Evening Star Newspaper, November 7, 1935, Page 10

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY ..........November 7, 1935 frtateatsiniihasn st T THEODORE W. NOYES...........Editor e The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Business Office: th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New Fork Offce. 110 East 42nd Bt. Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Illlflil'll'1 Buropesn Office: 14 Regent St.. London. Eng! Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edif 4Bc per month ---80¢ per month 65¢ per month -5¢ per copy Nigh A Gl 55¢ per month Collection made at the end of each moneD. Orders may be sent by mail or telephone Na- tional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland snd Virginia. . 8, ily and Sunday. xlx only unday onl! Al Other States and Canads. E: yr.. $12.00; 1 mo.. $1.00 .“y el !{’v, $8.00: 1 mo. 75¢ yr. $5.00; 1 mo. b60c 150 th . 11 rights :1 publication of special dispatches erein are also reserved. Peace and Neutrality. In a broadcast on the international situation, Secretary Hull last night dis- eussed Americard foreign policy in terms destined to have immense influence on the United States’ relations with the outside world in time of war. The Sec- retary of State, obviously voicing the administration’s views, advocates a more “yirile” program of neutrality, one “tem- pered with prudent caution” and having always in mind the United States’ desire to avoid embroilment in conflicts “with which we have no direct concern,” but & policy that goes beyond “sitting idly by and watching the development of hostilities with a feeling of self-suffi- clency and complacency.” Mr. Hull contends that a detached attitude of that sort is incompatible with either our interest or our duty as a great power. He holds it to be this country’s obligation to itself and to humanity not merely to remain aloof from non-Ameri- can disputes, “but also to use our influ- ence in any appropriate way to bring about the peaceful settlement of inter- national differences.” To this end, it is the Secretary of State's opinion that “we should not concentrate entirely on means for remaining neutral and lose sight of other constructive methods of avoiding involvement in wars between other countries.” Reduced to the essentials bearing upon the Ttalo-Ethiopian war, the Hull address can only mean that the administration {s dissatisfied with the rigid provisions of the arms embargo resolution enacted by Congress in August. It is an open secret that President Roosevelt, instead of that restricted mandatory authority, desired discretionary power in applying embargoes in point of time and against either or both parties to a war. It is apparently now the Government’s in- tention to ask Congress for this wider prerogative and also—perhaps primarily ~—for authority to embargo conditional contraband, such as cotton, oil, foodstuffs and other sinews as vital to conduct of war as shot and shell. Possibly the Hull manifesto was inspired in part by the disclosure that American oil sales to Italy in August and September, 1935, increased by six hundred per cent, com- pared with the same months of 1934. The oil industry reveals no inclination to heed the President’s warning that Ameri- can citizens deal with belligerents exclu- sively at their own risk. Secretary Hull properly emphasizes that an arms embargo is “no complete panacea” for avoidance of war or ob- servance of neutrality, or even the prin- cipal way. He considers_thnt transac- tions of any kind between American na- tionals and a belligerent may con- ceivably lead to difficulties of one sort or another, because efforts of this Gov- ernment to protect these nationals ® might provoke serious complications. The arms embargo resolution runs until the end of February. Between now and then the Nation will have op- portunity to consider the proposition of more elastic neutrality which Secretary Hull submits. It has boundless reason and merit on its side, pgovided the American people mean their protesta- tions of the United States’ interest in world peace to be accepted at full face value. Fifty-odd nations, comprising the bulk of civilized mankind, are now united in an effort to curb a declared ageressor by isolating Italy economically and financially. It would be an utter negation of our asserted passion for peace if, by circumventing League sanc- tions in the name of unlimited profits for American trade, we were to make it possible for Mussolini to conquer Ethi- opia in brutal defiance of international law and of the world's demand for pacific settlement of disputes among peoples. Secretary Hull has enunciated a doc- trine in keeping with American tradi- tions and ideals. It is bound, except perhaps among incorrigible isolationists, to strike a responsive chord thxguzhout the country. National Losses. Death yesterday claimed two Ameri- cans of vastly divergent temperament, but of equal significance in their re- spective fields of effort and achievement. The first to depart was Dr. Henry Fair- field Osborne; the second, the Rev. Dr. William ‘A. Sunday. Of both it may be #aid that, as their lives were national assets, their passings are national losses. “Dr. Osborne represented the search for basic truth through science. Most of his career was spent in pursuit of sccurate and useful knowledge of the past. A pupil of Huxley, he chose for his special sphere of inquiry the un- “pounded region of prehistory. His works on ancient animals, particularly his studies of genus homo—of whom Buffon declared “he, too, must take his place in the ranks of animals, being, as he is, an animal in every material point"—are standard classics. A practical bullder, as b well as a patient and philosophic re- searcher, he leaves as his monument the great American Museum of Natural His- tory in New York, which he promoted and enlarged with marvelous skill and success. 3 At the opposite extreme of conviction and endeavor, Dr. Sunday, known to millions as “Billy,” preferred theological and evangelistic enterprise. He was, in his time, the most widely celebrated popular preacher in the United States. Still earlier, he had won fame as & professional base ball player. Converted by the Salvation Army and instructed by Moody, he rose to eminence by the exercise of an energetic genius for the homely and colorful affirmation of Christian principle in the face of doubt. In his tabernacles he marked out a “sawdust trail” which millions, caught in the spell of his pleading, were happy to take. It was his intent to dramatize his faith, and his triumphs testified to the efficacy of his method and technique. Probably the two leaders never met. Yet each in his own fashion was the dean of a school of thought comple- mentary in character. Each sought the fundamental verity of the universe. One personified that aspect of the American mind which fearlessly probes for facts, and the other that phase which just as courageously accepts scriptural revela- tion. Yet who shall presume to suppose that they did not aim at the same goal, aspire to the same reality? Neither, it may be granted without debate, read the whole riddle; neither discovered the one answer which will satisfy all hu- manity. But both had a value to civili- zation, because both tried. That, it seems, is the important thing about®! existence on this bewildering planet. The arena of occupation does not matter. What is wanted is high intent and honest striving. The Rising Stock Market. Wall Street's boom market, stimulated according to some analysts of financial conditions by the election trend in New York and elsewhere indicating a reac- tion against the New Deal and also by the signs of business recovery afforded by resumption of dividends in some cases and extra dividends in others, may be only a flash in the pan. Again, it may be a token of genuine convalescence. Since the great collapse of 1929 there have been several revivals of stock trad- ing with upward movements in the price lists, followed by reactions that have in some cases set new “lows” and have flat- tened out the averages. So frequently have these movements taken place that the public has become somewhat wary of the Street. There are certain indices of genuine business - recovery, however, which can- not be discounted in terms of suspicion of the stock market on general principles. Every reliable report of the activity of the basic industries is to the effect of a steady improvement in production, which in furn means increase in employment, which in turn again means a wide spread of funds in wages. Retail trade has been constantly improving for months, as these additions to the wage-earner class have contributed to the volume of sales for a wide range of commodities. The distribution of funds by the Government in the various forms of dole has added to the current of circulation and to the consumption of goods. . It remains the part of wisdom to regard the rising stock market as an index of economic betterment and not as an opportunity to make quick profits by speculative buying. The fact that the range of price is at present upward is no guarantee that it will continue in that direction. The market has a freak- ish way of turning “soft” suddenly, in consequence of conditions of which the general public is not aware at the time, or the significance of which is not known beyond a limited circle. It has a way, too, of responding to the manipulative influences of those who buy low, force the price up by back-and-forth trading and then sell finally at a gain which does not represent any actual accrual of greater value. New legislation has been enacted which is supposed to correct this evil, but it is not assured that it will work effectively or promptly enough to head off an occasional “killing” by the insiders. As surely as little apples grow on some large trees there will be a repe- tition of the slaughter of the innocents in the stock market if the lessons of the past decade are not borne in mind by all who are tempted to play this most fascinating game. To the person who has bought stock at a low price, perhaps at the depth of the depression, the temptation to sell at a good profit and to reinvest in something substantial when the market reacts to lower levels may safely be obeyed. But there is almost sure sorrow ahead of those who flock in on the rise, especially without the cash for full payment, hoping for a quick turnover and & neat profit. For such a winning is but a temptation to repeat, and usually repetition on that basis of transaction is cruelly costly in the end. Those who are lured by the rising market must decide whether to deal in it as investors or as speculators, and be content with moderate returns in the former case and prepared for eventual losses in the latter. For the amateur market speculator almost invariably loses. ‘The sidewalks of New York have been celebrated in song. The dirt roads up State come in for consideration. A Modern Miser. The old saying, “Save the pennies and the dollars will take care of them- selves,” has a modern reversion in & case just developing in a New Jersey court. For twenty years Charles Benson, & marine engineer on a Hudson River floating crane, earning about $160 a month nowadays and more in the past, has been turning his weekly pay check over to his thrifty wife, who has allowed him small change for car fare, lunches =nd miscellaneous needs. She ran the establishment on a fraction of the re- mainder and put the bulk of the funds in s sult case, which she kept locked, % EVENING STAR, WASHINGTO with the key always carried on her person. Benson apparently was com- plaisant, until he began to fear that the family hoard would bait some ma- rauder, and finally he applied to the court for the seizure of the funds and the appointment of a custodial receiver. The court complied, issued the order and sent the receiver, with a policeman, to the flat of the Bensons, in a suburb of Jersey City, where the suit case was found and on being opened proved to contain a pile of gold pieces, old-fash- foned yellow backs and quantities of green Federal Reserve notes, in all amounting to $18,600. Strictly Mrs. Benson has been guilty of “hoarding” against the admonitions of the Government. . Actually she was Just a new-style miser. She will not be prosecuted for violation of any law, but she must yleld to the custody of the court the little fortune” she has saved in these two decades. Those dollars have not been “working,” as dollars are supposed to do. They have not earned interest, as savings are expected to do. They are worth no more than when they were stowed in the suit case, for their purchasing value, considering the spread of twenty years, is on the average about what they would have been on the whole despite fluctuations of prices. Mrs. Benson's theory of finance was to take care of the dolars and let the pennles take care of themselves, in her husband’s hands. Such thrift, however, did not make for happiness during the twenty years. Her husband was kept on a stingy dole and she was kept in fear of thieves. Now, perhaps, the Bensons will live somewhat more com- fortably, physically, but it may be doubted whether the hoarder herself will enjoy the improvement in the cir- cumstances of domestic life. —_— e Factual teachings as to communism should not involve much time. Most of what is called communism departs from the record and concerns itself with in- genuities of theory. ————t———— There were scandal mongers even in the days when the United States Con- stitution was framed, but print did not permit the old Declaration of Independ- ence to be overwhelmed by idle gossip. et The title of “traitor” seems a trifle dignified for a hungry Abyssinian who, pannikin in hand, approaches the enemy’s cook tent attracted by the aroma of good spaghetti. — e The reception to genial Jimmy Walker might have been even more impressive it the New York Stock Exchange had not been too busy to permit the use of Jicker tape for confetti. B Getting ships out of the blue Mediter- ranean is one part of the war game. Getting soldiers out of the Ethiopian mud is still to be considered. ——e— Everybody enjoys an automobile show, including the habitual pedestrian who wanders among cars that are guaran- teed to remain stationary. e — Laval will discuss the European situ- ation with England and Italy. In- listener Hitler is no doubt having his radio tubes renewed. —————————— Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Soldiers AllL Soldiers! Soldiers! Marching day by day, We thought that you had taught us long ago How we could go on living in a simple sort of way Without a fear of some relentless foe! Soldiers! Soldiers! We ask you to explain The secret of the hatred you imply, But you answer only with dull monoto- nous refrain As bugles mingle with a battle cry! Soldiers! Soldiers! Our heroes you shall be Because you bravely answered to the call Of duty—with no question of what duty you might see. And that's what makes a hero, after all. First Throw. “Did you throw the ball when the game started?” “I did,” answered Senator Sorghum, “but throwing the first ball is like throw- ing your hat into the ring. The game starts with enthusiasm, but there’s no telling how it will finish.” Jud Tunkins says & man who hustles to get his is excusable, but becomes annoying when he tries to grab every- body else’s. ' —_— Standard of Measurement. My market basket, large or small, Your look—you cannot mask it. You tell the story, after all, Of wealth which I my own may call Almost before I ask it, And show what fortune must befall My market basket! Angles and Ares. “Are we paying enough attention to our geometry?” asked the professor. “Are we sufficiently attentive to our parallelo- grams and circles.” “You tell us,” said the brain-fagged student. “We are forgetting the significance of the square deal and the fact that pros- perity is just around the corner.” Wanton Waste. Here's & sunset in the sky, Let’s enjoy it! Bombing plane comes riding by. ‘Why employ it For attempts to terrify Folks below who smile and sigh “Here's & sunset in the sky. ‘Why destroy it?” “Tain't no excuse lookin’ foh bad com= pany,” said Uncle Eben, “De best com- pany 5.8 good boss dat pays reglar.” 1 " THE POLITICAL MILL By G. Gould Lincoln, ‘The elections of 1935 show, according to the Republican chieftains, that the country is to dump President Roosevelt and his New Deal next year. To the Democratic high command, however, the elections of 1935 are merely “local,” and the results cannot be held to forecast a Republican victory in 1836. It is very easy to overestimate the significance of these scattered elections of last Tues- day. But they do seem to indicate sev- eral things which might well give con- cern to the New Dealers. * x k¥ For example, if any one still clung to the idea that the New Deal might win Rhode Island and Massachusetts next year, as it did in 1932, the results in New England, and particularly in Massachu- setts, might well change their viewpoint. In the Bay State elections of mayor were held in many cities, and the Republicans mopped up in cities that have been Democratic strongholds, like Lowell, which has hot had a Republican mayor since Hector was a pup. The Repub- lican candidate in Lowell won by 3,700 votes. In Worcester, where the New Deal issue had been stressed and Gov. Curley’s candidate, Edward J. Kelley, was made a target, the Republican victory was perhaps even more significant. Springfield, Somerville, Everett, Medford, Waltham, Pittsfield all elected Repub- lican.mayors. On the other hand, Fitch- burg, Lynn, Cambridge and Marlboro elected Democratic mayors. The Demo- cratic margin of victory in Cambridge, however, was only 267. * k% The Republicans will take more joy for the future out of the election results in.Ohio, perhaps, than those anywhere else. While they have insisted there has been a big swing away from Roosevelt and the New Deal in some of these big Midwest States in recent months, there was nothing tangible to prove it. But now the municipalities and towns in that State have indicated clearly that they are turning to the Republicans. Cleve- land-and Columbus both elected Repub- lican mayors, and the results in cities and towns throughout the State showed the Republicans winning in a majority of cases. Republican strength in Ohio has been greatest in the rural districts. If the urban centers are turning from the New Deal, there seems little chance of the State's going for Roosevelt ne: year. 5 . * x x X The bright spot for the Democrats in Tuesday's elegtion appears to have been Kentucky. “Happy” Chandler, the Democratic candidate for Governor, has apparently won by a wide margin. Chandler campaigned as a Roosevelt man, ready to co-operate at all times with the New Deal President. King Swope, the Republican candidate, stuck rather to State issues. His hope was to obtain the votes of a lot of Democratic followers of Gov. Ruby Laffoon, who turned against Chandler in a bitter Democratic factional row. Laffoon and his organization have been turned down cold, it seems. in the large vote given Chandler on Tuesday. * ox ok The Republican victories in New York State, where they elected a majority of the Assembly, and in Philadelphia have more in them than appears on the sur- face of the returns. While the Demo- cratic national chairman, Postmaster General James A. Farley, insists’ the Assembly election shows that j« dent Roosevelt could easily carry York, because the total vote cast for the Democratic candidates for the Assembly exceeded that cast for the Republican candidates, that vote shows too, that the Democratic lead in New York State in 1934, totaling more than 800,000 votes, shrunk on Tuesday to about 360,000. It would not have to do much more shrink- ing in the next twelve months to turn the State over to the Republicans, along with its 94 electoral votes for President. Mr. Farley, moreover, before the election flatly predicted that the Democrats would again elect a majority of the Assembly and virtually accepted the test of strength, which resulted in a Repub- lican victory. % * x % % In Philadelphia the election of & Democratic mayor would have been re- garded almost as a sure augury of Demo= cratic victory in the State of Pennsyl- vania next year. The Republicans were badly split. The Republican candidate was disliked by many of them, and was not regarded as a strong candidate. Nevertheless, the Republicans went to the polls and gave Wilson, the party nominee a lead of 47,000 votes over Kelly, the Democratic selection. Kelly has been hooked up with the Guffey- Earle organization, which carried the State last year. It was not only in Philadelphia that the Guffey - Earle organization was turned down, but out in the State. The election of a Superior Court judge pro- vided a State-wide test. The Republican, Judge Jesse E. B. Cunningham, was elected with a plurality of more than 300,000 over Robert L. Myers, treasurer of the Democratic State Committee. Myers in his campaigning told the voters that if they put him on the bench he would interpret the law in the light of what he described as the “liberal” poli- cies of Gov. Earle. The election of the Republican judge was another slap at the Guffey-Earle leadership. It was not long ago that the voters of Penn- sylvania turned down flatly Earle’s pro- posal that a State constitutional con- vention be called to rewrite the consti- tution so as to conform to New Deal ideas. * Xk Xk X Two of the Republican presidential possibilities, Gov. ‘Alf. M. Landon of Kansas, and Senator Vandenberg of Michigan, went into action yesterday. Landon came east to Cleveland to address the Chamber of Commerce there, and Vandenberg spoke to the Hamilton Club in Chicago. The Landon speech, while it held plenty of political implica- tions, was not strictly a political speech. Vandenberg, on the other hand, turned loose on the Roosevelt administration proclaiming it had been guilty of break- ing its pledges to the people and had gone on a spending spree. The Michi- gan Senator did not denounce all the acts of the administration—he voted for some of them. But he did accuse the President of leading the way to dictatorship and bureaucracy. He de- clared himself for “rational liberalism which proposes to live and help live within the bounds of constitutional democracy.” There is tremendous interest in the East in Gov. Landon. He hids been put forward as a kind of Kansas Calvin Coolidge. His appearance in Cleveland will not be his last in the Middle West and the East if the.Republicans of these sections have their way. To most of them he is merely a name. They want to know what kind of a man he is by seeing him and listening to him. * x %% Is President Roosevelt stronger than his party and strongér than the New Deal? It has frequently been declared that he is. He may well have to be to win in the presidential race next year. The New Deal has lost in popularity in many sections of the country. There is & than his v doubt growing, however, that the Presi- stronger e dent s really any NOVEMBER 7, 1935. THIS AND THAT The prolonged mild weather of the month recently ended brought about rather unusual floral conditions in local gardens. It is not often that we go into Novem- ber with morning-gloriez blouming on the fence. ‘The usual October ends these old fa- vorites long before the month of turkeys and pumpkin pies. Before we forget it, let us say that we hope the annual jests about the poor turkey are lacking this year. If we want to eat him, let us do so without gloating over his fate. Friends of animals are tired of this thing of depicting creatures about to be slaugh- tered as if they enjoyed the prospect hugely. * x ok % Have you noticed how the sturdy althea bushes have held their leaves weeks be- yond the usual? Hedges of these faithful shrubs take on unusual glories of bright yellow. It is seldom that altheas have any leaves left by this time. Usually they are withered and blown away long before November comes around. The glories of the trees, except in cer- tain instances, have faded. In the main, little remains of their yellows and vivid scarlets. Even the master show beneath the Million Dollar Bridge (the name we prefer) is over. Still we have the bright, happy flowérs of the morning-glories, the yellows of the marigolds and the soft lavender of the New England asters. > * % % X Pew flowers are better in vases than the favorite New England aster. ’ They are not often seen there, however, s0 that many & person, seeing them in a vase for the first time, does not know what they are. He says “cosmos,” aster. Surely there is little resemblance in growth between the ordinary garden, or China, asters and the wild forms which have received the name of the famous group of States in the northeast corner of our country. New England asters are not as well known as they ought to be. Despite their 6-foot height, they belong to the wild flowers of our land; usually we think of typical wildings as being rather low, and most of them are. Yet there are poke- weeds and the like which stand 8 feet tall and more. To this class belong the wild asters. They come in various col- ors, but perhaps the pale blues and lav- enders are the best, certainly the most popular. If you see these blossoms grouped in a vase they will fool you, unless you have picked them yourself and know their appearance there. k%% The ground is in much better condition now for the planting of tulip# and other bulbs which must go into the earth this Fall if we are to have flowers from them next Spring. Newcomers to the gardening game tend to forget this, so a warning is always in order. If you want one of the most de- lightful of all flowers, the favorite tulip in any of its forms, you must put the bulbs in the ground now. Somehow we have never liked to plant such things in perfectly dry soilc Nor is very wet earth best. There is STARS, MEN but it is a form of o BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. s medium here, as in most things. Sev- eral days after a good rain is best. Few rains will soak the ground at the 4-inch depth one plants tulip bulbs, but it will be moist enough, at least to sootne the mind of the planter. Soothing the mind is a great deal. Consider the man who takes up the keeping of .tropical fish. “What? Put a glass lid on top of the aquarium! It will smother the fish.” 80 every beginner thinks. He knows better than all the old hands, all the books, all the magazines. Hence he lowers the water level several inches, thereby depriving his charges of a gallon or so of watér, when at the best they will have far too little. He does this to prevent them from jumping out. He leaves the surface with no.cover, 30 that the cooling of evaporation goes on 24 hours a day. Then he wonders why he loses some of his fishes from time to time, especially such things as the stately angel fish, which absolutely requires that its tem- perature does not drop below 74 degrees at any time. If he would place a cover lid of glass over the tank he would find that the outfit mot only looked better, but that he could raise the water level to half an inch of the lid, the fishes would be prevented from leaping out in their festive moments, the water would remain warmer at all times and dust would be kept out. If it soothed the hobbyist’s mind any it would be well to put felt pads about a fourth of an inch thick at each corner of the tank so that there would be an air space all around between the edge of the upper frame and the lid. But it is not necessary. - There is no more absurd thing in fish keeping than a 10-gallon tank with the water level so reduced that it holds only 5 gallons, when the use of a glass cover lid would mean the full capacity of the aquarium could be reached and at the same time the fish would be prevented from jumping out of their quarters. Let it be stated that tropical fish are more inclined to jump than goldfish, since the former are much more likely to breed in an aquarium. The sheet of glass is much better than a metal cover, be- cause it offers no chance for the forma- tion of metal salts when water evaporates against it. This drip back into the tank from a glass lid acts as mild aeration. * X * X Garden chrysanthemums perhaps have not received our usual panegyric this season, but we love them just the same. Especially these cushiony ones of min- gled pink and white petals. One of the best of these is the variety known as Mrs. Henry Harrison, but there are many others. ‘The sort of chrysanthemums we do not care for is the very dark bronzes. This color, either in chrysanthemums or tulips, seems to defeat the very purpose of color, which is gayety. We saw a vase of these extremely dark mums the other day and we do not like them, Dr. Fell, the reason why we cannot altogether tell, but have attempted to do so above to the best of our ability. Give us the glory of yellow, white, pink, cream—give us real flower colors, typical tints and shades. That's why, no doubt, we like morning- glories. AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. The life of a luminous worm in the dark of the moon may provide the long= sought clue to the spot where Christo- pher Columbus set foot on the soil of the New World. It will be remembered that at about 10 pm., October 11, 1492, Columbus and several others, standing on the poop of the Santa Maria, saw a mysterious light flashing in the distance. It was about an hour before moonrise and about eleven hours before landing. This light was described as “like the flame of a small candle, alternately raised and lowered.” Navigators who have charted Colum- bus’ course have calculated that the Santa Maria at that time was about 35 miles eastward and to the windward of the spot where the landing was made. The ship was well out at sea, in water about 3,000 fathoms deep. It was ex- tremely unlikely that ‘the mysterious light could have come from an Indian canoe. Nobody would have ventured so far to sea in so frail a craft. ‘What was this light? It has puzzled all biographers of Columbus. Some have maintained that it was purely imag- inary, but this is hardly possible because it was described in such detail. Others have explained it as an Indian shore light on Watling Island, the spot where Columbus generally is supposed to have landed. Proponents of the shore light theory claim that he probably sailed by Watling Island in the darkness and made his first landing on Cat Island, about 40 wiles westward. * Kk ok % Now comes the British biologist. L. R. Crawshay, who has made an_ intensive study of the luminous marine life of the West Indies. There is one organism, he says, which could have produced almost exactly the sort of light at the time it was seen by Columbus. This is a little marine worm or syllid, a close relative of the common earthworm. The female are luminescent but, in some mysterious way, their light is closely associated with the phases of the moon. It can be seen once each month during January, April, May, July and October. It makes its appearance on the night the moon en- ters its last quarter, or sometimes a little later if the sea is exceptionally turbulent.” It usually is delayed for an hour or two after dark. The displays are intermittent, with short periods of excessive and declining brilliance. The whole phenomenon lasts from 5 to 10 minutes. Seen from a dis- tance of about 200 yards it would have precisely the appearance of a candle being raised and lowered. Of course, this may not have been what Columbus saw, but it is difficult to fit anything else into the picture. This difficulty is that the light never would have been seen 35 miles at sea and in water 3,000 fathoms deep. This particuldr worm displays its light only in shallow water, seldom deeper than 2 fathoms, and then only at low tide. Usually the phenomenon takes place almost precisely when the tide is lowest. * kX Assuming that this was the light seen by Columbus, the Santa Maria could not have been 35 miles to the eastward of Watling Island. It must have been, to party and the New Deal Which he has preached. The opposition has opened up on the President himself in recent months. He is not to be handled with the contrary, about 4 miles to the north- ward of the spot which usually is as- sumed to have been the landing place. From the north shore of Watling Island a narrow, rocky bank extends to sea about 3!z miles. Its outer point is an ideal gathering place for the syllids. There is no other spot in the | vicinity where they would be likely to be found. Hence the Santa Maria must have been just off the northern tip of this bank. It was fortunate that it did not run aground in the darkness. Had the expedition passed this point an hour later the moon would have been up and it is probable that the nearby shore would have been visible. Instead, her com- mander and crew puzzled by the mys- terious light, the Santa Maria crawled onward through the darkness to see the shores of Cat Island looming before them the next morning. Thus the mute testimqpy of worms may serve to fix an important spot in the world’s history. Mr. Crawshay ad- mits that most of the other evidence points to Watling Island as the true landing place. This is now generally accepted by historians who have recon- structed the route followed from Colum- bus’ log. The great difficulty in accepting Cat Island lies in its position with respect to the other islands visited later. Thus the second island visited by Columbus was 40 miles sail from the first, as the distance can be calculated from the time required for the ship to reach it. This is the distance westward of Cat Island from Watling Island. There is no such island 40 miles west of Cat Island. But Mr. Crawshay points out, human records are much more likely to be fallible than the evidence of the im- mutable, age-old life habits of these lowly marine organisms who for millions of years have been displaying their light almost 'precisely as the moon enters its last quarter. If the light was from some other source, the whole case falls. It must be remembered, however, that the sailors were familier with most lu- minous marine organisms and if this light had been one to which they were accustomed no note would have been made of it. ———re——— Color Testing. Prom the Philadelphia Inquirer. A color wheel has been invented to de- tect color-blindness. This is no improve- ment, however, over the wife’s scheme of having hubby try to match goods from a sample. A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton Far Horizon Drowned in pastel hues of distance The town horizon lies, Where the firs and painted tree-tops Are outlined by the skies. And the blowing clouds form castles For many & finespun dream, And the sun goes down in glory Celestial and serene. On those ariel far, far skylines Of castle-cloud and sun, Beyond human machinations And pence that must be won, Beyond terrestrial bartering Esthetic souls despise, Where skyline dips to blue eclipse . ‘The dreamer rests his eyes. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS —_——— By Frederic J. Haskin. A reader can get ths answer to a question of fact by writing The wwu,.:'. ton Evening Star Information Bursau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing- ton, D.C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How many people attended Yale-Navy foot ball game?—E. M. P. o A. 3‘xg-me thousand persons wit- nesse e game, which was played the Yale Bowl, e Q. Did soldiers fight on Sunday during the World War?—M. B, A. When necessary, soldiers fought every day of the week, including Sunday. Q. Are there any other rays besides the X-rays that can penetrate a solid substance?—N. 8. A. There are. A notable example is the neutron ray, recently discovered, which consists of a stream of neutrons, and can penetrate several inches of lead. Q. How long have roller skates been made?—D. H. A. Roller skates with four wheels on rubber pads were invented about 1860. Later the Raymond skate with ball and c;abr;e bearings made figure skating pos- sible. Q. What is dragon’s blood?—E. H. A. Tt is the red resin obtained from several trees, including the calamus, dragon tree and an Australian eucalyp- tus. It is used in lacquers and varnishes and by Chinese as backing for paper. Q. When was the term nihilism first used?—F. G. A. The name was first applied by Tur- genev in his novel, “Fathers and Sons,” to a theory held by many Russian revo- lutionists at that time. The book was published in 1862. Q. What is a no drama?—H. N. A. It is a Japanese symbolic and tra- ditional drama, written in prose and verse and utilizing a chorus, music and dancing. The oldest form of drama in Japan, it has been handed down prac- tically unchanged since its rise, in the fifteenth century. A typical program of no plays lasts from 7 to 11 hours and consists generally of five plays, each of a different type.§ Q. How long has Hamilton been the capital of Bermuda?—T. G. A. Since 1815. St. George was its first capital, and the state house, built in 1620, is still standing. Q. What is a chaconne?—E. A. A. It is a slow Spanish dance in three- quarter time, or any instrumental com- position similar to it. The chaconne of Bach in D minor for solo violin is the most celebrated example of such music. Q. What is the largest clam?—F. K. A. The largest bivalve to which the name is applied is the giant clam of the West Indies, which reaches a length of 3 feet and a weight of 20 pounds. Q. Is there a famous statue called the Discobolus?—H. F. A. The Discobolus, or discus thrower, is a famous statye by the Greek sculptor Myron, the original known only through several copies, the best of which is in Rome. The athlete stands with arm drawn back, ready to throw a discus. B Q. Please give a biography of Allan Pinkerton, detective.—A. R. A. Allan Pinkerton was born in Scot- land in 1819, emigrated to America in 1842 and set up a small cooperage busie ness in Dundee, Ill. His success in ex= posing a gang of counterfeiters subse- quently earned him the post of Chicago's first detective. He soon formed a private agency to stop the theft of railroad prop- erty. His fame increased when in 1861 he foiled a plot to assassinate Lincoln. Later he solved a $700,000 robbery from the Adams EXpress Co. Under the pseu- donym of Maj. E. J, Allen he engaged in the Civil War in espionage service which led to the establishment of the Federal secret service. Q. Where did the goldfish originate? —H. S. A. It is a native to Eastern Asia, where it has been bred by the Chinese for cen- turies. There are more goldfish raised in Frederick County, Md., than any place else in the United States. Q. Who was the first woman in the United States to make writing a pro- fession?—C. Y. A. Hannah Adams (1755-1831), whose “Dictionary of Religions” passed through four editions. Her “Summary History of New England” was a pioneer history of the region and was abridged for use as a text hook. Q. Who were Sts. Cosmas and Damian? —A.R. C. A. They were twin Arab physicians of the fourth century, who took no fees. Martyred under Diocletian, they are men- tioned in the Canon of the Mass and are patrons of physicians and apothecaries. Q. Did Pocahontas have any children? —J. B. A. Pocahontas had one son, Thomas Rolfe, who was educated in England, came to Virginia and ggined considerable wealth. Q. Was Frank Leslie the real name of the publisher?—M. J. A. His real name was Henry Carter, but he adopted the name Frank Leslie, which was the pseudonym under which his drawings were published. Q. Where is Portobello>—L. F. A. It is a seaside resort 3 miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland. The town has ma- rine gardens, a pier with an esplanade, beaches and manufactures pottery, bricks and glassware. Q. What State has a law compelling restaurant ‘owners to serve cheese and butter?>—L. M. A. To advertise its dairy products, Wis- consin has such a law, compelling pur- veyors of food to serve one-third of an ounce of cheese and two-thirds of an ounce of butter with all meals costing 25 cents or more. Q. How much property was destroyed in the recent fires in California?—H. P. A. Property estimated at $8,000,000 was destroyed in the series of brush fires near Malibu Beach, Calif. Q. When was Dr. David Stuart, sec- ond husband of Nellie Custis, born and where educated?—F. N. A. He was born August 3, 1753. Dr. Stuart was graduated from William and Mary and the Medical College of Edin- burgh. Q. Which country leads in aviation honors?—M. M. A. Data compiled by the National Aeronautical Association show that the United States leads, with 39 records, in- clduing 7 new ones awaiting recognition by the Federation Aeronautique Inter- nationale, and an eighth Navy record ready for filing. France is second, with 36 reo:l.cniad marks, while Italy is third, \