Evening Star Newspaper, November 26, 1935, Page 10

THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, TUESDAY, A—10 —THE NG AR A D Sy e THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL, | THE EVENING STAR 4 With Sunday Morning Edition. ISHINGTON, D. C. TUESUAY ...........November 26, 1935 — e THEODORE W. NOYES...........Editor pisratetasddislavotinhalblos il The Evening Star Newspaper Company. iness Office: 11tn 5t and Pennssivans Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd &t. icago Office: Lake Michigan Building, Furopean Omee: 14 Regent St.. London, Engiand, Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edition, The Evening Star The Evening and S hen 4 Sundays The Evenin~ and Sund; (when 5 Sundays) The Sunday St Night fisht Tinal and Sunday S ight Final Star_. 5 Collection made at the end of each month. Orders may be sent by mail or telephone Na- tional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. and Virginia. . $10.00; ., 85 N *38:00: 1 mo- Boc $4.00; 1 mo,, 40c 45¢ per month 60c per month 65¢ per month Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispaiches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of publication of special dispatches Processing Taxes. The temporary injunction granted by the Supreme Court to eight Louisiana rice millers restraining the collection from them of processing taxes does not in any measure determine the constitu- tionality of the agricultural adjustment act. It may, however, be construed as casting grave doubt on the legality of the effort of Congress to compel proc- essors to pay taxes and to prevent them from recovering these taxes in the event the law is held unconstitutional. The Government would have the processing taxes paid in advance of the determina- tion of the act, and then force the proc- essors to seek recovery through suits in which they would be asked to prove that the taxes had not been passed on to others. Under such a device it might be ex- ceedingly difficult for the processors to prove that the taxes had not been passed on to the middlemen or to the consumers., ‘Wherever such proof was impossible the Government would retain the processing taxes, although obtained by it illegally. Ot course, some one must have paid the taxes into the Government coffers. The effect of the ruling of the Su- preme Court yesterday was to bring before that court for argument on De- cember 16 the question as to whether injunctions should be granted generally, holding up the payment of the process- ing taxes until the constitutionality of the law imposing these taxes shall have been determined by the highest court. The question is: Pay first and litigate afterward, or litigate first and pay later if the law is constitutional. Fortunately, the Supreme Court is soon to have before it for argument and later determination the constitutionality of the A. A. A. and its processing taxes in the Hoosac Mills case. Argument is set for December 9. It is possible that the court may hand down in that case an opinion so sweeping as to settle the question of the constitutionality of the A. A. A. as amended by Congress shortly before it adjourned last Summer. If it does not, however, and the amended act must then be tested for its constitution- ality, the use of injunctions to restrain the collection of processing taxes may become of very real importance. Officials of the Department of Agri- culture have hastened to assure the farmers who have contracts with the Government that payment of benefits for not raising crops will be made no matter what the court decides. This may be reassuring to the farmers, but not quite so much so to the American taxpayers. If the processing taxes are ruled out finally, then the hundreds of mijlions of dollars that have been distributed to the farmers for not producing wheat, cot= ton, corn, hogs and tobacco must be found through general tax levies. ‘The forthcoming decision of the Su- preme Court settling the constitutionality of the A. A. A. looms as one of the most important regarding the entire New Deal legislation, if not the most important. A decision that holds the A. A. A. un- constitutional so thoroughly that revision by Congress would be a waste of time may well bring into the coming political campaign the issue of revision of the Constitution, or perhaps hkring a drive to prevent the Supreme Court from passing on the constitutionality of laws enacted by Congress. ————— Airplane communication has made the Pacific Ocean rather small so far as time and space are concerned. It should be of service in the development among nations of the “good neighbor” idea. Volcanic Activity. Volcanic disturbances are reported from two almost antipodal points, Vesuvius in Italy and Mauna Loa in Hawali. This does not necessarily mean that other eruptions will occur else- where, for the activity at these two may be due to strictly local conditions and not to a general internal convulsion that might find issue at any one of the numerous vents in the crust of the earth. However, ordinarily nearly all of the most frequently active volcanoes re- spond to these inner forces at about the same time. Their differences in time and degree of action are due to local conditions, the state of the vent, the character of the material that plugs the chimney and so checks the force of the eruption. Investigation of the inner condition of volcanoes has net been carried far. Indeed the utmost man can do in this matter is to observe the phe- nomena, analyze the materials voided, time the periodicity of activity and meas- ure its force and thus form a theory of frequency. At latest accounts from Hilo the erup- tion at Mauna Loa promises to develop into & major manifestation. An enor- mous flow of lava is reported moving toward the city, which has often been menaced. The latest serious threat oc- curred in 1881, when the lava fow ) reached to within & mile of the in- habited area. On that occasion a prin- cess of the ancient Hawaiian royal house called upon Pele, goddess of the volcano, t0 have mercy and the lava flow stopped. Faith in the invocation has never faded in the native mind. 1t there is a general volcanic convulsion within the earth’s crust, due to some extraordinary condition of the magna, the molten interior, other eruptions may occur. One of the most active points is ip the South Seas, where the volcanic record is long and lively. Krakatos, which once blew its head off in a terrific blast and has since misbehaved rather fiercely, may at any time furnish a dra- matic spectacle which, however, owing to its comparative isolation, will not pro- vide tourist entertainment as do Vesuvius and Mauna Loa from time to time, Revolt in Brazil. Revelution, said to involve all of the twenty states of Brazil, is flaming throughout the great Amazon republic. Supported by his Senate and Chamber, President Vargas has placed the whole country in a state of siege. Beginning as an alleged communist uprising in the northeastern states of Rio Grande do Norte and Pernambuco, armed revolt against the government, which has already been marked by pitched battles with loyal troops, has broken out at various points, inducing the Federal authorities to proclaim the existence of an organized, nation-wide plot to set up a communist regime. The important cities of Natal and Pernambuco are in rebel hands. Rio de Janeiro is moving in force to suppress the threat to its power. Present-day Brazil is no stranger to revolutions. President Vargas himself is the product of one. He became head of a provisional government in 1930 after leading a successful uprising against President Washington Luis and Presi- dent-elect Prestes. Within two years Senhor Vargas was himself compelled to combat revolution against his regime. It plunged Brazil into three months of the most sanguinary hostilities the Western Hemisphere had witnessed since the Civil War in the United States. Presi- dent Vargas triumphed only after fight- ing on three fronts, in which some 120,000 troops were engaged. In 1934 he was elected by the Constituent Assem- bly to a regular presidential term of four years, but the sears of the civil struggle of 1932 were never healed. To what extent they are responsible for the present turmoil is not yet appar- ent. Communism has long .been boring from within in South America. Agi- tation has become so offensive to its various governments that only one of them, Uruguay, has recognized the Soviet Union. Buenos Aires dispatches report that precautionary measures against red extremists will be intensified all over the continent in consequence of events in Brazil. . Even though President Vargas claims to have evidence that a wholesale plot exists to “implant communism” in Brazil and is the result of recent anti- communist moves by the government, developments may establish that such charges are a smoke-screen for the real conditions at bottom of the present out- break. It cannot be that the animosities and political violence out of which suc- cessive Rio de Janeiro regimes were born during the past five or six years are entirely eradicated. They have been fanned by Brazil's economic difficulties, due to the effects of world-wide depres- sion on her coffee crop and other in- dustries. President Vargas probably will prevail over the rebels. He has secured from Congress martial law legislation designed to cope with “radicals” who intend “to disrupt by violence the political and social order and change the form of government established by the consti- tution.” But by the time the soldiers, guns, airplanes and warships sent into action by Rio de Janeiro have subdued the insurrectionists it may turn out that the “communist” revolution was just an- other of those South American political rebellions of which Brazil has had its full share and President Vargas himself is a conspicuous beneficiary. The United States has extensive com- mercial and financial ties with the giant republic of Latin America and will hope for its early tranquillization. Only last February this Government concluded with the Brazilians a reciprocal trade agreement which, it was hoped, would go far toward stabilizing their economic situation. ———————— “Sanctions” will make Italy uncom- fortable and probably affect a large number of people throughout the world. It is & word that seems to assume al- most ecclasiastical dignity. As a matter of factual significance it relates to the sign familiar to all good tourists, “ver- boten.” Holding Company Act. ‘The Government, through the Attorney General and the Securities and Exchange Commission, is seeking.to prepare the way for an early test in the courts of the public utility holding company act. At the same time the administration leaves it quite clear that it holds that the holding companies should promptly register, under the act, with the Securi- ties and Exchange Commission. The holding companies up to date have with- held such registration except for a single company.: Registration is demanded by the law as of December 1. The constitutionality of the holding company act has been attacked. Judge William C. Coleman, in the Federal District Court in Baltimore on November 7, held the law to be unconstitutional in its entirety. He said in.his opinion that it is “grossly arbitrary, unreasonable and capricious.” With the approach of the soscalled “deadline” for the registra- tion of the holding companies, it has been a question whether the Government in- tended to prosecute those who failed to register and to seek to punish criminally the officials of the offending companies and the companies themselves. Fines of $10,000 or two years' imprisonment or both may be imposed for violations of the law under the terms of the act. It now appears, however, that the Govern- ment has reached the conclusion that it is the better arid wiser part to seek a test of the constitutionality of the act in civil suits. The Attorney General has in- structed the United States attorneys throughout the country, therefore, not to institute criminal proceedings. The Securities and Exchange Commission, however, is making every effort to induce the nolding companies to register prior to December 1. It asserts that regis- tration does not in any way waive the rights of any company to attack the holding company law in the courts. The holding companies, however, have been reluctant to register by December 1, or at any time, until the constitution- ality of the act is settled. They feel that ‘once they have complied with the law requiring registration they will then be subjected to Government control as pro- vided in the act. That is something they wish to resist on the ground that the control sought is unconstitutional. One of the provisions of the law is that interstate use of the mails by any holding company that fails to register by Decem- ber 1 is illegal. Incidentally both the Attorney General and the Securities Commission point this out in their statements. The holding company act was bitterly assailed in the House and the Senate. 1t is, however, in line with the adminis- tration’s determination to place the Government in greater control over the pewer interesis in this country. ‘The holding company act has been regarded as one of the pet measures of the Presi- dent. Early court determination of the constitutionality of the act is desirable. Already the Coleman decision in a case involving the act has been appealed to the United States Circuit Court. The next step would take it to the Supreme Court. The seeming determination of the holding companies not to register prior to December 1, or thereafter until the courts have passed on the act, has forced the Government’s hand, in a measure. Either it must carry the matter to the Supreme Court without cracking down on all the companies and without bring- ing criminal suits, or it must seek to place the full strength of the Govern- ment back of an immediate and rigid enforcement. ————ra—————— Athens was in a delirium of joy because of the return of King George. However profound political science may become it can never dismiss the idea of rotation in office. P — It is too much to say that the world has been turned upside down. But the significance attached to subterranean oil deposits suggests the possibility that it is being turned inside out. —_—— et ——— Everybody likes the Prince of Wales, and his cue should come soon to reassert himself as ambassador of good will. ——————————— As Japan asserts interest in China, she cares not who may write the laws so long as she can appoint the policemen. — e Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Diagnosis. ‘We're blaming him and maybe her ‘When different sorts of fight occur. A regal fortune seeks more gain Or maybe an ambitious brain 1Is censured for a fight that may Bring terror in a single day. And when this world seems all amiss We sigh and ask, “Who started this?” Perhaps within us there may dwell Remnants of a primordial cell Which, under some conditions, may Return us to the cave man’s way. It bids us yearn for brutish power And turns our dispositions sour. We chide ourselves, but, just the same, This little germ should bear the blame. Ancestral protoplasm might Render our cortex impolite And turn our minds with cruel zest Unto the crude barbarian’s quest Of lands or gold or songs or flowers Or anything that is not ours. ‘War’s cause? Let’s candid be and firm, Is some hereditary germ. Not Taking Orders. “Do you take orders from anybody?” “My sense of discipline has become so complete,” said Senator Sorghum, “that 1 do not wait for orders. I am obediently alert to the merest suggestion.” Jud Tunkins says he admires colleges so much that he never misses a foot ball game, ‘Wail of a Widower. My dear, if & “gridiron widow” you go Where things are vivaciously said, Il remain where the old mossy epitaphs show, But I'm darned if I like to play dead. 1 shall love you as Pope loved that lady so fair— Lady Mary, whose love was a hoax. I shall honor forever your intellect rare, But I'm darned if Il laugh at your Jokes. Some Sharp Curves, “Is prosperity around the corner?” “Is is,” answered Mr. Dustin Stax, “but we've got to have control as well as speed to avoid running past traffic signals.” Impolite Parody. If a body kill a body Send for the police. If with lead you fill a body, Bid the firing cease. Every gunman has his mollie, She’s the reason why Some slick G-man, grim or jolly, Gets him by and by. “Some of my young gentlemen friends in de school house,” said Uncle Eben, “don’t care what dey puts into de lesson books as long as dey don’t tamper wif de rugged individualism in a foot ball game.” Writer Explains Error In Case of Mrs. Keckley To the Editor of The Star: My attention has been directed to the courteous letter of J. E. Washington in your columns of the 15th inst., in which he calls notice to certain statements of mine which the Associated Press quoted and which were published in The Star on the 11th inst. I must confess that I was shocked at myself for stating that there was no such person as Elizabeth Keckley, when I purposed saying that no such person as Elizabeth Keckley wrote the celebrated Lincoln book, “Be- hind the Scenes.” Mr. Washingfon cor- rects me. He says there was such a per- son and that she did write the book. Scholars, with whom I cannot class myself, have long been bothered over the authorship of this book. They have not yet found in the Lincoln period another colored woman, reared in slavery, and, therefore, as they assert, naturally unlet- tered, who had even a knowledge of the alphabet, much less the ability to write as good and vigorous English as was be- ing written in that day. Therefore, they have doubted that the Mrs. Keckley, an ex-slave, whose name is attached to the book, wrote it. At the time it was pub- lished this doubt was expressed over and over again, in Washington, where Mrs, Keckley lived; in New York, and else- where; and it was the consensus of the critics, book reviewers, journalists and politicians that the name Elizabeth Keckley was either a pseudonym or was assumed to hide the identity of the real author. “Behind the Scenes” is one of the most revealing documents in the Lincoln saga. If Mrs. Keckley wrote it, that fact blasts one of the very serious indictments ever leveled against the Old South. I have long known that some of the foremost preachers of that fabulous region were slaves—men highly endowed with the spirit of God and of marked eloquence— whom even the white people were glad to have as pastors. It is of record that the most noted classical school for boys in the ante-bellum South was founded and taught by a slave—the Rev. John Chavez, a graduate of Princeton—a school which boarded and educated more famous men in North Carolina than even her great State university had done. It would now be a thrilling discovery if it could be established beyond peradven- ture that a slave woman had dcquired sufficient culture in slavery to write one of the most remarkable books in Ameri- can literature. I sincerely hope this dis- covery will be made. DAVID RANKIN BARBEE. Another Public Servant With a “Mr. Bumble” Idea To the Editor of The Star: On the first page of section B, in Friday's Evening Star, I find a picture of Mrs. Agnes K. Mason of the Alcohol Beverage Control Board-and headlines announcing that she favors legalizing gambling in the District. I quote from Mrs. Mason: “I favor legalization of gambling for the reason that I am con- vinced it will be impossible to stop gambling in the District.” Now, Mrs. Mason, let us be consistent. It is not likely that we shall ever be able to abolish bank robberies or other hold-ups; therefore, let us license the hold-up men and women. Nor shall we be able to rid ourselves of speedsters, hit-and-run drivers, drunken drivers, and such; then by all means give them & license. In fact, if we license all these public enemies we will render unneces- sary a police force, and the courts will be relieved of their congestion. “Consistency, thou art a jewel.” A. M. GARDNER. Protests Against Razing Part of Old Patent Office To the Editor of The Star: Could something be done to check the insane idea of tearing off part of the old Government building on the block be- tween F and G, Seventh and Ninth streets? To tear down part of that well- built iron fence, that has no sag or lean in it anywhere, looks like lack of good common sense, just to save a few seconds’ time for the traction company. That building and fence give a great deal of pleasure each time that we pass it in these times of doing things'any careless way so it is done quickly. Why not cut out the curve on First street and Indiana avenue, the curve that takes twice the length of time to make than the two curves on F street at Sev- enth and Ninth streets? M. A. R. STOTTLEMEYER. Says Labor Reserves Right To Throw Rocks and Bottles To the Editor of The Star: Anent the recent labor trouble at Bar- berton, Ohio, strikers and sympathizers served officers of the law with a barrage of rocks and bottles, driving the officers inside the gates, which the strikers then proceeded to smash that they might then give the officers more rocks and bottles. Which seems to be all right with labor unions, but when the officers —the meanijes—turned hose water and tear bombs on the rioters, that was all wrong, and the officers were wrong in so doing, and labor heads threaten a general strike if the practice is con- tinued. Not so very long ago & sandwich man promenading back and forth in front of an establishment here in Washington remarked: “It is us fellers whose work keeps the Government goin’,” which brought the quick reply from a by- stander: “My friend, you are mistaken. ‘The man who hires you and pays you is the man who keeps the country go- ing.” The picket resumed his beat with, as the poets say, a baleful gleam in his eye and a big chew in his mouth. ‘W. J. DERMOTT. - Source of the Yukon Is In Glacial Ice and Snow To the Editor of The Star: I wish to call your attention to an error in your Questions and Answers regarding the Yukon River rising about 15 miles from Dyea. It doesn’t rise. If is caused by melting snow and glacier at Summit Lake, and some of this lake water runs into the Lynn Canal at Skagway and the rest helps to make up the Yukon River. The Pelly River is the main branch of the Yukon. By join- ing the Lewis at Selkirk the Pelly is 600 miles long at Selkirk, from Selkirk to Dawson 175, and from Dawson to St. Michaels 1,824 miles, and about 2,700 from Skagway by the ocean route through Dutch Harbor. P. M. FAY. Fatal Lead. Prom the Hartford Courant. It is rare for a gangster to reach the age of 40, = student of the underworld reports. Lead poisoning, it appears, is a serious occupational disease that af- flicts the profession. An Unspoken Word. Prom the San Antonio Evenings News. But did Premier Mackenzie King tell t Roosevelt that the Canadians A have forgiven their neighbors for repeal ve # T ing the eighteenth amendment? = | The tremendous number of new books on the market must at the same time appall and enhearten all who love to read. The individual booklover should keep in mind just one thought: “I don’t have to read them all!” If he capitulates to the idea that he is under some compulsion, he will be in danger of going completely “rutty,” as the squirrels say. There is no subject being considered by men, no branch of knowledge, no interest, no hobby, which is not receiving f,"Sh increments of written matter these ays. No matter what you may be interested in, there will be not only one fresh new book about it, but probably several. Cats? There are four or five new books about them this Fall, Fishes? Many new volumes devoted to their care and breeding. Stamps? Never before has there been such a drift of albums, Economics? The saviours of mankind, self-pro- claimed and others, are rushing into print at a fearful rate. Novels devoted to the aspirations of the proletariat? ‘They spring smoking from the presses of the Nation overnight. R ‘Whatever you are interested in you can find not only one book about it, but several, from as many different view- points. This makes it all every confusing for the average book lover. The best he can do is trust himself, not others. Some amount of critical opinion is helpful, but beyond that it cloys. One wonders who buys all these books and how. Maybe one’s friends are illiterate, but one never hears them men- tion one of them. This is not altogether a sign they do not read them, of course, although it may be. Life is so complex, nowadays, with so many interests for all, that even discussion has faltered. Who remembers the old days, when there were just a few prominent writers, each of whom put out just one book a year? It was an easy matter, then, to talk about the new books and people did. We do not mean folks who belonged to literary clubs, but just the average run of people whe liked to read. * X X * Nowadays if you mention a new book your companion says, “I am going to read that,” or “Is it any good?” Is it any good? It is an interesting phrase, one which means, at bottom, “Is it any good for you?” ‘Whether a book is “good” for the other fellow remains for him to find out. Literary critics have been so con- founded, in recent years, by the disap- pearance of the reputations of some authors they have boosted, that they are beginning at last to be a bit wary. It remains up to each reader to find out what is good for him. In this way he stands a much better chance of hit- ting the good things as they are issued than if he had run off hotly after every “best seller” on the list. * X X X The average reader of some sense and discrimination has as good a chance as the bravest critic of being correct in his judgment. STARS, MEN NOVEMBER 26, 1935. And there is a certain satisfaction in being able to detect the good from the indifferent and the great from the good. It is not impossible. Many an ordinary man or woman, in no way exceptional, has been able to select the really good things on the reading riarket from the merely widely publicized. Often there is a world of dif- ference, but the uncritical know it not. Those who refuse to be led by the nose— or it should be ears, or eyes, in this case —cannot be fooled all the time. Just some of the time! They will find their status as amateur literary critic made increasingly difficult by two things, the vastly larger number of well written books being published yearly, and the increasing vogue for great claims on the part of the accepted critics. The latter may be discounted to a certain extent, just on general principles; the truth is that this old custom of “you-pat-me-on- the-back-and-T'll-pat-you” is not as ram= pant now as it was just a few years ago. There is still enough of it to be worrying, at times, L ‘The great number of really well writ- ten books put out yearly in this country, to say nothing of the huge number which comes to it from England and other countries, makes the work of the amateur critic—the average reader—ex- .| ceptionally difficult. Universal education has done its work, in this respect, at least. It seems that almost every one can write, and does write. The level of this product, from so many minds, is surprisingly high. The fact that so much of it is good makes it increasingly difficult for the great average reader to keep his mental balance. The fact that various book clubs have attained national prominence, in the book scheme of things, further complicates matters for him. Now he must face the mandate of various or- ganizations, who claim to select the “best” books for him. The shrewd reader will notice, however, that the offerings of the various clubs seldom coincide, 50 he must believe that there are several sets of “best” books. He sees, or at least suspects, that nobody’s opinions are of any more validity than his own. * &8 * If he goes into a store with the idea of buying a book, without having made due preparation, however, he will find himself amazed and perhaps lost at the choice. So many large volumes, so really won=- derful, if he can believe the blurbs on the jackets, or even the imprint of so many old publishers, whose names have been household words all his life. Then there gre new publishers, many of them, each with a load of books equally as large in physical size and as “amazing” and “colossal,” according to the critics. In this plethora, this literary horn of plenty, he finds his own ideas, as stub- born as may be, his best salvation. For then he will be true to himself, and as likely as any critic to hit the nail on the head. If preparation is made in advance the Christmas book shopper will be in a position to enjoy his forays into the literary marts of trade. He will know what he wants, and what he does not want, and which of these two is the most important let no one say. AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. Glimpses of the family life of “mer- maids,” their spouses and their babies are reported to the American Society of Mammalogists here by O. W. Barrett, naturalist and explorer, of North Clar- endon, Vt. The prototypes of the “mermaids” of legend, he reports, are among the least known of all animals to naturalists be- cause of the underwater habitat and their secretive habits. They are the manatees of the Caribbean region and the dugongs of the Indian Ocean. They constitute the only remaining species of the serenia, or moon creatures, distant relatives of the elephant. Both have a somewhat human facial appearance. They feed standing upright in the water, their flippers held out before them like arms. Sometimes, it is said, the females hold their calves in these flippers. Seen from a distance, they have a curiously human appearance, and this accounts for the many reports of mermaids and mermen. This is especially true of the dugong— a creature of the open sea, with a white, almost hairless body, which is extremely secretive and which has almost never been captured alive. When one is washed ashore or caught in a fisher’s net it causes superstitious fear among the natives. The manatees are not so human in appearance and are much bet- ter known. ‘The creatures seldom make their ap- pearance above water in daylight. They love to graze in the moonlight, and this had added to their humanlike appear- ance which has given rise te the mer- maid legends. Mr. Barrett studied the animals in both America and Africa. * x x ¥ Concerning the manatee, Mr. Barrett records: “The animal still is fairly com- mon in most of the fresh-water bayous, lagoons and rivers along the east coast of Nicaragua. One of the best-known herds on the Caribbean Coast inhabits the Indio River, just north of Greytown, Nicaragua. Estimates of its number vary from a few score to several hundred. The herd apparently is stationary there and does not increase or decrease to any notable degree from year to year, although the natives take a heavy toll. “Hunting is usually done on moon- light nights. Two men, in the smallest possible dugout canoe, go to the likeliest grazing ground and conceal themselves near the river bank. Soon after twi- light the herd arrives from its daytime place of concealment. The animal, it is said, never willfully attacks the canoe or its occupants, or in any way tries to defend itself when attacked. Attempts to escape by rapid swimming, diving and quick turning are its only tactics. “A manatee can remain under Water from 20 to 30 minutes when frightened. During the daytime the slightest un- usual noise, like rain falling on a tin pail or the spitting of the hunter, is sufficient to keep the whole herd sub- merged for hours, yet while they are grazing the hunter may go up and slap them on the back unnoticed. “The Central American animal feeds entirely, according to the writer's ob- servation, on para grass, one of the sev- eral grasses that grow on the banks of the fresh-water lagoons and rivers, the roots always remaining in the soil above the mean level of the water and the stems floating out some 6 or 10 feet from the tender, vertical tips and one or two calves are usually met with. These groups merge into a loose herd of from 10 to 50 or more individuals living in a certain stretch of river, con- centrating during the day and scatter- ing at night. They generally graze at night, although a few individuals may be seen feeding in broad daylight. The body is held nearly vertical while graz- ing. The head is held well out of water, while the armlike flippers poke the grass toward the mouth. The noise made by the flapping of the huge upper lip and the crunching of the large teeth can be heard distinctly 200 yards or more away. The sound is much like that of horses grazing in a pasture. Adult manatees appear to average somewhere between 8 and 10 feet in length. Some—old fe- males, presumably—may reach 12 feet.” A much more seclusive animal, Mr. Barrett reports, is the true “mermaid” of legend—the dugong of the Indian Ocean. Unlike the manatee, it is a creature of the sea and seldom ventures into the fresh-water rivers and lagoons. Few naturalists ever have actually seen one of the creatures. Mr. Barrett's first acquaintance with the creature came in Mosambique, Portu- guese East Africa, when some native fishermen caught in their net what they described’ as a “white porpoise.” They were terrified and gladly presented their catch to an Italian blacksmith. This man crudely embalmed the animal, placed it in & crude coffin and freighted it to Johannesburg, where he rented a show room and made & fortune exhibit- ing “the only genuine mermaid—half fish, half human.” The dugongs, Mr. Barrett believes, have been driven to take refuge in the sea by the crocodiles which infest African rivers. What they eat is a mys- tery. The nearby oceans are compara- tively free of seaweed. The naturalist noted, however, large slabs of a peculiar, dark-red vegetation floating on the sur- face of the sea. These, supposedly, fur- nish about the only food of the “mer- maids.” Secretary’s Misquotation Unchallenged by Hearers To the Editor of The Star: Relying upon The Star’s accuracy, here is a good one for some political com- mentator: “These 48 States are the United States. The spirit and the heart of the Consti- tution is the declaration of intention to form the meost perfect union.”—From address of Secretary Wallace to edu- cators, The Star, November 20, 1935, page B-1, column 3, paragraph 3. The preamble to the Constitution of the United States begins: “We, the peo- ple of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union.” * * * The Articles of Confederation had not formed an effective union. The purpose of the Constitutional Convention was to work out something better. Being wise men, they had no expec- tation of achieving perfection; of reach- ing more than perfection; of discovery of a form of government most perfect. “Many people talk about the Constitu- tion, but few know very much about it.” It appears that even those present were not gven sufficiently familiar with the beginning of its preamble to challenge the Secretary’s misleading quotation. - JOSEPH W. CHEYNEY. . ) 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 Bureau Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing- ton, D.C. Please inclose stamp for reply, Q. What are the names of the States which require teachers to take loyalty oaths?—W. C. H. A. Arizona, California, Colorado, Cone necticut, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Okla- homa, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Da- kota, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. Q. Kindly tell me which colors of the four-color half-tone process are printed first~C. B. A. The order of printing depends upon the color quality desired, but generally lighter colors are printed first. The usual sequence is yellow, blue, red and black. Q. Is it true that while on the stage an actor should not tum his back to the audience?—L. A. C. A. It was formerly a rule strictly ad- hered to that an actor should not turn his back to the audience. Some of Ethel Barrymore's biggest scenes have been done with her back turned to the audi- ence for a considerable length of time, T}‘m rule is now occasionally violated. Q. Hpw old would a Douglas fir tree be which is 324 feet high?—S. B. A. The Douglas fir is among the tall- est of fir trees. The Forest Service says that the age of a Douglas fir which is 324 feet high is in excess of 600 years and is possibly 800 years old. Q. When was gold first discovered in Alaska?—E. W. A. It was first discovered in Alaska in 1848 in the gravels of Kenai River by P, P. Doroshin, a Russian mining engineer, who was then making an examination of the mineral resources of the district for the Russian-American Co. In 1850 and 1851 Doroshin, with a working force of 14 men, prospected the gravels of two streams entering Kenai River between Kenai and Skilak Lakes and those of a third stream tributary to the latter lake. Gold was found nearly everywhere in the gravels examined, but not in com- mercial quantities. Q. How long should the tail of a silver fox be?—B. F. A. The brush or tail should balance the body. If the tail is bent back over the head the tip should reach between the ears of the fox. The tail should be well rounded and taper off at the tip in a well-proportioned cone. Q. How high are the mountains in the coastal range in California?—F. M. G. A. The average altitudes are from 2,000 to 3,000 feet. Q. Which President of the United States made the shortest inaugural ad- dress?—A. G. A. Washington’s second inaugural ad- dress is the shortest on record—134 words. Johnson's contained 362, Arthur’s, 431, and Lincoln’s second inaugural speech contained 588 words. Q. What difference in the temperature of the air in a room would an electrio fan make?—L. H. D. A. A thermometer is not affected By the breeze produced by an electric fan after it has once attained the temperae ture of the air. Q. How many of the students attende ing De Pauw University are Methoe dists?—T. W. A. Fifty per cent are Methodists, 25 per cent, Presbyterians, and students of other religious denominations make up the other 25 per cent. Q. At what time of year does New Orleans have the most destructive storms?—E. S. A. The most destructive tropical storm at New Orleans in recent history was that of September 29, 1915. Tropical storms have seldom reached the Gulf Coast as far west as Louisiana after the middle of October. Records from 1887 to date show that the latest date on which & tropical storm of full hurricane force moved into the State of Louisiana was on October 16, 1923, Q. How nearly is the world supplied with automobiles?>—S. C. A. In 1931 there was one automobile for every 56 persons in the world. The ratio has probably changed very little in the past five years. Q. In contract bridge, does a redouble close the bidding?—C. M. A. It closes the doubling, but does not close the bidding. g. Should babies’ teeth be cared for? -F. H. A. It is important that they should be, because they furnish food for the second teeth and form the arch which is re- sponsible for their regularity. Q. Was Anna Howard Shaw a physi- cian or a minister of the gospel?—S. M. A. She was both. She received her M. D. from Boston University and was ordained in the Methodist Protestant Church, Q. When is National Cotton week?— J. A. D. A. From May 6 to 11. Q. Which is the smallest of the citrus fruits?—G. G. A. The kumquat is the smallest; the grapefruit is the largest. A Rhyme at Twilight B Gertrude Brozke Hamilton Fire Hero. Red fire trucks at dusk! Crowds. Traile ing cars. A halt in city block. The passer-by Brought to & stop by sparks like falling stars. Gesticulations toward a window high— Cur!;llkynlx aflame against the evening Helmet and hose on roof. A big curb- crowd. Fire! Ten stories up!—the window blaze Extinguished by the play of water loud. A second thrill in cinders and smoke haze 'To hold spectators on the city ways— High on a coping near the blackened screen A living object clings and feebly calls. In the swift silence of the dusk street scene A fire-fighter on the stone ledge crawls— And rescyes the live atom e'er it falls, Not often do the fire trucks trail by l'.l'o salvage one singed kitten from on A