Evening Star Newspaper, September 4, 1935, Page 8

~A-8 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY .........September 4, 1935 THEODORE W. NOYES...........Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Business Office: ylvania Ave. Z ‘East 42nd St. Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. Puropean Office: 14 Regent St.. London. Engiand. Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edition. Se per month -60¢ per month 65c per month B¢ per copy _70c per month and Sunday 'Star 85c per month made at the end of e e s 3 Orders mey be seat by mail of telephone Na‘ lonal 5000, B Rate by Mail—Payable in Advamce. and Virginia, 1 yr. $10.00; 1 mo., 85¢ = Pshiooi 1 mo. Bic fiv ard Sun $4.00; 1 moll i inday” oniy 2 All Other States and C: ily and Sunday_.1 Jr., Iy e Aily ‘on inday onl. Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press 1s exclusively entitled to the use for republication of ajl news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of publication of special dispaiches herein are also reserved. _—— Europe’s Fateful Hour. At a psychological moment, the United Btates has made an effective contribu- tion to today's critical meeting of the League Council at Geneva. As the re- sult of pressure by the State Depart- ment, the Standard-Vacuum Oil Co, which turns out to be the owner of the vast Ethiopian oil concession recently granted by Emperor Haile Selassie, has decided to cancel the deal. Action to that end ensued upon representations by Secretary Hull that the concession had been “the cause of great embarrass- ment, not only to the American Gov- ernment, but to other governments who are making strenuous and sincere ef- forts for the preservation of peace.” The oil company was informed that “in the circumstances it was highly desir- able that the earliest possible steps should be taken to terminate the trans- action.” This dramatic development, literally on the eve of the League proceedings, clears the air in a manner designed to promote a solution of the Italo-Ethio- pian controversy, though it does not, of course, go to the root of that menace to peace. The conciliatory efforts of Great Britain will be strengthened, be- cause that country can no longer be charged by Italy with pursuing surrep- titious economic aims in Ethiopia. The situation at Geneva now reverts to the clean-cut previous question. The League has to decide whether the world's peaceful aspirations or the war- like ambitions of Mussolini shall pre- vail. Far more is at stake than war in Africa or the fate of Ethiopia. The peace of Europe is in jeopardy, because of the conditions and cross-currents in- volted in an Italo-Ethiopian conflict. Bhould complications in Europe ensue, the history of events between 1914 and 1918 is here to teach us that another world conflagration would be the almost inescapable consequence. The League powers may be relied upon to strain every effort to justify its existence as a peace-preserving agency. After Geneva's failure to thwart the Japanese in Manchuria and prevent war between Paraguay and Bolivia its prestige could hardly survive its inability to stop an Italo-Ethiopian conflict. If the League cannot avert such hostilities it might as well write finis to its international usefulness. If matters reach the point of brand- ing Italy an aggressor in Ethiopia, thus calling for League “sanctions” under the Covenant, Mussolini will undoubt- edly bolt from Geneva, as Japan and Germany did under other circumstances, leaving the League a mere shadow of its former self. Il Duce has said that “sanctions will mean war.” He has thundered that Italy means to have her way in Ethiopia “with Geneva, without Geneva or against Geneva.” He has rejected Anglo-French proposals to give the Italians full sway in Ethiopia short of actual political and military control. The Fascist dictator is apparently de- termined upon conquest and glory, mind- less of the terrific risks he runs should his adventure turn out disastrously or prove more costly than anticipated. The world therefore awaits develop- ments with justifiable anxiety. The hour has come when the European powers—conspicuously, Great Britain and France—must demonstrate whether they are prepared to employ their pre- ponderant strength to vindicate the League principle of collective action to prevent war or will allow it to be vio- lated by a military despot lustful for aggrandizement in defiance of the world’s demand for peace and a cove- nanted pledge not to break it. That is the issue now facing decision at Geneva. It cannot be dodged. Hurricane. The story of the hurricane sweeping over Florida is incomplete, but enough 1s known to prompt the sympathy of the Nation for the people of the devastated areas. Strange, indeed, is the contra- diction which makes so fair a section of the country liable to periodic storms of such terrific intensity. Nature, it seems, has a wanton habit of ruining her own best work. The contrast between long months of paradisiacal weather and sudden cataclysmic gales leaves the human mind stumped for any other ex- planation. In the present instance there seems to have heen ample warning. Storm signals were sent out in time to permit small craft to get to port and to allow the population of the towns and cities to prepare against the emergency. The Morgan liner Dixie, it is true, was eaught, but present indications are that she will survive the experience without loss of passengers or crew—a good ship, sturdy and strong, it may be hoped that she will be freed from the reef, ade- quately repaired and promptly restored to the service she has honored by her gallant performance. The greatest loss,_according to cur- A rent reports, has been at Metacumbe Key, where three Veterans’ Rehabilita- tion Camps have been wrecked, Cas- ualties are estimated at more than four hundred, but recount perhaps will show fewer deaths. The prayers of thousands certainly express that wish for the men of the aficted settlement. Meanwhile, the Red Cross and other relief agencies have responded to the summons for help and Florida has the assurance of the fellow-feeling of her sister States. Disaster invariably con- duces to solidarity, and the traditional rule will not fail on this occasion. For the future, however, it would seem that more thought should be given to anticipation. California and Japan, susceptible to earthquakes, build with the danger in mind, and Florida, it is obvious, should be equally conscious of the hurricane peril. Even temporary barracks, like those of the veterans' camps, should be constructed to with- stand cyclonic attack. The cost may be greater, but safety is worth any price. ——ee—. Parable. The New Deal brings new parables. President Roosevelt makes metaphorical use of the repairs at the White House to point out the ‘“repairs” under way, not only in the laws and the Govern- ment, but also in the comdition of the American people. To him, as he ad- dresses his friends and neighbors of the Roosevelt Home Club at Hyde Park, the rewiring of the Executive Mansion to make the residence safe and to pre- vent fires is as like the N. R. A, the A.A. A, the T. V. A. and other alpha- betical growths as one pea is to an- other. The Nation is to be made safe and the country is to avoid a confla- gration. | Imbedded in these New Deal laws and agencies, however, there are elements that pull at the very foundations of American Government and the Ameri- can ideal of liberty. In them are found a far-flung bureaucracy and & regi- mentation of people that have little in common with the principles of the basic and fundamental law of the country. The President already has been warned by the Supreme Court of the United States, in unanimous opinion—an opin- jon concurred in by so-called progres- sives and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans alike—that this is so. That the President understood the warning is clear enough from his own comments upon the court’s decision in the Schech- ter case. He told the people then that under the present interpretation of the Constitution by the court the Federal Government was estopped from going to their aid; that in things social and eco- nomic it was powerless to move. On that occasion he spoke another parable: He linked the Constitution, as inter- preted by the court, to the “horse and buggy” days. The horse and buggy, he said, are out of date. Despite warning that he has been pull- ing at the foundations of the house, President Roosevelt recently urged Con- gress to pass a law even if Congress had “reasonable doubts” as to its constitu- tionality. It may be mentioned in pass- ing that the Democratic Congress swal- lowed the President's advice. Such methods of “repair” do not suggest so much the new roofing or new wiring in the White House as a complete re- building along new lines laid out by new architects of limited experience and questionable skill, For a hundred and forty-six years the American people apparently believed that their house had been built upon & rock. But two and a half years ago the New Deal and the New Dealers arrived in Washington. New doctrines have been advanced which require more than parables to make them in reality conform to the ideals and principles of the Constitution of the United States. The President concludes that he is not “very much worried about the future of the United States.” He is not wor- ried, he says, because “we're trying to make safer every White House in every farm, every city, every community in the country.” That, of course, is & com- mendable aim. In the horse and buggy days, however, it was popularly supposed that & little worry never hurt anybody. R Conquest of Speed. Three hundred miles an hour is the “goal” for which Sir Malcolm Campbell strove yesterday on the Utah salt flats. Three hundred miles an hour is the speed for which the present Bluebird was built. And 301 miles an hour was the record Sir Malcolm established. But why speak of 300 miles an hour as Sir Malcolm's, or anybody's else’s “goal”’? A goal denotes the end of the race— the stopping point. And Sir Malcolm— and the speed pioneers who follow him— probably has no more idea of stopping at 300 or 301 miles an hour than he had back in 1925, when he set his first world record of 150 miles an hour in his old Sunbeam. For the mastery of speed—or space—is aimed at new highs. Yester- day’s “goal” is merely the starting point for something a little bit better. Sir Malcolm's speed of 301.129 miles an hour—which means the average speed maintained over a mile course traversed in two directions—is almost beyond human comprehension. It is within speaking distance of the record of 314 ‘miles per hour for land planes. It is about twenty-three miles an hour faster than Sir Malcolm's own record of less than a year ago at Daytona Beach. But is this record approaching the end— nearing the possible limit for a land machine? Land and air records for speed have been moving forward steadily. There is no sound reason why they will not continue to move forward. The first automobile speed record was made in 1898 by a Frenchman, who came within a fraction of & minute of reaching forty miles an hour. Henry Ford, five years later, raised the mark to ninety-one and a fraction miles, driving his own Ford. By 1920 a record of 156 miles per hour had been made, and it moved up gradu- ally to the 246 miles an hour established by Sir mleol;m 1931, who since has held a monopoly on automobile speed records and steadily moved them up. Alr records, in the same time, begin- ning with the thirty miles established by the Wrights in 1903, have been pushed forward more than s hundred miles every ten years or s0 to the present world record «f 440 miles per hour, made with & seaplane, There is no reason to believe that ten years hence another hundred miles an hour will not have been added. What is the good of all the speed— what value lies in the records? Un- doubtedly there is value in the test of machinery and materials and in design under the terrific stresses and strains of high speed. But above all, they dem- onstrale man’s insatiable desire to do something & little bigger and & little better than anybody else ever did before. And that, after all, is the motive impulse of progress. e Credit and Confidence. Treasury terms for one of the largest peace-time financing operations in his- tory, at the lowest rate of interest in history, might be viewed as gratifying demonstration of Secretary Morgen- thau's unshaken confidence in the abil- dty of Government credit to withstand what ordinarily would be regarded as a severe test. The immediate oversub- scription of the cash offering of half & billion dollars in one-and-a-half-per- cent notes, a part of the financing opera- tion, comes as immediate justification for such confidence. The markets an- ticipate like success for the conversion of the called Fourth Liberties, which may be exchanged for two and three- quarter per cent bonds, offered to the amount of $1,250,000,000. Success of the operation will mean that the Treasury has cut its long-term interest rate a half of one per cent within & year; at the same time it has depressed the short-term interest rate one per cent. The refunding of the Liberty loans—which paid four and & quarter—begun two years ago, will have been completed. The carrying charges on the public debt will have been re- duced by about a quarter of a billion dollars, and the total debt, including the New Deal issues, will be cheaper to carry than the war debt. The Treasury can take justifiable pride in the success attending its operations. The other side of the picture is that the Treasury could not borrow so cheaply if the banks were not full of money, for which there exists small demand. That money ought to be at work now, financing new private business ventures, creating new hopes and new employment, in- stead of rushing into the outlet pro- vided by Government bonds at new low rates. Whether in the long run the ad- vantages accruing to the Government through availability of cheap money out- weigh the disadvantages of a plethora of money in the banks and few borrow- ers is a serious question. Government credit remains unshaken. But business confidence still seems to be unhappily impaired. ————————— Although rich and master of the hounds, Mr. Rickett has remained & “mystery man.” A wonderful point in his career is his success in keeping his name out of the society columns. »aor—s- European statesmen are studying oll geography in a way that makes Teapot Dome seem trivial by comparison. ———— Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. 0ld Scout. Young friend of mine, to you I bow; There are new brains behind your brow. I know you are the “Flaming Youth.” Ain't it the truth! Yet energy may be too rash And sometimes risk a needless crash. The Boy Scouts may require a crew Of Old Scouts, too— Friends who have trod the tangled way And, mebbe, sometimes gone astray, In devious wanderings to come, May help you some. The Old Scout who has plodded through The scenes that may seem strange to you May know the bearings at & glance— Give him a chance, Relative Riches. “You are making all kinds of prom- ises,” remarked the cautious friend. “I'm going to give every citizen five or ten thousand in cash.” “And then what?” “I'll soak the rich and take it all back.” Jud Tunkins says brains don't always help & man if he simply uses 'em to think up ways of actin’ foolisher. Joyous Confusion. 1 love the kitten at its play ‘Who found a ball of yarn so gay And tangled it for fun one day. But, just the same, I feel a shock. The pretty kitten hence I knock. ‘That yarn was need for a sock. Hosse# and Buggies. “Do you favor going back to the horse and buggy days?” “No,” said Mr. Dustin Stax. “We don't need Roman chariots. We can have airplane races and make martyrs of men because of their opinions.” Lamps vs. Tanks A drop of ink Makes millions think, On printing press or pen. A drop of oil May help or spoil The finest thoughts of men. When times are fraught ‘With need of thought, As people live and learn, ‘Wars let us shun, Since every one Wants Midnight Oil to burn. “What I as askin’,” said Uncle Eben, “is who is gineter keep payin’ out wages and givin’ tips after de rich folks has all been soaked!” 12 £ C. NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM Margaret Germond. SCIENCE VERSUS CRIME. By Henry Morton Robinson. Indianapolis: ‘The Bobbs-Merrill Co. -| Civilization and science have for ages been meeting each other at some im- portant cross-road along the ever-widen- ing highway of achievement, but the process of becoming companionable has invariably been difficult and slow. For civilization—and especially the Amer- fcan brand—is peculiarly provincial despite its insatiable mania for effi- clency and speed. Limitless heights and breadths are demanded for the develop- ment of the masses and the expansion of individual opportunity. Yet when science has appeared at the cross-roads with its offerings for the furtherment of these ideals civilization has acknowl- edged the proffered friendship with & curt nod and attempted to push onward alone. That it has invariably been com- pelled to admit its lack of wisdom seems to have made little impression upon either the body politic or its great lead- ers. Lukewarm interest and doubtful judgment are still grudgingly meted out to the “new-fangled” ideas conceived by superior brains. It is therefore not surprising that scientific criminology has never ceased to be “new fangled,” even though it has been several centuries in the making, and some of the most efficient methods of detection in modern use originated with the ancient Chinese. Every so often an- nouncement is made of the invention of some extraordinary device calculated to trap or to free some human being caught in the toils of the law. Whether or not these contraptions ever come into prac- tical use are matters in which American civilization takes little interest until they are brought into the limelight in an effort to solve some particularly atrocious crime. Judges and juries, grounded in centuries of dogma concerning the courts, are reluctant to permit the weighing of scientific fact against human falli- bility, and uninformed public opinion gives them its support. But what a change there would be in public opinion and what a revolution would take place in judicial procedure if every honest and thoughtful citizen | in this country made it his or her busi- ness to read Mr. Robinson’s book and then set about to act upon the convic- tions formed by its powerful appeal to righteousness! A great hue and cry has beem raised in all quarters for the sup- pression of the wholesale crime wave that has swept the country from border to border in recent years, It is frankly admitted that the arrest and punish- ment of professional criminals is but a palliative and that a major operation is necessary to remove the cancerous root from which the evil draws its strength. But where and when will the operation take place? Science has furnished the laboratory and the equipment. In this absorbingly interesting book Mr. Robinson's citation of cases and description of methods and equipment give convincing proof that | there is no escape for the criminal, no matter how notorious or how obscure, provided the public does not want him to escape. A drop of sweat, seeping through the finger of a glove, leaves its telltale mark upon whatever it touches and can be traced to the glands that produced it. A bit of wax removed from | the ear of a suspect will reveal where he has been, how long he remained in the given location, whether he walked or rode and where he slept. The dust from hair holds the story of occupational pur- suits, and a broken pine needle or a split thread can be matched and proved when the missing counterpart is found. The faintest dust print can be lifted and the nature of the object | that made it proved. The knee print of & burglar tells the story of the cloth, the weave and the wear of his trousers. A bullet fired from any gun identifies the make, the number and, eventually, the possessor of the firearm. Finger prints and the most minute pore prints are traceable to the skin that made them. Photography will reveal the exact contents of a heavily wrapped and sealed package. Wood contains clues that appall the layman. The lie detector and the truth serum have proved infallible in common as well as in extraordinary tests. All of these methods and devices and many others are described by Mr. Rob- inson in this history of the development of scientific eriminology, through the medium of a series of true stories that® make the most thrilling of detective novels seem tame. It is related in an easy, picturesque style that is both fascinating and convincing. The highest of tributes is paid to the Division of Investigation of the Depart- ment of Justice and its chief, Mr. J. Edgar Hoover: also to the Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory affiliated with Northwestern University, Colonel Calvin H. Goddard, who organized it; August Vollmer, Arthur Koehler and others whose mames are synonymous with outstanding achievement in this most important field of scientific research as applied to the problems of today. The book was probably not intended WEDNESDAY, to arouse the public from its apathetic attitude toward the crime problem, but it will have that effect upon every thought- ful man and woman who reads it, and it is to be hoped that it will serve as & substantial beginning in & definite, intel- ligent crusade.for co-operation between Federal, State and local authorities for the prevention as well as the detection of crime. When that happy day arrives the country will no longer be treated to such exhibitions of inexcusable blunder- ing as that which took place on the night of March 1, 1932, at Sour Moun- tain, New Jersey. *x xR SUDDEN DEATH. By Lee Thayer. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. A thin, well-dressed, taut-nerved man appears at the desk of Captain of De- tectives Kerrigan and announces that he has killed Marvin Hayden. That atrociously infamous gentleman had been murdered two days before and his son arrested and jailed as the most logical suspect. The confession of Mr. Douglas Evarest, 8 man of good family, a dabbler in science and a friend of young James Hayden, sounds unmis=- takably fishy to the detective. While he is thus engaged in an unsuccessful effort to prove his guilt Valentine Berk- ley arrives with Peter Clancy to plead for the release of his sister's stepson and to request that Clancy be permitted to work for him in an endeavor to learn who did murder his hated brother-in- law. James Hayden and his stepmother were seen by the butler struggling over on of the pistol with which the elder Hayden had been shot. He be- lieves the wife of: bis master is guilty and endeavors to prove his case. And so the merry round of investigation and hit-and-miss guesswork begins, with everybody connected with and related to the house suspected. Baffled and dis- couraged, both Clancy and Kerrigan feel hopelessly lost in a welter of half {ruths open secrets until a totally unre- 1a%ed small dog, taking an airing in the park, furnishes Clancy with the inspira- ten that brings the climax and the solution. The book is net as exciting as “Dead THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SEPTEMBER 4, 1935. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. ‘The average booklcver will find him- self singularly unimpressed with the an- nouncement that the late Col. T. E. Lawrence’s final work, “The Mint,” probably will not be published for & generation “at any price less than the $500,000 now asked for each copy.” ‘Well, who cares anyway? The average booklover, the man or woman who reads about the new books and generally finds it altogether impos- sible to read more than a small per- centage of them, will not lament any book issued at such a price. If he happens to be an amateur gardener, the booklover will know that every year new varieties of various flowers are “issued” at tremendous prices, too. They are for dealers, who will mul- tiply them, and later cash in on the “very latest thing” in the flower world. In the meantime the amateur simply does not bother his head about them. He has in his garden many flowers of the same genus quite as handsome and lovely. Only the fact that they are so beau- tiful has made it possible for him to purchase them—their attraction was so great that they were widely sold and widely multiplied, so that in time there were so many of them present in the world that the price had to come down. But they remained the same lovely flower. * % k% It is so with books. Placing a fancy price on a book is merely a stunt, one which does un- doubtedly attract attention. Few average readers, however, Wwill worry much because a publisher an- nounces a new book at half a million dollars a copy. He will know, from long experience, that time has multiplied the good books to such an extent that he can purchase the best of them for no more than the price of a good meal apiece. The main thing, however, more than price, is whether or not a book is one’s own book. How to determine this is the secret of good reading. It may take a lifetime, more or less, for the honest booklover to make up his mind as to his own books. As he goes along he will be able, from time to time, to jot down in his own mind a few of the qualities which help his determination. He will be attacked all along the line by many and powerful forces, each try- ing for its own gain, in some way, to force him into wrong decisions, * x ¥ x He must realize that even if he reads the book which was not meant for him still he has made some gain. Every book, good or bad or indifferent, is the work of a human being. And there are few humans who are not worth knowing, for some reason or other. It will be impossible for all persons to say, as some do, that they have never met a human being they do not like. The critical mind will look upon all such statements as the output of non- critical minds—men and women so in love with life that they accept any- thing and everything and everybody. They are fortunate, indeed, seeing that there are so many persons one | necessarily must meet in the everyday life. Still, the man or woman who is not so inclined simply cannot agree with any such sweeping generalization. ‘What it is easy to agree to is that has never met & human who was interesting. A, that is different! Good or bad, genius or dumnhead, 2s the Germans say, powerful, lowly, mighty, or one of the pawns in the great game, every human being is interesting in some way or other. Thus, whether others please or dis- please, attract or repel, or leave one totally indifferent, they are interesting in some way. one not * k¥ x It is the same with books, by and large, but still there are certain books which interest the reader the most. These are his books. His entire reading life is devoted to finding them. ‘The happy thing is that he may go for years knowing names and titles, without reading the books, or once real- lzing that they are his very own. Then, one bright day, some reason will lead him to a certain book. In a few minutes he will be wonder- ing to himself, even as he reads, how" he ever managed to miss the book so long. “Why, this is my book!” he says to himself, * % x % He is right. His book will mot cost half a million dollars, either. He will be inclined to agree with the poet who said: “Whatever is nearest, cheapest, is best.” He will place the accent, in other words, where it belongs, not in wrong places. Cost, only a few of the factors which will tend to blind him to the main fact, that there are far, far too many books for any one person to read, and that, therefore, he must spend his time reading only those which, in time and space, are meant for him. Although he will always gain, by read- ing anything, almost, still he will be much more than gainer, in many ways, if he confines himself to those books whose authors somehow speak to him with authoritative words. This is the eternal search of the real booklover, the man or woman who loves books, not solely for what may be gotten out of them, or simply to “keep up with the new books,” or to be able to “talk books” with other persons who read only “mest sellers,” but mainly for the sake of being true to one’s self. Being true to one’s self—what a phrase it is, and how often ignored, simply bee cause it is difficult to know and at times seems pedantic and mere “words” even to attempt to find out. Like a great many theories, however, it may be made very practical, and one of the best ways to do this lies in this very matter of book reading. One will be true to one’s self without any ranting or theorizing, or attempting to impress others, if one will make sure that the books one reads are the very books, and none other, one really wants to read. Their selection must be one’s own, and not dictated by others in any form or by any means. The traps and pitfalls are many. Temptation lurks along every reading path. The real booklover, young or old, but i especially older, will resist them all, true to one leading light: Is it my book? If so, let him read on. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Thanks to Ethiopia and the rift in re- lations with the Soviet, President Roose- velt does not look forward to & wholly undisturbed rest at Hyde Park. It's altogether improbable that the United States will become embroiled in Musso- lini's war or that a rupture with Moscow is imminent. But both questions are ticklish and capable of producing de- velopments that might call suddenly for F. D. R’s personal intervention. The White House hopes each of these issues will be more or less clarified before the President starts West later in the month. While headquartering at Hyde Park, it would be easy for him to reach Wash- ington in the event of an emergency, but matters would be complicated if critical events should find the Chief Ex- ecutive on the other side of the conti- nent. Naturally, Mr. Roosevelt remains in uninterrupted touch with the inter- national situation and, wherever he is, is ready to make as prompt decisions as conditions permit. * k% Two volumes of political history of special interest to Washington are about to leave the piess. “War Memoirs of Robert Lansing” will be published Sep- tember 18 and “Notes as Vice President,” by Charles G. Dawes is scheduled to ap=- pear October 4. Mr. Lansing compiled his manuscript shortly after retiring from the secretaryship of state in 1920, following his sensational break with President Wilson. The volume contains numerous hitherto undisclosed facts in connection with the World War. Gen. Dawes’ book consists of the journal of his activities during his closing years as presiding officer of the Senate. Having stormed into office as a vociferous op- ponent of unlimited debate, it will be interesting to discover whether tae former Vice President’s autobiographical work deals with the filibuster issue, now again in the forefront of discussion. x x K % ‘With approach of 1936, national inter- est in the voting records chalked up by members of Congress will mount. Con- gressional Intelligence, Washington fac- tual reporting agency, has just com- pleted its second annual report, revealing in minute detail how every member of the House and Senate voted during the first session of the Seventy-fourth Con- gress, which recently camg to an end after eight months of stress and tur- moil. The report, covering 250 pages, carries 117 aye-and-no votes of the Sen- ate and 90 of the House, in addition to a complete digest of nearly 100 major legislative enactments. It also contains a section analyzing the functions of re- cently created New Deal alphabetical agencies as well as of old line Govern- ment departments, and listing their per- sonnel, expenditures and other data. Another section consists of a day-by- day chronological record of Congress. The volume is a complete compendium of every pertinent legislative development from January to August, 1935. * x oK K Now that the Army has fought its “war” in the Northeast, there's general expectation that appointment of a suc- cessor to.Gen. Douglas MacArthur as chief of staff will not be much longer delayed. President Roosevelt and Sec- retary Dern are keeping their choice & profound secret and it is sheer guess- work who will finally receive the coveted appointment. Maj. Gen. Dennis E. Nolan, commander of the 2d Corps Area at Governors Island, and Maj. Gen. George S. Simonds, deputy chief of staff, rank as the best bets. * x % % 3 Wuhlnc'mumzwmu ' have a particular interest in this year's | Nation-wide celebration of the cente- nary of Mark Twain's birth. It's not generally remembered that the humor- ist was a Capital scribe after the Civil War. He had already achieved fame with “The Jumping Frog” and was about to produce “Innocents Abroad.” Referring to Twain's journalistic activ- ities during reconstruction times, Edgar Lee Masters, writing in the September American Mercury, recalls Mark's de- scription of Washington during that era, when “whisky was carried into committee rooms in demijohns and car- ried out in demagogues.” * % ¥ *x Although some recent statistics re- veal that there are still 10,000,000 un- employed, the vacation season, which came officially to an end on Labor day, provided incontrovertible evidence of better times. Summer resorts every- where did their banner business since 1929. In countless cases their facilities were overtaxed and cash customers were regularly turned away. The trans- Atlantic steamship companies carried more passengers than at any time in the past five years. All over the country there was proof that spending has be- come the people’s habit again, and all forms of business experienced beneficial results. At the same time, thrift in- creased. ©ne report states there were 100,000 more savings accounts on Sep- tember 1 than at the beginning of the year. * ok k% Most frequently advanced against Senator Borah's availability for the Re- publican presidential nomination is the argument that he is in his seventy-first year. Men of ripe age sit in many seats of the Federal mighty. No fewer than five members of the Supreme Court are older than the Idahoan—Chief Justice Hughes and Associate Justices Van De- vanter, McReynolds, Brandeis and Suth- erland. Senator Carter Glass, acknowl- edged best mind of Congress, is seven years older. Senator Fletcher, chairman of the vital Senate Banking and Cur- rency Committee, is Borali's senior by five years, and Representative Edward T. Taylor of Colorado, acting Democratic floor leader of the House during the late tempestuous session, is his senior by seven years. Borah's friends con- tend that his flourishing boom proves that his recent entry into the septua- genarian class will not militate against his chances for the G. O. P. nomination. *ox % x Mrs. Harold L. Ickes was the third woman of distinction recently to lose her life in an automobile crash. Frau Schuschnigg, wife of the Austrian chancellor, was killed on July 13; Queen Astrid of Belgium, on August 29, and the wife of the Secretary of the Interior on August 31. All three accidents took place at isolated spots on rural high- ways, remote from traffic congestion. . Wits Versus Feet. Prom the Burlington (Iowa) Hawkeye Gazelte. While the Italians are squirting chem- icals on the ground to burn the Abys- sinians’ feet it would be just like those uncivilized black men to slip around and select another battlefield. U — Wallace Behind Time. From the New York Sun. The United States is now going to try to control the potato. Thousands of dieters have learned that if they don't control the potato the potato will con- trol them. binding, popularity—these are | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS By Frederic J. Haskin. A reader can get the answer to any quesion of fact by writing The Washing= ton Evening Star Information Buread, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing- ton. D. C. Pleaseinclose stamp for reply. Q. How many postmasters are there in the United States?>—A. D. A. On January 31, 1935, there were ;5;2‘ postmasters in continental United Q. Can a venomous snake strike more than its own length?—R. P. A. The {dea that a venomous snake can strike its full length, or even & greater distance, is a popular but errone- ous belief. When a snake strikes from its usual S-shaped curved position, the anterior half of the body which 1is thrown forward must be free from coil. In striking, the snake simply straightens out the 8-shaped curve. It does not have to be in this position to strike, for obser- vation has shown that when irritated most poisonous snakes can strike from almost any position for short distances. The great length of stroke is about three-fourths the length of the snake. Q. Where was “Dixie” first sung?— R. A. It was composed by Daniel Deca- tur Emmett in 1859 for a “walk-around” for Bryant's Minstrels and was first per- formed at the Mechanics’ Hall in New York. Q. How many locks are there at Sault Sainte Marie?—U. B. A. There are two canals at Sault Sainte Marie, with five locks, four on the American side and one on the Canadian side. The Davis and Sabin Locks, 1.350 | feet long and 80 feet wide, are the long- est in the world. The cost of the Ameri- can canal was $10.000,000; that of the Canadian, $2,791,873. Q. Will a direct current hold one to a wire or knock one away?—P. R. A. It will do either, depending on the nerves and muscles involved. Q. Was Canada ever called Nouvelle France?’—G. H. A. Nouvelle France, or New France, was the original name given to Canada by the early French settlers, Q. What is a noria?—L. S. A. It is a hydraulic machine used in Spain, Syria. Egypt and other countries for raising water. It consists of a water wheel with revolving buckets or earthen pitchers, but its modes of construction and operation are various. Q. What was the earliest use made of dies?—A. R. T. A. The oldest known is for the strik- ing of coins. There are in existence coins which were “struck up” over 2.000 years ago. Coining dies are still the highest example of the die sinker’s art. Q. What is the beverage called negus, and how did it get that name?—H. J. A. It is made of wine, water, sugar. nutmeg and lemon juice, and is so called from Col. Francis Negus, the inventor, who lived in the time of Queen Anne. Q. Can citizenship be conferred upon | a foreigner by a State?>—R. N. A. The Federal Government alone has the right to naturalize aliens, but the State can grant extensive privileges of State citizenship, even the suffrage, to foreigners not fully naturalized. . Who is now head of Hull House, in Chicago?—S. H. A. Mrs. Adena Miller Rich has been elected to the presidency of Hull House. Miss Grace Abbott will succeed Mrs. Rich as first vice president of the or- ganization. Q. How old was King Edward VII when he camé to the English throne?— C.R. A. He was 59 at the time of the death of his mother, Queen Victoria, when he became King. The coronation cere- monies were held ore year and a half later. Q. What was another name for the Virginia reel?>—M. W. A. It was called the Sir Roger de Coverly. Q. Is there a statue of Col. Lindbergh at the National Capital>—W. H. A. There is no statue, but there is a medallion sculpture of the head of Lind- bergh on a building erected as a branch post office, but now used as a church, Q. When did the mathematician live for whom Gunter’s chain was named?— E.G.Z. A. Edmund Gunter was born in 1581 and died in 1626. It is believed that Gunter was the first to discover that the magnetic declination at one place varies. He introduced the words “cosine” and “cotangent” into trigonometry, and suggested the use of the arithmetical | complement in logarithms. His practical inventions are: Gunter’s chain, in com- mon use for surveying; Gunter's line, the forerunner of the slide rule; Gun- ter's quadrant, used to find the hour of the day; Gunter's scale, a large plane scale used to solve problems in naviga= tion. Q. Who was Thais?—G. M. A. An Athenian courtesan, famous for wit and beauty. She accompanied Alex- ander the Great to Asia and induced him, during a festival, to set fire to the palace of the Persian Kings at Persepolis. After the death of Alexander she lived with Ptolemy Lagi, King of Egypt, who is said to have married her, and by whom she gave birth to two sons and & daughter. Q. Who succeeded Dr. Annie Besant as president of the Theosophical Bo- clety?—R. K. A. The Theosophical Society elected Dr. George S. Arundale international president. A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton Subdeb in Riding Breeches When I canter mornings 'neath the trees Katie O'Dee rides by. She pedals faster in passing me— I meet her frank blue eye. As Katie bestrides her bike in shorts I'm on the bridle path. Her wide hipline is nobody’s joy, While mine is like a lath. Her legs aren't classics, yellow hair A barbered, curly shake. As she wheels from sight, I don't know why, My heart begins to ache. Il make my bow with the best of them, A grand-slam dance and tea. It sounds ’nkn peaches and cream. But, Jinx! rd de' with Kate ODee. é