Evening Star Newspaper, July 27, 1936, Page 8

" A8 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, JULY 27, 1936. W THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. July 27, 1936 bttt . SRy THEODORE W. NOYES..........Editor —— The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Business Offl 11th St and Pennsyl New Yorl omce-kun Chicago Of l‘@é‘fl%m’}n nia Ave. ast 4200 s Buropean Office: Rate by Carrier Within the Citr. Regular Edition. ng Star fi&g‘;::m snd 83 -40c per month -60c per month n 65¢0_per month The Sunday Stare: 68 Der copy Night Fi Night Pinal and Sundsy Star...70c per mon Night Final Star. Z85¢c per montl Collection ma of each month. Orders may be sent by mail or telephone Na- tional 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virsinia. aily and Sunday. aily only. junday onl 50¢ Member of the Associated Press. 1t xclusively entitled to e AL B P S ey disnatehcs credited an lfionr not ov,lhf‘r;‘r'l‘umeI m\fie in this Tights of oublication of ‘sbecial ‘ erein are also reserved. —_— Vimy. By miracle of radio, thousands of Washingtonians yesterday were privi- leged to “attend” the ceremonies on Vimy Ridge. Little imagination was required to picture the scene. And the “listeners- in" probably heard the addresses just as clearly as did those who were gath- ered within sight of the speakers. The hope of the world for freedom from war was the keynote of the occa- sion. Nothing less than peace through- out the earth, it was agreed by all par- ticipants in the rites, can be an adequate memorial for the millions who perished in the struggle of 1914-1918. The Canadians to whom the Vimy monu- ment was dedicated represented only a relative few—a mere sixty-four thou- sand—of the brave men who “gave the last full measure of devotion” for the sacred cause of civilization in that frightful strife. Yet there is danger that “these hon- ored dead” have died in vain. King Edward VIII and President Albert Lebrun, personifying in themselves the peoples of Great Britain and France, were conscious of the peril in which humanity stands. Both pleaded against the threat of a new cataclysm—another Armageddon far more costly and devas- tating than any conflict of the past. ‘Their words were meaningless, the beau- tiful sculptured tribute to the heroic sons of Our Lady of the Snows a mockery, unless & way is found to protect future generations from the all-inclusive dis- aster which Lord Brougham once in- dicted as “a crime which involves all other crimes.” Prime Minister W. L. MacKenzie King summarized the issue in his message: “Canada asks that the nations of Europe strive to obliterate’ whatever makes for war and for death. She appeals to them to unite in an effort to bring into being a world of peace. 'This is the trust which we, the living, received from those who suffered and died. It is a trust which we hold in common.” But numerous skeptics—too many of them, unhappily—doubt the efficiency of any enterprise in the interest of amity and harmony. There are rivalries, they argue, which cannot be reconciled and which periodically are certain to be submitted to the adventurous chance of battle, where God, as Napoleon is sup- posed to have declared, may be on the side with the most cannon. Another gamble, however, might be suggested. Suppose the courageous and liberal young sovereign of England, re- spected and admired by multitudes of citizens of other lands, were to summon a conference of all the nations, great and small alike, to meet under his presi- dency and with the solemn inspiration of their memories and their hopes hon- orably try to solve at least a few of their problems, would not some durable result, some permanent benefit, ensue? The inevitability of other Vimys is the alter- native to such endeavors. ———————— To Mark Twain is credited the say- ing: “Every one talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” In his later years Mark Twain wrote as a philosopher who de- sired to be taken seriously. He would be surprised to find in the Tugwell trip to drought-stricken areas so practical an interpretation of his remark. B I e, Statesmen are dependent on print for the effective promulgation of their views. Congress itself is a sort of press conference permitted an occasional vaca- tion. Budget and Business. The Guaranty Survey, the monthly review of business and financial condi- tions issued by the Guaranty Trust Company of New York, in general ap- proves the fifty per cent increase in reserve requirements of the Federal Re- serve Banks, but suggests that excess bank reserves represent only one aspect in the menace of inflation. “Regardless of Federal Reserve policy,” the Survey says, “a balanced national budget is absolutely essential to the preservation of a sound currency.” The fear of in- flation, it continues, has been one of the most important factors “tending to impair business confidence in the last few years; and this adverse influence has been especially strong .wnh respect to long-term commitments, such as bond Issues, new construction, and the like.” In view of evidence on every hand of business improvement, the fear of infla- tion or Federal fiscal policy as an actual deterrent to business expansion may be & matter of opinion more than demon- strable fact. But of the absolute need for a balanced budget policy there is no question. Without such a policy, necessitating continued borrowing, it is difficult to see how eventual inflation can be avoided. Both candidates and both party plat- forms are in favor of such s policy. ’ But how do they intend to achieve it? During the course of the catapaign the point should receive more emphasis from both sides. It is not difficult to suggest that reduced demand for relief will permit progress toward a budget- balancing policy. But it is difficult to promise with any degree of certainty when, or how much, relief expenditures will be pared down. As a general prop- osition, income will be brought to the level of outgo, by either drastic in- crease in taxation or equally drastic reduction in expenditures. If either party contemplates a tax program, the nature of that program should be out- lined in advance. Certain savings might be made in running expenses of the notmal Government establishments. But they would be relatively small, accom- plishing practically nothing. The big expenditures are for the National de- fense, the veterans and for relief. Are these the items in which budget-bal- ancing reductions are to occur? If so, which—and how? The issue of mounting public debt, heavy spending and threatened taxation provides the Republicans with a target for their most effective campaign ammu- nition. Specific and detailed discussion of how they intend to “put our financial house in order,” should Governor Lan- don be elected, could well be undertaken by the campaigning Republicans. That is what a lot of people want to know. Localizing Civil War. After an emergency cabinet meeting Saturday night the French government announced that it had unanimously de- cided “not ta intervene in any manner whatsoever in the internal conflict in Spain.” Proclamation of that attitude followed circumstantial reports that the sister Popular Front regime in Madrid had appealed to the Blum government to authorize an extensive shipment of French arms, munitions and airplanes for use against the Fascist revolutionists now pounding at the gateways to the Spanish Capital and who have plunged the whole country into violent and dev- astating civil war. Bitter differences raged in the Paris cabinet over the wisdom of supplying the hard-pressed radicals with defense and offense sinews. Premier Blum and other Socialist ministers were said to favor such aid. But the grim warning of Rightist Nationalists that it might lead to European war killed the project. So France is committed, for the time being at least, to a “hands off” policy, no matter how ardently M. Blum and other Popular Fronters may yearn to go to the rescue of their brethren across the Pyrenees. The decision is a salutary one. Any active French identification with the Socialist-Communist elements now bat- tling desperately for their political life at Madrid would almost automatically precipitate counter moves in both Rome and Berlin, where sympathy with the Spanish Fascists is not disguised. It is correspondingly conceivable that the answer of Mussolini and Hitler—whose community of spirit has just been sig- nalized by the action of the Reich in being the first power to recognize the new Roman “empire” in Africa—would be prompt Italo-German intervention on behalf of the rebels. Joint action to that end might easily take the form of mili- tary demonstrations on France's eastern and southeastern frontiers rather than on Spanish soil. The fat would then be in the fire. France has no international engage- ments that prevent her from making arms deliveries to Spain or debar private French manufacturers from supplying them. It is exclusively a question of policy that is at stake. Circumstances make it a truly burning issue—one which, the Blum ministry is evidently determined, shall not be permitted either to fan into flame the smoldering embers of revolution in France or kindle a con- flagration in Europe. Spain’s all- engulfing tragedy is terrible enough. Statesmen beyond the mountain range which separates the peninsula from the Continent face the grave responsibility of seeing that the crisis remains local- ized. This week's twenty-second anni- versary of the outbreak of the World War whets mankind's hope that pru- dence and restraint will prevail in Euro- pean chancellories at this explosive hour. —— e Will Hays conducted the Harding campaign and as dean of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences may yet be able to restore the word “normalcy” to respectful attention. —_——r———————— Reports that a rebel column is ad- vancing on Madrid is a matter of news fact and not a warning that Spanish columnists have abandoned their type- writers and taken up arms. Eyes Open. The pleasure of living, surely, is en- hanced by cultivation of the power to see things. In the performance of any day’s ordinary routine the average indi- vidual, if he keeps his eyes open, may find entertainment in the passing show of even the least colorful neighborhood. For example, the journey from home to office, which is part of the pattern of existence followed by thousands during six-sevenths of a week, provides oppor- tunity for inspection of a scene con- stantly changing and, therefore, never meaningless. To illustrate the point, the recent removal of the car tracks from Connec- ticut avenue between Calvert street and Chevy Chase Circle may be cited. The engineers and laborers who did the work probably did not realize the fact, but it was true nevertheless that they had a numerous audience. Over the route each morning and evening moved un- counted hundreds of‘ people, many of whom made it a business to notice the gradual progress of the enterprise. And some of these spectators had opinions about it. The majority verdict was favorable and friendly. Starting on September 14, 1935, the program was carried through in four “bites” aggregating eighty work- ing days. The normal fiace of procedure was four hundfed and fifty feet & day, - Anterest of human service. and the cost approximately a dollar & foot. Four contractors co-operated in the elimination of the seven miles of steel rafls. The District Highway De- partment took care of repaving. But the public did not need to be familiar with statistics in order to appre- ciate the job. It had dramatic value to those who watched it done—simply be- cause it represented action. To the by- standing philosopher it had the connota- tion of achievement. And the world is full of such manifestations of human genius applied to human problems in the To enjoy them it is necessdry only to see them. Demand for Economy. With appropriations for the current fiscal year exceeding local revenues by about $4,000,000 and the amount of Dis- trict revenues for the next fiscal year remaining an unknown quantity until the President’s determination of the amount of the Federal obligation, the task faced by the Commissioners in preparation of local budget estimates can be understood. According to rough estimates, local taxes plus a lump sum of $5,000,000 would not meet operating expenses for the District next year, after deductions for P. W. A. and other obligations assumed by the District. There is every reason, therefore, for the department heads to exercise the rigid economy ordered by the Commis- sioners in preparation of their tentative estimates. The preparation of such esti- mates usually means including every- thing that is desirable, with the knowl- edge that such estimates will be dras- tically reduced by the Commissioners to the level of anticipated revenues. This year the task of the Commissioners will be facilitated by willing co-operation on the part of department heads in doing some of the drastic reducing themselves. The fact that available revenues would not meet operating expenses of the District next year indicates that if the Bureau of the Budget insists on esti- mates in advance of determination of the Federal obligation, all that the Commis- sioners can do is to stretch their avail- able revenue as far as it will go and point out the nature of the ground still left uncovered. When the District, with adequate taxation, high in relation to its peculiar disabilities and high in com- parison with the tax payments of other cities of comparable size and environ- ment, cannot even meet the costs of maintenance, the argument in behalf of generously increased national appro- priations is strengthened. ———————___ The State of Kansas has a remark- able record. It has faced many forms of criticism, but has never for a moment been out of the spotlight. ——— v Financially and politically Jersey City begins to look like an energetic and influential town just across from little old New York. Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Wisher. One day I stahted wishin’ An’ I says: “Le’s have some rain, 'Cause dis overwarm condition Sho'ly gives de crops a pain.” An’ de rain it come a-droppin’ Like dar wasn't any stoppin’, An’ I spec’ we got to build an ark, like Noah, once again. So I wished foh sunny weather An’ de clouds all lef’ de sky. An’ foh days an’ days together De thermometer was high. And it kep’ a-goin’ higher And de fields was gittin’ drier. I must have overwished ‘em, dem ’taters g'ineter die. ‘cause I guess T quit suggestin® As T dozes in de shade A-waitin’ an’ a-restin’ While de weather’s bein’ made. ‘When de sun is brightly glowin” Il des’ keep dat pump a-goin’, An’ I'll h'ist dat o’ umbrella when de dust is bein’ laid, The Audience. “Have you made many speeches since you went home?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum. “The neighbors all take a heap of in- terest in me, but my best chance just now seems to be in establishing a reputa- tion as a good listener.” The July Journey. De lazy day come driftin’ along. De breeze is singin’ a lazy song. De sun rise slow foh to staht de day, And he takes his time as he slides away. So, whoa dar, mule! It’s a long, hahd climb. Mind yoh betters And take yoh time. De bird is a-singin’ on de limb 'Cause he ain’t got nothin’ a-botherin’ him. De fish is dozin’ in de stream Till a fly come droppin’ to dream. So, whoa dar, mule! ’Cause don't you see ‘When you pushes yohse’f You's pushin’ me? ‘sturb his Jud Tunkins says most people are so intellectually modest that they admire anything they can’t quite understand. “To think you are wiser than your fellow man,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “leaves you comfortable and serene, unless events so shape them- selves as to call on you to prove it.” Overburdened Mentality. ‘When perplexities arise, He’s a sorry dunce Who, to settle, boldly tries Too many things at once. “A lightnin’ bug,” said Uncle Eben, “does de best he kin, an' mebbe thinks he's jes’ as good as de stars away up yonder Zar f'um flowers and friends.” N THE POLITICAL MILL BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. DES MOINES, Iowa, July 27.—How's Landon doing in his own home State, Kansas, and the big agricultaral States nearby? The answer is he's doing well. This even goes for Missouri, usually rated a Democratic State. Missouri, it is said, has really become a battleground, with the Republicans making gains, This does not mean that it's in the bag for Landon. Anything but a few months ago Mis- souri was considered a cinch for Roose- velt, and now there is to be a real fight there. The Democrats have a tremen- dously strong organization in Kansas City headed by “Boss” Tom Pendergast. Pendergast has reached out. He has a strong organization in St. Louis, which used to be a Republican stronghold. Out in the country districts of the State he is less effective. However, the Demo- crats are looking to Pendergast to deliver the votes as usual. Just at present he is away, ill. But he is expected to come back in plenty of time for the campaign. * x X % So far as Kansas is concerned, the Landonites feel quite sure the Repub- lican nominee will win with a lead of from 75,000 to 100,000. Representative Cliford R. Hope, Republican, says he has no doubt about the 75,000 lead. He be- lieves that is conservative in the extreme. Yet Mr. Hope freely admits that many of the Kansas farmers are still for Roose- velt at this time, because of aid they have had from the A. A. A. as originally operated and which they are exp:cting from the revamped farm law. Kansas has been a sufferer from the drought. If the farmers are well taken care of in the drought area, which extends over an appreciable part of the State, Roose- velt may benefit thereby, it is admitted. No one seems to know just how the drought is going to cut politically. If prices of foodstuffs go up because of a shortage, the drought is not going to be entirely an asset for Roosevelt. De- cidedly not. Kansas went for Roosevelt by about 73,000 votes over Hoover four years ago. But it gave the Republican candidate a 300,000 lead in 1928. And two years ago Landon was re-elected Governor of the State by 73,000 when the country was swinging heavily to Roosevelt. * x %3 Oklahoma will be a hard nut for the Republicans to crack, despite the fact that Alfalfa Bill Murray and other Democrats there are clear off the reser- vation and supporting Landon. Today it would go strongly for Roosevelt. The Republicans, however, are digging in there for a hard campaign, and recall that twice before Republican presidential candidates have carried it. Nebraska, Kansas’' neighbor of the north, is leaning to Landon. There, too, the campaign is still in the making. Either Landon’s campaign may make or mar in Nebraska, although the people are inclined to be for him. There is & growing anti-Roosevelt vote, and of Democratic strife to aid the Republican candidate. Illinois Republicans who attended the Landon acceptance ceremonies in To- peka—and there was quite a delegation— insist that G. O. P. prospects in that populcus State are looking up. In the first place, the Republicans have laid aside their factional troubles for the time being. They have a strong candidate for Governor in Wayland Brooks, who has the veterans of the World War pretty well lined up—and who makes a strong appeal to young Republicans. Further- more, the Republicans say that the old row between Gov. Horner and the Kelly- Nash Democratic organization in Chi- cago is likely to give the Democrats a good deal of trouble. A possible fly in the Republican ointment is the threat of “Big Bill” Thompson to run as inde- pendent candidate for Governor. If Thompson gets into the race, he may make quite a stir in Chicago, where he was boss and mayor for. so long a time. He will be without the old Lem Small organization support down State—for Small is dead. ok k% A three-cornered battle is looming in the third congressional district of Kansas, now represented in the house by E. W. Patterson, Democrat. L. P. Beard, a Townsendite, is going into the race. The contest in the Republican pri- mary seems to lie between former Repre- sentative McGugin and George F. Beez- ley of Girard. Beard is a& locomotive engineer. He went recently as a delegate to the Townsend Convention in Cleve- land. He has the indorsement of the national Townsend organization as well as that of the State. Patterson had counted on the support of the Townsend vote. ok x % ‘While there are a lot of Democratic leaders in Nebraska who do not like one another, in the exigencies of the cam- paign they may yet be drawn closer to- gether and so make a better fight against Landon. There are Lawrence, the Lin- coln editor, who is stirring heaven and earth for Senator Norris, and the mayor of Lincoln, “Brother Charley” Bryan, at one time Governor of the State, and Quiggly, the State chairman. And then there is Arthur Mullen, who found him- self torn out of the Democratic national committeemanship by the purists—and the realists—among the New Dealers be- cause he had opened law offices in ‘Washington and started coining money. Mullen has had a serious run-in with Secretary Ickes, the public works admin- istrator, too. What Mullen thinks about Bryan is a plenty. There is Senator Burke, once a fair-haired boy in the eyes of President Roosevelt, but who has irritatingly opposed some of the New Deal measures, and the President’s wishes. Burke seems to have a feeling that he owes something to the World- Herald for his election to the Senate. Any way, he is sticking more or less with that newpaper's opinions concerning the New Deal. He has not, and has no in- tention, it is said, of going the full length of that newspaper’s attitude, It is supporting Landon for President. The Bryans and their followers are favorable to Roosevelt. Certainly Presi- dent Roosevelt has shown himself very favorable to one member of the Bryan family—the daughter of the late William Jennings and United States Minister to Denmark. Not only did the President make the then Mrs. Ruth Bryan Owen a member of the diplomatic corps, but he and Mrs. Roosevelt attended her wedding to her new Danish husband. And the President is keeping her right on in her post as Minister. The complaint of the Bryans these days is that the radio was invented too late. For, they say, had William Jen- nings been able to reach the multitudes of 1896 with the aid of the radio, he would surely have been elected, and William McKinley defeated. Maybe he would have, and maybe he wouldn’t. Bryan was a great talker, and he talked to millions of the people in person. But he never could get z.flthmh he tried presidency—and again, Burrowing insects and animals play havoc with lawns. Then even the kindest-hearted per- son may feel murderously inclined as he views the damage done. The person interested in nature is seldom a killer. He will regret the necessity for it, and wonder why some of the experts feel it necessary to slay 250 bluebirds, to find out what is in their stomachs, when a dozen of the birds might have sufficed. Yet some departments of science are built on slaughter, just as life itself in some ways reposes solidly on a basis of the slain, both in wars and for food. The kind-hearted person will kill no more than he must. Even respect for life will not prevent one from killing something that attacks him, or en- dangers those dear to him. No one, viewing the damage caused by termites, would hesitate to extermi- nate them. It is the same with the burrowing ani- mals and insects of all kinds. These include moles, ants, hornets and others. * % % ¥ It is a good plan to proceed cautious- ly, in view of the winged fury which may dart out of such a hole in the lawn. A heap of crumbly earth in & neat mound does not always mean ants, by any means. Something more vicious may be at work there. Nor is there any need to “go crazy,” as many persons do whose first interest is the lawn. By taking things easily, proceeding cautiously, and finding out first with what they have to deal, before they try to deal with it, they may save them- selves several stings, and end the nuisance just as quickly. It is one of the real advantages of the good lawn that such depredations seldom do it any real harm. It is so good all over that a few hills or raised places are not noticed. When the pest is exterminated the result of its work seldom shows for long. * kX % Getting grass-minded, however, to the extent some people are, is not to be rec- ommended. It is well to want a good lawn, but to let the grass worry one, as it does so many people, is wrong. The lawn is the background to both house and garden. It is the one desirable thing before everything else in the garden, but when that has been admitted enough has been admitted. That one should worry incessantly over the grass, and spend hours upon hours digging up crab grass and the like, does not follow at all. Yet many householders worry their lives away over their lawns, spending days raking and mowing and fuming and fussing over them. One must submit that few lawns are worth it. * * ® X Even the burrowers aforementioned cannot damage a good lawn much. That is, the good lawn—not the perfect lawn —will respond to treatment quickly. It is elastic, it will “come back” within a few days. The good lawn is shown at this time by its ability to stand drought without too much harm. This may not mean that some water must not be given it. But the good lawn—we insist, not the perfect one—requires water only in spots. Wherever drying occurs, this is the place that should get water from the hose, and none other. The portions of the grass that get along without artificial watering are sending their roots down deep, and receiving their moisture as nature intended. If certain spots obdu- rately will not do this, .there is nothing to do but help them. The other requirement for a good lawn is plenty of grass veed. Those who seed & lawn once in 10 years, or there- abouts, and expect it to be perfect thereafter are barking up the wrong tree, as the saying has it. These fine lawns you see everywhere are the result of constant care, especially as to seeding. Many owners keep seed on hand the year around, and wherever they find a bare spot they put in at once a handful of seed. ’ ‘The two best times to put in new grass seed are known to most people. Early March and late August or very early September. It is the belief of many that the latter is the one best time of the year to make a new lawn or build up an old one. In the Fall the weeds are through, and the grass has no competition from those most ram- pant of growers. Usually there is plenty of moisture. The days are not so hot for the tender new blades then. The one thing to keep in mind is to get the seed in early, the last week in August or the first week in September, for sometimes cold weather comes early in October, and new grass must have at least six weeks in which to germinate and make good growth. * X X *x Low cutting of the lawn is another requisite of good care. Much has been said against this, but what is meant is shaving. To literally shave a lawn is not good, but to cut it as short as is consistent with good appearance is entirely another thing. More and more home owners are com- ing around to this simple wisdom. With it they combine the use of the rake. A few years ago every one was warned against raking off the clippings. “Let them lie,” the experts said. “They will mulch the ground.” Owners did this, and found they had far worse grass than their neighbors who used a rake every mowing, or a grass catcher hitched to the machine. It is not necessary to rake the grass every time. Every other time is enough. But this raking is good for it, and does fine things to it. Raking rids the fresh- ly clipped blades of litter, gives them a chance to breathe, to get their bearings again after the shock of clipping. It is impossible to look at the faithful grass and not wonder how it stands up so well after being mistreated every week via the lawn mower. That this weekly cutting really does not harm it is a tribute to Nature, at whose ingenuity we must continually marvel. S There are on the market several chem- icals which may be used with success against the various types of animals and insects which tend to throw up the turf. Care should be used in handling these, whether spray, gas or as bait. Do not attempt to correct the small damage done until the pests have been driven out, since they will come up again as fast as you smooth out the places. Every one has tried it with ant hills. After the pest is driven out for good, or killed in the nest, the grass itself will soon grow over the bare spot. The spreading tendency of most types of lawn grass is the mainstay of the home gardener. Without this good ac- tivity he would plant in vain who planted seed, either in Spring or Autumn. Always remember that the lawn wants to be luxuriant, even more than you want it to be. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Hitherto, application of the title of “Kansas Coolidge” to Gov. Landon has referred mainly to the economy side of his political make-up. Since the accept- ance speech, the other Coolidge attri- butes of calmness and caution are being freely associated with the G. O. P. nominee. Apart from the specific gov- ernmental policies with which Landon identified himself, no feature of his address evokes more widespread com- ment than the moderation and restraint which mark it at nearly every point. It seems plain that the Governor intends to wage his fight on the New Deal with aggressivness, but in good temper, and not to be goaded into passionate utter- ance. If there’s to be as much 1936 mud-slinging as Jim Farley has fore- shadowed, it doesn't look as if the Re- publican standard bearer is going to give the signal for those old-fashioned cam- paign tactics. But the game is young, and developments, which cannot be fore- seen at so early a stage of the contest, may yet impel the Governor to discard kid gloves in favor of eight-ounce mitts, if not bare knuckles. A lot of radio listeners last week thought that Lan- don’s broadcasting style was at times very much like Herbert Hoover's, espe- cially in intonation. * ok x What some commentators acclaim as calmness and caution in Gov. Landon’s opening blast is assailed by New Dealers as vagueness and side-stepping and as an indication that the Republicans are reduced to sweeping generalities in cap- tious criticism of the New Deal without offering anything in the form of cate- gorical constructive substitutes for Roosevelt programs. Among the con- spicuous omissions which opposition ob- servers note in the acceptance speech are the Governor’s failures to deal with the tariff and monetary matters. But obviously he is saving a number of fun- damental issues for future discussion. He did not choose to run-off all his fireworks on July 23, having determined that the occasion called only for an exposition of general policy. Details will be dealt with later. Mr. Roosevelt pur- sued precisely those tactics in 1932. * Kk X Lack of Landon concessions more sat- isfactory to labor leaders like John L. Lewis—on the cardinal question of unionization—looks a little like tacit Republican acknowledgement that labor support, at least as far as outstanding leadership of the Nation’s workers is concerned, appears to be pretty much in the bag for President Roosevelt. The labor vote, as demonstrated on many occasions in the past, is not solidly de- liverable to any party or candidate on election day, but the Roosevelt Non- partisan Labor League, headed by Maj. George L. Berry, claims that workers all over the country are being lined up in formidable dimensions for the New Deal * % ¥ ¥ It's a case of counting chickens a long time before they're hatched, but mid- campaign speculation is already lively with respect to some of the Democrats who, it is broadly hinted, might be called into a Republican cabinet. The list of topnotch possibilities includes Al Smith, Joseph B. Ely, Newton D. Baker, Henry Breckinridge, James A. wb%“ Oolby, George N. Peek, “. s P Murray, William Cabell Bru-s and John W. Davis. The roster may be widened by anti-New Deal Democrats of national prominence who, according to sugges- tions emanating from the G. O. P. high command, may momentarily be expected to come out for Landon. * *x % X Lewis W. Douglas, former director of the budget, who also ranks as a possible member of an incoming Republican administration, is reported to be seri- ously ill in hospital at New York. Mrs. Douglas explained last week that her husband had expected to listen by radio to Gov. Landon’s acceptance speech, but that his condition prevented his doing so. e X United States Military Academy grad- uates have launched an informal camr- paign for reappointment of Miss Grace A. Harrington as postmaster at West Point. She has held the position for the past eight years, and it is desired to bring about her retention for another four years. Miss Harrington is the daughter of the late Lieut. H. M. Har- rington, one of the famous 7th Cavalry officers killed with Gen. Custer at the Battle of the Big Horn in 1876. Out of ‘West Point only four years, Lieut. Har- rington had already participated in the Stanley Yellowstone expedition of In- fantry and Cavalry to guard surveyors for the Northern Pacific Railway line in 1873. Postmaster Harrington's father was also with the 7th Cavalry when Custer commanded the regiment in 1874 during the geological exploration of the Black Hills country in South Dakota, which eventually led to the great gold mining industry developed there. SO Critical conditions in Spain, endanger- ing the lives of United States officials and other American citizens, have given strong impetus to the project once again to station an American cruiser squadron in European waters for emergency serv- ice. At present the only fleets of the sort Uncle Sam regularly maintains abroad are the Asiatic Squadron for duty in the Far East and river gunboat flo- tillas in China. Warships of the United States Navy have long patrolled Car- ibbean waters. The vessels employed in that region for trouble-shooting pur- poses were once upon a time nicknamed the “banana fleet.” Only the fortuitous circumstance that the battleship Okla- homa was on an Annapolis midship- men’s Midsummer practice cruise and that the new cruiser Quincy was cross- ing the Atlantic on a shake-down trip made it possible for Washington to send adequate American naval aid into turbulent Spanish waters this month. * kK K Mayor La Guardia of New York has just appointed to Manhattan’s Municipal Civil Service Commission Paul J. Kern, who won his spurs on Capitol Hill in Wi . While La Guardia was & member of the House of Representatives Kern was attached to a congressional bill-drafting agency. A brilliant student of Columbia Law School, he had re- ceived a scholarship enabling him to work in Washington. Kern became a close friend of Representative La Guardia, and, when the latter was elected mayor of New York, entered the City Hall as his legal assistant. The civil service job pays $6,500 & year and will 1ast until 1940. . « 1000, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How much has the Post Office De- partment paid out on veterans’ bonus bonds?—N. W. A. The amount was well over $900,~ 000,000 early in July. Q. Does Europe have fast trains which run at higher speed than the new streamlined trains in the United States? —S. L. A. Several of the fast trains in Eu- rope maintain schedules which demand higher speed than American schedules. While American trains seldom exceed 65 miles an hour, the fast foreign trains run over 70 miles an hour and sometimes over 80. Q. Do young people have pernicious anemia?—W. A. A. Dr. George R. Minot says that it is rare before the age of 30. It usually develops between 40 and 50. Q. Does Canada have chain food stores?>—C. G. A. In 1935 there were 86 different food chain companies in Canada operating 2,309 stores. Q. Please give the names of several motion pictures that have been con= demned by the Catholic Legion of De- cency.—M. H. A. “Java Head,” “Guilty Parents,” “High School Girl” and “Ecstasy” were banned by this osganization. Q. What became of the building in Dayton, Ohio, where the Wright brothers built the first successful airplane?— M.L.C. A. Henry Ford has bought the small frame structure and is having it reas- sembled at Dearborn, Mich, Q. What did the Yankees pay for Di Maggio?—E. M. L. A. The outfielder was purchased from the San Francisco Seals for a reputed price of $75,000. Q. What are some of the quantities of food supplies carried on the Queen Mary?—G. F. S. A. On her maiden voyage the ship carried among other things 1,200 gallons of milk, 4,000 tons of water, 8,000 pounds of fish, 21,000 pounds of beef, 18,000 pounds of grapes, and in addition, tons of coffee, sugar, tea and other staples. Q. Why are marionettes so called?— H. A. Puppets were given the name marionettes in the Middle Ages. Used in church plays, the girl puppets received, from their fancied resemblance to statues of the Virgin, the title of Little Marias or marionettes, Q. How much money has John D, Rockefeller, jr., given away?—F. M. R. A. The philanthropist’s benefactio: are estimated to be in excess of §167, 000,000. Q. How many foreign tourists visited | the United States last year?—H. R. A. It is estimated that more than 15,000 visited this country last year and a 50 per cent increase is predicted for this year by leading travel and steamship agencies. Q. Is it true that all New York City schools are to be equipped with radio? —C. F. R. A. The New York City Board of Edu- cation, at a meeting held June 24, 1936, passed a resolution providing that in all new school buildings equipment be ine stalled for a central radio system with loudspeakers in every class room and | auditorium. Q. What was the population of San Francisco at the time of the earthquake and fire?—M. S. A. The population in 1906 was about 360,000. About 250,000 were made tem- porarily homeless. The city now has a population of about 650,000. Q. What is candid photography?—B. N, A. This phrase was coined to describe indoor instantaneous shooting with modern miniature cameras. Q. What is the custom of concert singers in regard to cadenzas? Do they introduce their own in songs?—J. D. A. Almost all the well-known singers of opera have cadenzas written for them, generally by their teachers while they are studying. Caruso introduced several new ones. Q. Who was the first American meat packer?>—H. O'M. A. The first American meat packers were Colonial farmers who, within the lifetime of the Pilgrim Fathers, began packing away in salt not only pork and beef, but also venison and even bear meat. After 1641, while England was busy with her Cromwellian troubles, these farmers were able to take over the British trade in meats with the West Indies. The first American to give his whole time to meat packing is believed to have been William Pynchon, the founder of Springfield, Mass, who started driving cattle to Boston in 1655 and was packing large numbers of hogs by 1662. Q. Whom did Samuel Morse, the in- ventor, marry?—J. G. H. A. He was married to Lucretia P. ‘Walker of Concord, N. H, on October 1, 1818, Q. How many sparrows are there in the Easxtgm part of the United States? —A. J. K. A. In the United States east of the Mississippi, there are probably about 165 million English sparrows or house SPAITOwsS. Still Bottles. Prom the Worcester Gazette. That plan of delivering milk in paper containers seems all right enough, espe= cially to the habitual comerhome at 3 'am. who has a weakness for booting a couple of glass empties down the back steps. A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton Moon Shadows. They steal across my porch, In thru the open door, Weird silhouettes Making circlets Over my polished floor, Massing together now, Parting to nod and bow, All in the flooding light; In silent mockery Aping humanity These phantoms of the night Sliding to place. Anon Gone, as the moon drifts on. ~