Evening Star Newspaper, June 24, 1935, Page 8

THE -EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 1935. " A-8 : : THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY .....c..ce00uees . June 24, 1935 THEODORE W. NOYES..........Editor e da skl P The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Basiness Ofice: 11th 8t. and Pennsylvania Ave, ofies York Offce; 110 Kast A0 Bt BurGpeat Ofice: 14 Hevent St London. Engiand Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edition. The Evenins Star 3 o ing_and Sunday ~Star ays) 4 tar 45c per month 60¢ per month Lys) Sunday Star. . Night Final Edition. ht Pinal and Sunday Star....70c per month ar Sl 55¢ per month Collection made at the end of each month. Qrders may be sent by mail o telephone Na- tional 5000. ily and Sunday..l yr. $10.00; 1 mo. 85c on - 1 yr "$6.00: 1 mo.. BOc ily 3 Bunday only $4.00; 1 mo.. 4v¢ All Other Stat Dally and Sunday.l yr. Pay oniy......1 7T junday only and Canada. $12.00; 1 mo., $1.00 $8.000 1 mo.. ~ b $5.00; 1 mo. 50¢ Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. Al rights of publication of special dispatches erein are also reserved. -— = ¢“Share-the-Burden.” Senator William E. Borah has invented a new phrase for increased taxation— “Share-the-burden.” Sharing a burden has a less pleasing sound than a pro- posal to “share the wealth.” Millions may hail with joy a proposal to share the wealth. Why not? But “burden” has a different sound. The burden which Mr. Borah proposes shall be shared is the burden of government and its cost. The sooner the people begin to share that burden heavily, the sooner the Government may return to economy in expenditure. The pinch, it appears, is soon to begin. The idea of the share-the-burden and share-the-wealth advocates at present is to get all they can out of the rich. And after they have denuded the rich the next on the list will be those who by labor and frugality have only modest means of livelihood just around the corner. No one would suggest, certainly no one seeking political prefer- ment, that the farmer and the laborer should “share the burden.” If they are to share anything they are to share the wealth. But the burden will be shared, of course, by the farmer and the laborer. It is inevitable that they should share it, one way or another, through con- tracted markets and lack of employ- ment. The present effort to make it appear that the burden will fall only upon the rich is merely camouflage, al- though the rich may be “soaked,” and soaked hard. The administration has gone on the theory that it is possible for the country to spend itself out of debt. When the people really begin paying the great burden of debt that the administration has rolled up they will not only share the burden, but they will place the blame where it belongs. Not so long ago Mr. Borah charged that millions upon millions of dollars were being wasted by the administra- tion. Those millions of waste are part of the burden that must now be shared if Mr. Borah is correct in his charge. The present administration will go down in history as the greatest spender of all time. With considerable adroit- ness, it is now proposed to make the collection of taxes popular with the great mass of the people—since these taxes are not to fall directly upon the great mass—but are to continue to be poured out in all kinds of relief. The time is coming when the Government must take money in greater quantities from the people to make these expenditures. It was inevitable that it could not con-. tinue borrowing huge sums of money without making some preparation for repayment. The alternative is to con- tinue borrowing on the part of the Gov- ernment, with repudiation of the debts as the final resort. Not a pleasant idea. It remains to be seen whether the New Dealers can make the people like taxation. It has had an easy time pleas- ing them Wwith expenditures of money. ‘That has been a share-the-wealth move. Mr. Borah's share-the-burden idea is somewhat grimmer, An evident effort on the part of kid- napers to organize on business lines would render them subject to taxation if their books could be properly inspected. The crime wave has mingled the ridiculous with the gruesome. In order to hear both sides of a socio- logical discussion, & man might have to attend two colleges. A Judicial Blunder.. ‘The “Lindbergh law,” enacted by Con- gress after the kidnaping of the child of America’s famous aviator, was de- signed to provide an adequate penalty for such crimes. For the taking of a person for ransom the offender might be imprisoned for any term from one day to life, if the hostage was returned or recovered unHarmed. If the hostage should die or be injured the kidnaper should also die. These penalties applied to all participants in the kidnaping. In the disposal of the kidnapers of the Weyerhaeuser boy the Federal court at Tacoma has acted in a strange man- ner. There was no doubt whatever of the guilt of Waley. He had confessed. There were no extenuating circum- stances. Yet the court sentenced him to forty-five years in prison, which means that he will be eligible for parole in fifteen years. He already has a record of parole violation, a record, indeed, that in itself would warrant the imposition of the maximum penalty in this case. Furthermore, Waley’s wife, who was a party to the kidnaping and who has con- fessed her participation, was not allowed to plead guilty, a most unusual pro- cedure, the court evidently being dis- posed toward clemency in her case on the ground of a presumption of ignor- ance on her part of the nature of the enterprise in wh!ch'\flu was engaged with her husband, a presumption nega- tived by her confession and by the known circumstances. Thus in the first important case that has arisen since the enactment of the Lindbergh law an inadequate penalty is pronounced, which is far from the purpose for which that law was written. There is, unfortunaiely, no way to correct this® judicial errcr—for it is indeed an error and a grave one. But it may be hoped that the public reaction to this sentence will be such as to insure against further blunders of mistaken clemency in the treatment of those who are guilty of this abominable crime. ——————————— German-Japanese Entente. Nazi diplomacy, fresh from its tri- umph in securing British assent to re- creation of German sea power, is now turning its gaze eastward. Many indi- cations at present manifesting them- selves in Berlin show how the wind is blowing. With Soviet Russia as an aver- sion which they share in common, the Germans and the Japanese are consid- ering various ways and means for com- bating bolshevism. In Germany’s case the Communist neighbor is feared mostly from the standpoint of possible infiltra- tion of the Soviet idea in the Nazi realm, with consequent political menace to Hitlerism. Japan envisions the Soviet mainly as a traditional military and territorial threat to Nippon's supremacy in Manchuria and North China. No actual negotiations for a German- Japanese understanding appear as yet. to be in progress, but the Nazis are revealing lively interest in such & de- velopment. The Japanese Ambassador to Germany is touring the Reich and being elaborately feted. There are inci- dental speeches betokening the mutual interest of the two countries in many fields. 'The Hitlerized press is giving the Ambassador's expedition great prominence. Soon a party of seventy Japanese officers will arrive to inspect the Reich’s military institutions. There has long been a professional affinity be- tween the army leaders of Germany and Japan. The latter's land defense estab- lishment of pre-war days was modeled on the Teutonic pattern and to a con- siderable extent was created under Ger- man tutelage. The Nazis are paying Japan the signal compliment of point- ing to Nippon as an example of how religion and sentiment blend in exem- plary fashion. Ardent Hitlerites openly acclaim the Japanese principle of iden- tifying the Emperor with divinity and advocate its application to Germany. Underlying Germany’s eagerness for an entente with Japan is the paramount desire to rivet Russia’s attention on her Far Eastern problems. Japan, on her part, welcomes the idea of a Russia re- quired to be on guard against a powerful neighbor in Europe. A close German- Japanese understanding would permit Berlin to view with relative equanimity the new Franco-Russian alliance for mutual assistance. On the face of things, it looks like the Nazis’ answer to the “ring of steel” which Paris and | Moscow seek to draw around the Reich. The entire arrangement suggests so many natural advantages for both the Berlin and Tokio governments that its consummation must be viewed as some- thing more than a possibility. Their joint antipathy to the League of Nations, which both have bolted, is yet another tie designed to draw the Germans and the Japanese closer together. A new balance of power comprehend- ing both Europe and Asia is plainly in the making. e —— It is Senator Borah's opinion that a big idea like wealth distribution ought to be tested out without delay. It is cool and pleasant in his State, but a Summer vacation means nothing to the Senator from Idaho. e —————————— Wagnerian opera should be more vig- orously revived. Salutation in song of the Teutonic myths would at least vary a choral monotony permitting nothing but Heil Hitler. Senate as Sole Judge. West Virginia now has two Senators. Since January 3 it has waited for its junior Senator to attain thirty years, the minimum specified in the Consti- tution for such service. On Friday Sen- ator Rush D. Holt was declared entitled to take his seat in that body. The vote stood 62 to 17. There had been no question whatever about his election. The issue hinged around one thing, the vacancy which developed on January 3, since Mr. Holt was not then qualified under the Constitution. His supporters in the Senate argued that he did not have to present himself at the opening of the session; that he did not actually become a Senator until he had pre- sented himself and taken the oath of office. It was in vain that Senators argued that a vacancy had occurred because Holt was not eligible at the beginning of the term for which he was elected. The people of West Virginia, it was replied by Holt supporters, knew that Holt was not thirty years old when they voted for him, and apparently had been con- tent to wait until he reached the con- stitutional age, and to be represented in the Senate by only one Senator, although entitled to two at all times, In this vote the Senate reversed a precedent of many years’ standing, the case of Gen. Shields, elected a Senator from Illinois in the days of Webster and Douglas. Gen. Shields lacked by seven months the nine years of Ameri- ican citizenship required in the Consti- tution for senatorial service when he presented himself. The Senate declared his seat vacant and his election void because he had not been qualified for service at the beginning of the term of office for which he had been elected. themselves to be sworn in for months after the Senate had met in session, waiting for one reason or another until it was convenient to do so. Never- theless, it is quite clear that for all practical purposes the lack of qualifica- tion on the part of Holt up to June 19 had created & vacancy. His supporters admitted that had he offered himself to take the oath priur to that date the Scnate would have rejected him. Had an emergency arisen in which the State of West Virginia was vitally interested, it would have been denied its full suffrage in the Senate. The precedent established in the Holt case may never rise to plague the Senate in the future, simply because such & chain of circumstances may not again occur. However, if the reasoning ad- vanced and the action taken Friday are held good in the future, there is always the possibility of a serious situ- ation. With an overwhelming adminis- tration majority in the Senate, the seat- ing of one more Democratic Senator seems immaterial. Had the Senate been evenly divided, the effect of the vote seating Holt might have been far differ- ent. With the Senate the sole judge, it can, of course, reverse itself again, if necessary. “Must” or “If”? “Must legislation” is a term of recent New Deal coinage, The meaning, of course, is obvious. There is nothing equivocal about the imperative “Must.” But while its application to legislation, separating the important from the not so important, is new, its progenitor, the “Must” in newspaper offices—designat- ing a story that under no condition can be left out—is of respectable age and can certainly claim title to being one of the most universally used and understood terms in the newspaper business. Its antonym is “If”—which means the story may be used “if” there is room or “if” it suits the make-up editor’s fancy. While “Must” in newspaper offices means exactly what it says, there are degrees of must. There is the legend of a South Carolina paper which uses two “Musts”—one’ that stands alone, simple and unadorned, and another which is accompanied by the symbols DIM, which, literally translated, means “Damned Imperative Must.” And there are times when editors, for want of & better method of emphasis, simply write “MUST—MUST—MUST,” accompanied by a series of initials designating the persons whose displeasure at the failure to print the story would by no means be trivial. Having adopted the journalese “Must” as a starter, the President may also find it convenient to designate degrees of “Must.” One question manifestly troubling the leaders in Congress now, for instance, is whether the “Share the Wealth” tax program should be desig- nated “Must,” “MUST—MUST—MUST” or “DIM MUST.” In view of the activity of women in politics, some of the seminaries should supplement schools of acting and jour- nalism with practical courses in stump speaking. Precocity is so much in evidence that it may become proper to shift the bed- time stories to one or two a.m. and have them delivered with music from night clubs. Mr. Holt has made his maiden speech by radio and is no doubt expecting Con- gress to come back gracefully with a chorus, “Tell me, pretty maiden, are there any more at home like you?” 1If business men are compelled to work and worry much harder, it may seem proper to provide a reduction of time limit to provide premature old-age pen- sions at forty-five or fifty. —_—— e -Shooting Stars BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. As Riches Ebb. A wave upon the Summer shore, Where girls wore scarce a stitch, Was murmuring gleefully, “Once more I'm going to soak the rich!™ The landlord wrote his prices out With many an upward hitch And said, “Here’s where, beyond a doubt, I'm going to soak the rich.” The breakers sigh, “With taxes high And brokers going broke, We greatly fear that By and by ‘We'll have no rich to soak!” Political Motion. “We must go either backward or for- ward,” said the positive person. “Not necessarily,” said Senator Sor- ghum. “We can sidestep.” Jud Tunkins says a lobbyist who used to hand you a big black cigar now ex- pects to get by with a smile and & cigar- ette. Economic Economics. “A penny earned,” Ben Franklin sald, “Is one that we can save.” A penny does not lose its head, Our country we will save, and so ‘We'll save our pennies first. Delegated Cares. “How do you run your business?” “T don’t run it,” answered Mr. Dustin Stax. “I go fishing and let the lawyers and bookkeepers fight it out among Applause it meant to meet. Though brevity, it has been shown, May be the soul of wit, The letter “I” when used alone ‘Will never make a hif. “As far as I can remember,” said Uncle Eben, “de most dat I has been hearin’ is hl.r’d-lll:k stories an’ fairy “; 4 THE POLITICAL MILL By G. Gould Lincoln. Making a virtue of necessity, the Pres- ident has brought forwara increased taxes in a guise which seeks to make taxation a popular issue. His Demo- cratic supporters in Congress have con- vinced themselves that the President’s “share-the-wealth” tax program will go well with the great mass of the voters. Progressive Republicans in Congress are delighted with the proposal. Not un- naturally the Democratic high command figures that if it can hold the Democrats and continue to stand ace high with the Progressive Republicans of the West— and the East—it can win the next elec- tion hands down. Senator Borah of Idaho, Progressive Republican, while coming to the aid of the President and demanding prompt enactment of the tax plan, sounds & somewhat sour note. In the opinion of the Idaho Senator the plan of taxation in reality is a ‘“share-th®-burden” of government plan. And so it is. But sharing & burden is not so popular as sharing wealth. . x ok x Having gone ahead with a big spend- ing program, with money going out to millions of men and women, on the farm and in the citles, and having won the election of 1934 on its spending record, the Roosevelt administration is propos- ing to go into the campaign of 1936 with a companion issue. It is proposing that the spending program shall continue and at the same time that the payment for the spending program shall come out of the pockets of the few. How is the tax program now pro- posed going to effect business, which is expected by the President to take up the slack of unemployment? Since the final rates of taxation have not yet been fixed by the administration—or by Congress at the behest of the administration—it is too early to answer that question. If, however, the added taxes are a check to business, with less employment of labor, less markets for the farmer, the newest issue may not be sa good after all. * % k k ‘There is always the chance that the taxes may not be so very heavy after all. Indeed, Huey Long, the originator of the share-the-wealth slogan, insists that he has no faith in the willingness of the President to go through with heavy taxes, taxes so heavy that it will be possible to break down and redistribute wealth. Well, for the sake of business, it may be just as well to get these taxes on the statute books without delay so that it may know what to expect. Since this administration has been in power business has known not what to expect. ok John Hamilton, Republican national committeeman for Kansas and assistant chairman of the National Committee, addressing the young Republican clubs of New York State, meeting at Alex- andria Bay on Saturday, said flatly that the funds which Congress handed over to the President for work relief and relief are being used for political pur- poses and to speed a Democratic victory at the polls next year. Mr. Hamilton was the permanent chairman of the recent Midwest “grass roots” conference in Springfleld, Ill. He made specific charges that the money is being turned over to political machine leaders in va- rious States. He also made the point that the administration is keeping the spending of the money directly in its own hands—rather than to permit the Governors of the States to direct it. In other words, the Roosevelt administra- tion is to get the credit and not the State administrations, for the money that is expended for relief. ek One of the instances of turning the relief program over to machine politi- cians mentioned by Mr. Hamilton hap- pens to be in Missouri, right next to Hamilton’s own home State. Hamilton mentioned Matt Murray as having been selected for the job there. He de- scribed Murray as “the first lieutenant and chief adjutant of Boss Pendergast, who runs a Democratic organization in Kansas City that bows to none other in the country when it comes to effi- ciency in obtaining a fair share of the vote for Democratic candidates, both national and local” He continued: “I have no doubt that this same effi- ciency will be applied to the use of the public money to be turned over to Matt Murray. In fact, it was done in the last campaign, for the Democratic organiza- tlon in that State used a printed slip among relief workers that contained the following questions: “Name? “Party affiliation? , “How will you vote this year? “Are you on relief work? “Do you want the work to continue? “Are you for the New Deal? “How many voters in your family? “Do you want a chr to call for you? “I presume that inasmuch as relief funds have been kept out of politics, we should assume that these questions we'e asked and the information com- piled for the purpose of an efficlent administration of the money being distributed.” * * k¥ The death of Dr. Edward B. Clements, Republican national committeeman for Missouri, last week takes a veteran and tried councillor from the G. O. P. na- tional organization. He was killed in an automobile accident near Monroe City, Chairman Henry P. Fletcher of has declared The Republican State Committee will, under the rules of the Republican party, elect a successor to Dr. Clements to tures at Berkley, where the University of California is located. Nor, it is re- ported, is the Senator to return to Wash- ington. He is other places on degree to any one who, after a period of years away from this form of litera- ture, quietly returns to it. The short story, above all, is the medium of youth’s expression of itself. Like the popular song, in the main it rings thousands of changes on an eternal and endless song. Its heart beat is that of life, and death is only acci- dental, not crushing. ‘What will interest the reader who re- turns to the short forms, after years of other sort of reading, will be the in- finite variety of plot. It is amazing how many changes can be wrought on themes as old as the hills. Mostly such stories are a combination of talk and action, with the former pre- dominating. Never will you hear such talk as in a short story of the typical sort, * ok ok % What is it that distinguishes this conversation? 1t 1s that every participant is so neat, 80 paf, as we say, in replying to every other speaker. This, of course, is exactly what all persons long to be able to do, but very few manage to accomplish—outside of popular ghort stories. Who i8 there who has not lamented his own inability to make the right retort at just the right moment? Yet each and every character in our short stories, wherever you find ’em, or whoever writes ’em, knows just what to say to make the most felicitous answer to_everybody. Not once, mind you, but every time, and apparently without hesitation. It is an amusing and edifying diver- sion, now and then, while reading one of these stories, to attempt to figure out what one would say, at the given moment, if one were in the character’s shoes. Mostly the result is good human na- ture, but far from “snappy.” In fact, some of our best short stories would die in their tracks if the char- acters therein had the same reactions as the readers thereof. * X x % This is merely to say, of course, that life and short stories are not exactly the same, We all want fiction characters who possess the ability to do and say what we cannot do and say. The vicarious experience of the short story, as the world now knows it, and has known it for about half a century, a little more or less, necessarily must be different to be successful at all. Even when it takes perfectly ordinary people, in everyday settings, the short story demands something added. O. Henry and his imitators got it, in part, by the unexpected ending, or “twist.” Many stories of today rely entirely on the smart reply, smartly made. What witty fellows, what intelligent girls, are pictured for readers! Each person says just what ought to be said, what every one, more or less, would like to say, in similar situations. Only in real life, sometimes it is hours afterward, do we think of the bright reply we might have made. & oK% The limitations of mankind suxht not to depress. Many persons, however, permit the realization of failures and shortcomings to sour their personal lives. Probably some such cause as this is at the bottom of some, at least, of the many cases of churlish nature one meets in a week’s time. ‘There is no necessity for any one per- mitting failures, shortcomings, lacks, in« feriorities, to spoil lives. Ruination, perhaps, is not as bad as spoliation. For every one who ruins his life there are thousands who spoil theirs by permitting quite evident lacks to get them down. People make the best of physical lacks, surely there is more need to be cheerful over limitations of other types. If one cannot exactly rejoice, at least one can, by a little effort, argue the self into & calm acceptance of in- feriorfties. One of the big handicaps to overcome is the incessant reminder by others of one’s personal failings. Feel sure that there are scores of thoughtless and careless persons who not only will not hesitate a second to call your attention to failures, of all types, but also seem to go out of their way to do it. ‘Why they do this is another question. The fact they do it is apparent to all. ‘The admonition to keep a stiff upper lip is largely due to these people, who insist on pleasantly calling your attention to your worst features when, by refraining from such tactics, they might add a great deal to the pleasure of life by no more exertion than saying nothing at all, * * ¥ ¥ Short stories will display to the candid reader many failings of his own, in that he by no means could take part in one, as a character, unless he became infi- nitely witty and quick on the trigger in a conversational way, in addition to possessing other desirable characteristics, If most of us, by some queer magic, were suddenly injected into the course of an average short story, such as one may read in any magazine any day, surely we would knock the plot higher than the proverbial kite. When the lovely heroine looked up into our eyes, we would think of nothing at all to say, except maybe wasn't the moon lovely, or the mosquitoes bad tonight? When the villain said a few insulting things, we no doubt would stammer and blush before we socked him in the jaw, as we hope we would, but nobody could be sure, least of all ourselves, because we would not act exactly after the best short story manner; of that we are sure. _ Most of us would have to remold our lives to get a place in a story. A berth in a novel might be easy enough, because, in the main, characters in the longer works of man’s imagination get a chance to act more like human beings. But in the short stories you have to be so terribly clever, and talk up so instantly to the fashionable lines of the clothes worn that the mass of humanity have no place in them at all. Probably that accounts for the plain fact that ordinary human beings seldom “make” the short stories. Despite their infinite variety, all the heroes and heroines and lesser characters of short st.oriesb ]h.‘z'oe one jt.x-nit in common—they are able say just the right at Jjust the right time. s Even when the author thinks to write about commonplace human beings, he invariably makes them slip up in this, that he allows them to be just a mite too clever in their repartee. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. With the official advent of Summer, ‘Washington is immersed in a new guess- ing contest. Up to now people have been speculating mostly about the date when Congress would adjourn. Now the popular puzzle is President Roosevelt’s exact motive for trotting out his “soak- the-rich” tax program at this particular moment, and whether he acted on the advice of economists, reformers or poli- ticians. The overwhelming bulk of opinion is that politics figured con- spicuously in F. D. R.s decision. Most observers are convinced that the Demo- cratic leadership made up its mind that the moment had arrived to cut the ground from under the left-wing “share- the-wealth” crowd and grab whatever political advantage there may be in appropriating the Huey Long issue. Some diagnosticians think Jim Farley did the master-minding. * ok ok K ‘Work relief key men concede in candid moments that “politics” probably can never be completely kept out of so gigantic a project as the $4,000,000,000 enterprise about to get under way. But they explain that everything depends upon what is meant by “politics.” , If it means deliberately favoring a man or men just because they are Democrats, it is declared that there will be no “politics.” 1If it is “politics” to consider giving the preference, where a choice is necessary on a given occasion, to men who are conscientious supporters of the work-relief idea or to avowed opponents of it, therell be no hesitation about favoring the former. be a principle to which every big busi- ness corporation adheres as a matter of fundamental policy. On one score the work-relief high command is adamant. “Politics” in no guise will be permitted as a cloak for graft. * Kk % X Republican leaders discern plenty of “politics” in work relief, mainly from the standpoint of the damage they ex- pect it to do their cause in 1936. They make few bones of the fear that Harry Hopkins’ billions will be rolling a year hence to the almost irresistible advan- tage of the Democrats in practically Secretary Harold L. Ickes puts forth a characteristic alibi for his- new book, “Back to Work—the Story of P. W. A,” which will be officially published to- morrow. It is his second volume on the New Deal. So many people during the last few months have written authori- tatively the “inside story” of the P. W. A., Mr. Ickes says, that he decided to join in the sport, and adds that since he “obviously knows less about the matter That is said to | has been associated with it ever since and been on duty almost uninterruptedly in China, * % % X Washington diplomats expect that Germany’s next objective, now that she has smashed the military and naval clauses of the Versailles treafy, will be to seek the annulment of the provision that the Nazis hate most of all—the so-called “war guilt” clause that brands the Germans with responsibility for the World War. Of course, the Reich han- kers to get back some of its former colo- nies, too. On his batting average to date, the odds hereabouts favor Hitler's obtaining about what he wants in con- verting the tattered Versailles pact com- pletely into a scrap of paper. B R One of Secretary Wallace's pals says that the boss of the Agriculture Depart- ment has had altogether only 40 minutes of worry since he came to Washington in March, 1933. Once he worried for a full half hour and on three or four other occasions for periods of not more than two or three minutes each. Just when the young Towa philosopher-states- man had his big moment of anxiety, deponent in question sayeth not. Per- haps it had something to do with inci- dents involving George Peek or Jerome Frank. Nowadays, with A. A. A. amend- ments safely on the way through the congressional mill, Wallace creates the impression of being 100 per cent worry- proof. * X K % Whenever the show-down comes on the Roosevelt wealth-tax proposition, it'’s a foregone conclusion that party lines will be smashed beyond recogni- tion. Advance indications along that line are furnished by the list of Sen- ators who signed Bob La Follette’s pe- tition to keep Congress here all Summer, if necessary, to get action on basic feg- tures of the President’s program at this session. Fourteen Democrats, six Re- publicans, one Progressive and one Farmer-Laborite made up the group of 22 Senators who favor coming to imme- diate grips with the Roosevelt plan. Unless administration support is put behind the scheme for an early vote, it has only a slender chance. Con- servative Democrats and Republicans in both houses will join to snow it under., (Copyright, 1936.) A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton Fishing Pool Dawn in a place where some fragrant pines Rim a deep pool and the fishes flash As the sun shoots over the bubbling ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS By Frederic J. Haskin. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Washing= ton Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing= tom, D.C. Please inclose stamp jor reply. Q. Why are so many Jewish people m:xe’gh Cohen?—E. F. . The name is Hebrew for priest and is a Jewish family name, implying de- scent from Aaron and the Hebrew priests (Cohanim). Q. Are chil in Great Britain re- ltr}wcu‘fl from atténding certain movies? A. The British Board of Film Censors divides all pictures into two categories: ‘Those suitable for universal distribution are labeled U films, and those suitable for adult audiences are called A films, When an A film is being shown no person under 16 is- admitted unless accompanied by parent or guardian, Q. How may one design stamps for the Government?—R. 8. A. All postage stamps are designed, engraved and printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Treasury De- partment. All artists and other persons having to do with the preparation of postage stamps are regularly employed by the Government. Q. What are the names of Huey Long’s children?—R. D. A. Senator Long's children are Rose Lolita, Russell Billiu and Palmer Reid. Q. Please give directions for a crack filler—H. D. A. A very complete filling for open cracks in floors may be made by thor- oughly soaking newspapers in paste made of one pound of flour, three quarts of water, and one tablespoonful of alum, thoroughly boiled and mixed. Make the final mixture about as thick as putty, and it will harden like papier mache. This paper may be used for molds for various purposes. Q. What is edema of the brain?— J.W. P A. There are two forms of edemsa, or swelling of the brain: Edema ex vacuo, an increase of fluid in a cavity with un- ylelding walls, such as the skull when part of the contents has become: atro- phied, as through an injury, and in- flammatory edema, an abortive inflam- mation of the brain marked by lym- phatic stagnation or congestion, Q. From what poem is the line, “He fixed thee mid this dance of plastic cir- cumstance”?—A. R. A. The quotation is from Browning's “Rabbi Ben Ezra.” Q. How long have theaters employed woman ushers?—H. K. A. In December, 1903, woman ushers were employed by the Majestic Theater in New York. This was referred to in various periodicals as a new job for women, Q. How many Coast Guard cutters are there?—S. B. A. There are 37 cruising cutters, 56 harbor craft, 4 special craft, 18 165-foot patrol boats, 32 125-foot patrol boats, 11 100-foot patrol boats, 6 78-foot patrol boats, 58 75-foot patrol boats, and 24 miscellaneous patrol boats. There are seven cruising cutters under construc- tion, whose length over all will be 327 feet; beam, 41 feet; draft, 12 feet 3 inches; displacement, 2,000 tons; geared turbine drive. Q. Please give the name of an early publisher of dime novels in this coun- try—A. F. A. The principal publisher of dime novels was Erastus F. Beadle, who issued the first in 1860. Q. What is a teredo?—W. L. L. A. A teredo is a shipworm, one of certain peculiar marine mollusks be- longing to the same class as the oyster, which burrow in submerged wood and are very destructive to piles of wharves and to wooden ships. Their bodies are long and wormlike because of the great development of the united siphons, which are protected by a calcareous tube, the valves of the shell and the foot being very small. Two small calcareous plates, known as pallets, are borne on the siphons. The best known and most destructive species is Teredo navalis, found in most parts of the world. Q. When a recipe calls for a “pinch” of material, how much is meant?—L. S. A. A “pinch” of material in cooking is generally about one-eighth of a teaspoon or less. Q. Please give some information about the earliest circuit riders in the United States—L. F. A. Prancis Asbury, a follower of John Wesley, inaugurated the custom in the United States in November, 1771, and for 45 years traveled on horseback at the rate of 5000 miles a year, preaching twice a day on week days and three times on Sunday. Each circuit was under the supervision of a Wesleyan Conference preacher. The salary was $64 a year until 1800, when it was raised to $80 a year, with the horse furnished by the circuit. Q. Please give the origin and meaning of the word chic—M. B. A. Chic, in French artistic slang, is the quality of facile but superficial brilliance in a work of art, or an effect produced by imagination without refer- ence to a model. In its general sense it connotes smartness in dress. The use of the word in France dates from the reign of Louis XIV, when it denoted & lawyer who was master of chicane er legal trickery. Q. How long did Stephen Decatur live in the famous Decatur house in Wash- ington, D. C.?2—W. G. A. This was the first private residence built facing Lafayette Square. It was designed by Latrobe and built in 1819 for Commodore Stephen Decatur. His occupancy was short, as he died in the library of his home a few hours after he had been shot by Capt. James Barron in a duel, March 22, 1820. Many famous Americans occupied the house. After the Civil. War it was purchased by Gen. Edward Pitzgerald Beale, in whose fam- ily it still remains. Q. When did Margaret Illington, wife of Maj. Bowes, die and where is she buried?—F. D. P. A. The death of this famous actress occurred March 11, 1934. She was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cerhetery, Tar- rytown, N. Y. Q. What does George Gershwin con- ;ld: Dis best popular composition?— 'A. George Gershwin thinks that his best popular tune is “I've Got Rhythm.” Q. For whom is Galesburg, Iil., named? ~J.F. G. : cation and to counteract the pro-siavery influence in Illinois. 4 [l