the inves- The Kansas City Times agrees that “it s all right to go ahead with the proposed congressional investigation,” but continues: “What could be brought out in that connection might might not be important. But in of the hearings, perhaps Mr. might reveal another that even though the President's budget message calls for an appropri- ation for national defenses larger than ever in our peace-time history, it nevertheless consumes a smaller pro- portion of the total budget than do the defense items of other govern- ments. On the basis of the total budget America's defense appropri- | ations come to less than 10 per cent. This compares with 46 per cent for Japan. France in 1934 devoted 22 per cent of her budget to national defense and Italy 20.8 per cent. ‘The chief reason for the increase in the American defense item is the need to make up for the inactivity of the preceding administrations in naval construction. As the President pointed out, the building schedule of naval vessels since the Washington treaty was not ample enough to build up our fleet to treaty strength and keep it there. Hence the present spe- cial activity in naval construction. The increase in the total items for defense 1s $180,000,000 over the current fiscal year, and $313,000,000 over the year before, bringing the grand total to $792,000,000. This is a large sum—almost as large as the interest charges on the public debt or the cost of the civil depart- ments of the Government. It is to be hoped that within a few years the world will have recovered its senses— and our defenses will have been suf- ficiently strengthened—to make possi= ble a drastic reduction in this item of the cost of Government, Till then, however, there is nothing to do but “grin and bear it.” e Matrimonial Delay. From the New York Times. The Delaware Legislature seems dis- inclined to modify the law requiring couples from out of the State to wait four days for their marriage licenses. They might incorporate into a Dela- ware holding company to while away the time. e Rule Revisions. From the Burlington (Iows) Hawkeye- Gazette. Bridge and foot ball have this in common—the rules are revised fre- quently by the powers that be, either to make the winning easier or harder —we forget which, {