Evening Star Newspaper, August 19, 1935, Page 6

A—6 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. MONDAY ...............August B 1935 THEODORE W. NOYES...........Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Busipess Office: * _11th St. and PennsylVa New York Office: 110 East 4 'nd !l Chirago Office: Lake Michigan Building. Buropean Office: 14 Regent St.. London. Engiand. Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edition. The Evening Star The Evening and Si n 4 Sundays) venine and Sundi en 5 Sunda: 45¢ per month 60¢ per month 65¢ per month -5¢ per copy 70¢ per month ight Pinai Sta 55¢ per month Collection made at the end of each month. Orders mav be sent by mail or telephone Na-< tional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia, Bail and Sunda . $10.00; Dails only Sunday oniy_. ily and Sunda aily only unday only - Member of the Associated Press. The Assoctated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches chfaitea T {or not otherwite credited i this Paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. —_— Europe Approaches a Crisis. Collapse of the three-power confer- ence at Paris on the Ethiopian crisis has resulted from Mussolini’s specific rejection of a proposal put forward by FPrance and England which was regarded as the most favorable basis of discussion short of granting in advance his maxi- mum demands for the political domina- tion of Ethiopia. While Premier Laval in his communique announcing that the ’differences met with during the examination of the suggestions put for- ward in the course of the discussion make it necessary to adjourn the study, it will be continued “through diplomatic channels,” there is little ground for hope that this further study will be successful. There is, indeed, no other basis for conversations between now and the fourth of September, when the League Council will meet. Nor is there any prospect of effective action by the League Council to avert the catastrophe of conflict. Under the proposal which the Paris conference studied as the possible basis of adjustment Italy would have obtained extensive economic privileges in all Fthiopia except in the region of Lake ‘Tsana. as a ground of discussion, demanding instead a protectorate over the major portion of Ethiopia, extensive annexation of territory and Italian military occu- pation of most of the country. The fact seems to be that Mussolini is so far committed to a war of conquest that he cdnnot, even if he were willing, accept any proposal suggestive of dic- tation by the other powers or by the League to limit the scope of his plans for war. Two possible courses are open to the League of Nations in this crisis. may adopt the temporizing tactics that were employed in the Manchurian crisis of 1932 and which were altogether in- effective against Japan's territorial en- largement program, or it may direct against Italy financial and economic boycotts and embargoes on war mate- rials. In the present temper of Italy and in view of its evident purpose to proceed regardless of international in- fluence, it is hardly likely that either course would serve to check Mussolini's war plans. There is a decided sentiment | in England for a virtual participation through the closing of the Suez Canal to Italian troop transports and supply ships. Such an action might well result in an enlargement of the sphere of con- flict, the involvement, in short, of Great Britain and possibly France. It is this possibility that causes the apprehension felt today in Europe lest the Ethiopian erisis may lead to a general conflict on the Continent. o When asked whether he would be & eandidate, Mr. Hoover indicated quite | plainly that a statesman is not neces- | sarily a fortune teller. o Trend of Industry. Daniel Creamer has announced the results of an interesting study of in- dustrial trends which he has made under the patronage of the University of Penn- sylvania. There is a movement, he finds, from small towns to large ones, and the widespread decentralization of industry to little villages, proposed by advocates of subsistence homestead programs, would be a “revolutionary reversal” of a policy operating during more than thirty years in the United States. ‘The problem, of course, is vastly com- plicated. It need not be argued that it requires further study. To illustrate a single angle of the difficulty, consider the case of the Ford motor works. In 1900 the population of Detroit was 285,704, in 1930 it was 1568,662. Such growth can have no other explanation than that of the development of the automotive industry, centering in the Ford plant, but including many com- petitive and subsidiary establishments. A metropolis came into being in con- sonance with a natural law of evolution which no arbitrary fiat of government could stop. The instance of Los Angeles also is worthy of consideration. When the city was chartered, in 1851, its population was 1610. Today, including its immediate environs, it is the home of 2318526 people. The cinema and oil industries, obviously, are responsible for the ex- pansion, and each depends upon a natu- ral resource which cannot conveniently be removed elsewhere to oblige any school of sociologists, however altruistic. Granted that it is to be desired that industry be distributed over as wide an area as possible, it should be remembered that the mathematics of cause and effect are involved. William Morris certainly could set up his famous printing works at Kelmscott, in the Upper Thames Val- ley, without regard to the technical dis- | agricultural. Mussolini rejected this even | It | advantages of such a location, but Josiah Wedgwood had no choice about his cele- _brated ceramics ncg'y—)n was obliged to practice his art where the clay could be obtained, namely, in the neighbor- hood of Burslem, in Staffordshire. American industry has been moving cityward in the interests of economy; likewise cities have been growing up around industrial institutions recognized as successful. Mr. Creamer is familiar with both facts. Hence the warning which his report constitutes. The dream of decentralized industry is a grand and glorious dream, but if it is not to turn into a nightmare it must take cognizance of practical limitations. The garment trade of New York, for example, cannot be waved away into Tennessee or Arkan- sas by the magic wand of any philosophic wizard. Probably the best that reason- ably may be hoped for is a tendency, which Mr. Creamer notices, to move from crowded downtown slum districts to healthier suburbs. But to imagine | that business will consent to banishment from either convenient sources of sup- plies or convenient markets is to expect altogether too much. Any such doctrine is, plainly enough, a “revolutionary re- versal” which might end in utter bank- ruptey. ————— Courting the West. The emphasis laid by both Democrats and Republicans upon the necessity of “carrying” the West in the next na- tional election should be flattering to that section of the country. Without the favorable votes of the States of the Middle West and the West, victory, it is said, would be denied President Roose- velt or his opponent, as the case might be. The question apparently seems to be: Will the Democratic South or the usually Republican East be able to form an alliance with the West? The West, in such an analysis of the political situation, clearly holds the balance of power. Primarily, great stretches of the Western territory are They are controlled by the farmer vote. The Roosevelt Demo- crats are laying great stress upon the New Deal farm program, with its A. A. A, crop curtailment and Government checks and processing taxes. The Re- publicans are seeking to present a sub- stitute which will appeal to the farmers. The farmer is clearly entitled to con- ditions that make it possible for him to earn a living. Unless there is a measure of prosperity for agriculture—the basic industry—prosperity in this country is always in danger. The Democratic New Deal theory, however, that the farmer is to be paid for not producing crops, fis calculated to pull the props from under American agriculture sooner or later. The farmer who goes along with this theory will find in the end that he has sold his birthright for a mess of | pottage. But Republican leaders from the West are fearful that if they go empty-handed to the farmers, with no rosy promises of panaceas for farm relief, they will not get the farmer vote next year. In consequence they are tinkering at plat- form making, with the old McNary- Haugen equalization fee principle or the | debenture plan, with bounties paid on farm exports, as starting points. A simple, direct attack on the A. A. A. and | all it stands for, they contend, would not be sufficient. Notwithstanding the fact that wheat farmers and corn and hog farmers of the West have voted for a continuance of the Government checks for not produc- ing certain percentages of the crops | which they might produce, there is a growing feeling in (h‘e farm regions that all is not as it should be. The farmers | see importations of farm produce from abroad growing larger in American markets and the markets for American produce abroad shrinking. There is a restlessness, too, because farmers are unwilling to be told what they must do by a group of bureaucrats taking their orders from Washington. Furthermore, there is the likelihood that the Supreme Court of the United States may in its wisdom hold that the A. A. A. and its | processing taxes are unconstitutional. The courting of the West by the polit- ical leaders this year, in preparation for the coming national contest, is more marked perhaps than has been the case for some years past. However, these same leaders may yet come to realize that there is a vast population in this country which does not live on the farm; which is found in the East and the great industrial centers scattered across the continent. The wrath which the process- ing taxes and the skyrocketing of prices of some foodstuffs has aroused among the consumers is already making itself felt politically. ——— v Superficial reading fails to reveal whether Mussolini's Ethiopian aggres- sions are prompted by practical economic reasons or just natural dislike. + -o— Elaborate pension plans have been considered by all countries. An age re- tirement for dictators emight not be a bad idea. Unwelcome Advice. The business men forming Secretary Roper'’s so-called Business Advisory Council have recommended to the President that the tax bill be delayed until next session. It would be better to write a carefully considered tax bill in conformity with the budget esti- mates and in some relation to eventual budget balancing, they say, than to jam through Congress a “half-baked meas- ure conceived in politics.” There is nothing unusual about such recommendations, for they are mani- festly sound. Ask any group of reason- able men to choose between a hastily drawn and hastily considered tax bill rushed through in the fever of adjourn- ment and a bill written after careful consideration of revenue needs, and that group will choose the latter. The question, then, is why Congress chose its already notorious tax bill in- stead of the course so obviously appeal- ing to reason and common sense. It is not difficult to find the answer in the maxim, highly regarded in politics, that “we must all hang together or we shall hang separately.” Congress swallowed the tax bill tg-hang with the President. 1% 5 To do otherwise would have been to re- pudiate the President. That is bad taste for a majority party. Moreover, it is bad politics. 4 As for the Business Advisory Coun- cil, it is somewhat difficult to see how that organization can serve any useful purpose by continuing in existence. For it was formed in the optimistic belief that a group of representative business men, pooling their ideas and opinions, might furnish helpful advice to the adniinistration on matters affecting in- dustry and business. Apparently such advice is not helpful to administration purposes and is not wanted. ——— William S. Corby. In the death of William S. Corby, which occurred yesterday in New Hamp- shire, after a brief illness, Washington loses one of its most valuable citizens. He was not only highly successful in business, aiding in the development of a major local industry, but he partici- pated helpfully in many of the civic activities for the advantage and ad- vancement of the community. Of a retiring disposition, modest in respect to his own abilities, he nevertheless be- came identified with numerous enter- prises having for their object the gen- eral welfare of the Capital. His success in these was due to his steadfast devo- tion to the highest principles and his belief that the city of his adoption, which was the scene of his own suc- cess, was capable of advancement to rank as a cultural center. In his re- tirement from active business he did not remain content to become merely an onlooker upon civic affairs, but his serv- ices and his advice when sought were always rendered freely and generously. ‘The romance of his success in business, shared with his late brother, a success which was based upon integrity and in- dustry, was an inspiration to younger men, to whom he was steadfastly a guide and a friend. He is mourned as one who contributed far beyond the record of his own achievements to the material welfare and the cultural progress of Washington. - Small coins with holes in them will not be put in circulation. This fact avoids return to one feature of aborig- inal times, which made a string of beads acceptable in a cash transaction. o An epic of almost classical interest | might be written for the Congressional Record, beginning “The Sergeant at Arms and His Man.” e “Hog calling” used to provide amus- | ing contest. It is now being taken up by the Department of Agriculture with a response that so far is disappointing. e Mussolini claims to be benevolent in his purpose, his plan being a drastic im- provement in African suburban real estate. Opinions of Hitler vary greatly. regard him as pre-eminent; only incorrigible. e Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON, The Unattained. They tear up the paving then they pro- ceed To pile up the tar and the gravel. The numerous signals of danger you heed Till you scarcely know which way to travel. the town While vapors arise, superheated; | And this ready assurance effaces the frown, “It'll be a fine job when completed.” All restless we hurry and upward we gaze, And engage in benevolent movements; And work which we thought had won permanent praise Is destroyed to make room for im- provements. This great world of ours as for peace it strives on Of its fond expectations is cheated. But man says as he labors with brain and with brawn, “It'll be a fine job when completed.” Of No Practical Benefit. “You don't seem to regret the fact that a number of people speak unkindly of you.” “No,” replied Senator Sorghum, “the only kind words that ever secure unan- imous indorsement are those that com- pose an epitaph.” Keeping Up Appearances. “The clothes don’t make the man.” “Mebbe not,” replied Farmer Corn- tossel. “But a lot of our Summer boarders wouldn't think I was a regu- lar farmer if I didn't grow chin whis- kers every Spring an’ wear my pants tucked in my boots.” The Voice. "Tis the voice of the people! I hear the acclaim, Like the voice of an umpire, deciding the game, When you think that a home run is yours without doubt, All flercely conclusive: “Strike three! You are out!” Optimism. “What you need in this town,” said the genial stranger, “is more opti- mism.” “There’s plenty of optimism in Crim- son Gulch,” replied Broncho Bob. “There isn't a man in the place who isn't an optimist during the first twenty mlnulel of a poker game.” The Staggering Cost. There may be little chance of peace Through warring and advice; But war is pretty sure to cease ‘When no one has the price. “De man dat sells de dice,” said Uncle Eben, “is de only one dat makes sure money out'n a crap game.” - Some | others as | | candidate. With tunnels and chasms they fill up | S b THE POLITICAL MILL By G. Gould Lincoln. Republican headquarters in Chicago are soon to be opened in preparation for the 1936 campaign. Chairman Henry P. Fletcher of the G. O. P. National Com- mittee has announced that his commit- tee will work in co-operation with the Midwest Republican (Grass Roots) Con- ference in carrying on the headquarters. As a matter of fact, the alliance will be very close, and the three men desig- nated to have charge of the Chicago headquarters are at one and the same time members of the National Commit- tee and of the Executive Committee of the Midwest Conference, which was held at Springfield, Ill, in June. They are Harrison E. Spangler of Iowa, John Hamilton of Kansas and George A. Ball of Indiana. ] ‘The opening of Chicago headquarters as early in the game as this is indic: tive of several things. In the first plac it shows a real revival of Republican hope, and with that hope a willingness of Republicans to spend money for head- quarters and organization purposes. In the second place, it lays more emphasis on the thought that the G. O. P. is turning its face toward the West both for a presidential nominee and for elec- toral votes next year. Any one who recalls the morguelike atmosphere of the G. O. P. headquarters in Chicago during the campaign of 1934 will un- derstand that the Republican high command must believe that & very dif- ferent spirit has come over the Mid- dle West and the West to make those people willing to open again Republican headquarters and to open them more than a year before the national election, * x o ox The joint Chicago headquarters, ac- cording to Mr. Fletcher, will, until fur- ther expansion of activities by the Na- tional Committee, serve the Pacific Coast States and all the States which normally comprise the Western divi- sion, However, there is every indic: tion that the revival of Republican hopes will bring before long & demand for headquarters still farther West. The talk of Senator William E. Borah of Idaho for Republican nomination for President is stirring more and more interest in the Far West. Furthermore, the Republicans took the Democrats into camp pretty well in the California election last year. % x Former President Herbert Hoover, it is reported. has told friends in the East that the G. O. P. should look to the West for a candidate next year. In this he seems to be in agreement with nearly all other Republican leaders of national prominence. They do not see the ad- visability of choosing an Eastern man for the G. O. P. nomination. Perhaps they fear that the East is too closely identified with the old guard of the G. O. P. in the public mind, certainly in the States of the Middle West and the West, which must be won if the | Republicans are to succeed next year. | | This will be bad news to the friends of Gov. Harold G. Hoffman of New Jersey, who performed the feat last year of carrying New Jersey in an election that was clearly Democratic the country over. Unless there is a distinct change in pres- ent opinion in Republican ranks, how- ever, the party's next candidate will come from the West. While certain anti-Hoover Republican | leaders from the West feel sure that the former President will not be the party nominee, they voice a fear that Mr. Hoover may give a Hoover tinge to the Republican platform and also, if he gives his blessing to the party's can- didate, have him known as a Hoover These leaders have not yet been able to get away from the idea that this coming campaign may be made an- other 1932 campaign. with Hoover and the depression of 1929-1932 as the issues. Sooner or later they may come to be- lieve that the issues in this campaign will be Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. the President and the New Deal are on the defensive. Once that has been clearly established, the Republicans will give less thought to the Hoover issue, which the Democrats are seeking to bring to the fore. * ox o o ‘The American Liberty League, in & | pamphlet made public today, call at- tention to the fact that the New Deal laws have been dragged into the courts on many counts. Indeed, never have so many acts of Congress, in so short a time, been assailed in the courts, | and assailed with as much assurance. The league calls its publication “A Re- view of Decisions by the Federal Judi- { clary and Their Effect in Checking At- tempts to Subvert the American Con- stitutional System.” * ko % While the American Liberty League and opponents of the New Deal will consider the decisions of the courts and their attacks upon New Deal legis- lation indicative of the failure of the New Deal, the New Dealers are inclined to insist that the courts have been the great stumbling block to their plans for the people. Even in these closing days | of the present session of Congress, the President, head and forefront of all the New Deal, is demanding that bills be put through which will be attacked beyond question in the courts, particu- larly the Guffey coal bill. * X X % The list of pertinent decisions of the courts on New Deal laws so far given by the American Liberty League is illuminating as a summary. It shows that the N. R. A, the A. A. A, the P. W. A, the laws affecting oil, the T. V. A, the gold clause law, and eother acts affecting both industry and agri- culture under the New Deal have been attacked in the courts as unconstitu- tional. The Supreme Court by unani- mous decision has held the N. R. A. unconstitutional. The inferior courts have in a number of instances decided against other New Deal laws. In the end, however, the New Deal laws must reach the Supreme Court. The league says: “Study of the cases affecting New Deal legislation will show that they do not involve meaningless technicalities, Principles of Government are at stake. Throughout the legal attacks on the important laws enacted since 1933 runs a purpose to preserve essential features of the United States Government such as the separation of powers among the legislative, executive and judicial branches; the dual sovereignty of the Federal Government and the States, and the protection guaranteed to pri- vate property. If these principles are overthrown, our Government will as- sume a form indistinguishable from European autocracies. There is reason for confidence that the courts, despite efforts to weaken their power and pres- tige, will continue to be the bulwark of American liberties.” e—e—— An Old Saw Refuted. Prom the Paducah (Ky.) Sun-Demoerat. It becomes increasingly noteworthy how many who once were convinced that two could live as cheaply as one are now finding out that even one w do it Already there are signs that | MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1935. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. A worm big and bright enough to make any first page in the land was crawling along the rhododendron leaves. It was about 4 inches lonz and per- haps three-fourths of an inch thick. On its head were four red protuber- ances about the size of a “ladybug,” with black centers. Down its back was a double row of smaller bright yellow excrescences, each with a small black center. On each side was a double row of bright blue points with black. The general tone of this ugly but georgeous creature was a pale grass- hopper green. * % . Now that the reader has his picture, we will tell you what this enormous worm was doing. He was eating rhododendron leaves, the new ones, not quite so leathery as the old. He already had stripped a stalk of four complete leaves, with the excep- tion of the rib. No doubt, if he had not been appre- hended, he would have eaten the entire bush down. Placed in a jar with a few leaves of the plant, the worm fell to with a will, as if he were on the bush again. His general appearance was that of a tomato worm, well known to growers of that fruit. Yet surely he was like no tomato worm ever seen. LR Careful search of the rhododendron plantation showed no mates for him. He was unique. He was just one of the many crea- tures which a bounteous Nature showers upon a land in a very hot Summer, particularly following a very cold Winter. Not in many years have so many pests, insect and otherwise, been found in local home gardens. In addition, various things, such as roses, seem not to have recovered fully from the unusual cold of last Febru- ary and March. Roses everywhere look rather poor. Even such standard bushes as radiance, and its sister, red radiance, lack the thrifty growth which hitherto has dis- tinguished them. Inadequate rainfall cannot what has happened to them. Nor can the comparative dryness account for the unusual number of insect pests. * x'x x Lawns which are small enough to receive the benefit of sprinkling when needed are in better shape than usual. This is one of the blessings of a very peculiar season, all in all. Larger lawns, in many cases, show very burnt patches, but such is the vigor of sod that a heavy rainfall will blot such places out overnight. An adequate lawn is the first attrac- tion of the garden, and as such deserves gives it. 1t is pleasing, therefore, to note that chickweed, so profuse in many lawns last Spring, has done no permanent harm, as far as can be seen at this time. ‘This quick-growing little pest of a plent literally spread out over thou- sands of square feet of local lawn last Spring. Many persons were very much per- turbed by it. Everybody had advice to give about chickweed, it seemed. Perhaps the reason that there is so Immediately following the adjourn- ment of Congress there will begin throughout the country serious and genuine appraisal of the accomplish- ments of the national legislative body during the present session. Careful study and analysis of the administra- | enacted law, will be made in the months ahead. With the opening of the po- litical campaigns and the thoughts of the questions involved therein, the peo- ple will of Congress, now about to go home to give an account of its doings during the past eight months. As further light, gained largely from the operative effects of the administration’s legislative pro- gram, is thrown during the next few months on questions at issue, crystalli- zation of political thought throughout the country will ensue, taking final form in the platforms adopted by the various by them to uphold these platforms, * X X % With the exact date of the adjourn- ment of Congress still dependent on the conference Sunday night can be “whip- ped through,” the question as to whether President Roosevelt will be able to go to Milwaukee next Friday to address in person the convention of the Young Democrats’ Clubs, was still in abeyance. In this connection, however, attention was called by interested officials to the fact that he could fly there, as he did to the Democratic convention, after he was nominated for the presidency; and so even if Congress were to remain in session until Friday, he could reach Milwaukee by plane within a few hours, in time to make his schedpled address that evening. He could be assured of a “rousing welcome.” * k%X b The importance of agriculture, often referred to as “the backbone of the Nation,” and the great interest mani- fested in this branch of the country's economy, is given graphic illustration in one form, in the overflowing attendance of newspaper correspondents at the weekly press conferences held by Sec- retary of Agriculture Wallace. In num- bers, no other press conferences except those of President Roosevelt at the White House exceed those which take place in the spacious office of Secretary Wallace. From 100 to 150 represent- atives of press associations, trade papers and newspapers in the leading agricul- tural areas of the country are present at these gatherings, #«nd the confer- ences usually are quite lengthy. * * % X Much interest was expressed here to- day by the announced intention of Capt. Harold Farquhar, first secretary of the British Legation in Mexico City, to make his return trip to London by air- plane in an effort to show that it will be no more expensive than if taken by steamship, with hotel and all other incidental travel costs included. Com- ing by way of Washington, he plans to proceed to New York, where his plane will be fitted with floats; thence to Fairbanks and Nome, Alaska, and on across Siberia, if permission of the Soviet government is obtained, to China. Rangoon, in British Burma, would be his next port of call, whence he would fly across Asia and Europe to Great Britain, With plans being rapidly mmnleted 3 eou;n-bnll for the visit of wnuvmmw President all the care the average home owner “ tion's program and policies, in so far | as they have taken concrete form in | the Nation more and more centered on | form their opinions on the | social and economic merits of the work | parties and in the candidates named | speed with which the last-minute legis- | lation decided on at the White House | much advice given, by everybody, at all times, and on all subjects, is that few persons to whom it is given ever take it! At any rate, every cne last Spring had ideas about chickweed growing in the lawn, and just what to do about it. Our personal idea, freely expressed here, was to let it alone, cutting the la¥n rather close, and raking up the flower- ing heads of the chickweed. ‘This, we declared, ought to kill out the weed, without resort to back-break- ing labor and undignified crawling around on all fours like a monkey. It is pleasant to say that the one lawn we know best is in better shape today than it has been in years. Never has the grass been so thick and 80 free from bare spots. No fertilizer at all has been used, which, while we cannot recommend it, ;ecm to have worked out all right, so ar. General sprinkling has not been used. All that has been done has been to give water to spots that began to dry out, as manifested from time to time by the dying of the gress there. ‘The response of grass to adequate watering is almost magic. That is the way it always has seemed to many, at least, even when they know perfectly the speed with which most dried-out roots accept and respond to water, either from the heavens, hose or water- ing pot. * ® x Home gardeners who handle flowers and vegetables in a small way only, | nevertheless should keep an extra good lookout for the remainder of the season for all signs of worms and caterpillars. ‘Trees, especially, need much care. This is likely to be a hard season | on them, coming after two exceptionally cold Winters. Already many trees are brown spots, the foliage on certain sides having died out. Normandy poplars, which were reliable here until last Winfer, have succumbed in numbers throughout the District of Columbia and nearby Maryland and Virginia. Efforts have been made, by topping, to restore them to their old vigor, but | so far the results seem to be negligible. explain | Those interested in such things will watch these topped trees closely, to see | if fresh shoots will begin to grow out. . So far nothing has happened on the trees under inspection. It may be that the topping was done too late in the year. While the writer here is no particu- lar admirer of the Normandy poplar, it | cannot be gainsaid that it has its uses, and to some may appear very pretty. It is a particular tree for a particular use; perhaps all that is the matter with it is that too often it is not used properly. Trees, lawns and shrubs—these afford the home gardener material for a life- time of study. Their idiosyncrasies are interesting, and worth all the time he | can give them. Even then he will be stumped, from time to time, by some caterpillar he finds on one of them. One should not grumble too much over | insects and other pests. They are a | | part of the garden picture as much as any. The city and suburban gardener does not depend upon his garden, in most cases nowadays, for anything ex- cept beauty and interest, and such ex- perience as an honest investigation of Nature, even on a limited scale, can give him. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS Garner and " Speaker Byrns, to the Philippines to witness the inauguration | in November of the President who is about to be elected, officials here re- called that it was just 30 years ago this month that the famous party, headed by then Secretary of War Taft, was in Manila. Included in the group was Alice Roosevelt, whose father was then President, and Nicholas Longworth, to whom later she was married. Plans for the present trip are being arranged | by former Senator Hawes of Missouri, who took an active part in helping to | secure the final independence of the | islands. * X Xk * Francis B. Sayre, Assistant Secretary of State, who has been in special charge of the commercial reciprocity treaty program which is being carried out with a large number of foreign countries under the direction of Secretary Hull, has just left for Europe on a vacation. ! A considerable part of this vacation he | plans to spend in a walking trip through Scotland and Ireland. This son-in-law of the late President Wilson is accom- panied by one of his daughters, Eleanor, now a student at Bryn Mawr. * ko X The quickness of President Roosevelt | in flashing a clever answer to questions is frequently revealed at his press con- ferences. The most recent occurrence of this sort was when one of the cor- respondents told him that the State De- partment had suggested he inquire at the White House as to whether this Government intended to send to China a financial expert, as Great Britain was reported to be doing in the person of Sir Leith Ross, to study the financial condition and needs of the Asiatic coun- try. The State Department having de- clined to answer, the President said he would have to give the correspondent the run-around to the Treasury, on the other side of the White House. LR Joseph C. Grew, American Ambassador to Japan, now in the United States on leave, has to travel to the far corners of the world to see his three daughters, all married to State Department for- eign service officers. One of them, the wife of J. Pierrepont Moffet, left a few days ago with her husband for his new post as consul general in Sydney, Aus- tralia; he will see another in Paris on his way back to Japan, while the third daughter, Mrs. Cecil B. Lyon, is the wife of the third secretary of the American Embassy in Peiping, China. (Copyright, 1935.) ———s A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton The Heart’s Outery I might not weep nor might I faint or die Should we in some dark hour say good- by. Rather in heartbreak I would try to laugh, To utter badinage and light-toned chaff. You who are strong, save me from that sad mirth, Safeguard my joy while yet I am on earth. Within your arms, laughter can always be No hollow sham but sweet reality. Even if your mt tenderness should die, Voice cold and bitter words—but not ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS By Frederic J. Haskin. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Washing- ton Eveming Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing- ton, D.C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. If there was a match between a boxer and a wrestler, who would prob- ably win?—E. M. A. Jack Johnson once entered the ring with a Russian named A. 8poul. The melee turned into a boxing match, with Johnson scoring a knockout. Q. What is the largest church organ in the country?—E. R. A. The Etude says that the organ in St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Han- over, Pa, is the largest. It has 237 speaking stops and 12,773 pipes. Q. How much does a bunch of bananas weigh?—K. T. A. An average bunch weighs about 25 pounds. Some bunches, however, exceed 40 pounds in weight. Q. Who characterized the Virgin » Islands as a poorhouse?—H. A. In 1931 President Hoover referred to the islands as an “effective poor- | house.” Q. When a person is a house guest. in | who suggests the time for retiring, the hostess or the guest?—C. E. A. There is no hard and fast rule. A guest in the home does not ask to be excused while visitors are being enter- tained, or while a game is in progress. Usually, however, the hostess suggests | the approach of bedtime. Q. Who laid the corner stone of the New York City Hall?—S. L. A. The corner stone of the present City Hall was laid by Mayor Edward Liv- ingston, May 26, 1803. Q. Who was the first Methodist bishop consecrated in America?-—D. P. A. Francis Asbury. He was born in England in 1745, came to America as a missionary in 1771, and was made a bishop in 1784. He died in 1816. It is estimated that he traveled about 270,000 | miles. for the most part on horseback; preached about 16,500 sermons, and or- | dained about 4,000 preachers. Q. Why is a mausoleum so called?— T 'A. It takes its name from the statels tomb of Mausolus, King of Caria. erected by his widow, Artemisia, about 350 B.C Q. What is the prize offered by the | Mark Twain Association?—L. F. A. The Mark Twain Association offers an annual prize of $50 for the best list | of ten quotations from Mark Twain's | books. Details may be obtained from the Mark Twain Association, 410 Cen- tral Park West, New York, N. Y. Q. Under what circumstances were the words of “My Faith Looks Up to Thee" | written?—E. G. A. Ray Palmer (1808-1887), a Yale graduate, was teaching in a select school | for girls in New York City at the time | he wrote this hymn. He was only 22 years old at the time. He was in poor health and straitened circumstances The words were written with a con- sciousness of his own needs. The tune. “Olivet,” was written by Dr. Lowell Mason, a native of Massachusetts. Q. Is wild rice alkaline?—M. O. A. It is a cereal, and, like all other grains, is more acid-forming than alka- line. Q. How long has The Billboard been published?-—S. J A. It is the oldest magazine of thr show world, having been founded in 1894 by W. H. Donaldson. Q. How many pairs of stockings does the average business woman use = year’—R. V. A. It is estimated that the average young working woman buys 25 pairs a year. Q. Is San Quentin Prison on an island?—I. H. A. San Quentin Prison is located at the entrance to San Pablo Bay, in Marin County, a very few miles from San Rafael. It is on the mainland. Q. How much distance did the Cape Cod Canal save?—W. W. A. Cape Cod Canal, sea-level ship canal across Cape Cod, connecting Buz- zards Bay with Barnstable Bay at Sand- wich, Mass., was begun in 1909 and com- pleted in 1914. It shortens shipping distance from Long Island Sound to Boston and other New England points about 70 miles, compared to the hazard- ous route around Cape Cod, beset with reefs and frequent fogs. From shore to shore the length of the canal is 8 miles, but the entire channel excavated from 30-foot depth in either bay is 13 miles. Q. When was barley corn first used as a measure?—C. A, B. A. As early as 1607 there is the ref- erence: “It is ordained that three barley cornes, dry and round, shall make up the measure of an inch.” In 1611 there | is a reference to a barley corn as a measure of '¢-inch. Q. What time of day is a person’s vi- tality and normal energy at the highest? —V. M. A. The vitality of human beings is normally at the highest between 10 and 11 am, and at its lowest between 2 and 3 am. Q. How many miles of railroad are there in Hawaii?>—L. F. A. There are 374 miles of steam rail- roads, besides about 625 miles on the sugar plantations. Q. What is the origin of the word “buccaneer”?—E. P. A. It is from the French word “bou- canier,” meaning a hunter of wild meat. Q. Where was the Platte Country?— J.T.S. A. The name, prior to 1854, was given to the territory stretching west from Missouri to the Rocky Mountains, and which now comprises the States of Kansas and Nebraska. A bill was intro- duced in Congres in 1854 by Douglas of Illinois for the organiaztion of the territory, the slavery question to be determined by the inhabitants, in direct violation of the Missouri Compromise. Q. How often are quintuplets born?— J. R. ‘A. ‘Guzzani, in a study of 50,000,000 births, concluded that the incidence of quintuplets was one in 41,600,000 Q. How often is a refrigerator opened in a day?—F. H. A. It is estimated that a housekeeper or cook opens the refrigerator on an avearge of 48 times a day. ——— Poor Diet. From the Paducah (Ky.) Sun-Democrat. Among the causes of incorrect diet are ignorance, poverty and payments on can, .