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THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 183 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON. D. C. SATURDAY August 22, 1936 —e e e ~YHEODORE W. NOYES..........Editor — e The Evening suu Newnlpel’ Company. ness Office: rag For Pennmnm- Ave. cmcuo omu H—" mnm n llus\n Rate by Carrie: Within the City. Resular Edition i --48c per month Night Fina) Gdition. bt Pinal and Sundes Star__700 per month n Pinal Star 8¢ per montn Coliechion made_ai the snd of eac Orders may be sent by mal or teleshone Na- tlonar” 8600 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advauce. Matyland and vmllh af 10,00 1 mo. gnc ity ‘only : 1 mo o i All Other States and Cynada. fly and Sunday - $12.00: 1 me. 81,00 ily only 1 yr &gs‘ T8¢ mu S0 ko - -~ The Asoctated Press 1s exclustvely entitied 1o @ se for xepuhiicllha ot all new; g redited to it or not ‘d’t o his Der and also the local nem nn E herein "l rishts of bublication of e in are also reserved Crop Insurance. Both the President and Governor Lan- don have talked with Louis J. Taber, Master of the National Grange, and both »of them have shown interest in the sub- Ject of Federal crop insurance. It is a subject that will receive increasing prom- inence as the Department of Agricul- ture’s studies of the subject, under way for many years, produce more tangible facts for use in making the actuarial computatians of risks, benefits, costs and administrative machinery involved. As Mr. Taber says, development of crop {nsurance will be a matter of years, re- quiring the solution of possible constitu- tional questions. It would necessarily have to be undertaken by the Federal Government, possibly in co-operation with the States, as the undertaking would be too involved and expensive for pri- vate capital. He might have added that crop insurance schemes backed by private capital have not been wholly successful. A persistent fate has seen to it, in at least four outstanding commer- cial experiments with crop insurance on a large scale, that a year of drought or drastic drop in prices followed the writing of the insurance, with the underwriters holding the bag. The idea of crop insurance, like that of good weather, is something that finds few opponents. But the administrative task, the computation of the actuarial factors and the amount of governmental regulation involved present a compli- cated question, of which too little is known yet to form the basis of sound decision. The A. A. A. furnished the Department of Agriculture with data on individual farms which, otherwise, would have been unavailable. These data have produced tentative insurance schemes for certain sections of the country on wheat and cotton and, to a lesser extent, corn. One of the principles now favored is that crop insurance should be based on in- dividual farms, and not, as in group in- surance, on counties, States or agricul- tural regions. The risk varies sharply with the farm and the farmer. Another Is that insurance should not extend to the whole crop, but only to that percentage of the crop which would enable the ‘ farmer, in bad years, to break even. While tentative schedules of premiums have been evolved, they are based on - payments in kind and not on money value, as the value of crops varies, of course, with supply and demand and other elements. With Government insurance against unemployment and Government insur- ance of bank deposits in actual opera- tion, along with annuities, or old-age pensions, the idea of crop insurance seems natural enough. It would be the logical outgrowth of present trends toward soil conservation and other forms of crop control. As yet it is too vague, as far as details are concerned, to be pre- sented to the farmers or to other tax- . payers as a definite proposition. . ————————— A superficial glance at conditions in this city reveals support for a liberal and _ progressive increase of money for police and fire departments. A Summer day, not so many years ago, revealed almost - empty streets where two motorists in the same block would be nearly panic stricken in fear of collision. —————————— Much stress is laid on the charge that 8 lady in training for the Olympic games drank champagne. If she could have held gossip to the limitations of the socially supervised cocktail the shock to world consciousness might not have been so serious. Impracticable Mediation. In his reply to Uruguay’s tentative feeler on some sort of concerted action among the American republics toward mediation of the Spanish civil war Wil- liam Phillips, Acting Secretary of State, makes plain the fact that “wherever practicable” this Government wishes to support the principle of conciliation. But “this country is committed to the principle of non-interference in the in- ternal affairs of another country.” Does this latter principle of non-in- tervention clash with the principle of - conciliation? - Not at all. But one of the first requirements of successful media- .. tion is that such a step should be taken . only on the invitation of the conflicting - parties. Otherwise, especially in the case of internal strife, attempted mediation ' 'becomes meddling. Intervention, as a matter of fact, might under some cir- . .cumstances be disguised as mediation. In the case of Spain, 1t is possible that after both sides have been worn . down to the point of desperation and peace is a more inviting prospect than victory, efforts from both sides might ‘ be begun to obtain the good offices of some third party in the interest of peace. ' But the nature of the conflict in Spain makes such efforts improbable. And the nations of Europe, so vitally concerned in the outcome, would be apt to take the: position that they, rather than the American republics, are more fitted for A the role of peacemakers if such a role 1s desired. Great Britain has been cold to sugges- tions of intervention, and Uruguay's suggestion has likewise met with as cool a declination, not only from the United States, but from some of the leading countries of South America. The ap- plication of the principle of mediation is manifestly impracticable now. The prospect, as Mr. Phillips says, of an offer of mediation “is not such as to war- rant a departure by the Government from its well-established policy.” Might Makes Right. While international understandings have aimed at settling in advance, by carefully drawn definitions, some of the rules regarding blockades, the circum- stances are always apt to alter the rules. It is possible to find justification under international law for the action of the Spanish warship Libertad ih overhaul- ing and searching .the German mer- chantman ‘Kamerun outside the three- mile limit. But, as the German note of warning to Spain makes plain, it is equally possible to regard the incident as in violation of international law. In- ternational law, in this case, is on the side of the nation with the strongest ships—and the Spanish government is in no position to argue the point. A recognized and rather long-standing principle in- relation to establishment of blockades is that the blockade, in order to be binding, must be effective. It must be maintained by a force “suffi- cient really to prevent access to an enemy coast.” The effectiveness of a blockade is a matter of fact, not of theory. . The Spanish government has formally complied with requirements of international law by notifying.the powers of a blockade of certain coastal areas in control of the insurgents. But proclama- tion of a blockade, and recognition of the blockade by other powers, are quite separate and distinct. Spain, at war with another power, might proclaim and establish a block- ade of enemy ports. Under international law she could then “visit and search” ships suspected of “unneutral service.” Neutral would do so at their own risk. They could even be pursued or overhauled in the open sea, outside territorial limits. And it would be an unfriendly act, lead- ing to war, for a neutral to attempt a convoy of her merchant ships through the blockade. But complications’of Spain’s civil war extend to interpretation of the Spanish government’s right to proclaim a block- ade. A blockade denotes a state of war, and a recognition, by other nations, of belligerency, as distinct from civil in- surrection. De jure recognition of & state of belligerency by other powers, it would seem, would be more to the ad- vantage of the insurrectionists than to the Spanish government. It would at least make more difficult the course of neutrality. Without such recognition, either of a state of war in Spain or of the resulting blockade of Spanish ports, Germany and Great Britain are more free, under international law, to protect their merchantmen with warships with- out resorting to what otherwise might be construed as an unfriendly act against the Spanish government. While dispatch of more warships to the Mediterranean by Germany, the German ultimatum and Great Britain's warning all increase the tensity of the situation, such actions, paradoxically enough, are more apt to prevent than to cause any further clashes of force be- tween Spanish ships of war and ships of other nations. But if Germany is really shipping munitions to the in- surgents, and proteeting her shipments by convoys, the hope of neutrality is reduced almost to the vanishing point. —————— Campaign caravans are being organ- ized. Political machines are jeopardized by the fact that almost any day a motor is liable to appear with a wagon load of monkey wrenches. Criticism of a party platform loses some of its force because in frequent cases things confidently mentioned in & platform never really happen. Comeback of the Piano. Return of the piano to the cultural life of America is a hopeful sign. Sales this year are the greatest since radio gave this wonderful instrument a solar plexus blow, and manufacturers are ex- pecting greater increases next year. Everything is ready for a real boom in the piano business, and thousands of persons will be glad, in addition to all those engaged in their manufacture, for the piano is too good to stay in a decline, even if changes pushed it into one, so fickle is popular taste. It is held that the very thing which gave radio its greatest impetus, that the listener had little, if anything, to do except turn a knob, is rectifying the taste of the people at last, with the result that the urge in man to “do something” is bringing him back to the pianoforte. It is not an easy instru- ment, although a most satisfying one. It means that the player must put something into it, and, based on the old philosophy, that the more one puts into a thing the more he gets out of it, will give reserves of satisfaction never possible with the phonograph or the radio, or even that wonderful offspring of the pianoforte, the mechanical piano player. In the happy days of Victorian tra- dition, which functioned in America as well as in England, one of the hap- plest sights and sounds was of the family group of young people around the piano in the parlor. There was always some one, usually a girl, in those days before jazz music and swing bands, who played well, and could make the piano “talk,” as they said. These pianos mostly were uprights, seldom grands. It is an interesting commentary on the return of the piano that a combination, in a sense, of these two types of instru- ments has been a factor in interesting the people once more in what is perhaps the most wonderful of all musical contrivances. Some of the newer forms ' ships running the blockade™ which have struck the. popular -fancy are really upright grands. Not only are they intriguing in appearance, but their reduced size fits them into the smaller modern living rooms which have taken the place of the capacious high- ceilinged parlor or sitting room of old. ‘The very depth of musical expression, many will believe, is sounded by the piano. Out of its singularly clear, sweet notes, both the amateur and the expert musician gather the tradition and scope of all music, for here is the one instru- ment above all, with prejudice to none, which allows the soul of music to come forth. Hence it is a happy thing, and ens couraging for the future, that the tem= porary eclipse of this noble instrument is ended. For music, good music, is al- ways rare. It is not too much to say that the very standards of a civilization increase with the number of pianos it has in tune. America in a Picture. The Chicago Tribune recently printed a picture which all Americans should ‘see—a color photograph of the scene at Topeka when Gov. Alf Landon accepted the Republican nomination for the presi- dency. Thousands of citizens are shown seated or standing on the lawn around the entrance to the capitol. Over them is the starry sky of a Summer evening. In the background rises the tower of the State legislative hall. The facade of the building is draped with flags. A glare of yellow light illumes the platform from which the nominee is speaking. But Mr. Landon himself is lost in the crowd. An arrow points to the spot upon which he stands, yet the camera could not catch his figure. Nor was it impera- tively necessary. The world knows that he was there; the world has heard his voice and read his words and can imag- ine how he appeared on that night when fame came to him as it comes to few individuals. What is important in the picture is its power to symbolize Amer- ica. The neighbors assembled to honor the Republican candidate are of the classes which Shakespeare and Walt Whitman delighted to call the com- monalty—“the general body or mass,” as the dictionaries say. In imagination a spectator on the outer edge of the throng might vision the audience enlarged illim- itably—men, women and children lis- tening in Maine and Oregon, in Mich- igan and Alabama. And also the mind might conjure up another picture dim with the mist of accumulated ages—the scene on the Acropolis when the Athe- nian democracy met in judgment of its captains and its chiefs, its orators and its statesmen. So, it might be suggested that history, a living tide, flows out of the past, into the present, on to the future, and Gov. Landon is bracketed with Pericles over the years—different characters in dif- ferent epochs, they are alike in their ele- vation to high position by the multitude. And the philosopher conceives in the cir- cumstances a principle at work. The people choose one of themselves for thelr leader, and the more nearly akin to them, intellectually and spiritually, he is, the better they love him. — e Mob rule cannot long endure. In its violence it must destroy itself, but the process is painful. —et——————— The paths of athletic glory have always had a cheerful tendency to lead to the billboards. ——ee— Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. School Bell. The bell will be ringing For girls and boys. The dancing and singing Are swift passing joys. The bell has asserted Its eloquent din. The playground's deserted And lessons begin. With games we have dallied And puzzles we've tried, With cheers we have rallied In juvenile pride. The bell will be ringing For women and men. Our hopes will be clinging To wisdom again. Choice of Phrase. “That campaign speaker talks as if you were a saint.” “He is almost too complimentary,” said Senator Sorghum. “I wish he’'d say something that sounded more like a battle cry and less like an epitaph.” Standardized Facial Expression, A gas mask will trace A mechanical way For a standardized face Upon public display. A smile or a sneer Many faces may frame. When the gas masks appear They will all look the same., Social and Financial, “Does your wife understand our great social and financial problems?” “To some extent,” answered Mr. Meekton. “She's the only member of the family who knows how to score a bridge game without using a diagram.” “Self-esteem is a great blessing,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown. “It sometimes implies the only unwavering devotion of which a mortal may be certain.” Contagion, 7 I did not like the whooping cough. And measles did not let me off From painful hours which youth must meet. Once cured, we found the cure complete. We did not like the war we had. Another would be strangely sad. The good news should be offered soon That we to war are now immune. ““De fruth,” said Uncle Eben, “would | be more welcome to everybody if 1t wasn't so often more or less in de nature Shenandoah National Park Seen as a Vacation Land ‘To the Editor of The Star: One wonders that Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park is not made to serve a more useful purpose than merely & scenic highway and picnic ground. One drives through miles of woodland and embankments that obscure valley and mountain before coming upon an occasional “parking overlook” to enjoy “the wide horizon’s grander view.” New Hampshire rejected a skyline drive atop its celebrated White Moun- tains, perhaps because & mountain fast- ness is enjoyed more afoot or ahorse than in an automobile. is not bored by forced stops at “parking overlooks.” In an automobile the impressiveness of a mountain fastness and its splendid isolation is less apparent. The impres- sion is that of driving along the boule- vard of a city park, Pennsylvania avenue or Broadway. The building of a modern highway along mountain tops deprives the region of much of its glory. One feels the city close at hand, with cars, taxis and delivery wagons crowding one another, and traffic signs aid the illusion. The ascent afoot or ahorse, taking from two to four hours, disclosed the depths of the mountain fastness and its inspiring isolation. Here one could roam or ride for hours in the primitive fashion that antedated the maiming and killing machine age. The novelty of Skyline, like most novel- ties, will have its day. The drive will eventually be less patronized when the public has had its fill of mountain scenery from luxuriously upholstered motor cars. It is an out of the way place and does not serve the purpose of traveling from point to point in the least possible time. Motorists are notoriously hurried and seek lower levels and shorter cuts. Instead of merely affording a few hours’ drive and a holiday picnic, Skyline could be made to serve the more useful purpose of a vacation land like New York’s Bear Mountain State Park, where platforms for campers’ tents, quaint log cabins and rustic bungalows have been provided. Here the family or association of juvenile or adult campers may spend a rejuvenating week end or vacation in the open. Because of its accessibility and eleva- tion, one could flee to Skyline as a bird to his mountain and enjoy the relief of its cooling temperature when lower localities sweltered. It is to be hoped that Skyline will ultimately become something more useful than a scenic highway and picnic ground. JOHN BURROUGHS. Man’s Life is According To His Spiritual State To the Editor of The Star: The letter in The Star signed W. E. Allen, wherein he advocates vigilance committees, has been read by me several times and I feel urged to write the following to show the ineffectiveness of such committees. A person’s life is according to his quality, and his quality is his regenerate or degenerate spiritual state, which is not changed from the outside but from the invisible inside. There is an inscription on the north- west facade of the Department of Justice Building that bears on this: “Justice in the life and conduct of the state is possible only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens.” But people in general stand confused as to these things and have practically no clear guidance of their lives, and from teaching of long standing and from text books and papers they get the ide that Nature is the great provider and that | man can master Nature and force it to do his bidding. This sentiment is so prevalent among the people that it has been cut into stone for people to gaze at and to be unconsciously deceived by. On the facade of our Union Station is inscribed: *“Fire, greatest of discoveries, enabling man to live in various climates, use many foods and compel the forces of Nature to do his work.” “Electricity, carrier of light and power, devourer of time and space, bearer of human speech over land and sea, greatest servant of man, itself unknown. Thou hast put all things under his feet.” On the northeast facade of the De- partment of Justice Building is inscribed: “Justice is founded in the right be- stowed by Nature upon man. Liberty is maintained in security of justice.” This all looks and sounds good until we look deeper into our social and economic troubles and their causes. It might be of interest to state what Na- ture is according to Swedenborg: “Na- ture is a theater representative of the Lord’s celestial kingdom.” Then all the good things we enjoy are bestowed on us by the Lord through the instrumentality of Nature. We don't need any vigilance commit- tees, or to force our will on any one, but only to do quietly that which is our daily work in the light of truth and the warmth of good and give the best we have to our country and our city and be content in so doing. We cannot use the steam shovel method when it comes to spiritual im- provement of man, for it is accomplished slowly in quiet channels, but it can be hastened by letting our light shine before men in charity and faith, show- ing the way by our sincerity and purity of our lives. JOHN HAMMERSTROM. It Takes a Good Man to Be Master of a Good Dog ‘To the Editor of The Star: To Mr. Allen’s very bitter attack on dogs in your paper of the 11th, I would like to make reply. Why signal out the dog on the street as menace to humanity in general? There is the automobile, for instance. gests we do with the dog? Oh no, not in this day and age. Now we give tne mosi hardened criminal a chance to defend himself. You see we are developing & more kindly nature and this also takes the form of animal consciousness. We cannot possibly develop spiritually until we recognize our obligations to the ani- mal kingdom. Mr. Allen may have a grievance against some poor neglected creature who has shown his bad master and poor en- vironment, It takes a good man to bring up:mdd Wlullywltblfi Allen in saying that it is cruel and inhuman to shut up these creatures and leave town even for the week end, and they should be promptly reported. MARY E. CLARK. 14 Chronicles of a suburban garden show the reappearance of haf a dozen robins, those fine fat fellows which went wu‘.e ingtonian, Chlmnfl Just the Bune" * Popular birds nuybedlvlded into two ch.lfluunm.on the basis of hopping identification. * ¥ ¥ X Maybe the return of the robins will help keep in check the fighting mocking- birds. The latter have proved the greatest bird dissappointment of the season, by reason of their totally unnecessary bel- ligerency. Early and late they are making the garden clamorous with their squawks, putting the blue jays to shame, when it comes to shrieks. Truly the mockingbird's song is beau- tiful, in the Spring, but by this time of year it has lost all of its prettyiness, and turns out to be only a series of scolding sounds. Nothing can appear in the garden without these birds moving in, the white in their wings flashing, even if they have to come half a block to do it. They police an entire neighborhood, and fight a hundred unnecessary battles a day, in the protection, as they deem it, of their brood. * k% % Often they just perch on a shrub, not more than five feet off the ground, and clash their bills and make grating noises out of sheer emper. Where is that delightful bird one reads about, then? This bird really comes as near being a nuisance as we know. The English sparrow is an old softie, as they say, compared with this swift flying noise maker. Many speak harshly of the mocking- bird for its night singing, but most of the birds do not indulge in this nocturnal music. They do stay up late, however, and squall incessantly, seeming over nothing mll;ch. as far as a human observer can tell. Many reports came to this desk last Winter of mockers at feeding stations, which they immediately monopolized, to the discomfort of all the other songsters which Wintered in this vicinity. STARS, MEN This is not difficult to believe. To trade one mockingbird, however, for a score other species is a very poor trade, after all. The strange thing is that the pair of mockers referred to herein as unduly belligerent pay no attention whatsoever to a small ground feeder in service at this time. A flock of English sparrows, occasion- ally a blue jay, a flicker, blackbirds from time to time, and a pair of turtle doves. These are the present eaters of the chick feed, which does well enough at this time. When the weather gets cold, various seeds will be added more liked by the true seed-eating birds. In the meantime, the sparrows are per- fectly satisfied with the chick feed, which is the cheapest. One advantage of this broken grain is that it will not sprout. Birds are wasteful, in their feeding, when plenty is at hand. In this they are human, as 1:1 80 many other ways. * % % Birds have eyes only for a few things, among which are food and danger, else they would note the beauty of the small lflefln blossoms in the border near which they are feeding. This is one of the most satisfactory flowers, with pretty foliage and long- time flowering. In England the flowers are dried and 8 tincture made with them, which is re- puted to drive away mosquitoes, as well as relieve the bites. It belongs to the pyrethrum family, vfhich accounts for it. In some books it is put in the genus chrysanthemum. Wherever classified, the feverfew be- longs to the long list of herbs which thousands of persons still believe have real medicinal value. Its very name comes from febrifuge, fever medicine. Birds in the garden must be ill, from time to time, but to the average observer they seldom appear so. No doubt this is one of their charms, too, that they always give the appearance of perpetual health, so different from ailing mortals. Yet every one knows the list of ills to which caged birds are heir. The little canary can get more “things the matter with it” than all the dogs and cats put together. The long list of canary ailments in the books devoted to these birds would tend to scare away all except the determined, did not common sense tell them that the list merely shows what they may get, not what they are likely to get. In the outdoors birds are healthier, since they get all the exercise in the world, and almost always food fresh from the larders of Mother Nature. This means that the wildbirds get vitamins in every bite. Even the grains and seeds which their human friends put out for them in feeding devices are unprocessed. Hence it comes about that most ardent watcher seldom sees a plainly sick bird, which may or may not account for the fact that he never seems to see them taking medicine, as turkeys are reputed to do. Most people know how cats and even dogs hunt out and consume cer- tain grasses when ill of certain ailments. The wild birds may do this, too, but, of course, it is impossible to know. It is safe to say that the medicinal action of various herbs would be much the same on them as on man. But certainly no bird, to our knowledge, has sampled leaf or flower of the feverfew, which failure, if it revealed anything at all, would only show that these particular birds suffer frow no chills at this time of year. AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. Supposing you were appointed to chart the course of mankind for a thousand years, what goals would you set up? Something like this was the job of Dr. Edward L. Thorndyke, world-famed psy- chologist of Columbia University, for the American Council on Education in ‘Washington. Dr. Thorndyke is perhaps the world’s foremost authority on the original na- | ture of man—the actual capacities of the human mind. The American Council on Education is a co-operative organization of most of the institutions of higher education in the United States, which are engaged in directing the footsteps of the Nation’s future leaders. The psychologist has drawn up a 26- point program of objectives. He has not charted the course toward a perfect world, but to a world which, considering the capabilities and limitations inherent in the human structure, seems to offer the attainable maximum of happiness for all. Here is Dr. Thorndyke's “bill of speci- fications of a good life for man”: 1. Maintenance of the inner causes of the joy of living at or above their pres- ent average. 2. Food when hungry and drink when thirsty. 3. A diet that is physiologically ade- quate. 4. Protection against pain-causing ani- mals. 5. Protection against disease-causing organisms. 6. Protection or insurance against ac- cidents and disasters, such as floods, earthquakes or wars, for which the per- son in question is not responsible. 7. Protection against extreme shocks, fear and strains. 8. Some place where one can rest un- disturbed, protected from the elements and from bad and uncongenial men. 9. Enjoyable bodily activity, especially when young. 10. Enjoyable mental activity, includ- ing esthetic pleasures. 11. Opportunity for human society. 12. Opportunity for courtship, love and life with one’s mate. 13. Opportunity to care for children and to be kind to human beings and animals. 14. The approval of one’s community, or at least the absence of scorn and contempt. 15. The approval of one'’s self, self-re- spect, the absence of shame and remorse. 16. Opportunity to hnu mend: and affection, if deserving of 17. Opportunity to be a frlend and give affection. 18. Opportunity to exercise power over some person, animals, things or ideas, making them do one’s will. 19. Membership in groups and the right to participate in activities or ceremonies which at least are thought to be important. 20. Opportunity to eompeu: with one’s 50 per cent of 21. Opportunlty to mmpete with onel own past record and, if deserving, to have the pleasures of achievement and m” Occasional opportuniti ad! es for adven- ture.mk-nddmm be angry at and . 23, Something to attack. . 24, Protection by custom, laws and government in what is regarded by the existing moral code as.p good life. 25. Freedom to discover and publish verifiable truth. 26. Enjoyment of the happiness of others. So far as can be seen at present, Dr. Thorndyke holds, the attainment of these goals for every one is about as far as a realist, considering human nature as ‘it is, can go toward an eventual earthly Utopia—in the light of pres- ent knowledge. Other men might draw up more satis- factory programs, he says, but claims for his own the merit of “being more impartial and more definite, of fitting human nature better, and of being more easily attained and maintained than the general run of such recommendations.” Dr. Thorndyke excludes from his list of desirable goals some of those most frequently set up by Utopia-preaching reformers—such as wealth, luxury, lib- erty and equality. He has, on the other hand, included what he believes to be the desirable elements of these human yearnings. Some of his objectives seem self-evident, but, Dr. Thorndyke points out, there are enormous barriers to be overcome before any of them can be realized by each member of society. Such, for example, is the first—the maintenance and increase of the inner causes of joy of living. It may be the most important of all, the mainspring of human happiness. But when analyzed it borders on the unknown and even the mystical. This goal, Dr. Thorndyke believes, must be approached primarily through biological research before gov- ernment, education or philanthropy can do anything about it. Without it every- thing else would be dust and ashes, and with it life might be happy for all men even if few of the other objectives were attained. “To some persons in some conditions,” Dr. Thorndyke says in the Educational Record, the official publication of the American Council, “breathing, walking, the routines of productive labor, personal care and social intercourse, and all save the distinctly unpleasant events of life, are the stimuli to genuine happiness. If some baleful miracle reduced its level in the general population by a substan- tial amount we would be a grouchy col- lection of blase, neurasthenic, puritan- ical, weepy grouchers, with suicides an every day occurrence. If science could give all as much as the most favored 1 per cent now have, shaving oneself, washing dishes, typing letters, tending machines, milking cows and teaching school would be nearly or quite as much enjoyed as our recreations are now. This tendency seems to be deter- mined in part by the genes. The colored races, for example, seem to have more of it than the North Europeans. It is deep-seated, being strong in youth and weakening in old age. It is as yet rather mysterious, having extreme ups and downs in the same person, often without which everybody would have the maxi- mum degree of security without inter- fering with desirable individual initia- tive and at the same time without dull- ing the sharp edge of man’s ancient yearning for adventure. ‘ —_———————— Sole Winners. Prom the Boston Transeript. If the Spanish furor has done else, it has provided bulls wi leisure, > nothing th the new 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. Does the Federal Government con- !ell-‘ uxpon citizens the right to vote? A. It does not. The right to vote is conferred by the States, each of which has its own laws governing voting quali- fications. Q. At what age are people most likely to have accidents within the home? ~T. H. A. Children from 5 to 9 years of age are most often the victims. Next come the ones from 10 to 14. Third are adults from 40 to' 44 years old. Q. In what cities is the cost of living the highest?—S. C. A. According to a Works Progress Ad- ministration study entitled “Intercity Differences in the Cost of Living,” Wash- ington, D. C.; San Francisco, Calif; Minneapolis, Minn., and New York, N. Y., in the order named, are the cities in which the cost of living is the highest. Q. When W. J. Bryan was in Japan a banquet was given in his honor. At this banquet, wine was served. Mr. Bryan declined the wine, and used water instead, making a remarkable toast to water. Please publish this toast.—T. P. B. A. The following is the “Ode to Water,” by William Jennings Bryan: “Water— the daily need of every living thing, It rises from the earth obedient to the summons of the sun and descends in showers of blessings. It gives of its beauty to the fragrant flowers. It is the alchemy that transmutes base clay into golden grain. It is the canvas on which the finger of the Infinite traces the radiant bow of promise. It is the drink that cheers and brings no sorrow with it. Jehovah looked upon it at Creation's dawn and said, ‘It is good'.” Q. What novels are now the best sellers?—C. D. A. “Gone With the Wind,” by Mar- garet Mitchell, heads the list. “The Doctor,” by Mary Roberts Rinehart; “Eyeless in Gaza,” by Aldous Huxley; “Sanfelice,” by Vincent Sheean, and “Sparkenbroke,” by Charles Morgan, are also in the list. Q. How does the gasoline tax aver- age, as divided between State and Fed- eral Government?—T. R. A. Last year the average motor Ve- hicle operator paid $30.10 tax on motor fuel. On an average, $23.53 went to a State and $6.57 to the Federal Gov- ernment. Q. What is the literal meaning of adios?—C. R. A. The Spanish word cammonly used for good-by is from a Dios, to God. Its original religious meamng was, “I com- mend you to God.” Q. What percentage of the adult population of the United States can read with ease?—E. M. C. A. According to a Nation-wide survey of the reading habits of Americans, con- ducted by Columbia University, the Uni- versity of Chicago and the American Library Association, only half of the adult population can read with ease. Q. Did more ships use the Panama Canal last year than the previous year? —G. M. A. Reports are made for fiscal years ending June 30. In the year ending June 30, 1935, a total of 5,180 passed through the canal; in the year ending June 30, 1936, the number was 5,382. Q. How many correspondents does it take to gather the news for the Asso- ciated Press?>—R. W. A. Some 80,000 individuals, directly or indirectly, in all parts of the world collect, verify and distribute the news which appears under the credit line, “By the Associated Press.” Q. Where did James Branch Cabell go to college?—E. L. H. A. The novelist is a graduate of ‘William and Mary College, at Williams- burg, Va. Q. Is there, or has there been, any language which has no vowels?>—J. G. A. Prof. R. G. Kent, secretary of the Linguistic Society of America, says: “All languages have vowel sounds. Some forms of writing do not indicate the vowel sounds, but in actual speech the vowels are necessary to support the consonants. The Egyptian hieroglyphics did not indicate the vowels; and neither did the written form of Hebrew until the invention of the so-called masoretic points. The relation of speech to writ- ing is a very complex one which cannot be answered in a few sentences.” Q. What is the name of the rostrum in a Friends’ Meeting House?—T. C. A. It is called the gallery. Q. How many dogs are registered with the American Kennel Club?—T. S. A. In 1935, 72400 dogs were registered with the club. For the first six months of 1936 42,725 dogs were registered. Q. Which is the oldest railroad in the So:'.h which is still being operated? A. The oldest railroad in the South to continue operations under its original charter and name is the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac, which opened in 1837. Slippery. From the Hartford Courant. ‘The political party that tries to ren:- edy the expected hog shortage may find itself chasing the traditional greased pig. A Rhyme at Twilight : Gertrude Brooke Hamilton Brave Souls. All day the city sweltered; street and byway Seemed to emit hot clouds of dusty vapor; People fled mountainward thru every highway, While others melted like a waxen taper. But some found respite; sought the cool- ing river And watched the red sun set in torrid beauty; They faced the sultry night without & quiver, Held to the town by poverty, or duty. There came for them a patchwork sky at twilight, Pt'.chu of blue and pink and gold— pretty- A mr-hemmed qullt, exquisite in dusk's shy ligh 'lzivvnby:'nunlmmmm