Evening Star Newspaper, March 22, 1935, Page 8

A8 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTO THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY.......March 22, 1935 THEODORE W. NOYES...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company ‘Business Office: th 8t. and Pennsylvania Ave. York Office: 110 East 42nd St e: ichigan Building. ice. .. London. England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. Edition. 450 per month a 11 New Re The Evening St The Sundiy Star e per copy Night Final Edition. ight Mnal ana Sunday Star 7(c per month ight Final Star .. B5¢ per month Tollection made at the end of eacl month. Orders may be sent by mafl or telepone National 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Ballz ana Sunday. .1 »r. 510.00: 2 mo. Se aily only. J1yr.. $6.00: 1 mo.. 50c Bunday only.. 1yr. $4.00:1mo. 40c All Other States and Canada. Dally and Sunday 1 yr., $12.00; 1 mo.. $1.00 Dutly only .1 el "SE.00: 1 mo: " 7be Bundav only... 1vyr. $500:1mo. 60c Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press 13 exciusively en- titled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not other- wise .redited in this paper and aiso the local news published herein Al rights of Dublication of spectal dispatches hereln are also rererved Gilded Gateways. Senator Robinson of Arkansas, in an address last night, analyzing “gilded gateways to economic para- dise,” the Townsend old-age pension plan and the Long “share-the-wealth™ plan, has done a distinct service to the people. The Democratic leader of the Senate exhibited to public view the impracticability and the unsound- { ness of these schemes. He made the | explanation so clear that even the most prejudiced should be convinced that neither the $200-a-month pension plan for those sixty years of age and | more nor the plan of the Louisiana Senator, calling for a capital levy and the granting of a home, plus radio, etc,, to every citizen, is anything more than a crack-brain suggestion. ‘The Arkansas Senator called atten- tion to the political ambitions of the Senator from Louisiana, who has be- | come dictator—the first American dic- | tator—in one of the forty-eight States of the Union. Mr. Long is intent upon moving into the White House, presumably that he may become dic- tator to all the States. His platform is known as “share the wealth.” It has been devised, as Senator Robinson pointed out, to attract the many who are discontented with their lot in these days of depression. ‘The good and benevolent Senator h (by parents, teachers, | sentatives of Great Britain, ter. be & civil conductor. There's more need for them.” And the story was popular because thousands of people agreed with the. old lady. But the tendency of average individuals to aim too high was not to be corrected by even so widespread an expression of disapproval. It is part and parcel of the “success fixa- tion” of the public. Few Americans deliberately prefer to be mere hewers of wood and drawers of water. The exuberant spirit of the Nation is an aspect of its glory. In the “land of opportunity” any boy can “reach the top"—such is the faith of the whole not aspire to climb the highest peaks of attainment is considered “queer” friends and strangers. But Dr. Anspacher had ample rea- son to deplore irrational overcrowd- ing of the professions. Dozens of other educators have been equally dis- turbed by the spectacle of the rush of second-class minds for first-class placs in the most difficult fields of human enterprise. Their warning, however, requires constant repetition lest disappointment and disaster be multiplied to the injury of national standards as well as the welfare of isolated individuals. The words of | Francis Bacon should be pondered by those in danger. “There is no greater | immorality,” he said, “than that of | seeking to occupy a position for which one is not fitted.” | ) population, and a youngster who does ' large classes and a great number or; the performer and to the enthusiastic participants, but it should come at the right time, which is after and not during the performance. Comedians, it may be pointed out, suffer likewise from premature ap- plause, a suffering in which a good many of their audience are likely to participate. In this case it is some individual who perhaps has heard the joke before or who wishes to be thought, to use a Scottish phrase, “quick on the uptake.” There is prob- ably no point on which an adult American is so sensitive as that of the possession of a sense of humor. The mirthful yelp, instantly imitated, of such a one can spoil the best jest of a show or of a theater season. There was something, after all, to the custom of ancient Roman actors who concluded their performance with a phrase the translation of which is “Fare ye well and give us your ap- plause.” B Including “the D. of C.” Friends of the District in the Senate will be on the alert lest possible am- biguities in phraseology of sections of | the work relief bill serve to raise questions later as to the eligibity of | the District to share in certain bene- fits and privileges. The possibility of confusion lies in the peculiar status of the District, which is neither a State nor a Territory. In wording the work relief bill and its amend- ments language should be inserted to specify that the District of Columbia is included—as it is the intent of The Struggle for Peace. ‘While Germany brusquely rejects the protests of France and !lal)‘} against her violation of the military clauses of the Treaty of Versailles, the |allied powers are intensifying their | efforts to prevent an undeniably grave situation from flaring prematurely into a state of war. No fewer than three separate conferences to that end are now projected. Tomorrow, on the eve ‘or Sir John Simon’s arrival for his crucial conversations in Berlin, repre- France and Italy are to hold consultation at Paris. Following the Simon-Hitler | talks & second tri-power conference is scheduled to take place in Italy,| | with Premier Mussolini a prospective personal participant. Finally, the League of Nations’ Council will be convened, early in April, to consider, | at the suggestion of France, what can be done to grapple, under Geneva's auspices, with the problems which the Reich’s rearmament program s0 acutely raises. Most significant in these strenuous efforts to preserve Europe from an- Congress so to include it—among the States and the Territories. This can be done either by a separate, clarifying section, as in the national industrial recovery act's paragraph (e) of sec- tion 204: “As used in this section the term ‘State’ includes the Terri- tory of Hawaii and the District of | Columbia,” or it can be done by | including the District of Columbia | with the States and Territories when the two latter terms are used. Senator Tydings has obtained an amendment, the reasons for which he expressed as follows: On page 3, line 18, after the word States, I ask that there be inserted the words “and Territories.” The joint resolution is supposed to cover the territories as well as the States, and unless these words be inserted it may be ambiguous. The same ambiguity may arise u less the words “District of Columbi are also included. Senator Glass, in charge of the bill, is of the opinion that the phraseology of section 2, “The appropriation made herein shall be available for use only in the United States and its territories and posses- from Louisiana has never yet gone| other war conflagration is the hint| gjons covers the District of Columbia. into the details of the practical work-| dropped in the House of Commons But it is unnecessary to risk another ing of his plan. put down on paper the language regarding the conference to be held He has never yet| on Thursday by Sir John Simon | interpretation by the controller gen- | eral. As the Senate fully intends the of the law which is to accomplish|in Italy after the British foreign penefits and privileges of the work 8 share-the-wealth program. Sen- secretary's visit to Berlin. Sir John | relief bill to apply to the District, the ator Robinson said plainly that Sen-| intimated that Germany's presence at sensible precaution would be to make ator Long would find it utterly im-|that meeting would be welcome, and | the bill state that fact definitely. possible to put his plans into legis- lative shape. His is a challenge which the Senator from Louisiana should accept. Why should the country not have a glimpse at the legislation which he would put through to “share the wealth?” Not only are homes and radios to be provided for all the citizens, but each home owner, under the Long plan, is to be guaranteed an income of $2,500 a year. This income is to be guaranteed, as Senator Robinson | said, “so that they need not toil | | that if she consents to attend it, it might well presage a general Euro- pean conference to consider not only the current crisis, but an entire “new deal,” which would in effect take the place of the now practically de- | funct Versailles pact. It is suggested that the forthcoming conversations in | Italy shall not be confined to the| | western Versailles powers, but include | Soviet Russia, Poland and the Little | Entente states—Czechoslovakia, Ru- mania and Yugoslavia. If a so-called “general settlement” | R A movement to abolish alimony | might help to restore “Home, Sweet | Home” to its ancient status as a fit- | ting finish to an evening of dancing to replace “Where Do We Go From Here?" . The armistice was an incident of | world cheer. The proposal to make it a disarmistice did not work out | with precision. —_——— Daylight saving time is having its diligently, economize or look out for | along such lines as these should event- consideration, but what statesmen are themselves.” It does not seem pos- of an intelligent people would do more than smile at the suggestion that | such a plan would work. It is remi- niscent of the fairy story in which every day became Christmas day. The Townsend old-age plan would | call for an annual expenditure of | $19,200,000,000 a year for pensions to less than seven per cent of the popu- lation. Obviously, this huge sum would come from the labor of the rest of the population. It could be ob- tained by the Government only through taxation, or borrowing or in- flation of the currency through the printing press route. As Senator Rob- inson pointed out, it would take the | labor of more than one person not on the pension list each year to provide the pension for one of the old-age pensioners. The chances are that as the years passed the total sum re- quired to carry the pension load would mount higher and higher. The trouble with both these “gilded gateways” is that they propose to give something for nothing. They disre- gard entirely the underlying principle that men must work to produce and to have. —————— Conferences will be held with Hit- ler. The nature of some of the Berlin interviews might suggest the pro- priety of requiring weapons to be checked at the door. | uate from the German rearmament sible that & considerable proportion | challenge Hitler's defiance may turn | out to have been a boon instead of a blight. It has already served the purpose of bringing Europe face to face with the necessity of mutual ac- commodation and conciliation if the crime of 1914 is not again to be visited upon civilization. Old World statesmanship is plainly alive to the imminence of that peril and moving with gratifying zeal to avert it while there is still time. In the interval Berlin's truculent attitude toward the protests of Great Britain, France and Italy is not de- signed to improve matters. With every new outburst of Hitlerite bel- ligerency British, French and Italian determination to meet force with force, if necessary, becomes more apparent. Not the least insignificant sign of Western unreadiness to let Germany ride roughshod over the rights covenanted at Versailles is Premier Laval's plan to visit Moscow. There undoubtedly he will discuss the feasibility of closer military co-opera- tion between Russia and France in the event of trouble with Germany. The renewal of that old alliance is bound to give pause to the Nazis' cam- paign to terrify Europe into sub- mission. B The Blue Eagle is said to need relief from the effort to hatch a scrambled egg. o Grover Cleveland is revived in at- tention. He would find very little in present affairs that could be classified under “innocuous desuetude.” Ambition and Capacity. Dr. Louis K. Anspacher, speaking re- cently at the Washington Town Hall, gave it as his opinion that the “real American tragedy is that of ambition unrelated to capacity.” There are doz- ens of unhappy men, the lecturer in- sisted, who might have made first- rate plumbers or bricklayers, but who have wasted their talents in vain effort to be fifth-rate lawyers or tenth-rate physicians. The world, in effect, is too abundantly supplied with square pegs trying to fit them- selves into round holes. But there is nothing new in such a plea for a wiser policy of vocational education and guidance. Thirty years 880, it may be remembered, there was & story current which illustrated the point very neatly indeed. A can- tankerous old lady, the tale repre- sented, was moved to inquire of her small grandson, “Johnny, what are you going to be when you grow up?” And the boy was repggted as answer- ing, “A civil engin o Premature Plaudits. “There is more to a symphony or- chestra than many listeners thought, and the audience begins applauding before the ‘Polonaise’ is over.” words, recently written in description of one of the popular students’ con- certs undertaken by the National Symphony Orchestra, “put the finger” on one of the most irritating of the small faults of the American people— failure to permit the final note or chord of song or musical composition to be heard. In the case referred to, occurring at & Washington high school, the pre- mature applause can be laid to the enthusiasm and eagerness of youth. When their elders do the same trick it is more likely to be a case of posing. Some listener, fearful lest his degree of culture be doubted, bursts into the final note—perhaps the most im- portant one of all—with a resounding smack of the hands. Those surround- ing him, unwilling to grant him su- periority in discrimination, do like- wise. The avalanche of sound is on; the diva'’s mouth is open, or the virtuoso’s bow still moves, but all that the true music- can hear is the smack of palm upd/palm. The latter eyr” Whereupon Granny tartly observed, “You'd bet- 1 & pleasing sound, pleasing alks to. These | now concerned about is radio time. N In the World War Germany lost nearly everything except the center of the stage. e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Improvement Guaranteed. ‘Though day of darkness we may see, ‘The world keeps on the move. ‘When things seem bad as they can be They must impreve. A dust cloud comes upon display In a mysterious style. It simply blows itself away— Again we smile. But those taxpayers on a farm To Heaven again will trust | As they observe with new alarm They've lost their dust. This great existence holds, you see, ‘To an accustomed groove; ‘When things are bad as they can be They must improve. Sword and Plowshare. “is to turn swords into plowshares.” “It's a fine idea,” said the con- stituent. “Honest toil is the great remedy.” “Yes. But there should be reci- procity, permitting the plowing under of any remaining swords.” Jud Tunkins says his musical edu- cation has been neglected, but he still knows enough to step out when the band plays “Yankee Doodle” and stand up for “The Star Spangled f Banner.” Multum in Parve. Debates in Congress still command Applause that time cannot diminish. You start with one small topic and Come out with twenty at the finish. Irregulation. “Are you in favor of regulating the stock exchange?” “Yes,” answered Mr. Dustin Stax. “But there are different kinds of regulation. You've got to watch the fellow who wants to regulate gambling with loaded dice or a crooked wheel.” Disturbance. ‘When happiness is everywhere, With kind congratulations Some ruthless personage will dare To spoil our calculations. ‘When happiness is in command, ‘With greetings frank and hearty, Some wild intruder takes a hand And shoots up all the party. “De trouble wif some of my friends,” said Uncle Eben, #is dat dey wants to be overpaid foh Hard work in n.unl & pliticsl job." “My idea,” said Senator Sorghum, | D. C, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Mrs. Appleroad reminds us tha§ the time for liming the lawn is at hand. ‘This is very kind of Mrs. Appleroad, to be sure, but since she is a very kindly lady there is nothing unusual about it. ‘The wise gardener will do as Mrs. Appleroad does, and let it go at that. Lime is a time-honored addition to the Spring lawn, but for several years it was under a cloud, caused by a per- fectly honest effort to convince all and sundry that an acid soil makes the best grass, after all. So lime came to be condemned for & time until there was a revolution in sentiment and folks everywhere came to see that a sweet-soil lawn had its place, too * ok Kk Good Mrs. Appleroad, gardening now as she has done for half a century, never worried her head about fashions in such things. When the soil beneath her trees grew sour, as shown by the growth of too much moss, she sprinkled around lime. That is what she did the other day. Down the street & way there is yard filled with a beautiful deep green moss, so perfect that no doubt most passers-by take it for genuine grass. ‘They do not observe very closely, do they, else they would see the thick mat of the finest moss which covers every bit of the acid soll beneath. This lawn of moss, if it may be called such, is probably the best thing that could be secured there wnder the large oaks where it flourishes. Surely the application of lime there would do little good. * K K X Average yards, with average soils, had best stick to such grasses as Ken- tucky blue, the so-called red-top, mixed in with a little white Dutch clover. The swing during the past two or three years has been toward the for- mer, if persistent seeding is indulged in Spring and Fall. Lime is a good addition, in all such cases. But it should be stressed that lime and bone meal should never be put on the lawn together, or even within a short time. ‘The reason for this probably is that both contain the same elements, and the use of both might give an over- dose. Probably there are other rea- sons, too, with which the writer here is not acquainted. At any rate, it is safe advice not to use the two together. Fortunately, few persons will be tempted, because most of us think we have done our duty by our lawn if we give it a good dose of lime ‘at this time of year. * % kX% No doubt the most widespread fail- ure in the average garden is to fer- tilize properly. Liming, of course, cannot be called fertilizing, exactly, since its purpose | There must be some | is otherwise. food in it, however, and even this small amount is a great deal more than many gardeners supply their grass plants. Probably if most of us could get firmly into our heads the idea that a | good lawn is a collection of good plants, a veritable garden in itself, we would be more generous to it. ‘The popular impression seems to be that grass ought to be able to get along “by itself.” That it does, to & great extent, is very fortunate for most home owners. ‘The spreading character of a grass plant colony helps fill up the bare places by middle Summer. Then pos- sible periods of drought strike first at these bare spots, so that your average lawn is a veritable see-saw between being clothed and unclothed. * X K X Yet one must not expect magic from the application of a little fertilizer. Most of the trouble lies in the “little.” There can be little question that the average lawn is the step- child of the garden and the average owner treats it in & niggardly fashion. While a small amount of fertilizer is certainly better than none, surely & proper amount, would be far better. Just what is & proper amount depends upon what is being used. Sellers of the same are only too glad to make suggestions. It is here, as with the doctor’s orders as to exercise and diet in the dalily life, it is quite one thing to receive them and quite another to carry them out. He who purchases a 20-pound sack of lawn fertilizer, with good intentions to stick by the recommendations, soon finds himself putting half or fourth as much per 10 square feet as the directions call for. Just why this tendency in the average plant lover is something of a mystery until we think of the plain fact that the poor fellow has food, clothes and shelter to buy, and heaven knows what else. He finds, by experience, that he can cheat the grass and let Mother Nature take care of them, which usually she does to the best of her ability. Since grass is, in a sense, a weed, with all the powers for survival of the plants we choose to call weeds, it usually does a job of growing and covering to the average satisfaction, with or without benefit of added fertil- izer. * ok x % It is Interesting to note this Spring 8 renewed interest in the common barberry, the so-called Japanese form. This is as it should be. Whereas California privet, so long the favorite hedge material hereabouts, suffered severely during the past two Winters, common barberry came through tri- umphantly. The mistake most people make in its use is planting too small specimens, especially those which have stood too long balled and burlapped. and in failing to provide plenty of water the first two or three weeks after planting. People everywhere must be coming to a renewed appreciation of the bar- berreis, for three new forms have made their way into commerce. The first of these is the ornamental red- leaved form, so-called, which has been avilable for several years. The second is the new evergreen form, which is supposed to be prac- tically clothed with foliage all Winter long. The third is a more compact growth, with canes growing straighter up than in the other forms. Other forms will be put on the market within the next few years, without doubt, making a most inter- esting group of plants, which will have | use not only as hecges, but as foun- | dation planting and specimen plants at the corner of lawns, etc. Two small specimens of the red- leaved barberry will be found on either side of the Connecticut avenue en- trance of tne Chevy Chase Club at Quincy street, while a row of Japanese | barberry has just been planted ir the | parking from Bradiey lane down to Primrose street. Such plantings are always effective, easily taken care of, and seldom harmed by ordinary conditions which city and suburban plants must meet. | The average home owner can make | as effective use of the barberries in | their various forms. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Although President Roosevelt in- dicates that the United States’ atti- tude in the German rearmament crisis will be confined to a “good neighbor,” hands-off policy, there are those who believe that sooner or later some kind of American remonstrance will be forthcoming. Short?y after his elec- tion and before his inauguration there was attributed to Mr. Roosevelt a statement that the sanctity of treaties is the corner stone of international relations. As that is the issue specif- ically at stake between Germany and the Versailles treaty powers, President Roosevelt would be on consistent ground in protesting against the Reich’s reversion to militarism in de- fiance of covenanted pledges. In re- fraining from action, F. D. R. un- | doubtedly reflects overwhelming Amer- ican public opinion. It would require provocation of the most overt sort to generate enthusiasm for any fur- ther intervention in European affairs. Objection to violation of the Versailles military clauses, which are part and parcel of our separate peace treaty with Germany, would, nevertheless, be in line not only with our resent- ment of Japan's violation of the nine- power treaty in China, but also be consistent with the protest we made to Germany last year against her dis- crimination in favor of certain for- eign creditors. * k¥ % Col. Louis Howe's grave illness coin- cides with the 25th anniversary of his first acquaintance with Mr. Roose- velt. They met in 1910, when the President became a New York State Senator from Dutchess County. Col. Howe at the time was Albany cor- respondent of the old New York Herald and Telegram. Howe man- aged the young Hyde Park politician’s campaign for re-election to the Senate and gave up newspaper work to be- come his private secretary when Mr. Roosevelt was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1913. Thence- forward they were inseparable com- rades. Upon no one has Mr. Roose- velt ever depended so much for po- litical counsel and guidance. Both the President and the First Lady long ago came to look upon the shrewd and unobtrusive colonel as a member of the family. He lived as such at the executive mansion in Albany before taking up his abode at the White House in March, 1933. Col. Howe was born in Indiana, though prac- tically all of his life has been spent in the Easi. His legal residence was Fall River, Mass. * K kX Although emendments of minor importance, undesired by the admin- istration, were added by the Senate to the $4,880,000,000 work relief measure, all major changes which the President opposes, such as reduction or increase of the lump sum, wage provisions, etc., have been success- fully warded off. As the hour of the bill's passage approaches, the almost certain outlook is that Mr. Roosevelt 50 completely commands the situation that the colossal plan will be written into law on lines entirely to his liking. ‘The White House and administration leaders generally will not breathe eas- 1ly until work relief is snugly in har- bor. It is regarded as the key to the whole recovery legislative situation. With the prestige that will attach to its adoption virtually intact, Roose- veltians feel assured they will have relatively smooth sailing with all other measures which they may de- cide to press to enactment during this session of ess. 3 ¥ ® k% N. R. A‘.f’h'tnveun; a rocky road through the Senaie Finance Commit- | tee, amid such blistering attacks as it | suffered at the hands of Clarence Darrow, vet it 15 a foregone conclusion | that the recovery law will be renewed in such form as to assure the con- tinuance of all its fundamental pro- | visions, including maximum hours, minimum wages, child labor and fair | trade practices. The Blue Eagle after June 16 is sure to be stripped of a lot | of its original tail feathers, but even | with attenuated plumage, it will re- | main a controlling factor in American | industry. Members of Congress who would like to see N. R. A. put out of business altogether are not going to | realize that destructive ambition. A | new lease of life for the organization is in sight. | e New Dealers are not unduly agitated over the Hopkins-Davey relief iracas in Ohio. In some quarters there even seems an inclination to make light of | the whole business. One theory is that among other reasons which im- pelled Washington to clear for action against Gov. Davey may have been the determination to rob the political opposition well in advance of the argument that the new $4,880,000,000 work relief fund is going to be ex- ploited for party advantage in 1936. As P. W. A. dollars are supposed to have had some influence on the 1934 congressional elections, Republicans have been darkly hinting that work relief money would blossom out a year hence in the form of a potent argu- ment for keeping the Democrats in power. * x *x % Senator Huey Long's dulcet tones will next be heard on the radio when he broadcasts over the Columbia net- work Sunday, March 31, from 11 to 11:30 pm., from Washington. He has chosen as his subject “The Cur- rent Legislative Situation in the Sen- ate.” Doubtless the Kingfish will find that topic flexible enough to permit discussion of favorite themes, like Gen. Johnson and the “share-the- wealth” program. At exactly the same hour, a week later, Sunday, April 7, Representative P, L. Gassa- way, Democrat, of Oklahoma will be on the air. He plans to pey his re- spects in bronco-busting fashion to both Senator Long and Father Cough- lin. Mr. Gassaway is not scheduled to tackle Gen. Johnson, but is re- ported ready to take him on, too, if necessary. * ok ok X After several years of inactivity, there has just been revived the “In- dian Buffalo Hunt Monument Com- mittee,” for the purpose of interesting c:nm;, :lculphora, artists and lovers of patriotic art in preserving at ‘Washington in bronze and in an ap- propriate setting the famous sculpture by the late Henry K. Bush-Brown. An appropriate bill sponsored by Rep- resentative Keller, Democrat, of Illi- nols, chairman of the House Commit- tee on the Library, was favorably re- ported by the committee on March 1, the day the sculptor passed away. The project to erect the “Indian Buffalo Hunt” statue has been pending for several years. The late Speaker Rainey was one of its enthusiastic supporters. Thousands of Americans saw the original cast on exhibition in Union Station at Washington. There is at present no monument to the American Indian in the National Capital and members of the com- mittee now advocating the picturesque Bush-Brogwn conception are hopeful that will at last suthorize erection of the statue. Coorriant. Xodb) FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1935. Defense Preparations Are a Poor Investment To the Editor of The Star: It really looks as though there had been some grand incompetence on the part of the various national authori- ties at and after the close of the late war—the authorities who were so furi- ous for national defense and for vic- tory. Victory! Never mind right, never mind expense, never mind suf- fering—but victory! Yet Germany was allowed to become as great a danger as ever. The people who fight wars do not have sense enough 0 make good use of victory. President Wilson told them they should accept peace without victory, but they could not think of such a thing. So they had their victory and they had their ruin. Germany's preparedness did not save her, nor her efficlency, nor the fact that all the world actually did fear her, just as they say here that we. ought to heve all the world hate and fear Uncle Sam. Yet crushing Germany did not make the other nations safe. Though she was brought to nothing then, Ger- many is even now an aching boil on the body of Europe, ready at any mo- ment to break out in a new war, with new ruin to herself as well as the others. j Where now is the security that was to be secured by all that prepared- ness, all that military training, all that ghastly butchery and all this loss of freedom? What good did Germany preparedness do? France’s victory do? National defense! National security! Bosh! It is like the rich investment that the sucker makes when he buys the Brooklyn Bridge. The only security is in a different method of international life—namely, people, even foreigners, and law in- stead of war for settling disputes. Every country ought to be in the World Court and in the League of Nations. WILLIAM C. LEE. ———————__ Great Sphinx Is Portrait To the Editor of The Star: series of articles by one calling him- self “The Debunker.” In the issue of March 12, 1935, the Egyptian Sphinx is described as “a statue of Harmachis, the Egyptian god.” This is an error. The Sphinx is nothing more than the portrait bust of the Pharoah Chephren on the body of a lion. He ruled about 2900 B.C., and belonged to the fourth dynasty. As the lion is king of the beasts, so Chephren wished to emphasize his sov- ereignty over Egypt. The figure faces east 50 as to worship the sun god, Re, a supreme divinity in Egypt. It is carved out of a limestone rock which, in a general way, looked like an animal before the sculptor's chisel | fashioned it. The proportions are im- mense. The size in feet is as fol- | lows: Length, 187; height, 60; ear, | 4% nose, 53, and mouth, 7!;. The Sphinx wears an expression of sov- & most impressive sight, when seen by moonlight. There is now no longer anything | mysterious, mystical and occult about the Sphinx. Such attempts, some- especially meanings are nothing but webs of speculation woven out of people’s minds, but having no foundation in | cusable in the light of our present knowledge. GEORGE 8. DUNCAN, e Trace of Alcohol Always To the Editor of The Star: It is reported in The Star of March 18, 1935, that certain groups are ask- ing for a “blood test” as evidence of intoxication in cases of traffic acci- dents. Undoubtedly many of the enemies of “demon rum” would be surprised, not to say startled, to learn that the ordinary ethyl or “grain” alcohol is always present as a normal and nat- ural constituent of not only the blood, but the brain, muscles and other tis- sues of every human being whether that human beipg ever drank alco- holic beverages or not. This has been definitely established in a number of careful, scientific investigations which have been carried out in recent years, both in this country and abroad. And not only is this true of humans, but it is also true of other animals which do not normally imbibe fermented liquors. Furthermore, this alcohol does not enter the body as such, but is formed within the body from the food which we eat, either during the process of digestion or after the di- gested food enters the blood stream, or it may be produced in one or more of the numerous chemical transfor- mations which are constantly going on within living organisms. Finally, the amount of this alcohol thus nor- mally present within the human body is several times the concentration of “fifteen hundredths of 1 per cent,” which is sufficient (as alleged by the “united dry forces”) to produce in- toxication, How waffle! That's another thing to worry about. Well, we'll just have to have a law changing the course of chemical transformations within the human body so that no ethyl alcohol will be formed after we have eaten our W. C. T. U. meal. EDWARD WOLESENSKY. Urges Enactment of . . . Anti-Lynching Bill To the Editor of The Star: As the time is at hand when the ‘Wagner-Costigan _anti-lynching bill will be considered by the Congress, may I, by your courtesy, call the attention of your readers to the fact that millions of our citizens have registered in favor of its passage, because its enactment will go @ long way toward checking & barbarous practice which is a disgrace to our Nation. Reports of all the hideous details of these outrages against law and de- cency at once make copy for sensa- tional newspapers and are Teported with exaggerated horrors in the hos- tile press of other countries, thus fos- tering prejudice and hatred abroad. The local Y. W. C. A, the Friends Peace Committee and the Washington Federation of Churches, through its Committee on Race Relations with the indorsement of its Board of Di- rectors, have given their support to the bill. Doubtless there are other local organizations, as well as many national in their scope, which have done the same. Power to deal with this evil must be given to our Federal courts. State and Federal courts e‘éortktiwn‘ :lmemz have tly lessent crime klflnlp‘l:l:l.. l,'.l'he anti-lynching bill will, we believe, operate in a similar way to reduce the number of these brutal attacks. All friends of the bill should at once make known their convictions to their Representatives in Congress. REV. D. BUTLER PRATT, Committee on Race ‘Washington Federa~ What good did | good will to all, consideration for other | Bust of King Chephren | ‘The Star is running an interesting | ereign strength and greatness. It is| times made today, to obtain hidden | | fact. All such vagaries are now inex- | Present in Blood Stream | A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Washington Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. Who won the six-day bicycle race at Madison Square Garden?— W. C. F. A. The French-Italian team of Al- fred Letourner and Franco Georgetti ‘won the fifty-eighth international ki- cycle race. Q. Where did Judge Trenchard study law?—A. E. B. A. Judge Thomas W. Trenchard was born in Centreton, Salem County, N. J., December 31, 1863. He gradu- ated from South Jersey Institute, Bridgeton, N. J., 1882, then read law in the offices of Porter & Nixon, in Bridgeton. He was admitted to the New Jersey State bar in 1886, and practiced in Bridgeton. Q. When were steel ribs first used in umbrellas?—L. R. A. Ribs of steel were first intro- duced in the middle of the nineteenth century. Prior to this time, whalebone was employed for the purpose. Q. What percentage of the mar- divorce?—W. G. P. A. About one marriage in six re- sults W divorce. Q. What provision, if any, has been made to prevent the rapid silting of K. W.R. A. It is estimated that the average volume of silt carried by the Colorado River into the reservoir at Boulder Dam will be 137,000 acre-feet an- nually, under present conditions. This will decrease with upstream develop- ment. Provision has been made for a silt pocket which will store from 5,000,000 to 8,000,000 feet of silt. At the end of 50 years it is estimated that silt will have been deposited there. Q. Who is the youngest Roman Catholic bishop?—C. L. A. The Most Rev. Raymond A. | Kearney, aged 32, is the youngest Ro- man Catholic bishop in the world. He | is Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of | Brooklyn. Q. Do male chipmunks take any part in raising their young?—M. B. A. The Bureau of Biological Survey says that in chipmunks, as in most other small rodents. the male be- | comes troublesome and belligerent in the breeding season and while the | young are being nursed. The female, therefore, is obliged to seclude her- self and the young, drive away the male, and take full charge of the off- spring until they are weaned. At | this time they are able to care for themselves, and both male and fe- male may then be seen in company with half-grown young. Q. When will ‘the Queen Mary make her maiden voyage?>—A. T. A. It is planned for the Spring of 1936. Q. What State has the richest placer gold mines in this country?— H L R A. California. Q. How many newspapers in the country refuse liquor advertisements? -F. G A. It is estimated that some 500, daily newspapers do not print liquor advertising. Some cannot accept it due to State prohibition laws. Q. What is the preponderant cause for suicide in the United States’— J. H. L. A. Frederick Hoffman, consulting | statistician to the Prudential Insur- ance Co., says: “In its last analysis every suicide is a problem in mental disease. Motives for suicide may | range from the most trivial to the most serious. Locality is a third fac- riages in the United States end in| the lake area above Boulder Dam?— | | not more than 3,000,000 acre-feet of | or about 25 per cent, of the Nation's | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. tor in the suicide problem. For rea- sons unknown the suicide rate varies widely in the United States, particu- larly in the different cities and geo- graphical divisions of the country, The second factor in suicide which requires consideration is race. Negro population shows a much lower rate of suicide than white population.” The large number of suicides that were a result of the depression were, no doubt, caused by heavy financial losses and involvement in debt. Q. At what temperature on the centigrade and Fahrenheit scales do they torrespond exactly?—H. B. A. At —40°. Q. Please compare S8ir Malcolm Campbell's speed record with that of a seaplane, motor boat, warship and airplane —E. R. A. The fastest record for a seaplane is 440.68 miles per hour, motor boat, 124.86 miles per hour; warship, 30.66 nautical miles per hour; airplane, 312.21 miles per hour. Sir Malcolm Campbell traveled 276.816 miles per hour at Daytona Beach by automobile. Q. What plants furnish the nectar from which honey is made in the United States>—F. S. M. A. In the United States the greater part of the honey produced is alfalfa honey from the Western States, where several million dollars’ worth is sold every year. Sweet-clover, white sage and other mountain flowers also con- tribute to the Western supply. In the Central States it is white clover. sweet clover, Spanish needle and heartsease honey. In the Southern States, cotton, mesquite, horsemint and sweet clover, and in the Eastern States. Northern States and Canada, buckwheat and whiie clover are the leading honey flowers. Orange blos- soms, cleome, aster and basswood complete the list. Q. Where is the Atlantic Ocean the narrowest?—N. T. A. Between Brazil and Africa, where the distance is approximately 1,600 miles. Q. What are the President’s favor- ite hymns?>—L. G. A. President Roosevelt's three fa- vorite hymns are “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” “Oh, Master, Let Me Walk With Thee,” and “Be Strong.” Q. Do the snow flies seen in Penn- sylvania develop into black flies?— |W. C. B. A. The small flies that fly over snow {and in the woods in Pennsylvania mountains in Winter are not true flies, but are stone flies which belong to the order plecopters. These flies have four membraneous wings while true flies have two. During the warmer days in Winter they fly about. The young remain under stones until, upon reaching maturity, they shed thelir skins and appear in adult form. | These flies estivate in the warmer ‘ weather, Q. Why is the Carlyle House in Alexandria, Va. also called the Brad- dock House?—M. H. F. A. Carlyle House is the fine old mansion of Col. John Carlyle's. It was built on a high terraced founda- tion by the side of the Potomac River in 1752. Gen. Braddock in 1755 made | his temporary home at the Carlyle House. Five Colonial Governors met here with Braddock to work out plans for the united support of his cam- paign. Q. What women have received the gold medal of the Society of Arts and Sciences?—F. C. A. Eva Le Gallienne and Grace Moore are the only women who have been honored by this award. Q. Please name the Seven Wonders of America—H. J. 8. A. They are usually selected as fol- lows: Niagara Falls, Yellowstone Park, Mammoth Cave, the Garden of the Gods, Colorado; the Giant Trees of California, Natural Bridge in Vir- ginia, and Yosemite Valley. Rests With What shall be the future of the N. R. A. is believed by the press to of the United States Supreme Court. | Donald Richberg, accepts the lower- court decisions that Federal codes try. Now Congress is expected to be guided by high-court decrees in fram- ing the future course of the recovery agency. An unfavorable trend of opinion is observed by the Dayton (Ohio) Her- ald and that paper concludes: “Since neither the Senate nor the House is likely to do much about considering the future of N. R. A. until the upon several cases involving the con- stitutionality of the recovery act, there will be plenty of time for both sides to present their arguments in full detail. There will be no excuse for voting extension of the N. R. A. without a thorough consideration, both of experience in its operation and of questions as to whether the served if the Government limited its “The weekly downpour of court de- cisions,” according to the New York Times, “declaring this or that part of the N. R. A. unconstitutional, must be making both Senators and administrators wonder in their secret hearts whether it is worth while go- ing to a great deal of intellectual and 1935 model N. R. A. which may only have its wheels kicked from under it by the Supreme Court.” “Both the experience and court de- velopments,” thinks the Nashville (Tenn.) Banner, “doubtless admon- ished Mr. Richberg of the advisability of restricting the activities of the N. R. A. to the field of interstate commerce. Repeated Federal deci- sions have been rendered, of which that in the Weirton case was the most notable, holding the N. R. A. to be unconstitutional in that Congress had sought through it to control intra- state business activities. Though the act has been assailed from other view- points, the most frequent question that has been raised has been directed to the attempt of Congress to assume jurisdiction, through an agency cre- ated by legislation, of local industry and activities.” “The Federal courts are holding, and there is every reason to believe will continue to hold,” declares the Wichita (Kans.) Eagle, “that the fixa- tion of hours and determination of wages, if a governmental function at intrastate. The highest court which has held that manufacturing is not interstate is not likely to hold that operations incidental to manufactur- ing are subject to Federal regulation under the Constitution. There seems o disposition in Washington to at- pt a continuation of the price provisions of the codes. Th not only unconsti! depend almost wholly on the attitude | The administration, speaking through | cannot be applied to intrastate indus- | United States Supreme Court passes | cause of recovery would not be better | regulation of business and industry.” | physical pains to construct a new | all, is not interstate commerce but is | Future of RecoveryfiSet-Ui) Supreme Court ;hut impractical. But back of price | fixing is the equally difficult knot of wages and hours.” Of the complex task ahead of Con- gress, the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette says “The problem of deciding what to retain, what to modify, and what to eliminate may well baffle the best leg- islative minds. This problem, as every | one must realize, is certainly not sim- | plified by the recent court decisions | affecting various phases and princi- | ples of the New Deal.” | “Obviously Mr. Richberg expressed the ideas of the President,” in the judgment of the New York Sun. and that paper adds: “The administra- tion’s desire to restrict the rule of N. R. A. to interstate business grows directly out of the Federal District Court decisions in the Weirton Steel case and in the bituminous coal in- dustry case. In both decisions the court insisted that the attempt of a Federal agency to regulate the private business involved in these suits was unconstitutional. Seemingly the ad- ministration fears that the Supreme Court will uphold those decisions and knock the N. R. A. from its base.” “The N. R. A. is on the way out: why, therefore, prolong the agony?" asks the San Francisco Chronicle, which feels that “the better way is to scrap it all.” Somewhat similar views are held by the Grand Rapids Press, the Chicago Daily News, the St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press and the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury Herald. Belief that labor matters now under N. B. A. could be handled by a Fed- eral Labor Board and the trade prac- tices by the Federal Trade Commis- sion is expressed by the Baltimore Sun. “There is time for a breathing spell in which to decide what next,” ob- serves the Louisville Herald-Post, and the Milwaukee Journal concludes: “It is easy to snipe, but it does not help the country. N. R. A. should be im- proved and helpful criticism is val- uable. But there is no value in swing- ing the ax just for the sake of ora- torical exercise. If there is any states- manship, now is the big chance. The country would like to hear less criticism from the ‘great liberals’ and just one suggestion as to how to make things better.” —————ret— A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton. An Old Book Shop All through the day they come and go, Those who would find in the afterglow Of a thousand minds surcease from care In volumes rare, Or yellowed scripts. In shadowed nooks And dusky aisles of mellowed books. ‘A laughing child runs thru the p! And youth springs up in every facel