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THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, JAN ARY 14, 1937 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. ---January ll, 1937 THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company. ilta Bt and Pennsylvanis Ave. ek 110 East 42nd Bt. ehm'"r:onc- 35 North Michigan Ave. Rate by Carrier—City and Suburban. Regular Edition, The Bvening and Sunday Star 5c per month or 15¢ per week The Eienink S ot month or 10g per week ‘The Su 'day Star. ¥ copy Night Final Editien. week. lhanc National 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virsinia, All Other States and Canada. 1 !r. u';no 1 mo., ’IM $0% = a8 s Amsociated P xclusively entitled to e abiication of all news dlspatches Teserved. Tax Comparisons. Of all the conclusions of the fiscal report, those tending to show that Wash- ington is greatly undertaxed, in com- parison with seventeen cities, are prob=- ably the most damaging in their possible effect upon the local community. If ac- cepted as accurate or even reasonable, Washington could be blistered with new and heavier taxes merely on the assump- tion that its people have been escaping a fair tax burden. The comparisons are unjust, in the first place, because they include State taxes and debt payments which enter into local taxes elsewhere, but are not applied here. Washingtonians do not receive all the benefits (and none of the vital powers) of Statehood for which State taxes are levied elsewhere; nor is Washington permitted to incur the indebtedness, wisely or unwisely as- sumed in other cities. There are ad- vantages and disadvantages in both pay-as-you-go policies and bonded debt policies. But the city which follows one method is not strictly comparable with the city that follows the other, if the purpose of the comparison is to indi- cate a fair or reasonable burden of taxation. But aside from the methods used in the comparison, which are of themselves subject to close examination, let us ex- amine some of the conclusions. If the conclusions are faulty, something is wrong with the method. Baltimore being the nearest large city to Washington, and approximating it in Maryland environ- ment, and one of those compared with | ‘Washington by the report, it is chosen for discussion here. The report, by many theoretical cal- culations and assumptions, concludes that real estate in Baltimore is assessed at about 98 per cent of true value on the average, while similar property in Wash- ington is assessed about 90 per cent on the average. If that conclusion is even approxi- mately correct, under ordinary circum- stances it should follow that the total real estate assessment of Baltimore, which is a larger city with many indus- tries, should exceed the real estate assessment in Washington. Fof Balti- more is not only larger in total area than ‘Washington, with a population of about 16.2 per acre as compared with 12.4 for ‘Washington, but does not have nearly as large a percentage of property ex- empt from taxation. The taxable area in Baltimore is 49,941 acres, compared with the taxable area of 29,489 acres in ‘Washington. Its taxable area, in other words, is 59 per cent greater than Wash- ington, and this taxable area includes many large industries not permitted here, What are the actual real estate assess- ment totals? The Census Bureau (1934) gives them as follows: i P ‘Washington, $1,168,252,220. Baltimore, $1,109,448,188. These totals, bear in mind, are not estimates or theoretical suppositions, They are the actual figures. It is difficult indeed to believe that they reflect an actual 98 per cent ratio of assessment in Baltimore as compared with a 90 per cent ratio in Washington. Let us make another test. The re- port concludes that the “effective” tax rate in Baltimore, which is the theo- retical rate paid on each $1,000 of as- sessed value, is about twice as high as in ‘Washington, although no average effec- tive rate for all types of property is given. ‘Well, if that is true, the actual, not esti- mated or theoretical real estate tax levy in Baltimore ought to be substantially higher than in Washington. But here are the Census figures: Baltimore, $22,427,313. ‘Washington, $17,523,783. The actual tax levy in Baltimore is only about 27 per cent higher than ‘Washington’s, although Baltimore’s pop- ulation is about 53 per cent higher than ‘Washington's. When the element of pop- ulation is taken into account by reduc- ing the tax levy to per capitas, the fol- lowing results obtain: Washington, $32.75. Baltimore, $27.45. Keep in mind the report’s picture of Baltimoreans bearing a tax burden about twice as heavy as Washingtonians and then examine what larger Baltimore re- ceives in total taxes and special assess- ments compared with Washington. Here are the Census figures: Baltimore, $35,516,320. ‘Washington, $28,579,084. And when the difference in population s equalized in the form of total taxes and special assessments per capita, we have this result: Washington, $53.42. Baltimore, $4347. Buch comparisons, made with actual, not theoretical or -at estimates e the besis of indicate that | through education, the report's conclusions as to the low tax burden in Washington are seriously open to question and are not to be accepted as fact. China’s Own Opium War. China is engaged in another opium war. It is not, as in 1839, fighting & foreign power over the question of importation of the drug, but is fighting its own people for its use. It is execut- ing habitual users and peddlers of the product of the poppy. The other day one man was shot in Peking for selling opium, with some ceremony of execution, and now comes a report of the shooting, at the Temple of Heaven, south of the main city, of five men for the same offense of peddling the drug. The killings were preceded by the burning of some 10,000 ounces of assorted narcotics. After the executions, which were witnessed by a crowd estimated at 50,000 persons, the authorities gave warning that addicts would be given another chance to prove themselves cured, but that “the clean-up would steadily increase in severity.” China was not originally a poppy-pro- ducing country. Its cultivation in other lands led to its introduction into China by Arabs as early as the ninth century, its use being chiefly medicinal. Later it came in quantities from India and by the second half of the eighteenth century the imports reached large proportions. The first attempt by the Chinese gov- ernment to check the use of the “dream drug” was made in 1729, though there was no serious attempt te enforce the edict then issued. In 1757 the East India Company acquired a monopoly of the opium trade of India and extended its operations into China. In 1796 China prohibited importations. But Chinese edicts were one thing and enforcement was another, and the traffic increased, through the connivance of officials, and during the period between 1816 and 1836 the importations trebled. Finally, in 1939 the Chinese government seized cargoes of opium on board British ships in the harbor of Canton and the “opium war” resulted. China was defeated and was required to cede Hongkong to Great Britain and to declare five ports open to trade. In 1858 China placed opium on the list of Jawful imports, Meanwhile poppy growing and opium manufacture had been started in China itself and increased until in 1900 more than 45,000,000 pounds of the drug were produced in that country, while more than 7,000,000 pounds were imported from India. The habit had fastened itself upon a great percentage of the population and has not since been abated despite occasional, spasmodic and ineffectual attempts at repression. Now it has become a curse upon the Chinese people and much of the ineptitude and inefficiency of the population is attrib- uted to this influence. It is too much to expect that this severe treatment of the opium users will be continued. To shoot all the addicts in China would more than decimate the land. Nor is it likely that the execution of peddlers of the dmug, even in large numbers, would put an end to or appre- ciably diminish the addiction. The habit is too long maintained, too deeply rooted in the people to be corrected by even such drastic measures. Nor is there much hope for immediately effective results for the Chinese temperament has become deeply affected by the long maintained indulgence in the “dream smoke” of the poppy. These executions are characteristically Chinese in their conception. The spec- tacle of the use of the broad marble steps of the once sacred Temple of Heaven as a slaughter arena is one of those things that make China so baffling a problem in human psychology. —_———e——————— Men of all nationalities are said to be fighting on either side at Madrid. Plans for eventual peace might be furthered if this turbulent demonstra- tion could be scientifically studied as & miniature representation of a world war. —_—————— ‘The latest report from Congress is fo the effect that Uncle Sam’s fiscal rela- tions with the District of Columbia are strained. . Goering in Rome. Events are moving so kaleidoscopically on the European stage that it is difficult to fathom what is really going on behind the shifting diplomatic scenes. The sit- uation continues to be dominated by the strife in Spain and its incalculable con- sequences, Despite the lip-service which the powers are rendering to non- intervention in the Fascist-Communist war, it is notorious that partisans of the rival ideologies, primarily Soviet Russia, Germany and Italy, are giving the bel- ligerents incessant military aid through “volunteer” troops, munitions, financial support and various other means. That & European crisis in the form of a general ‘war has not resulted is nothing less than & miracle. The recent incident over purported German aggression in Spanish Morocco disappeared as suddenly as it arose. France and Germany have exchanged assurances of peaceful intent and laid the foundations of an economic entente. The London non-intervention committee is going through the motions of rededi- cating itself to the hitherto hopeless task of keeping foreign hands off the Spanish imbroglio. In the midst of these fluctu- ating conditions, Gen. Goering, Hitler's second in command, has arrived in Rome. The precise purpose of his visit is not disclosed. It is not a wild guess to suppose that his primary object is to explore the extent to which Hitler's relations with Mussolini have been affected by the Anglo-Italian Mediter- ranean pact. Goering must also yearn to ascertain whether Rome and Berlin are still in accord on the Spanish civil war. In pursuance of their covenanted mutual antipathy to communism, they Jointly recognized the rebel government at Burgos. Franco’s defeat would be a corresponding blow to the prestige of both dicta ps. Undoubtedly Goer- ing now lua’ to consult I Ducs as to what should or can be done to save the Fascists’ Spanish protege. While there is no reason to suppose that Mussolini plans to sunder his ties with Hitler, Il Duce remains unalterably | opposed to two of Der Fuehrer'’s ambi- tions—incorporation of Austria within the Nazi orbit and establishment of & German foothold on the Mediterranean. The Germans are increasingly conscious of the Reich’s isolation which truculent Nazi foreign policy has brought about. It may be taken for granted that Goer- ing’s Roman mission is designed to per- suade the Italians that in combination with the Germans there is advantage to be reaped for both countries in the European and African developments just over the horizon. Maneuvers to restore Germany’s colonial empire are the next item on the Nazi program. Goering is expected to disclose Hitler's schemes and hopes in this direction and to seek Italian support of them. e A new and encouraging influence is exerted by the silk hat, which when worn in a street parade has peaceful promise not conveyed by a steel helmet or any other kind of war bonnet. e Secretary Perkins is prepared in the present emergency to call on President Roosevelt to assist in a practical test of personal popularity as an economic in- fluence. e Study of fiscal relations should be pur- sued in a manner that will not leave the District of Columbia so frequently in a position to feel like a distant and poor relation. A strike is a form of demonstration which is never entertaining, though often instructive and calling for the large tuition fees experience usually re- quires. ——.—— Human nature being what it is, a gentleman calling himself a liberal some- times develops obvious inclinations to harbor some ancient traditional prej- udice. —_—e—————— If Communists get too far in the Orient Japan may be tempted to borrow W. 8. Gilbert's “Mikado"” as comparative= ly sane social science. ——————.——— Treaty violations are charged. This gives renewed vitality to the idea that a treaty is more or less related to a New Year resolution. e vt An ominous impression gathers that there may be plans for making the Straits of Gibraltar as interesting in a fightirig way as the River Rhine itself. —————— Like other Igrelgn agitators, Trotzky probably pauses from time to time to think of good old days and his happy little home in Harlem. s Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Maris Brotherhood. As we grow more sentimental ‘When our fellow man we view We observe sensations dental With our teeth on edge anew. As we view the illustrations That are scattered far and wide We are proud of our relations! Here's another homicide! See the pictures in the papers! Read the columns as they wail! ‘Who has won with lofty capers Notice that will thus prevail? All men are as brothers rated And we feel a family pride As once more we see it stated, Here's another homicide! A Case for Calmness. “What ideas have you for hastening prosperity?” “I don't believe,” said Senator Sorghum, “that there is any way of artificially hurrying prosperity. It's like a chicken in the evening that naturally wants to come home if you don't scare it off into the tall trees by tryin’ too hard to drive 1t.” Jud Tunkins says he lost his taste for tobacco early. "He once had & drummer give him a fifteen-cent cigar. It made him sick and he found later that the drummer was discharged for too big an expense account. Versatility. Now may the merry Congressman Select a comic text, And say, “Let’s all laugh while we can, We may get angry next. Let’s send away the shapes of care Which round our pathways slip. Before our wrathful souls we base, Let’s have a comic strip.” Feature of Municipal Charm, “What's the new building going up on High street?” “That’s a skyscraper,” answered Cactus Joe. “Do you need a building of that size?” “After a good deal of debate the City Council decided it was necessary. We had to do something to keep folks that want to look at the tall buildings from passin’ Crimson Guich ‘up an’ goin’ on through to Chicago.” “He who knows when to say nothing,” said ‘Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is as one who by adding a cipher to 1,000 may increase its value tenfold.” The Universal Poem. He who is thrilled when blossoms rise To borrow beauty from the skies, Or finds & pleasure in the glow Of sunlight on the silvered snow, Or pauses & great hymn to hear ‘When winds are sounding fiercely near, Like each of us, of life & part— He has a poem in his heart. “Tell de truth,” said Uncle Eben, “but don’t imagine it's yoh business to be & prival ve an’ find out all de dat’s ' on. THE POLITICAL MILL BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. Pandora, in mythical days, started samething when she opened a box full of toubles, President Roosevelt certainly started something on Tuesday when he sent to Congress his recommendations for the reorganization of the Federal Gavernment's administrative and execu tive agencies, It was a foregone conclu- sion that any drastic reorganization plar would bring complaints. Within 24 hours after the President’s recommenda- tions, and the accompanying Brownlow committee report had been given pub- ncm, the critics were on the warpath, * K ok X If the President is to get his reorgan- izatin plan through Congress at the present session, it seems clear he will haw to exert much of his admittedly grest influence. Nearly all the members of Congress are willing to admit that a reomganization of the executive branch of the Government is & crying need. Few of than are ready to agree how this re- organgation shall be made. In addition, the Puesident’s plan is so all-inclusive and gas so far that the enemies of cer- tain festures of the plan, if they combine, are likdy to be an effective opposition. ‘The Jans to abolish the office of con- troller eneral as it is now established and todo away with the Civil Service Commision have been singled out par- ticularly for attack on Capitol Hill. But there Wil be other points of attack, among them the proposal to place some of the bng-time independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Intestate Commerce Commission under heids of the regular departments, There is,too, a strong demand in cer- tain quaters for the elimination of some of he governmental agencies, set up during the period of the depression. ‘The planto place these agencies in the permaneni structure of the Government meets with their strong opposition. * % * x The Preddent’s message transmitting his reorganzation plan to Congress was couched ir strong and emphatic terms. He likenedthe need of governmental re- organizatio| better to serve the people with the sruggle which the founders of the courry made for freedom from political tyrainy. Judging from the mes- sage, the Praident not only feels strongly on the subjet, but he intends to make it one of themajor issues of his second term in offid. His praise of the report of the Bromlow committee, officially known as v President’s Committee on Administratie Management, was un- stinted. He leclared it would be recog- nized as a grat document in the years to come, * ¥ ¥ % The Presidet might, with considerable effect, try wittmembers of Congress the plan he has aopted with the Washing- ton corresponents. When he has a budget to sensto Congress, or & plan for the reomaization of the Govern- ment, he anrouces there will be a “sem- inar,” attend:d )y the representatives of the press. Befor the seminar begins the correspondents re furnished with copies of the documeni which are to be sent to Congress, with he understanding they will be held in anfidence until they are delivered. The nwspaper men are given a couple of hourgo scan the documents —to do their “hme work"—before they are ushered intcthe presence of the President in the eecutive offices. Chairs are brought overrom the White House and ranged in ing lines. When the school room is “iled with the corre- spondents, the Pisident goes over in detail his recommndations. He gives invariably a clearsxplanation of what he has recommendi, with enough back- ground to furnishthe reasons for his proposals. Then, { the conclusion of his statement, thecorrespondents ask | questions. This isthe plan which he | has adopted with th press before send- ing in his budget lessages for several years, and this was je plan he adopted before sending his rerganization recom- mendations. * * % Seated near the tesident at these particular conferencesvith the press are the heads of departmnts and some of their experts. Occasioylly when a ques- tion dealing with someletail is asked the President calls on the to make an ex- planation. But, geneilly speaking, the President is able to anyer with remark- able exactitude everyjuestion that is propounded. At the rent seminar on the recrganization plamil the members of the cabinet were pnent and heard the same explanation { the plan as the newspaper men—althugh the Presi- dent had earlier met wit his cabinet on the same subject. IL4is Brownlow, chairman of the Presidit's Committee on - Administrative Maigement, also was present—at the Pretsient’s elbow— and was asked by the Pisident to ex- plain several points in thgecommenda- tions. A seminar, by the ay, is defined in the dictionary as “a grep of students pursuing an advanced couk of study in a college or with a speciateacher.” In this case the special teachejs the Presi- dent himself. No other Citf Executive has undertaken to give suchixplanations' of his recommendations tohe press. EEER James M. Curley, until ernor of Massachusetts, stormy petrel of Bay Stat years. He has more friendi-and more enemies—than any oth ocratic leader in the State. Now & then his enemies believe that they last of him politically. has bobbed up again as Mayor of Boston—after fights. Four years ago he Governor, although a d was made o head him off. * ber he was defeated for. United States Senator, althgth Presi- dent Roosevelt carried the | plurality, ~His failure was to the number of enemies who sim| d not support him, although he oupied a prominent place on the ocratic ticket. This year, however, is to seek again election as Mayor ¢Boston, according to the present-day p. On the day Gov. Curley stepti out of office—which was only last week-he got married. Not only was he mared, but his bride came to the State Hole for a visit just. before the newly el Gov- ernor, Charles F. Hurley, to be inaugurated. The visit of bride caused more of a sensatioh tin the inauguration of the new Gyernor. ‘There was a big crowd with a bgs band to do her and “Jim” Curléy hof, Now the Democrats who do not fbr Mr. Curley are saying he might ha: ed any other day in the year to be ed and left the new Governor to the limelight on his big day. There :ven talk of making the incident an Hf the next mayoralty campaign, u lgy becomes a candidate. * ok x % Representative Ludlow of Ind just published a book entitled “H Heaven,” written expressly for th pose of aiding in the drive for hipro posed constitutional amendment tgive the people of the United States theght to vote on war before war is deecked By such an amendment to the Cdti- tution Mr. Ludlow hopes to makd a prospect of war o remote as jpbe alb negligible, In his book he agxasedh ently Gov- been the litics for ‘The common cold should be treated first of all vith a good dose of common sense. ,If this is done, Nature or the doctor, or both, may step in with good effect. ‘What is conmon sense, in regard to this distressing malady, will depend upon the individual. It is an unfortunate thing that & cold, the grip, influenza and pneu- monia all begin in about the same way. A common sense procedure which has “worked” with one person will stand a very good chance of getting results with another, provided it is adapted to the needs of the other, It may be supposed that there are some people who, by reason of susceptibility to the common cold, have had a greater opportunity to study it than the general run of mankind, whose members say, “Oh, it's just a cold.” Experience, however, means little, in such cases, unless the person concerned has an investigating turn of mind, a desire to think about a subject and to be honest in his observations. If such a person evolves a scheme of fighting colds, and gets results with it, in himself, he may think, with some jus- tice, that his plan would help other people, * % In presenting the following specific measures for fighting a cold, to be fol- lowed later by general measures, a cold sufferer has cut down his own incidence from five very severe colds per year, in the old days, to one very light one. In the treatment of this annual case, however, he uses all his cold-fighting artillery, just the same as if it were to be the worst one he ever had. If more persons would look upon each cold they “catch” in a similar way, there would be fewer “bad” colds, because no one, not even a physician, can tell at the beginning of such diseases just what is going to happen. Most colds are “caught” during the day, hence when the sufferer gets home from the daily work is the best time to begin treatment. A sneeze, contrary to common opinion, is not the best sign of an oncoming cold. ‘The sure sign is a curious, indescribable feeling around the eyes. Once realized, this is a sure-fire sign. Another little regarded sign is & keen desire for heavy foods, such as meats, macaroni, bread- stuffs, especially if one is not overly fond of these in health. Another little regarded sign of an impending “cold” is a tendency to become easily irritated and angry over trifles. * ¥ ® % Suppose one arrives home from work at 5:30 p.m. Walk immediately to the kitchen and mix the following: Put the juice of half a lemon at the battom of a glass, which is then filled ahout three-fourths with water. Now add a level teaspoonful of ordi- nary bicarbonate of soda, or cooking (baking) soda. This makes a fizzy, not unpleasant drink. One soon sees why the tumbler is not filled completely with water. Down this concoction as quickly as possible and then take the taste out of the mouth by drinking about a fourth or even half a glass of clear water. This complete dose is to be repeated twice more, at half-hour intervals—at 6 o'clock and at 6:30 o'clock. This will mean that in the space of an hour one consumes three level tea- spoons of soda and the juice of a lemon and a half in three glasses of water, This dosage should be observed scrupu- STARS, MEN Jously, and especially the spacing. If this procedure is followed, it will be well to keep carefully in mind thut s tea- spoon is the measure; and it should be only level. * % % ‘This dosage, if carefully followed, will leave one feeling tremendously empty and even hungry, but the temptation to eat shoud be resisted for an hour, and even then only the very smallest amount of food taken. A glass of orange juice and a glass of milk, taken in alternate sips, and mixed in the mouth, make an effective meal while fighting a cold. ‘The second step is to get in bed and stay there. To go out for the evening, Just because one is hardy enough to do it, is a foolish risk, and one which sub- Jects others to the possibility of catching Yyour cold, On retiring—and this should be early— take just one aspirin tablet. Some people think they cannot take these, so a 2-grain capsule of quinine may be taken instead. ‘Then wrap up in blankets and keep as ‘warm as possible. If this means shutting the windows, by all means shut them. ‘The idea is to work up an old-fashioned sweat, and to keep on sweating all night. ‘This must be followed in the morning, of course, with a lukewarm bath, followed by a cool rubdown. Even the most sensi- tive person can take a cold bath if he adopts the old procedure, commonly called in the country district “a rag bath.” Even icy cold water, applied on a wash cloth, can be endured by almost any one, especially if the cloth is wrung out each time. If one believes in the use of a laxative, —and there is every reason to think it a good step—this is the time to take it. A saline one is perhaps most helpful in this condition. * ¥ ¥ % ‘The next step is to stay home. It is better to stay home two days, or even three, and cure the cold, than to go downtown with a fever, “give” the malady to countless persons, who mostly are one’s friends and good acquaint- ances, and then be forced in the end to stay in bed for a week or more with severe complications. Nothing is more shostsighted than the average American’s desire, encountered everywhere, to stay on his feet when suffering with a cold. If this habit could be broken—and it is entirely a mental habit—millions of dollars could be saved every year and thousands upon thou- sands of hours of needless suffering. If one has enough sense to remain at home, and preferably in bed, in order to allow Nature to use all her resources full time, the next thing to do is to keep warm, It is not for nothing that a cold is so named. Sustained warmth is Nature's best remedy, and only the victim can insure this in any given case. A minor phase is to clear the nose, if possible, by inhaling, by spraying, or other feasible methods. This makes the patient feel better and more at ease im- mediately. ‘Too much dosing and spraying are to be avoided. Above all, eat lightly. Orange juice is still the one best bet, for most persons, with a little milk, if acceptable. To eat large meals, while suffering with a cold, is simply to feed it. The old idea, that one should “feed a cold” is all wrong. It is based on a misreading of the old saw, which really runs: “If you feed a cold, you will end up by being forced to starve a fever.” The real pro- cedure is to more or less starve both, AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. A virulent poison was belched from the depths of the earth 120,000,000 years ago. = There was an era of great volcanic activity over a large part of the West during the Cretaceous geological period, when the great dinosaurs still were wal- lowing in the marshes, during which large quantities of selenium, twin sister of sulphur, were deposited over the land. As a result there are extensive areas found today whose vegetation is poison- ous to live stock and, if eaten in suffi- cient quantities, to man. Such is the latest finding announced by the Bureau of Chemistry and Soils of the Depart- ment of Agriculture to account for the so-called “poison belts.” ‘The bureau’s investigators found that in nearly every place where selenium ex- isted in more than negligible quantities the s0il was derived from formations known to geologists as Pierre and Nio- brara shales. These resulted largely from Cretaceous volcanic eruptions. Traces of selenium were found over large areas in Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. In most of these States the amount was not sufficient to cause damage. The amount of the poisonous element in solls throughout this range, the chem- ists concluded, probably was a function of rainfall. It is negligible where there is enough moisture to allow percolation through the soil. The problem appears to be most serious in regions where the annual rainfall is less than 20 inches. Extensive surveys now are being eon- ducted to determine the amounts of the element in other agricultural regions of the United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. It is known that the element is widely distributed throughout the world, but usually in such negligible quantities that no attention is paid to it. “Selenium,” says the Bureau of Chem- istry and Soils report, “is a twin sister of sulphur. It came into notoriety rather suddenly after nearly a century of re- search for the cause of such troublesome live stock diseases as alkali disease and blind staggers. Until about four years ago selenium occupied a modest place in the list of 80 or more chemical ele- ments, ranking about fortieth in order of abundance. Today it is in the lime- light because it is known to be injurious to people and animals when taken in sufficient quantities. “The main danger appears fo be with animals. Studies by the Public Health Service indicate that human beings are not apt to get enough selenium in ordi- nary diet to harm them. On the other hand, animals that feed largely on selen- iferous plants suffer such physical dis- orders as the loss of hair and hoofs. Duthtoumfltheymtomdtolm on such plants very long. mluy ln- stances acute pauoni.n: and dea sult from single doses of highly selenif- erous vegetation. “The amount of selenfjum which a t can take from seleniferous soil fact that a President of the United States might, under existing uuu, !ueetheemmfirylnwlwwm people did not desire at all. At the time he expresses the m for Bresident depends on four things—the amount, distribution and form of selenium in the soil profile; the kind of plant, the por- tion of the plant examined and the composition of the soil, especially its available sulphur content. The few ob- servations made of the distribution of selenium in plants indicate that it is higher in the seeds, blossoms and leaves; lower in the stems and least in the roots.” During the past years soils from the erosion experiment stations were studied anti examined by newly developed meth- ods for certain elements which occur only in very minute quantities and which ordinarily are not included in soil analyses. In each of the soil profiles examined were found traces of selenium, arsenic, copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc, barium, chromium and vanadium. The quantities varied from less than one- tenth of a part per million for selenium, cobalt and nickel to 708 parts per million for barium. In the past little significance has been attributed to these in agriculture, but, says the report, “it is becoming apparent that these and other trace elements play an important part in soil behavior, as well as plant nutrition and even the food value of agricultural products. There is need for more knowledge concerning the content of the trace elements in the agricultural soils of the country.” In this connection, it is revealed, the bureau is planning a comprehensive co- operative research project with State ex- periment stations and State universities to determine the effects of soil, fertilizers, climate, crop rotation, cultivation and variety of plants on tine constituents of plants and their value as food. Differ- ences in texture and taste of vegetables from various parts of the country, which have been unexplainable in the past, may be due to minute bits of certain rare elements in the soil which are absorbed by the plants and which play a notable role in their physiology. Cost of Non-Planting. From the Glendale (Calif.) News-Press. If the Government succeeds in lifting 2,800,000 tenant farmers and sharecrop- pers to the ranks of independent land owners, think of the added cost of pay- ing that many more farmers not to plant. Optimistic Centenarian. Prom the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. New York State centenarian said all he wanted in his Christmas stocking was “sbout & ton of pipe tobacco.” Being now only 103, he evidently expects to live to & ripe old age. ——r Handicaps on Abundant Life. Prom the Jacksonville Journal. In our loyalty to the administration, ‘we constantly try to live the more abun- dant life, but our creditors seem to de- light in tossing obstacles in our pathway. ‘The Loser Wins. From the Saginaw News. Chairman Hamilton, who had some- thing to do with losing an’election, is continued in a $25,000 job. Had he won the e might have been pro- moted t0 & cabinet job. 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 people are expected to _njgnd the inauguration in Washington? A. From 75,000 to 100,000 visitors are expected for the event. Q. How many Americans are flying war planes in the Spanish war?—B. N. H. A. The exact number is not known, but it is reported that there are about 10 Americans now flying in Spain. Q. How many cases are handled by the Missing Persons Bureau of the New York Police Department?—E. W. 8. A. For the 11 months ending Novem- ber 30, 1936, the Missing Persons Bureau handled 31,389 cases of missing persons and unidentified dead from all parts of the world. Of this number only 1400 cases remain unsolved. Q. Who are the “Thomas Christians"? —A. T A. 'nun name is borne by the followers of the Malabar rite because of their tradition that St. Thomas the Apostle evangelized them. Q. Do cross-word puzzles greatly in- crease the sales of dictionaries?>—P. L. K. A. In the early days of the cross-word puzzle craze, publishers of dictionaries state, there was a sharp increase in their sales, but in recent vears sales directly attributed to the fad have not been noticeable. Q. Are the vehicles used in harness racing on ice equipped with runners like sleighs?—J, W. A. Sleighs, or similar vehicles, are not used. Pneumatic-tired light sulkies of the same kind used on the dirt tracks are driven. The driver is close to the hind legs of the horse on a seat the size of an English hunting saddle. Q. Where and when is the Toy Mart held?—T. H. B. A. The American Toy Mart is held quarterly at the American Furniture Mart in Chicago in conjunction with the seasonal furniture markets. Q. Is education compulsory in Ire- land?—T. C A. Prlmary education is at the pres ent time administered by the two gov- ernments functioning in Ireland. The Northern Government has its own edu- cation department and the Free State has charge of primary education in its territory. Education in the primary grades is free and compulsory, but in many rural districts the atendance law is poorly enforced. Q. Is Marquand Late George Apley, society?—D. V. A. It is so treated by the reviewers, Q. How is it possible to communicate with the American Rock Garden So- clety?—F. R. A. Mrs. Dorothy E. Hansell is secre- tary of the organization and may be addressed at 1260 Sixth avenue, New York, N. Y. new novel, “The a satire on Boston Q. Why do apple trees bear larger fruit some years?—M. M. A. Extremes of temperature, either heat or cold, tend to check grewth, pro= ducing maturity while the apples are smaller. Amount of rainfall also has some influence on size. Q. Who were the men who captured Maj. Andre during the Revolutionary War?—W. M. A. They were three American militia- men named John Paulding, David Wil liams and Isaac Van Wart. Q. How many New Yorkers live in tenements?—H. W. A. Approximately two million residents of the city live in tenements, some of which are ™ years old and none less than 35. Q. How tall were the Prussian guards of the former Kaiser of Germany?—H. P. A. Without shoes they were 7 feet tall. Q. When were marble-topped stands and tables popular?>—O. B. A. They were at the height of their popularity in the 1870's. Q. Where is there a statue to the More gan horse?—G. N. A. The Morgan horse was developed in New England. In 1921 a statue of Justin Morgan, the progenitor of this race, was erected on the U. S. Morgan Horse Farm at Middlebury, Vt., on the 100th anniversary of the death of this famous horse. This farm of 400 acres 'was given to the Department of Agricul- ture in 1907, to be used for developing the best Morgan blood. Q. Of whom was it said when he died, “He will not like God”?—D. 8. A. The remark is said to have been made of Matthew Arnold. Q. Is India improving the quality of the cotton produced there?—G. McC. A. In recent years in India much em- phasis has been placed on fiber quality and disease resistance. As a whole, the Indian cotton crop has been improved in quality to some extent, and in certain areas where the breeding work centered and better means of distributing the new stocks of seed have been worked out, much advance has been made. The greatest improvement in staple length has occurred in the Punjab, where American upland varieties have re~ celved the widest distribution. Several well-defined wilt-resistant varieties have been developed in India lately. Franco’s Week-end Prediction, Prom the Macon Telegraph. Still, to be fair, you must remember that when Gen. Franco said he was going to take Madrid over the week end, he didn't say which one. A Rhyme at Twilight B ¥ Gertrude Brooke Hamilton In the Shadow. T used to think if you were gone from me, 1f, love, between us lay the ocean wide, Th.lt when the sun went down at even- !oxwmmydmmln‘flwulhuwym would glide mz:eumdmmdummr But you are gone. Oh, my beloved, you hide In a dark shadow wider than the sea; And T can only dream past ecstasy; an only murmur a low threnody: "Gm'l peace be yours wherever YR ., abidel” L)