Evening Star Newspaper, March 3, 1935, Page 54

‘F_8 é;ring May Be Far Off But Highway Needs Exist Early Construction, Proper Rates and Uses of Taxes With Safety Obiectives Held Necessary. By G. Adams Howard. be only hopeful S PRING, according to the calendar, is due this month, but from the experiences of a few days last week, the motorist can March may go out like a lamb, but many of its days around Washington generally prove trying to the drivers. Probably it will seem more so this year, as up to now the Winter has been more than usually severe. Those opposing parking limitation on certain thoroughfares to permit snow removal should feel differently by now. It was stated during one of the hearings that the District of Columbia only averages one or two snow falls during the Winter months. This opinion proved false this year at any rate. However, although Spring may be far off, it is not so in the minds of the road builders. Benefits to motorists and the coun- try in general almost beyond com- prehension are offered in the work that can be done immediately by State highway departments, accord- ing to reports of States recently pub- lished by the American Association of State Highway Officials. More Safety Seen. These benefits would accrue in in- creased safety to motorists and pedestrians, in savings in motor ve- hicle driving costs. in. the relief of congestion and in widespread employ- ment and distribution of wages, ac- cording to the association. State highway departments can im- mediately begin work on projects cost- ing $700,000,000. Other work that can be launched within a year swells the total to $1,700,000,000. The projects include 9,727 safety structures, 4,058 rail-highway grade separations, 5,326 replacements of weak and narrow bridges and 343 highway grade separations. ‘Then are listed 10,732 highway con- struction and reconstruction projects and 1,739 projects of construction and reconstruction of trunk lines through cities and city by-passes. However, the volume of work that will be undertaken is largely de- pendent upon the extent to which the Federal Government provides aid, ac- cording to the association. Usually State highway departments | tor. | industry to pursue this policy so that lars in research for the purpose of de- veloping vehicles of maximum safety and convenience. Justification of these vast expenditures is afforded, we believe, by the cwrent models. Ve- hicles today, by virtue of their greater | reliability, flexibility and ease of con- trol, have a much higher safety fac- It is the constant purpose of the the American people may have com- | plete assurance that vehicles which they purchase will embody the greatest | safety and utility attainable by en- | | gineering ingenuity. “Although all studies of accident causes are unanimous in their con- clusions that from 80 to 90 per cent of traffic mishaps are traceable di- rectly to some form of human falli- bility on the part of the individual motorist or pedestrian, there is abundant evidence that through en- gineering safeguards for the greater protection of highway users can be devised.” Through the Automobile Manufac- turers’ Association, the automobile manufacturers of the country have long played a leading role in pro- moting the safety and efficiency of highway transportation. The asso- ciation’s annual worthy influence in reducing acci- dents among children during the last decade. have less than half of the income |ulations, which has been sponsored from State license fees and gas taxes | by the National Conference on Street available for new construction. This is because of requirements for high- way maintenance, bond payments and 80 on. Public road construction has created employment faster than any other type of work, according to a recent report of Secretary Ickes. For this reason highways should be given a major consideration in the impend- ing public works program, the high- way officials’ association believes. The amendment to the $4,000,000,- 000 public works bill now before the Senate of the United States, proposed by Senator Hayden. very definitely plans for Federal funds to meet the projects as outlined by the States. While this amendment defers to the President the allocation of anv defi- nite amount of money, it provides for a distribution of these funds for high- way projects and railroad grade crossings on a basis. that is fair and equitable to all of the States, and will | provide for immediate undertaking of these thousands of projects. Efficiency Held Need. Highway work is also the subject of ©ll men at the present time. “Hope for economic recovery in this country lies not in increasing taxation, but in better organization and man- agement of the machinery of gov- ernment, in the elimination of dupli- cating efforts and excessive appropri- ations, and in making wiser use of credit,” Baird H. Markham, director | of the American Petroleum Industries Committee, said in an’ article pub- | lished in the February issue of The | Southwestern Banker. Taking as his subject, “Effictent Highway Policies Can Relieve Tax Burdens,” Director Markham outlined the growth of taxes for highways to excesive rates and costs, followed by the use of the revenue for other pur- | poses and the threatened disruption | of highway systems for which tax- payers paid and still are paying. “The administration of highway policies and the expenditure of high- way funds provide a splendid oppor- tunity for a demonstration of govern- mental efficiency and economy,” Mr. Markham said. “Highways are needed. Revenue is available. Local labor and materials can be used. If highways were properly planned and built, it might even be possible to reduce spe- cial additional taxes, enabling citi- zens more easily to pay other tax bills, or even to enjoy the pleasure of | spending their own money. Further- | more, if we built highways we could | afford, the greater part of their cost | would be borne by those who use them, | effectively relieving other taxpayers and taxable assets. | “This is not at all a matter of ex- | tracting rabbits from hats, nor other | financial hocus pocus. * * * It calls| for outstanding public service and the subordination of political expedi- | ency to public need.” Twin Research Objectives. Along the line of highways the ever- fmportant subject of safety is stressed by the Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Greater safety on the highways and the elimination of costly traffic con- gestion are twin objectives of an ex- panded program of highway research being initiated at the Bureau for Street Traffic Research at Harvard University, it was announced today. Reorganization and expansion of the research activities of the univer- sity’s Bureau for Street Traffic Re- search has been made possible through a gift to the university by the Auto- mobile Manufacturers’ Association. This contribution by the Automobile Manufacturers” Association indicates that leaders of the motor industry recognize the opportunities for im- proving the accident situation and increasing the efficiency of highway transportation through the scientific development of sound engineering and administrative principles. “Solution of the traffic problems is not simple,” was the view expressed today by Alfred Reeves, vice president and general manager of the associa- tion. “However, our participation in this new project may be regarded as an expression of the industry’s confi- dence that tangible results can be produced through the development of more scientific methods for the con- struction of highways and the regu- lation of motor traffic. “Over a period of more than 10 years, the Harverd Bureav for Street Traffic Research, under the excep- tionally able direction of Dr. Miller McClintock, has demonstrated its ca- pacity for the development of better methods and principles for the con- trol of traffic,” Mr. Reeves continued. “These have been applied in scores of cities and States throughout the coun- try with resultant reduction in traf- fic accidents and marked im ment in the efficiency of motor travel. Expense Justification Seen. “Since the beginning of automo- tive transportation, the motor indus- try has spent many millions of dol- [ and Highway Safety, has had the continuous support of the industry. In addition, the motor truck division of the association sponsors a pro- gram for educating the operators of commercial vehicles to exercise greater courtesy and caution in their use of the highways. The new program of Harvard's Bu- reau for Street Traffic Research will be conducted by its director, Dr. Mc- Clintock, along the same lines as those followed in the past. Compre- hensive researches into the causes of traffic accidents and highway con- gestion will be undertaken with a view to developing upon the basis of factual data sound methods and principles for improving highway con- ditions. As in the past, the bureau will work in the closest harmony and co-operation with public officials who are confronted with special problems of general significance. The results of these studies will be published and made available to those charged with traffic responsibility throughout the country. Uniformity Sought. Falling within the scope of the bureau’s new program are such sub- jects as rational and uniform legis- lation and ordinances, police organi- zation and enforcement of traffic laws, efficient traffic engineering technique and organization, and the design of new and basic types of traffic facilities especially for urban areas. The bureau will continue its efforts to educate and develop traffic experts through the co-operation of the university's department of govern- ment and its Schools of Engineering, Business Administration and City Planning. Under the bureau's plan for co- operation with governmental agen- cies provision is made whereby re- sponsible officials of State and local governments may call upon the bureau staff for information and ad- vice bearing upon local problems of safety and congestion. Coincident with the announcement of the bureau's expanded program it was revealed that Maxwell N. Hal- sey has been appointed its assistant director. A graduate of the Harvard organization, Mr. Halsey has held numerous responsible engineering po- sitions in engineering and private organizations interested in traffic- control problems, the most recent being that of traffic engineer for the National Bureau of Casualty and Surety Underwriters. AUTOMOTIVE BRIEFS January factory sales of automobiles manufactured in the United States (including foreign assemblies from parts made in the United States and reported as complete units or vehicles), based on data reported to the Bureau of the Census, consisted of 292,765 vehicles, of which 229,199 were pas- senger cars and 63,566 were trucks, as compared with 183,187 vehicles in De- cember, 1934; 156,907 vehicles in Jan- uary, 1934, and 128825 vehicles in January, 1933. The Parkway Motor Co., authorized Ford dealers in Georgetown, was host last Thursday night to a group of American Automobile Association offi- cials and employes, Parkway employes and ether guests. The festivities were held in the Parkway Building at 3040 M street northwest, where entertain- ment was furnished and a buffet sup- per served. The object of the party was a get-together of the two organi- zations after years of business asso- ciation. NO HIGHWAY CHANGES No new detours were added to the highway map within a 100-mile radius of Washington this week, ac- cording to information furnished The Sunday Star by the Washington office of the American Automobile Associa- tion, which listed no new road proj- ects through Friday noon. No com- pletions of projects were reported. Scholarship Recital. EV‘ER.I‘I'I STEVENS, composer-pian- ist, will give a recital of his com- positions Tuesday evening at the Pea- body Conservatory of Music, Balti- more This is the required recital upon completion of three years as holder of the Peabody composition scholarship, No. 2. The program will consist of “Sonata for Violin and Piano,” “Ballade,” “Wind Over the Moor,” “Six Bagatelles,” “Suite” and “Toccata” for piano; four songs, “My Heart,” “Nocturne,” Six Cinquains” and “Holiday” and the “Piano Con- certo in F Sharp Minor.” Mr. Stev- ens will be assisted by Milton Schwartz, violinist; Virginia Sellers, safety essay and | | lesson contests have had a note- The effort to bring'about | | better and more uniform traffic reg- THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MARCH 3, 1935—PART FOUR. DOWN THE ROAD-—Actions You Regret. —By FRANK BECK o THREE AM. N s = S = ==@=7A I SHOULDN'T = = — WHAT A TIME TO BE STARTING. THIS 15 THE LAST FARMHOUSE WE'LL STOP (Continued From Page 2.) of authority from one department to another, a subsequent law, approved May 15, 1872, authorized the Secretary of the Interior to purchase a new site for the school, to be selected by Peter (probably Thomas Peters, a clerk, whose home was then at Ken- dall Green) was purchased for $30,- 000, and an offer to sell the remainder of the farm of 100 acres for $15,000 | was made. HIS is the site of the National Training School for Boys, on the east side of the Bladensburg road, beginning at about South Dakota avenue, which prior to the Civil War was owned by John Veitch, together with other farm land in this vicinity. The Veitches were early settlers of this part of Maryland, and Hezekiah, John, Thomas and Nathan were mar- ried, had families, and were living in Montgomery County as early as 1790. In the adjoining county of Prince Georges we find two Mary Veitches with families. In the Revolutionary War, John, William, Jacob and Abra- ham served from Maryland. John Veitch, who owned the land now held by the National Training | | School, was born on the place in 1784, !and died there in 1861. After the |close of the Civil War, an account | states, the Rev. William K. Boyle, who ! married Vietch's daughter Elizabeth. | | bought the property, which evidently hands of Thomas Peters, who last held title before it was acquired by the Government. Mr. Boyle, it seems, was the pastor of a Methodist Church in Hyattsville and also of one in Baltimore, and was long the editor of a religlous periodical published in the Monumental City. A genealogical account of this branch of the Veitch family, written some years ago, says that John Veitch had four daughters—Isabella, garet, Elizabeth and Mary—and two sons, Fletcher and John W. Veitch. Fletcher became a farmer in Mont- gomery County, Md., and John W. Veitch became a lawyer who at- | tained prominence in Western Mary- land and was at one time State’s at- | torney for Garrett County. He also served on the military staff of four | Governors of Maryland. Two sons of | Fletcher Veitch were then living in Washington—one, Percy H. Veitch, being a lawyer, and the other being | i 1840; died February 20, 1895.” H ‘Mary Elizabeth and Caroline Vir- ginia, infant daughters of John Veitch.” “James William, son of John and Caroline Veitch, died November 3, (1848.” “John A, son of Willilam and Ra- i chel Veitch, died November 18, 1881.” “John Fletcher, 1899, and James Gavin, 1901.” There were other numerous graves, marked with large pieces of the red- brown iron stone, common in the Eastern Branch region, but these could not be identified, though they were probably early members of the Veitch family or their slaves. At the time the Veitches owned this land the farms nearby were of con- siderable acreage. John C. Rives owned a tract at the District line, where he built the mansion, still stand- ing, in 1847, and below the training school and above Hickey Run, the land was owned by Col. Willlam Hickey, clerk of the United States Senate; A. Dodge, Charles B. Calvert and Dr. C. H. Nichols, first superin- tendent of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. At a later date, Frank Rives, Ed. Hickey and Leupold Leuchs owned land near the school, and the Boyle and Arrington properties are some- times referred to. istry, Department of Agriculture. The widow of John W. Veitch and his daughter—granddaughter of the war- time owner—at that time were living in the old homestead. JOHN VEITCH, who was born there in 1784, was the son of John Veitch, who acquired the land by marriage with a daughter of a man named Conn, said to be the Revolu- tionary proprietor of the fort land. There were two tracts of this estate, Scotland, on the east side of the Bladensburg road, and Barbadoes, on the west side. probably John, 1st, was the owner of this land at the time of the battle of Bladensburg. From the tombstones in the Veitch family burial ground on the farm, the following inscriptions were copied and preserved: “John Veitch, born August 20, 1784; died October 3, 1861.” “Caroline M., wife of John Veitch, died April 24, 1862.” “Dr. Eldridge R., son of Rev. El- dridge B. and Elizabeth Veitch, died January 20, 1862.” “Col. John W, son of John and Caroline Veitch, died October 11, 1892.” “Rev. William K. Boyle, born July THE grounds of the training school were made historic during the War of 1812-1815, for on the highest point—Ilater Fort Lincoln—the gallant Comdr. Joshus Barney planted his luring the Capital, August 24, 1814. Nearby to the north, at the District line, is Barney’s spring, now hidden from view, where the intrepid mariner soon afterward found itself in the | Mar- | F. P. Veitch of the Bureau of Chem- | One of these Veitches. | and where he was soon made a pris- oner of war. During the Civil War this eleva- tion of 230 feet above the Anacostia River was fortified and named Fort Lincoln, in honor of the martyr Presi- dent, and about 40 rods east of the fence running through it, it is said, | separated the Boyle and Arrington | properties. The rifle pits extended west to the fort and east and south to the river. Of course, there is little | remaining now to remind one of the | fort and the Civil War, although some earthworks are still to be seen. When built the fort was roughly a quadrangle 750 feet long, north and south. A thousand feet of infantry parapet extended to a battery at the north end of the crest and lower than the fort, and then 700 feet of rifie trench extended northeasterly down the slope to Battery Jameson, which was 500 feet long. Covering the deep ravine that runs down the crest east- ward into the Eastern Branch were two batteries, each about a thousand feet from the river. The fort was built in the Summer of 1861 by the 1st Massachusetts, ground being broken on August 26. “It was a powerful work,” we are told in an old account, “the armament consisting of 34 heavy guns of various kinds and calibers. The fort was named in honor of President Lincoln. Old Joe Hooker's brigade, which was composed of the 1st and 11th Massa- chusetts, 2d New Hampshire and 26th Pennsylvania, were the first troops to occupy this section. Battery D. 1st Rhode Island Artillery; Com- pany A, Maine Coast Guards, and de- tachments of New Hampshire Heavy Artillery and 150th Ohio National Guard occupied the fort during the time of Early's investment. “Maj. Darling, 7th Michigan Cavalry, with about 500 men, commanded the Cavalry outposts, and his command had a brush with the enemy’s cavalry beyond Bladensburg on the afternoon of July 12. Capt. T. S. Paddock had command of the fort at this time. “Forty rods east of this port, at the extremity of this part of the line of defenses, stood Battery Jameson, the old parapets being in a fair state of presenvation.” After the Civil War “Fort Lincoln” became “Mount Lincoln,” and this is probably what it should be called today. WITH the passage of the act of May 15, 1872, the Board of | Trustees of the school lost no time, | after obtaining the new site, in con- tracting for the necessary buildings, the plans for which were drawn by Edward Clark, then the architect of the Capitol. ‘Work on the buildings began shortly after the contract was awarded, on August 22, 1872, and the family building was probably occupied the following December. The superin- tendent did not wait until the new buildings were completed, but moved the boys into temporary quarters in a barn on the new site. ‘When the writer visited the Train- ing School recently, and was so de- lightfully received by the superin- tendent, Col. Claude D. Jones, and the secretary and treasurer, E. T. Hiser, and after hearing Col. Jones tell of this wonderful establishment and the good work that is being done there, he marveled at the progress made from the old Civil War hospital building up the Po- tomac River, to the fine up-to-date plant operated by the Training School today. But above all, what struck the writer most was the undoubted sincerity of the superintendent in his desire to redeem the boys under his charge, to put them back on the right track, so that when the time comes for them to go out into the world again they will become good citizens and will reflect credit upon those who have helped to recon- struct and build anew their charac- ters, at the institution of which he is so valuable a part. He also met there two veteran employes, one of whom, Edward Hickey, once served as .superin- tendent; the other, Henry Newman, who has been employed at the school since April 2, 1873. When he went there, he said, there were only two buildings, one the large farm building, in which the employes of the school lived, and the other a barn in which the boys were temporarily housed. Another veteran employed there, but whom the writer did not see, as he was detained at home on account of an accident, was D. E. Chester, whose service covers many years. It seems the retirement law does not cover the Training School, as it cer- tainly should, and for that reason these men, who have rendered so many years of public service, must just continue on until their status is made consistent with that of other Federal employes. BEING a Washingtonian and know- ing so many of the old-timers, the writer's mind naturally went back quite a distance as he sat in Col. Jones’ office and saw hanging on the walls portraits of William M. Shuster, Crosby S. Noyes, Cecil Clay, Francis H. Duehay, William S. Thompson and N. W. Burchell, all representa- tive men of their day. Mr. Noyes was appointed on the board October 19, the | 1886, and at the time of his death, February 21, 1908, was its chairman. mmunhmmwmléuat. N in the superintendent’s m?:omwmummmw HAVE TOLD THEM TO WAKE US = WHEN THEY National Training School sembly hall on January 20, 1909. It was presented to the school by a com- mittee of citizens of the District as a testimonial of his faithful services and keen interest in the work of the insti- tution. At the presentation and dedi- cation services of the window there himself and the board of trustees, and | fort, on a bluff overlooking the river, | were present numerous guests, mem- 150 acres of the farm of Thomas |stood Battery Jameson, and & wire |bers of the board of trustees, school Art Notes (Continued From Page 4.) berg has met in his treatment of rac- ing sloops and pleasure sail-craft can be traced directly to the care with which he has combined a high artistic ability and a thorough appreciation of the fine points of yacht rigging and yacht handling. His work can bear the close scrutiny of the art critic and yachtsman alike, without apology.” The fact is that Soderberg is a lover of the sea and a yacht-racing enthu- siast. And back of this enthusiasm | is & knowledge and respect for his art. The international racing boats such as the Rainbow and the Endeavour have served him as subjects, but he has portrayed them not merely as racers but because of their sheer beauty. Mr. Soderberg’s line is very sensitive, his touch light, his effects high-keyed. Other etchers of boats have a way of picturing the sails from the shady side, dark against water or sky. Not so Mr. Soderberg. The salls he shows us are almost inva- riably in a blaze of sunlight, dazzling white. As a rule also, the water in his etchings, while it has movement and life, has none of the weight and force that is seen in those, let us say | for example, by Woodbury. And this is well, for the sea has many moods, and that which he most frequently portrays exactly suits his subjects. etcher does not rest solely upon his yachting subjects is evidenced in this exhibition by the excellence of other themes no less ably handled, as for instance “Down South,” which pic- tures a typical Negro cabin in Georgia or Florida, with its picturesque sur- roundings. However, when all is said, it is undoubtedly as an etcher of sail- ing craft and for his transcriptions of exciting, thrilling moments in this most fascinating sport of yacht rac- ing that he will always be most es- teemed. This exhibition continues to March 24, 3 N EXHIBITION entitled “Off With Their Heads,” caricatured by Peggy Bacon of celebrities in the world of finance, art, music, opened in school. | Many will recall the burning of the | main building of the school in the early morning of December 19, 1905. | It was a typical Winter’s night. with ioflh‘ers and over 300 of the boys of the | snow on the ground and a cloudy sky. | When the fire started between 2 and |3 o'clock the District Fire Department | was immediately called and quickly | responded, only to find the nearest water mains to be fully half a mile from the fire, and though the depart- ment worked heroically, yet these ef- forts, combined with the help of the school employes and the boys, proved of no avail and the building was de- stroyed. During the progress of the fire not a single boy made an effort to escape, but on the contrary, many rendered valuable service in saving nearly all of the school records and in perform- | ing other helpful duties. As the burn- ing structure stood on a lofty hill it | naturally made a spectacular fire, such as will not be forgotten by those who witnessed it. Naturally, there was a large prop- erty loss. but in order to avoid a simi- lar delay in obtaining an adequate supply of water an extension from a 12-inch main was soon laid to the summit of the hill and trouble from this source is not likely to occur again. By the sundry civil bill of May 27, 1908, the name of the school was changed to the *“National Training School for Boys,” a move urged in view of the increasing number of boys committed to the school from United States courts outside the District of Columbia, and also as tending to avoid in the name anything likely to convey the idea of its being a penal institu- tion. The area of the grounds at the school amounts to about 324 acres, and the reservation runs eastward Anacostia River. The physical plant, including land, | buildings and equipment. is splendidly suited and adapted to the care and educational training of 400 boys, al- | though the present daily average is | 250 or less. It is undoubtedly true that few of the boys who receive a course of train: ing at this school are not better off | | by having done so, and with many there is a lasting attachment, for letters are frequently received by the superintendent from men who will never forget what was done for them gere during their youthful wayward ays. The present members of the board of trustees of the school are Warren F. Martin, Robert V. Fleming, San- ford Bates, D. J. Callahan, Charles Warren, Oscar L. Chapman, Mark L. Bristol and Melvin C. Hazen. HE oratorio “Hora Novissima,” | by Horatio Parker, will be sung by the Hamline Choir of 55 voices Wednesday, April 24, in Hamline Methodist Church. The performance will be under the direction of John H. Marville. The rich accompaniment will be provided by a special orchestra of 20 pieces in conjunction with the organ. Edith B. Athey will be the organist. At the benefit concert to be given tomorrow by the choir of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, under the direction of Minnie Volkman, the assisting guest soloist will be May Bradley Allen, con- tralto, soloist of the Church of the Pilgrims. Mrs. Allen will sing the aria “O don fatale,” from Verdi’s “Don Carlos,” and songs by Mednikoff, Fairchild, Curran and La Forge. Ralph Bissonette will be the accom- panist. ‘The Rubenstein Club, Claude Rob- son, direetor, will give its third in- formal musicale Tuesday evening at 8:45 in the cabinet room, Willard Hotel. The concert is complimentary to associate members and invited guests. The soloists will be Helen Fair- child Gettle, Anna Bensom Kochecster- gen, Mrs. Leon Truesdell, sopranos; Dorothy Goodrich, violinist, and Mary Izant Couch, pianist. Hester Walker Bell and Ella Harllee, readers. Edgar Priest, organist and choir- master of Washington Cathedral, was tendered a birthday reception Tuesday night, when a musical program was given of Mr. Priest’s compositions by Helen Corbin Heinl, pianist, and Ross Farrar, tenor. Gretchen Hood will present Wil- liam Fletcher Smith, baritone, organ- ist of St. John's Episcopal Church, Georgetown, in several groups of songs tonight at the International Art Forum. Pranciska Kaspar Lawson gave a song recital at Fairfax Hall, near Charlottesville, Va., last Tuesday. ‘The Friday Morning Music Club will present Anne Yago McGuffey, contralto; Dorothy Guion, pianist, and Katherine harpist, Frida; soprano, and Leah Effenbach, pianist. rested after he was severely wounded, | memorial window, placed in the as- Muxv:nummmm. [} from the Bladensburg road to the the Art League of Washington, 1503 Twenty-first street, the first of March to continue throughout the month. These are the originals of a series of portraits reproduced in a book of the same name as the exhibition. which has just come from the press. The drawings are in charcoal a little under | life size. The book is dedicated to | “The faces I love,” but if this is the ‘way Peggy Bacon treats her beloved friends, heaven help her enemies' For a coarser, more vulgar, repulsive set of drawings could not be found than these. Apparently, the artist has not only seen what was worst in the peo- ple she has portrayed, but nothing that was good. There is, in the whole lot, not a redeeming feature—and if this is funny let those laugh who will. The great caricaturists of the past were not of this type. They were in- | finitely more subtle. They interpreted, | sharply enough it is true, mental atti- | tudes, character. There is nothing subtle about thcse drawings and ap- parently, on the p: no mentality whatsoever. Look:ng at | these drawings one may recall, per- chance, something that William Howe Downs wrote some years ago about an exhibition of sculpture by George Gray Barnard, noted for his origi- | nality and vigor as well as fearlessness. | “It reminds us,” he said, “of the gos- | pel that man is made in the image of God; that his capacities are God-like ¢ * ¢ Tt reminds us that life spells opportunity; that life is full of un- speakable beauty; and that we live much or little as we love much or little.” And this had to do with sculp- ture 50 essentially virile as “I Feel Two Natures Within Me,” purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accompanying this collection of portraits is a group of vignettes by the same artist which places her sitters (does one sit for a caricature, or must it be done when one is off guard?) in their habitual environment—an art- ist at his easel, a writer at his desk, a musician playing, etc. These are much more subtle in character and skilfull in rendering. There is also a series of drawings or etchings of all sorts of pecple—the woman who sits opposite you in the subway, the one ou see on the park bench and those others who you do not see if you can help it—an ugly, degenerate, sorry world. At the same time that the Peggy Bacon drawings and prints are ex- hibited at the Art League (they have, by the way, just been shown in the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia) there will also be shown drawings and plans of very modern houses by Henry Klumb, and paintings, modernistic and abstract, by Katherine Munroe, Frederick Fugister and Ita Romagna, all of this city. In Local Music Circles | March 12, at 8 pm,, by the following | members: Enid Staley, dialogue: Helen Campbell Williams, piano; Florence Booker, Mimi, and Leonora Fague Musetta. Plans are being completed by Elsie Wade Stone, president of the Colum- bia College of Christian Education, which will sponsor for the third con- secutive year the Spring concert of church choirs in this city, scheduled to take place at the Willard Hotel on Tuesday night, March 19. 8ix choirs will participate, comprising Mount Vernon Place M. E. Church, National City Christian Church, Foundry M. E Church, National Memorial Baptist Church, Takoma Park Presbyterian Church and the Burrell Class Choral Ensemble of Calvary Baptist Church. Outstanding among Lenten musical events in the Capital City for the past several years is the Lenten concert by the A Capella Choir of First Congre- gational Church, conducted by Ruby Smith Stahl, which will take place Monday night, April 1, at the May- flower Hotel. Following its appear- ance here, the choir will be heard at the National Federation of Music Clubs’ convention in Philadelphia, and will also sing in Town Hall, New York City, before the end of April. The National Capital Choir, under the direction of Dr. Albert Harned, works this afternoon at 3:30 o'clock at the Methodist Episcopal Church South in Ballston, Va. The occasion is under the auspices of the Young Peoples Union of the District of Co- lumbia and vicinity. The public is invited. A program for two pianos will be presented at 5 o'clock today at the Y. W. C. A, Seventeenth and K streets, by Elsa Busch and Margaret Hall of the music department of St. Timothy’s School, Catonsville, Md. The Central Methodist Episcopal Church South of Bethesda announces for this evening the fifth in a series of special Sunday musical services. The chorus choir, under the direction of Mrs, Charles G. Morgan, jr, will Evelyn That Soderberg’s reputation as an | 1t of the subjects, | will present a program of choral|yon Way Fast Be ing Cleared To Check Airmail Evils First of Emergency Measures to Prevent Break- ing Up of Major Companies Already Put Into Effect. By Joseph S. Edgerton. lation to prevent serious di: system. The first of the e i and American Airlines, already h: | HE way is being cleared at the Capitol for emergency legis- sruption of the Nation’s airmail mergency measures, designed to prevent the breaking up of the systems of United Airlines as become effective. Other legislation, now in process in Senate and House, would permit increasing of airmail payments to financially distressed airmail companies; extension of existing airmail routes; indefinite extension of existing, satisfactory contracts, and would require payment of airmail line employes in accordance with rates established by the National Labo: r Board. The House Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads has begun work on the Mead bill, which embodies emergency legisla- tion reguested by the President,’ the Fe eral Aviation Commission. the Post Office Department and A bill of somewhat similar scope is being prepared for introduction in the Senate within a few days. Airmail operators, through the Aero- | nautical Chamber of Commerce, have | addressed urgent pleas to the Presi-| dent and Congress to increase airmail | payments, declaring that a majority | of them face early bankruptcy if pres- ent rates continue. The Mead bill| iwould meet this situation by author- izing the Interstate Commerce Com- | | mission to revise airmail rates upward as well as down. Increase of the route mileage limit | I from 29,000 to 32,000 miles and total | annual flown mileage from 40,000,000 to 45,000,000 miles is proposed in the| pending legislation. The Post Office Department also would be empowered | by the Mead bill to extend indefinitely, | subject to rates to be prescribed by the I. €. C., the contract of any air- mail operator who has rendered at least nine months of satisfactory service, Such contracts may be term- inated upon 60 days’ notice. Provision Vigorously Fought. One provision of the Mead bill is| trenuously opposed by airline oper- | lators. It would empower the Post- | master General to designate certain ! routes as primary or secondary routes, subject only to the provision that at least three transcontinental routes shall be designated as primary. The law prohibits any company from holding more than one primary route. The airmail contractors fear that the proposed amendment would put, them in constant jeopardy. Under it, they say, the Postmaster General, | without hearing, notice or reason, could rob a company of a contract by | declaring any two of its routes to be primary routes. In some respects the New Deal airmail legislation of last year has proved inequitable or unworkable. The proposed amendments are in- tended to correct the worst of the existing evils and to provide a work- able law until such time as Congress | may enact the proposed national| transportation law providing for uni- | fied control of transportation by land, sea and air. Local Airway Busy. The Washington-New York airway. scene of the world's first regular air- { mail service and at one time the most_heavily traveled airway in the world, today ranks as the second | heaviest traveled airway in the United States, with nine round trips a day being flown by Eastern Airlines. being flown with Douglas and Condor airplanes, the flying time over the 203-mile route ranging from 76 mine utes for the Douglases to 110 minutes for the Condors, which make inter- mediate stops at Philadelphia and Baltimore. South of Washington Douglas planes are used exclusively on the Miami route, while both Douglas and Condor planes fly the New Orleans airway. The Washington-New York airway reached its maximum activity before the business depression, when the pioneer Ludington Airlines, later ab- sorbed by Eastern Air, operated sched- ules in both directions every hour on the hour from early nightfall. During this period pas- senger records were established which have not been exceeded in regular service in any part of the world. Eastern Airlines, by intensive cul- tivation of passenger traffic along the Atlantic seaboard, gradually is build- ing up again to the levels of the “boom™ days of 1929. British Discuss Airships. On the evening of February 12 the U. S. 8. Macon, last of the great American airships, as many believe, went to a Pacific oblivion. At the same time, in England, presses were rolling off an exceedingly interesting article on the whole military airship question by Capt. J. A. Sinclair, for- merly of the British Royal Air Force. The Sinclair view is that the airship has a very definite value: his article contains pungent arguments in be- half of lighter-than-air development. It is, of course, pure coincidence that while the Macon was going down a paper like that of Capt. Sinclair sturdily supporting the airship should be in process of publication. The ar- ticle deals in some detail with the Macon and the whole United States airship program. “The cost of airships and their vul- nerability are the foundation of all arguments against this type of air- craft,” says Capt. Sinclair in his ar- ticle, printed in The Aeroplane. “From our shiftless policy and spas- modic efforts during the past 15 years no true estimate of expenditure and return can be given. We must there- fore go to our worthy cousins across the Atlantic, who at least have some | sort of policy, and who have pursued, | in spite of equally hard knocks, a | steady course of airship develop- | ment.” | Favor English View. | Even while the words were being | printed, the United States’ airship | policy apparently was going to the bottom of the Pacific with the Macon, and the United States, having had enough of hard knocks, was becoming one with England in the matter of an_airship program. Sinclair pointed out that the United States, for its entire airship program, including the airship fields and docks at Lakehurst, N. J., and Sunnyvale, Calif.; the airships Shenandoah, d Macon; the British-built ship, R-38; airship equipment on the U. 8. S. Patoka, and five airship mooring masts in various parts of the country, has spent £5,530,000— about $25,600,000. “The total sum is little more than hslf the amount this country has spent during the same period on one particular aircraft carrier, and is con- siderably less than the cost of a single first-line battleship,” he said. $1,800,000 for Experience. He pointed out that the United States, for an annual expenditure of about $1,800,000, “obtained that price- less asset, experience—experienced of- ficers and men, experienced designers and engineers, with plant, ships and equipment ready for immediate use and expansion, should the need arise.” Capt. Sinclair declares that at present time there is no aircraft, excepting The nine schedules each day are | morning to | range scout, operating far from any base for long periods of time. The United States, having a long sea- board, he reasons, ‘“needs such a scout.” He quoted Admiral of the Fleet Earl Beatty as having said that one airship can do the work of seven cruisers. “Taking Earl Beatty’s figure of seven as correct,” he said, “America | has for an expenditure of £369,000 per year received a return on her investment that today would cost this country £10,569,979, reckoned in cruisers. “We see, therefore, that where a steady course of development has been pursued the airship proves to be the most efficient and economical method of covering a large sea area against surprise attack.” Denies Vulnerability. He denied that the airship is as vulnerable to enemy attack as it has been painted, pointing out that only gross carelessness would bring it within range of anti-aircraft bat- teries of surface vessels and that the danger of destruction by enemy afr- planes has been greatly overrated. “I do not suggest for one moment that the airship cannot be destroyed.” he said. “Such a craft does not exist. But, as I have already said, much of her vulnerability is mythical. She can be destroyed by gunfire, and she might be bombed. On the other hand, the very, very expensive, and doubt- fully efficient aircraft carrier, so necessary to the heavier-than-air ma- chine, can be sunk by gunfire, mined, torpedoed and bombed. “The carrier being, in this case, part of the airplane, renders that type of aircraft the more vulnerable. Without the one the other is lost— besides which a few well-directed bullets still cause your airplane to crash in flames.” New Planes Near Completion. Delivery of 35 new Seversky basic training airplanes of unusual type to the Army Cir Corps is expected to be- gin next July under the terms of a $750.000 contract awarded by the War Department to Maj. Alexander P. de Seversky. The new airplanes, although purely land planes, are based upon the plans, with necessary modifications, of the | high-speed all-metal amphibian air- |plane in which De Seversky set a | former world speed record for air- planes of this type. The new train- ers will incorporate many of the most advanced ideas in airplane design, in- cluding special trailing-edge flaps and streamlined tires. The trainers are expected to be the | fastest airplanes used by the military | service for training purposes, with a | cirusing speed of more than 160 miles per hour. The De Seversky contract makes a | total of 347 new types of aircraft or- ‘dered by the War Department since last June, a majority of those ordered |being combat airplanes of various | kinds. The new trainers are to be | delivered at Randolph Field, Tex | home of the Air Corps Primary Flying | School. Maj. De Seversky, who fought in | the Russian imperial air forces dur- ing the World War, is the designer of bomb sights now widely used and is & noted acrobatic fiyer. His wife Mrs. Evelyn de Seversky, also is a noted flyer. Bonded Shipment Flown. What is said to be the first bonded shipment ever carried by air through Washington by an officially bonded air carrier was flown from from New York to Miami a few days ago en | route to South America. | The shipment, consisting of two \ packages of bacterial cultures weigh- ing 41> pounds, was consigned from Denmark to the Colombian National Hygienic Laboratories. It was flown from New York to Miami by Eastern Airlines, transshiped on a Pan- American Airweys plane to Barran- quilla, and there taken over by Scad- ta Airlines to be flown to Bogota, Colombia, 500 miles inland | Eastern Airlines compieted nego- tiations last month with the Treasury Department to become the first do- mestic bonded air carrier. The sys- tem saves foreign shippers long cus- toms delays in clearing ports of entry while the shipment travels through the United States. Concert by Boys' Band. THE fifth annual concert of the Elks’ Boys Band, James L. Kidwell, di- rector, will take place tomorrow night at Central High School auditorium. Among the musical selections on the program are several German numbers recently released in Germany and never before played in America, ac- cording to several music publishers. These compositions were purchased in Germany by William Mutchler, a member of the band while visiting Liepzig. Features on the program will in- clude the known song team of Ray- mond and East. Joseph Krahling will sing with the hill billie unit of the band and selos by musicians of th band will include Harry Allen, cornet; Warren Simpson, cornet; Louis Soule, baritone (horn); Raymond Robinson, xylophones; Gardiner Shrode, trome bone, and Joseph Geler, clarinet. Music for the concert has been ar- ranged by Lawrence Leer, assistant conductor of the band. ‘The band is sponsored by the Wash- ington Lodge of Elks, No. 15, and is supervised by the Board of Governors, comprising Harvey Belt, Joseph Leary and Capt. John 8. M. Zimmerman of the United States Soldiers’ Home Band. Coal Trade Injured. Mild weather has so injured the coal business in Belgium that producers are form a national organization to aid all es of the industry. FRANCISCO AUTO HEATERS CREEL BROTHERS 1811 4w ST.NW.c*DEcarva 4220