Evening Star Newspaper, October 23, 1936, Page 10

A—10 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. AY. October 23, 1936 THEODORE W. NOYES...........Editer ——— The Evening Star Newspaper Company. st : 1140 81 4ng Penntyivania Ave. New York Office: 110 t 42nd 8t. o Dt e Lok Mghlin P, Rate by Carrier Within the City. Orders may be tional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginla. ily un%lunlu. ily only_ All Other States and Canada. Ffly and Sunday_.] sr. $12.00: 1 mo. S, .00 . mo.,~ 78 un¢ .00; 1 mo., Member of the Assoclated Press. The Assoctated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of ail news dispatches 3 = 1Pights of oublication of sbecial dispatches erein are also reserved. ] The American Way? In his speech at Worcester Wednes- day evening the President rested much of his defense of the administration’s tax policy on two points. One of these was his philosophical discussion of the “democracy in taxation” and the fact that taxes, after all, “are the dues we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society.” The other was his declaration that “taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.” No one can quarrel with either of the doctrines thus set forth. The President invites criticism, however, by his mani- fest attempt to indicate, by his picture of the tax burden distribution, that his administration has solved the problem of raising the revenue to wipe out the huge public debt by a policy of soaking the rich—the rich individuals and the rich corporations who, he suggests, yell like stuck pigs because the honest Demo- crats have found them out and are merely making them pay what they escaped paying under the Republican administration. The direct tax imposed by the Federal Government and for the most part dis- cussed by the President is the individual Income tax. If we strive toward a “democ- racy in taxation” on the sound theory that taxes are the “dues we pay for the privi- lege of membership in an organized so- ciety,” how many due-paying members do we have? In 1933, the last year for which the complete data are available, there were 3,723,558 individuals who filed income tax returns, representing a po- tential due-paying membership of about 3 per cent in the organized society of the United States. ‘This relatively small proportion of the population which pays Federal in- come taxes in the United States marks one of the great differences between our system and the British system of taxa- tion. The married man in the United States whose income is all earned and has no children does not have to pay an income tax until his income reaches about $33 a week, as compared with the corresponding citizen of Great Britain whose income tax begins when he earns $20 a week. The rates themselves are correspondingly higher in Great Britain. Because of this difference the British tax is the more dependable as a revenue raiser, shows less fluctuation in time of depression and is more in keeping with the President’s allusion to democracy in taxation than our own. The President boasts that hiking the taxes on the “higher brackets—those of incomes over $50,000 a year"—was the #*American thing to do.” But it would have been more in keeping with the Spirit of '76 to have broadened the in=- come tax base, as Senator La Follette urged, and thus to have brought more due-paying members into the “organe 1zed society” of America and at the same time have produced needed addi- tional revenue. How many of these *higher brackets” were affected by the tax boost, accomplished in “the Ameri= can way”? Only 8,072, producing 0218 per cent of the total in income taxes. How many were affected by the increase in the taxes of those enjoying incomes of over a million dollars—this particu- “lar tax boost being another example of our “American way” of doing things? ~Only fifty, yielding 0.0016 per cent of the total of income taxes collected. 4 The courage demonstrated in boosting Aates on incomes of $50,000 and more sand reducing the rates on incomes of #Jess than $50,000 is the sort of courage “that it takes to offend 8,072 taxpaying “voters instead of 3,715486 taxpaying woters. One of the things that makes govern- mental extravagance easy is the small proportion of direct taxpaying voters. And one of the best ways to prevent _governmental extravagance—which the administration has not had the courage to do—is to increase the number of direct taxpayers and let them know the cost of the “privileges of membership in an organized society” by paying for such membership. That, as a matter of fact, would be more in keeping with the best traditions of the “American way” than putting up a front of “soaking the rich” and making up the difference by borrowing, by punitive taxation on busi- * ness expansion, by using the taxing power to take property from one group " and give it to another, or further to cen- tralize control of business policies in a Washington bureaucracy. Senator Couzens. Senator James Couzens of Michigan was a brave man. - His coursge was manifest throughout his entire busiress and political career, but it had its most notable manifestation when, only a few days ago, he left what now has proved his death bed to pay his respects to S I ‘THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON President Roosevelt on the occasion of the latter's campaign visit to Detroit. Their meeting was the final act in & drama of intense human interest, an event which will be long remembered for the sheer poignancy of its implica- tions. Both characters must have guessed that the curtain was falling. For the Nation, however, the passing of Mr. Couzens is significant of another and perhaps more widely inclusive con- clusion. It is an incident in the - nation of an era. The Senator, it seems, symbolized a period in the history of the world. He was the hero of “a success story” of a type which is not likely to have repetition in the future. The in- vestment of relatively small savings in 1903 brought him a magnificent fortune when he “cashed in” twelve years later. His gamble in the Ford automobile enter- prise gave him a profit of thirty thou- sand per cent in little better than a decade. With scant personal geniys for money-making, he rose from compara- tive poverty to inordinate wealth. The processes of his elevation to power and fame were, as he very well knew, almost entirely accidental. He claimed small credit for them and foretold their elimi- nation under the influence of changing conditions. But Mr. Couzens employed his riches with immense credit to his reputation. He gave generously to institutions es- tablished for the service of children, and it may be doubted if any nobler philan- thropy exists. More than one hundred and fifty thousand boys and girls, it is said, are indebted to him for restoration to héalth. Probably, he could ask no more durable monument than their grat- itude. Washington saw Mr. Couzens as a fighter. He came to the Senate to make war on faults in the national system of government, was a leader in the pro- gressive faction in its clashes with “spe- cial privilege,” one of the trailblazers for the New Deal. And he kept his faith in reform to the end, testifying for it at a moment when he surely had reason to believe that he was dying. For that consistency and fortitude, if for nothing else, his countrymen are proud of him and will hold his name in memory. Three New Envoys. ‘Washington’s ever-shifting diplomatic scene underwent more than ordinary changes this week when three recently arrived foreign envoys presented creden- tials to President Roosevelt. The group thus formally accredited includes Senor Fernando de los Rios, Ambassador of Spain; Signor Fulvio Suvich, Ambassa- dor of Italy, and Sir Herbert Marler, Minister of Canada. Each of the newcomers takes up his station here after a notable career in his country’s service. Dr. de los Rios, a fa- mous Spanish scholar, is a former presi- dent of the University of Madrid. Signor Suvich, until lately undersecretary of foreign affairs at Rome, was Mussolini's right-hand man in critical negotiations with the League and the European pow- ers during the past three years. He isa specialist in economics, a quality which doubtless had much to do with his ap- pointment to Washington. Sir Herbert Marler, a man of affairs and private wealth, has dedicated his life and for- tune to the Canadian public service. He is transferred to the United States after having been the Dominion’s Minister to Japan. Coming to America at the height of the Spanish civil war crisis, Ambassador de los Rios naturally dwelt feelingly on that tragedy while submitting his letters of credence at the White House. In a tactful allusion to it, he mentioned the strengthened faith in democracy which Spaniards derive as they contemplate its durability in the United States. Presi- dent Roosevelt, in an equally diplomatic rejoinder, expressed hopes for preserva= tion of friendship between the American and Spanish peoples and warmly recipro- cated the Ambassador's wish for & “propitious future” for both nations, Ambassador Suvich implied that one of his initial tasks looks to resumption of Italo-American reciprocal trade nego- tiations. Unofficial reports also credit. Rome with the intention to reopen debt- adjustment conversations. Such a move is associated with Mussolini’s reputed desire to tap the United States’ money market for Ethiopian development capi- tal, loan facilities here being barred to Italy as long as she is in default to this country. Sir Herbert Marler emphasized to the President Canadian gratification over improved trade relations with the United States, as the result of reciprocity. While echoing that sentiment, Mr. Roosevelt voiced his gratitude for the cordial reception accorded him in Quebéc this Summer. Presumably it will even- tually fall to Minister Marler’s lot at ‘Washington to discuss a revised St. Law- rence waterway pact. In the light of solidified Canadian-American amity, a new agreement should conie easily within the scope of realization. ‘Washington welcomes its newest diplo- matic residents. They are worthy addi- tions to a corps traditionally distin- guished for the eminence of its mem- bership. A Susan B. Anthony postage stamp may sometimes carry a letter for whose contents that estimable lady would not have liked to be considered respensible. _ Things Lost. The annual sale of articles found in I. R. T. subway trains in New York is judged distinctively news worthy by the metropolitan press. Valid human inter- est, it seems, attaches to the character of things lost and never reclaimed by their owners. Indeed, it is indicated But a curious air of mystery surrounds some of the objects. For example, how did it happen that & passenger left be- hind him a four-foot-high replica of the Statue of Liberty and never made any effort to retrieve his property? Is it possible that he suddenly cessed to b he 5 concerned about freedom? Did his heart, discouraged perhaps by the spectacle of tyranny marching on, all at once turn traitor to the ideals it previously had held dear? What spiritual tragedy oc- curred? The plaster copy of Bartholdi's masterpiece returns no answers for these questions. Instead, it silently submits to the indignity of being “knocked down” to the highest bidder—as though Ghe noblast aspiration of the human soul could be a market commodity! The fate meted out to it was joined with that of & portrait of Lincoln the Emanci- pator. Seventy-five cents was the price paid for the pair. A peddlers’ combine does the buying. Thus, twelve bundles of overcoats, four bundles of trousers, several fur wraps and an undetermined number of hats are purchased for two hundred dollars as a lot. Later, the successful bidder will distribute his acquisition among his partners. And meanwhile, a collector of canes comes into possession of enough walking sticks to start a store. Pre- sumably it is his intention to “trade” with other devotees of the hobby to which he is addicted. The same rule applies to an umbrella fancier whose offer is accepted for thirteen hundred bumbershoots of every conceivable size, shape, color and quality. But probably the greatest wonder in the circumstances is the fatalistic atti- tude concerning lost property which millions of people entertain. Finders do not invariably wish to be keepers; most folk, rather, are honest and would like to see owners recover their property. The difficulty under prevailing condi- tions is that of time. Pew patrons of the subway have leisure to track down the actual proprietors of the things they find. And too many of the losers do not bother to make inquiry of the transit company's offices, Apprehension involving no personal resentment toward Professor Tugwell is freely expressed toward what may be consh’uedumeflmbmlxup!he real estate business with political economy. An increase of one cent per quart In the price of milk concerns the hotels and restaurants. The farmer has been giving the hotels more and more trouble ever since he quit taking Summer boarders and started a tourist camp. The expenses run up by Professor Wallace and Professor Tugwell may recall the poker game in which a gentle- man played a little while for fun and the rest of a long period of time to get even. ————— The way Carter Glass votes would set & more convincing example if he would refrain from thinking out loud while on his way to the polls. There was a popular ditty about a phonograph called “The Broken Record,” but it had nothing to do with a cam- paign speech by Senator Vandenberg. Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Inevitable, A little bit o’ sorrow, An’ a little bit o’ song, Today an’ then tomorrow, As the old world bumps along; A little bit o’ kickin’ Over things misunderstood. Somebody gets a lickin'— But it won't do any good. Even back in Eden's gladness There were songs and sorrows mixed. Life is always bringin’ sadness, An’ we try to have it fixed. But we may as well look pleasant, For each day we must agree That the way it is at present Is the way it's got to be. ‘The Deeiding Infiuence. “You can trust the wisdom of the plain people.” - “Some of us can” replied Senator Sorghum. “Others will discover it's just that that will prevent them from coming back.” Always Busy. “You never pay attention to idle gossip?” “There is no such thing,” answered Miss Cayenne. “Gossip is never idle.” News. Good news an’ bad news, flyin’ th'oo de air, Fightin’ ‘mongst deirselves, dem newses travels everywhere, Swimmin’ under water an’ a-rollin’ crost de ground. Good news and bad news is bustlin’ all around. Bad news is noisy an’ it scares you wif a shout. Good news is cautious as it hovers round about. Bad news at de finish will be surely put to flight; Good news gits its bearings an’ is certain foh to light. Jud Tunkins says & party wire ought to be more expensive instead of cheaper than a direct connection. The neighborhdod news is worth the dif- ference, Musical Appreciation. “Is your boy Josh fond of music?” *t should say so” replied Farmer Corntossel. “When one o these here musical comedies comes along Josh wants to be right up as close to the orchestrs as possible.” The Toiler. He worked since early boyhood's day ‘With watehful eye and wrinkled brow. When he at last found time to play, Alas, he had forgotten how! “Dar’s a great temptation” said Uncle Eben, “to think you's economizin’ when you decides to go wifout sumpin’ you didn’ keer nufin’ 'bout in de fust C.,, 'FR Franklin’s Arithmetic Again Declared Wrong To the Editor of The Star: Jay Franklin's recent, and now self- confessed, error in the interpretation of & quoted premium for Lloyd's election insurance seems to have In?lnd him with a commendable zeal for future arithmetical perfection, In his coiumn for October 15 he refers to this writer's previous challenge of his arithmetic, and, to avoid further error and chal- lenge, fortifies a ular conclusion respecting the Literary Digest poll with detailed computations that we may ob- serve the irresistible march of his syl- logisms. But somehow the action of these syllogisms suggests that the gen- 0 has had & rendesvous with another nightmare, Franklin discusses in particular the Digest poll for Illinols. He points out that of those indicating their presiden- tial preference in 1936 approximately 61 per cent voted for Hoover in 1932, Bince Hoover received only about 43 per cent of the total vote actually polled in Illi- nois in 1933, Pranklin properly reasons that the 1936 straw poll is proportionately more representative of Republicans than of Democrats. Then he concludes that Landon's probable percentage vote this year may be approximately ascertained by reducing his percentage in the 1936 Digest poll by the extent to which the percentage of 1932 Republicans balloting in the 1836 Digest poll exceeds the per- centage of Republicans actually voting in 1932. In this manner Franklin dis- counts Landon's percentage in the cur- rent Digest poll, not merely to the extent that it is made up of a fon- ately large number of Republican votes (a proper correttive measure), but also to the extent that it comprises the large percentage of Democrats who this year are indicating their preference for Lan- don. Such & discount for this latter elanent is obviously unsound. It does seem that the syllogisms of a 1936 col- umnist purporting to deal with 1936 figures should reflect some of those figures, A logical analysis of the Illinois figures contained in the Digest of October 10 (the same issue from which PFranklin makes his computation) would show that more than one-third of those who voted for Roosevelt in 1932 are for Landon this year, and that less than one-tenth of those for Hoover in 1932 intend to vote for Roosevelt in 1936, If the net switch to Landon should be as great in Illinois this year as the fore- going figures might suggest, the result would be as disastrous to the New Deal as to Franklin’s “arithmetic.” ALLEN H. GARDNER. Passing of Presbrey and . Pew a Loss to Humanity To the Editor of The Star: This month has seen the passing on of two noble and lovable characters: Frank Presbrey, dean of advertising, and Marlen E. Pew, noted trade journal edi- tor and writer. Both men were humani- tarians in their respective fields. Scores of advertising and newspaper men who have benefited from their sage counsel and benevolent aid in times of stress will deeply feel their absence. The fact that Messrs. Presbrey and Pew had reached the heights of their profession did not keep them aloof from the maga- zine and newspaper crowd. They were always ready to go below to help the youngster who was just starting out in life on his own. Their kindly, sym- pathetic nature and sound advice was always welcome and helpful to those who needed it most. They seemed to understand so well. And now they have gone, leaving only testimonials of good will behind them. And what testi- monials! It was the writer's good for- tune to know and admire both gentle- men. Mr. Presbrey was not only un- failing in his desire to help his fellow- men, but he gave much freely of his time and finances to aid such great and good work as the national religious and welfare recovery movement, which the Golden Rule Poundation sponsored in 1934. Mr. Pew’s many remembrances to jobless but one-time star reporters and copy desk men, at the peak of the de- pression, may ever remain as he wished it, masonically. But those who bene- fited shall not forget. The good work he and Mr. Presbrey sowed in the souls of other men will live on. FREDERIC G. FROST. Does Relief Administration Encourage Mendicancy ? To the Editor of The Star: Is the relief problem in the District be- ing administered in such a way as to put a premium on mendicancy? If the information that I have is cor- rect, it would indeed appear to be so. I am informed that persons are denied work on W. P. A. projects because they are not on the relief rolls. And at the same time there exists no provision to put any able-bodied person today on the relief rolls, or, indeed, even to have a per- son certified as being in need of relief, It appears to the writer that an unem- ployed person who has struggled to keep himself off the relief rolls is more to be commended than one who has been, so to speak, “a good customer.” Yet I am reliably informed that a resi- dent of the District has been refused a job on W. P. A. solely because he was not in receipt of relief! In this case—an art project of the ‘W. P. A—there was a demand for this person’s services. The project had asked the authorities to give the man the posi- tion as the project needed his services, but to no avail, it seems. My informa- tion is to the effect that this unemployed and needy family man had spent the Summer in cutting down trees in nearby Maryland for his meals, in order to keep off relief, meantime looking for a job. Must this person now starve because of his enterprise? GEORGE W. WATSON. No Dawn Without Crow Of Political Chanticleers To the Editor of The Star: In a recent speech on farm relief Mr. Roosevelt easily convinced a wildly cheer- ing crowd that he had repaired the damage done to agriculture by 12 long years of Republican misrule and could e 1y Fits i i 152 H i ] i D.j; DAY, OCTOBER 23, ~1936. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. is much difference, but the careful student of such lore knows that the former has {lve c);lvu in a cluster, the latter three eaves. Look carefully, therefore, before you pick any beautiful foliage to take back home. Best of all, pick no leaves at all. Let them remain where they beautify the countryside and give joy to all who pass that way. Fortunately, the desire of the American people to tear up huge masses of boughs and their leaves is growing less year after year, as the result of wholesome efforts by various public-spirited citizens and organizations. Even the most thoughtless automo- bilists are beginning to see that most wild things are not worth bringing home, because of their short life when torn from their natural habitat. DR Already some of the oaks and some of the dogwoods have turned to their beau- rn:: colors, some yellows, some bright There is a cluster of maples down in Rock Creek valley which almost gives the appearance of sunshine on a cloudy day, so bright and glowing are the vivid yellows in the midst of trees as yet unturned. One does not have to go to the woods, however, to watch this annual and always marvelous change. It is something which may be seen in any garden where there are trees and shrubs. Annual and perennial flowers seldom do much in this regard. Their changes are not so conspicuous; they go through the same chemical processes, but rarely do it picturesquely. Even the shrubs are not given to the gorgeous crimsons and yellows of so many of the trees. Yet often there is a beauty to smaller changes which can be seen nowhere quite s0 well as in the home garden. ‘The small yprd affords much oppor- tunity for Nature observation, and it is too bad that all too many persons, espe- cially those of quiet disposition, feel that to watch natural processes they must go away somewhere, especially in woods or along mountain paths. PR One would say nothing against such rambling, but enly something for the closer observations which may be made at home. A tree is a tree, wherever found. Shrubs are just as much shrubs in the small garden as when found growing wild in the Smokies. It is not necessary, really, to go to the mountains of the South to see rhodendrons. It is possible to have all these things, and hundreds more, in the garden. No yard can have them all, but each small garden may have some of them, upon occasion many of them. There will be considerably more than 100 species of growing things ia even the smallest garden where the cultivators are genuinely interested in the art. It may amaze many persons to take a census of their own back yard. A most satisfactory list can be drawn up in a little while, especially if there are two persons, one to remind the other, and vice versa, of things overlooked. LR Satisfactory gardening must be a com- munal affair. Its unit must be the family. ‘The common sight of some one person doing the work, while other members of the family covertly sneer at them, makes for unhappy gardening. The point lies not in the fact that one does the work— that almost always is the case—but that the others cannot keep their mouths shut, If they do not want to garden that is their business, but they should at least enter into the spirit of the thing and permit the real gardener, of whom every garden has at least one, do the work. Proper care of a small place demands & great deal of time and often other members of the family resent this, and in sly ways “take it out” on the working member, or gardener, most honorable and ancient title. The way to overcome this handicap is simple, but must come from the others. They must enter into the spirit of the work and at least give it & theoretical backing and applause. Most often they can achieve this state of mind by proper understanding of what is being done. They may regard themselves as the reading members of the garden crew; some must work and some must read, and occasionally both reader and doer is combined. When -this happens one finds a gardener, indeed. * x % Fallen leaves, of which there will be many millions of samples within the next few weeks, need not be bright necessarily to be interesting. ‘We picked up the other morning a splendid specimen of pin oak leaf, fallen in the suburban area. It was still green in most part, but mixed with enough yellow to give a most effect. ‘The withdrawal of the green, as repre- sented by the yellow, marked the end of the chlorophyl, and the change into other substances, i.e., the compounds commonly left in drying vegetable matter, according to the species. It is from such dried ma- terial that the world gets its brews, such at tes, as commonly called; many of its medicines and perfumes. ‘The chemical analysis of a fallen leaf is intricate. It would demand an expert, but the casual beholder at least may recognize the possibilities of analysis and the plain fact that the leaf before him is not just a thing of color only, but really a most complex mixture, ranging from tannin, a common ingredient of most leafy matter, to obscure principles which science as yet has not been able to isolate. Thus many herbs which have been used over the centuries are being shown today to contain ingredients with gen- uine scientific adaptability to the diseases for which they were used, although the users could not put their finger on what mare the herb do the work they said it did for them. Mah Huang, for instance, was used by the Chinese for centuries without any one having a rational understanding of it, but science today isolates ephedrin and admits that the old fellows were right in their use of it. * X X X A leaf in the garden is to be looked upon as something which, though dead, has come from the great laboratories of Nature. It is not just a simple flat and curi- ously indented piece of material, but a marvelous complex of chemical ingredi- ents which may or may not be of further use in the world. There is a huge loss in Autumn leaves in bonfires which do nobody any good. Much of this material might be made into humus, if more persons understood the nature of the changes and the rehganisiu chemicals to be added to hasten t! Sweep them up, of course, in season, but at the same time stop long enough to examine them and wonder at the changes which have come over them after their long period in furthering the life of the tree, shrub or plant of which they were such a necessary part. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Republican strategists have decided to lay down their heaviest eleventh-hour barrage on the constitutional issue. Stress placed upon it at Los Angeles by Gov. Landon strikes the keynote which will be loud pedaled during the fateful next 10 days. Many authorities inside and outside the elephant’s camp think Landon's best bet from the start was to hammer home that the New Deal breaks violently with the traditional funda- mentals of American government, and that he made a mistake in not concen- trating on it. The thought is not that the Republicans should have ignored expenditure and taxation, but should have made preservation of the horse- and-buggy system so paramount an issue that popular attention would have been riveted upon it to the exclusion of rela- tively minor propositions. The Jeffer- sonian Democrats, in speeches by John W. Davis, Jim Reed, Bainbridge Colby, Gov. Ely and others are dwelling elo- quently on the New Deal danger to the structure reared by the founding fathers, Optimistic Rooseveltians tell you that recovery—"Everything is rosy with Roosevelt. Why change?”—(the bill- board slogan with which the country is plastered) has completely backed the constitutional controversy off the map, and that wind-up Republican arguments on that score are love's labor lost. * ® ¥ * It was just about 20 years ago this week that, according to accepted legend, Charles Evan Hughes, by failing to shake hands with Hiram Johnson in California, lost that State and with it the presi- dency. In Los Angeles the other day Gov. Landon was scheduled to hold a men and photographers. After keeping them waiting for an hour, so the story goes, he sent word that a reception en- gagement prevented his appearance. An aide announced that the Governar could not be interviewed, but would like to drop in to say “hello.” The aide asked if that would leb:l r‘i:ht. "No',;.reglo:d one of the scril which = ernor’s spokesman rejoined: “Then he won't come at all.” Politicians wonder whether the Kansan made a fatal break in this “affront” to the coast-writing fraternity. * K kX ;gsa it is g i 8 ¥ ! but to make the organization even better than it is. The Republican nominee takes credit for effecting, through Sena- tor Capper of Kansas, an amendmens to the original bill, whereby C. C. C. projects may be carried out on State as well as Federal domain. T Fall of Madrid will sooner or later con- front the United States with the delicate problem of recognition of the insurgent regime. Current diplomatic maneuvers in Rome and Berlin contemplate instant Italo-German recognition of the vic- torious rebels. Great Britain and France, in a spirit of realistic self-interest, are reported ready to accept them, too. Uncle Sam has traditional inhibitions against approving governments estab- lished by force, especially in Central America, and at one time informally ad- hered to a non-recognition pact affect- ing that particular area. But the guess is hazarded that if Europe and Latin America okay triumphant fascism at Madrid, Gen. Franco will not knock in vain at Washington's door. EE I His majesty, the baby, has become a presidential campaign. issue. The or- ganization known as “Women Investors in America, Inc.” is taking full-page advertisements in New York newspapers, captioned, “Get to Work, Baby—You Owe $432.47!” Then follows an explana- tion that every baby in the land has already inherited a debt of said amount, “that will have to be paid—some day.” ‘The money is somehow figured out to be baby’s share of a $1,775 “family Gov- ernment debt that father and mother must pay as bonds come due.” The ap- peal to the Nation's “infantry” is di- rected at mothers who are invited to consider how the future of even their tiniest offsprings is “jeopardized by bur- densome taxation, unbalanced budgets and the menace of inflation which threatens father’s insurance policy.” An- other nursery touch in the New York campaign is the offer of the “Landon Volunteers” to send dependable young women to homes where there are little children and take care of them while mothers go to the polls. * K K X Anybody who tunes in on an Empire State hook-up next Sunday evening will 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 many straw polls of the elec- tion are being taken?—W, H. A. Among the various polls are those of the Literary Digest, the Crossley Poll, the American Institute of Public in- ion, the Scripps-Howard, Baltimore Sun and American Press Association and the Publishers’ Autocaster Service. There are also a number of smaller polls being conducted by various newspapers. Q. How many combat planes are au- thorized for the United States?—C. M. A. A bill passed Congress which pro- vided that the United States should have not to exceed 4,000 combat planes. At the present time there are many less than that number, but more planes are constantly being built for the Army. The money for constructing and acquiring these planes has not yet been appropri- ated. The term “combat planes” includes both Army and Navy planes. In addition to these the National Guard and the Coast Guard have some airplanes, Q. Are there any pictures of Christo- pher Columbus?—M. L. A. There is no authentic portrait of Columbus. Q. How many churches are there in ‘Washington, D. C.?>—H. J. G. A. There are 399 churches in Wash- ington, D. C., according to the latest religious census, and 21 different de- nominations are listed. Q. Is there an odorless marigold? —H. K. A. A new type of marigold, entirely odorless, has been developed by David Burpee of Philadelphia. Q. How many schoolboy patrols are there in the United States?—G. M. A. In round numbers, about 200,000. Q. What is the name of the man who is famous for making Kentucky burgoo? —E. M. A. James T. Looney is considered the master mixer of burgoo and is present at practically all notable Kentucky gath- erings where it is served. Q. Please tell me something about Casper Reardon, who plays swing music on the harp—B. A. I. A. Casper Reardon, said to be the only swing harpist in the world, is from Little Falls, N. Y., is 29 years old, comes of a theatrical family, and played in vaude- ville skits wifh his father and sister when he was a child. In 1922 he went to New York to study the harp under Carlos Salzedo. Later he went to the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. In 1927 he went to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and remained there five years. He became interested in jazz in 1929 and played it on the radio, being billed as the Arpeggio-Glissando. In 1932 he returned to New York City. , Q. Who said that there are only three cities in the United States worth writing about?—L. O. F. A. The saying that there are only three American cities worth writing about is attributed to Frank Norris, and the cities he named were New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. Q. Isn't it considered bad luck to re- turn a borrowed penknife with the blade open?—F. G. D. A. One such superstition is that a pocket knife should be returned as it was handed to you, opened or closed. Q. What is Persian lamb?—E. K. A. This type of fur comes from Kara« kul lambs three to ten days old and has a tight, lustrous curl. Q. Please give some information about Blind Tom.—E. R. A. Blind Tom, Thomas Bethune, a musical freak, was a Negro slave in Georgia who was born blind and men- tally deficient. He showed remarkable aptitude for music and after hearing a piece played once could reproduce it accurately on the piano. He also per- formed other musical wonders and was exhibited in various cities. After playing he would generally spring up and ap- plaud himself. He died in 1908. Q. What was the cost of the land on which Central Park in New York was laid out?—H. M. A. The original cost of this land was $5,028,844. Q. When were noiseless typewriters introduced?—G. W. F. A. While earlier ones appeared in 1909, they were soon taken off the market, and it was in 1915 that the noiseless type- writer became practical. Steady im- provement has since been made. Q. How old is the Pennsylvania His- torical Society?—E. W. A. The society was organized in Phila« delphia on December 2, 1824, and in- corporated on June 2, 1826. Q. Is Neville Chamberlain, chancellor of the exchequer in the present Baldwin cabinet, related to Sir Austen Chamber- lain, former cabinet member?—E. C. A. They are half-brothers, the sons of Joseph Chamberlain by his first and second wife, respectively. Sir Austen is six years the elder. A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton My Tower of Faith. I deemed it tall and strong, unshakable, Built on a chosen, sun-swept elevation; But I have learned all man-made towers are breakable, For mine shook mightily on its foun- dation. Shook under earthquakes of such deso- lation I feared my town would fall and be plowed under, That its fair beauty would know dese- cration And all its strongholds would be rent asunder. . Then came a calm and resolute up- uilding, And lo! my tower, reared on a hew foundation, Rose to the stars. Bereft of human gilding It stood firm on the hill of cdnse-