Evening Star Newspaper, October 31, 1936, Page 8

A—S8 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGT! D. C, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1936 __—»_*_______—_—_—————L————-—?——J——-—_‘L__fi____:_._________h_ THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D, C, SATURDAY. October 31, 1936 THEODORE W. NOYES.. Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company. ingss OfMoe: \ve sylva g hn( East 42nd St. o) ice: 110 Cr\eako Officer Lake Mic Buropean Office: 14 Regent St.. ‘arrier Within the City. n Bullding, hdon. Englana 5¢ per month 0c per month Ad iS¢ per month The Sunday St .--b¢ per copy = Night Final Edition. ht Final and Sund 0c per mont| Bt Final Star. ~65c per mont! llection mad ! each mol’;fll; ‘s may be sent '&1! mall or telephone lonal 5000. “ — & Rafe by Mail—Payable in Advance. u Maryland and Virgini ot 1 yr. $10.00; 1 mo.. 88a $6.00: 1 mo.. Bl i $4.00; i mo.. 40¢ -1 yr.. $12.00; 1 mo.. $1 _{ ';; $8.00: 1 mo.. -1 yr, $500; 1 mo., 4 Member of the Associated Press. < The Associated Press is exclusively entitied to e uic for republication of all news dispatches redited to it or not otherwise credited in this %Fner and also_the local news published herein. 00 75¢ 80¢ L isnts of oublication of svecial dispatches Berein are also reserved. e Who Pays the Tax? Employers who inserted notices in pay envelopes regarding the one per cent §ncome tax on employes which goes into effect next January were actuated by political - considerations, They hoped to beat Roosevelt. As political coercion through the pay envelope is always to Pe deplored, the stunt may deserve the President’s appellation of “contemptible.” But the President’s explanation of why the employers are trying to wreck the social security act does not hold water and can be put down as mere rabble- rousing. The employers are not inter- ested in wrecking social security. They are interested in wrecking Mr. Roose- velt, using the tax business or anything else as a means to an end. What Mr. Roosevelt said about their reasons for opposing social security was this: Why ‘do these employers seek to re- ‘Peal the social security act? Because «under the act they have to pay far more han half of the insurance given to the *workers, * * * Three for one! There's the rub. That is what these propaganda- spreading employers object to. * * * fhey are now trying to frighten the worker about the worker's one-dollar premium, so they won't have to pay their three-dollar premium. The employers, under the social se- curity act, pay several times as much as the employes through pay roll taxes. But who pays the pay roll taxes? Let us call on Dr. Edwin E. Witte, executive director of the President’s Committee on Economic Security, which prepared the administration’s social security legisla- tion. Testifying in March, 1935, on the pending social security bills for the Dis- trict—modeled to conform with national legislation—Dr. Witte was asked about what he thought of making the employe contribute as much as the employer. He was against it and for these rea- sons: A tax on the pay rolls of employers will be shifted to the consumer in the i long run and it should be so shifted. It is not a sales tax; it is a part of the wage bill and it should be so regarded. ‘The employer should pay the wage bill, which means that it is added to the prices the consumers pay for goods. * * * The . emplovers’ contribution is normally ehifted to the consumer. In the case of " the employe, the contribution cannot be shifted to the consumer. The employe, moreover, as a consumer, pays for his “part of the contribution of the employer. And there you have it. The pay roll tax is not in the end paid by the employ- --er, but as a part of the cost of operation 1s passed on to the consumer, who is also an employe, and is added to his cost of _living. When the employer is unable to pass the tax on directly to the consumer in the form of prices he will be inclined to chisel it out of his employes through . wage cuts, and as every new employe means a higher tax or an increase in cost of production, the tendency may be to ~cut down on employment. That is one _of the acknowledged weaknesses of the social security act, for which no remedy has yet been found. The employers who are emphasizing the employe’s compulsory contribution to . social security in the hope of beating Mr. Roosevelt, however, may have thrown a ' boomerang. The employe does not con- * tribute anything in the case of unem- ployment insurance, although such a con- tribution was urged at the time the leg- islation was enacted. But one result of the hullaballoo over the one, two and three per cent tax on wages for old-age -pensions may be a move in the next “Congress to eliminate all employe con- _ tributions and supply the difference through higher pay roll taxes or special - income taxes. The consumer might still pay the bill, but the tax item would be ‘‘concealed as far as the individual em- " ploye is concerned. Ponzi has been sending out some lit- .. erature, creating satisfaction by the re- minder that it has been possible to keep his style of business out of politics. Monsignor Burke. If ever it should be necessary to prove /'the power of Christianity in the mate- ., ralistic modern world, the names of the -,modern saints of the church could be cited with convincing effect. Such men 8s Monsignor John J. Burke are not .accidents. . They cannot be explained by any theory of cause and effect save “that of religion. No other force is com- . betent to create the zeal, the enthusiasm . and the devotion which they manifest " sin their lives. They are dedicated souls, *'gelfless in their service of God and the “human race. Monsignor Burke especially demon- i strated the effectiveness of a career so pledged and so consecrated. He was & _‘member of the Paulist Order. The “_Apostle of the Gentiles, by his own ~cehoice, was his inspiration. It was his ~mission to teach the applicability of "*Christ’s philosophy of love and righteous- ..ness to contemporary problems. The . most difficult issues of current times, he believed, are uumhim the solution provided by the Martyr of Calvary. As a preacher, he carried his faith over the whole of North America; as a scholar, he set an example for brave research and courageous interpretation in his books and in the Catholic World, which he edited for eighteen years; as a sociol- ogist, he guided the efforts of the Na- tional Catholic Welfare Conference from 1919 until the moment of his death; as a statesman, he advised with the heads of governments and negotiated in the interest of oppressed communities, and as a churchman, he earned the com- mendation of the Holy Father for the generous, tolerant and helpful example which he set for clergy and laity -alike throughout the six decades of his pil- grimage in a troubled and bewildered earth. His elevation to the rank of do- mestic prelate, announced by Pope Pius XI only a few weeks ago, was recognition amply merited and abundantly deserved. Many Protestant friends will mourn Monsignor Burke in company with his Catholic children. They loved him for the gentleness of his manner, the charity of his mind and the elemental justice of his heart. He was a noble character, illuminated by a light which is eternal and cannot be dimmed. The city in which his labors were centered will remember him with gratitude and affection always. His name is destined to be sacred im- mortally in Washington. e Goering in War Paint. Despite the world's eagerness to take Germany at her word when she protests her intention of pursuing her ends by exclusively peaceful means, Hitler and his spokesmen make it progressively dif- ficult to believe that the Nazis have in fact renounced war as an instrument of national policy. At Nuremberg in September Der Fuehrer proclaimed Ger- man longings to possess some of the Soviet Union's “superfluous” riches in Siberia, the Urals and the Ukraine. As master of such territory, Hitler en- visioned a Germany “swimming in sur- plus wealth.” Earlier in the party con- gress the dictator had reaffirmed the Reich’s need of colonies as a source of raw material and food supplies. Now comes General Goering, full panoplied in his new role of vice dictator with supreme power over the nation's economic life, and defiantly hints at Ger- many’s intention to take by force that which is unobtainable by gentler meth= ods. The No. 2 Nazi was glorifying the second four-year plan, to achieve “finan- cial and industrial freedom” just as the first four-year plan, culminating in re- militarization of the Rhineland, pro- duced “armament freedom” and restored the Reich to the rank of a great power. Thrusting at those international con- ditions which, Germans are now being taught to believe, are keeping them in economic shackles, Goering thundered this week: “We must prevent that fist from abroad from grabbing at our throat. We will break it during the next four years finger by finger., We know that others begrudge us our place in the sun. But we shall not capitulate.” Becoming more specific, the general blustered: “Our colonies have been stolen from us. Our gold has been stolen from us. Britain has one-third of the world as her colonies. We have nothing. If we had only a fraction of these colonies we would not need to talk about raw materials or food shortages.” So the Russians and the British are now jointly on notice that Germany is on the make and has her eye peeled in their respective directions. General Goer- ing pleads that the Reich is only “try- ing to equalize, in a peaceful way, what has been kept from her.” There is much to be said in justification of Nazi demands for a redistribution of the earth’s natural wealth. But saber- rattling, notwithstanding the domestic rabble-rousing purpose which may in- spire it, is not designed to promote bloodless realization of righteous claims. Accompanied, as such outbursts are, by feverish expansion of her war machine, Germany conveys the inescapable im- pression that it is being geared for ag- gression and conquest. Goering rings a new change on the “encirclement” bogey which was the Hohenzollerns’ battle cry in 1914, ——————— Expert aviators are pointing out that a loose nut can wreck an air machine, especially if the nut happens to be the pilot himself, Pangborn goes on record with the assertion that flying is an art that cannot be mastered by any and everybody after a few lessons. ——————————— As civilization progresses it is definitely shown that dictators cannot be relied on for gentlemen’s agreements any more than the old-fashioned politicians. . As events proceed a grim suspicion arises that some of the money paid out in Nobel prizes was a total loss. Bows For Bucks. Recent news items from the Eastern seaboard and the Northern Midwest offer & strange contrast and, to the conserva- tionist, the sportsman and the general public, food for thought. A number of prominent citizens from the mid-Atlantic States, some of them members of an exclusive sporting club, have been found guilty of and punished for a variety of infractions of the game laws. These range from failure to affix a Federal stamp to a permit to shooting over baited waters, and include the use of unlawful forms of firearms and of live decoys. Out in Wisconsin a special pre-season counties for hunters who use the bow and arrow for deer, and no fewer than 90 sportsmen—and these all well worthy of that title—have registered to ‘try their luck and their skill. Already one man has brought in a buck weighing 180 pounds slain by that method. These men get their chance at game before the gunfire of later hunters has depleted and frightened the antlered trophies. Their “take” is comparatively small, but |* think of the thrill that cames from & successful-hunt. S Not every man can be a successful big- game archer, but every man who hunts can at least refrain from violation of game laws. The fact that the persons arrested in the East were largely of the type who should set & shining example as sportsmen and conservationists aggra- vates the offense. The “pot-hunter” is found in all stations of life and will always be with us, but the growing popu- larity of the feathered shaft of the aborigines and of our English predeces- sors is a healthy and a welcome sign. ————— A breathing spell in business is wel- come, but there is a dispute as to whether symptoms of resuscitation are not due to a good constitution which may yet be wrecked by mismanagement of a hastily devised pulmotor. ‘The business of the Post Office Depart- ment has gone on so well during the campaign that Mr. Farley may feel in some doubt as to his personal indispensa- bility in a mere matter of routine service. —————— Amateur nights have discovered so many clearly meritorious performers that it seems regrettable that Joseph Pulitzer is not alive to offer more and better prizes for scenario. Dope peddlers are hard to catch and statistics are not available to show how many crimes, even such as invoke sob- sisteria, are committed in narcotic de- lirfum. e — Halloween retains a grotesque charm which would be lost in the event of a realization of the sinister threat of gas masks for the general populace. ——————— The District of Columbia has gained enormously in population, but not in the political authority to which its citizens are justly entitled. —————— Hints of war become so prominent that fears are entertained of renewed activity in presenting the inhuman side of the news. ) Questionable prestige is accorded Trotz- ky for his arbitrary assignment to others of the distinction of being shot at sun- rise. ————— Radio now permits the political sales- man to step into the home without taking the trouble to ring the door bell, N Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. ’Lectioneering. With valiant hearts We lift a cheer; The whole world starts To ’lectioneer, Father's chat Is getting queer And so is that Of Mother, dear! One voice we know Is sweet and clear— Yet Ra-di-o Next sounds severe! The' driver yells “We stop right here!” The housemaid tells Of sudden fear; The country’s rights Will disappear Unless, at nights, She can draw near The bands that play In rhythms drear Or madly gay, As leaders leer. And so I frown And likewise steer My course down town To ’lectioneerl Educating Dad. “Are you studying statistics?"” “With close attention,” said Senator Sorghum. “Have you arrived at a definite con- clusion?” “No. Some of them are like the queer decimal fractions my daughter brought home from schocl. You can carry them along indefinitely and the farther you 8o, the less the figures mean in common sense.” Waste Paper. A scrap of paper may not be A thing so wonderful to see; But if enough of scraps you xét They bring historical regret. When some one throws into the pile A match which, in a little while, Will call upon the world to gaze Upon a scene where nations blaze! Intellectual Relativity. “Where's youy boy Josh?” asked the neighbor. “At college,” said Farmer Corntossel, “Has he learned anything?” “Yes. But not much. He has been informed that the world in general is so lmmn’e that he won’t need much study to enable him to step out and assume the duties of leadership.” “My neighbor, Hi Hat, has a gong which he strikes as he chooses, te indi- cate his preference as to the time of day,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown. “In this way he indicates the superiority of his personal opinion to vulgar ideas of chronology.” The Big Debate. In silence you may sit and think And find ideas great; Into oblivion they sink, If idly they must wait. And whether you are right or wrong, In station great or small, | Youd better speak up loud and strong of seven days has been declared in two Than not speak up at alll *T Wa$ de forgotten man at de big meetin’,” said Uncle Eben, “till dey had to send a committee down in de base- ment and request me to!turn on more heat in de hall.” 3 ——————e No Souvenirs, It is announced that visitors to th History Records the Rise . And Fall of Dictators To the Editor of The Star: Hitler and Mussolini may appoint “as- sistant dictators,” so I note in The Star. Well, such things have happened. At one period of the Roman Empire there were two “Augusti,” each having a “Caesar” as a coadjutor, As to what'll come off after Adolf’s or Benito’s demise, that is anybody’s guess. Looking through history we find that after a dictator’'s death the army com- mand takes charge. Sometimes even the rank and flle. On occasion this also happens in normal times when the gov- ernment is weak. Alexander the Great died intestate, For 22 years his leading commanders con= tended for the property. Finally the result of the Battle of Ipsus brought the surviving claimants to terms, They di- vided the inheritance. During the last 75 years of the so-called Roman republi¢ the civil authorities functioned in name, but a succession of military dictators ruled—Marius, Sulla, Talius, Caesar, Pompejus, Crassus and so forth. From the welter there in the lead arose the one-man government of Octavianus Caesar Augustus. During his reign Christ was born, In the latter days of the empire the Imperial Guards frequently made and un- made emperors. On occasion they would auction off the dignity to the highest bidder. The crack troops of the Turkish sultans—the Janissaries—claimed at times a similar prerogative (Sultan Selim, seventeenth century). When Oliver Cromwell, lord protector of England, died the office fell to his incapable son, Richard. But George Monk, one of Oliver’'s brigadiers, controlled the army. He pushed Richard aside and brought back the Stuart kings. During the latter years of the French revolution there was an established re- publican government, but Bonaparte's prestige with the soldiers enabled him to become “First Consul” and then Emperor, Spain, during Queen Isabella’s nomi- nal rule, saw one dictatorship after an- other—Esparsero, O'Donnell, Serrano, Prim. She abdicated in 1868. France, during the '80s, was turning to a “man on horseback” (Gen. Boulanger),. He was disposed of before he had a chance to straddle that horse. In this country Aaron Burr, Vice President under Thomas Jeferson, is about the only one who was ever ac- cused of similar designs. He was tried but acquitted. As for the present, can- didates for dictator would better get busy now, while the boys of the American Legion are still in their prime. About 10 or 15 years hence they’ll be elderly men. Instead of demanding their “rights” sword in hand they’ll be yam- mering for a pension. FRED VETTER. Wanton Thieving of Tags From Rock Creek Trail To the Fditor of The Star: It was with indignation that T walked the Rock Creek Park Nature Trail last Sunday and found that the tags so carefully put out by the park naturalist had been almost wholesalely removed. Seventy-nine of the 110 tags were miss- ing. This is the fourth time these tags have been stolen since May. One Sunday several weeks ago mem- bers of my family had walked the trail with over 100 other nature lovers and botanists, enjoying the detail descrip- tion so carefully typed inclosed in sealed celluloid envelopes. Now, probably because some youngster had a flair for collecting, the tags on the trail are gone, evidently to decorate a room or being carried in some person’'s pocket to be shown with & “See what I have.” It seems that some public agitation should be started against this mania for collecting, when it comes to things that represent much work and hours of research and if left where placed con- siderable pleasure for nature lovers who enjoy Rock Creek Nature Trail, The interésting article published last July in The Evening Star about this nature trail makes one feel that possibly your paper might start a campaign against vandalism, even if under the guise of “collecting.” It was only last Tuesday one member of my family overheard a mother say to her young son who had a “No Park- ing” tag half hidden under a newspaper: “It’s all right to take this one if you do not have it in your collection.” A “No Parking” sign, put up by the District police, paid for by the taxpayers’ money to grace some irresponsible per- son’s collection of “what have you.” J. NORMAN SPAWN, Munitions Embargoes and Toy Weapons Manufacture | To the Editor of The St Some time ago the administration em- bargoed export of war material. This embargo was to stop all wars, but foreign countries now at war must have found arms elsewhere. Anyhow they are in war hot and heavy, which proves that one country forbidding manufacture and shipping of war munitions has no effect ad a preventive, Why not remove that embargo, tell factories and shops to get busy and make weapons of war from toy pistol and bowie knife for the children to cannon and warships for men and women. Might Just as well do this and see our factories boil over with orders from abroad. ‘There is only one way to prevent war and that is to always be ready for war. Deprive men and women of manufac- tured munitions of war and they revert to cave tactics, settling disputes with rocks and clubs arm forced. Of course, the “rock and club” dis poses of only dozens where modern im- plements would dispose of thousands, but in the prolonging of the war, like the crusades of old, or the Trojan War, the cause is glazed over in lapse of time. Parents nowadays buy toy guns and knives for their little boy, clothe him in cowboy suit, strap on the tiny war implements and tell him to go out and get busy. He does. He finds com- panions in plenty equipped the same as himself and they gather in swarms, whooping, yelling and shooting up and down the sidewalks, educating them- selves to be tough guys who finally land in the penitentiary or the electric chair. W. J. DERMOTT. Reversal of Policy by Woodring Deplored ‘To the Editor of The Star: As a Christian minister of Washington I am writing to thank you for your strong editorial, “Reversal of Policy.” I was shocked to read in The Evening Star the astonishing letter of Mr. Wood- ring, Acting Secretary of War, to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Hav- ing lived in Annapolis, Md., for nine years, covering the war period, I know something of the evils which attend the sale of liquor in close proximity to mili- tary and naval establishments. I am indeed grateful to you for your splendid editorial of protest. H. W. BURGAN. Danger Zone, From the Chicago Tribune. ‘What with m fiyers and cracking up, & oundlander meteors always First frost of the season sent the birds flocking to the feeding stations. Sparrows and blue jays, the first ar- rivals, needed no bright paint to attract them. Hunger, and a sure knowledge of the source of supply, did it. Cold whetted their appetites, always at a peak, but even keener with the arrival of that first cold morning. . ‘Those who love the birds have been in- terested recently in seeing more blue jays than in several weeks. This big fellow, almost as large as a pigeon, with his beautiful feathers in blue and gray, is a favorite with all bird watchers. Most persons go through a regular cycle in regard to this bird. When first making his acquaintance they are inclined to accept at face value some of the inimical things which have been said about him. “Robber bird” is one of the least of these. As time goes on, however, most bifd watchers begin to get a sneaking admira- tion for this big bold fellow. ‘Then they go back to their books, to find that practically all the writers temper their remarks with much lauda- tion. Before long the bird watcher is pretty sure that the good points of the jay far outweigh the bad ones. ‘Watchers almost always end up by put- ting the blue jay among their list of favorites. * ok ok % It is a pleasure, therefore, to find this bird arriving early. This does not mean that he is & con- sistent feeder at feeding devices. He is not. Most of the kick he gets out of it lies in scaring the other and smaller birds. He gets a sort of waggish delight out of this, for seldom does he harm another bird. But the flutter of his powerful wings, in alighting, makes the little ones fly up. . Usually they come down again shortly, making sure to give the blue jay plenty of room. The seeds used in feeding mixtures, and even cracked corn and similar grains, | hold little lure for these big birds, but they will eat them, upon occasion. * ok % % If eold weather continues it will not be too early to begin feeding in earnest. There can be little doubt that owing to the lateness of frost there has been little need for such supplementary feed- ing to date. Natural feeding is best for birds and humans. Just what constitutes “natural feeding” for human beings is a question, but it is not so difficult with regard to birds. Fruits, worms, grubs, insects, some grains, seeds of many kinds, berries—— These are the bird staples. When our feathered friends are able to get these in suitable quantities they need no help from us. Fortunately for those which Winter in the North, there are not so many com- petitors for what hangs on bushes. Wild berries of all types are in pro- fusion, and birds will and do eat most of, them greedily. In the chaff of fence corners many little birds are able to pick up a living. But just how they do it when the snow is deep on the ground is another matter, and many observers will feel that the thing is an impossibility, that without human aid many of the birds will freeze, as the last stage of starving. The tem- perature of bird life is very high, and utterly aependent upon food, and not only upon food, but upon a constant sup- ply of it. * % % % ‘Those who supplement the birds’ Win- ter foods with choice handfuls of grain and seeds, including that universal fa- vorite, the sunflower, breadstuffs, suet, even crushed egg shells, will be doing a kindness. , Some people seem to feel that kind- ness in this world should be strictly kind to kind—that is, human beings should do good only to humans, and so on. Man being the only living thing which can step outside itself and think uni- versal good, it is up to him to think good of others in other ranks of life, This movement has been going on so long that there seems to be no need for apology. One of the best things about feeding the birds is there is no danger of being bit by the thing you feed. Practi- cal experience has proved, in this queer world, that sometimes it is dangerous to feed unknown humans, or dogs, for fear they may prove ungrateful and even dangerous to the hand that feeds them, but this has never been said about birds. When one puts out food for the song- sters which Winter in this vicinity he is doing a good deed. He finds it good, and the birds find it good. Let the critics carp, and the sneerers sneer. (That word, carp, by the way, comes from the Latin carpere, meaning to calumniate, to cavil, etc.) X% % From experience gained in bird feeding last season we believe that there is no present rush about it. There still is plenty of green stuff of all kinds for them to eat. The groumd is not hard, and the worms have not entirely disappeared. No doubt there will be many grub-like forms and even insects for them. Berries are to be seen on many shrubs. For the present the birds will not go hungry. A good way to begin the Winter feed- ing is to wait until cold weather actually sets in, then put out one feeder and see how the birds receive it. If they respond in numbers, as no doubt they will, put out another feeder, and s0 on. Probably two or three feeding devices will be enough for the average yard. Certainly it will be enough for one bird friend to handle. Those who have not entered this fascinating sport have little idea how many pounds of seed their feathered friends can eat in three or four months. Above everything, do not lure the birds to your yard with food unless you in- tend to keep it up. Realize that once this feeding is under- taken it becomes a solemn obligation. The birds do not ask you to do it but your own honor compels you to keep on, once you have begun. But for you, the feeder, some of the birds long since would be in the South. If you have attracted them, and asked them to stay with you, it is up to vou to keep on feeding them the Winter through. If you cannot do this do not begin. If you begin finish the job. It will cost some little money, and involve a little work, but the birds will more than repay you. STARS, MEN AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. Proof of a “ground substance of life” out of which everything that goes to make up the living organism is derived, is announced by Dr. E. E. Just, professor 6f biology at Howard University, in the current issue of Science, official journal of the American Association for the Ad- vancement of Science. He has been able to obtain, Dr. Just says, ultramicroscopic, spectroscopic and chemical evidence that the supposedly undifferentiated cytoplasm of the egg has a specific structure for each species, and probably for each individual. The Howard University professor, long recognized as one of the world's foremost cytologists, has just returned from a Summer of conferences with European biologists. His concepts, if widely ac- cepted, will tend to shake some of the most generally approved ideas on the basis of the structure of life. Every multi-cellular animal arises from an egg. Every fertilized egg gives rise to an animal of a specific species, but with some individual variation. That is, an eagle egg always gives rise to an eagle and a bear egg always to a bear. Now for the first time, Dr. Just says, it can be proved that this is due to the character of the supposedly structureless protoplasm rather than to the gene- packed nucleus. Dr. Just's work has been with simpler organisms, such as sea urchins and va- rieties of sea worms, where it is possible under the microscope to perform all sorts of experiments on the developing organism before and after birth. They would be impossible, of course, with the higher and more specialized organisms, but in the final analysis the same things hold for a man as for & sea urchin. He now is able to demonstrate, Dr. Just says, that the spectrum of cytoplasm differs according to species—which would indicate a different chemical structure. This differentiation, he believes, may extend even to individuals, so that every living animal, from worm to human, has an individual spectrum, depending on the basic cytoplasm of the egg from which it came. He also can demonstrate, he reports, that there is a differential action to various chemical reagents, according to the race of the egg. Thus he builds up a strong case for the assertion that species differences—and even individual differences—go deeper than the genes and chromosomes and into the ground matter from which these are derived. The Howard Universily professor thus outlines his position: Every egg consists of & mass of color= less substance—such as most of the “white” of a hen’s egg—in which various bodies are suspended. These bodies are: The yolk, consisting of fats and proteins in various proportions according to the species, which long has been known to serve only one purpose—that of providing food for the organism before birth. Microscopic granules known as mito- chondria, some of which contain pig- ments, iron and other metallic elements of great importance to the developing embryo. Oil globules such as can be seen float- ing in the white of a hen'’s egg, the pur- pose of which remains dubious. The nucleus, a tiny, pigmented body, which contains all the chromosomes and their constituent genes which are the supposed units of heredity. Now some of these constituents of an egg are lighter than others. Hence they can be centrifuged, just as milk is centri- fuged in a cream separator. When this is done the materials are arranged in The topmost; consists of the ex- MMII&]‘M’:' the oll globules. The bottom layer consists of the heavy yolk and the still heavier pigment granules. The middle layer consists of the apparently undifferentiated proto- plasm. Now by an extremely delicate tech- nique these three layers can be sep- arated. This has been done by Dr. Just and, in the past, by other biologists. Strange to say, each will develop into a complete animal, but in size proportional to the size of the fragment. That is, if the egg has been split into three equal parts, there will be three animals each about one-third as large as a normal animal at birth. This, Dr. Just says, should have fur- nished clear proof that the supposedly undifferentiated “ground stuff” of the egg contains all the elements that go to make up the species, which generally has been supposed to depend upon the nucleus. But if this is true, Dr. Just stresses, the supposedly undifferentiated proto- plasm must be differentiated—that is, it must have a structure specific for each species and probably for each individual. In the same way the blood has a crystal- line structure specific for the organism. But actual evidence of this structure has escaped cytologists until this year, the Howard University scientist says, when he himself and others have detected under the ultra-microscope, at a magni- fication of about 5000, what appear to be extremely minute particles. That is as far as the microscope will go. Dr. Just believes, however, that they probably are not particles at all, but “corners” in the crystalline lattice-work of the cytoplasm, which is itseif too fine to be detected. Under his thesis the cytoplasm is not just a brick pile from which the nucleus proceeds to build up the finished organism according to its own ideas. It was on the basis of this belief that the Howard University professor pro- ceeded to the spectroscopic and chemical tests which, he believes, settle the argument. Licensing Needed for Professional Engineers To the Editor of The Star: Another engineering failure is ruled “accidental” by a coroner’s jury. “An error in judgment on the part of em- ployes and those superintendng in and around the ditch” has caused the un- necessary death of a District citizen. In view of the increasing frequency of such accidents in the Washington area, the relatively simple construction of pipe lines has developed an occupational risk of magnitude comparable to suspension bridge construction. A legitimate engineer does not allow errors of judgment when designing or erecting simple trench sheeting. A field for guesswork in such matters will not exist when responsible authori- ties require the services of licensed pro- fessional engineers on the design and construction of all public works or struc- tures, The District Committees of the last Congress failed to consider a license act for professional engineering similar to those now operating in some forty States. For the protection of the workingman and his fellow citizen it is important that such & bill be passed at the coming session of . GEORGE E. GEYER. National Society of Professional Engineers. 3 ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Evening Star Information Burean, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. Will turkeys be plentiful this Win- ter?—E. N. A. The turkey crop is large and prob- ably the price will be moderate, Q. Have any holders of insurance poli- cies lived to be 110 years old?-K. 8. A. Of the millions of holders of life insurance policies in the past 150 years, actuaries say that there is not a single instance of one who lived beyond 106 years. Many reached various ages be- tween 100 and 106. Q. Please give the English equivalent for some of our automobile terms —G. T. A. Gasoline is petrol; a battery is an accumulator; a truck, lorry: car's hood, a bonnet; a trailer, an articulated ve- hicle. Q. Where is Mother Jones, the labor leader, buried?—H. M. A. Her grave is in the Union Miners' Cemetery at Mount Olive, TIl. Recently a monument was unveiled in her memory. Q. What are the most common sur- ‘names in Chicago and New York City? —J.R. L. A. The most common surnames listed in the Chicago telephone directory are Johnson, Smith, Anderson, Miller, Nelson, Brown, Peterson, Williams, Jones, Carlson and Davis. In the New York City telephone directory they are Smith, Cohen, Miller, Brown. Schwartz, Levy, Friedman, Johnson, Goldberg and Goldstein. Q. What State has for its motto, “In God we trust”?—J. L. A. This is the State motto of Florida. Q. What became of the stamp collec- tion of the late Col. Edward H. R. Green? —H. B. A. Col. Green provided in his will that his rare collection be placed with some museum where the public may have access to it. Its disposition has not been settled. Q. When was the great cholera epi- demic in St. Louis?>—H. W. A. In 1849 cholera raged to such an extent that it was fatal to one-tenth of the city’s population. Q. Who was the first woman member of the British cabinet?—L. G. A. Margaret Bondfield who was chosen Minister of Labor in 1929, Q. Did President Andrew Jackson have any children?—E. W, A. He had none of his own, but adopted a nephew, who was named Ane drew Jackson, jr., and who inherited his estate, Q. How many men are employed in the National Park Service?—M. B. A. As of August 31, 1936, there were 14,042, Q. What is meant by a sky hooker? —C. T. A. This is a slang term used in log- ging camps in the United States and Canada. It is applied to a top loader—a man who places the logs on the top of a load. Q. What is the third degree?—E. M. A. This is the psychological method used by the police in the United States for the purpose of forcing the truth from a person under arrest. It consists in con« tinuous and relentless questionings, laste ing for many hours. or even days, until the prisoner, if guilty, is morally com- pelled to give way and confess. Q. When was the present system of training for nursing introduced in the United States?>—N. P. A. This organized system of training Mmay be said to date from 1872 or 1873. It was preceded, however, by many efforts to provide some degree of prep= aration for care of the sick. Q. What word means blood of the gods? —N. R. A. Ichor is the fluid which was sup- posed to flow, instead of blood, in the veins of th& gods. Q. How old is the Society of Mayflower Descendants?—L. L. A. It was founded in New York City on December 22, 1894. Q. What is a lee tide?—T. W. A. It is a tide which runs with the wind. Q. What is the inscription on the daor of the Parliament Building in Ottawa? —H. P. A. It reads: “The wholesome sea is at her gates, her gates both east and west.” Q. Why is a dungeon so called?—S. M. A. A donjon was the principal tower or keep of a castle or fortress. The cellars were used as prisons, so the word dungeon came to mean a dark or under- ground prison. Q. Where are the clocks and chro- nometers used in the Navy repaired? -L. M. O. A. The Naval Observatory repairs the clocks and chronometers used in ‘the Navy Department and on naval vessels. Q. What is the simplest way to dress a tree wound?—J. W. A. Orange shellac is the best dressing. In Lindley's “Theory of Agriculture,” published in 1841, shellac was recom- mended and it is still used satisfactorily. The best application after the edges of the wound have been shellaced is Bor- deaux paint. This is prepared by adding raw linseed oil to dry commercial Bor- deaux dust. A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton Eventide. A holy hour, when soul to soul can reach Silent communion, deeper far than speech; When those who love draw close, al- though apart, And breathe in heavenly accord, heart to heart; While rose-tinged clouds commingle in the sky, And shadows interlock in lullaby, And bells in lnrm' ony & prayer-tune chime nwmmmm,l