Evening Star Newspaper, November 5, 1935, Page 10

(A-10 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition, WASHINGTON, D. C. TUESDAY ............November 5, 1935 e THEODORE W. NOYES...........Editor Memiledsali MmN The Evening Star Newspaper Company. 11th !LB r%‘:'-:nh Ave. Chicago Office: Lake Micl lr:_‘ pullcing, na. European Office: 14 Regent St.. Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edition. Evening Stai - ng and Sunday Star 'n 4 Sundays -45¢ per month 60c per month 65¢ per month -5¢ per copy The Orders may be tional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia, yr. : 1 mo. 85¢ (2 1 mo., 50c yri, on i Bunday oniy’ $4.00; 1 mo.. 40c All Other Stat Dally and Daily only. Bunday onl Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all new: credited to it OF not otherwise credited paper and also the local news published herein, All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved - and Canads, $12.00; 1 mo.. $1.00 $8.00: 1 mo. 75c $5.00; 1 mo. 50c Trade With Canada. Tt is gratifying news that the newly elected prime minister of Canada, Wil- liam Lyon Mackenzie King, will be in ‘Washington this week to confer with President Roosevelt about a Canadian- American tariff treaty. The statesman swept into power at the head of a Lib- eral party government only three weeks ago is obviously a believer in keeping political promises. He pledged Canada that if he were intrusted with author- ity one of his earliest acts would be an effort to negotiate an agreement be- twgen the Dominion and the Unitgd States which, before tariff wars cast their malign shadow across the border, were long each other’s best customer. The stage at Washington at this time is more favorably set for a mutually profitable pact than in the recent past. Reciprocal tariff arrangements are among the key policies of the New Deal. They form the basis of half a dozen treaties already concluded with coun- tries in Europe and South America. Negotiations for a bargain with Can- ada have been in progress for months, but because of clashing interests on both sides, loath to surrender advan- tages conferred by existing rates, and also on account of the parliamentary contest in Canada, progress Wwas ar- Tested. Now, to give prompt effect to his cam- paign pledges, Mr. Mackenzie King is bent upon renewing negotiations and carrying them to a conclusion. Ottawa tariff experts have been in Washington for several days in consultation with the State Department, paving the way for the general discussions which the prime minister will hold with the President eand Secretary Hull. The pending St. Lawrence Waterway treaty is also ex- pected to figure conspicuously in Mr. Mackenzie King's visit. Face-to-face consideration of the thorny Canadian-American trade prob- lems is a far more efficacious way of tackling them than through the tedi- ous channels of diplomacy. With the cordial will present upon the part of both high contracting parties, the Mac- kenzie King-Roosevelt conversations are bound to bring matters forward. Before depression the United States exported, roundly, & billion dollars’ worth of goods annually to Canada, while the Domin- fon sold about half a billion dollars’ worth to the United States. Between 1929 and 1932 trade each way was more than cut in half. It is climbing again, but is still far below the old-time level. The difficulty in the path of a recip- rocal treaty lies chiefly in reluctance of important American interests to approve tariff reductions on Canadian potatoes, lumber, fish, milk, cream, live cattle and minetals. Canadian manufacturers, on their part, have looked askance at con- cessions which would admit larger quantities of machinery, chemicals, iron and steel and other American products. The opportunities for a give-and-take treaty are uncommonly wide. If they are grasped in a spirit of mutual ac- commodation, with suppression of group advantage in favor of the general na- tional interest, ~Canadian - American reciprocity can be translated from an ideal into an actuality. As an ardent apostle of the theory that economic nationalism has no place in this modern interlocking world, the Canadian prime minister is assured of a warm welcome and sympathetic hearing in Washington. e — FEthiopians are not alert in using pop- ular songs to the extent of figuring in the sources of the Nile for a version of “Old Man River.” No Favored Class. Some years ago a wealthy alumnus of & certain American university left a considerable portion of his estate to found a school of journalism. The trustees of the institution perforce were obliged to choose instructors for the new establishment. Men with valid academic claims were selected. But graduates of the first few classes found it difficult to obtain positions. Managing editors told them they needed practical experience. A change of policy, then, was indicated as desirable. And it was initiated with distinctive forthrightness. Veteran newspaper writers were enlisted as teachers. Not one of the number was possessed of a diploma. All they knew was what they had learned on the firing line of their profession. Yet their pupils had no trouble getting jobs. Perhaps a traditional doctrine of folk philosophy is involved in such matters. In a democracy, anyway, it commonly is believed that actual training is to be preferred to theoretical training. People who really can do things customarily are more highly regarded than those who merely have ideas about how to do them. ‘The difference, it seems, is factually im- portant in terms of results. A call of the roll of great American characters pro- vides evidence of the small part which THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, institutionally educated personalities have played in the development of West- ern civilization as compared with that of heroes, like Washington, Jackson and Lincoln, who lacked formal academic advantages. But in recent years there has come into being a curious prejudice against self-taught and job-taught workers. In the Gevernment as well as in the private business and professional circles of the Nation there has grown up & strange dis- crimination against applicants for em- ployment who cannot show proof of scholastic preparation. The American Federation of Government Employes re- cently has called attention to alleged undue favoritism to college graduates. E. Claude Babcock, president of the or- ganization, has summarized the problem in the statement: “Perhaps as a natural result of the influx of college professors into administrative positions in the Gov- ernment * * * the tendency to regard college training as a necessary prerequi- site to entrance or promotion in the service has become more and more pronounced.” Of course, there may be occasions— in law and medicine, for example—when the practice is defensible. The ordinary civil service examination, however, should be all the test required. If an applicant can pass, no further arbitrary hurdle should be placed in his path. The United States is the last country in the world where any artificial bar to progress should be tolerated. In fine, there should be no favored class—either collegiate or non-collegiate. Any other notion is in- consistent with the spirit of American life. —— Florida’s Storm Visitation. Florida's latest visitation from the sea in the form of a hurricane has passed out to the Gulf after sweeping the tip of the peninsula, taking four lives and destroying property to the extent of about a million and a half dollars. Compared with some of the previous storms that have raged over this ex- posed territory, the devastation has been moderate. The early reports of the storm, as it came roaring athwart the Bahamas, were such as to cause the gravest anxi- ety. The wind velocity was at such a point as to threaten an enormous de- struction when it hit the coast. At an estimated rate of 135 miles an hour, this was one of the most furious dis- turbances ever known to have been generated in that cauldron of seamen’s sorrows that lies to the east and south of Cuba. There is, however, no exact reckon- ing upon the performances of these storms. Some of them gain in force as they approach the shore, while others abate in their fury. While their courses can be approximately plotted in advance, after several reports have been received to indicate the rate of the wind, the direction of the center and the rate of progress, they have a perplexing way of suddenly departing from both course and degree of intensity. Now they weaken as they come swirling in toward the land, and again they pick up in their intensity. This latest storm seemed to have abated somewhat when it hit the coast. * As a rule, the storms which spin toward the shore from the western end of Cuba from the Gulf of Mexico carry less dynamic power than those that originate in more northerly waters and skirt the upper Cuban coast. Both kinds, however, are sufficiently dan- gerous to cause great anxiety when they are first observed, and warning is given of their approach. The storms from the more westerly area of the Caribbean usually sweep their way northward, gen- erally following the coast of the con- tinent. The easterly generating disturb- ances ordinarily cut across the Florida peninsula and dissipate themselves in the western Gulf. This latest disturb- ance has been of the latter variety. Florida lies in an exposed position as regards both of these classes of storms and suffers accordingly. It has excep- tional attractions of climate as a place of resort and pleasure, but those very attractions have their disadvantages in that they are to some extent incident to vagaries that from time to time cause distress. May it be hoped that this latest visitation, which, in comparison with past performances of the elements in that region has done but little harm, will be the only one of the season which is just opening. ————s Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Ickes do not agree in ideas of money distribution. In the meantime many citizens will take heart in the assurance that there is money to be distributed. N Chicago Makes Time. Chicago has adopted Eastern standard time. Decision to that effect was reached yesterday, when the City Council, by a vote of forty-four to three, declared that hereafter the clocks shall be set in accord with those of Detroit, which is just in- side the “Eastern” zone line, and New York, which is well within the zone. Chicago itself is two hundred miles west of the zone boundary. The councilmen were so set on changing the time that they would not even consider an amend- ment for a referendum te the people on the subject. When the United States was zoned for time in 1884 Chicago was included in the Central section, one hour earlier in clock reckoning than Washington. Since 1922 it has had “daylight saving,” which, during the period of clock changing, gave it the same time as Washington, which has not had daylight saving for a con- siderable period—and only had it briefly at that. In the course of the debate before the council in Chicago it was urged that the mail carriers, milk wagon drivers and other workers who arise be- fore daylight were opposed to the change, while public and parochial school officials and child specialists favored it. One of the three aldermen who opposed the new rule called it “fooling with the clock.” As a matter of fact daylight sav- ing is nothing else than that. One opposing alderman declared, “When fathers and mothers get their children up in the dark, splash cold water in their faces to wake them up and send them off to scheol in zero weather an hour before sunrise they won't like it and you'll hear from them in no uncer- tain terms.” This horrid picture of public disapproval did not deter the aldermen, who were more moved by the argument of another member who said: “God made the sun to rise and set, and man made time and he can change it.” Man can, of course, make time in the sense of calling any hour by whatever name he wants, if his voice is potent in legislation. What a particular period of the day is called as an hour makes not the slightest difference in the solar move- ments, the degree of illumination on the surface of the earth or the variations of temperature. It is all, in fact, merely an arbitrary scale. Whether Chicago will be content with the new dispensation cannot be foretold. There are possible embarrassments in prospect. As, for in- stance, the matter of railroad schedules under which trains may arrive and de- part with eccentric irregularity. It will be somewhat disconcerting to travelers to arrive an hour ahead of time or to start for the train omly to find that it hds been gone for an hour. And there are other confusions possible, particular- ly if Chicago continues daylight saving in addition to the shift. But inasmuch as it has proceeded on the hypothesis that “man made time and he can change it,” another change may be had later. s Europe still provides the best music for radio purposes. Cominunism has never provided any music that will lay the singing school liable to suspicion as a means of molding opinion. Even Wagner in his resplendent mythology never found a kind word to say for the swastika. r—ve—s Many friends welcomed Jimmy Walker back, but had to admit that his genial repartee does not scintillate at its best when it is not under fire. His personal charm is in danger of being overwhelmed by a spirit of benign well-wishing. —— Local governments desirous of Federal funds may be a little handicapped in raising a contingent quota by the fact that they have to face taxpayers as friends and neighbors. ————————— In making arrests the traffic cop re- fuses to be handicapped by being obliged to include a “social register” as an in- struction book. e The farmer will stamp his sack of po- tatoes with a sense of pride in the hope that as the evolution of barter proceeds it may figure as a unit of currency. —— e Whatever may happen in diplomatic affairs, Geneva will retain her reputa- tion for producing the finest hotel greeters in the world. — e Ethiopian discipline suffers from an oc- casional stampede for surrender to a cook tent where spaghetti is being served. —————————— No pacifist sentiment will ever prevent a college glee club from vociferating the fact that it is out to fight for alma mater. oot Voters go to the polls today to go on record® with some significant tips as to future elections. - Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. No Magic Desired. “A magical carpet I'll weave you,” Exclaimed the magician so bold. “It will take you afar and will leave you In castles of purple and gold. It will drift to the land of your dreaming ‘Where songs murmur only of cheer, Where turrets of fancy are gleaming In the castles where promise draws near.” I said to my friend, the magician, “No magical carpet I crave, For a rug I submit my petition That is beaten to make it behave. A plain honest rug that will bring me The old-fashioned comforts of home And never grow fractious and fling me Afar where 'mid dreaming I'll roam.” Corn Hogs. “Do you think the farmer is produc- ing as much as he ought to?” “I can't say,” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “Sometimes I think he has com- mitted himself to an idea of pork and bean doggling.” Spectacular Ethnology. Those Abyssinians will fight And make a wild display. Oh, does it seem exactly right To waste their time that way? ‘We'd rather see them onward go Behind the gilded wickets With some one to finance the show And others taking tickets. More Polite Politics. “How is politics in Crimson Gulch?” “All right,” said Bronco Bob. “We're getting rid of the idea that when a man runs for office the boys get out with so many six shooters ihat the only thing for him to do is to keep on running.” “To instruct others,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is easy enough if you instruct them only in the things they already wish to believe.” Weird Creatures. ‘The elephant looks curious, The camel’s very quaint. Orang-ou-tangs grow furious, ‘The lion is no saint. But in & mechanistic time When we for monsters call The bombing planes that fiercely climb Seem queerest of them all. “All men are brothers,” said Uncle Eben, “an’ dat fact am no excuse foh bein’ too quick to start a family quarrel.” Stock Material. Prom the Cincinnati Times-Star. To judge from advance speeches, Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln will all be in the 1836 campaign. [ True Modernism Concept In Art and Architecture To the Editor of The Star: The interesting letter of William Macy anent modernism in art prompts me to write some reflections of my own. I, too, feel your statement regarding “Modern- ism” was a bit too broad, but reading between the lines I believe you meant that the modernist pose has had its day and artists with nothing but a pose can no longer hold the attention of people of cosmopolitan taste. After all, Cezanne’s main contribution was to explode the fallacies of the im- pressionists and the artistic pose of his own day. His little sensation was to paint the apple round and construct a scene on principles of geometrical struc- ture, He would have probably renounced Picasso and the cubists. The painting of easel pictures has claimed altogether too much attention. Architecture, mural painting and sculp- ture are more profitable as major artistic interests and intelligent criticism and appraisal may arouse a conception of the fruits to be developed in these fields. Recent architecture and sculpture in this city offer a rich ground for con- structive criticism. The sculpture is the usual product of clay modeler, pointing machine and stone carver. The ancient pre-hellenic conception of sculpture as a work produced by the collaboration of the artist and his material finds little reflection in this current work. The art of modeling is not sculpture; it is more closely allied to painting than to sculp- ture. The modeler builds up his work by the addition of clay, the painter by the addition of pigment. Sculpture is a cutting away; the form must be seen and felt by the artist in the block and he then cuts away to release it. The con- ception of the form and technique of carving should be influenced by the nature of the material, resulting in a collaboration of artist and material and in true sculpture. Let us have done with psuedo sculpture in all forms, whether in statuary groups or architec- tural ornament and architecture will have a new birth. The architect too often gives little thought to the nature of material which he molds or carves. The new Supreme Court porch columns are of a beautifully veined hard white marble, colorful and rich of surface character, yet the archi- tect carves the shafts with fluting and the capitols with rich foliage just as he might do with a soft limestone. The material itself has nothing to say; it does not collaborate. The same form of column is repeated on the Archives Building in limestone. I presume the Capitol will reveal a similar one in cast iron and a search around town will pro- duce more copies in wood, granite and terra cotta. The so-called modern approach to art can lead nowhere without an intelligent consideration of simple fundamentals. When these are established the artist and craftsman may proceed, each in his own field. Encourage the masons, the carpenters, plasterers and metal workers to be craftsmen rather than quantity pro- ducers. The aridity of a brick wall may be relieved by pattern in bond or the judicious use of molded or ornamental relief produced by chiseling of the bricks. A brick mason might well establish his repute by a taste and ability in such craftsmanship and become an artist in his own field. The chiseled brick ornamentation of some Tudor, Elizabethan and French work has a crispness and character all its own not to be equaled by molded brick. The cultivated people of those days could take a more intelligent in- terest in such work than do people today in easel paintings they have never seen. The court of Francois Premier could get quite excited over a dormer window and that of Louis Quatorze over an item of hardware, It is apparent that the term “Modern- ism” carries a different significance to different people. I gather from your editorial that you are modern in the same way as all progressive eras have been modern. That is the only modern- ism worth talking about. CHARLES CHANNING. Put Governors on Motors Of the Chronic Speeders ‘To the Editor of The Star: A United States Senator recently an- nounced he would initiate legislation de- signed to compel automobile manufac- turers not to manufacture cars capable of greater speed than a certain arbitrary limit set by Congress. Such legislation manifestly would work a serious hardship on manufac- turers, for besides the necessity of re- designing motors it would result in a slowing down, if not a practical disap- pearance, of new car purchases. Most drivers would prefer to drive their old cars to the purchase of the new low- speed vehicles. In any event the law would have no immediate practical effect. If something of this nature must be done to curb speeders a practical solu- tion would be found in compelling car owners found guilty of speeding to install a speed governor on their motors, the governors to be sealed by the police and the operators’ licenses indorsed accord- ingly. Besides eliminating these drivers from the role of speeders such a law would prove an effective deterrent to would-be speeders. S. ODOHERTY. Indorsement of Radio Address and Editorial To the Editor of The Star: Permit me to express my sincere in- dorsement of your editorial in The Sun- day Star on the future of the radio. Sponsors of commercial programs appear to underestimate the value of adroit and unobtrusive propaganda, and the writer of the editorial to which I refer has sounded a friendly but decid- edly convincing warning which will, I hope, prove beneficial in the near future to aerial audiences as well as intelligent advertisers. Incidentally, T think your commenda- tion of Commissioner George Henry Payne is well warranted. Here is an alert, highly intelligent and well-equip- ped Government official who has his feet firmly planted and who, in addition, appears to possess the ability to score his points in terse, forceful English. Mr., Payne seems to be holding down his job with a considerable degree of human intelligence. F. P. MORSE. —_—————————— School Control. Prom the Worcester (Mass.) Evening Gazette. Teachers in Brooklyn are being accused of a move to gain control of a public school. In the old days there used to be a move with that purpose, too, consisting of a forceful raising and lowering of the hand which geld a ruler or length of rubber hose. — e 11 Duce’s Chance. From the Kalamazoo Gazette. If Signor Mussolini is really sincere in his mottor about living dangerously, we have some highways over here in which he could beautifully round out his career. —_————————— Carrying Whispers. From the Los Angeles Times. Speak in a natural tone of voice to a man and he won't hear you. Whisper something 'bout him to anether man and he'll raise up like & bear, D. C, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1935. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL., “What can you see in fish as pets?” This is an honest question put by mary and it deserves an honest reply. You can't see anything in fish as pets unless you know what to look for. Then you can see a great many interesting things. 1t is the old eternal question of knowl- edge versus ignorance. Ignorance in any form, small or great, is the enemy of interest. It is a curious thing, in this world, that often another's knowledge is just something to laugh over. It is this petty spirit of ignorance, blossoming in the ready smile close to disdain, which compels so many persons to say, “Oh, I don't see what you can see in fish.” * Kok x There is a great deal to be seen in fish, just as there is in microbes and grand pianos, in infusorians and jazz bands. We have heard persons who fondly imagined they were musicians sneer greatly over dance music, but it is prob- able if the great composers were to come back suddenly the dance bands would attract them most of all. It is mostly a question of knowing what to look for and the open mind. The open mind comes first. How many bright men and women there are who yet show their closed minds by deliberately smiling at the things they know nothing about! Here is an otherwise capable man who, knowing nothing of the history or possi- bilities of the popular little aquarium fish widely known as the guppy, finds only opportunity to guffaw at the men- tion of it. “Guppy! Har! Har!” Yet the same man, if he were to open his mind to this tiny creature, might make a great deal of money out of it, to say nothing of broadening his interests. This same man, given an interest in guppies, would be quick to grasp fits possibilities. He might, for instance, set up the first Guppy Shoppe in the world. The fact that it would be the first in Washington would be incidental. A store on F street—it would not need to be large—devoted to the display and sale of the better and newer types of guppies, would make a hit here, if it were accompanied by a little human food on the side. Guppies for sale—and waffles and coffee for human consumption—these would constitute the selling basis of something new. The modern city world is always look- ing for something new. “Bigger and better guppies—" this might be the slogan, one which could be demonstrated easily. The surface of the guppy fleld has scarce been scratched here. Fish-minded people long for finer gup- pies and our proprietor would give it to them. And givipg people what they want means money. * % ok ok ‘The open mind prevents any one from laughing at anything he does not know or understand.. He is too busy trying to find out. He is not able to make his ignorance, on however small a scale, something fit for laughter. STARS, MEN He does not unconsciously make a Joke out of things he does not know much about, thus salving his mind by pretending that the thing he laughs at is not a subject for serious consideration. But there are more things in Heaven and earth than are dreamed of in Horatlo's philosophy, and every one of them interesting, if one knows what to look for. The open mind comes first, but after that it is mostly a matter of knowing what to look for and when, where, why. A case comes to mind of a Washing- ton professional gentleman who, among his many hobbies, gives the tropical fishes first rank. He always has kept a few goldfish just out of respect to these glistening fellows, once about the only finny animals kept in the glass-walled aquarium. Recently, however, he has been in- clined to become more and more inter- ested in the goldfish. He was standing one day in front of a tank in a store. Every one, interested in fish or not, has seen these tanks with the fishes so packed in that they scarcely can swim. The day—and the fish—is saved by the expedient of constant running water, which provides adequate oxygenation. There was one mottled fellow shaped something like a cigar, a very poor speci- men, but he kept swimming close to the glass and eyeing our hero. The latter noticed the peculiar fish, but paid no particular attention to it. Three days later the gentleman hap- pened to stop at the same tank. Sure enough and, believe it or not, there was the same old fish come out of the mass of his fellows to make eyes at his friend. There was no mistaking him. His swimming and his eyes said, as plain as words, “Take me home with you.” It was not sentiment alone, however, which dictated the purchase. The man knew what to look for. Though the animal was obviously un- derfed, to the “extent that he was per- fectly flat on the bottgm, if not a little concave (usually a bad sign in a fish), it showed possibilities te a trained eye. When our hero got his fish home he put it in a tank of its own. The moment it hit the water it turned very pale, losing almost all of its bro- caded appearance. Now here, good friends, is where the knowing what to look for came in. Suddenly the fish turned on its colors. It was as if some one had snapped on an electric light behind a stained glass window. Just for a few seconds the fish ap- peared to be illuminated. The casual spectator would have missed the show entirely. It was that sudden change, satisfying, dramatic, which it took the experienced eve to see. After- ward our hero himself wondered if he had actually seen it. But he knew he had, because that is where the knowl- edge of fishes came in. Hence, if any one does not “see what you see in fishes,” let him realize that he cannot see mostly because he is not interested enough to see. Realize that the man who can see, in any line, probably knows more than you do in that line. He has interest and you haven’t. If you don't want interest, all right, but do not laugh at his, AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY, America’s tree-ring calendar, already extending without a break more than 1,200 years into the past, is being pushed back to some of the earliest traces of human habitation on the continent. Dr. A. E. Douglass of the University of Arizona now is at work on a “floating chronology” based on timbers recovered from the rude habitations of the basket makers, the primitive race which pre- ceded the builders of the Pueblos in the Southwest, it is revealed in a report of his work just issued by the National Geographic Society. The calendar al- ready extends back to the year 698 A. D, and the approximately earliest ruins of the Pueblo period. Once the floating chronology of the basket makers can be established, the next step will be to make it an actual chronology by fill- ing the gap between it and the Pueblo period. A “floating chronology,” in Dr. Doug- lass’ terminology, is simply a discon- nected calendar—a severed segment of history. A considerable number of tim- bers from some locality are found to represent a period of years of tree growth. As long an unbroken period as possible is patched together. The widths of the annual rings tell the story of the weather and—by deduction— something of the history of the people— during this period. But it is not tied up with anything else. Then comes the job of searching for other timbers whose earliest rings overlap the latest rings on the timbers of the floating chronology. Gradually, by this method, the gap grows smaller until at last some piece of lum- ber is found whose latest rings overlap the earliest rings of the already estab- lished chronology. In building up the unbroken chronology from the earliest Pueblo times to the present Dr. Douglass, who originally de- vised the tree ring chronology method, started with living trees which had been growing for several hundred years. They extended back approximately to the beginning of the historical period when the Spanish conquistadores first en- tered the Southwest and found the Pueblo civilization in its decline. Hundreds of old trees showed the same ring pattern, dependent chiefly on the varying amounts of rainfall from year to year. Each year a new ring was added. In wet years this was a wide ring, in dry years a narrow one. The widths of individual rings, of course, varied from tree to tree, depending on the species, the vitality of the specimen, the kind of soil in which it grew, and various other factors. But the pattern of proportions in the sequence was the same for all. Thus a chronology could be established for as far back as these trees had been growing. Then Dr. Douglass obtained timbers from the ruins of the great Pueblo Bonita, one of the greatest in the South- west. The trees from which this timber had been obtained by the prehistoric Indians also had been growing at ap- proximately the same time and conse- quently different cross-sections would show the same annual growth pattern. But Pueblo Bonita was of unknown antiquity. There was a golf of time of unknown width between it and the old- est trees now growing. Other Pueblo ruins represented later, but still prehistoric times. Timbers from some of them showed patterns which overlapped the Pueblo Bonita growth pattern. Others overlapped the period of the living trees. Slowly, and with the aid of three National Geographic Society expeditions to secure beams from ruins, Dr. Douglass built up a series of links which finally closed the gulf. It was probably the biggest and difficult “jig-saw puzzle” job ever under- taken, but the reward was one of the greatest forward steps yet taken in American archeology. There was a rec- ord of every vear since Pueblo Bonita had been built. It was almost as good as if there had been a written calendar record. One of the most important links be- tween the past and the present was the oldest continuously inhabited town in the United States, the ancient Pueblo of Oraibi, in Arizona. Indians were living there when the Spaniards came. They are still living there, and in the same bouses. But in the centuries there has been a good deal of repairing and patch- ing. Old timbers have rotted away and been replaced. Some of those used by the original builders still are retained. Thus there was a rich fleld of over- lapping sequences starting with the pres- ent and stretching backward several hun- dred years toward the Pueblo beginnings. The complete report of Dr. Douglass’ work in building up this 1,200-year cal- endar has just been made public by the National Geographic Society. * x ok % ‘The completed chronology tells most clearly the story of the weather through the centuries when these ancient cul- tures existed. The trees grew at the edge of the desert. They were quite sensitive to changes in rainfall. As the record is read by Dr. Douglass, there were great drought cycles in the region, which profoundly affected the lives of the inhabitants. During each drought building diminish- ed. The most difficult gaps to fill were those represented by timbers of the drought periods. The obvious deduction is that the people were plunged into great economic depressions when home building was nearly impossible. And there always were revivals when the rains came again. The tree rings show that probably the greatest drought exer experienced in the history of the Southwest extended for 23 years, between 1276 and 1299. It was associated with extensive disturbances, shown by other evidence, in the lives of the people. Then the rains came again and history continued with minor ups and downs for 300 years. Then came another terrible drought, between 1573 and 1593. Another 300 years before the devastating drought came again, between 1896 and 1904. Superficially this indicates a 300-year drought cycle. If this is a reality there should have been a major dry period about the year 1000. The tree ring record does not show this at all clearly. However, Dr. Douglass says, this is the most unsatisfactory period in the whole chronology. The rings are harder to read than at any other time. Between the great droughts there were periods of from two to ten years of minor droughts which must have been tragic enough to the inhabitants of the Southwest at the time. They did not, however, completely disrupt the ways of life as did the extended dry times when the land must have been turned into an almost uninhabitable desert. _ Premature. From the Buffalo Courier-Express. Haile Selassie’s five pet lions, after kill- ing a sentry and injuring five others, have been shot, as it were, for rushing the season. New Lingo Needed. From the Nashville Tennessean, What we wonder is how long it will take those Maury County mules to learn “gee” and “haw” {n Italian. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS By Frederic J. Haskin. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Washing- ton Evening Star Information Bureay Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Wanhmg: ton, D.C. Please inclose stamp for reply. i Qé g;:: it ll‘resldenl Hoover or Presis len! sevelt who proclaimed S holiday?—G. G. Stk pen A. It was President Roosevelt. The banks were closed March 6, 1933, . Q. What is the masthead of a newse paper?—I. K. F. . A. It is the heading on the editorial page that gives information about the newspaper. Q. Do any United States battleships carry 16-inch guns?—W. D. M., Jr. A, The Navy Department says that the following United States battleships carry 16-inch guns: U. S. S. West Virs ginia, U. 8. 8. Colorado, U. 8. 8. Maryland, . E.JWhlt constitutes French India? : A. The five provinces in India bee longing to the French are: Mahe, Karie kal, Pondichery, Yanaon and Chanders nagor. They are under a governor, whose seat is at Pondichery. In Paris they are ® represented by one Senator and one ° Deputy. 3 Q. What is the purpose of the Ameri. - can Civic Association?—J. H. A. It promotes physical conservation, * improvement and land planning, in ordef to make the country a better one in which to live, work and play. It cone ducts a civic information bureau and maintains a watch service on national legislation for the protection of national parks and other scenic assets and fof the planned development of the City 3 of Washington, D. C. i Q. Was Gen. Robert E. Lee a church member?—A. A. B. A. Robert E. Lee was a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, % Was Saint-Saens a child prodigy? —W. S. A. The composer made his debut as a pianist at the age of 11 and wrote his first symphony at the age of 16. Q. How long has midwifery beem prace ticed?—J. W. A. In ancient times the care of a woman during the birth of a child was entirely in the hands of women. A class of midwives is recorded by both the Jews and Greeks. Physicians were not called upon unless the woman died and Caesarian section was necessary to deliver the child. Q. At what temperature should cabe bage be stored?—Y. F. A. A temperature between 33 and 30 degrees F. is recommended. Q. Who was Mrs. Malaprop?—F. F. A. A famous character in Sheridan’s comedy, “The Rivals,” noted for her blunders in the use of words. She hay given us the word malapropism to de- note such mistakes. Q. Where was the first plank road in the United States built?—E. M. A. The first plank road in this country was built at Syracuse, N. Y., in 1837, Q. Please give the legend ‘of Laocoon. —C. G. A. Laocoon was a priest of Apollo who warned the Trojans not to touch the wooden horse. Athena, who sympathized with the Greeks, sent two sea serpents which killed Laocoon and one or both of his sons. A famous Greek statue in the Vatican shows Laocoon and his two sons struggling with the serpents. Q. How early were Remingtom types writers made?—R. M. A. The first Remington typewriter was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Q. What are some of the chief streets in Marseille, France?—G. J. A. The two finest thoroughfares are the Rue Cannebiere, with its continuation, the Rue Noailles, and the Promenade du Prado. Q. Was there a famous base ball player named Cap Anson?—E. H. A. Adrian Constantine Anson was known as Cap or Pop Anson. For most of his career he played with the Chicago club of the National League, becoming captain and later manager, and guiding the team to five league championships between 1880 and 1886. He was a domi- nant and greatly loved figure in base ball, noted for his humor, generosity and fighting spirit. Q. Please give some information aboub Copenhagen ware—L. G. A. Several types of pottery, both un- derglaze and overglaze, are so calleds They have been produced in Copenhagen since 1760, when a Frenchman, Louis Fournier, made soft-paste ¢hinaware in the French style. Hard porcelain was introduced in 1772. The Royal Porcelain Works and other factories have proe duced especially fine tableware and fluted porcelain of the blue Danish pate tern. The modern white underglaze pore celain was first made by Arnold Kroz in the late nineteenth century and found admirably adapted to animal and figure sculptures, including some of Hans Chris« tian Andersen’s fairy tale characters. Q. What is a glory lily?—M. D. A. The gloriosa, or glory lily. isa climb= ing hothouse plant, having flowers with twisted petals of bright reds and vellow One species, the climbing lily. is a native of Africa and Asia. The other species are African. The plant is sometimes grown out of doors, but is not hardy. Q. Which is correct, I differ with you in politics or I differ from you?—E. Y. A. T differ with you should be used: in this instance. R A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton Beyond Price of Rubies. Before the town is lightgd, in your hour Of twilight when recurrent shadows throng I never tire of your lyric voice In song. Whether you sing with sympathy of man, . Or some angelic anthem from above, Or quick to catch a tender mood, you voice Just love. ‘Whether you sing of river, hill or glade, Or of the city’s gay philosophy, There’s always revelation in your song For me. Priceless your melody. Each dusk i brings New inspiration for the crowded mart i And a fleet interlude of love within My heart.