Evening Star Newspaper, April 11, 1935, Page 10

CFA=10 #%F THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Editien. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY.....April 11, 1835 THEODORE W. NOYES. . . Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company es8 Now Pl Sice: 10 Exst 4204 Chicawo Office: Lake Michigan l'::la‘nl. European Omumtllfi;:mt . London. 1 N Rate by Carrier Within the City. ieht Pinal and Sunday Star.70c per mont! ight Pinal Star. ... ....55¢per mon Collection made ‘at the end of each 7,50 sent by mail or month. - Orders ma: telephone National Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday. .1 yr.. $10.00; 1 mo.. RSc Daily only.... . $6.00: 1 mo.. 50c Sunday only...... $4.00: 1 mo._ 40c All Other States and Canada. Daily and Sunday. 1 yr., $12.00; 1 mo.. $1.00 Daily only .....1 R .. 73¢ Sunday only.. ..1yr. 50¢ Member of the Associated Press. Tie Associated Press is exclusively en titled 1o the use for republication of il news dispatches credited to it or not other. wise credited in this paper and aiso the local news puhlished herein. All rights of Dublication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. —_— 1yrl iy To Remove a “Disgrace.” While in gencral the District has been given the same privileges of the States and Territories to share in the distribution of the work-relief funds provided under the legislation en- acted this week, there remains one marked difference. The District, along with the States. may borrow work- | relief funds. But in the District there must be specific legislation by Con- gress authorizing the loan before application for such a loan may even be made to the Public Works Admin- istration or to whatever authority the President will designate. This fact gives added importance to the bill | favorably reported from Senator King’s committee on the District of Columbia | and suggests the need of similar early | They must, in short, should the| action by Representative Norton's committee in the House. The Senate bill merely amends the legislation enacted last year which authorized the District to borrow a maximum of $10,750.000 for specified been established by a decision of the Supreme Court, which in interpreting the clause of the Constitution that “the right of trial by jury shall be preserved,” has held that this requires the unanimous verdict of twelve persons. It is, however, possible to change this situation by & specific amendment to the Constitution, as it is now proposed to do in New York. Several of the States have so changed the system by providing for juries of less than twelve and for verdicts by less than a majority, though not in capital cases. A mistrial, through failure of a jury to agree, is a grievous waste of time and unmistakably an encouragement to the criminally minded. The chances of conviction, even in instances of flagrant guilt, are already lessened to a dangerous degree by the tactics of delay and confusion adopted by unscrupulous counsel, and it has be- come a commonplace of observation that the crook’s “mouthpiece” is relied upon to prevent conviction by resort to every possible means of beguile- ment and delay. A ten-to-two verdict law would greatly lessen the chance of such success, and there is reason to hope for the extension of the New York effort to secure the adoption of such a system to other States and likewise to the areas of Federal juris- diction, through statute or, if nec- essary, through constitutional amend- ment. The British at Stresa. There is only one fair certainty about the momentous Anglo-French- Itelian conference assembled at Stresa today to deal with the German re- armament crisis. That certainty is | the situation. If there is to be {action worthy of the name—action . genuinely capable of restraining Nazi ambitions to redraw the map of | Burope—it is evident that the British | in it to the full limit of their power. emergency arise, be prepared to fight alongside their continental associates | to preserve Europe from aggression. | Anything short of British readiness (to line up with France, Italy, | Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union that Great Britain holds the key to | must pledge themselves to take part | projects, including the Children’s i’lgnimt any menace emanating from Tuberculosis Sanatorium at Glenn | yitler’s Reich, will be envisioned at Dale, the sewage disposal plant and the | wall at Lorton. The amendment adds to these projects, however, the greatly needed courts buildings and a build- ing for the recorder of deeds, these | structures to be erected in Judiciary Square. The total to be borrowed remains at $10,750,000 and the essen- tial purpose of the bill is really to permit the District to use funds for the courts buildings which originally were set aside for the sewage disposal plant. Under the legislation of last year the District has borrowed $1,500,000 for the children’s sanatorium and $4,000- 000 for the sewage disposal plant, leav- ing a balance of $5,250,000 of the authorized total. The sewer plant as originally contemplated was to cost about $8,000,000. The Commissioners cut this in half by decision to build now a plant capable of enlargement later on. Of the total funds which Congress authorized the District to borrow, therefore, enough remains to finance the courts buildings. The purpose of the amending legislation | is merely to specify that funds—esti- mated at $3,000,000—may be borrowed and used for construction of the courts building. Enactment of this legislation would | not assure the loan. For with the authorizing legislation in hand, the Commissioners would still have to con- vince the Federal authorities of the necessity for the project and of its ability to supply relief in the form of employment on construction. The Benate Committee reported that “it was the unanimous view of all who a peared that the Police Court, the Municipal Ceurt and the Juvenile Court are wholly inadequate for the needs of the District of Columbia and are in fact a disgrace to the city.” This disgrace should not be per- mitted to continue and it is impor- tant that Congress take the steps necessary, in amending the loan legis- lation, to place the District in a posi- tion which will enable the authorities to remove it by new and adequate con- struction. ———————— The alleged double assassination plot in the suburbs is said to have drifted into politics. Keeping crime out of politics has for some time been the great reform problem. —ree Promises of $5000 cash to every citizen would be as hard to keep as an assurance of a winning ticket to every lottery patron. Ten-to-Two Verdicts. Criticism of the judicial practice in this country in requiring the unani- mous verdict of a jury in criminal cases has been frequenily heard in recent years, on the score that this course often leads to the defeat of Justice. Many instances have oc- curred where defendants who were unmistakably guilty have gone free of penalty because of the obstinacy of a single juror, in some cases, indeed, with suspicion of improper interest. In the recent Hauptmann case in New Jersey public concern was aroused by the possibility of a mistrial through such » happening. Now the State of New York is moving to amend the con- stitution of that Commonwealth by a provision that a verdict may be rendered by a jury—in all but first- degree murder cases—by a ten-to-two vote. Yesterday the State Senate by unanimous vote adopted a resolution proposing such an amendment which, if adopted by the lower branch of the Legislature and repassed next year, will be submitted to the voters at the 1937 election. The unanimous verdict is an essential feature of the English law, from which the law in this country was derived. It may, however, be waived- in civil cases, though never in criminal charges. In the United States the principle of unanimity has 4 Berlin as a Europe divided against itself, a Europe which the Germans can dere to defy as they ventured [to do twenty-one years ago. The 1914 parallel springs readily to | mind in contemplation of present-hour | conditions. There is a growing body of historical opinion that it was the | indecision of British policy in the weeks immediately preceding August 4 that mainly encouraged the Kaiser’s government to essay its mad gamble, |in the belief that it ran little risk of | confronting Britain as an enemy. Many authorities are convinced that know unmistakably that hostilities |would find the British army and |navy ranged alongside France and Belgium, the war would have been | postponed, if not altogether pre- | vented. Grey could not give any such | assurance because of divided counsels !in London. | sulted. Divided counsels once more prevail in Britain, as another threat to peace darkens the European horizon. France and Italy, nearer to the peril | geographically, incline to favor an outright military alliance of the three | Western powers as the only practical !method of discouraging and thwarting {Germany. There is little British en- thusiasm over that proposal. An Ital- ian spokesman, now at Stresa, puts the matter succinctly. “The bigger commitment the British make on the continent,” he says, “the less com- mitment they actually make. That is, the more Britain is willing to | pledge herself now to a three-power accord, the less dangerous it will be for her, because it will call a halt on | Germany.” The British have arrived in Stresa determined not to commit themselves until after further ‘“exploration” of the situation. For the moment their aim is a pan-European security agree- ment under the auspices of the League of Nations, coupled with continued effort to bring Germany into such a “collective” system. Hitler told Sir John Simon in Berlin the other day the price at which the Reich is ready to live in peace with its neighbors. It is a price hardly any one of them is willing to pay. It must presently be disclosed whether Britain is inclined to do business with the Nazis on their truculent terms or join the rest of Europe in resisting them. Perhaps the revelation that Goering already com- mands an air force the equal of Britain's will help John Bull to decide in which direction his best inter- ests lie. B —————— When another war is insisted on one of the incidents is the tearing up of scraps of paper once regarded as perfectly good I. O. U.’s. —————— Grenfell. Sir Wilfred Grenfell says he is “on the wrong side of seventy.” but he will not abandon his medical and social work for the fisherfolk of Labrador. In New York the other day he told reporters of his intention to persevere even though he is no longer able to perform his duties as & general country practitioner during the subzero months of Winter. “There still is much that I can do in Sum- mer,” he declared, and it safely may be presumed that the whole world, mindful of his labors, will applaud his courageous decision. Such men, of course, rarely retire. ‘The stuff of heroes and martyrs is in them. They live for their work, and any arbitrary termination of their relation to it may have tragic conse- quences. In literally hundreds of cases death has followed immediately after interruption of routine. The human heart scems to want to con- tinue to beat in the tempo and for | if Sir Edward Grey had let Berlin | Germany launched her | i thunderbolts and Armageddon re- —to slow it down by command has too frequently the effect of stopping it altogether. Sir Wilfred, therefore, is wise in his determination not to rest on his laurels. The hour will come, inevitably, when his personal participation in the struggle of humanity against cir- cumstance will have to cease; but that will not mean that his enter- prises of practical fellowship and serv- jce will fail. It happens that the name of Grenfell is written in a roster destined for immortality. The romance of the “good doctor” is one of the authentic miracle-stories of the modern age and is linked in a durable chain with those of St. Luke, 8t. Francis of Assisi, John Howard, Flor- ence Nightingale and Henri Dunant— like them he has endowed the race with his devotion, loyalty and love. And because his gift has been so good it will be everlastingly permanent. Plenty of Advice. The appointment by Secretary Ickes of an advisory committee of promi- nent Washingtonians for co-operation with the Public Works Administration in slum-clearance projects for the District might be viewed hopefully as indicating renewed interest in such an important undertaking. But the ob- server of efforts in slum clearance or alley clearance in Washington will conclude that such work has not been delayed because of any lack of agen- cies or committees. In addition to the new committee, of which Mrs. Roosevelt is the honorary chairman, there is the existing Washington Com- mittee on Housing, of which Mrs. Roosevelt is also honorary chairman. There is the Alley Authority for the District, established under recent leg- islation. There is the Housing Com- mittee of the Public Works Adminis- tration, and there are, in addition, the District Commissioners, the Park and Planning Commission, the Commission iof Pine Arts, as well as the Senate and House District Gommittees—all of which are directly or indirectly con- cerned in alley elimination. ! The recently created District Alley ‘\ Authority, with limited funds and with limited personnel, has made good prog- ress so far in laying the groundwork | for a program which may be carried out over a period of years and which sensibly takes into consideration the important fact that before an alley dwelling is razed or converted to other use another habitation must be pro- vided for the alley dwellers. But the { Public Works Administration’s housing agency, provided at the outset with a ‘entatively earmarked fund of $4,300,- | 000 for slum clearance or model hous- ing development in the District, has little to show, publicly at least, for its work of, the past year and a half. Projects have been undertaken, only to be abandoned because of the cost of the land, and some projects are now | in the process of development—in land |buying. But what they will be and when they will start are unknown to the Washington public. | There cannot be too many organiza- | tions interested in and keeping alive, i by intelligent discussion, the subject |of “slum clearance.” Accompanying ! the discussion, however, there should | be some signs of activity. —————— Most articles are popularized by | advertising, but no one is enthusiastic in radio proclamation of bombing planes and tanks as aids to the com- | forts of home except as a means of keeping hostile specimens somewhere | out at sea. —_————— There are perhaps too many pol.lu-‘ cal economists in the fleld who hope to be loved for the enemies they have made. e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Joyous Prospects. So many cares we have today ‘That often we forget The pleasures that are on their way With smiling to be met. It seems to put the gloom to rout When I remember that Tl presently be going out To choose & new straw hat. Far better than my old umbrella That keeps the rain away, More bright than daisies in the dell ‘Twill blossom in the May. Iv's crown may be a trifie high, Or else it may be flat, No matter. Soon I'm going to buy Myself a new straw hat. That Patient Public. “I'm a friend of the people,” said the man with a large voice. “Yes,” said Senator Sorghum. “But are you the kind of friend who is always wanting to borrow money?” Penguins. The penguin is a curious bird Who rather likes the snow. It looks as if it saw and heard ‘What humans do not know. "Tis like the people whom we see ' With large but empty dreams. ‘The solemn-er it tries to be The funnier it seems. Power. “Why did that actress marry her press agent?” “She wanted security,” said Miss Cayenne. “She let him understand that if his compliments did not continue to please her, he'd lose his home and his Job both at once.” “The years bring wisdom,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “which often serves only to make us envy the thoughtlessness of youth.” Ancient Grudge. Some controversies very old ‘We find on history’s page. The selfsame grievances unfold ‘Through many a passing age. ‘When methods we are looking for’ ‘That may be more polite We say “Hers comes another war{” ‘When it's the same old fight. WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, 'THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “I hate all ths rain,” said the home grouch. ] “It is & gres\deal better than the dust storms ol is, as we oll are, | Surely, it is beler to concentrate on the good poiny of the weather rather than on thT-uonnl inimical Wet weather in B*‘ 1s the plant's delight. L All one has to & during this rainy spell, is to look § the grass, to what plenty of precipitation of 5 If the sight of that go& green, that loveliest of all hues, in th right place does not bring one out olit, nothing will, and one must go onjamenting the sad state of affairs. | w0 It is the same with the alided hor- rors cats commit on innocent § ‘The editor of the Flower Orw has 2 this degruc- tion is far, far less than manypre- tend to believe. He has been watching Nature for many years, and says in all the the he has seen much more harm doe Another reason; perhaps, is the in- crease of high-tension wires. Wah;v‘: seen tter touched, mmm&nwd ton goods are going up and exports are killed every year through these wires. There is no would have of being \way from them. Nor do we that their claws APRIL 11, 1935. The Political Mill By G. Gould Lincoin. Something seems to have slipped bad- ly in the A. A. A. handling of the cot- ton problem. Imports of foreign cot- of American cotton are going down. Such a condition hits both the Amer- ican textile mills and the American cotton farmer. As a consequence would have enough insulating power | the North and South are joined in an few were hopping into the air to peck at each birds, certainly are just as fat ive fatter robins ¢l day fighting. they not alliance rgainst the New Deal A. A. A. and its processing taxes. The cotton farmers naturally want prices of raw cotton to remain at least as high as they have been in recent months. But if they are going to lose their markets both in this country and abroad something is likely to hit other were occupled in searching for |the South a blow that will be more worms, and there searching to fairly robin—the one bird every one knows— | ture when the administration was not much it, since the earth was soaked with water. It is always interesting to see a tug at a worm in the ground. Just how he manages to find the food is not entirely known to us, but after him at it for a long severe than anything that has oc- curred in years. Ploughing under the cotton industry from production to manufacture was not in the pic- 8ot under way, whatever may have been on the inside of the heads of some of the “planners.” What's the use of seeking to bolster up an industry watching time we believe he uses both sight and | which may be taken over by others hearing. Often & waicher will see a robin is the way these gentlemen put it. If Brazil can produce raw cotton ad cock his head over on one side, as if | lib, with cheap labor, and other listening, then suddenly dive forward. | nations in the East can do the same, birds by other birds than ever hy been done them by the house cat. He feels that if one’s interest birds is simply to watch them fly about the garden, and feed, one had better make a genuine study of them, standing of their lives. Then, he believes, one will be able to see just what kills them, rather than arrive at a theory, based on & dislike. He points out that the drought of several years ago, and its continuance in various parts of the country, has done more in a few years to destroy bird life in this country than all the cats from the times of the building of the pyramids down. % % % Any one who moved into the suburban areas in the Spring of 1930, as did the present writer, knows thai there are noticeably fewer birds now. Allowing for the difference between the country and the city, the morning din of the birds in.the Spring of 1930 was simply terrific. Allowing for the unexpectedness of with the staid urban sunrise song, that morning symphony was really startling It is impossible to believe that any one could get “used to it” in such a way that he no longer noticed it at all This might be possible, of course, it onme were not interested in the birds, flowers and other things of Nature. The writer here happens to be very much interested in them, in a pleas- ant, amateur way, a way which de- mands no particular stress and strain, but which does ask for a perpetual and continuing interest. Therefore, when he says that the morning song of the birds today is not one-tenth what it was in 1930 he believes that he is stating s sim- | ple truth. | * *x xx The great drought in this area, shortly thereafter, is what did it, un- doubtedly. This, coupled with the killing of birds by birds, and the destruction of their eggs, is plainly part of the reason for lessened bird life in what once was the veritable bird center of the United States. There apparently is a geographical differential in the growth of children in the United States. children—divided into sex and age classifications—in all parts of the United States. Analysis of the data shows con- sistent differences in the mean meas- urements of the different sections, when compared to the average for the country as a whole. “On the whole,” says the report of the work, “children from the North- eastern section tend to be largest, those from the North Central area next, those from the South Central region third and those from the ‘Western section the smallest.” The reason for this geographical differential, shown for children be- tween 6 and 15 years of age, is un- known. So far as can be determined from the data, the comparative rates of growth show no consistent differ- ences. * % ®x % Within 10 years—due largely to re- search on the physical and chemical properties of rubber—the life of an automobile tire has increased from 5 to 10 times, according to a state- ment from the American Chemical Society. Prom 1915 to 1925 it was estimated that a car would need about five new tires a year. Now the aver- age is less than one-and-a-half. Still further improvement, the chemists believe, is in sight. This increased life of the tire, it is pointed out, was one cause of the market collapse. During the period from 1915 to 1925 the tire makers calculated on the future demands of the industry from the anticipated in- crease in the number of automobiles and the average rate of tire replace- ment. They bought machinery and built factories to meet this expected demand. They did not anticipate that the chemist would cut their business in half. * k¥ % A colony of that strange meat-eat- ing plant, the Venus fiy trap, is flour- ishing at Branchville, Md., just out- side the District. Normally it grows only in a swamp area about 100 miles in radius around Wi N. C. The peculiarity of this plant is that it captures tiny animals, chiefly in- drowns them, and supposedly finds that its most frequent captives are spiders, with flles second. But it gi £ il g Eeaifl ] 2 i of 2 Perhaps that is why he is called Cock | let them go ahead and do it. Robin. Cotton producers in this country, Evidently the worm has some way | however, are to feel that rt holding fast to the ground. for |the New Dealers have, through their Mten the robin has to brace himself | policies, actually encouraged the other lith his sturdy legs, and pull with |nations to plant more cotton acreage. A reader can get the answer to Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How many light fiction or pulp magazines are being published in the United States?—K. W. A. According to a study conducted by Columbia University, there are 111. Q. What are some of the features of the California Pacific International Exposition?—E. W. A. At the San Diego Exposition there will be a House of Pacific Re- lations to represent the various na- tions. A reproduction of the famous Taos-Pueblo settlement in New Mex- ico is now under construction. One of the features of the amusement section will be Golden Gulch, a mining town of the days of '49, au- thentic in every detail. The floral displays will be outstanding and among them will be a reproduction of the famous El Casa Del Rey Moro Gardens of ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN. Q. Who succeeded the Earl of Bess- borough as governor general of Canada?—T. R. A. John Buchan, author and mem- ber of Parliament, was appointed to this office. He is the first ever to receive the .mmw Q. Is there a predominance of guro tenants on Southern farms?— . C. B. A. Of the 1800000 tenants and croppers reported in the 16 Southern States by the 1930 census, only 700,000, or less than 40 per cent, were Negroes. Q. What was the name of the sailing vessel that took Napoleon's :Odé from St. Helena to France?— “A. Napoleon died May 5, 1821. His body was carried to France on the French frigate, Belle Poule, under the command of Prince de Joinville. Q. Please give some information about the Cowley Fathers.—F. B. A. The Cowley Fathers is an or Anglican organization, the official title being the Society of St. John the Evangelist. It was Ronda, Spain, one of the loveliest examplies of Span- ish-Moorish landscaping in the world. Q How much dust is scattered each year?—F. L. M. A. It is estimated that 850,000,000 tons of dust are moved more than 1,400 miles every year. Q. What is the value of the White House?—H. L. M. A. The value of the White House it, the novelty of it, as contrasted | in order to arrive at a real under- |hy {in order, but in the | much attention is pai strong beak before the worm les go. ‘hen the robin falls backward, al- M upon his tail, before he can Tigh himself and devour the food in a twakling of his eye. * x x ¥ Ne: ers, in particular, should not il their activities to be spulled hecause of oversolicitude for Cats rélly catch far less than they are creded with; modern cats are far to busy watching out for other cats hid the hereditary enemy, the dog, tohother much with birds he newcomer to the gardening wold—and how much more is writtel for him today than a decade 2g0'—hould not permit the intrusions of cal and dogs into his garden to upset hen much. There are man home gardeners who persist in the mild insanity of worrying overmuch whenever a dog or cat comes around. Some worry, at timg, may be nec- essary, and often a hasing of the offender from the sachd precints is in far too these crea- tures. They will take cas of them- selves, if let alone, and not harm gardens, either one of then one-fifth as much as the worrying gardener gives them credit for. If plants have a wide latyde. in a matter of temperature, in which they can grow, they also havey Iati. tude in regard to the harm the, may receive without particular daxgge. ‘The beginner should never forget*hat Nature knows a thing or two, \nd provided her anchored children wh The fat, apparently, is in the fire. Al- ready there is talk of Southern cotton mill interests moving their plants to Brazil, where they can get cheaper cotton and cheaper labor. The cotton texile mills are up in arms over the importations of cotton goods, espe- cially from Japan. The Governors of New England States and the members of Congress, irrespective of party, are violent in their criticism of what has been happening in recent months to the cotton mills in their States. They are demanding conferences with the President, particularly to have the processing tax on cotton eliminated. A group of Representatives and Senators from the cotton-producing States of the South saw the President at the White House yesterday, de- manding that the processing tax be put aside, that an export bounty of $10 a bale be paid on cotton and that the policy of making Government loans of 12 cents a pound on the cur- Tent cotton crop be continued. What the President said to the delegation | has not been revealed. But it is un- | and grounds is estimated at $21,- 935975. The land is valued at $19,685,975, or $25 per square foot, and the building at $2,250,000. Q. What kind of plant is a monkey puzzle?—G. M. A. This is the name given to the Chile pine (Araucaria imbricata) in- troduced into Great Britain in 1796 and since widely cultivated through- out Europe and the Southern United States, especially in California. The tree grows to a height of 150 feet in the Cordilleras of Chile. Q. What kind of metal makes the best chimes for mantel clocks and grandfather clocks?—F. L. A. High-grade bell metal consists of approximately 78 parts of the Ppurest copper available and 22 parts of imported tin. A great many things included in the bellmaker’s art contribute to tonal qualities. Ome of these is- purity of metals used— another is method of suspension and, finally, the precision with which the derstood that he has promised to give | PATtS ar¢ manufactured and tuned. the matter his most serious attention, Tomorrow the New Englanders are expected to have their day at the | White House, in order to voice their | demands for rellef for the cotton in- dustry. This drive of the North and the South against the A. A. A. is the | most serious attack which has yet been launched against that branch of the New Deal. * % % ¥ Now that the President is back to strengthen the tion line, every effort will be made, it is pre- dicted, to stem the tide of revolt that has set in on Capitol Hill. The im- powers to resist when she failed o |mediate tests ahead are found in the capacity of more than 30,000 school | give them movement and a chance \ | House, which takes up the economic get away at will. They still have thai security bill today orpwmurrow, and power; usually they can put up witl & dog or twc much better than their owners. Home gardeners can take a tip from their plants; they can ac- cept conditions, whether rain or animals, and make the best of them; they can be satisfled with rain, in place of dust storms, just as their flowers are. STARS, MEN AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. Standards physicists are gathering new information about the jonosphere— the region of the atmosphere starting about 70 miles above the earth sur- face, where most of the atoms are lonized. This is the reglon by way of which distant transmission of short-wave radio impulses is possible. Ordinarily these waves cannot pass through the lonized atmosphere and are bent | back to earth. From the time it takes | them to return the height of the | ionosphere can be calculated. | The experiments show three iono- sphere layers. The first is about 70 miles high. the second from 110 to | 150 and the third about 170. The | ionized condition of the a ere in these layers is due chiefly to the ultra-violet light of the sun. It knocks electrons loose from the oxygen and nitrogen atoms. In the higher strata of the jonosphere, the Bureau of Standards physicists claim, it is these free electrons that turn back the radio waves. In the lower strata it is the heavier “ions,” the atoms from which the free electrons have been detached. The work at the Bureau of Stand- ards is concerned primarily with de- termining the density of ionization and its changes with time of day and season. Results covering a year have been- tabulated. As was expected, the density of ionization follows closely the course of the sun and the amount of ultra-violet light coming into the atmosphere. One result, however, is peculiarly puzzling. In the second layer, it is found, the ionization drops steadily on a Winter night until it reaches a minimum at about midnight. Then it starts to rise until about 4 am, when it drops again and reaches & second minimum just before sunrise. Another curious finding is that ra- dio impulses sometimes go through the ionosphere altogether, escape entirely from the earth’s atmosphere and, more than 1,000 miles distant in space, encounter some unknown obstacle which mrnath'm"a.hck to earth again. * * Two unusual meteorites, both seen sonian Institution, which will co-op- erate with the North Carolina State Museum in their analysis. in the Senate, which may soon have fore it the soldiers’ bonus bill. The dministration wants the security bill Rssed. It wants the bonus bill killed. Tie House is to consider the security, 8Cprding to present plans, without & gag” rule, which would prevent the \ffering of amendments, and with a debate permitted. This fis | someting new in House procedure ! under this administration. But the | security bill has caused a great rum- | Pus in he Ways and Means Commit- | tee and among the members of the | House géerally. The administration | | leaders etier doubted their ability to | prominent of recent Negro patentees | fasten a 8g rule on the House to | consider thh measure or they believe | that in the end the administration will have & Sfficient majority to put the bill throug: in acceptable form. The House dgposed of the $4,880,- 000,000 work relef bill, under a dras- tic special rule \{ procedure, within a couple of days. The Senate then proceeded to take two months and & half to consider fe measure. Well, the House is going ‘o have its talk- fest over the security pill. What the Senate will do with his measure no one can predict with \gcuracy today. It is going to be a lory time getting through the Upper Hous, * ¥ % % The President, Senator Yobinson o(t Arkansas, Democratic leater of the Senate has indicated, will sd a spe- cial message to the Senate on the soldiers’ bonus bill. He did pot say what the message would Wntain. Unless the President has shiféd his position he will strongly oppos the immediate cash payment of the bonus and in particular the Patpan bill, passed by the House, which Qlls for the issuance of greenbacks to pyy the $2,300,000,000 necessary. In ot! words, President may exert influence against the bonus bill pri to its final passage rather than to wait for it to go through both Houses and be sent to him for approval or veto. In the Senate a bond issue may be substituted for the Patman greenback idea for paying the bonus. One school of thought holds that the President will make his record of opposition to the cash payment of the bonus clear, but that he will not be particularly worried if the measure eventually becomes a law over his veto. President Coolidge vetoed the original bonus bill and it was passed over his objection in 1924. A few months later Mr. Coolidge was elected President to succeed himself. Similar action now by e Democratic Congress, it is urged, may strengthen the political position of the Presi- dent rather than weaken it. That may be true, if the cash payment of the bonus does not help to precipi- tate a bad credits situation for the Government. * * * % Huey Long’s proposed third party movement has at least stirred Demo- cratic leaders to declare that such a movement will not weaken in any way President Roosevelt for re-election in 1936. ' Postmaster General James A. Farley, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is most emphatic on this subject. Others who have stepped in with comment are Speaker Byrns of the House and Senator James Hamilton Lewis of Illinois, who insist that the President has ‘“redeemed” party platform pledges and that his grip on the people is still very . The administration leaders t that, despite the outcry against New Deal coming from many arters today, none of its opponents Q. How many restaurants and tea rroogs are there in New York City?— | A. There are 20.000 licensed eating ‘plltu in that city. Q. What was the first American , locomotive with a steam whistle>— |T.R. C. A. The Sandusky, built by Thomas Rogers, was the first engine in this | country to be equipped with a steam | whistle. Q. Please give &' brief history of the Meistersingers.—J. T. A. Meistersinger is the name given to the German poets belonging to the artisan and trading classes in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. They professed to carry on the traditions of the medieval Minnesingers, re- | garding as the founders of their guild | 12 of the greater poets of the middle high-German period. They cultivated | their art in Meistersinger schools, the | oldest of which is said to have been | established at Mainz early in the four- teenth century. Q. How many patents are credited to Negroes>—M. E. D. A. They hold patents to more than 4,000 inventions. Among the most are Georve W. Carver, Tuskegee In- stitute, Alabama, and J. H. Montgom- ery, Los Angeles, Calif. founded by the Rev. R. M. Benson, 1865, for the cultivation of a life dedicated to God according to the principles of poverty, chastity and obedience. The members undertake missionary and educational work at home and abroad and there are lay members as well as clerical. The order has branches in many coun- tries and the American representative is the Rev. Spence Burton of the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Boston, Mass. Q. Are the words, poetess, editress and toastmistress to be used for wo- men occupying such positions?—M. C. A. The trend today is to use the word poet rather than poetess, editor rather than editress, proprietor rather than proprietress. Speakers who ob- serve this custom use the term toast- master to apply to the person so functioning regardless of whether or | not the individual is a man. Q. How much money did Diamond Jim Brady invest in jewels?—E. J, S, A. He spent about $2,000,000 on | precious stones. At the time of his death, in 1917, the World War had brought the gross appraised value of his collection down to about $507,450. Q. Has crime increased in the United States within the past 15 years, or is it merely given more Ppublicity>—E. D. = A. Crime has definitely increased in the last 15 years, Q. When was paper money first put in circulation in this country’— | A. The first issue of paper money under the authority of the Conti- nental Congress was dated May 10, 1775, but the notes were not actually put into circulation until the August following. Q. What is the Consumers' Poun- dation?—B. 8. A. It is a non-profit educational organization with headquarters at 726 Jackson placé, Washington, D. C. | Its object is a more comprehensive | interpretation of consumers’ problems to business and business problems to :gt:\:mers in more understandable Q. What is the average sized fam- ily in the United States? In Ken- tucky?—D. B. A. The ‘average family in the United States comprises 4.01 individ- uals and in Kentucky 4.3 individuals. Q. How large are lobster traps®— N. R. = A. They are usually 3 or 4 feet long and capable of containing a number of lobsters. They are set in water | ranging from 5 up to 30 fathoms or | even more, and are visited every two | or three days, if the weather permits. From the traps the lobsters are taken to floating cages, called cars, where they are kept until enough are gath- ered to warrant a shipment. Increase in Railroad Rates Recognized as Emergency Step Comment on the Interstate Com- merce Commission’s order authorizing certain temporary increases in railroad freight rates emphasizes the emer- gency character of this action and the belief of most newspapers that only something drastic in the way of co-ordination of facilities can solve problem. “More and more,” says the Flint (Mich.) Journal, “opinion is swing- ing to the place where receiverships will be accepted, bondholders per- suaded to accept lower interest se- curities and—as important as any other factor—a practical method of co-ordination enforced.” “It should be recognized,” the Chester (Pa.) Times thinks, “that present competition which the ilways have to meet is to a con- Sherable extent unfair, and that thir demand to have all methods of ‘ransportation brought under the sam\ control and conducted under similiy rules is a just one.” “In granting temporary relief,” re- marks San Francisco Chronicle, “the Interstate Commerce Commis. sion fol\wed its precedent of 1931. It is the theory of the ion that pe ent rates must wait upon normal comfitions and that the out- come of proposed co-ordination of all the ‘ransportation agencies, now in , is a factor that must be taken into consideration in any permanent vate structure.” The Chronicle slso swtes as to the de- cision of the jon: “It is one of frankly (el'l;:gé with the prob- lem. The applical for a general rate increase, as ask\d by the roads, is denied, but what ‘s calculated to amount to a 7 per ctt increase in the total of general \ine haul is granted as emergency velief for a the ever, a horizontal increae.” A quotation from the Cymmission which impresses the press is that “without material changes k many in the long run do the applictnts more harm than good.” Commenting this, the New York Tribune says: “The decision of thy commission, and its observations in connection with that decision indi- cate clearly that it was acting in desperation and granting & form of EEE i t these added charges will rep- amall E i g "E transportation | railroad | | period of 15 months. It's not, how- | | ages of existing rates (depending on | distance, commodity transported and other factors); that theve are impor- tant exemptions, and that the charges | will apply only for a limited period ending June 30, 1936, all will tend to minimize the effect they may have on shippers and on freight costs as a | whole. The roads asked increases that would yield $170,000,000 a year. and they obtained authorization for an estimated one-half that amount. For this section particularly it is no- table that the exemptions from the added rates apply to all farm products and include fresh vegetables, milk. fruit, cattle, hogs, sheep, fertilizer and lumber. The increased rates on eoal and other commodities, however, will affect this region along with others.” “Authorities have agreed,” accord- ing to the Danbury (Conn.) News- Times, “that it is impoesible for the railroads to do a business, even in good times, which will pay returns on their excessive security issues. The | most they can hope for is a fair profit | on operating expenses after these have been reduced to their lowest terms by careful economies, such as pooling equipment and facilities, and consoli- dating to reduce the number of high- priced executives.” “Commissioner Porter, in his dis- senting opinion,” the Davenport Times points out, “predicted higher rates of freight would hurt the roads, not help them.” The Rochester Times-Union suggests that “there might be hope for the companies in the proposals of Co-ordinator Eastman for unification and pooling of equipment.” Tempor- izing is charged by the Dayton (Ohio) Herald and the Scranton (Pa.) Times, while the Boston Transcript holds that “Congress is neglecting one of its duties.” ——————————— Suggested Title. From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Montagu Norman, governor Bank of England, is to be Doubtless the peerage. his title be Duke of Devaluation. Preparedness. Prom the Williamsport (Pa.) Sun. The United States Navy will reach full treaty strength in four years, by which time it should be ready for an- other “scrapping” treaty. A Rhyme at Twilight B y Gegrude Brooke Hamilton Transition ‘Would know worth of patience, > m:e the of ce, _ | Watch the gradual unfolding | " As'a fiower bares its heart. | Would we gain the gift of wisdom, ‘Would we clarify our sight, ‘Watch the lucent hues of sunset Give their ecolon to the night. <