Evening Star Newspaper, November 1, 1935, Page 10

THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1935, /il A—10 —_— s THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition, WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY November 1, 1935 THEODORE W. NOYES...........Editor (e Ao bt iy e e The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Business Office: 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave New York Office: 110 East 42nd St. Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. Buropean Office: 14 Regent St., London. Ensiand. —_— Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Editio Ths Evening Star__ nday SIAT ‘The Evening "".‘faiy.‘ d .60¢c per month 45¢ per month 65¢ per month --5¢ er copy Night Final Edition. unday St 70c per month Collection made at t month. I each Orders may be sent by mail er telephone Na- tional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia, yr.. $10.00: 1 mo.. 85c $6.00; 1 mo.. sic $4.00; 1 mo.. 40c All Other States and C: Dally and Sunda yr. $1% Daily only___. T Bunday only.. * Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches eredited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All_rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved —_— - Our 1937 Budget. Complete analysis of the District's 1937 budget is not possible at this time because of a lack of details, but there is to be found in it much food for re- flection. The grand total of $47,482,760, as submitted te the Bureau of the Budget, is based on estimated revenues with the present $1.50 realty tax rate and a more equitable Federal payment. With the recommended payment by the United States of $8317,500, the budget would be well within the estimated re- ceipts and would make unnecessary the finding of new sources of taxation. The amount which the Commissioners ask of the Government is the same as last year and represents only 17'z per cent of the budget total, while the sub- stantive law calls for 40 per cent. Should the Federal payment be continued at $5,700,000 this would mean only 12 per cent. The return by Congress to its plain duty toward its Capital in the item of national contribution would rapidly make up many of the District's deficien- cies in urgent needs. Such a change in congressional policy would speed the clearing up of many, at present, unsolv- able problems. Adequate school accom- modations, courts buildings, Municipal Center, health program and other defi- ciencies could then be included in com- prehensive plans. The reluctance of some Congressmen to be just in fiscal matters toward the people of the District is explained by them as their effort to carry out the wishes of their constituents. They claim that they are taken to task for the squandering of their constituents’ money on the District of Columbia. The conviction prevails throughout the Dis- trict that if these Congressmen really took the trouble to acquaint their con- stituents with the facts there would be no difficulty in satisfactorily defending just liberality toward the National Capital. Let them tell their constituents that nearly all of the money appropriated by Congress for the District is raised by direct local taxation in amounts compar- able with the municipal tax revenues of larger, richer American cities. Let them explain that of the United States’ funds appropriated for the District a sub- stantial part is derived from District payers of Federal taxes. But the most enlightening and convincing of state- ments by a Congressman to his con- stituents would be that the District of Columbia last year paid $12,638144 in national taxes—internal revenue alone— which was more than was paid by each one of twenty-three States; that this amount paid was greater than the com- bined payments of nine States, and in per capita payments greater than thirty- eight States. And, if to these statements was added the information that some of the States receive from the United States in financial aid amounts greater than their Federal tax payments and that the District is usually denied par- ticipation in such aid, the last possible valid objection to fiscal equity for the District would vanish. ‘The primary obligation for the mainte- nance, upbuilding and adornment of the Nation's own Capital City rests on the National Government, which exclusively controls it, and it is be- lieved that the vast majority of Amer- icans, proud of their Capital, will be satisfied to see it treated with just liberality by Congress. R.00: 1 mo.~ 73 $5.00; 1 mo., B0c e —— Relief enterprises have developed a nunsber of citizens whose patriotic sense is satisfled when they answer “present” at the pay roll call. ——oe—s Bureaucratic systems imply dependence on a wealth of supervisory intelligence not easy to discover on short notice. Earthquake Danger. Numerous residents of Washington felt the tremors which ran through the District of Columbia and adjacent terri- tory early this morning, but it may be doubted that many realized what they were. The population of the Capital is not particularly earthquake-conscious, and even those individuals who have memories of San Francisco in 1906 or Tokio in 1923 feel relatively safe from seismological peril en the eastern side of North America. Human beings re- spond to events which they have reason to expect; they are slow to comprehend surprises. Hence, persons who were wakened from their sleep by the rocking of their beds an hour after midnight blandly went back to their rest without knowing or caring much about the cause of the momentary interruption of their repose. They were not anticipating any dislocation of that portion of the planet on which they dwell, and therefore were not frightened when one occurred. But it happens that not a single square Inch of the globe is immune from the universal law of constant change. Man- n kind talks of “terra firma’—the steady, immovable, eternally reliable earth— when, in sober truth, there never has been and never will be any such thing. The prime fact about every aspect of the cosmos is that of ceaseless variation. There probably have been hundreds of earthquakes along the Atlantic seaboard. It would be a violation of the basic prin- ciple of mathematics were the coastal plain on which Washington stands to be totally exempt from such adjustments. Weight systematically is being added to the lowlands, and the balance between the shore area and the interior periodi- cally must be re-established. Few of the necessary geological changes, however, are cataclysmic. It follows, then, that there is no special occasion for alarm just now. The Cap- ital has been shaken before and will be again, but scientists say that, like the Nation whose center it is, the city has fairly substantial foundations. In any case, there is no use in being timorous. Life is an adventure everywhere —the District of Columbia included; and it may be an efficient corrective of pride and overconfidence if the race has an occasional reminder of mutability. What is wanted is personal integrity and courage, and those who really endeavor to deserve the privilege of living should have little to fear though the heavens fall. . Riots in Rome. Lashed into fury by a bellicose out- burst from Mussolini against the “Ge- neva coalition of egotism and plutoc- racy attempting in vain to bar the path of our young Italy,” mobs in Rome on Thursday staged a day and night of vio- lent anti-British demonstrations. Riot- ous crowds milled around the embassy and consulate -general of the United Kingdom, tore “Prince of Wales” signs and other emblems from shops suspected of dealing in British goods, threatened a tea room and night club and hurled imprecations at a variety of other estab- lishments suspected of being outposts of perfidious Albion. No damage to life or property ensued from this Fascist Halloween celebration, but it loses nothing in significance on that account. On the contrary, it is of definite tell- tale importance. Timed to coincide with the Geneva ‘committee meeting charged with put- ting sanctions machinery in motion, the day’'s events signalize to the world that the Italians, even before they have been subjected to the screws about to be put upon them, are alive to what is in pros- pect. Mussolini himself only thinly | veils his own concern on that score. In the speech which precipitated the riots, | referred to “the economic siege of which | all civilized nations should feel su- premely ashamed.” In the face of “an experiment being tried today for the first time against the Italian nation,” the Dictator thundered that he wishes it known that “we shall oppose thereto the most implacable of resistance, our firmest decision.” Sanctions, he indi- cated, cannot and will not impede the advance of “our magnificent bearers of civilization,” who, with “courage and sacrifice,” are continuing their operations in Ethiopia “without asking anything from anybody.” It was after hearing these inspiring words from the Black Shirt chieftain that the mob sallied forth to wreak vengeance on all and sundry savoring of John Bull within the Eternal City. While it was venting its rage, an Italian spokesman at Geneva announced that his government “is ready to negotiate.” Peace talk there for the moment almost drowns out consideration of sanctions, as roundly half a hundred member na- tions, with unanimity and speed unusual for the League, prepare to put them into force. French Premier Laval and British Foreign Secretary Hoare are about to revisit Geneva. The impression persists that they carry peace proposals in their portfolics. Baron Aloisi, Mussolini’s spokesman, is back again, too. Behind the scenes, in Geneva hotel rooms, where real League business is always trans- acted, eleventh-hour ways and means for settlement of the Ethiopian conflict are clearly once more under discussion. To pave the road to it before November 15, the provisional date for making sanc- tions effective, is the goal. If anything were needed to reveal the Italian people’s craving to avert the calamity with which sanctions threaten them and the whole Fascist fabric, the riots in Rome would supply the proof. They are a certain forerunner of what Il Duce can expect when the actual pinch of economic strangulation brings home to Italy the full weight of the catastrophe which his imperial adventure brought upon it, ———— Bombing planes are burnt before they can get into action. There are reckless driving problems to be considered in the air as well as on the earth. —————— A. A. A has proceeded with 2 boldness that invites confidence in the hope that the public needs only to be patient and work up gradually through the alphabet. Eyes on New York. Election of a New York Assembly next Tuesday is holding the center of the Ppolitical stage for the time being. At present the Assembly is Democratic. The count is 76 Democrats to 73 Repub- licans, with one vacancy in a Democratic district. Not much of a margin of con- trol, but enough to have been the boast of the Democrats after the last Assembly election. If the Republicans win con- trol, therefore, even by as slim a meas- ure as that of the Democrats today, the prestige of the Democrats in New York will be dimmed. Indeed, the prestige of the Roosevelt administration outside of New York will have been dimmed. For the country is prone to interpret election results on a national scale. New York happens to be the Presi- dent's own State. It happens to have more electoral votes for President than any other State in the Union. It gave to President Roosevelt in 1932 & tre- r \} Il Duce, after excoriating the League, | | or the intrepid girl rode to a victory that mendous lead over his Republican op- ponent, former President Hoover, nearly 600,000 votes. A swing back toward the G. O. P. in the Assembly election would be hailed as a manifestation against the Roosevelt New Deal. It would be in- terpreted as a direct slap at both the President and his campaign manager, Postmaster General James A. Farley, who is chairman both of the Democratic National Committee and of the Demo- cratic State Committee of New York. Mr. Farley, it has been reported, is sending many thousands of personal let- ters to voters in New York State, urging that they go to the front for the Demo- cratic candidates for the Assembly. The contest, therefore, is assuming all the proportions of a major engagement. It will be looked upon as an indicator of the swing away from Roosevelt and the New Deal which is said to have been under way along the eastern seaboard and in the New England States ever since Rhode Island last August elected a Republican member of the House to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of a Democrat. In New York State the Democrats start & campaign for the election of a State Assembly with a large block of Assembly districts in New York City in the bag— districts that vote Democratic as regu- larly as the sun rises. They are to the Democratic party in the Empire State what the “solid South” is to the party in the Nation when a general election is held. The Republicans, on the other hand, start such a campaign with rock- ribbed Republican districts up-State. It was the inroads made by the Demo- crats up-State which caused New York's electoral votes to be handed to President Roosevelt in 1932 and which made it pos- sible for the Democrats to win & ma- jority of the present Assembly. It is in the up-State districts that the Repub- licans hope to regain their old ascen- dency in the Legislature next Tuesday. The overwhelming Republican vote up- State has always been the G. O. P.'s only hope of defeating Democratic candidates in State-wide elections. If the Democrats retain control of the Assembly after next Tuesday's elections it will be a bitter pill for the G. O. P. Republican hopes have been raised in recent months. Such a Democratic vic- tory would restore to the Roosevelt forces some of the confidence which they have lost in recent weeks. It may be easy to magnify the significance of the As- sembly election, no matter which side wins. What New York does, however, is watched with interest by the rest of the States. e Lives of famous jockeys sometimes re- mind us that horse racing is not what it used to be when the gentleman rider lifted the mortgage from the old home. —_———— Mussalini is exercising authority over Italy’s food supply. To be a dictator a man may have to go into details even to the extent of being a dietician, r—.e—s Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON, Pomp and Pretense, We like to be busy disguising ourselves As princes so fine or as goblins and elves. Yet deception is often a terrible task, There is a sigh of relief when it's time to unmask. | Nobody can know why so weary we grow Of the Truth into which we were born here below. It's an old childish game that we played without end, And for want of a name it was called “makin’ 'tend.” You were a queen in shimmering gown, Tom was an ogre and Dick was a clown. But the weapons of power are disclosed day by day, And they bid us appear in fantastic array. We call for the deference based upon fear, But the frown is not nearly so true as the tear. And whether we frighten a foe or a friend, We may find all too late we were just “makin’ ’tend.” The Machine. “You had a pretty good political machine.” “I couldn't give it my personal atten- tion all the time,” said Senator Sorghum. “Every now and then I had so much business on hand that I had to trust it to a reckless driver.” Tenaclous Purpose. ‘The prophets may in sorrow say “We're neither wise nor clever,” We're goin’ to have Thanksgivin’ day Just the same as ever. Forefathers showed us all the way To honor and endeavor, We're going to have Thanksgiving day Just the same as ever. Roads. “Do you want better roads in Crimson Gulch?” “Of course,” answered Cactus Joe. “So long as the nearby farmers get paid for not raisin’ crops they are naturally de- sirous of better facilities for pleasure driving.” “I cannot trust the man who depends on making dreams come true,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown. “Thanks to your modern science, every dream is liable to be interrupted by an alarm clock.” Appearances. We boldly defy In the earth or the sky The bombs on parade And are never afraid. But appearances grave Always make us behave. Of buttons and braid ‘We are always afraid. “One of de good friends I misses,” sald Uncle Eben, “is de gemman who told us to ssy “Every day we’s gettin’ better and better',” I\ Intelligent Study of Accident Causes Needed To the Editor of The Btar: At its last meeting, on October 24, the board of directors of the Washington Federation of Churches unanimously voted to give support to The Star’s safety campaign. It is the opinion of the federation that this is a most con- structive move, and clearly in the interest of the community. For this reason we give it our cordial indorsement, It is a miatter of regret to the federa- tion that the present campaign to reduce sutomobile accidents and fatalities does not include an intelligent and exhaustive survey of the causes. The point we have in mind may be illustrated by develop- ments at a recent hearing before the Alcohol Beverage Control Board, relating to the granting of a li- cense. The applicant testified that he intended to sell hard liquor and that most of his patrons would be those com- ing in automobiles. Opponents of the application argued that it is contrary to the public interest to grant a liquor license to one who admits that he intends to sell it principally to automobile pg- trons, who, after consuming the liquor, will resume their place at the steering wheel. The board denied the application, its decision making special reference to the automobile patronage. This is one of the most constructive steps the A. B. C. Board has taken. But how many other places are there where, because of licenses already granted, auto patrons imbibe generously of hard liquor and then drive off? How many persons are driving with poor brakes, with defective clutches, with glaring headlights and with tires just ready to blow out? Are the qualifica- tions for driving permits sufficiently rigid? Are habitual violators of the rules still driving? And why should it be the accepted thing to drink cocktails and then drive? Why cannot the causes of increased fatalities be scientifically de- termined or reasonably approximated? The federation believes that the cam- paign should not be limited to the sign- ing of a pledge, but that it should in- clude a careful study and analysis of underlying causes. We do, however, align ourselves definitely with you in your splendid campaign, and you are at liberty to give such publicity to our ac- tion as you may deem appropriate. WILLIAM TAYLOE, Jr., Chairman, Committee of Civic Af- fairs, Washington Federation of Churches. S Reroute Busses Through Less Congested Streets To the Editor of The Star: Figures recently published by Traffic Director Van Duzer disclose the obvious fact that Connecticut avenue and M street is the most congested intersection in Washington, with 47379 vehicles crossing in one hour; that more cars went around Dupont Circle, however, and that Connecticut avenue and Cal- vert street was used by 39.250 vehicles. If Connecticut avenue is so congested from Calvert street to M street, why run all the Chevy Chase busses down a con- gested thoroughfare? Calvert Street Bridge is wide, Eighteenth street north- west has been widened and there is no congestion on the new bridge or Eight- eenth street. The majority of the Chevy Chase busses should turn at the bridge and reach town via Eighteenth street and Massachusetts avenue, thereby elim- inating the terrific congestion on Con- necticut avenue. Good logic demands the change and countless Chevy Chase residents wish to reach Eighteenth and Columbia road without the inconvenience of transfer- ring at Rock Creek loop. I camnot understand why the Capital Transit Co. selected the busiest and most congested street in Washington to run their busses, when the city has spent a million dollars to build a new bridge to accommodate increased traffic and has widened Eighteenth street northwest for the same purpose. R. N. MILLER. e Ambulances Should Not Be Subject to Noise Rules To the Editor of The Star: Today’s news carries the information that a woman lost her life because the ambulance arrived too late; the siren of the vehicle was officially ordered re- moved by the authorities in the noise- abatement drive and thus could not make the usual headway. All this raises the question: Is silence Im»rm;e essential than the saving of human ife? From the foregoing it would appear 50. In our zeal and ardor we have no doubt forgotten a similar incident that took place several years ago. At that time we were engaged in a speed-reduction drive much the same as we are now. All vehicles were ordered to reduce their speed; ambulances were limited to 18 miles per hour. As a result several lives were lost because of the unnecessary delay, and before long the authorities saw the folly of their ruling and ordered the rule rescinded. , Now, I should like to ask: Are the authorities going to go through the same process of needless sacrifice to see the light or are they going to profit from the past experience? Let us answer the question before it is too late. DANTE AMOROSO. Commendation of Drive Against Unclean Books To the Editor of The Star: Permit me to express my appreciation of the excellence of the editorial “Un- clean Books Drive” in your issue of Oc- tober 24, 1935, The extent of the traffic in vile books and pictures, and the effect they have on the minds of young people and weak- minded adults is not generally realized. ‘The crime engendered through such pub- lications if brought to light might be found to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, evil in America today. These crimes usually do not come to light unless actual murder or kidnaping ensue, because of their repulsiveness and the fact that shame prevents good people who have cognizance of them from bringing the facts to the attention of law enforcement officers, Your realization of the grave dangers incident to the publication of obscene literature and your work in molding pub- lic opinion against such literature should have a most salutary effect. K. P. ALDRICH, Chief inspector, Post Office Department,. Too Optimistic. Prom the Worcester Telegram. It is hinted that automobiles may eventually be equipped with dashboard telephones. But nobody ventures to pre- dict that some day the automobile will be supplied with parking space. ot ————— Mules Are Neutral, Prom the Miami (Fla.) Herald. American motors and mules are help- ing Italy in Ethiopia. However, they are neutral. They would work just as hard on the other side. The New Thread. From the Geneva (N. Y.) Times. And now, if you find any of the neigh- scrapping, just threaten 'em with ] “Dear Sir: I always enjoy your sec- tion of The Star and was interested the other night in your discussion of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ It does not surprise me at all that you have never been able to read it, and the reason is plain—it is 30 exceedingly feminine a book. “But to feminine hearts who even after middle age love fripperies and foolish girls, accounts of balls and leaving of notes, it is much endeared. However, my own favorite is ‘Emma,’ charming, illogical Emma, with ‘Pride and Preju- dice’ ranking second. ‘Mansfield Park,’ with its somewhat smug godliness, and ‘Northanger Abbey’ are the two I can never read without impatience. “But apparently there are also mascu- line minds to whom Jane Austen is dear. Do you happen to know of the English botanist, Reginald Ferrer? He did fine work amid dangerous surroundings in the Chinese borderlands of Tibet, and ‘was later killed or died of fever in upper Burma. But wherever he went he took and read Jane. “When he had made & perilous climb up & 2,000-foot Himalayan cliff in a storm he would remark, ‘If Louisa (of “Persuasion”) had fallen here, she really would have injured her head’ When he was shut up by the deluge for three days in & tiny hut he sent one of his coolies back 15 miles for ‘Northanger Abbey.’ The coolie, not being versed in Jane Austen, returned with ‘Emma.’ “‘Alas,’ said Ferrer, ‘I had set my heart on the other. But still, one can never go amiss with my dear Jane." “When one reads of his painstaking and perilous botanizing in impossible situations, his wisdom in dealing with hostile tribes, and his intrepidity in danger Jane takes on a piquancy that makes one admire her more. “I apologize for taking so much of your time and thank you again for your very human articles. Sincerely yours, H. W.R.” * ® ok % What & piquant writer was the great Jane, as good today as ever, though 100 years have rolled away since she penned her exquisite novels! The interesting reminiscences of our correspondent bring out the fact that Jane was, for all her essential femininity, a writer for all persons of discrimination. One “he-man,” if such a designation may be used, is named above, but there were many more in the lady's own day, including no less robust males than the great Disraeli and the ne less great Sir ‘Walter Scott, who found her novels very much to their liking. Disraeli, it is said, read her “Pride and Prejudice” 17 times. So it can be realized that masculinity and femininity, as such, have little to do with such matters, except in so far as one book—and it probably is “Sense and Sensibility"—is so essentially feminine in character that it scarce will appeal to a normal male. We like to hope that it was not a favorite of either Scott or Disraeli—and we probably are right, for their favorites of Jane's books are known and they said nothing about the others. We think it*only fair to say that sev- eral women whose opinion value highly find “Sense and Sensibility” quite as hard to get through as ourself. * * ¥ x So what does all this show, except that the novels of Jane Austen are a little compact world of their own, in which every reader will find much de- light? We say “every reader,” Wecause only those who find her charming will read. Many will not and that is their loss. But it is probably true that the novels of this incomparable Jane are one of the sure tests of whether one is a civilized person. Her readers can feel, with more than average right, that they are civilized. It is significant that much the same quality which made the great botanist select Jane Austen for his reading in dangerous places compelled the adven- turers of Admiral Byrd’s first trip to the South Pole to chcose W. H. Hudson's “Green Mansions” as their favorite. Each wished a work depicting life as far from their present situation as pos- sible—and one found it in the everyday small life of England, the others in a book romantic and green in setting, making as great a contrast as possible with the all-maleness and barren white- ness of the polar regions. * X ¥ X One has but to open a Jane Austen novel at any page to see what it was which endears her to so many people of diverse characters. Take that opening sentence in “Per- suasion”: “Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, wa$ a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the ‘Baronetage.’” If that doesn't describe Sir Walter quickly and completely, it can’t be done. And if a reader doesn’t want to con- tinue, then the incomparable Jane is not for him—or her, either, for that matter. Open the book at random and take this: “Anne smiled and said: “‘My idea of good company, Mr. Elliot, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of con- versation; that is what I call good com- “‘You are mistken,’ said he gently; ‘that is not good company—that is the best. Good company requires only birth, education and manners. Birth and good manners are essential; but a little learn- ing is by no means a dangerous thing in good company; on the contrary, it will do very well."” * * ¥ % It is interesting to see here the fore- runner of all the well-bred novels which culminated in the works of the late John Galsworthy. Surely one has to be well-bred to like either, which is just another way of saying that one must be highly civilized. The fact that our famous botanist was in a wild and woolly land did not prevent him from retaining the intense degree of civility which he took with him. Like the famous kittens born in the oven, which did not become, by the fact of their birth, biscuits, but re- mained very much cats, so entirely civ- ilized persons of all degrees—and there are just as many degrees of civilization as of anything else—will cherish some- thing or other which they regard as a mark of culture. Were we to find a man in a dirty hovel, and unkempt, if we caught him reading “Emma’ we would know in- stantly and beyond a doubt that he was entirely civilized, although he might not look it. One might possess the novels of Jane Austen, as the porter did the copy he carried, without reading them at all, but no one reads them except the cultured. It is as good a test as any. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. President Roosevelt began operations at his press conference this week by waving high aQove his head a fat blue pencil, and then proceeded to talk about the budget. At first some of his visitors thought the altitudinal gesture was meant to indicate that the sky is going to be the limit of the budget, but F. D. R. hastened to explain that the pencil was merely the symbol of what he's going to do to it. He had already started in, he added, to wield that weapon. The President appealed to news writers to lay off “wild” budget stories and wait for official figures, which will be avail- able on the eve of the assembling of Congress. Until then everything will be sheer guesswork and therefore wholly misleading. In accordance with his cus- tom, Mr. Roosevelt, when the time comes, will gather Washington correspondents around him for a cozy budget talk in the oval room of the White House and for their enlightenment will elucidate in simple terms exactly what Uncle Sam'’s 1936-37 expense account means. How the ordinary cost of Government is going up was indicated by the Presi- dent’s casual remark that there are 3,000 more Federal prisoners to be cared for now than a year ago, and 25,000 more men in the Army to be fed, clothed and housed. The White House earnestly hopes unfounded speculation about the budget will be conspicuous by its absence this time. * X ¥ % As far as trade with Italy is con- cerned, American business has now been put on the honor system. It is plain from the latest statements of President Roosevelt and Secretary Hull that at the moment nothing compulsory is con- templated to keep exporters from sup- plying Mussolini with non-prohibited sinews of war. In other words, our mer- chants, manufacturers, cotton growers, wheat raisers, producers of oil and cop- per et al, are expected to place patriotism above profit and not to capitalize the human misery inseparable from war. By exerting its moral influence in re- straint of trade, the administration has done about everything within its present authorized power to support League sanctions. There is an ominous sting in the tail of Mr. Roosevelt's declara- tion, viz, that the Government is keep- ing “informed” as to all shipments de- signed to reach the belligerents, either directly or by trans-shipment through other countries. This smacks of a warn- ing that more drastic steps to prevent war trade may eventually take the place of moral persuasion. D When M. Constantin Fotitch, newly accredited Minister from Yugoslavia, ar- rived in Washington the other day he found on duty at his legation a Scots- man, Capt. Gordon Gordon-Smith, who has been there for the past 17 years, with the rank of acting military attache. ‘Though Scotch as his name and accent, Capt. Gordon-Smith is now a Yugoslav subject. On the eve of the armistice in 1918 he was engaged in promoting the organization of a Yugoslav legion in the United States, which was to be formed with aid of a $200,000,000 congressional appropriation voted for that purpose. By profession the Caledonian-Yugoslav diplomat is a journalist. For many years he represented the old New York Herald in Europe. %% Joseph B. Eastman, Federal co-ordi- nator of transportation, who now de- votes most of his attention to enforce- ment of the new law regulating motor bus and truck traffic, has just had his maiden expériénée with bus travel. It bappensd -cns day - during -his recent sojourn in the South, when he addressed the National Association of Motor Bus Operators at New Orleans. Uncle Sam’s transportation boss siys busses seem to offer all the facilities that railroad trains afford. except that he finds it difficult to’read in the former. Mr. Eastman apparently has gone air-minded for really rapid transit, as he has been using planes to get to and from speaking en- gagements in distant parts of the country. * X X x Although President Roosevelt stated at Cambridge, Md.,, the other day, when dedicating the big new Choptank River Bridge, that he understood he was the first President ever to visit that par- ticular (Dorchester) county, he was pre- ceded to the Eastern Shore by President Coolidge, who once tarried in Crisfield, at the lower end of Somerset County, about 95 miles from Cambridge. “Cal” was on a week end cruise aboard the Mayflower and dropped off for Sunday church services. There's a legend that the thrifty Vermonter deposited such a generous contribution in the collection plate that the church decided to preserve the bill as a souvenir. * * x % While political eyes are riveted on next Tuesday's elections in New York and Kentucky, New Dealers are keenly in- terested in what happens in Pennsyl- vania, too, especially in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Senator Joe Guffey, new chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has made a State- wide tour exhorting the faithful to roll up a vote of confidence in Roosevelt policies as a token of triumph in 1936. The big Keystone prize the New Dealers seek is the Philadelphia mayoralty. In Pittsburgh they want to land the county commissionership. With Allegheny County Republicans split three ways among a strange Mellon-Pinchot com- bination, an Independent Progressive party and another group calling them- selves “Square Dealers,” the Democrats, moving in complete party harmony, hope to sweep the deck. Penn State in their next year’s electoral college column is the Democrats’ gleaming goal. * x % % No man in New Deal office occupies 80 unique & political position as John G. Winant, chairman of the Social Se- curity Board. Despite his job, the former New Hampshire Governor, a Republican of progressive hue, continues to figure in G. O. P. 1938 presidential straw votes. Winant's friends understand his hat will not be in the ring until 1940, when he will be only 51 years old. L Japan’s chief delegate at the London Naval Conference in December will be astute Admiral Qsami Nagano, who is well kpown in Washington. He was once naval attache here and in 1932 represented his government at the Ge- neva Disarmament Conference. The admiral is & member of the Supreme War Council at Tokio. * K ok % Nelson B. Gaskill, former chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, now a member of the District of Columbia bar, is the author of a volume entitled “Profit and Social Security,” just off the press. It is a plea for “a carefully regu- lated capitalism.” Mr. Gaskill is a Re- publican, former .assistant attorney gen- eral of New Jersey and a Harvard law uate. (Copyright, 1938.) - Proceed! From the Yakima (Wash) Republic. A surgeon is reported to have taken a nut from a man's brain. Let him keep on with-the good work. F) ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS By Frederic ]. 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- ton, D.C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. Under the rules of betting in the mutuel system, how late can a horse be withdrawn from a race?—H. T. A. A horse can be excused by the stewards bécause of accident or casualty before leaving for the post, and the pooling is not affected thereby. The tickets purchased on the horse that has been declared are redeemed at their cost value, such amount being subtracted from the pool. If, however, a horse has left the paddock for the post it becoses a starter and all bets on it stand whether it starts or not. Q. Who are the 25 men who are said to rule the world?—E. M. A. The book, “Our Lords and Masters,” lists the following: King George V of England, Pope Pius XI, Leon Trotsky, Emperor Hirohito of Japan, Mahatma Gandhi, Stanley Baldwin, Sir Samuel Hoare, Andre Tardieu, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mustapha Kemal, Gen. Werner von Blomberg, Gen. Sadao Araki, Gen. Klementi Voroshilov, Gen. Chiang Kai-Shek, Montagu C. Norman, Lord Reading, Baron James de Roths- child, Eugene Schneider, Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, J. P. Morgan, John D. Rocke- feller, jr.; Sir Henri Deterding. Q. What are the Finger Lakes?—S. H. A. They are a group of long narrow lakes in the western part of New York, comprising one of the scenic regions of the State. The principal lakes are Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco and Skaneateles, Q. How many troops did Great Britain have overseas at the time of the Armi- stice?—N. S. T. A. British expeditionary forces in Europe, Asia and Africa at the time of the Armistice numbered 2.100,000. As British casualties had been 900,000 killed and many more wounded, the total over- seas forces from the beginning of the war was nearly 3,000,000 Q. Was Katharine Cornell born in this country?—T. L. A. She was born of American parents in Berlin, Germany. Q. Have farm wages increased any? —K. L. A. Bureau of Agricultural Economics figures show a 13 per cent increase over last year. The average wage is now $20.57 a month with board and $30.38 without board. Q. How many women are employed as_air hostesses in the United States? —R. M. A. Airlines in the United States employ 197 young women as hostesses. Q. What is meant by bank holidays in England?—R. E. A. Bank holidays have been celebrated in England since 1871 as secular holidays when banks are closed. They are Enge land's only perpetual legal holidays. Q. Who was Asmodeus?—E. M. A. An evil spirit of early Jewish history told of in the Book of Tobit. He slew the seven husbands of Sara, daughter of Raguel. He was associated with King Bolomon, assisting by his magic in the building of the temple. Solomon's loose moral qualities are blamed by the Jews on the evil influences of Asmodeus. He was finally exorcised by Tobias to the uttermost parts of Egypt and bound there. Q. What is an atmospheric engine? —G. C. A. This engine was invented by Papin in 1695 and was a forerunner of the Watt steam engine. Its single piston was forced up by steam and returned by atmospheric pressure, Q. Who were the greatest epigrame ma'i:ts of all time?—C. J. A. The greatest Greek epigrammatist - was Simonides. The principal Roman * epigrammatists were Martial and Juve= nal. Boileau-Despreaux, Voltaire, Shake= speare, Pope and Oscar Wilde were among the most brilliant of the ages. Q. Who was Fatima?—F. M. C. A. She was the daughter of Mohammed and wife of Ali. Q. What is the Granth?—J. 8. A. It is the sacred book of the Sikhs in India. It might be described as the Sikh Bible. Q. What is the temperature in the city of Guatemala?—L. T. A. The city is 5,000 feet above sea level and has, probably, the narrowest thermal range in the world. The highest tem- perature—which occurs in April and May —is 68 degrees F., and the lowest is 61 degrees F., occurring in December and January. Q. Has it always been the custom to bury the wives of soldiers in Arlington Cemetery?—W. L. W. A. It has been the custom to bury the wives of officers and enlisted men in Arlington and other national ceme- terles since 1890, The policy was adopted in order to permit husbands ; and wives to be buried together as is usually done in private cemeteries. Q. How many students are attending the University of Pittsburgh?—M. M. A. For the first semester, 1935-6, the preliminary registration total is 8,013, The final count has not been made. Q. What are the Cahokia Mounds? , —L. 8. A. They are a group numbering at least 85 mounds on the bottoms near Cahokia, Ill. The central mound known locally as Monks’ Mound, because it was occupied from 1808 to 1818 by a settle- ment of Trappist monks, ic the largest artificial earthwork in North America north of Mexico. It is 1,080 feet long, 710 feet wide, and 100 feet high. A part of the area is a State park. e o A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton Indian Summer Where the wild geese southward fly And the brown leaves scattered lie Over wooded path and stream, ‘Where the partridge berries gleam Underneath the first light snow Melting in the sunset glow, From the wintry leaves blown down I would lift your eyes of brown To wing seeking warmer clime, And red berries touched by rime I would fasten on your breast— In the face I love the best I would fling flame o'er its snow Till it melted in the glow ©Of the ardors we might know!