Evening Star Newspaper, January 4, 1937, Page 8

The Evening Star N',Emler Company. . and Penisylvanta Ave. New Fork Ofice. 1h East dond st Ohicago Office: 435 Nejrth Michigan Ave, *Rate by Carrier—Ci Regular The Evening and Sunday c per m| ‘The Evening !t.-g ‘The Bu 'day Stal al i SCollection made at the each week. Orders may phone National 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryl Virginia. . $10.00; 1 mo., 85¢ Bunday only.. $4.00; 1 mo., 40¢c and Suburban, itlon, tar nth or 15¢ per week nth or 10¢ per week - - === 5C Per copy ition. N t Final and Sund: 0c per month t Final Star __ 5¢ per month d of each month or sent by mail or tele- Al Other Sta: fly and Sunoay--1 yr aily only___ 17r. junday only_ Member of the As ‘The Associated Press is the use for republication ( credited to it or not othe paper and also the local 1jews published herein. Il rights of pubiication [of speclal dispatches erein are also reserved. Mr. Mellon’s Gift. Former Secretary [of the Treasury Andrew W. Mellon has formally ten- dered his collection §f great works of art to the Nation, and President Frank- lin D. Roosevelt equally formally has pledged himself to rpcommend legisla- tion for the acceptancp of the gift. Thus the elevation of Washington into pre- eminence among thL world's esthetic centers is assured. But the social siancance of Mr. Mellon’s philanthropy is perhaps more {mportant than the endowment itself. Offered at a momen; when an age of transition is reachirjg its apex in a veritable carnival of| change, it chal- lenges the imaginalion of a public keenly concerned aljout progress, but not at all definitely 'x{‘ommitwd to revo- lutionary experimentgtion. Of course, it is customary for pro- fessional advocates f reform to claim for themselves a mopopoly of idealism. The Soviet regime ih Russia not long ago employed a legendary characteri- gation of Mr. Mellon as & symbol of American capitalism, His personality, tricked up in trappijngs of greed and arrogance utterly allen to his nature, was used in a text bcok of rebellion cir- culated through the schools of the Com- munist state. Yet |coincidentally the proletarian dictators were selling to the object of their satirif misrepresentation the priceless treasures of the celebrated Hermitage Gallery! The contradiction hetween theory and practice illustrated ILQ such a footnote to history ought bjoc to be missed. Rather, it should remembered with constructive efficiendy when agitators who have a vested interest in anarchy invite the electorate ¢f the United States to indulge in radi¢al adventure de- signed deliberately tcf wreck the institu- tions of democracy. Mr. Mellon shames the critics of civilitation in America. His princely generoLity answers their contentions conclusively. No thought- ful mind can fail fo understand the meaning of a gestiyre so liberal and beneficent. Moreover, Mr. Mgllon has made it plain that he merely seeks to set an example in practical patriotism. He stipulates that his name is not to be attached to' the bull{ding his wealth is to raise nor to the masterpieces housed therein. Instead, he| speaks of his gift as simply “a nucleuk" to be improved and expanded by others as successive generations pass. Cduld socialism in its fullest flower be mgre altruistic, more modest, more convinding? The question 4s its own rebuttal. | But Mr. Mellon $eeks no applause. Those who know himh best are familiar with the temperamental sensitiveness which prompts him {o avoid thanks for his numberless charities. He would have preferred to give his pictures and bronzes and marbles to his cpuntry anonymously had that been feasible. It just happens that publicity was necessarily inevitable. The result, however, Wil aid in the serv- fce of the purposes which the donor wishes to advance. Jt will advertise and providentially demodratize the instinct which dwells in the heart of a people still free, still prosperous and still benevolent. [ Pacifists have not tet developed a line p! persuasive quality| that will rival the primitive appeal of ‘[Plutarch’s Lives” or “Dante’s Inferno.” —_——— Do Nazis Want War? There 1s no room for doubt that acute danger of war lurkj in the operations which the German Navy is carrying out in Spanish waters. ,{hdrid formally de- nounces them as “gets of war” wholly unjustified in law [and proclaims the intention of “replying in fitting manner, no matter what the finternational reper- cussions may be.” us, if the Germans pursue their declar¢éd purpose of con- tinuing tactics which produced the im- passe, the ingredients of a genuine crisis will be at hand. Conditions becamp suddenly compli- cated when Germar} naval units seized & Spanish freighter, |and, with shell fire, forced another merchantman ashore. This action was designed to fortify Berlin’s demand for frelease of a Spanish passenger and part jof the cargo of the German steamer Palps, which was seized 8 week earlier by a|Loyalist cruiser on the ground that it csrried insurgent sup- plies. Later the-Palos was released, but the passenger, accused of being a rebel agent, and the portipn of the cargo held to consist of contraband, were not sur- rendered. Thereupor| the German cruiser Koenigsberg procedi¢d to take the law {nto its own hands resorted to steps which the Madrid |authorities contend on Spain. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 1937. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. thing to be said for each side.to the controversy. But unless Hitler is reck- lessly determined to provoke complica- tions which could not conceivably be confined to Germany and Spain, it is difficult to comprehend why he has let the guns of his warships bark so pre- cipitately and without the semblance of an effort at peaceful adjudication. The issues at stake are so tremen- dous—the possible consequences so illim- itable—that deeper causes must be looked for in explanation of Nazi trucu- lence. Berlin's formal plea is that under no circumstances can Germany tolerate establishment of communism in Spain. The implication is that she would shrink from no extreme, not even war, to prevent it. The Germans’ attitude is such as to compel the belief that other contingencies than the red peril under- lie it. 1s Hitler looking for a diversion of the country’s mind from economic woes, which Nazi leaders recently described as “suffocating”? Is he under the compul- sion of achieving some stunning success emblematic of Teutonic might, to com- pensate for the new Anglo-Italian- French Mediterranean entente, the Franco-Polish-Czechoslovakian military arrangement, and the rising unpopu- larity in Japan of the vaunted anti- communist pact with Germany? Unless Der Fuehrer and his advisers are seeking to turn their people’s attention from domestic woes by fascinating them with foreign adventures, present Nazi machi- nations are inexplicable. Earnestly must it be hoped that the fire will be put out before Berlin plays with it too long. . . Alien Representation, Senator Capper of Kansas does not believe that aliens living in the United States should be counted in making the enumeration upon which congressional apportionment is based. Because of that belief, he is offering at the opening of the next session of Congress a proposed amendment to the Constitution. Under this amendment only “citizens” of the United States, whether native born or naturalized, would be counted for the purpose of making the apportionment among the States of members of the House of Representatives. It is Senator Capper’s contention, also, that several of the States are given unduly large representation in the lower house of Congress because the aliens within their borders are included in the enumeration for apportionment purposes. And, he contends, because these States with large alien population are allowed this undue representation, other States which have a small percentage of alien population—like Kansas—are denied their proper representation The Constitution reads today: “Repre- sentatives shall be apportioned among the several States, according to their respec- tive numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding In- dians not taxed.” The Capper proposal is to change one word in this text, substi- tuting “citizens” for “persons.” If that proposed amendment to the Constitution had been in effect on April 1, 1930, the date of the last census, 1,065,974 known aliens would not have been counted, nor would 313,037 aliens who had taken out their first papers and 118,514 aliens about whom no information regarding citizen- ship was obtained. The elimination of these aliens from the count for congres- sional apportionment would have re- duced the number of representatives in the House from New York perhaps by five. New York's foreign-born population is large, 3,262,278, according to the census of 1930. Of these 1,764,753 are naturalized, and are, therefore, citizens of the United States. The remainder, to whom refer- ence has been made, are not yet citizens. The total population of the State was 12,588,066, Take the case of Kansas, on the other hand. The Sunflower State has 80,897 foreign born out of a total population of 1,880,999 as of 1930. Of these foreign born, 53785 are naturalized citizens, 4211 have taken out first papers, 18,975 are “aliens” and 3,926 are “unknown.” In continental United States, which includes the District of Columbia, where the right of suffrage and the right of representation within the national House of Representatives are denied, the total population as of 1930 was 122,775,046. On the same date the total number of foreign born within the United States was 14,- 204,149. Of these 7,919,536 were natural- ized and “citizens.” The rest were di- vided as follows: 1,266,419 had taken out first papers, 4,518,341 were known aliens who had not made any move toward citizenship, and 499,853 were carried as “unknown,” no information regarding citizenship being at hand. When the Constitution was originally adopted 1t recited: “Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within thi§ Union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be de- termined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons.” This was changed to the present language amd provision under the fourteenth amendment. All persons are now “free” in the United States. Mr. Capper'’s proposed amendment may be fought by those States which have large foreign-born and alien populations, On the other hand, it is likely to have the support of other States, like his own, where the number of aliens is compara- tively small Good News for Caddies It is argued, and probably with much truth and logic, that the great game cf golf will improve rather than suffer from the arbitrary pronounceinent of the United States Golf Association that, be- ginning in 1938, golf will be played with clubs “not exceeding fourteen in num- ber.” The game will improve because the golfer will be forced to depend more on his shots than on his clubs—if the distinction is understood. Furthermore, a notable advance will have been made in eliminating cruelty to caddies. But the ruling is going to take a lot of joy out of the lives of & grest many % golfers, the good ones along with the ancient and honorable army of dubs who hope some day to break ninety-five. Their game and their score will not suffer. A great many gqliers can do as well with four clubs as with twenty-four. But for many, as much fun lies in buying clubs and talking about them as in actu- ally playing golf. “I've found out what's been the matter with me,” booms & trium- phant voice from the shower. “I got me an 8X today and a pitching dynamiter. Boy! Did I get out of them traps!” ‘The golfer who can afford it probably carries a set of nine matched irons, four matched wooden clubs, a dynamiter and a putter. That is fifteen to begin with. Then he accumulafes other clubs for reasons of sentiment, suparstition, lack of sales resistance or just plain despair. And before he knows it he has twenty or thirty. But with a few exceptions, where every club really has a meaning of jts own in the hands of an exceptional golfer, fourteen is a reasonable limit and the only mourners will be the sporting goods manufacturers who sell more golf equip- ment, as far as dollar value is concerned, than anything else. They, of course, are squirming. ———————— According to Aviation Expert Charles Lindbergh, the flying machine has ren- dered every man defenseless against & malevolent mueighbor. It may indeed need a mechanical heart to be perfectly secure against failure in such a time of stress. ——————— e The New Year is as usual described as an infant and there is the customary curiosity as to whether in its magical progress from nursing bottle to whiskers it will be revealed as & Tom Sawyer, & Tony Lumpkin, a Lord Fauntleroy or Just another Yellow Kid. —— e Having planned an agricultural sys- tem which he believes will assure an abundance of corn cakes, Dr. Rex Tugwell turns toward a branch of in- dustry that will guarantee a sufficient and suitable accompaniment of molasses. ] Opie Read has written another book in a series of productions which point to the fact that the longer a man lives the larger his store of things worth re- membering becomes. ————————— The prayer of Tiny Tim is repeated annually. It is an expression of faith which is in itself an assurance that the prayer is from year to year being an- swered. ———— “Crime does not pay” is a good maxim for general purposes, although it must be admitted that kidnapers continue to collect ransoms. ——————— N. R. A. is expected to reassert itself in so many disguises that a Sherlock Holmes department may have to be de- vised to take care of it. e Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Melancholy Monopolist. Good friend, beware, as forth you go, Of dwelling on your special woe, For you will come, if you persist, ‘To think you're a monopolist. Do not imagine that you can Claim all the troubles known to man And try to be the one alone ‘Who can make sympathy his own. Good friend, forget your special grief And think of friends who need relief, Aiding the others, that you may Assist yourself to moods more gay. Musical Impressions. “You don't seem fond of music.” “Well,” replied Senator Sorghum, “I try not to harbor resentments. But whenever I hear music I can't help being reminded of the campaign funds that are wasted in employing brass bands in some elections.” Cosmic Speculation. One of these days, there’s not a doubt, The coal supply will have given out. We don't say when, but the time will come ‘When carbon is dearer than radium. It makes you shudder and hold your breath! One of these days we must freeze to death! One of these days, in blank despair, ‘We will look on & landscape parched and bare. ‘Where once the forest so nobly stood There won't be enough for kindling wood. ‘We'll pant expiring and sore dismayed One of these days for the lack of shade. But in one of those days in ages past This old world whirled in & flery blast. Yet it slowly tempered its atmosphere And we journeyed from somewhere else to here. So, maybe, when we can’t keep the pace, We'll move from here to some other place. “To speak only the truth,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “would leave many of us with but little whose interest was worth the saying.” Attentive Resaders. “Yep,” said Bronco Bob to the writer of Western romance, “I came all this way to grasp you by your hand and talk to you about your pieces.” “You have read them with interest?” “Sure. All the boys have. And they appointed me a sort of committee to in- terview you and find out how your dia- lect ought to be pronounced.” Natural Eloquence. ©Oh, let me roar and shout things, Nor chide my thoughtless way. If I thought more sbout things I might have less to say. “I can't help noticin’,” said Uncle Eben, “dat Santy Claus an’ his sleigh goes out o’ business mighty quick, while de ambulance driver keeps comin’ around Tegular all year” S » THE POLITICAL MILL BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. On the very eve of the opening of the new New Deal Congress, the Democratic leader of the Senate, Senator Robinson of Arkansas, declares himself in favor of a constitutional amendment giving either to the Federal Government or to the States the power to legislate con- cerning hours of labor and wages of the workers. Coming from Robinson the announcement is twice significant. First, because he is the leader of the Senate and an administration man. Second, because he is no visionary New Dealer but is considered as one of the more con- servative followers of the President. His pronouncement does not mean, of itself, that the President is planning to back & constitutional amendment. On the other hand it might well mean that the administration is about ready to come forward with a proposal to extend the legislative power so as to deal with the conditions of labor—and perhaps the conditions of industry. x Kk xx During the campaign last Summer and Fall the opponents of the administration constantly demanded that the Presi- dent tell the country whether or not he proposed to amend the Constitution S0 as to make some of the New Deal laws stand up in the courts. The Presi- dent made no reply. He did, however, in his final campaign speech declare that the fight would go on to lessen hours of labor, do away with sweatshops and child labor and fix minimum wages for the workers. Only a few days ago, the President, at a press conference, reiterated his belief that something must be done along these lines. The Demo- cratic platform of 1936 carried a half promise that & constitutional amend- ment would be attempted. That docu- ment said: “If these problems cannot be effectively solved by legislation within the Constitution, we shall seek such clarifying amendment as will assure to the Legislatures of the several States and to the Congress of the United States, each within its proper jurisdic- tion, the power to enact those laws which the State and Federal Legislatures, with- in their respective spheres, shall find necessary in order adequately to regulate commerce, protect public health and safety and safeguard economic security.” * K ¥ X% Senator Robinson, judging from his statement, has reached the conclusion that the only feasible way to meet the demand for legislation dealing with hours and labor and wages is through a constitutional amendment. The decision of the Supreme Court—unanimous on that occasion—holding the N. R. A. unconstitutional and its later decision throwing out the Guffey coal act, called sometimes the “little N. R. A.” has left him no doubt about this, and also the court’s decision in the minimum wage case coming from New York. * ¥ Xk * It is one thing to favor an amendment to the Constitution. It is another to write a specific amendment. So far neither Robinson nor the administration has advanced the text of such an amend- ment. No one knows how far it would g0. No one knows to what extent amend- ments enlarging a proposed constitu- tional change would go. There are Sen- ators and members of the House who dislike the idea of tinkering with the Constitution. Senator Van Nuys, Demo- crat, of Indiana, at the same time Sen- ator Robinson was giving it as his opinion that the better way to tackle the question of legislating regarding hours of labor and wages would be through a constitutional amendment, declared his opposition to tinkering with the funda- mental law of the land. There are others who cling still to the idea that by writing laws “within the meaning of the Consti- tution” the problems which confront the Nation today may be adequately handled. Senator Borah of Idaho, for example, has continued to insist that he sees no present need of a constitutional amend- ment, x X ¥ X When a constitutional amendment putting into form the proposal to allow the Congress to pass laws relating to labor and industry is finally drafted— if it is—there will be & long discussion of the liberties of the people and the individual which may be broken down under the grant of such power. It is not an easy question. Any amendment that would permit the Federal Govern- ment to go the same lengths as the N. R. A, sought to go in dealing with industry and labor needs consideration, and plenty of it, before it is submitted to the States by Congress for ratification. Members of the Supreme Court, includ- ing those who are considered most lib- eral, attacked the powers which that law seemed to give and which the adminis- tration sought to exercise as tyrannical. * % If a constitutional amendment is to be sponsored by the administration and by its leaders in Congress, there will be & strong demand that it be wide enough to cover legisiation for agriculture as well as industry: that the power be given to Congress to curtail and control crop production. The President and his sup- porters have constantly declared the need of proper control of crops, so that overproduction may not beat down the prices of farm produce. Here is the old question of prosperity through scarcity, which seems ill-advised and which cer- tainly has been attacked vigorously from one end of the country to the other. Involved in all the proposed regulation of the mill and the farm and labor is the question also of sdministration, with thousands upon thousands of persons taking part as agents of the Government in such administration. L If the country has come to a situation where only the Federal Government can deal adequately with these economic problems; if the sentiment of the people is for such control, then obviously the people will have this king of government. It is within their power to amend the Constitution—as they have before. They have seen one amendment to the Con- stitution—characterized as & “noble ex- periment”"—tried out snd then cast aside as a failure, The legal cure was worse than the disease, the majority of the people finally decided. Certainly the sentiment in the country todsy in faver of having the Government dictate re- garding labor' and industry seems as strong as was the sentiment for national prohibition. If it is, the country is in for another experiment also mnoble in ‘intent, How it will work only time will show. 3 * x %% At last the Federal Government is to have a big slice of the wealth of the Alexander Hamilton.” whose income tax payments have been attacked ml‘ and again by Democratic governmental” attorneys and who has been compelled to defend many suits, proposes to give his art collection, valued e Nation and to con- Time cannot wither, nor custom stale, the infinite variety of— Well, you would never guess. ‘The ukulele, of course! This little favorite instrument of the Hawalian musicians comes into its own every Christmas time, when thousands of them are given as gifts. Mostly adult persons tend to deprecate them as serious instruments. ‘The standard male, in particular, tends to look upon the miniature guitar-shaped instrument as distinctly for girls. The truth is that the ukulele, if mastered, will call upon all the ability of & musically gifted person. It is small but mighty, both in tone quality and possibilities. * %k x % The point is, however, that even if it is not mastered it is a most pleasing small instrument. Any one can do more with it, with less musical ability, perhaps, than with any other instrument whatsoever. The strumming of a few chords, whether one sings or whistles well or poorly, is music of & real type, as far as it goes. That it does not go very far is not against it, in one very good sense, but rather in its favor, for all persons who recognize their own failures as practicing musicians are just that much more ready to recognize the abilities of the real musiclans. Mausical listeners are only good listen- ers when they know, through some per- sonal experience, something of the diffi- culties which real performers encounter. ‘The good listener is as essential in music as the good reader to writing. Nobody who listens to music anywhere ought to forget this. Such listening, of course, demands the co-operation of mind and heart as well &8s just ears. Merely to hear the sounds as they come from the players or singers is not enough. More and more people are finding that out today. * % %% ‘The fascinating ukulele is much better than nothing. It is a tiny thing, compared with most stringed instruments, yet one to try the temper and patience of many a performer. Just four strings, with unique arrange- ment, in which the second from the performer is lower than the first one, yet these four strings often have a most perverse way of refusing to get in tune, and especially to stay in tune. We think some unknown person must have been a genius, indeed, to take the Spanish guitar and to conceive it as a mere handful. It was another stroke of genius to conceive the four simple gut strings and the humming tone which might be brought from them in simple chords to accompany the most elaborate music. * * *x * The true beauty of the “uke” lies in this steady hum, which at times can take on almost a roaring quality. This is & modulated hum, or tone, all its own, and it comprises the distinctive feature of the little instrument. This is why a very cheap ukulele is, in a sense, worse than none at all, be- cause the tone will either be completely flat or absolutely dead, with the result that the humming sound is entirely or almost absent. The natives used to believe that no ukulele, or ukeke, as they sometimes kc:l.led;:.demnd be made of anything but wood. Probably all of them: would be willing to admit now that other woods, notably mahogany, can be used successfully. It is a question whether a child should be given an inferior ukulele, even as a toy, because of the lack of true tone quality. ‘The child who is taught piano on an inferior, harsh instrument has been de- prived of something from the very start, something which it does not even recognize exists. This 1s a tragedy, from the standpoint of true musical appreciation. It is true that musical genius in the making will not suffer but will make its way despite the handicap. Most persons, however, geniuses. are not * X% More can be done with three chords in any key on a ukulele than on any other instrument in the world. Even if a person cannot sing or whistle very well, scarce can hum pass- ably, still he may mentally carry the tune and will find that the thrumming of the proper chords in accompaniment gives him real musical pleasure. The name of the instrument, in the native tongue, is said to mean “skipping flea.” no doubt from the rapid movement of the fingers over the strings. Most of the true motion is done with the right hand, whose fingers operate to stroke the strings. * Chord changes with the left hand are done almost effortlessly after one “gets on” to them with as little finger motion as possible. Some of the most effective moculations are achieved by the mere lifting of a finger from a string. The passing of one chord into the next often leaves a “hum” in the air to mix with the subsequent “hum,” and these effects are among the beauties of the instru- ment, * x % % Warning showld be issued once more against laughing at this musical instru- ment because of its size. It is true that the sight of a very tiny guitar in the hands cof a very large man is somewhat comical, especially to those persons who always look for some- thing to grin over. It is much the same as the small man with the very large bass drum. He creates laughter through exactly the opposite combination. Hence the ukulele is a home instru- ment, in most cases, which is as it should be, because of its possibilities when played with the mandolin and other favorite home instruments. All stringed instruments are peculiarly home instruments. The ukulele “goes” admirably with a mandolin, for instance. Every one knows what sweet music it makes with the guitar, especially played in the slurring Hawaiian manner. The fingering of the left hand is easy to learn. The various strokes with the right are easy. The combination of the two is where the difficully comes in. There is something exotic about the s?und of the “uke” which particularly pleases in its own Hawaiian music, but since these are folk tunes the ukulele will give an acceptable accompaniment to such melodies the world around. Our own “Organ Grinder’s Swing,” for in- stance, a true folk tune, may be played with just two chords. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Record-breaking majorities in both ‘branches of Congress cause the Demo- cratic high command to contemplate the session with mixed emotions. The topheavy preponderance of New Dealers already looms as an embarrassment of riches. Party leadership in both House and Senate will be confronted from the outset with managerial woes. Although President Roosevell’s landslide re-elec- tion theoretically makes him ruler of the roost at the Capitol, it's by no means certain that White House wishes will systematically prevail. Much will depend on the ability of Joe Robinson, battle- scarred majority leader, to keep his pon- derous phalanx of 76 Democratic Sen- ators in line, The Senate is proverbially refractory. It is especially addicted to getting out of hand on foreign affairs How it will react to Rooseveltian neu- trality proposals is correspondingly prob- lematical. The leader of the House ma- Jority will have his troubles, too, in lining up his 338 Democrats for administration programs. On virtually every major proposition to be tackled, the Democrats +in Congress are men and women of many views and voices. It would be a rash prophet who would predict that they can be easily harmonized. The stage, on which the curtain is about to rise, is therefore set for embattled and possibly embittered scenes. As of yore, prophets already are abroad who predict a legis- lative season so cantankerous that it will stretch well into hot weather. * % *® x Unless peacemakers do their stuff betimes, 1937 may rival the big strike year of 1922, when altogether, at one time or another, nearly 1,000,000 workers in the mining, railroad and textile indus- tries quit their jobs. Because of the numerous trades interlocked with auto- mobile production, including coal, some authorities foresee the possibility of an- other 1,000,000 idle men within a rela- tively early period. Federal authorities, especially those whose interests are di- rectly concerned with business improve- ment, are deeply chagrined over the acknowledged strike threat to recovery. At present, so far as publicly known,, administration activities in the menaced industrial fields are confined to .the mediation_efforts of Secretary of Labor Perkins. But prediction is common that if the unrest in the motor world and allied branches reaches the vast propor- tions now threatened, President Roose- velt might deem it desirable to cast his personal influence into the scales on behalf of pegce. Politicians are certain of one thing—that the strike ‘epidemic comes along at a mement when it is certain to give strong impetus to new congressional projects for collective bar- gaining, minimum wages and maximum hours. L According to an Austrian dispatch to the Jewish Daily Forward at New York, former King Edward VIII has decided to write & book about the Jews. It states that he will seek to disprove the accusa- tions snd expose the plots of the Nazis and other European anti-Semites. For research purposes the Duke of Windsor is said to have ordered a number of important works dealing with the Jewish question in order to familiarize him with the situation in all parts of the world. He will also have the agvantage of the extensive Jewish library of the Baron Rothschild, who is now his host at Castle Enzesfeld. According to the Daily Forward, several of the duke’s friends advised him against writing such a having replied: “To be familiar with the perpetration of wrongs and injustice and not to protest publicly against them, one must be a coward, and that I have never been.” The abdicated monarch is reported to have selected as a title for his forthcoming volume “I Serve,” his- toric slogan of his royal coat of arms, * % K % If Chairman Landis carries out his reputed plan to leave the Securities and Exchange Commission, to resume law- teaching at Harvard, it will be the latest of a long series of important resignations from S. E. C. during its relatively brief existence. First came the retirement of the original chairman, Joseph P. Kennedy, more or less coincident with the departure of Commissioner Ferdi- nand Pecora, and only a day or two ago the commission’s general counsel, John J. Burns, surrendered his post in order to go back to law practice. Altogether some ten or a dozen S. E. C. officials of rank have given up their jobs during the past year, including the adminis- trators of the New York and Chicago regional offices. None of them quite equaled the record of Joe Kennedy, who, soon after quitting his $10,000 S. E. C. berth, was hired by the Radio Corp. of America to do a $150,000 reorganization chore. £ * kX % Despite the slings and arrows which the G. O. P. for four long years has been hurling at brain trusters and other men of scientific and academjc lore drafted into the New Deal, New York State Republicans have just decided to try brains for reconstruction of their shattered party fortunes. They have elected William S. Murray, chemical engineer and research man, as State chairman, with a mandate to X-ray and revitalize the organization. lock, stock and barrel. It is Mr. Murray’s maiden venture in high politics, for he has spent most of his time at work in his laboratory at Utjca. Speaking in research terms, he says he’ll turn his energies forthwith to the task of seeking a success formula for his party. There will be an early test of his tactics and capacity for lead- ership during this year's legislative session at Albany. Under their new chair- man’s direction, Empire State Republic- ans are expected to pursue more liberal policies, especially toward social legisla- tion, in which field they stubbornly bucked Gov. Lehman last year. * ok Kk X Suggestions are heard that a C. C. C. program for young women may be one of the brand-new proposals sooner or later to be trotted out in Congress. It's supposed that the idea would enlist the enthusiasm of Mrs. Roosevelt. A semi- C. C. C. camp for girls, near Bear Moun- tain, New York, in which she was much interested, produced satisfactory results, and gave rise to the thought that the scheme could be usefully duplicated on a Nation-wide scale. *x %k * X New honors from his home State folks have just been paid to Senator Carter Glass, who, hale and hearty, is 79 years old today. The Kiwanis Clubs of Vir- ginia planted a young white oak tree, symbolical of endurance and strength, in Riverside Park, Lynchburg, and dedi- cated it to the veteran editor-statesman. Beside the tree is a bronze tablet in- scribed: “United States Senator Carter Glass, sturdy Virginian, statesman, pa- triot, on the occasion of his 79th birth- day, January 4, 1937.” The Senator sat blushingly through unveiling ceremonies with his son, Carter Glass, jr, and his dson, Carter Glass, 3d, while hear- :n himselt desecibed & “Virginia's A & 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. Where is the world ski champione ship meet to be held?—J. H. A. The meet will be held at Chamonix, France, from February 11 to 18, 1937, Q. What is the total amount of funds that have been raised through the anti= tuberculosis Christmas seals?—G. F. A. Up to and including 1935 a total of almost $83,000,000 had been raised through the Christmas seals anti- tuberculosis campaigns. Q. How many kinds of cheese are made in Europe and America?—H. M. A. About 150 kinds. Q. How many miles of new roads should be built in this country every year?—N. B. C. A. Highway experts say that an ade= quate roads campaign would call for the construction of 18,000 miles of surfaced highways and 8,000 miles of secondary roads annually for the next 10 years. Q. Is it true that the ideas for most inventions have been conceived by more than one person at about the same time? —H. B. C. A. There is no official record from which the question can be answered, but a list has been compiled by Dr. William F. Ogburn of about 150 major scientific discoveries which were conceived simul- taneously. Q. Please give some information about the Babassu nut.—I. A. C. A. The Babassu nut is about the size of a lenmion. These nuts are borne in bunches of 400 or more. Apart from the uses found for the shell and meal as fuel and cattle fodder, experiments have brought the oil into a widened field of usefulness in industry and pharmacy. ‘This nut grows on one of the largest palm trees of the Amazon region. The oil extracted from the nut is used largely in the manufacture of margarine. The cake and meal are used as cattle feed. The Amazonian product, especially from Para, represents a very small per- centage of the American consumption, the greater part coming from Marannao. Q. What is_the real name of Betty Jaynes, the 15-year-cld girl who made her debut as Mimi in “La Boheme?” —K. R. A. The young soprano’s name is Betty Jane Schultz. Q. What American cities have sub- ways?—A. W. A. The cities in the United States which have subways are New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Chicago has a subway system for transporting mer- chandise but not passengers. Q. A vessel named the Cyclops is now mentioned in the newspapers. Did it take the place of the Cyclops which disappeared with all on board?—A. M. 8. A. The vessel called the Cyclops which mysteriously disappeared in 1918 was an American vessel. There is in the British Navy at the present time a vessel by the same name which is a depot ship. Q. Where was McGuffey of school- reader fame buried?—D. W. A. Dr. McGuffey was buried in the university cemetery at Charlottesville, Va. Q. What 10 unions form the Committee for Industrial Organization?—E. B. A. They are: Coal Miners’ Union, Ty- pography Union, Amalgamated Clothing Workers' Union, Ladies Garment Work- ers’ Union, Textile Workers' Union, Oil Field and Gas Workers’ Union, Cap and Millinery Workers' Union, Mining. Mill- ing and Smelting Workers’ Union, United Electrical and Radio Workers of Amer- ica and Industrial Union of Marine and Shipyard Workers of America. Q. When did the expression, “corn is king,” come to popular notice?—M. D. A. Robert W. Furnas was commissioner representing the President of the United States and in charge of the Nebraska exhibit at the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition at New Orleans in 1884 and 1885. Over the Nebraska building he put up a banner with the words, “Corn 1s King.” This was challenged by the wheat, cotton, sugar and tobacco States. He was sup- ported by Orange Judd of the Prairie Farmer and the phrase became common. Q. What is mieant by the law of averages?—H. L. A. It aims to demonstrate that while the trend of human affairs cannot be forecast with certainty, it can be worked out to a considerable extent arithmet- ically by arriving at averages based on statistics relating to the event. Q. Was “David Harum” published after Westcott’s death?—E. H. . A. Edward Noyes Westcott, American novelist, was born in Syracuse, N. Y., September 27, 1847, and died there March 31, 1898. He was a banker in his native city, but compelled to retire because of failing health, spent the Winter of 1895- 96 in Italy and in the latter year com- pleted the novel, “David Harum,” which he had begun soon after his retirement from business. It was declined by many leading publishers, but when issued in the Autumn of 1898, six months after the author's death, became at once a success, reaching a sale of 400,000 copies in a little more than a year. Q. Can phonograph reading records for the blind be put on any talking ma- chine?—F. E. S. A. They cannot be used on the regular talking machines. Machines for play- ing them are specially devised. Q. How long must a person live in Canada to be eligible for an old-age pension?—A. R. B. £ A. One must have resided in that country for the 20 years immediately preceding the date of application. It is also necessary for a pensioner to be a British subject. A Rhygle at Twilight { By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton Heart Beats. When sorrow hits the very young They feel their small world shake; Laughter must cease, no song be sung, Because of their heartache. When sorrow strikes maturity, Instently in its wake Comes quickening teuch of sympathy For the whole world’s heartbreak. greatest living son.” ‘The tree is 4 years old and already 13 feet tall. It stands on a commanding knoll overlook- ing Lynchburg, the Senator's birthplace and home town. (Copyvishy, 1887.)