Evening Star Newspaper, September 21, 1936, Page 8

©A—8 kkokk THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY____ ___-September 21, 1936 THEODOEE W. NOYES..........Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Business Office: nd Pennsy] 1a Ave. Burepess Omoe: 14 Regent St.. fondon. England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edition, 5c_per month ‘..Ee Der copy Night Final and Sunday Star—. Night Final Sta Collection made Orders may be tional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. land_and Virgin 1 mo., 85¢ 1 mo.. 50¢ 1 mo. ¢0¢ Mar Dally and Sund: ily ONlY e unday only-———-——. All Other Stat da. Daily and Sunday._.1 ; - 83 i :::. 31722 Daly eRiasmmmol Jn. 85:00: 1 mo. s0c Member of the Associated Press. ociated Press is exclusively entitled to the e Tor Tepublication of all news dispatches r 1so the local news published herein. DPerAnY Sf pubiication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. - —— “Reform” at Geneva. Today's meeting of the League Assembly is fraught with inestimable importance for the international organ- jzation. Its future usfulness, if mot its very existence, largely depends upon decisions that must now be made. These revolve around ways and means for improving “the application of the princi- ples of the covenant.” From its fifty-odd remaining members the decimated League has received a vast variety of proposals and suggestions. Immediate determinations are hardly to be expected. Procrastination is the indelible hallmark of proceedings at Geneva, and there is no likelihood that delegates this month will renounce the snaillike methods to which they are addicted, even though the record for pusillanimity which the League has made during the past year—in the Italo- Ethiopian imbroglio—dictates the wis- dom of action and promptness. Post- ponement of “reforms” designed to give bone and sinew to the invertebrate col- Jective security system will only confirm the world’s mounting conviction that the League as a reliable force for peace is beyond rehabilitation. For the better part of three years there have been two antagonistic schools of thought on the subject of amending the covenant, There are nations which would strengthen security guarantees and others which would weaken them. In one camp are firm advocates of using both military force and economic sanc- tions to give weight and effect to League condemnation of aggressors. On the opposite side are ranged those who be- Jieve that a covenant equipped with too strong a set of “teeth” would thwart all hope of making the League “universal,” by keeping out of it countries like the United States, which are unalterably opposed to entangling commitments. Yet another group sees salvation only #n “regionalism,” viz,, assigning to groups of member states with common and contiguous economic, political and mili- tary interests, joint responsibilities to keep the peace among themselves instead of assuming in the name of the League as a whole obligations which do not im- pinge directly upon their own respective vital needs. Supporters of “regional- ism” see the incarnation of their ideal in the current efforts of the American states to become sole arbiters of affairs on this side of the Atlantic, Develop=- ments at the impending .Bue'nos Aires conference may, therefore, prove to be of potent influence in determining the future composition and conduct of the League of Nations, The Assembly convenes not only at the end of a year which has brought the Geneva institution into widespread dis- repute, but at a moment when peace, both in Europe and the Far East, is menaced more than at any period since 1914. In all directions and at a mad pace a fear-ridden world is arming to the limit. International treaties are ruthlessly ignored. Responsible heads of governments unhesitatingly deliver public fulminations foreshadowing future aggression against neighboring states. It is in an atmosphere of general alarm that League leaders are called upon once again to see what can be done to save a shattered and tottering structure, raised in the name of peace, from final and irreparable collapse. ——————————— Little Johnny Doe, the foundling who is the pet of the boys at the police sta- tion, may not be getting a bad start in life, after all. Whatever may have been his heredity, environment is all his way and it will be strange if he does not grow up to be a fine police officer or an ace reporter. The Fifth Battalion. Members of the Fifth Battalion of the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve believe that the Nation's Capital should “show the way” in encouragement of national defense. Five hundred and six District of Columbia boys comprise its person- nel, and the Board of Observers of the regular Marine Corps establishment has praised them as leaders in the volunteer business of “being prepared” for the protection of their country. Of course, they cannot vote. As residents of Washington they are classified by Con- gress with aliens, lunatics and criminals 8o far as the exercise of the franchise is concerned. But that handicap does not affect their patriotism. A spokes- man says for them: “They probably are as cocky and proud as any military out- fit in the United States.” The battalion, however, deserves more than applause. Its high score was achieved despite the lack of an armory. At present its headquarters are located in a ramshackle structure condemned to be demolished as unfit for habita- tion and use. For lack of proper ac- commodations the men drill in the streets and risk the perils of traffic. Other much smaller groups have fa- THE EVENING cilities equal to their need. Yet the largest organization of its kind in ex- istence is to all practical purposes “homeless.” Meanwhile, plans for an armory in the District have been drawn, ground has been allotted and every preliminary detail worked out. All that is wanted is the designation of enough money to cover construction, and Congress thus far has been remiss in that regard. The battalion, certainly, does not complain. Its attitude is one of patient waiting. Sometimes, it believes, it will be remem- bered. And its faith ought to be quoted in its behalf. The community it repre- sents sees the problem in that light, anyway. Urged to Repeat. The New Republic, established by a generous “economic royalist” as a toy for a group of radicals and liberals who wanted “a journal of opinion” with which to play, now has become definitely an extremist organ. It advises its readers to vote locally for Socialist or Communist candidates and nationally for President Roosevelt and the New Deal. The theory of its position is that a large protest showing “will exert a leftward influence on the next administration” and will prepare the way for a national labor party in 1940. Such an attitude, of course, is natural enough on the part of men who believe in political processes for the attainment of a social order more nearly paradisial in character than that which at present prevails. They are revolutionists of a sort, and they wish the majority of their fellow citizens to move in the direction of an effective revolt against the condi- tions which they personally find objec- tionable—conditions which through the altruistic idealism of the late Willard Straight gave them the means to agitate for the drastic and thoroughgoing re- forms upon which they have set their hearts. The question is whether or not the electorate will be willing to trust the guidance of “the little group of serious thinkers” whose “basic assumptions” are: “The era of capitalism is past its zenith. * ¢ * We believe the only ultimate solu- tion compatible with human dignity, and with the basic faith of the American Republic in democracy, equality and lib- erty, lies in the direction of a socialized organization of production and distribu- tion, an order which will be capable of maintaining secure abundance and rais- ing the material and cultural well-being of the people. It is important to make a transition to such an order as quickly as may be. It is also important to make the transition with as little pain and shock to living generations as possible, and particularly without regressing temporarily into war or fascism. * * * There is at present no reliable political instrument in the United States for carrying out this purpose.” ‘What the New Republic theorists really want is “a party that is at once collec- tivist in tendency and finds its sinews of support in organized labor and farm- ers, a party that can be stable, that can grow, and that can win the adherence of the masses—including, naturally, white-collar and professional workers.” Otherwise stated, they hanker for a Socialist party with brains. It has not occurred to them that in a red democracy intelligence is penalized and that they themselves would be frightfully squelched by the “direct actionists” among those classes in which they have such monumental confidence. But their error more notably lies In the fact that they suppose the multi- tude to be temperamentally inclined to the “left.” The contrary is true, and there is nothing more reactionary in the world than an individual who has tried radicalism and learned by sad experi- ence what a snare and a delusion it is. Millions voted their rebellion against the traditional system in 1932. The New Republic editors urge them to repeat the experiment. But the hope of less adven- turous thinkers is that they will refuse to take a second chance. America ought not to be ready for collectivism. If it is, the people are deceived about the sig- nificance of a scheme whose purpose is wholesale impoverishment and slavery in the name of a “secure abundance” and “material and spiritual well-being,” which cannot be dreamed, voted or coerced into existence. ———r————————— While in Topeka, Governor Landon put public cares aside long enough for a ride with the children on a State fair merry-go-round whose proprietor, if he is a good showman, can hardly neglect to install a few smart elephants in his fly- ing menagerie, Free America. Speaking to the Youth Conference, called by the Young Republicans, Gov- ernor Landon said that the issue, the main issue, in the national political cam- paign this year is free America. In the opinion of Governor Landon, it is very clear, freedom for Americans does not mean that the Federal Government is to take over the responsibility of run- ning the business of the country nor the responsibility of determining what is good for each individual citizen. It is in the direction of such control of busi- ness and the activities of the citizens that the New Deal has been moving ever since it was inaugurated in this country along with President Roosevelt. The youth of America, which will par- ticipate in the coming elections, must decide whether it prefers to go in the direction of greater and greater Federal control; whether it believes that the sal- vation of the country and of the youth of the Nation rests with planned economy as evolved by the Wallaces, the Tug- wells and other leaders of New Deal thought. It must decide whether it ap- proves the economy of scarcity, which cuts production in the search of wealth, It must decide whether it will intrust the future of the country to the tender mercies of a political bureaucracy, with power to tell American industry and labor what is good for them. American labor and industry have gone a long way. They bave built a Nation ',\/ that has been without parallel in ma- terial accomplishment. The fundamental basis of their achievement has been freedom—{reedom of action, freedom to plan and freedom to work. Under this system the workingman, starting at the bottom of the ladder, has been able to reach the heights. The number of men at the top has been recruited from men who started at the bottom. It is that freedom which Gov, Landon and other critics of the New Deal see imperiled, with the encroachment of Government in business and dictatorial control of the people’s activities, ‘With the development of industry have come increasing measures of regulation in the interest of fair play. The rules of the great game of business have been drawn in the interest of free competition. Too often they have been ignored. In the main they have been respected. Rules and regulations are one thing. Dictation is quite another. In some round-about fashion Euri- pides has been brought into current dis- cussion. He belonged, as will probably be disclosed by Dr. Eliot's five-foot book shelf, to an ancient group of literati whose themes foreshadowed the Oedipus complex so frequently referred to in psychoanalysis. It is gravely to be feared that collegiate wisdom instead of showing the way out of social con- fusion, is only getting us in deeper. —— e It is no disgrace for a candidate to have anemia of the campaign fund, although it must be recognized In candor that the Browder collections show a scarcity of sympathizers who are willing to go to the extent of financial backing. ————————— Don Quixote, who fought imaginary foes in a spiritsof pure chivalry, was, after all, a champion more worthy than the present Spanish warriors who, in- stead of protecting a Dulcinea, would treat her as a soldier and shoot her at sunrise. — Some speeches by Al Smith are sched- uled. Partisan antagonisms are not so strong that any man may be prevented from looking at the record for sugges- tions as to the general welfare, PR R Even if foreign nations had never ceded valuable territory to this country, there is nothing on which to base the assumption that it would have been managed nearly so well. —————————— The Pope commands respect. So does the Italian King. Mussolini may yet discover that he is, after all, only one point in an interesting and persistent triangle. ——————— Good public service may yet be done by Hitler if he can forget some of his promiscuous antipathies and concentrate on his objection to Communists. ————— Communism is political chaos which does not have to be taught. It simply occurs in spite of education. Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Shining On and On. This Evolution is a thing That's hard to comprehend. It never can suffice to bring Our questioning to an end! We speak of it in language terse And then in just a day It seems to throw into reverse And work the other way! The manner of our speech grows queer. We find our greatest fun In showing, as a crowd draws near, How we can jump or run. As in our antics may appear Our most artistic lines, Our brightest shining, it is clear, Consists in monkey shines. The Boss and the Blame. “Do you aspire to be a political boss?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum. “A political boss can take credit for a few favors, but he also takes the blame for the thousands of offices people think they were entitled to and didn't get.” Counterfeit. A Falsity is something wrong, It’s like a coin quite spurious; It's viewed with indignation strong— Sometimes with anger furious! You hold the things that you might say Tight in Discretion’s Lariat, While Falsehood wanders on its way ‘To sting the proletariat. Ambush, “How are crops?” “I'm not worried about them,” said Farmer Corntossel. “I'm just raising enough to give the impression that I am a simple peasant-minded person who will be easy for some opulent city slicker to take advantage of in a real estate deal.” “The spirit of youth cannot be ignored,” said Hi Ho, “even in China- town. The dignity of Hi Hat is often impaired by an impetuous young rela- tion of his who plays hide and seek and is known to his playmates as “Yoo Hoo!” Unbiased Criticism. My neighbor tries to show to me That he is higher in degree. And in retaliation grim I show my greater worth to him. Yet it is better, as a rule, To be content with keeping cool. The small boy in the vacant lot Says “neither of you is so hot!” “Old Satan must be a pore business man,” said Uncle Eben, “runnin’ a free boardin’ house jest foh de fun of makin’ a few misguided sinners uncomforfable.” Wake Him Up! From the Roanoke Times. - A professor at the University of North Carolina says that the South’s greatest need is weather. Heavens, where has the man been all Summer? A STAR, WASHINGTON, THE POLITICAL MILL BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. November 3 comes nearer—six weeks from tcmorrow—the politically minded are playing a numbers game all their own, with 266 as figure essential to victory. There are 531 electoral votes in the 48 States, and a majority of these votes, 266, is the sine qua non for presi- dential victory. All kinds of combina- tions of electoral vote figures are set down, in the hope that one of them will prove the winning combination. It is a favorite pastime of the Republicans—as well as the Democrats. By carrying 18 of the States Landon, the G. O. P. standard bearer, could win, leaving 30 States to Roosevelt. * k% X The first group in this list of 18 States which the Republicans hope to carry is New England, as follows: Massachusetts, 17; Maine, 5; New Hampshire, 4; Ver- mont, 3; Connecticut, 8, and Ihode Island, 4, a total of 41 electoral votes. ‘The second group comprises New York, with 47, New Jersey; 16; Delaware, 3, and Pennsylvania, 36, a total of 102. The third group is made up of Ohio, with 26; Indiana, 14, and Illinois, 29, a total of 69. ‘The fourth group is Michigan, with 19; Minnesota, 11; Iowa, 11; Kansas, 9, and Nebraska, 7, a total of 57. The grand total for these groups is 269 electoral votes, three more than a majority of the electoral college. Many an “if” remains, however, to be answered before the Republicans can count on these States. Democrats sniff scornfully at the idea Landon can carry anywhere near all of them. Yet it is becoming increasingly apparent to many persons, including some Democrats, that all of these States are battleground, and some of them are surely going Repub- lican. Furthermore, the Republicans believe they have a chance to carry sev- eral other States outside this list of 18. This tabulation of electoral votes is set down now, six weeks before the elec- tion, not as a prophesy of what is to come, but merely to show how the Re- publicans can win a presidential elec- tion without any of the Southern States, the so-called border States including Maryland, the Pacific Coast States, or any of the Rocky Mountain States, or Missouri and Oklahoma or Wisconsin, Should the Republican swing be great enough to put Illinois, Ohio and Indiana in the G. O. P. column on Election day, doubtless it would be felt in other States. * % x x Early in the Summer it appeared im- possible for the Republicans to take Illinois or Indiana. They may not be able to do it in November. The heavy vote polled in the Democratic primary in Illinois last May, much larger than the vote in the Republican primary, was taken as a sure indication that Presi- dent Roosevelt would carry that State. In Indiana the Republicans were flat on their backs. Their party rent with factional troubles, looked to be hopelessly bogged down. But in recent weeks there have been signs of a revival of Repub- lican strength in both these States. All of the 18 States mentioned in the list as sufficient to elect Landon have been more often Republican in the past than Demo- cratic. If they revert to their old polit- ical moorings this year, the New Deal is doomed to defeat. Party lines are not so closely drawn today as they were a score of years ago. There is a huge so-called independent vote that swings with the wind of popular approval or disapproval. That vote swung to the Republicans in 1928 and to the Democrats in 1932. Where it will go this year is still to be determined. * * & % This week Gov. Landon is to make a swing into the States of the Middle West. He speaks in Des Moines tomorrow and later in Minneapolis. His campaign is to be increasingly active during the next few weeks. And he is expected to reveal to the farmers in the corn and wheat belt more fully just what he proposes to do for agriculture in the event of his election. Despite the better prices for farm produce and despite the flood of government checks which have been handed to the farmers of Iowa, there are reports from that State which indicate the farm population is not so favorable to President Roosevelt as it has been in the past. Landon’s visit to Iowa, on a campaign tour, may bring a definite change in that State, the Republicans hope. His last visit to the State was when he recently attended the drought con- ference in Des Moines at the invitation of President Roosevelt. Former Senator Smith W. Brookhart of Towa, campaign- ing now for the re-election of Roosevelt, insists that Iowa will be found in the Roosevelt column on Election day. Brookhart sought to win the Republican senatorial nomination this year, against Senator Dickinson, who is up for re- election, but was defeated. Later the Farmer-Labor party sought to have him go on their ticket, but he declined and preferred to back Roosevelt. * *x ok x Immediately after the Maine election last week President Roosevelt announced at his press conference that he might not make his projected campaign trip across the continent in October, giving as his reason that he feared to be so far away from first base—Washington— when conditions in Europe were threat- ening. Had the President, the day after the Maine election, which went Repub- lican, announced he would campaign all the way across the country, Republicans would have seized upon the announce- ment as a clear indication that the Democrats had become alarmed. A few days later, however, the President did announce he would speak in Pittsburgh and one or two other places. And if there is need. undoubtedly the President will be found on the road a good part of October. The Democrats are count- ing heavily on the President himself to win this national campaign. The New Dealers have been able to line up the great majority of the heads of labor organizations for President Roosevelt. They insist that the Roose- velt sentiment runs all down through the ranks of labor organizations. This, however, is denied by Republicans who have been campaigning among the work- ers. They realize, however, they have a tough job on their hands to meet the campaigning for Roosevelt by John L. Lewis and other labor leaders. * Xk * Constantly recurring reports that Al Smith is to take the stump against the re-election of President Roosevelt, his quondam political ally, are expected to be followed by a definite announcement of his political plans by the former New York Governor. New Dealers insist that Smith no longer has any great amount of influence among the voters. It is a safe bet, however, that they would throw their hats in the air with joy if they were suddenly informed that Smith would campaign for Roosevelt and not against him. And they would be greatly pleased if they learned that Smith would not take any part in the campaign to defeat the President. Perhaps he has some influence, after all. Family Wars. Prom the Milwaukee Sentinel, It's a vicious war in Spain. Fights among relatives are always like that. a D. €. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. 21, Many birds in local gardens at this time have just flown down from Penn- sylvania and New York, and from Mas- sachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and other New England States. This makes them birds with a differ- ence. That band of robins catching worms so blithely in your yard is on the way South. Those small warblerlike fellows, identity unknown by you, are mighty travelers. Small feathered bits of life, they nevertheless breast the currents of air over our mighty continent. While beneath them roar the death- dealing motor cars on the highways of the Nation they soar along confiden'ly on the power nature gave them. While around them fiy man-made birds, heavier than air, roaring, smelling, they fly swiftly on their way to warmer climes. Man, in his planes, is merely imi- tating them to the best of his ability. Man, in his quest for Winter quarters, is aping the birds, that is all. * X X X Long ago, so long that no man know- eth, the birds decided upon the division of their time. They decided to live where it is warm the year around. This made it necessary for them to utilize the gifts Mother Nature had given them. Or perhaps it would be better to say that the gift nature had given them really made up their tribal mind for them. At any rate, for thousands of years the facts of migration among birds have been well established. All over the world, according to the seasons, they fly the trackless voids, sure in their knowledge of their des- tination. It is a subject that always has ap- pealed to poets, and to naturally religious minds, as well as to the scien- tific mind. It is & subject of endless fascination to any one who wishes to take it up for his own pleasure. This will come about easily if one begins to feed the birds. * % % ¥ Any one, however, by taking thought, can realize that the birds in his yard at this time are different from those which lived in it all Summer long. Those which were here during the heat already have gone South, and their places are being taken by birds dropping down for a little rest. If seed is placed out at this time, it may do some good, although there still is enough natural food for all types of birds, both the hard and soft billed. As to which birds will Winter here depends upon just which ones are in the garden at the time the first really cold snap comes. Then, instead of pushing farther South, they may decide to Winter where food is plentiful, as represented by your supply. * ¥ % % This is a pleasant thought, that a human on the ground may sway them from the completion of their journey, to make the best of things because he has thought of them. It must be realized that if a bird left Maine just when cold weather really came there, by the time it got to Wash- 1936. ington, D. C., it might think it pretty warm here, by comparison. Then, if it chanced upon a feeder stocked with choice grains and seeds, it might believe, in its curious little head, that this was just as good a place as any to stop its flight and settle down. ‘This would apply, of course, only to certain species, including the cardinal, or redbird; the nuthatch, the various ‘woodpeckers, the fox sparrows, some few purple finches—not all—and others. Robins, wood thrushes, mockingbirds, wrens and others have left us or are leaving us. Of course, word comes from time to time of a robin which Winters hereabouts, but it is few and far between, as the saying is. * % % % Bird lovers must keep sharper look- outs now for their favorites. ‘There will be a few thrushes, now and then, seen in the grass, but mostly in trees, where they clash their bills, and make harsh noises in their throats but do no real singing. Song is over for the season. Occasionally one hears a faint begin- ning of a song. There was a belated mockingbird in the garden the other day. He squalled vigorously, but not up to his old stand- ard, and he had none of his music with him at all. The bluejays are screaming in the trees, We are quite sure that the thrush we saw had just flown in from New England. This gave us a new respect for him, so little, so frail, and vet such a mighty traveler, as sure as any, all on his own steam, too. * % x Little traveler, he knows where he is going, with sure purpose to get there on time, So one may look upon many of the birds in the yard at this time of year, and from now on until the cold comes. Remember that travelers need some- thing to drink. Water in the bird bath will be more necessary from now on. A small yard is just a brief stop, these days, but an important one, if the mi- grating bird finds food and water in it. put out a few pans of water, especially which often prevail. be put to it to find something to drink, for Rock Creek is not very wide, after all. * % % ¥ Even lily pools often are too deep for & bird to drink at. The best bird baths are only an inch or two deep. fellows, to wash the dust of the journey off their feathers, to refresh themselves living things. For sheer joy of the bath there are few creatures which demonstrate it more than a bird. Those who intend to feed the birds regularly this Winter will do well to remember the watering pans. Too often the bird enthusiast thinks he has done his whole duty when he regularly sup- afl:mswd.s I‘l’: breadstuffs. But water | more important, in some respects. | Let no bird friend forget this. i WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. As soon as he launches his series of honest-to-goodness “political” speeches at Syracuse next week President Roose- velt is expected to embark at last upon hammer-and-tongs campaign tactics. Spurred by pro-Landon trends exempli- fied by the Maine election and otherwise, F. D. R. is ready to roll up his sleeves and wage a whirlwind flight from now on. His punches are not likely to be pulled in any direction and jabs and uppercuts at Gov. Landon personally in retaliation for some of the Governor's own recent blows of the same character are not excluded. New Dealers to date have been sailing along more or less serenely in the belief that two-fisted in- fighting on the President’s part was not really necessary to assure his re-election. Things have been happening rapidly during the past fortnight to shake, if not shatter, the strategy of letting Mr. Roosevelt more or less rest on his laurels. The speeches he is about to deliver will typify the high command’s revised con- viction that October must be a month of genuine battle and intensified effort on the President’s part all along the line, with emphasis on such pivotal electoral pickings as New York and Pennsylvania. * % X X In the course of his impending cam- paigning it wouldn't be surprising if the President springs a brand-new, imagina- tion-gripping slogan on the country. He’s been emphasizing lately that on account of the European situation he does not want to be too far away from Washing- ton and may abandon a Pacific Coast tour on that account. At Chautauqua last month Mr. Roosevelt, at the end of a graphic recital of his experiences overseas in 1917-18, declared: “I hate war.” There are wiseacres who think that some such sentiment may shortly be sloganized by the President as an appeal to the mounting peace sentiment of the American people. Should ex- plosive conditions in Europe suddenly take a really critical turn, a ringing Rooseveltian campaign pledge to keep the United States unentangled might prove as irresistible an electioneering point as Woodrow Wilson's victorious “kept us out of war” in 1916. Gov. Landon’s hint at Portland on September 12 that the New Deal “trend away from democracy” is a war-breeding policy would give additional point to a vivid peace pronouncement by Mr. Roosevelt. * ok K X One of the most honored names in American naval annals has just taken its place on the active list of the United States Fleet with the commissioning of U. 8. S. Mahan, latest of the new-type of 16 destroyers authorized by Congress The Mahan commemorates whose famous work, “The Influence of Sea Power on History,” has long been a standard text book throughout the world. The Mahan, built at the New York Navy Yard, will be commanded by Comdr. J. B. W. Waller. 135, is 341 feet long and mounts five 5- inch guns and eight torpedo tubes, con- stituting one of the most powerful de- stroyer units afloat. * % * % Speaking of Democratic slogans, Col. Frank Knox has just suggested that President Roosevelt adopt one reading: “He Kept Us in Depression.” New Deal publicity chief, Charles Michelson, de- claring that “Publisher Knox does not feel as despondent as does Candidate Knox,” quotes a recent advertisement of the Republican vice presidential nom- inee’s Chicago Daily News in Printer’s Ink, newspaper trade organ, reading as follows: “Here in Chicago, ‘the world’s second largest market,’ storekeepers are | getting back their pre-depression smiles. People are milling in the streets—with crisp new packages under their arms. Cash registers jingling. Trucks clunk- ing. And, between the banks of Mich- | igan avenue, the old ‘gold stream’ of | shiny new automobiles is at high tide again. Chicago is showing more come- * x % x "Br_andeis: The Personal History of an American Ideal” is the title of a new biography of the famous liberal member of the Supreme Court. The author is Alfred Lief. He quotes Justice Brandeis as regarding the Massachusetts savings h‘n!: insurance plan as his “greatest achievement”; his gifts of more than half a million dollars to Jewish enter- prises in Palestine as his “best invest- ment,” and Alfred Zimmern's “The Greek Commonwealth” as the “best book he has read in more than 20 years.” Mr. Lief tells a quaint story of which the present Senator Bob La Follete was the hero, when still in his tender teens. lieve I like Mr. Brandeis the best of any one we know.” Then he qualified it: “Of course. not beter than Mr. Lincoln Stef- fens, but better than almost any one else.” * X ¥ % Gov. Landon’s letters to Jim Reed valiant aid in the Maine campaign, re- vives the hint that in the event of Republican national victory, anti-New Deal Democrats might find places in the Landon cabinet. To Ely the Governor wrote : “Our campaign this year has an quecuve that goes far beyond party lines.” To Reed he said: “The Amer- ican people as a whole must place the country’s welfare above partisan inter- ests.” * * X x Celebration of Constitution day this year (on September 17) was widely ex- pected, on account of 1936 political tur- moil, to boost the constitutional issue in the presidential campaign. There’s little evidence that anything of this sort is in prospect. Republican candi- dates, and occasionally some Democrats, bring the Constitution into the picture, but party managers are finding that the people as a whole are not widely excited over an issue which once threatened to be paramount in the battle against the New Deal. Dollars-and-cents, bread- and-butter propositions like taxation, living costs, governmental expenditure, safety of the currency, unemployment, relief and social security are apparently gripping voters’ atention far more firmly than “one man government,” centralized Federal power, “dictatorship” and ab- stract questions associated with the Con- stitution. (Copyright, 1936.) Sign of Better Times. Prom the Pond Du Lac Commonwealth. Times must be getting better, indeed; it is noted in the public prints that people are now “accepting positions” instead of just “getting jobs” once more. Campaign Song. Prom the Yakima Republic. One of the papers says the Democrats are looking for a campaign What's the matter with good, old Promise Me?” Hop, Skip and Jump. From the Charlotte Observer. Some one has aptly remarked that a political race is a hop, skip and jump affair—hop on the band wagon, skip the facts and jump on the opposition. 1 song. “Oh, during the long dry spells of Autumn | m'l;:ls permits any bird. from the largest | e smallest, and particularly the little | < | more than 700,000 among the estimated ! 1,800,000 adult Negro couples own their with a bath, just as water refreshes most | back faster than any spot on the map!” | “Mother.” said Bob, jr.. one day, “I be- | and former Gov. Ely, thanking them for | A bird flying over our great city may | era. 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 did the automobile ine dustry gain in 1935?—T. A, A. Factory sales increased 44 per cent: retail sales in the United States gained 45 per cent and foreign sales advanced 19 per cent compared with 1934. “h Q. Do World War veterans or their wives often get Federal civil service appointments because of preference allowed them?—E, P. A. According to figures contained in Public Personnel Administration, from 1919 to 1933 almost 717,000 appointment$ were made in the Federal service; of this number 179,000, or 25 per cent, were preference appointments, Q. How many hotels has Atlantic City? —F. M. A. The resort has more than 1200 hotel establishments of various sizes. Q. How many people own railroad stock?—M. H. b A. Reports filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission show that in 1935 there were 865,098 railroad stock- holders, Q. What do the letters B. C. E. mean when written with Jewish dates?>—J. B. A. They signify before the common Q. Is there a simple way to remedy scratches on mahogany and walnut furniture?—K. W. A. Scratches can be made almost ines visible by the application of tincture of iodine. Wrap a small piece of absorb= ent cotton on the end of a toothpick or small stick, dip in the iodine and apply. When dry, polish with regular furniture polish. Q. How many hiking clubs are there?— S0 keep the bird bath filled, and even | 1M F- A. This country now has about 3.000 hiking organizations. Q. Where is the largest school dormi- tory in the United States?—M. J. A. It is said that Bancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy, Am‘upolis. Md.,, is the largest under ong, roof. Q. Do many Negroes own their own homes?—J. L. J A. According to the latest statistics, own homes. Q. What are the fastest growing cities | in the United States?—H. M. A. The cities of fastest growth from | 1920 to 1930 were Beverly Hills, Calif, and Dearborn, Mich. Q. Is it true that Marco Polo dictated | his book of travel>—M. B. A. In 1298 Polo was captured by the Genoese and put in prison. There he dictated to another captive, Rustichello of Pisa, the story of his adventures. Q. What was the Berlin Decree?— H.R. “~ A. It was a decree issued by Napoleon at Berlin in November, 1806, forbidding any of the nations of Europe to trade with Great Britain, proclaiming her to be in a state of blockade, declaring all English property forfeit, and all English- men on French soil prisoners of war, Q. Please explain the social work terms, applicant, client and case load.— C. M. A. An applicant is a person who seeks the services of a social agency. A client is one whose application has been ac- cepted and is under the care of tht | | agency. The case load is the number of cases being handled, both family groups and “one-person families.” Q. Was the character of Col. Mulberry Sellers in “The Gilded Age” drawn from a real person?—H. K. A. Mark Twain wrote that he had developed the character from the life (l James Lampton, a cousin of his mother’s, Q. Why can a whale submerge to & depth of perhaps 2,000 feet and come to the surface at once without any trouble from the compression being re- | lieved so quickly while men can not do s0?—A. S. A. There is no accurate figure on the maximum depth of a whale’s dive. One authority quotes it as supposedly 100 fathoms, At any rate prolonged sub- mergence at considerable depth makes demands on the body structure of the whale which brings about the effective adaptation. The horizontal position of the tail-flukes, the special construction of the larynx, epiglottis and pharynx, which enable the mouth to be used solely for feeding, the great expansivity of the lungs which depends on the loose attach= ment of the ribs, the extraordinarily large amount of blood in proportion to size which involves an increased capacity for carrying oxygen to the tissues, are all examples of this adaptation. The princi= pal danger to which a diver is exposed is the liberation of gas bubbles into his blood due to diminishing water pressure if the ascent to the surface is too rapid. This is known colloquially as the “bends.” In the whale the circulatory system is so arranged that the venous blood ise held by a portion of the blood vessels without allowing it to circulate too freely. The gas bubbles are thus prevented from obtaining access to the general circula- tion. Q. Is there a memorial to President Van Buren?—R. 8. A. At present the only one is the simple shaft over his grave in the Kin= derhook, New York, Cemetery. An effor is being made by patriotic and historical societies to create a national monument at Lindenwald, the estate near Kinder- hook where the President lived for many years and where he died. A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton Then Falls the Night. Sunset and glad rest And a cool wind blowing free— Golden colors in the West ‘Worked in filigree. Shadows and soft ease, And a soothing, mystic light— Fireflies in the dark trees, Starshine silken-white. Darkness and shy dreams, And a drowsy sense of sleep— ‘Wooed by pensive moonbeams Into slumber deep. A ,a