Evening Star Newspaper, January 13, 1937, Page 10

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON. D. C. WEDNESDAY January '".—}_9" THEODORE W. NOYES_ _........Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Compaty. 11tg At and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd 8t. Chicago Ofice: 435 North Michizan Ave. Rate by Carrier—City and Suburban, Regular Edition. d d Star e :e“ml ‘nfi.')gu;‘.f"mflnl’-h or 15c per week 'he ening Star b 43¢ per month or 10¢ per week The Su day Star- L~ 5cper copy Night Fi Night Final and Suna 20c per month Night Final Star __ 56 per montn "Collection made at the end of each month or each week ~ Orders may be sent by mail or tele- ohone National 5000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryl and Virginia. Dally and Sund: ;1 mo., 85c Dally only ; 1 mo. le Sunday only’ 40c All Other Sta afly and Sunday..l yr. $12.00 aily only__ 1 yr, $8.007 unday onl $5.00; 1 mo., yra, mo. ‘The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. “Point Three.” In its development of Point Three of the three-point fiscal formula, the fiscal report contains a premise that is rea- gonable and a conclusion that is in- credible until the facts in support are examined. Such examination permits understanding but not agreement. ‘The premise is that “District residents and taxpayers should not bear a burden of governmental cost for like services substantially in excess of that in similar American communities.” The conclusion is that “per capita costs for all normal services are lower in the District than the average in 17 comparable cities.” That conclusion is reached by includ- ing, in the comparison, the factors of debt—represented in interest payments— and outlays. Outlays, in all cities except the District, are financed “to a greater or lesser degree” by borrowing. Such elements are not strictly com- parable in a measurement of govern- mental costs, whether or not the com- parison includes the District. Outlays vary among cities from year to year and if the examination of government costs is made for a single year the result is apt to be misleading. If the comparisons cover a number of years and include the District—as in the fiscal report—it is misleading to treat outlays and interest as a part of such comparisons. The District is not permitted to assume bonded indebtedness without specific authority from Congress. That authority has been withheld under the policy of Congress to keep the District on a pay- as-you-go basis. Debt service and out- lays add enormously to the cost of gov- ernment in other cities. They may represent the penalty of extravagance, or they may have secured for the tax- payers benefits in the form of outlays lacking here. Not permitted to borrow for outlays, Washington should not be placed on a comparative basis with cities that do borrow, heavily, for financing improvements. The significant comparison is of annual cost and operation of general depart- ments. The result of such a comparison bears out the contention of Washingto- nians of the generally higher costs of gov- ernment in the Capital. For the cost of government here is shown by the report to have exceeded the average of the seventeen cities with which it is com- pared in nine of the thirteen years covered by the comparison, and was exceeded in only four—1923, 1924, 193¢ and 1935. For the year 1935, Washing- ton’s governmental cost was exceeded by the average of the seventeen cities, but taking the cities individually Wash- ington exceeded eight of them and closely approximated two of them. In functional classifications for the year 1932 (the last year for which figures in the report were completely available) Washington's cost per capita for “gen- eral government,” “health and sani- tation,” “charities, hospitals and correc- tions” and “education” was under the average, and for “protection to life and property,” “highways,” “recreation” (in- cluding parks) and “miscellaneous” was higher than the average. These excesses are those which show particularly the influence of National Capital standards and demands on governmental costs. Averages, of course, are sometimes mis- leading. Inclusion of cities notoriously high in their expenditures and not par- ticularly noted either for their efficiency or progressiveness is rather meaningless when the purpose of the comparison is to seek a reasonable level of costs among progressive, well-governed cities. In Point Three of the formula the proposed use of such an nveflge is pe- culiarly designed to prevent any pay- ment by the United States toward main- tenance costs of the Capital, and is destined likewise to discourage outlays for development. The theory of Point Three is that when the cost of govern- ment in Washington exceeds this average of seventeen cities, swelled by the in- clusion of those cities notoriously high in governmental costs and their heavy outlays with borrowed money, the Na- tional Government will pay the excess for the District. Under Budget Bureau control Wash- ington’s expenditures have been kept, in Tecent years, below reasonable levels in keeping with a systematic policy of lump- sum reduction. In future years, under this formula, such expenditures would tend to be kept down to prevent addi- tional payment by the United States. The report’s statement of its conclu- sion that costs in Washington are below other cities is apt to be misleading and practical application of the averages it uses will effectively serve'to prevent any *“excess” costs upon which a Federal pay- ment is made contingent. At 'the Top. Hollywood investigation reveals Mae West as one of the highest-salaried en- tertainers. Mae is probably a hard- working person who knows how to brow- beat a casting director or register a ringing protest against an overcharge in THE EVENING her personal grocery bill. To hiss the villain is to extend a compliment to art, and the actress manages to claim pros- perity and applause by what, in polite- ness, may be critically analyzed as a superficial assumption of moral delin- quency. Whatever may be said of her social influence, she must claim respect- ful consideration. ———— Good Management. President Roosevelt's plan for the re- organization of the executive depart- ments and agencies of the Government has as a fundamental purpose good management — better management — of the greatest business in the world, the running of the Federal Government. Under the Constitution of the United States there is but one manager, one gov- ernmental manager, in this country. ‘That is the President. While the sweep- ing changes recommended by the Presi- dent may appear to place the govern- ment, the executive administration, more exclusively within the hands of the President, he really is not to be given more power than he already has. It will merely make it easier for him to do a good management job. The executive departments and agen- cies of the Federal Government have grown up in this country much as Topsy grew, without any particular rhyme, although with plenty of reason. Congress has from time to time by statutory enact- ments provided for new governmental activities. They have been placed within the various regular departments of the Government or have been created as independent agencies. The grouping has been in some cases incongruous, with bureaus entirely unrelated comprised within one department. Now and then efforts have been made to change this. There remains, however, the fact that bureaus in one department are doing what bureaus in other departments are doing, at least in part. This has led to confusion and to overlapping of authority and work. At present there are ten regu- lar departments, headed by cabinet offi- cers, and some ninety-five independent agencies, so called. In the opinion of the President this is all wrong. He plans to have all the agencies placed under and within twelve regular departments. This seems the part of wisdom. It is certainly what any well managed private business would undertake. Undoubtedly there will be criticism of the President's reorganization plan. There would be of any plan, for when an agency of government has once taken root in a certain place any transfer to another means a decided wrench. And particularly will there be criticism of the proposal to place such independent agencies, like the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Federal Trade Com- mission and others which have quasi- judicial functions, heads. Attack is likely to be made on the President’s plan to abolish the Civil Service Commission and create in its stead a civil service administrator, di- rectly under the President. And there will be a roar from Capitol Hill, perhaps, over the plan to do away with the Con- troller General, who now has power to pass upon governmental expenditures and their relation to the law. In the place of the Controller General the President offers an auditor general, whose only function will be to make a | post-audit of Government expenditures and report annually to the Congress on illegal and wasteful expenditures, if he finds any. The auditor general is to be a creature of Congress entirely, although appointed by the President. Take it by and large, despite the at- tacks that may be expected, the re- | organization plan is sound in the main. It should result in more efficient man- agement and better service to the people. ‘The people are entitled to as good serv- ice as they can get for their money. If, however, the projected changes with regard to the independent agencies hav- ing quasi-judicial functions should result in drawing them into political control, it would be an error and result in fa- voritism rather than in good government and fair treatment. It is the President’s contention, however, that these agencies will still be in a position to continue their judicial functions undisturbed by poli- tics; that only their administrative func- tions are to be under department heads. The President’s determination to make a “career” service out of the Civil Service and to place all Government employes, except the policy-making offices, within this service, on a merit basis, should be a step in advance. His plan to pay more adequately the men and women in re- sponsible positions in the Civil Service should do much to improve that service. _— Assertions that John D. Rockefeller intends to go on living after the 100- year mark register a critical suggestion. ‘The programs from Radio City evidently do not get on his nerves, —_— Income tax collectors have been use- ful in locating gangsters and may yet serve a purpose in locating munitions bootleggers. Means for Sustained Effort. President Roosevelt, in deploring the kidnap-murder outrage at Tacoma, spoke of “the need of sustained effort in dealing with the criminal menace.” As he made this comment yesterday, the Department of Justice was engaged in its annual effort to obtain adequate appropriations with which to combat crime during another fiscal year. Those efforts, in the past, have not always met with complete success. Persistent pleas of Director J. Edgar Hoover of the Federal Bureau of In- vestigation for more men and equip- ment have met with resistance in several quarters. Economy-minded budget offi- clals have sought to keep down expenses of the F. B. I.—along with those of many other agencies. Congressignal critics of the G-men have questioned the “ad- visability” of expanding the bureau for fear of creating an “0. G.P. U.” The result has been that the F. B. L has been seriously handicapped by lack of enough agents to handle all the Fed- eral cases dumped into their hands with the admonition, “Solve them somehow,” /\ under department | When an emergency case, such as the Mattson kidnaping, arises, it is necessary to transfer agents from less urgent in- vestigations and concentrate on the “life and death” matter of the moment. That is why the bureau is far in arrears in handling routine cases. With about 600 special agents, the bureau is required to cover the entire United States and its possessions. The Metropolitan Police Department has 1,366 men with which to police the Dis- trict of Columbia alone. There are more than 20,000 policemen on the New York City force. Despite the inadequacy of its force, the F. B. L. returned to the taxpayers last year, in fines, recoveries and other sav- ings, more than $35,000,000, whereas the entire cost of operating the bureau was a little more than $5,000,000. The G-men should have adequate re- sources with which not only to keep abreast of the ordinary trend of crime, but to meet such extraordinary chal- lenges to law enforcement as the shock= ing crime in Tacoma. Perhaps the President was thinking along these lines when he emphasized the need for “sustained effort” in fight- ing crime. It is short-sighted economy to pursue any other policy. . — e Social life in the District of Columbia is so delightful that statesmen are often tempted to forget New Year resolutions, like ordinary mortals. There is especial strain on the legislator who has prom- ised his constituents he would retire each night at 10 o'clock so as to awaken ready for work at the break of day. If statis- ticians were prepared to compile sta- tistics on so trivial a subject, it would probably be found that this city has, in proportion to population, a larger sale for alarm clocks than any other town | in the world. e Discussions of intimate subjects are freely permitted among professing scien- tists. Many laymen sometimes suspect that the scientists do not know exactly what they are talking about, or at least hope so. —_——e————— It is understood that President Roose- velt desires a simple inaugural celebra- tion. It will hardly be possible to make it as simple as Campaign Manager Farley found the election itself, — ——— Suburban police are claiming better pay and seem to be entitled to it if only on the theory that after a job, a city crook’s first impulse is to break for the open spaces. —r———————— Texas has sent some great statesmen to the District of Columbia. In fact, there is nothing which Texas does not seem able to supply from mineral wealth | to a higher moral philosophy. B Diplomacy will perform a great work if it can convince popular imagination that high hats are more influential than steel helmets. T Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. New Universes. Sometimes in sorrow or in mirth We play the same old game, | In spite of theories this earth Keeps working, just the same. Astronomers observed the sky And gave each star a name. This earth 'mid talk of how and why Keeps working, just the same. With new ideas sages seek To win enduring fame. The Good Old Earth with patience meek Keeps working, just the same. So when “new universes” we Salute with glad acclaim The one We Know, were glad to see, Keeps working, just the same, Increasing Caution. “You are compelled to devote a great deal of study to certain questions.” “A great deal,” agreed Senator Sor- ghum. “You must consider popular sentiment as well as the principle involved.” “Of course.” “And is that why you are so slow | in making up your mind?” “Partly why. But the main reason for deliberation is that the longer you study any subject in which your public is informing itself, the more cautious you become about going on record with a vote.” Jud Tunkins says the man who is always talkin’ ’bout good old times is never consistent enough to insist on carrying in coal for a fire or reading the paper by a kerosene lamp. Relative Values. Whatever the ratios of money may be, The products of land seem most precious to me. To bite gold or silver would end in an ache, But a handful of wheat makes a very good cake. ‘Willing. “Is your boy Josh willing to make his way in life by the labor of his hands?” “He is just that,” replied Farmer Corn- tossel. “His one ambition in life is to be a prize fighter.” “He who is so powerful that he can always have his own way,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “should take care to have servitors who can be held responsible for his mistakes.” A Great Reformer. Sometimes+*in thought he bids you pause And nobler aims display. Sometimes he merely scolds because He cannot have his way. “When prosperity gits in full swing,” said Uncle Eben, “you’s gineter have some men mentionin’ dese times when dey had to stay unemployed as ‘de good old dags.’” 2 f> STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM MARGARET GERMOND. GROW THEM INDOORS. By Allen H. Wood, jr. Boston: Hale, Cushman & Flint. Once upon a time all houses in this fair country were blessed with a feature which was considered as essential as the roof. It was a plot of ground that served a multitude of useful purposes in the art of home making. For at least seven months in the year it flamed with the rioting colors of growing, blossoming plants. Little girls played “keeping house” beneath a shade tree or relived the adventures of Cinderella, with an old wheelbarrow serving as the pumpkin coach. Little boys became red-skinned braves as they lurked in the dense forest of a syringa bush, or marched off to wa, behind a valorous leader bearing alol the tattered remains of a kitchen apron tied to a broomstick. A rotting piece of plank from a high board fence, stuck in the ground at the head of a patch of wild violets and in- scribed with a childish scrawl, marked the last resting place of dear old “Sport,” the faithful, gentle bird dog whose death engraved the first scars of sorrow upon tuvenile hearts. A red brick, standing end-up at the back of a pansy bed and also appropriately inscribed with chalk or whitewash, marked the grave of “Buz- zer,” the beloved cat who continued to purr through the process of being dressed and ridden in doll clothes and carriage. A cobblestone, laid amid the lilies of the valley, bore testimony of respect for another pet, “Pete,” the canary. A high swing hung from the topmost sturdy branch of a tall tree and a bit of ground worn bare by the trampling of tiny feet furnished the materials for making mud pies. * k ¥ * This original outdoor theater in Amer- ica, which was a source of pleasure and entertainment for the entire family, was called “the back yard.” When Winter's chill began to penetrate the earth, the plants which were to flourish indoors were aroused from their Summer rest in the damp, shady corners of the yard and placed on their allotted window sills, stands and racks. Mounds of dead leaves and street sweepings were piled high around the roots and over the beds of those hardier varieties that were to re- main outdoors. Nature in those days did most of the nurturing of the decorative and fragrant group of her family of children. But, alas, the back yard is almost as extinct as that favorite bird of the cross- word puzzle makers, the dodo. What used to be the back vard is now a park- ing lot, a tin garage or the site of a tall pile of steel and concrete. All that actually remains of this one-time revered and cherished institution has been con- verted into a formal garden or reduced to the status of a window box, usually on the wrong side of an apartment house. The urge to grow things, however, still persists as a part of the human make-up, and even against the heavy odds of overheated rooms, impoverished earth ! and unintelligent care the things that grow make a noble effort to foster the germ of life within them. But there is no reason for any one who really wants to cultivate a back yard indoors to become discouraged because their labors yield only sickly, anemic fruits. There are few places where something that is | beautiful will not grow if given intelligent | care. There are countless varieties of blooming as well as non-blooming plants from which to select those best adapted to the rooms which they are to grace, and a little study concerning their na- ture, their earthy requirements and their care assures results that make of indoor gardening a genuinely pleasureable ex- perience, * ok k¥ In the compilation of “Grow Them Indoors,” not anything that the indoor gardner should know has been left out by Mr. Wood. The book has been writ- ten for outdoor as well as indoor gar- deners, though it is primarily a manual for the guidance of those who need to know what to grow and how to grow flowers and fernery in a room, an apart- ment, a conservatory or a house. Beginning with the fundamentals upon which successful growing necessarily de- pends, Mr. Wood gives full instructions concerning heat, light, soils, water, ven- tilation and pruning. He includes, also, complete directions for the construction of miniature greenhouses and conserva- tories where such equipment is desirable, and chapters on potting, repotting, the handling of seedlings, bulbs and cut- tings, and the prevention and cure of the diseases which afflict various speci- mens of plant life. Several hundred plants are recom- mended as desirable for indoor growing, giving a wide range of selection for al- most any type of room. Flowering bulbs, cacti and succulents, vines and a host of miscellaneous house plants afford a choice that intrigues the imagination and fosters a desire to become a house gardener whether or not the reader has ¢ "er experienced the satisfying joys of & 1.e, old-fashioned back yard. Each plant is fully described, its origin stated, its scientific as well as its com- mon garden name given and full instruc« tions for its cultivation and care are specifically related. And in addition to this manual of instruction the book also contains such information that is enter- taining as well as educational. On the back of the jacket cover, under the head- ing, “Do You Know?” the following ques- tions are listed: “How to make a snake plant flower? ‘What to do with bulbs after they have flowered indoors? Why freshly washed plants should not be left in the sun? How to grow plants under artificial light? That most house plants need resting periods? How a plant shows it is hungry? That charming house plants can be grown from a grapefruit seed, a sweet potato, an alligator pear seed? How to grow plants from leaves? Why stone plants look like stones? That cacti grow within the Arctic Circle?” All of these and many other questions are answered by Mr. Wood. The book is profusely illustrated and contains a seasonal index, an index to the plants described in the volume and a general index that fully covers the entire work. A book, indeed, that makes possible the reproduction of at least the more color- ful feature of the now defunct back yard. Princeton Prepares. From the Macon Telegraph. Princeton now is preparing to accept with examination “boys of exceptional achievement and promise,” possibly with an eye to boys of considerable displace- ment and noticeable nimbleness. o Opportunity for Educators, From the Worcester Gazette. An educator urges American college professors to rise above mediocrity. Maybe it would help to suggest that they imagine themselves in the position of foot ball coaches, at coaches’ pay. Standing and Waiting. From the Chicago Daily News. Chicago street car passengers are standing as patiently as possible on other passengers’ feet while awaiting a solution of the traction tangle, Ve (] WEDNESDA JANUARY 13, 1937, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL, True bridal-wreath was in bloom in many a garden that day. It was Spring in January. Along the sprays of the bridal-wreath shrub tiny white flowers appeared, small white blossoms touched with palest green. The least imaginative cbserver easily pictured a wreath of these around a fair brow. “That other spirea, the Van Houttei, often is mistaken for the bridal-wreath, and most often is so called by the person not precise as to garden terminology. The more widely planted Van Houttei, however, was showing only a swelling in the leaf buds. As warm as that-day was it was not enough to cause any flowers on this shrub. * % % % As far as our observations that day, there were no other real flowers or flowerets out to greet the soft air and smiling sun, after several days of rain. Flower buds of the forsythia bushes were swelling, but had not broken through. It will be remembered that this is the famous shrub whose yellow blossoms before the leaves appear is the joy of many persons. Others profess not to like it. Crocus shoots were about an inch out of the soil, but no tulips had poked thegl green noses through the moist earth. Red tips of peonies were nowhere present, much to the delight of all peony lovers, who had feared that the warmth might induce these old favorites to come into the light of day far, far ahead of their normal time. Iris shoots (new) made a brave ap- pearance in the border. Old leaves on the thousand beauties climbing rose ap- peared as fresh and green as ever. The leaves of the small Abelia shrubs also added to the green of the remarkable Springlike day, which somehow seemed to presage a storm, and a storm of snow, we feared. * *x % % The most prominent things in the ‘vard, however, were snails, slugs and angle worms. More were to be seen in a few minutes’ inspection than were present all last Summer. Warmth and heat were bringing them up and out. Snails and slugs may be accounted garden enemies. The faithful angle worm only becomes so when it increases in such great quantities that it renders the soil sour. This does not often hap- pen. The great Darwin showed how many tons of soil are sifted through the intestines of a worm in a year. This constant going over by the angle worms is what makes our garden soil friable and usable. ‘These worms come to the surface, even in Winter, if there is enough moisture | and heat to bring them up. Cold and dryness as naturally drives them down again. Persons interested in the home aquarium know what good “live food” these worms make for many | of the fishes in such tanks. Large tropical specimens can handle whole worms up to 3 or 4 inches in length. An average goldfish loves nothing quite so well. Two goldfishes tugging at one worm make an interesting sight. Smaller worms can be fed to smaller fishes. They are good food for practically all in- mates of small tanks. * ok ok Garden snails, of course, are not the sort which are used in tanks. The latter are true acquatic specimens, in several different varieties. Garden snails have shells, but there their resemblance ends. If they were put into water they would die shortly. But plenty of moisture in the garden is just what they like, Neither snails nor slugs add anything to a yard, except as curiosities to the mind which finds interest in all that is. Such a person will be willing to lose a few plants, now and then, just for the interest to be found in watching snails and slugs at work. Fat slugs, which leave a trace of silvery slime behind them, seem to be indigenous to Washington and environs. Not every place in the country will one find as many of them. A favorite old way of ending the depredations of these creatures was to sprinkle salt on them, which procedure shriveled them up right before one’s eyes. * Very warm days in Winter always give the home gardener plenty to worry about. He wonders, above all. if his tulips will come up and be killed by bitter cold which seems sure to follow such mild periods. The balance, according to Nature, must be kept, so that unusually warm days will be balanced by unusually cold ones. Perhaps more worrying is done over possible harm to tulips than anything else, but these bulbs are better able to stand such drastic changes in tempera- ture than most of the plantg in the garden, They have, above all, a curious sort of intelligence of their own, which some- how seems to warn them not to be too hasty in their emergence. course, and only a long succession of mild days will cause them to forget it. * k% ‘That old friend of the suburban gar- den, the grass, seemed to be particularly appreciative of the warmth of the day. New green was appearing everywhere under the combined happy influence of which grass plants love along with almost all the other plants under the sun. Especially in vards which had under- gone a disagreeable browning process, as a result of cold and dryness, the plentiful rains and warmer weather had done " wonders. Great patches of green gradually be- gan to creep over the ugly places. Noth- ing is more welcome to the gardening eye than this. Even the plain dangers of unseasonably warm weather in Win- ter are to be tolerated if at the same time good green comes back intc the lawn as a result. The green of grass is the wholesome and underlying green of the world. It was not for nothing that Whitman be- gan his masterpiece, “Song of Myself,” with the picture of a child running to him with a handful of blades and ask- ing him “what was the grass.” Could he have answered, the poet said, he could | have answered every other question. and | would have become, in the title of an- other of his poems, “The Answerer.” Green grass in Winter, fortunately for most of us, is not so much something to think about, requiring an answer, as something to look at and appreciate. Winter lawns are soggy and soft and easily cut up. Those who admire them will take special care of them during such periods as far as possible. They are among the pictorial triumphs of such a strange interlude in our Winter. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Apropos possible amendments to the Constitution, especiallv changes to clip the wings of the Supreme Court, Wash- ington notes with interest what the new constitution of the Philippines provides on this score. The Supreme Court of the insular commonwealth is composed | of a chief justice and 10 associate justices. All cases involving constitutionality of a treaty or law must be heard and decided by the court sitting as a bench. No measure may be declared unconstitu- tional without concurrence of two-thirds of all court members. To be eligible to appointment, a justice must be at least 40 years of age and have been for 10 years or more a judge of a court of record or engaged in law practice in the Philippines. Members of the Supreme Court and all judges of inferior tribunals hold office during good behavior until they reach the age of 70 years, or become incapacitated. The Philippines’ consti- tution is the exclusive creation of Filipino statesmen and jurists, though modeled closely on that of the United States. The official document bearing President Roosevelt’s signature, along with the certificate of adoption by the Constitu- tional Convention at Manila, now reposes in the archives of the State Department at Washington. * % k¥ Speaking of our own Constitution, that immortal parchment remains in the cus- tody of the Library of Congress, along with the Declaration of Independence, despite the special shrines made ready for preservation of Uncle Sam's most precious state papers in the exhibition hall of the National Archives Building. Archivist Connor hopes that the struc- ture some day may be intrusted with the keeping of both documents, but there’s no semblance of controversy on the sub- ject with the Library authorities. Dr. Connor’s immediate preoccupation is the assemblage under his spacious roof of that amorphous mass of Federal records, amounting to an estimated 4,000,000 cubic feet, now scattered all over the District of Columbia map. Eventually, the bulk of these records will find lodgment in the archives files and vaults. Some mem- bers of Congress think the Library is a more suitable home for the Constitution and Declaration because of evening and Sunday visiting hours. But Dr. Connor presumably would make the historic treasures equally available to wayfaring patriots in the Archives Building, already a tourist mecca. * kK X What’s wrong about running for the vice presidency of the United States? Is it a matter to which statesmen attribute little or no impertance—or wht_n The queries are suggested by the curious fact that not one of the three present mem- bers of the Senate, who have aspired to the second highest office within the Nation’s gift, includes that distinction in his autobiographical sketch in the Con- grossional Directory. Senator Hiram W. Johnson of California, Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose running mate in 1912, is silent on the subject. Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana, who had second place on the La Follette Progressive ticket in 1924, is similarly mum, and so is Senator Joe T. Robinson of Arkansas, Al Smith’s partner in 1928. President Roosevelt has no inhibitions about re- calling his ill-starred maiden venture in national politics. In his Congressional who's who, F. D. R. duly records that he was the “Democratic nomines for Vice President of the United ) | States in 1920,” when he went down to defeat with Gov. Cox of Ohio. * ¥ ¥ ¥ World War veterans hit a new high in the Seventy-fifth Congress. There are 13¢ in the House of Representatives, nearly a third of the total, and 18 in the Senate, roundly a fifth of the chamber’'s veterans' organizations, especially their alert legislative agents, sometimes called lobbyists, to believe that projects con- ceived in ex-service men's interest will continue to command respectful atten- tion. The American Legion is concen- trating at this session on its bill aiming at prevention of war-time profiteering, at drafting of the country’s man power and at placing of industry under Federal control during a national emergency. ‘The Veterans of Foreign Wars are chiefly interested in pensions for the widows and dependents of veterans. * k¥ % William S. Culbertson of Washington, former United States tariff commis- sioner, Minister to Rumania and Am- bassador to Chile, is the author of a forthcoming book entitled “Reciprocity.” Though a loyal Republican, Mr. Culbert- son is heartily in sympathy with the Roosevelt-Hull reciprocal trade program. He advocates a non-partisan approach to the problem which the administration is trying to solve through give-and-take agreements with foreign nations. In- cidentally, Mr. Culbertson gives credit to the G. O. P. for originating reciprocity, pointing out that provisions for it were features of the McKinley tariff act of 1890 and the Dingley law of 1897. * ok ok X California is now represented in the House not only by a poet laureate (her own John Steven McGroarty, one-time ardent Townsend planner), but by one of the few Americans to be elected to Congress after receiving the Congres- sional Medal of Honor. The holder of the latter distinction is one of the Hill's newcomers, Representative Edouard Vic< tor Michel Izac, who hails from San Diego. Mr. Izac, native Iowan and newspaper man, was graduated from Annapolis in 1915 and won the Congres- sional Medal and various foreign decora- tions for naval gallantry during the World War. He was forced to retire from active service in 1921 because of wounds received as a prisoner of war in Germany. * % *® ¥ It isn't often a member of the Senate gives up a job that he can reasonably hope to keep as long as he wants it. Senator A. Harry Moore, Democrat, of New Jersey may soon break with the tradition that Senators sometimes die, but never resign. Boss Hague has just announced that Moore will be the Demo- cratic candidate for Governor of Jersey this year, though only in the midst of his first term in Congress. The Senator will retain his present post during the campaign. He has already served two terms as Governor. Under New Jersey's constitution a Governor is ineligible im- mediately to succeed himself. Senator Moore is only the third Jerseyman elected to two terms at Trenton. If he makes the grade in November, he will be the State’s first three-term executive. His friends understand that Moore prefers gubernatorial life to senatorial fleshpots. * kX % “The Woodrow Wilsons” is the title of a book scheduled to appear this Spring under the guthorship of Eleanor Wilson McAdoo, who has written an intimate, ] I They are in their dormant period, of | aphroximately 250 feet long and weigh the warmth and moisture, two things | membership. Such figures encourage the | | he was | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How many automobiles were reg- istered in 1936?—C. M. A. Motor vehicle registrations reached 28,500,000 in 1936. P Q. At what age is the Long Island duckling marketed?—H. G. A. When about 10 weeks old. Lon Island farms furnish about 80 per cen of the commercial crop. Q. How recently has a cardinal of : nationality other than Italian bee elected Pope?—N. S. A. The National Catholic Welfare Con- ference says that the last non-Italia Pope was Adrian VI, whose pontifica: lasted from January 9, 1522, to Septem- ber 14, 1523. He was a Dutchman named Adrian Dedel, born at Utrech Netherlands, in March, 1459. Q. Is mail going to Germany openc” before it reaches the person to whom . is addressed?—J. H. A. In order to control the currency both incoming and outgoing mail i censored at the present time in Ger- many. Q. Please give some information abou | the new Hiram Walker Canadian Clu electric sign in Chicago.—W. H. A. A total of 8,722 lamps is requirc: for the sign. It has 1599 feet of neon | tubing, four miles of electric wiring anc 900 feet of high-tension cable. It is 225 tons. The letter C in Canadian Club is 33 feet high, while the smallest letters in Inc. are 12 inches high, Q. Did Flotow write “The Last Ro:~ of Summer”"?—G. W, A. It was interpolated in Flotow's opera, “Martha,” but the lyric is the work of Thomas Moore. The air is an ancient one. Q. What the “Ropish Plot"? F.D. M. A. This was a fictitious plot impli cating the Duke of York and others i high places, invented by Titus Oatc (1678) who alleged that the Catholic were about to massacre the Protestants, burn Lohdon and assassinate the King Some 30 innocent persons were executesd and Oates obtained great wealth by re- vealing the supposed plot, but ultimately pilloried, whipped and im- is prisoned. Q. What did Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach | pay for the Button Gwinnet letter and same pages of the “Pickwick Papers?” —F. W. A. The collector acquired the Button Gwinnet letter for $51,000 and five pages of the “Pickwick Papers™ for $37,500. Q. What is the name of the man in New York who makes a hobby of raising blue gentians?—H. R. W. A. Dr. George F. Norton of Norwich, N. Y. has nearly five acres planted in these flowers. On receipt of postage he will send a package of seeds and planting directions to any one who can plant the seeds in a place provided with perfect | drainage and constant moisture. Q. Please give some information about James A. Herne—H. F. A. The actor and dramatist was born at Troy. N. Y, in 1840. He appeared in his own pl among which Hearts of Oak.” “Margaret Flem- The Rev. Griffith Davenport” “Sag Harbor.” His rural comed; Acres.” was one of the most successful dramas of the American stage and was played for six years. Mr. Herne was an actor of great ability and a successful stage manager. He died in 1901. Q What is the name of ginning. “Grow old along best is yet to be?"—E. W, A. It is “Rabbi Ben Ezra,” Browning. the poem be- with me, the by Robert Q. Are any of Cristofori's pianos in existence?—P. S, A. Cristofori. a harpsichord maker, in- vented the piano. Two of his pianos are known to be in existence. One dated 1720 is in the New York Metropolitan Museum; the other, dated 1726, is in the museum in Florence. Q. What is a sizar?>—T. H. K. A. A sizar is an undergraduate of Cambridge or of Trinity College, Dublin. who receives a grant from the college to assist in paying his expenses. Formerly sizars were expected to undertake cer- tain menial duties now performed by college servants. The name is taken to show that one so assisted received his sizes or sizings free. Q. How much does it cost to preparc the engraving for a new postage stamp? —R.E. T b A. It costs from $300 to $500. depend- ing upon the size of the stamp and amount of detailed work. Q. When will Venus be the brightest this year?—A. L. A. Tty will reach its greatest brilliancy in the evening sky on March 12 and in the morning sky on May 23. Q. Who has been appointed to the United States Senate to fill the seat of the late Senator Peter Norbeck of South Dakota?—M. R. A. Herbert Hitchcock, Democratic State chairman, has been appointed to serve until the election in 1938. o A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton A Memory. A driftwood fire burning All lavender and blue Has set my whole heart yearning For you—for you. Do youy, too, still remember That night so long ago When every soft-toned ember Held a -heart-glow? ‘We'd taken a wrong turning, Snow covered all the earth, A driftwood fire was burning Upon the hearth Where we found shelter. Hours Flame died and rose anew— Till love shed sparkling showers ‘On me—and you. informal account of Woodrow Wilson as a father. Mrs. McAdoo reminisces about her earliest memories in Princeton and carries her story through the years of the World War. (Coprright, 0379