Evening Star Newspaper, April 17, 1935, Page 10

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY....April 17, 1835 THEODORE W. NOYES. . . Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office. 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave, New York Office: 110 East 42nd St Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. European Office: 14 Regent St., London, England, Rate by Carrier z“:lhm the City. rular Editio Cwhien. & sundays).. . .. 680c per month The Evening and Sunday Star % (when 5 Sundays). ¢ per montn The Sunday Star.. - be per copy Night Final Edition. eht Final and Sunday Star.70c per month Star_.........55¢per month ihe "end of each month. Orders may be sent by mail or telephone Naticnal 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. d 10.00; 1 mo. 8¢ Daily and Sunday. 1 yr. $12.0 dyr] 80c Member of the Associated Press. Tre Associated Press is exclusively en- titled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not other- wise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of Dublication of special dispatches herein are aiso reserved. —— Britain's Balanced Budget. Apart from the fact that it utterly ignores the $4,000,000,000 war debt on which s}reat Britain stands in default on the books of the United States Treasury, the $3,500,000,000 budget submitted to the House of services of expert consultants, and thus far one of three, a landscape architect, has been chosen. The two others, an engineer and an architect, are expected to be appointed soon. It will be fortunate if the selection of the consultants can be expedited and the necessary preliminary surveys made. If this project, which would provide employment on such a worth- while undertaking, is to be gotten under way within the next year it will be necessary to have the sur- veys completed within a few months. ‘That ought to be possible with the early engagement of the consultants. —_—ate Hooking a Kingfish. Millions for public works, hlut not one dollar tc build up Senator Huey P. Long's political organization in ‘Louisiana, is the decree of Secretary Ickes, P. W. A. administrator. The Louisiana Kingfish is arranging the laws of Louisiana so that State offi- cials—which means officials of Long’s choosing—shall have the direction of the expenditure of the public work funds contributed or loaned by the Federal Government. Mr. Long's con- trol in Louisiana is quite obvious. He pulls the strings and the Legislature dances. Nor is the dancing confined to the Legislature. Mr. Ickes is un- able to see why Uncle Sam should contribute to further the ambitions of the Kingfish and all the other fish in the Louisiana political pond. So he has put his foot down? The attitude of Mr. Ickes toward Long is not out of harmony with the Commons by Neville Chamberlain, chancellor of the exchequer, is a document which will arouse admira- tion and honest envy in this country. It is not only & balanced budget, but it presents an actual surplus, and confers substantial benefits in the | shape of tax reductions upon the humble class of taxpayers. Because: of these favors, it was promptly de- | scribed as a’*‘poor man’'s budget.” Of high significance is Mr. Cha.mberlain's! statement that British government | financing is based on the premise that | the country, “broadly speaking,” has | doing and sought to have a senatorial | believe letter. In ancient times cour- recovered eighty per cent of its pros- perity. attitude of the Roosevelt administra- tion. The Louisiana Senator jumped the reservation early in the -present | presidential term, soon after he found that he could not rush into the White House and tell the Chief Executive what to do. The administration has withheld Federal patronage from Long and his followers. In return Long has belabored the administration on the floor of the Senate. He made charges against the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Postmaster General. Farley, of wrong investigation. Mr. Long, it is reported, is return- Spokesmen of the opposition are in- | ing to Washington to tackle Secretary clined to explain the budget's con- | Ickes, who has suddenly turned off cessicns on the ground that the gov- | the public works spout, announcing | ernment is casting an anchor to wind- ward in contemplation of general elec- | tions. Whatever the motive, the con- | cessions are notable. They are de- | signed to help that seven-eighths of all the families in Britain whose in- comes are less than $2500 a year. Tax benefits will include not only lower rates on incomes, but widened | exemptions. The tax on the cheapest | theater tickets is removed. In other | cases it is reduced. Civil servants, including thousands of underpaid of- ficials, are to have restored to them the remaining half of the ten per cent salary cuts imposed in 1931. | To provide for these various favors, | the chancellor of the exchequer counts | on heavily increased revenue from | the usual sources, based mainly on | expected continuance of good business | conditions. A number of new duties are imposed and the tax is raised on oil for motor vehicles and a few other articles. Perhaps the least gratifying aspect | of the budget, from the average| Briton's standpoint, is that the in- creased expenditure of some $100,- 000,000 is necessitated mainly by the requirements of national defense, especially the air force. Ordinarily, with the British in pacifist mood, this development would provoke hostility, but it is expected to be accepted un- complainingly because of income tax reductions. | Great Britain has borne heroically | the taxation burdens which the World | ‘War and resultant industrial depres- sion placed upon all classes of her citizens, It was a burden far more oppressive than anything the Ameri- can people have had to shoulder. His majesty’s government has not shrunk from drastic means to finance the nation's needs. It is proud, never- theless, Mr. Chamberlain emphasized in Parliament, as Britain “looks | around at other great countries and | at strange varieties of the form of | government, of economic assistance | and recovery plans,” that she has staged a comeback generally by re- liance upon orthodox methods. “Given peace abroad and a fair measure of unity at home,” the chancellor of the exchequer envisions another year of ; “further substantial advance toward | prosperity.” It is an outlook on which our British cousins are entitled to congratulate themselves. —_— = In reviewing some of the technical | discussions of Andrew Mellon's affairs it is a decided relief to pause once in a while and look at the pictures. ———————— The Guard Armory. In their letter to Secretary of War Dern the Commissioners call his attention to the long-felt need here | for suitable housing for the District National Guard—a matter emphasized | more than once by the War Depart- I ment—and express the strong hope that a District armory will be in- cluded in any list of such projects that may be authorized with public works funds. 1t is still uncertain whether work- relief funds wiil be so utilized for the country at large. But it is comforting | to believe that the District National | Guard, at any rate, will have two friends at court when expenditure of | such funds for guard armories comes up for discussion. In addition to efforts that may be made by Secretary Dern, a local guard armory is still definitely under consideration by the Interior Department in connection with the plans for proper treatment of the area at the end of East Capitol street, these plans also including a projected stadium, athletic and drill fleld. Last November a public works grant of $15,000 was set aside for study of the project and a committee selected under the chairmanship of C. Mar- shall Finnan, superintendent of the Office of National Parks. The com- wittee was authorized to engage the A, that $1.800,000 allotted for a sewer project in New Orleans would not be paid over to the Long organization. Mr. Ickes apparently is spoiling for a fight and is perfectly willing to take on the Louisiana Senator. His original statement ridiculed the Long “share-the-wealth” plan and attacked the Long-controlled Legislature. He said that by his action Mr. Long would keep a lot of men out of work in Louisiana, since he did not propose that the Federal funds needed for public work projects there should be handled by the Long followers. | And Mr. Ickes added that Long was creating a situation in the State which might cause the canceling of all public work allotments there. If Mr. Long attacks Mr. Ickes from the floor of the Senate as he has threatened to do, he may sing a song of political persecution. It is no busi- | ness of the Federal Government to withhold public works funds from Louisiana in order to get even with the Senator from Louisiana. On the other hand, the Federal Government has a distinct duty to see that the funds it provides for work relief and public works shall be spent for those purposes in an honest way. Mr. Ickes suspects-that if the money went into the hands of the Long machine offi- cials' it would be expended where it would do the Long machine the most good. A lively battle is in prospect. e Business experts are cautious about announcing immediate improvement. | That is a matter which is always de- cided in a conference between the woman with a market basket and the man behind the cash register. ———— e Base Ball's Delayed Start. For the first time in the history of the game in Washington the opening contest of the base ball season sched- uled yesterday was prevented by cold. Rain has fallen here on opening days, to cause disappointment to large num- bers, but never before has the lower- ing of the mercury compelled cancel- lation. Today, however, in familiar base ball parlance, is another day, and the season formally starts this after- noon, with interest in no degree lessened by the delay. Washington, with a new manager and a slightly changed team, has the honor of starting the season with a ball thrown to the umpire in chief by the President of the United States, whose presence at the first game has become a tradition. To him the'home team is naturally his favorite, for while he is a resident of the White House he is a Washingtonian, and he must be loyal to the aggregation that represents the Capital. It is this partisanship for the home team that makes the game thrive as 2 national institution. Competition, even when the personnel of the play- ing groups is assembled from all parts of the country, is the life of the sport. ‘Without the hope of local success it would not thrive. This year there are revived hopes for this particular ag- gregation that takes the field today as Washington's representation in the American League. There has been a change of managers, and there have been some changes in the ranks, with the effect of stimulating interest. It is an old saying that new faces on a base ball team are always welcome to the home crowd. ‘The professional sport of base ball has become veritably a major industry in America. Many millions of dollars change hands each season. Several thousand persons are given employ- ment. Economic depressions do not materially affect the turn-over, for the people feel that they must have the diversion of watching the con- tests, with . their surprises, their achievements and their disappoint- ments. & Will this season be marked by a surprise? Will the ch:mplonlhipg be won by teams now regarded as un- likely? Or will the champions of last ! THE EVENING STAR, ‘WASHINGTON, D. year repeat their performances? Those questions are in the minds of the several hundred thousand peo- ple who will assemble today to see the contests—eight of them if weather permits. Washington has its hopes, having won three league pennants and one world champlonship. This may be another of those occasions. An Experiment That Failed. In October last Postmaster General James A. Farley announced an experi- ment in postal service for which, as he indicated, he had high hopes. Now he has broadcast an order rescinding the original proclamation on the ground that “the revenue derived from this source is not sufficient to justify its continuance.” The fault in the plan apparently was psycho- logical in character. In theory, possibly, it makes no difference how a business organiza- tion approaches a prospective cus- tomer. Actually, the public is sensi- tive to the amenities of the game. Solicitation of patronage should have a dignity, a certain respectability. And the use of the so-calied “sim- plified address system” authorized by Mr. Farley lacked that quality. Advertisers were invited to send their material, not to any particular person, but merely to “householder” or “resident.” The postman would do the rest, distributing the circulars to | all and sundry along his route. Spon- sors of the idea supposed that the re- cipients would not object, and the Postmaster General was willing to venture a trial. But success was doubtful from the start. The more important advertisers failed to avail themselves of the opportunity; the “little fellows” who did attempt it were not numerous enough. Ordinary people were not conscious of being complimented by the device; discrim- inating people were annoyed. Presumably, the unwritten code of public manners was violated without profit to anybody. A letter, strangely | but very truly, has a curious sanc- tity—if it be a real and not a make- jers and messengers had a status jakin to sacredness, and interfering | | with them in the performance of their | duty was a sacrilege. Later, with the development of the modern postal systems, the elemental principle so anciently established was preserved in laws and regulations intended to guarantee the integrity of every com- munication. Mr. Farley's experiment has failed because it was not in tune with either the tradition or its insti- tutionalized equivalent. There was no | | magic in the postal delivery of an | impersonal circular, and that is the | | basic reason for the abandonment of | the scheme, ——oe—s. Taxpayers the country over are | willing and eager to pay on demand | if they have the means of doing so. Some of the humble citizens experi- ence a difficulty in' budget balancing from which governments themselves are not invariably free. ———e—. ! One of the problems confronting railroad officials and authorities who | tolerate delinquencies is the immense value in human life that might have been saved by the elimination of grade crossings. ———— Some of the profit has already been taken out of war. According to | monetary statistics a dolhr-n-ynr‘ man would receive only a little over fifty cents. ——————. Some of the European budgets are said to be balanced on a kind of Rip Van Winkle system, passing an item now and then with the remark, “We won't count this one.” SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Remembrance Bloom. T brought no blossom for the friend so dear ‘Who bade good-by and journeyed on his way. The blossoms struggle in my garden here And bravely strive to smile from day to day. I did not leave their withering loveli- ness . A token of my grieving, deep and true; I tend them still with memory’s fond caress— I think, dear friend, 'tis as you'd have me do. Motivation. “Do you think you can take the profit motive out of war?” “I'm not sure,” answered Senator Sorghum. “Some people save up with the purpose of financing a fight. What I'd like to do is to take the war mo- tive out of profits.” Jud Tunkins says as & man grows older he learns some things and has to unlearn a lot of others. Hauteur, There was & young King of Siam Who murmured, “I am what I am! Your college degree ‘Will be welcome to me. Shove it under the door, but don't slam.” Mechanistic. “Do you feel the influence of a mechanistic era?” asked the professor. “Yes,” answered Cactus Joe, “al- though the old Guich seems kind o’ rudimentary in not getting past the machine gun.” Theories. Says Einstein, “What I said I knew In some respects has proved untrue”; ‘While other men with greater might Pot. theories prepare to fight. Why not combine to emulate This sage of erudition great, Nor call on people, wrong or right, For a hypothesis to fight. “A lot o' things in dis life,” sald Uncle Eben, “is like de weather. "Tain’ no use tryin’ to explain 'em. Dey Jes' 1.7 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. A great deal has been written about women’s hair, not so much about men’s. . ‘The male headdress is peculiar, as one may see in any office. ‘The big division is between those who like it long and those who prefer 1t short, There is no compromise between these schools of hirsute thought. ‘The man who prefers to resemble a convict on parade has no soft words for him who chooses flowing locks. “You need a haircut,” is his cus- tomary greeting to the man with long Thair, x k% X Cartoonists, however, prefer the lat- ter. Many & prominent man has not re- ceived his share of attention in the Nation's cartoons mainly because he is a devotee of the well-shorn head. His gyrations on the political stage may earn him fame and fortune, but if he lacks good bushy hair he is & handicap to the earnest cartoonist. Give the latter & man with what used to be called a pompadour. He asks nothing more, but will draw pic- tures about the fellow until the ballots come home to roost. * ¥ ¥ % Men being uglier than women, in the generally accepted sense of the word, need the softening effect of hair. A good head of hair not only tones down the apparent size of a Cyrano nose, but gives many a man a definite character he would miss otherwise. 1If it is true of the politician, it is so of the mass. Good hair is universally desired, and at all ages. It becomes the executive and the “hand”; it looks as well on one as on t'other. Perhaps something of the stricture of the short-haired and non-haired fellow upon his friend with bushy hair is due to jealousy. * x ok ¥ Another great natural division is into the slick-er-downs and the let-er- waves. : Men in the first class come to their selection because they imagine they look better that way. As strange as it may seem to them, their friends of the bushy locks, the dry, waving hair, attained their state by exactly the same procedure. Indians used bear’s grease, mod- ern Americans prefer pomades of one sort or another. ‘The shiny head opposes, and eter- nally, the rough headdress. There is no compromise here. Ad- herents of the one school neVer hon- | estly like the selection of their oppo- sites, even if the latter keep their hair well trimmed around ears and neck. X kX % Entire books could be written about man and his barbers. We have room but for a few words. The barber’s pole, striped red and white, signifies blood | and the bandage, calling to mind the | days of old when barbers had a sort of standing as surgeons. In London of the Middle Ages, there were doctors, surgeons, herbalists and barbers. able, and honestly enough, wavy, bushy hair is tidy. y wan it all slicked down, just so, like their own. Thus every man is a mirror, in which he expects to see himself at all times. Often he is disappointed. ‘The bewildering styles of male coif- fure are exceeded only by the astound- l'?:' psychology which accompanies em. Not only is it & safe bet that every man has studied his hair with regard to his face, even though he may seem the most rough-and-ready fellow, but also as a part of his mind. ‘The way he wears his hair seems him, to him, no matter how it may strike others. * K % % In general, this fact seems to be so well known that it almost appears that mankind has paraphrased the old saying to read, “Love me, love my hair.” In other words, My hair is me, and if you don't like it, shut up! ‘There seems to be a fundamental suspicion, one of the other, between the slick-hairs and the dry-hairs, be- tween the close-cropped and the bushy fellows. ‘This 1s best shown in the generally held idea that there is some connec- tion between long hair, in men, and radical ideas. ‘The man with close-cropped, smooth hair, is “safe,” in this popular esti- hair, especially if it is long, may be suspected of being friendly to ideas once termed. “bolshie.” Perhaps there is a germ of truth in this. Mankind's ideas go through strange revolutions. At one time the long hair. In those days the “radi- cals” were the “bullet heads,” the “roundheads.” Then came changes, and with them the idea that the really democratic man must be short haired. From the association of long hair in men with nobility, or intrenched conservatism, the world of men got around to almost the opposite idea, that democratic institutions or stability in another word, meant men with short hair or conservatives. The long-haired fellow became the radical, and has since re- mained, at least in the popular mind. The germ of truth comes in the small way, to wear one’s hafr long in & short-haired mob. Thus he who prefers his hair long and dry, amid | & community of oily, short locks, will in other things, will he not? He, who Today the barber operates only ons dares in small things will be friendly the hair of the scalp or face. He does the former with scissors, the latter with a razor, which he whets admir- ably with free-hand gesture. It is not so generally known that many men dislike going to the bar- ber’s. They may esteem the fellow personally, but there is a strong dis- taste for his ministrations, howeyer to new ideas. He will not be afraid, in other words, of strange ideas, be- will be sure to trust his own ability to determine between good and bad, | to hold on to the old good, to reject the old bad, to try to select the good new, and equally reject the new bad. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Rising curiosity as to whether or not Herbert Hoover intends or desires to be regarded as a candidate for the 1936 Republican presidential nomina- tion reminds Washington politicians of the situation that prevailed early in 1920, when there was first talk of the war-time food administrator's White House availability. At that time the doubt was not so much as to whether Hoover would be a can- didate as it was a question of his politics—whether he belonged on the Republican or the Democratic ticket. It is a matter of history that certain prominent Democrats were seriously considering the Californian as their logical nominee. Plans to this end suddenly blew up when one of his closest friends at a public dinner in New York referred to him in terms that left no doubt of his 100 per cent Republicanism. Thereupon ensued the organized but {ll-starred effort to arouse national interest in a Hoover G. O. P. candidacy. Mr. Hoover’s name, when presented to the Chicago convention in 1920, aroused plenty of. enthusiasm in the galleries, but very little among the delegates, and he re- celved only & handful of votes on the roll calls that finally resulted in the nomination of Warren G. Harding. * ko Secretary Morgenthau's assertion that Government refinancing activi- ties have broken the “financial log jam"” is reflected in the recent recovery in stock and bond prices. Last week the “average” of stocks reached the highest point since February, while bonds attained the loftiest peak since the middle of March.. These develop- ments naturally gratify the admin- istration because they support the New Deal contention that recovery is stead- ily under way. Administrationists, too, see in Wall Street events a refuta- tion of charges by industrial leaders that business and the capital market are lacking in confidence because of uncertainty over Government policies. Again these days the perennial view is uttered that what the country and business mostly need is an early ad- journment of Congress. * k% X Although the State Department feels that a good deal of the tension has gone out of the European situa- tion since the Anglo-French-Italian conference at Stresa and correlated developments, our foreign affairs au- thorities by no means believe that the gunpowder has been extracted from conditions “over there” In Wash- ington's foreign diplomatic quarters many discern a sharp warning to cer- tain powers in Secretary Hull's Pan- American day address. They have particularly in mind his declaration that “current events accentuate the strength of pan-American co-opera=- tion, despite strongly nationalistic tendencies exhibited in other parts of the world.” There was another hint of America’s attitude toward trans- characterized all enlightened nations as enemies of civilization and as world outlaws.” % %% At the recommendation of the De- partment of Agriculture the Senate has just passed a bill providing for collection and publication of statistics | saying of peanuts—raw, shelled, unshelled, crushed, and peanut oil. The lowly peanut is not the t thing that the uninformed imagine. Not long gathering momentum in Congress, a Washington economist declared that despite the clamor that something be done for the white metal and the powerful congressional strength that can always be mobilized on its behalf, silver in fact was less important than peanuts. Even in the boom year of 1929, he pointed out, silver production was worth less than the $52,000,000 peanut crop, the $56,000,000 salmon catch, or even the $38,000,000 grass- seed harvest. xRk x Highway departments of many States for months have had ready for prompt | action plans and definite surveys for | rallroad grade-crossing elimination. In consequence, this portion of Pre: dent Roosevelt's work-relief program may be expected to go forward rapidly. On the basis of a $100,000,000 alloca- tion, New York State would top the list with roundly $7,000,000, followed by Pennsylvania with $6,000,000, Texas with $5,600,000, Illinois with $5,260,000, Ohio with $4,280,000, and other States running between $1,000,- 000 and $3,000,000, or less. If more than $100,000,000 is finally earmarked for grade-crossing removal, propor- tionately more would be spent in each State than the figures just mentioned. The District of Columbia brings up the rear of proposed appropriations with $201,000. Hawaii is allotted $237,000. * kX Members of Congress are asked to do nearly everything under the sun for constituents. A Representative from South Dakota recently told a House colleague that he'd just received & consignment of cast-off gold teeth and flllings from one of the folks back home, with a request to offer it to the Treasury and remit him the pro- ceeds. The constituent said his den- tist estimated that the lot weighed about an ounce, so if he could realize the prevailing price of about $35 an ounce, he'd be entirely satisfied. * X x ¥ A certain eminent New Dealer who is a member of the cabinet appears to succumb now and then to the common human failing of inability to remem- ber names. Not long ago, so the story goes, Secretary —— had occasion to introduce to a delegation of callers the chief of one of his important depart- mental divisions. But the identity of his subordinate escaped him. There was a moment of red-faced embar- rassment until a secretarial aide saved the situation. * ok x x Even if the Townsend old-age pen- sion plan gets nowhere at this session, members of Congress expect to be in contact with it for some time to come. Many believe it will rise up to plague them in the 1936 congressional cam- paign. Dr. Townsend claims to have 30,000,000 supporters. The number may be exaggerated, but the deluge of letters and petitions which have drenched Capitol Hill indicates that the Townsendites at least constitute & sufficiently formidable phalanx of voters to compel politicians’ respect. Particularly in the West there are Representatives and Senators who think their attitude on the Townsend plan might conceivably decide their political fate next year. (Copyright, 1935.) —~—— New Version. From the Winston-Salem (N. C.) Journal. Some one suggests that the old : “A child should be 'seen, not heard,” has been revised for the bene- it of motorists. It now is: “A child should be seen, not hurt.” A mation, whereas the man with bushy | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1935. Recreational Facilities And Delinquent Youths ‘To the Editor of The Star: Authoritative reports secured by the National Recreation Association indi- cate a reduction in crime and de- linquency - over a period of time | Washington wherever supervised recreation has been instituted. The district attor- ney of Philadelphia, Charles Edwin Fox, studied a district for five years before and a like period after the establishments of playgrounds. He says, “I discovered the remarkable fact that in five years of playground recreation, the neighborhood shows 8 50 per cent decrease in juvenile delinquency, as compared with pre- vious years. “Louis Brownlow, former District Commissioner, when city manager of Knoxville, Tenn.,, claimed that ju- venile delinquency decreased 50 per cent after establishment of play- grounds there. “In 1930, in Washington, D. C., the total cost of crime was $4,485,000 or $9.21 per capita. If the play- grounds, etc., have held down de- linquency by a bare 8 per cent, it has more than paid for its total cost in reduced taxpayer's cost of crime.” ‘Washington is becoming health and recreation conscious as never before. A new health officer with broad vision, the labor pains of the birth of a co- ordinated recreation system, and the beginnings of a progressive and mod- ern physical education program in our schools evince the thought that we are becoming greatly concerned with human values of a new order. Some of our schools are frightful commentaries upon the situation that a lack of planning has allowed here in Washington. What sort of citizens for the future can be expected from schools that have no sign of play area, no showers, no gymnasiums? How unfair are the advantages that accrue to the boys and girls educated at Roosevelt and McKinley when com- pared with the esthetic and recrea- tional lack of opportunity for so many other students. Cardozo High School, the old Business High School, is a tremendous responsibility on the; health and safety conscience of the District. Terrell and Shaw Junior High Schools are almost equally bar- ren of play facilities. A planning economy that considers | the Dionne quintuplets been settled? ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN. Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. What salary is received by the chaplains of the House of Represent- atives and Senate?—M. R. W. A. They are paid $1,000 a year each for their services. Q. When was the first general Eu- ropean depression?—F. W. F. A. The first universal European depression is associated ' with the spread of Christianity, the absorption of lands by the monasteries, the blighting effect of the crusades, the black plague and the complicated combination of events which brought the Dark Ages. which began about 500 A. D. Q. Why do some silver certificates say “there has been deposited in the Treasury of the United States one sil- ver dollar,” while others say “there is on deposit,” etc.?—H. N. R. A. Before the new legal tender act of 1933 there actually had been de- posited ohe standard silver dollar for each $1 silver certificate issued. Since | the act there is on deposit not nec- | essarily one coined silver dollar but | equivalent value in either silver coin or silver bullion. Q. Why are there statues of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine? Are they regarded as saints?>—E. J. T. | A. The figures of histarical char- | acters, such as Washington and Abra- “ ham Lincoln, are introduced as fea- tures of the decoration of the cathe- | dral because they have played a great part in the history of this country. It is not the purpose of the archi- tect to suggest that they represent saints. Q. What part of the population of | the Virgin Islands is Negro?—C. T. | A. Nearly 95 per cent of the popu- | lation is wholly or partly Negro. Q. Has the guardiarship case of | change in the water, say two or three times a week. The plant will put forth roots in the water and stem and leaves above, but will probably mnot grow to any greater height than 2 feet, and will stop growing when all of the food stored in the seed is ex- hausted. Q. How much has world trade de- clined since 1929?—E. T. A. Calculated on a gold par basis the trade of the world at the end of 1534 according to the League of Nations was only 338 per cent of what it had been in 1929. The greatest decline came prior to 1934. In 1934 the rate of decline had slowed up so ;:t the year showed only 3.9 per cent Q. What is the value of the first prize awarded at the exhibtions of Cortemporary American Oil Paint- ings at the Corcoran Gallery?—S8. K. A. Two thousand dollars. Q. What is the fastest 100-yard dash that has been run?—Ww. C. A. In Riverside, Calif., during 1934 Frank Wycoff, who holds the official world record for the 100-yard dash from a standing start in 9.4 seconds, ran 100 yards in 8.7 seconds from a flying start. This appears to be the fastest 100 yards ever run. How- ever, it is not officially recorded by the A. A. U, Q. What is meant by a “better ‘ole”?—L. T. A. Any situation which is preferablc to the one occupied is a better ‘ole ‘The phrase came into use during the World War and is remembered for the incident used by Capt. Bairnsfather in which a soldier taking cover in a shell-hole objects to leaving it untii a better ’ole is provided. Q. What is the origin of the word boondoggle?—H. P. A. The word was coined by Eagle Scout Robert H. Link of Rochester, N. Y, to describe a gadget worn by the Boy Scouts. Boondoggles are made of plaited leather and worn by Scouts as uniform ornaments or L P.S. |as neckerchief slides. The term is “big men” of every community wore | A. By action of the Ontario Legis- lature the quintuplets have been fmlde the wards of King George un- | | til they become 18 years old. The | Ontario minister of public welfare piness now and for the future, we | will have charge of their immediate | have the greatest opportunity to pro- | supervision and their father and Dr. vide for our citizens if we use work- | Allan Dafoe will be co-guardians. taxes and property would find that hospitalization and crime costs far exceed over a space of years the cost | of recreational space, facilities and | supervision. In terms of human hap- now being used for “useful gadgets” made in connection with work relief. Q. How did the game of craps get its name?—N. A. A. The game was introduced in this country under its European name of hazard. The Frenchman who brought it to New Orleans was often plain fact that it takes nerve, in a | | be just the man to have daring ideas | pools, playgrounds and some parks. E. B. HENDERSON., Falls Church, Va. ———— Pedestrians Do Not Always Get the Breaks | To the Editor of The Star: | As a daily walker to business, permit | | me to state that the pedestrian does not always get his breaks, often not even his rights. He cannot cross some of the city streets with perfect safety even though zealously obeying the| | called “Crapaud,” a nickname applied to the French. The game was known as Crapaud's game, then Crap's game relief projects in largest measure to | e Q. At least as a literary man, can build recreation centers, swimmin . Dryden be said to have been depended upon in the matter of loyalty>—G. M A. A commentator thus answers the question: Dryden was so incon- | stant that he wrote funeral lamen- | tations on the death of Oliver Crom- well and hymns of joy in the resto- | ration of King Charles. Q. How long does it take to build a battleship?—R. L. F. A. Approximately three years is re- quired in the building of a modern battleship. Q. How is an avocado seed made and finally Craps Q. What are the duties of the Secret Service of the Treasury?—J. M. A. The Secret Service division of the Department of the Treasury is charged with the protection of the President of the United States, his family and the President-elect; with the suppression of counterfeiting; with the investigation of violations of the farm loan act, the war finance corpo- ration act, section 704 of the World War adjusted compensation act, and cause if he trusts himself in regard | and red light signals. The |to grow into a house plant?>—M. G. really safest time to cross some of the | A. An avocado seed may be placed streets seems to be during the lull just | in water (not soil) and grown as a before the red light changes to green. house plant. The method which has By that time the rush has gone and been found satisfactory is essentially to s0 personal a thing as his hair, he | ago, when the silver agitation Was | no right or left hand turners have At Scott Circle the safety, of those ! who would continue on Sixteenth | street is menaced by the motorists | who, with perfect right, turn off the circle into either of the intersecting avenues. At Thirteenth street and Massachu- setts avenue the green-light safety element is greatly minimized by the‘ automobiles which turn from Mas- | sachusetts avenue into Thirteenth or} vice versa. Of course, turns have to! be made and pedestrians must cross on the green light, as we all know, | but for the subject of consideration I | have more than once been fully three- | fourths across Thirteenth street when |a south bound auto would come, | rapidly down Thirteenth, turn left on | Massachusetts avenue in front of me, a hazardous turn, giving me no op- portunity to cross the remaining one- fourth of the crossing. Of course, the question is a large one, and like all large ones presents | many angles for solution. This lettar is not to blame any one, but only to say that the pedestrian, even when conscientiously obeying the signals, has his problems, and at times can- not help crossing on the red; ca not, in fact, cross on the green. True, | when our numbers are great enough | to give us safety, such as on Satur- day afternoons, we rebel, for we are only human and we remember the selfish motorists who have blocked our | right to cross, leaving us stranded in the middle of a dangerous street. We remember the pell mell rushes of motorists with their sudden stops within an inch of us, who shock us almost as badly as they would hurt us were we hit. We also remember the kindly consideration of & motorist who motions for us to go forward and that consideration begets considera- tion. RILLIS K. SKILES. Rockville Disaster Must Not Have Been in Vain To the Editor of The Star: _ Tucked away in the public reso- lutions No. 11, Seventy-fourth Con- gress, approved April 8, 1935, under (a) as one of the eight specific pur- poses for which funds for relief pur- | poses are appropriated, is an item yeading “highways, roads, streets and grade eliminations, $800,000,000.” | If, out of that vast sum, but 14 dangerous grade crossing are elimi- nated—and there ought to be more— the 14 young people who died in Rock- ville so tragically recently will not have died in vain. ‘This accident, occurring at the very doar of the National Capital, has emphasized as nothing else could the necessity for the removal of menaces to life and limb ever lurking at grade crossings where motor cars and fast railroad trains compete in occupying the same space at the same time. I suggest that the grade crossing at. Rockville, Md., when it is constructed, have a memorial tablet incorporated in its construction, giving the date of the accident, name and age, with the address of each victim, and an inscrip- tion thereon: “They died at this crossing that others might live.” E. A. HICKMAN. Baltimore, Md. | A Hint to Huey. From the Southern Lumberman. If Huey Long gets away with his “Every Man a King” idea, he ought to go a step further and make every base ball club a pennant winner. —— eme—— Worried. Prom the New Haven Journal-Courler. Code Needed for Pluvius. From the Philadelphis Inquirer. Now that the A. A. A. has decided to permit an increase in wheat plant- ing it will have to be careful how it allots the rainfall. » as follows: The seed of the avocado is placed in the top of a jar filled with water, so that half of it is immersed and half out of the water. Any small article such as a hairpin is satisfactory | to hold it in the top of the jar. The seed is left in the water and the plant requires no care except & fairly regular | the act of December 11, 1826, relating to the counterfeiting of Government transportation requests: and with such other matters relating to the Treasury Department as are directed by the Secretary of the Treasury, Q. How long has the Statue of Liberty stood in New York Harbor?— P.T. A. It was unveiled on October 28, 1886. Its fiftieth anniversary will be widely celebrated in 1936. Youth and Charm of Eden Strikes Popular Imagination American editorial discussion of Great Britain's “exploratory” missions | to Moscow, Warsaw, Berlin and Paris | gives much attention to Anthony Eden, | {he Eden-Litvinoft —conversations | the British statesman whose youth good start. Now, it is up to us to and charm and to popular interest in his remarkable rise to top rank on the [ diplomatic stage. | “Capt. Anthony Eden has had per- haps the most brilliant career of any | young Englishman since the days ot‘ the younger Pitt,” says the Cincinnati | Times-Star. “His career is, in fact, a | composite picture of the best in back- ground, training and experience that conservative England can produce.” To the Chicago Journal of Commerce | he is a “new, bright light in interna- | tional diplomacy,” while the Provi dence Journal! describes him as envoy. Capt. Anthony Eden, and For- eign Commissar Litvinoff at Moscow, that distinguished Russian newspaper man, Karl Radek, said: ‘Hitler gave a bring them to a good finish.' In a breath Mr. Radek expounds the idea that Europe has been driven by Ger- man truculence into a position where it becomes necessary for the powers to get together to settle the differences that stand between them and lasting peace. Things move quickly. A few months ago, Mr. Radek could not have visualized a British conservative visiting Moscow, or Joseph Stalin drinking a toast to King George. Yet these things have happened.” It is noteworthy to the Alliance (Ohio) Review, also, that “in this first visit of a British cabinet officer who waits for us, and we all know | negotiator of both force and charm.” | to Russia since the establishment of | This paper continues: “He is only 37 | the Soviet government there appeared years of age but he has demonstrated | t5 be an approach to a new cordiality his possession of real diplomatic | of understanding.” ability.” “France and Italy, and now Great “Possessing the high sense of public | Britain, have come together with Rus- duty which is inculcated from early sig not because they love Communism, youth in men of his caste, he is far | byt because all of these four nations | above most of them in intellect,” | have a common interest in preserving writes the New York Herald Tribune | peace,” points out the Oklahoma News of Capt. Eden. “Despite his back-|The San Jose (Calif.) Mercury Herald ground or perhaps because of it he is | finds it worthy of note that Mr. Eden a man of simple tastes and manners, | announced upon reaching Moscow that of open speech and genuine friendli- | British policy “ ‘is based on the League ness. Those who know him say he 15 | of Nations, the essence of which is more at home in diplomacy than ml\mlverumy"' This paper says politics. Except for his war career, | further: “This means it is the in- which was unusually brilliant—he be- | came a brigade major before he was 21 years old—he has had little contact with the general public. His strength les in his winning personality, his | frankness and his courage. Today he | is far more than a mere agent—he is | a power. If his party retains a fair share of power he is sure to be one of those ‘to be watched.’ Already it is whispered that he will some day be Prime Minister. Certainly he is now in a position to command increasing power as he continues his youthful career.” “The British people are looking with amazement, and with no attempt to conceal admiration of this man of 37 who seems to be going places among | diplomats,” declares the Alfon (Tll) Evening Telegram, and the Lowell (Mass.) Courier-Citizen speaks of him as “a very practical diplomat, accus- tomed to think far ahead, after the traditional fashion of the British for- | eign office.” | 1g"¢.7lpc. Eden is young enough to know that England wants no war,” asserts the Holyoke (Mass.) Daily Transcript. “He must work toward that end. With his youth and his ability he holds today an immense responsibility. Not England only, but all the world sits in at the great game | in diplomacy now being played in Europe, with Capt. Eden as the darl- ing of those who hope. If he can cre- flexible purpose of the British govern- ment to formulate a peace program that will be founded on League prin- ciples, to be worked out through the framework of the League. It is a complete departure from the old bal- ance of power system of alliances.” —_— . Genius Would Develop Under True Democracy To the Editor of The Star. An editorial headed “Mass Gains™ appeared in The Star for March 26. This editorial has & very peculiar in- terpretation of democracy and social- ism. As I understand these terms, noth- ing in either of these two systems could act as a deterrent to the devel- cpment of genius or any other proper individual achievement. True democ- racy would indeed be a real hindrance to one kind of individual freedom— freedom to exploit natural resources, both human and otherwise, for per- sonal gain. On the other hand, many persons now held in industrial slavery of the most discouraging kind would, under true democracy, have oppor- tunity to develop whatever latent sparks of genius they might possess. PAUL RUSSELL. —— e ate & present peace, one day he will take his place with the prime min- {A Rhyme at Twilight isters of England.” “The joint communique, issued by 88 Germany.” ‘The Rochester Times-Union has & pinion. It states: “Comment- he conference of the British By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton His Hour Four people awaited his coming At the end of his busy day: His wife with a militant project, His brother with life at bay, His friend in need of good counsel, His mother to talk with her son, God made the dusk for solitude— He drove off for an hour, alone.