Evening Star Newspaper, December 26, 1936, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY. --December 26, 1936 THEODORE W. NOYES e———————————— The Evening Star Newspaper Company. t. and ivanta Ave. New Pork Office; 110, East 4nd 8t Chicago Office: 335 North Michigan Ave, Rate by Carrier Within the City. Regular Edition, 5¢ per month 06 per month 65¢ per month - BC Per copy Night Final Edition, gz Final and Sunday Star.. (Oc per month ight Pinal Star _. = B¢ per month Collection made i Ach month. grders may he sent by mail or ‘teiephone Na< tional 500 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia, Hig nqt; Sun ] ) Binda onts=- F“i and Sunday aily only. .. junday only Member of the Associated Press, The Assoctated Press is exclusively entitled to the uce for republication of ail news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this pgper and aiso the local news publishg " c’f’ Tichts of publication”of Shecial dispatches erein are also reserved. Marching on Washington. David Lasser, president of the Work- ers’ Alliance of Americe, having led spectacplar demonstrations at the State capitols of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, plans to lead a march of W. P. A. work- ers on Washington. The date set is January 15, soon after Congress meets and shortly before the inauguration of President Roosevelt. The demands of Mr. Lasser and his followers are that relief appropriations be kept up, not cut down; that all of the two million and a half W. P. A. workers on the.rolls in November be retained and that all those who have been “unjustly” discharged be rein- stated. A further demand is that the W. P, A. workers be given an increase of 20 per cent in their wages. President, Roosevelt has hazarded the opinion that $500,000,000 would be suffi- cient for relief demands to conclude the present fiscal year. This is to be added to the sums already appropriated by Congress. Harry L. Hopkins, the W. P. A. administrator, has suggested $750,000,000. Mr. Lasser raises the ante. He demands an appropriation of $1,- 250,000,000 for the remainder of the fiscal year, and presumably a much larger amount for the following year. In New Jersey the Lasser marchers invaded the State capitol, as they did also in Wisconsin ‘and Pennsylvania. ‘What his plans are with regard to the Capitol in Washington are yet to be revealed. Lasser is not entirely a stranger to the National Capital. He and seven hundred of his followers came here last April to see the President and to hold a convention. The President was in the South. The marchers attacked the Federal Government's relief policies and finally went away. In recent years Washington has had its “marchers,” who came here to stage demonstrations and to make demands upon the Federal Government and more particularly vpon the Federal Treasury. The soldiers’ bonus army set the pace. Armies of the jobless and of farmers followed. The bonus has been paid—a matter of more than $2,000,000,000. The Jobless and the farmers have received huge sums from Congress. The excuse given for these marches and the de- mands of the marchers was that the country was in a great depression, with many millions of persons unemployed. The country has responded generously to the demands of the unemployed. It has poured billions of dollars into their bands and has provided the farmers with hundreds of millions of dollars of “benefits” for. curtailing crops and for better care of the soil. In the last year great strides have been made toward industrial recovery. Many of the unemployed have gone back into private industry. There has been reason to expect that with improving condi- tions the drain upon the Federal Treas- ury would be lightened. It was not expected that all relief appropriations could be halted. But at least it was expected that they could be curtailed. This, apparently, is far from the idea of David Lasser and his followers, ‘There has grown up in this country & bellef that the Government owes some- thing—in this case money—to the citi- gens. David Lasser insists that he is opposed to the dole, that what he de- mands is jobs. It amounts in the end to the same thing, except that he is demanding more in the way of money, Lasser maintains that he is not & Com- munist but a Seclalist. Whatever he is, whatever “ism” he follows, there seems no slightest doubt that he favors Gov- ernment-created jobs. It is an easy step from that point to having the Govern- ment provide all jobs. If and when that day comes the United States of America will be on the decline, Marches on Washington in force, whéther military or non-military, are not calculated to bring orderly govern- ment. There is no good reason why ‘Washington, which is the seat of the Federal Government, should tolerate them. It is one thing for spokesmen of any group to come here to voice their demands, It is quite another for an “army” to move on the Capital and seek to enforce its demands, R Arthur Brisbane. News of the sudden death of Arthur Brisbane will come with a sense of shock to millions of Americans who have known his name for many years. Personally, he was not widely acquainted =—perhaps for the very good reason that he never aspired to that kind of popu- Jarity., But his name and his legend were universally famous. He had helped to make the national mind of his gen- eration. His influence was felt, either directly through his own writings or indirectly through the writings of others, in every home in the United States. Of course, it 1s much too early to de- cide his claim upon the remembrance of his countrymen. He did not expect A THE EVENING STAR. WASHINGTéN D. C., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1936. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. immortality and would not be disap- pointed were it denied to him. But he was concerned about power and there can be little, if any, question about the authority which he achieved and exer- cised up to the moment of his passing. It pleased him to tell people what to think, and he wanted the largest au- dience possible. The success of both ambitions is incontrovertible. Mr. Bris- bane was possessed of a genius for the realization of his dreams, regardless of what they might be. Thus, he repeatedly brought about reforms of public policy and then, disappointed with their effect, repealed them by the power of & pen which frankly disdained consistency. His style of composition was admit- tedly primitive. It amused him to “take the literature out of literature,” and he was proud of his contempt for art that needed interpretation. He wrote for the masses—men and women allegedly juve- nile in taste and discrimination—and sprinkled his text with numerous anec- dotes obvious enough to appeal to the childish mind. Probably, his talent for dramatization of any subject under the sun accounts in large part for the vogue which he enjoyed. If accuracy were sacrificed, the loss went unmourned by the majority of his followers. But Mr. Brisbane's instinct was sound and sane. He loved his country, he strove for its progress and, especially at times of crisis, he served the national cause. Also, he deserves credit for democratizing knowledge in the journals he owned or edited. He considered news- papers as schools with a patriotic obli- gation to educate humanity in the in- terest of a pattern of solidarity and mu- tuality. And that ideal was—providenti- ally still is—worthy of & great heart’s loyalty. A Critical Week End. ‘Week ends are Chancellor Hitler's fa- vorite periods for revelations of major German moves at home and abroad. At his hideout in the Bavarian highlands | he is accustomed on such occasions to commune with his advisers and then spring upon the world some momentous stroke of Nazi policy. At this holiday week end Europe awaits the outcome of deliberations at Berchtesgaden with breathless interest because on it may de- pend the fateful question of peace or war. It is the situation in Spain that gives anxious point to Der Fuehrer's current confabulation. Christmas eve in Old World capitals was overshadowed by the fear that Germany is on the verge of action that would inevitably lead to conflict. France shuddered in alarm over reports that Hitler is considering the dispatch of 60,000 troops to Spain, to bolster the cause of the rebel forces still battling desperately for Madrid. So seriously do the French view that possibility that Foreign Minister Delbos notified the German Ambassador that if the Reich should go to Francos aid on such a scale a French Army might forthwith be sent to support the Madrid govern- ment. It goes without saying that thus would be precipitated, almost auto- matically, a European conflagration, into which, because of interlocking diplomatic engagements or mutual sympathies, Great Britain, Italy and Russia, as well as smaller states, would be irresistibly swept. ‘What Hitler and his counselors must now determine is whether the Spanish game is worth the candle. Undoubtedly there are Nazi hotheads who favor the gamble. The Reich is undergoing an economic crisis growing out of food short- age, which may well suggest that a for- eign “diversion” is the best way of tak- ing a hungry nation's mind off of its empty stomach. Nazi leaders, too, may argue that the Spanish situation pre- sents an ideal opportunity to bulldoze the Western powers into granting Ger- many & foothold in the Mediterranean and North Africa, or even into far- reaching concessions in the shape of restored colonies. The Rio Tinto copper mines of 8pain, now under rebel control, may seem to serve as a basis for a de- sirable trade with Franco in barter for German military help. Perhaps the principal factor designed to deter Hitler from rash -action is the Anglo-Italian Mediterranean entente and a general strengthening of Anglo- Franco-Italian friendliness linked by a common hostility to German expansion and aggressiveness. As matters are shap- ing, Hitler facés the peril of holding the bag in Spain, with Franco as his only ally. That prospect, plus the danger of a general war, for which Germany is by no means adequately prepared, may turn this week end at Berchtesgaden into a peace conference instead of & war coun- cil. Until Hitler decides, the interna- tional horizon remains clouded in blood red. More One-Man Cars. The Capital Traction Company’s an- nounced program for purchase of new equipment in 1937 follows insistent pub- lic demand, joined by the Public Utilities Commiesion, for the retirement of many of the antiquated streel cais slill in service. That, it is to be hoped, will be one resull. An issue that is never al- lowed to lie dormant for long in Wash- ington, however, may be expected to be revived by the company’s proposal to confine its new street car purchases to cars of the one-man operation type. Last July, testifying in support of one- man street cars at the Public Utllities Commission hearing, W. B. Bennett, As- sistant to the president of the traction company, said he favored 100 per cent operation of one-man cars in Washing- ton, qualifying his statement only by explaining that this was his personal point of view, not necessarily that of the company. The fact that all forty-five new street cars to be bought in 1937 will be one-man cars indicates that the company is prepared to battle the one- man car critics to a finish. And if the company 18 successful, there is every prospect that new cars bought in the future will all be one-man cars. The suit recently filed by ¢he Federa- tion of Citizens' Associations and the Central Labor Unlon, seeking to compel the Public Utilities Commission to grant a rehearing on its recent order authore izing forty additional one-man cars was actuated, of course, by the long-standing prejudice in Washington against this type of equipment. But the suit was based, in part, on the specific authoriza- tion by the commission for the use of what the plaintiffs termed “obsolete” one-man equipment, purchased second- hand from Providence, R. L' The new street cars to be bought in 1937, however, are of the latest design, conforming to the “President’s confer- ence type,” which has recelved cominis~ sion approval. Any objection to the use of such cars will have to be based on the contention of lack of safety and speed, which the company's and com- mission's experts were able to show, to the satisfaction of the commission, is unfounded. The statistical evidence al- ready presented indicates that one-man cars are safer than two-man cars, with the question of relative speed left in some doubt by testimony. The com- pany Is apparently determined to show, by the eficlency and comfort of its new cars, what Mr. Bennett testified last Summer was the case elsewhere In combating public sentiment against one-man cars: “Public opposition else~ where has been found to be without real foundation, and I don't think it is neces- sary to consider il here.” —————t e, Munitions sold on a cash and carry basis cannot be accompanied by an ironclad guarantee against their coming back on errands of their own. A ma- chine gunner regards the purchase of a weapon as a strictly business transaction, involving no attitude of sentiment to- ward the vender. ———————— It may be that the Duke of Windsor feels that abdication writes the last word in his strange political story. European strategists may be expected to study his new situation closely to see whether it can be utilized for purposes of further intrigue. r——— President Roosevelt is proceeding on safe diplomatic ground. Nobody has to ask the Supreme Court for & new and revised opinion of the Monroe Doctrine. One of the most en?:ourqlng facts about this country’'s publi¢ eloquence is that each year beloved Tiny Tim always succeeds in having the last word, e st e Base ball claims respect as an Amer- ican institution that will remain abso- lutely safe regardless of what may hap- pen in the rest of the world. ——— e The Christmas music was never better than this year. America likes every kind of music, with an especial fondness for tne very best obtainable. o Shooting Stars., BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. After a Drought. e At Christmas we did not make claim to so much, ‘Though banquets brought perfume so rare; And jewels are flashing in pride as they touch A lady surpassingly fair. But now to & new resolution we turn As the New Year sets hope all aglow. ‘We don't ask a great deal, all the world may discern. All we want is some rain and some snow! A New Resolution our earth must make plain If the grass and the blossoms come back; 80 we're asking no gems, ‘midst a merry refrain, But plain gifts that so seldom we lack. The jewels s0 bright in the stream run- ning clear And the flow'rs where the kine softly low— For these we will hope as we greet the New Year; All we want is some rain and some snow! Willing to Do His Best. “Do you think statesmen will return to the custom of wearing large whisk- ers?””’ . “We may,” answered Senator Sorghum. “We can't give our friends everything we'd like to. But we might at least try to look like Santa Claus in order to show our good intentions.” Music and Fires, “Some men are as careless and indif- ferent as Nero, who fiddled while Rome burned,” said the neighbor. “Well,” replied Mrs. Corntossel, “I dunno’s I've got anything against Nero. My trouble has been with men folks that sit playin’ the accordion an’ let the fire go out.” Imaginings, The optimist may live in dreams ‘Whose beauly all unreal seems; But, then, the pessimist, in sooth, Has nightmares quite as void of truth. Achievement, “Christmas & success with you?” “I suppose T may call it & success” replied Mr. Growcher. “I managed to hang holly all over the house without breaking any of the bric-a-brac.” A man who has struggled into the glare of the spotlight may find that it reveals defects more relentlessly than an X-ray machine. Dreams, How sweet Indeed were dreams like these! How gayly fancy would be thrilled If all the trees were Christmas trees And every pocketbook were filled. “Well, chiilun,” said Uncle Eben, “dar ain’ gineter be no Christmas foh an- other year, 50 you kin blieve whut you choose foh de present, but I'd advise you to git back to yoh old way o' thinkin’ "long Bout next November.” Some Pointers on Naval History for Mr. W. E. Ryan To the Bditor of The Star: In The Star of December 19 a letter bearing the signature of “W. E. Ryan” appeared expressing shocked surprise for alleged Injustice done the memory of Commodore John Barry, Revolutionary hero of the Navy, in having no com- memorative stamp issued in his honor and commenting adversely upon the selection of other patriots whose services and names have thus been perpetuated. One of the errors made by Mr. Ryan has already been adequately answered by & reader in The Star—Mr. Rovert C. Bilsborough. In addition to the mistake referred to in Mr, Bllsborough's letter, it may be mentioned that Mr. Ryan is not very happy in omitling the name of the only other naval hero of the Revolutionary War to be so signally honored, one almost universally conceded to be the father of the American Navy, John Paul Jones, whose statue stands on the shore of the Tidal Basin, Potomac Park. As far as this writer knows there Is no monument erected to Stephen De- catur here in Washington in spite of his prominence. Neither Decatur nor Macdonough, the claims for both of whom for recognition by a grateful coun- try Mr. Ryan denies, served in the Revo- lution, for the very simple reason that neither was born until after that strug- gle. Both belonged to & laler era, an- other generation, and each served in subsequent wars in which each won re- nown. The Tripolitan and the War of 1812, Their services are commemorated in later issues, the 2-cent series of stamps, along with other selected repre- sentatives of the Army. This in no Way belittles the achlevements by nor fame due John Barry and Paul Jones, who antedated them in service. Services are always heid at the Paul Jones Monument in celebration of what is known as “Navy day,” which is also the anniversary of the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt. whose memory Is revered by the naval service because of his great interest, while President, in developing and building up the Navy. Not “one wreath,” bul dozens are laid al this shrine by representatives, both men and women, of all the patriotic societies whose headquarters are located in the Nation’s Capital, and appropriate ceremonies are conducted. It is meant as no slur upon the memory of other na heroes that this is done, but because the name of John Paul Jones is outstanding and pre-eminent in the annals of naval history, both as & peer- less leader of men and because of his dauntless valor and superb chapacter as a man. As for his reference to Thomas Mac- donough, s contemporary of Stephen Decatur and not of John Barry, and whose likeness has been engraved in one of the second series (2-cent) stamps, it would behoove Mr. Ryan to read up on history a little more carefully before belittling Macdonough's place in & niche on the escutcheon of fame. His letter, as printed in The Star, betrays woeful fghorance when he siates “not 1 citi- zen out of 100,000 of today can teil who Thomas Macdonough was”; and again referring to his services in com- parison to Barry's as not equaling the latter in the number of prizes brought in, presumably during the Revolution. As has already been stated herein, neither Decatur mor Macdonough was old enough to serve during the Revo- lutionary War, the latter having been born after the close of hostilities, and both entered the Navy al the end of the century. Each contributed his share— and a valiant part it was!—as soon as they could get into active service, in the glorious pages written by the Navy dur- ing their respective lifetimes. As history records, in addition to the brilliant exploit by Decatur before Tripoli in cutiing out and destroying the frigate Philadelphia, which had been captured by the Barbary pirates, Stephen atur, in command of the United States, vanquished and took the British frigate Macedonian during the War of 1812, As for Macdonough, his place in his- tory is even greater and more secure. Indeed, it is doubtful if any officer in the entire shining history of the Navy contributed more Lo the American cause during the second war with Great Britain than did Thomas Mcdonough in the great victory of Like Champlain. Had it not been for Macdonough's great victory at the critical time just when the fortunes of the American arms were at their lowest ebb, after Washington City had been captured and burned by the British forces under Gen. Ross and Admiral Lord Cockburn, and the land forces of the United States demeralized and beaten, the New England States would have been split apart from New York and the others, thereby compelling them to sue for peace, and the war would have been lost. It is more than possible that the Union would have been dissolved. Macdonough'’s victory, therefore, viewed strategically and politically, was more important in the light of history than that of Commodore Perry on Lake Erie in moral effect and prestige, and commensurate, even, in its influence upon the treaty of Ghent, which was signed soon afterward, with Lord Nel- son's In the great baltle over Napoleon's fleet at Trafalgar. . 80 inuch for Thomas Macdonough, whose fame, so says Mr. Ryan, is un- known to the mass of our citizens. Had he been an Englishman fighting for his country he would have earned a peerage and & crypt in Westminster Abbey. I wonder if Mr. Ryan is aware that there stands at the site of this victory, the battle of Plattsburg, a monument to the memory of Macdonough almost as im- posing and majestic as the Washington Monument here! CONSTANTINE M. PERKINS, Colonel, U. 8. M. C,, Retired. D A Thought From Which Mankind Should. Profit To the Kditor of The Star: A little Bethlehem inn once muffed its chance. It had the opportunity of going down in history as the birthplace of the Savior of the world. Instead that great honor was bestowed on & stable, The miracle at Bethlehem 20 centuries ago is still being repeated by the rebirth of Christ in the hearts of men. May it not be said of you or me, as of the little Bethlehem inn of long ago, “He muffed his chance.” For, “though Christ & thousand times in Bethlehem be born, if He's not born in thee, thy soul is still forlorn.” J. D. NOLPH, “Doll Family of Many . v Lands’ Inspires Class T the Railor of The Star: It was with a great deal of interest that my children and I read the article, “Doll Family of Many Lands,” by Jessie Fant Evans, in The Sunday Star as of Decem- ber 13, 1936, The parents to whom I suggested the article were quite as enthusiastic. The article has great educational value for parent and child alike. Frequently I post Mrs. Evans’ articles on the parents’ bulletin board. ‘We have been inspired to begin a doll collection here in our class room. M. B. BRENT, Newcomers to the plessant sport of bird feeding in the home garden must keep in mind one important considera- tion, if they are to get as much happiness out of the recreation as they expect. ‘They should understand fully from the beginning that watching the birds is an eye task of the first magnitude. Reading is “not in it” when it comes to eye strain, with the happy. flitling feath- ered creatures which flock to a feeding station. ‘The human eye has more or less got used to reading. e persons even go so far as to say that reading is really easy on the eyes, because of the fact that the muscles thereof are in constant motion! ‘While one may not accept this simple theory, at the same time it is possible to understand that moderate reading, even when one's eyes have begun,to weaken, may not prove harmful. Those who must handle their eyes with maximum care soon become accustomed to various ways in which they may be rested, even while reading. One method, as most people know, is the very naive one of refusing to read any more than one must! Or cutting down the amount of reading, evenl of long books, to & chapter a day. It is amazing how many large volumes can be got through in a year in this way. It has a good physiological side, too, in that it concentrates the attention on one book at & time. 1t 18 not always realized that one of the small slipping backwards in later years is simply that of scattering the attention over too many books at a time. Life is short and art is long. as the old saying has it. To the book lover this always seems a particularly true maxim, one to cherish and keep in mihd. So many books to read and so few years! And .then when one’s eyes begin to fail, even so little, the duty to read as much as pos- sible becomes more imperative. The temptation, then, is to start a& book, put it aside for another, begin a third, maybe have five or six volumes going at once. But a frank appraisal of the situalion may show the anxious reader that his mind as well as his eye is slipping, that in scattering his mind over s0 many books at once he in reality is succumbing to a wanderlust of the intelligence, which takes him first one way, then another, mostly because he lacks the old mental will power. * * % X There is a quieting something to bird watching which 18 scarcely equalled by & good book. This is the highest compliment we know. It may be experienced easily by any one who harbors any love whatsoever for Nature and Ner true.children. « But the danget comes to the eyes. They find & new targél in swiftly flying song- sters, those favorites which Winter with us, and come t) our yards if we feed them. * Nowhere is there a better example of the fine old saying, that if one thinks of others, they will think of us. It we think of the birds, to appeal to them in the only way they can get in touch with us, they will think of us, in return, by visiting our gardens at a time of the year when other people have none except in a cage, perhaps. The bird feeder mwy have scores of feathered guests every day. They will come early, and stay late, be- cause they must have food, to resist the cold, the rain and the snow. STARS, MEN ‘They do not realize, of course, that they are endangéring the sight of those who watch them from behind the windows. *x a0 The watcher should keep in mind that the strain on his eyesight is of an entirely different sort than encountered else- where. There is no counterpart. It is far different than just idly looking out into the yard. Not only is the constant movement of the birds difficult to watch, but the at- tempt to pick out one species from an- other is even more so. A much wider sweep of the eyes is de- manded by the flight across the yard. every now and then, of one or more feeders. This is augmented if more than one station is in operation. It is practically impossible for the watcher to refrain from following these motions, and in doing so he brings in & sort or type of vision which would do credit to the famous wide-angle lens of photography. Perhaps this impossibility of refraining from looking is what makes the thing difficult. For if one is interested—and he will find himself becoming so, even if he is not at first—he will discover that there is temptation to over-do, here as else- where. . - Over-doing! It is the great American vice. We over- do our sports, our recreations, our read- ing, our automobiling. There is scarcely a thing which inter- ests the American populace which is not gone at hammer and tongs, with the re- sult that our national character is a thing of sudden and flaming enthusi- asms, and as quick droppings away. Just about the time the country, many years ago, had taken the music box to its collective hearts, the phonograph came along. en, one day, up popped the radio— and we dropped the phonograph like a hot cake, just when it was getting good. Ncw the pendulum is swinging back again, The record makers and sellers have just finished a banner year. If you have not purchased a disc in years, you will be surprised. Every booth will be occupied. Some of the records you want probably will be sold out. More will be in within a few days, sir, *x The overdoing of bird watching con- sists'of following the fleet motions of the feeders for minutes at a time, rather than just by glimpses, now and then. Prolonged observation will tire even the strongest eyes, whereas a glimpse, just every now and then, will be enough, and still will not be a strain. Let the newcomer observer keep this thought in mind, particularly, because he will be using his eyes in a way perhaps he never has before. Against the drab Winter landscape of dormant shrubbery and brcwnish grass, he must try to spot a small, restless ob- Ject, whose mixtures of colors tax even the ingenuity of the artist. With the exception of the cardinal, and the bluejay, most of the birds he will be called up to watch at this season are be- decked with browns and grays, with a little white, or red, or a bit of orange. Camouflage, in other words. A little of this good looking will go a long way. The newcomer to an excellent Winter s ought to go easy, at first, until he finds out how his eyes are stand- " ing the strain. AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. It takes all sorts of men to make & world—and also all sorts of wasps. A wasp, it is quite likely, looks upon all men without distinction as to their good or bad qualities. They are all nuisances and a super-intelligent wasp might wonder why a benevolent Lord ever invented them. At any event, the insect stings saint and sinner with utter impartiality. Man takes a quite contrary view—that all wasps are the same, all bad, and all to be avoided or killed. There are no nice wasps which one cares to meet socially. Both viewpoints are wrong. It would be universally admitted that the wasp's attitude towards man is sadly warped because man is looking at man from the inside out, so to speak. It has remained for Austin H. Clark, Smithsonian Insti- tution biologist, to discover that man’s attitude towards the wasp also is warped. There are all sorts of wasps—mean wasps, suspicious wasps, gentle wasps, friendly wasps, lazy wasps and ambitious wasps. Marked “personality differences” &among these insects can be detected by close and continuous observation of brothers and sisters, Mr. Clark reports in & puper just issued through the United Slates National Museum. Last Fall a peculiarly-shaped mason- wasp’s nest was brought to him from Vir- ginia. He kept 1t all Winter, walting for the insects to emerge in the Spring so that they could be identified. They turned out to be & hitherto unknown sub- species. But as the little creatures emerged from thelr coccoons Mr. Clark made minute and continuous observation of their behavior. It often 1s stressed that insects are almost entirely creatures of instinct and that each individual of & species is born with a rigid, nearly in- variable behavior pattern. He found, quite to the contrary, that they are born with quite marked individual differences. The first female to emerge was liter- ally “born fighting” and looking for trouble. From the time she camne out of the cocoon, says Mr. Clark, “she had & very charscteristic defense attitude. She was liritable and bad-tempered. 1f any of the others approached her when she was resting she would make & lunge at them without moving her feet, and menace them with her jaws. For resting she always chose a place near the bottom of the jar on the dark side of one of the corks. Her never-failing bad temper, combined with her small size and other features, made her always readily identl- fiable. “Whenever a finger was placed in her field of vision, he reports, she im- mediately struck a defensive attitude. Quite different was her sister, the next to emerge. She was much bigger and, says Mr. Clark, “of a very placid dispo- sition. At first she was mildly startied at the appearance of a finger close to her, but only to the extent of facing it and watching it closely. She never assumed & defensive attitude and never, except when resting, drew up her forelegs.” The other females varied belween the suspiciousness of the first and idity of the second, but, Mr. Clark reports, all were good tempered and never menaced each other, although they were not particularly sociable. The one male of the family to survive long enough to be studied appeared to be a lazy, life- less fellow, but became quite active when his sisters began to emerge from their coccoons. Mr. Clark found an almost equally noticeable difference in the “intelligence” of the wasps, in so far as this would be indicated by their ability to solve prob- lems of their immediate envir~nment. ‘The male soon “learned his way about” in the glass jar in which he was confined and was able to fly around without hit- ting the sides or falling into the water dish at the bottom. The females for the first two days frequently bumped into the sides and frequently fell into the water dish. One of them always could exiricate herself without difficulty, but the other had to be lifted from the water several times before they learned to take care of themselves. ‘Wasps, Mr. Clark found, sleep soundly in the dark and are sluggish on a cloudy day. Unlike other insects, when they are awake they breath by a noticeable “telescoping” on the abdomen back and forth. When they are asleep they breathe like other insects, by-a siow, molecular diffusion of air already in the tracheae. :hewnnt activity :r a wasp after waking resume the telescope t; of breathing. PR This led Mr. Clark to test the efficacy of different wave lengths of light in sputting activity. The animals were kept in the dark for 18 hours and then irradi- ated. He found that violet and invisible ultra-violet light were by far the best “awakeners,” that yellow and green light gave only a real stimulus, and that the response to ordinary white light was much quicker than to colored light. oo Real Answer to Wages and Dividends Prom the New York Herald Tribune. Large and recurring wage increases constitute one of the major objectives of the American Federation of Labor, ac- cording to the monthly survey of busi- ness just issued by that organization. In urging this program the federation calls attention to the heavy corporate divi~ dend distributions in the last two or three weeks. Wage increases reported in November, it finds, are “a step in the right direction,” but are “far less in total amount than the dividends deciared in November.” The best estimates we have on 193¢ wage and dividend prospects appeared about 10 days ago and were atiributed in Washington dispatches to “officials of the Department of Commerce.” These placed wages and salaries for the cur- rent year at $40,000,000,000, or about $4,- 000,000,000 more than the 1935 total. Dividend payments, it was estimated, would probably run about $4,000,000,000, & rise of $1,200,000,000. The real answer to the question of November wage and dividend distribu- tions posed by the A. F. of L., however, is not to be found in the figures them- selves. It is to be found in the lack of genuine comparability. In the first place, wages are a first charge against the operating income of a company, while dividends constitute what is left to the proprietors or stockholders—if any- thing—after wages gnd other fixed charges have been paid. In the second place, it is an optical illusion to think that because dividend disbursements have been paid out so lavishly in the last fortnight American corporations have attained a new level of prosperity. The plain fact is that the 1936 tax law, ‘penalizing the retention of profits for reserves and surplus, calls for a new type of dividend policy. From now on the bulk of all corporation dividends will undoubtedly be paid in the last quarter of the year. This being so, any compari- son between wage payments and divie dend payments based on this fourth avarter tell, at best, but part of the story. Distribution’ ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN, A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Evening Star Injormation Bureau, Frederic J, Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. What is the population of Santa Claus, Ind?—W. H. A. The town has 57 inhabitants. Q. What was the size of the Spanish armv at the time of King Alfonso's abe dication?—A. A. A. At that time the active army cone sisted of 209,500 enlisted men, with a reserve of 2,115,000, and an air force of 4,700, Q. What theater in New York City has the largest stage?—A. C. H. A. Radio City Music Hail. Q. How tall is Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson and what is her weight?—H. J. A. Mrs. Simpson is 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs 114 pounds and wears a size 18 dress. Q. What is'the per capita consumption of grapefruit?—E. W. A. Last year the average American consumed 8.7 grapefruit. Q. What is done with the bufldings when C. C. C. camps are abandoned?— V.M. T. A. They are usually salvaged and used in the construction of new camps. Now portable buildings are being used for the camps, which can bé moved from onse location to another. Q. Please explain how sea level is determined.—M. S. A. It is determined by careful observae tions made by specially prepared instrue ments over & period of time. Since the level of the sea changes constantly, a period of 19 years is taken to constitute a full tidal cycle, therefore, observations over this period may be taken to give accurately mean sea level at any place. In some instances, however, by careful calculation, observations for a lesser period of years are sufficiently accurate, Q. Please give the names of two men prominent in the history of aviation who died during 1936—H. F. R. A. Louis Bleriot died on August 2. 1936, l;\ds Juan de la Cierva on December 9, 1936. Q. What does bionomics deal with?— H.B. A. It designates the study of the ex- ternal life of plants and animals, their interrelations with other individuals and their adaptations to their organic and in- organic environment. This term was suggested by Prof. E. Ray Lankester. It 1s also called ecology. Q. Who won the prize offered by the Mark Twain Association?—H. J. K. A. The annual international prize was awarded to H. E. Swigert of Hannibal, Mo., for the best quotaticns answering the question: What five things have you learned from reading Mark Twain? Q. Will Susan B. Anthony's face be carved on Mount Rushmore as Mrs. Roosevelt, requested?—R. W. A. Gutzon Borglum, sculptor in charge, says that his plan calls enly for men. Q. Are there suspension bridges in China hanging on silken cables?—H. H. A. The closest to this on record are suspension bridges in the Province of Szechwan hanging on bamboo cables. Q. How many soldiers marched down Pennsylvania avenue at the close of the Civil War?—H. J. A. What is known as the grand review was held in Washington, D. C., May 23 and 24, 1865. The whole number of officers and enlisted men in and about ‘Washington at that time was 152.445, ac+ cording to the most acirate returns. The number actually participating in the parade was doubtless somewhat less than that number, as many were probably left in charge of camps and guarding property and equipment. The National Tribune says that the parade lasted two days. On the first day Gen. Meade's Army of the Potomac marched. On the second day Sherman’s Army of Georgia and the Carolinas marched. Q. How long has meat grading been undertaken by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics?—C. P. A. Meat grading by the bureau began in 1926, New rules and regulations for grading and stamping of meats have just been issued. There is no change in the service; they provide simply for the manner of operation. Q. How much concrete will be used in the Grand Coulee Dam?—H. W. A. It will contain 11250000 cubic yards of concrete masonry. The volume of Grand Coulee exceeds the combined volume of the 20 largest concrete dams in this country. The huge mass of con= crete will weigh 23,000,000 tons and will require 12.500,000 barrels of cement. With two mixing plants running at full ca- pacity, it is estimated that a cubic vard of concrete will be placed in the dam every 5'; seconds. The base of the dam contains 34 acres. Q. How "old was Tennyson when he wrote “Crossing the Bar?™--C J. A. The poet was in his eighty-first year. Q. What qualities in cigarette paper accelerate combustion, resulting in steady continuous burning?—J. E. K. A. The paper used on most of the popular brands of cigarettes contains lime and magnesia as a filler. Such wrappers seem to have an important effect in causing the cigarette to hold fire when lighted. Prom the Coshen News-Democrat. A new-type carburetor is said to allow autos to get 200 miles on a gallon of gaso+ line, making it unnecessary to fill the tank while seeking a parking spot. Suspicious Signs. From the Philadelphia Eveninz Bulletin. Those six dress suits that have ape peared for sale in Moscow are enough to lay the foundation of a new aristoce racy. Vi ! A Rhyme at Twilight Gertrude BroB:ke Hamilton To An Absent Loved One. Like the dusk wind in the pine trees Were the songs you sang to me; Fresh each morning as the dawn breeze Your awakening seemed to be; Your step held the zephyr’s fleetness, And your voice the sea-wind's sweetness, Day beheld its noon-light captured In your wealth of sunny hair; And night's moonlight vied, enraptured, With your ekin, so soft and fair, Wind and light in you combining Keep me for your presence pining.