Evening Star Newspaper, October 8, 1936, Page 10

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition, WASHINGTON, D. C. TRAURSDAY ____ —----October 8, 1936 THEODORE W. NOYES...........Editor : The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Business Office: 11th St and Pennsyl! Chicage Office: La Buropean Office: 14 Regent St.. Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edition, The Evening Star . The Evening snd Sunday Star (when 4 Suncays). .. The Evening and Sunday St (when 5 Sundays).. © The Sunday Star.. Night Fin: Night Pinal and SundRy Star. Nicht Final Star. 55¢ per month Collection made at the end of each month. Orders may be sent by mail or telephone Na- tional 5000. 45c per month 60c per month 65¢ per month -5¢ per copy tho 70c per month Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virgnia. atly and Sunda ily oniy unday only All Other States and Canada, ilv and Sund $12.00; 1 mo., $1.00 Hally oniy SR ihe $5.00; mo., Sunday onl: 1 mo. Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is axclusively entitled to the nse for republication of all news dispatches eredited Lo it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. ALl rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. Something Very Wrong. The Star commented recently on the ecase of an automobile driver, arrested and charged over a year ago with negli- gent homicide in the death of a pedes- trian standing in a so-called safety isle. The case had been delayed time and again. Last week one of the prosecution witnesses, a detective sergeant testifying In the case, attempted to bring out pre- vious convictions of the defendant for reckless driving. His testimony was held inadmissible, a mistrial declared and the Jury discharged. Yesterday a new jury, after hearing evidence for two days, retired for ten minutes and brought in a verdict of not guilty., Judge Curran, manifestly outraged at the verdict, lec- tured the jury on its failure to consider , “indisputable” evidence and discharged it “out of service to the community at large.” If Judge Curran is correct in his appraisal of the evidence, the jury was undoubtedly at fault. But there are other considerations. The man's previous record of convictions for traffic viola- tions, the fact that his driver's permit had been revoked, plainly had significant bearing on the case. Here was a man who had been arrested for traffic viola- tions some nineteen times under his own . hame and fourteen times under an alias. He had been sentenced to jail once be- fore for reckless driving. At the time of | ‘"the pedestrian's death, he was illegally operating an automobile on a revoked permit. Yet all this evidence was held to be inadmissible, and as far as the. jury knew the man had a perfect record for careful driving. The fact that his trial had been delayed through one expedient after another un- doubtedly served to weaken the prose- cution’s case. A delay of over a year means that witnesses become hazy in their recollections of incidents that hap- pened in the space of seconds. The record of the law's process in this case is enough to outrage public opinion end bring discredit on the law enforce- ment machine. There is something very wrong in conditions which enable a de- fendant, charged with a serious crime, to interpose delay after delay in trial. ‘There is something very wrong in a con- dition which permits & man to go free and unpunished under the circumstances that marked this case. The jury may not be blameless, but neither is the system which permitted such an apparently atrocious miscarriage of justice. r————s Laber circles are split over the words *craft” and “industrial.” Many an im- posing controversy might be solved by an agreement to give authoritative prefer- ence to a single line in the dictionary. - Cardinal Pacelli. Quite apart from the possibility that discussion of diplomatic relations with the Holy See may be the purpose of his visit, Americans await with interest the impending arrival of Cardinal Pacelli, papal secretary of state. He is one of the most distinguished of living prelates, ranking in the Catholic hierarchy imme- diately after the Pope, and is himself considered one of the most likely candt- dates for the throne of St. Peter’s as the successor of the reigning pontiff, Pius XI. In addition to his duties as secre- tary of state, which involve direction of the church’s far-flung foreign relations, as well as supervision of all its purely civil affairs, Cardinal Pacelli holds the august post which carries with it the re- gency in the interregnum between one Pope's death and the election of another. It is the first time that a papal emis- sary of such eminence has visited the United States. Between 1848 and 1863, ‘Washington maintained a regular “min- ister resident” at the Vatican, six differ- ent envoys having served there during the fifteen-year interval. The last Min- ister, Rufus King of Wisconsin, was withdrawn when the Papal State ceased to exist as a temporal power. Today Vatican City is recoghized by thirty-four nations, including every major country except the United States and the Soviet Union. These world-wide relationships intermittently followed re-establishment of temporal authority. With Russia there has been no move toward such con~ tact because of fundamental differences between Communist doctrine and Chris- tianity. . It is estimated that of the 350,000,000 Roman Catholics in the world, roundly 21,000,000 are in the United States. At present the Holy See is represented at ‘Washington by an apostolic delegate, an ecclesiastical officer who deals exclusively with the Catholic hierarchy in the United States, rather than with the civil power. ‘There have been reports that the Vat- jcan would prefer to send over a legate or nuncio, who, like an ambassador, would be accredited to the lay govern- . ment, ' Whatever may or may not be in eon- 2 templation respecting diplomatic mat- ters, Cardinal Pacelli will be respectfully greeted here, because of his distinguished achievements as a churchman and the responsible office he now fills. An ac- knowledged authority on canon law, he was one of the men who negotiated the Lateran accord with Italy in 1929, where- by Vatican City attained its present po- litical status, It is suggested that one of the subjects the cardinal may wish to discuss with President Roosevelt is Pope Pius’ cempaign againsi international communism, ‘Undermining Foundations’ On June 5, 1934, President Nicholas Murray Butler of Columbia University, addressing a multitude gathered for the one hundredth and eightieth commence- ment of the institution of higher learn- ing over which he has presided with distinction since 1902, discussed the un- willingness of Americans in general to think about their problems. “They pre- fer the emotional to the intellectual lige,” he sald, “and would choose to follow Rousseau rather than Voltaire, * * * As a Nation we pay & heavy penalty for this trait of ours, and just now we appear to be preparing an especially heavy payment, of the existence and character of which we seem to be quite oblivious.” To illustrate his point, Dr. Butler then explained that the founders of the Re- public “set up a carefully described Gov- ernment and gave it clearly defined and strictly limited powers.” They also “em- phasized in the strongest possible lan- guage the fact that all powers not defi- nitely and specifically delegated to Gov- ernment were retalned” by the people. | Such a line between the organized state and unosganized liberty ever since has been maintained as “essential to the preurvnuo}) of the American form of Government, as well as to the happiness and prosperity of our people and to the achievement of their ideals.” But, Dr. Butler continued, “it quickly became characteristic of the American people that a large portion of their public service, perhaps even a major por- tiomn, was rendered by them voluntarily.” They did not look to Government for any institutionalization of religion, educa- tion, art, science and sociology. Instead, “non-profit-making institutions of every sort and kind were brought into exist- | ence in the field of liberty to render public service. Quite apart from the churches, which were to be wholly separate from Government, these were institutions of intellectual, social and philanthropic public, service of the high- est importance.” Hospitals, homes for the dependent, libraries, museums, col- leges and universities were included in the list of “these institutions (which) are in no sense governmental, but * * * in every sense public.” Now, however, in recent years there has developed a new tendency, “strange- 1y un-American, even anti-American"— a habit of “turning to Government, par- ticularly the Federal Government, for help or for dole whenever any form of public service, built up in the field of liberty, is in doubt or in need."' Dr. Butler frankly insisted: “Surely it' must be clear that to follow this course is to enter on the path of destruction. * * * If this vast scheme of public service in the fleld of liberty is not to be destroyed, then a scheme of taxation for the sup- port of Government and its activities must be devised which will not under- mine the foundations upon which it rests and has rested so long. To wreck or even to cripple these tens of thou- sands of public service undertakings would be to strike & blow at the Ameri- can people from which they might never recover.” The danger is far more drastically real and pressing than might be sup- posed. Dr. Butler concluded his presen- tation with the words: “There can be no valid objection to those policies on the part of Government which do as much as Government can do to prevent one citizen from unfairly and unjustly ex- ploiting his fellows; but care must -be taken that the cure be not worse than the disease. * * * What Government does is almost certain to be done less well than what liberty does. * Surely even a reasonable measure of reflection will make it clear to every one that if the power and opportunity to render mag- nificent and many-sided public service in the fleld of liberty is to be destroyed by taxation, and if thereby activities of Government are to be multiplied and their advantages vigorously contended for by organized and self-seeking mi- norities, our whole American scheme of life and thought and Government * * * will have come to an end.. It is not necessary to destroy a great human achievement by open and plainly visible attack. This end can be even better and more quickly reached by undermining, perhaps quite unconaciously, the.founda- tions on which it rests.” The logic of Dr. Butler's warning was important when it first was submitted to the consideration of his countrymen; it is doubly important today when the electorate is preparing for the greatest decision of national policy since’ the Civil War. Moments Marvelous. ‘When William of Normandy marched down to the Channel on his way to Hastings in 1066, few of those who watched him pass were conscious of the fact that his expedition against Saxon England was destined to alter the whole course of history. He was mixing two peoples for the creation of an empire unimaginably great. Yet he did not guess the outcome, All that he hoped to win was certain island acres against which he possessed, as he believed, a valid ciaim. Long centuries later men would trace to him the inspiration for the conquest of three-quarters of the habitable Earth. He died unaware of the significance of the forces he released. -planet’s size in 1492. It was his faith that the globe was small enough to bring the rich and mystic East within a few days’ sailing from the shores of Spain. ‘The Orient, he told a sceptical public, ‘WaSs nearer by the western way. Crowdh lined the shore to witness his departure, but only the wives of those impressed to 80 with him cared much about his ven- ture. The entérprise was a gamble. It might succeed or it might fail. In either case, nothing fundamentally consequen- tial was involved. And the famous admiral employed his final breath to deny that he had discovered anything hitherto unknown to Europe. His con- temponn-.wen equally slow to guess the iruth. Not one smong them sup- posed that he had added a hemisphere to the race’s already wide domain, And much the same tardy compre- hension was the lot of the brothers ‘Wright in 1903, when, on Kill Devil Hill in North Carolina, they raised the first heavier-than-air flying machine from the ground and proved a theory ages old to be a scientific verity forever young. Thelr experiments at Fort Myer six years later attracted an admiring throng, but even the commendation of the Govern- ment falled to stir the imagination of the multitude. Today, the miracle is easier to applaud. It is demonstrated so com- monly that the magic of it is fading out, slowly perhaps but nevertheless surely. Passengers are “hopping” the Pacific, and it is but & question of months until there will be regular scheduled service over the Atlantic, To catch the drama of human prog- ress, however, the moments marvelous should be remembered. They occur withe- out much notice and are not invariably appreciated at once, —_— e Rhetorical persuasions have little effect in contradiction of plain pay roll analysis. The mechanistic era has given the cash register a powerful position in determining the mutual interests of workers and employers, — e In political geometry it has become almost axiomatic, as signatures are re- quired, that a dotted line is the shortest distance between an application and a Government job. - - A great many citizens talk about new treaties and old five-foot book shelves when what they really read with intelli- gent attention is the base ball news, e Pittsburgh’s mayor has resigned. His troubles may be over, but Pitisburgh's probably are not. N - Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Another City May Smile. Rome sat on seven hills and smiled— One hill perhaps would do Had her proportions been compiled By a collegiate crew. Both wit and beauty were her own; Its glories soon will wilt When to posterity is known The town that Tugwell built. ‘When Jack and Jill went up the hill In “Once Upon a Time,” They had a rather ugly spill, As told in classic rhyme. With measured care they dig and spread The clinging clay and silt; "Twill have no hill at all, 'tis said, The town that Tugwell built. So Jack will call on Jill to make A picture or a play, And smiles to order will awake From W. P. A, And he who ventures to complain Will suffer for his guilt, Since only smiling may remain In the town that Tugwell built. Speech. “You insist that we must have free- dom of speech?” “I do,” answered Senator Sorghum. “There are too many people who are afraid to say anything for fear they will lose Government jobs along with rela- tions or friends.” Wild Mule. ‘Wild jackasses scampered and kicked up their heels. We're waiting to see what the future reveals. Radical romped while soliciting cheers; Bolshevist brayed as he wiggled his ears; The Socialist stepped with a well-meas- ured stride; The Anarchist’s anger grew flerce in its pride. They've inbred and mixed without reason or rule— ‘We wonder who's going to ride this wild mule! The The Leonidas Brags. “Your “wife speaks with great confl- dence in public.” b “I am partly responsible for that fact,” said Mr. Meekton. “Henrietta really regards me as a person of deep perspi- cacity. When she finds it so easy to convince me with & word, she isn't afraid of anybody.” “Patience and forbearance are to be esteemed,” sald Hi Ho, the.sage of. Chinatown. “Yet he who depends on these too much may find that life has left him little else.” Cured by Adding & Few Letters. The Literary Digest brought its figures in review, A mince pie it resembled and a hasty pudding, too. They brought a queer sensation, which we couldn’t quite explain; ‘We hollered for a doctor, as we do in case of pain, “Dear Doctor, make an effort us pretty soon, : And kind Professor, either doia trick or play a tune.” ¥ A consultation quickly served our com- fort to restore. i They said, “It's Literary Indigestion; nothing more!” H N 2 to relieve *"Tain’ .much use mumlin'.' said Uncle Eben. “All a quarrel is likely to get you is.an opportunity to entertain de bystanders. D. C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1936. —10 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, P e L e s e B THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. THE POLITICAL MILL BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. OMAHA, Nebr., October 8.—Survey in six great States of the Middle West has shown close battles between Roosevel and Landon in five of them and Roose- velt still Fiolding a decided edge in one. The first five States are Ohio, Michigan, Illinols, Iowa and Minnesota. The sixth is Wisconsin. Landon can win if he carries Illinois and Ohlo, For if he does carry those States, there seems little doubt he will be successful in Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota. He does not have to carry Wisconsin, He must, however, have also the States of New England, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania, and, farther west, Indiana Kansas and Nebraska. These 18 States would give Landon 269 electoral votes, or three more than are necessary for a ma- Jjority and victory, * * x X x If, on the other hand, Landon loses Iilinois and Ohlo, or even one of them, he is likely to be beaten. His position is something like that of a golf player who is “dormie,” with three or four holes still to play. If he loses a single hole, or halves one of those remaining, he is sunk. There is no chance of a State’s dividing equally in this presidential race, or so-little that it becomes a negligible proposition. To be dormie, with several holes still tq play, is a tough spot for any golfer. Yet, it has happened occasionally that a player has come through to vic- tory in such a match, That is what the Republicans are hop- ing for Landon. Under these circumstances, it is pos- sible for Landon to be elected President, or for Roosevelt to win the election with a large plurality of the electoral votes, no matter how close the popular vote in the States may be, With approximately four weeks of the campaign still to go, either of these al- ternative results may happen, depending on the swing to or away from Roosevelt. It looks as though Landon has had a “break” in the recently made Minnesota deal between the Roosevelt Democrats and the Farmer-Laborites in that State. Here in the Western country the full im- plications of that deal are being more and more discussed. There are two angles which seem to give the Republicans a real issue, The first is found in the ner in which this deal was consummated. The second lies in the fact that the Presi- dent has apparently taken to his bosom the Farmer-Labor party and what it stands for. He is on record as favoring the election of the Farmer-Labor ticket in Minnesota, particularly the guberna- torial and senatorial candidates. He has traded off the Democratic candi- dates for those offices in order to obtain the support of the Farmer-Labor party for himself in the presidential race. A reading of the Farmer-Labor party's platform in 1934 shows it to be more radical than the Socialist platform, and the Farmer-Labor platform of this year is just about the same as it was two years ago. In other words, the Presi- dent has put himself in the position of supporting that platform and its prin- ciples, at least in Minnesota, *x ok x President Roosevelt, in a recent speech, attacked Landon, saying that the Re- publican presidential candidate cannot be a conservative in the East and a New Dealer in the West. He had reference to the farm program laid down by Lan- don in Towa. Republicans here are say- ing that the President cannot be a con- servative in Pittsburgh, where he replied to the criticism that he has Communist and red support, declaring he' would have none of it, and a red in Minne- sota, where he has joined in the effort to bring about the election of the Farmer-Labor ticket. The first angle of the Minnesota deal between Roosevelt and the Farmer- Labor party—the manner in which the deal was put through, which seems to be an aid to the Republicans—has to do with the fact that it was consummated in a private room. Whether smoke filled or not is immaterial. The Democrats had held a primary in Minnesota and picked their candidates for Governor and Senator. They had announced they would stay in the fight and make no deal with the Farmer-Labor party, when they were asked about the possibility of such a trade. When it was too late for the Democrats to put any one else in the race, these candidates withdrew, an- nouncing support for the Farmer-Labor people, * ok ok Xk ‘The Omaha World-Herald, a tradi- tionally Democratic newspaper which switched this year to the support of Lan- don and against Roosevelt, has taken up the Minnesota deal as a real issue. It is particularly interesting here because the New Dealers have undertaken to “sell the Democratic senatorial candidate down the river” in Nebraska very much as they have disposed of Democratic candidates in Minnesota. They have thrown their support to Senator Norris, an independent but not a Democrat, in preference to Terry Carpenter, the nominee of the Democratic primary. The World-Herald says: “If the Farmer- Labor program must be accepted as & Democratic program in Minnesota, why may it not equally be accepted else- where? And if the long arm of the ad- ministration can reach out from Wash- ington to extinguish the Democratic party in Minnesota and deliver its re- mains to another party and an alien creed, what is to prevent a continuation of the process in the coming four years? “Already the process is under way. “In Minnesota the bill of sale is to the Farmer-Labor party. “In Wisconsin it is to the' La Follette party. “In Nebraska it is to the Norris party. “In New York it is Mayor La Guardia, former Socialist, who carries the banner. “In Pennsylvania John Lewjs, former Republican and radical labor leader, heads the parade. % “All this is only a beginning. “By 1940 what will there be left of the old-time Democracy?” * X k% Another Western paper, the Milwaukee Journal, has this comment: “Among Minnesota Democrats there must be many who have no sympathy at all with the radical Farmer-Labor platform of two years ago, which made anything Wisconsin Progressives have yet pro- posed look pale by comparison. Now these Minnesota Democrats are told to, accept this program as their party’s principles in Minnesota, although they well know Democrats generally will not accept it.” * ok ok % Senator Henrik Shipstead, Farmer- Labor, who has become an institution in Minnesota, where he rolls up huge plu= ralities when he is up for election, has been extremegly quiet in this campaign up to date. He was no friend of the late Gov. Olsen, though of the party, nor did he have any part in the Minnesota deal. However, Senator Shipstead will declare for the re-election of President Rooses velt. How active he will be in the cam- No time of year is better suited for walking than this. Crisp, cool mornings lure even the sedentary. The City of Washington, peer of the world, calls to the man and woman afoot. Despite the increased rd, even the city streets have a lure in them at this time. At the end of every Fus line, when the passengers get off, will be seen several elderly persons almost every trip. Stop and talk with these pleasant- faced old men and women and you will discover that they are “just looking over strange neighborhoods.” They walk around through residence sections in the suburbs, lured by adven- ture, in a part of the community they have heard about for long, but probably never visited. Pleasantly they saunter along, not bored, as a motor-mad age so often is, but glad to be out in the air, seeing new sights, at least to them. * x ® % This will give many persons a “tip” as to how to take a walk. ‘We mean, of course, those persons who find it difficult to take one. Walking is something more honored in theory than actuality by many persons, who say to themselves, “Yes, I ought to walk more—" but seldom get around to it. Getting around to something, as the saying is, is & curious thing after all. There are so many things most of us are “trying to get around to,” the wonder 1s that we so seldom do! Probably the explanation is that most of the things one tries to “get around to” are of the type which is slightly trying, in some way or other, either mental or physical. Thus many a person is going to read some book or other, but is pretty sure not to do so in the long run, unless he takes himself sternly to task about it. How many have been going to read “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” and yet never got around to it? And probably never will. * % %X Getting around to walking as a neces- sary daily exercise is something multi- tudes of honest persons have told them- selves they were going to do, but some- how in the course of time find that the conplexity of modern life prevents them from doing. A few blocks, of course, is not a walk in any real sense. Nor is a mile or two done at a snail's ce. p‘A real walk is one which is fast enough in any given case to stir the blood, set the heart to beating faster, cause in- | creased breathing and give a general sense of warmth throughout the frame. Every one must be his own guide in this matter. What is a real walk to one | air-conditioning. | how it depends upon oxygen! | this same gas in slightly larger quanti- ‘We refer entirely to sedentary persons, who do not the vigor to work all day and then to walk all afternoon or in the evening. A day’s honest work, whatever its type, will take the edge off such a person’s energy; he will not be in the mood, either mentally or physically, to do much walk- ing thereafter. Too much must not be expected of this exercise, & ‘Though it has been praised to the skies from time to time, it is not & cure-all in any sense, not even of superfluous fat. Walking 1s something of & snare and a delusion when it comes to reducing. Fat goes from every place except the one particular place from' which the patient desires it to go. This is common experi- ence. The best that walking, as an art and sport, can do for most folks is to prevent them from getting entirely-too sedentary, not only in physical habits, but especially in mental habits, Sedentary folk are much too inclined to get a “shut-in” complex, though they may be healthy enough in all other ways. Too much indoors, even super-heated travel, tends at last to deprive too many persons of all honest contact with the great outdoors. It is these people, in particular, who will get the most out of daily walks, and for this one reason, that they will come in time to throw off their strictly indoor habits and view life more sanely from the fresh-air standpoint. *x X * % ‘There can be no question about the fresh-air viewpoint. It is much saner than the swdio standpoint. Physiologists can explain this and show just why. the mind is more sanguine when the count of red blood corpuscles is higher. It has something to do with oxygen, and its effect on the sort of iron in the blood. There is no doubt that outdoor people are more hopeful, more inclined to see life in its optimistic aspects. Perhaps many persons who suspect it not are unhappy mainly because they haven't enough oXxygen in their systems. What a wonderful thing is life, and And yet ties would act as a poison. This mar- velous chemistry operates for one and all. Surely no one should cut himself | off from a little super-saturation now and then with the friendly elements to be found in fresh, moving air. Movement of air has a great deal to do with it. Sunshine on it, too. has some- thing to do with it. with the best man-made air conditioning, to find the benefits of Nature's genuine Unfortunately those | persons who will get the most from it are may be entirely too much so for another. | Hence the person who feels that he needs & walk ought to try himself out for and by himself, in order to find out what constitutes a good walk as far as he is concerned. Then let him stick to his new-found program, if he have the will power, which he probably will not. o oxo* Retired persons and others having the time will ind that early morning after the traffic rush is one of very best times of the entire day to walk. — | | | often the very ones who find it most difficult to get out and take this best of natural tonics. They “do not know what to do” outdoors. Well, walking is some- thing most persons can do, and it needs no special equipment, nor elaborate, costly apparatus. All it needs in many cases is precisely | the most difficult prior state to attain— for them—the will to walk. Maybe this fine Fall weather and the new Washington all around us will do their part to lure all such persons to personal walking and exploration. STARS, MEN AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY, Preparation in the sugar research lab- oratory of the Bureau of Standards of a potent sedative which promises to be a notable remedy for “American nerves” is announced in the current issue of the bureau’s Journal of Research. ‘The drug is a double salt, calcium lac- tobionate-calcium bromide, in which the element calcium is combined both with the sugar lactose and with bromine. The method of producing it is described by Horace S. Isbell of the bureau staff. The use of various bromide salts as nerve sedatives is an established practice in medicine and especially in psychiatry. They curb states of excitement and rest- lessness, bring about sleep, and act as general mental depressants. They have long been standard remedies in such conditions as epllepsy. The form usually employed is potas- sium bromide. In spite of its usefulness, this salt has severe drawbacks, one of which is that in amounts sufficient to have a sedative effect it causes a derious rash. Long continued use also may have s permanent depressing effect on the nervous system. Its dulling effect is re- flected in the term “bromide” for a tire- some remark. As long ago as 1887, Mr. Isbell points out in his report, physicians have recog- nized the superior qualities of a calcium bromide salt. It produces the character- istic bromide effects more promptly than other salts and induces sleep where they fail. The 1887 edition of the National Dispensatory spoke of it as “peculiarly appropriate for relieving the insomml_ caused by mental labor or excitement, and- the exhausted and irritable states of the nervous system accompanied by headache, vertigo, insomnia and extreme mental excitability.” It also was stated that it “cured epilepsy in very young children when bromide of potassium failed.” But, in spite of these advantages, cal- cium bromide never has been popular with the medical profession. For one thing, it had a strong tendency to liquefy and was hard to keep in stock. Besides, it had a pungent, bitter, disagreeable taste, so that it was difficult to induce nervous patients to-swallow it. The compound prepared by Mr. Isbell is without these objectionable qualities. Its taste, in fact, is considerably more agreeable than that of the widely used sodium, potassium and ammonium. bro- mides. Practically simultaneously with Mr. Isbell's work a similar salt was being prepared by two Swiss chemists, and it has been subjected to numerous clinieal tests described in European medical journals. These indicate, according to the Bureau of Standards report, “that the compound is useful in the treatment of epilepsy, hyperthyroidism, neuras- thenia, nervous heart and similar ail- ments. particular importance, how- ever, is the fact that the sedative action is much greater than one might anti- cipate from its bromide content. “Thus, 1t is possible to obtain good results with- out using sufficient bromide to cause bromide rashes, and it is reported that in cases which previously had been treated with triple bromide and had de- veloped rashes these cleared up when calcium- lactobionate - calcium - bromide was used. These promising results should stimulate clinical investigatior’s of the use of the compound in this country.” 'rh:ry-louml of Research stresses the possible significance of the drug in the light of the probably increasing prev- alence of neurasthenia in the United States—the vague, flre:, Jjumpy teel.i:: which everybody experiences now then, which is sometimes described as & more ent American aflment than the cold, and which may be ¥ -] | due in part to the growing stresses of modern American life. Anticipating the possible significance of the new drug in medicine, the Bureau of Standards chemist has secured a pub- lic service patent on the method of pro- ducing it. This will prevent it becoming a proprietary medicine. All the steps in its production are described in the report. The Bureau of Standards, it is stressed, is not proposing a new drug unknown to the medical profession, but simply is | making available in a more palatable form a remedy whose properties already have been clinically tested. * oxox ox The aboriginal American is holding his own. ‘The increase of population of the full- blooded Indians as a whole, according to an investigation just completed by the Office of Indian Affairs, is just about that of the country as a whole. Thus from 1920 to 1930 the total population of the Unitéd States increased at the rate of 16 per cent per year and the increase of the native born was 1.8 per cent per year. During this decade the full-blood Indian increase was slightly lower, or 1.06 per cent per year. When the figures are broken up by tribes, however, it is shown that some of the smaller tribes have diminished quite rapidly, but they represent such a small minority of the total full-blood population that they do not seriously ef- fect the total picture. ———— Bloodless Warfare, * Prom the South Bend Tribune. The Lloyd George eriticism of Gen. Pershing gives authoritfes another op- portunity to refight the last part of the World War.. Fortunately no blood can An Opportunity. Prom the Illinois State Journal. To save his volce, a Portland policeman points a finger at jaywalkers. , Which suggests a steady job for the thumbing | hitch-hiker, China and Japan. From the Macon Telegraph. We would not live always, as the poet says. If we can just stick around until China gets some sand in her craw and tells Japan where to detrain we'll be satisfied, - Florida’s Suicide Cure. From the Bradford (Pla.) Telegranh. Miami announces that persons trying to commit suicide there will be arrested and prosecuted. Maybe if they are just given a good meal they might change their minds. —————————— German Sunstroke. From the Sacramento Bee, Germany has been trying to regain her place in the sun so hard that the whole nation appears to be suffering from sunstroke. - White Mountains. From the Philadeiphia Evening Bulletin. There was nothing surprising in Sat- urday’s snowfall in the White Mountains. ‘This is the time of year for the White Mountains to begin getting white. A Possible Gain. Prom the Battle Creek Enquirer-News. If any of the art treasures being de- stroyed in Spain’s civil war are of “mod- ernistic” design—well, there's no great loss without some small gain. It is difficult, even | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer lo any question of fact by writing The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederie /. Haskin, Director, Washington, D, C. Please inclose stamp for reply, Q. What does the average car ownci Ppay in taxes?—H. J. A. The average motor vehicle operator in the United States in 1935 paid specia automotive taxes aggregating $49.08. Q. What is the age of the oldest birc in the Washington Zoo?—R. N. A. The National Zoological Park say: that the oldest bird in the park is cockatoo of the parrot family, which was given to the Zoo in 1890, and it has there- fore been there for 46 years. Its age ir 1890 was not known. Q. What is the longest train ever worr by a woman?—W. K. G. A. It is probably the train on the gowr worn by Catherine the Great of Russiz at her coronation in 1762. This was 22" feet in length and required 50 train bearers to support it. Q. What is the real name of the movie actress, June Lang?—J. K. M. A, The actress is named Jane Vlaskek Q. How many students attend the Gen- eral Motors Institute?—H. M. A. In 1935-36 a total of 11,067 men and women received instruction in the various mu offered in the institution at Flint, c Q. Who was the last survivor of the Continental Congress?—J. F. 8. A. John Brown (1757-1837). Q. When did New York abolish iis State’s debtor laws?—F. P. A. They were abolished in 1831. Q. How long did Thomas Jefferson live at Monticello?—E. W. A. He made his home on the Virginia estate for 56 years. Q. What is the oldest national trace union in the United States?—C. R A. The Typographiéal Union. arganized in 1850, is the oldest national trade union in America. Q. Please name some of the prominent Athenians who were ostracized —J. B A. Among them were Aristides, Alci- biades, Miltiades, Themistocles and Cimon. Alcibiades was instrumental in abolishing the system of which he had | once been the victim. Q. What is the percentage of water in a watermelon?—M. H. A. It is about 93 per cent. Q. How long is the boundary line be iween Canada and Alaska’—W. L. A. It is 1,528 miles long, and is marked by monuments of various materials, Q. Did the bow on the sweat band of & man’s hat ever serve a more useful pur- pose than it does at present?—H. 8. A. It is believed that it originated in 3 string or ribbon by which the size of the hat was adjusted. Q. How many people are protected by group life insurance?—F. R. A. Pigures based on reports from 101 insurance companies writing group in- surance in the United States and Canada show that contracts have been taken out by the emplovers of over 7.000.000 em= ployes. The volume of insurance is in excess of $11,000,000,000. Q. How many extra-fare trains are there in the United States?—W. J. A. There are but nine trains in the country on which there is a special service charge. Q. How long has President Ronsevelt's mother lived at the Hyde Park estate? - H. M. A. Mrs. Sara Delano Roosevelt went {0 Hyde Park as a bride 56 years ago. Q. How many veterans attended the American Legion convention at Cleve- land?—C. M. A. The attendance was estimated al 200,000. g Q. Does the United States head the list in the percentage of Jews in its popula- tion?—D. C. A. The United States is seventh. Palestine is first in percentage. followed in order by Poland. Lithuania, Hungarv, Rumantia, Austria, United States, Czecho- slovakia, Russia, Argentina, Canada, Germany, England and Prance. In num- bers, however, there are more Jews in the United States than in any other single country. Q. Who was the first Socialist to be elected to Congress?—E. J. A. In 1911 Victor Berger was elected 10 Congress, being the first Socialist (0 occupy a seat in that body . Q. What music did Mark Twain'like best?—H. M. A. The following is a list of composi- tions which are said to have been the humorist’s favorite selections: “T'm Awearin’ Awa', Jean”; “Flow Gentlr." “Sweet Afton,” “Annie Lauri 3 and Braes of Bonnie Doon,” the Lion Down,” “Swing Low, “Ever Lighter Grows by Brahms; “Lullaby Brahms; Schubert’s “Serenade.” Marie” and “Almighty Jehovah.” “Ave Q. How many classes of industry arc there in New York City?—F. R. W. A. The Merchants’ Association Jists 190 classes of industry operating in that cit} ———— Plenty of Weather Now. Prom the Jackson (Mich.) Oitizen Patriot. A German has invented & machine fo create any weather condition desired Just as though we haven't enough weather the way things are now! One Solace. Prom the Wiclita Eagle. About the only thing to be said in favor of the war in Spain is that to datr no enterprising manufacturer has spon- sored a broadcast of it. ———— A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton In Nature’s Thrall. When weariness, chance or disaster Sends a man into Nature's arms The world that has long been his master ‘With its noise and its frothy barms Loses all of its erstwhile charms. For the thralldom of Nature is silence, Her kiss gives him quietude, She holds him enslaved without violence, Her caresses are never crude, Dewy fragrance her arms exude. And blessed by the gods is the man Who with Nature can dwell for a span. A