Evening Star Newspaper, April 14, 1937, Page 10

A—10 T HE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1937. —_— S e A WABHNGTON, D O, WEDNESDAY, APRIL M4, 1987. . THE EVENING STAR | instinct for such work. In any event, | a German U-boat, she disappeared be- THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. With Sunday Mornlnx Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY . April 14, 1937 THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company. 1ith St and Pennsvivania Ave New York Office: 110 East 42nd 8t. Chicago ‘Cifice: 495 North Michigan Ave. Rate by Carrier—City an¢. Suburban. Regular Edition. Sunday Sta The Evening and oy enth or 15¢ per week The Evening mnr 45c per month or 10c per week The Bunday Star ___ bc per copy Night Final Edition. Night Fnal and Sunday Star. Night Final Star__ Collection made at the end entis ek Srens A D e et by mall OF telec phone National 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Vireinia Daily and Sunday__ 1 sr. $10.00: 1 mo Daily only 36.005 1 mo., Bunday only_ - 54.00; 1 mo. 70¢ per month . 85¢c Boc 40c All Other States and Canada. Deily anq Sunday. 1 yr. $1200: 1 mo. §1.00 Daily only____ . 38007 1 mo., 7oc Bunday only__. 15 8500 1 mer g0 Member of the Associated Press. The Assoclated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this Daper and also the local news published herein All righ's of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved Spending and Taxing. Senator Robinson has drawn the is- sue for what may be one of the session's significant battles in the Senate. The fate of the Federal aid to education bill by Senators Black and Harrison is in- cldentally concerned. But the point raised by Senator Robinson is that new expenditures should be coupled directly with new taxation, and that no new ex- penditures, increasing the already large deficit, should be made unless taxes are levied to meet them. If Senator Robin- son, standing on this sound policy, is able to bring about defeat of the measure, a significant turning point may have been reached in the spending policies of an administration that has not been notable in counting the cost. He has received the strongest support from the President, whose warning yes- terday of the rising deficit was coupled with the demand to department heads that endeavor must be made to curtail expenditures. While a strong effort is expected in the Senate to pass the edu- | his diplomatic attainments were au- thentic and sincere. He never pretended, never deceived. The United States has not been fortunate in enlisting the serv- ices of many statesmen of his type. He inspired confidence by being himself in even the least consequential business. Plain people were comfortable with him because he seemed consciously to wish that fhey might be natural in his presence. His patriotism and his fondness for travel proved his genius for under- standing and comprehension, and re- ligion signified -truth and beauty in his Jjudgment—he was grateful for his faith and for his confident hope. At the end he was not afraid. The only regret which troubled him was that of parting with a beloved helpmate and certain loyal friends. But he did not doubt the inevitable reunion. Past and future, he knew, are one—a portion of an un- divided infinite in which no soul is lost, no trusting spirit bewildered. . Pan-American Day. At the most popular attraction of the recent theatrical season in Buenos Aires there was a spectacular finale which featured an assembly of the flags of the twenty-one American republics, The Stars and Stripes were displayed promi- nently for the first time under such circumstances. The scene never failed to arouse conspicuous enthusiasm. Per- haps there could be no more graphic indication of the new spirit of solidarity that now links the sister states of the Americas. By universal consent, it flows from the late Inter-American Confer- ence for the Maintenance of Peace in Argentina, which placed Pan-Ameri- cenism on a basis of confidence and good will hitherto unexperienced. This happy consummation is the re- sult of the cordial response of the Latin American nations to President Roose- velt's good neighbor policy and the practical steps taken to give it effect. The United States’ action in renouncing the Platt amendment in Cuba, in with- drawing Marines from Caribbean coun- tries, and in pledging itself not to in- terfere in the internal affairs of other cation-aid bill, it is almost inconceivable | American states has thus borne solid that this new spending program will re- ceive approval in the face of the Presi- dent’s statement on the deficit. Rising in the Senate on Monday, Sen- ator Robinson ‘called attention to the fact that the Black-Harrison bill com- mits the National Government to an expenditure of about a billion d in five years. “In so far as m informed,” he said, “we have abou sources of taxation to which the Con- gress is willing and able to resort. Man- ifestly, we cannot go on extending Federal activities into new fields and spheres of action and increasing expen- ditures without making some provisions for meeting them. It seems that the time has about come—indeed, already arrived—when we should give more careful consideration to that sub- Ject.” Authorizing a billion-dollar expendi- ture, he said, means—unless the deficit 15 to grow—an increase in taxation, which, in turn, requires the discovery of new sources of revenue. And Sena- tor Borah observed that going to the precipice, economically speaking, we must stop expenditures gomewhere.” This sort of thing touches Senator Harrison in a very tender spot. He is chairman of the Senate Finance Com- mittee as well as joint author of the education bill. The rumors of new taxes bring gloom to his otherwise cheer- ful countenance. hausted the | it has | ‘if we are not | More than once, and | with more support than he can command | now from the other end of Pennsylvania | avenue, the Senator has denied the need | for new taxes. His suggestion now, response to Senator Robinson’s warn- ing, should be cut proportionately he would not object to having the educational aid appropriation cut. But what others? And when is the cutting to commence? The education aid bill is the sort of thing that has a wide appeal. Its backers in the Senate will fight hard before they see it die. Like many other proposals of the same sort, it would accomplish much good. But the cost is high and, as Senator Robinson says, “it is the one last field into which Fed- eral activity is to be extended.” En- trance into such a field is merely the signal for further expansion, and this bill begins somewhat recklessly by ap- propriating revenues on the basis of school population rather than on the basis of actual need. Until somebody tells the country where the money is coming from the bill should not be passed. —————— The disagreements of William Green and John Lewis are expected to reach a settlement without being carried through stages of judicial procedure up to the United States Supreme Court. o Larz Anderson. Larz Anderson, American citizen of distinction, has died rich in years and in honors. He was a man easy to respect, easy to admire. Few, perhaps, enjoyed his intimate acquaintance, yet many, certainly, were proud of him. He rep- resented much of what is deemed best in a democratic society. A keen intelli- gence made him reasonably liberal and tolerant toward those not so advantaged; material wealth provided him with the means and a gentle heart gave him the opportunity to be kind toward those not so privileged. He carried himself with a noble and self-respecting mod- esty all his days, but no contemporary ever could charge him with trespass upon another’s personality. In terms of character, temperament, aspiration and achievement he was an asset to the civilization of which he was part. Small wonder that his country should have sent him to be Minister to Belgium and Ambassador to Japan. Possibly, it understood that he was an ideal envoy, possessed of the talents as well as the \ is that if other appropriations | in | fruit Pan-Americanism, from the standpoint of our friends beyond the Rio Grande and the Isthmus of Panama, has at length evolved from a dream into a reality, thanks to this country’s mani- fested determination to treat the Latin republics as equal partners in the pres- ervation of American peace and in the promotion of other ideals and interests common to the whole Western Hemi- sphere. At Buenos Aires it was not found pos- sible to attain all the objectives sought. On the question of neutrality in foreign wars, an irreconcilable divergence of view developed. Failure to agree on that score did not prevent the adoption of pacts whereby the members of the Pan-American Union will, in an emer- gency, consult freely and frankly for the purpose of preserving peace as among themselves and of arriving at such united action in other directions as specific circumstances permit. There was notable unanimity of opinion and decision respecting the desirability of eradicating conditions which hamper trade and invite political conflict. It is because the peoples of the Amer- icas discovered ways and means of coping with some of the evils that pro- voke international strife and chronically threaten war that President Roosevelt and Secretary Hull have ventured to suggest the model of Pan-American amity to a strife-torn Europe. There is evidence that Old World statesmanship welcomes the proposal. This year's com- memoration of Pan-American aay hap- pens to coincide with efforts undertaken by Premier van Zeeland of Belgium, at Anglo-French behest, to explore the possibility of a European economic entente. That is a development destined to enshrine Pan-Americanism with glory and importance outrunning even its intrinsic value for the nations more particularly identified with it. A certain element of frolic has been introduced into the business of this Nation’s Capital. There are suspicions of a certain amount of mental mas- querading with Senator Ashurst boast- ing of his capacity for inconsistencies like a veritable “Lord of Misrule.” Sen- ator Wagner and the justices on the Hill are among the few who have been keep- ing their patient attention on the honest drudgery of their jobs. s As a rule successful capitalists are willing to give loyal workmen almost anything they may claim if they can only persuade labor leaders to accept it. o Titanic Remembered. Twenty-five years ago today the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic. Still unfin- ished when she sailed, the beautiful new ship was being driven “full speed ahead” in an effort to capture the Blue Ribbon on her maiden voyage. An iceberg sud- denly loomed in her path, and she struck with all the terrific force of a cosmic pro- Jectile. The loss of life was fifteen hun- dred and seventeen. Survivors to the number of seven hundred and seven were picked up by rescue ships summoned by wireless calls sent out as the stricken vessel sank. But the secondary effect of the disaster was, perhaps, even more dynamic in character than the primary shock. Offi- cial inquiries by congressional and parlia- mentary committees disclosed conditions which the international public resented. The resultant legislation in the interest of safety at sea provided what seemed at the moment a comprehensive correc- tion of existing faults in the merchant marine. Yet only a little more than two years later, on May 29, 1914, the steamer Empress of Ireland went down in the St. Lawrence River with a casualty list of one thousand and twenty-four. Then followed the destruction of the Lusitania off the southeast tip of Ire- land, May 7, 1915. Hit by a torpedo from A neath the waves in eighteen minutes with eleven hundred and ninety-eight passengers and crew on board. Within three months civilization received an- other staggering blow when the East land overturned in Chicago River and a death list of eight hundred and twelve was recorded. More recent catastrophes have been those of the Vestris, overwhelmed by a gale off the Virginia capes, November 12, 1928, with one hundred and ten cas- ualties, and the Morro Castle, burned off Asbury Park, September 8, 1934, with dred and twenty-two. In general, however, it may be said that travel by water is less hazardous now than ever before since accurate chron- icles first were kept. Thousands cross the Atlantic and the Pacific in comfort and convenience with only rarely occasional mishap. The operators and their em- ployes deserve and commonly receive credit for their efficiency. If, meanwhile, better inspection procedure is wanted, it may be had through generous provision for the proper manning and adequate remuneration of the Bureau of Naviga- tion and Steamboat Inspection of the Department of Commerce—a branch of the Government which has earned the respect of the Nation for faithful per- formance of duty in circumstances often trying. e e Maryland race tracks are expected to produce tax money for school purposes. Students located in a neighborhood of pari-mutuel machines and roulette wheels should not be encouraged to devote too much attention to branches of higher mathematics dealing with laws of chance. “Home on the Range” is still sung with secretarial sentiment at the White House, although Arizona's senatorial contingent recognizes a situation need- ing the attention of “An Old Cowhand From the Rio Grande.” o A certain amount of formality is still preserved by Postmaster General Farley and other dominant New York politicians who have not yet gone so far as to give the Supreme Court justices abrupt notice to “scram.” e The punctual work of the United States Supreme Court is the more remarkable because of the rather frivolous ir- relevances that have been intruded with the apparent purpose of confusing its attention, ——— e Members of the Maryland Legislature are not all rich men and their per diem pay 1s so small that the impression arises that in fairness somebody interested in compensation adjustment ought to do something about the matter. e Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. When Every One Gets Wise. We gain education in every class. The dunce cap is laid on the shelf. Each lad and each lass is entitled to pass In learning that shows for itself. Oh, what will become of the demagog shout Which once so successfully ruled When the world must admit, upon look- ing about, That there's nobody left to be fooled. Our general knowledge is growing so vast That we're getting well out of the woods. No jesting or song will prevent us at last From inquiring, “Have you got the goods?” Oh, what will become of the salesman refined When the world has been patiently schooled Till every one shows a superior mind And there's nobody left to be fooled? Selective Controversial Method. “You debate fearlessly on financial questions.” “Any time,” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “But I take care to select my antagonist. It is always possible to find somebody who knows less about the subject than I do.” Jud Tunkins says sometimes a man thinks he’s a great leader when he's only a runaway hoss. “To break a promise is easy,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “but it may injure your credit, even to the extent of destroying your faith in yourself.” Neighborly Regard. “I'm goin’ to love my neighbor,” Said Hezekiah Bings, “Assisting in his labor Or when he plays or sings. And yet I must be careful, For neighbors, growing less Polite and nowise pray’rful, May give me some distress. Affections are capricious, It's mournful to relate, When neighbors grow suspicious And won’t reciprocate. 1 shall not be benighted As one who humbly brings Devotion to be slighted,” Said Hezekiah Bings. Highly Paid Performer. “What is your idea of a financier?” asked the old friend. “He is a great magician,” said Mr. Dustin Stax, “who knows how to turn imaginary values into real money.” “Don’t try to ’splain what you don’t understand,” said Uncle Eben. “Jes’ act like you had settled sumpin’ an’ make de other feel dat he's de one dat’s dumb.” ——ee—. Land of Free Speech. From the Paterson (N. J.) News. Thank goodness we live in a free country, where a man may say what he thinks if he isn't afraid his wife, the neighbors or his boss will criticize him, and if he’s sure it won’t hurt his tusiness or his reputation. ) 7. a dead or “missing” roster of one hun-' NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM BY MARGARET GERMOND. ARMY WITHOUT BANNERS. By Ernie O'Malley. Boston: Houghton, Miffiin Co. In these troubled days, when in almost every country in the world alien forces are at work seeking to undermine insti- tutional forms of government by sapping the spirit of national pride which is vital to its maintenance, this heroic story of the rebirth of nationalism in Ireland is a significant reminder that where faith in the principle of liberty exists there is strength. Years, even centuries, may pass while false prophets thunder their dictums from usurped thrones to regi- mented masses whose vision has been dimmed and whose intellect has been charred by the flaming tongues of grandiloquent orators, but eventually the beautiful rainbow of words and promises falls apart. National pride may and does sink to low levels under such leadership; it may lie dormant during reigns of tyranny and oppression, but it does not die. And when aroused from its slumbers it accepts the challenge of its opponents and faces its enemies with undaunted courage, * % ok K Ireland, for those of today who have thrown nationalism into the discard in favor of some other variety of ism, is & case in point. For eight centuries the victim of conquest and reconquest to appease the vanity of political sharp- wits, to gratify a nation’s insatiable hunger for dominion or to enrich the coffers of alien treasuries, Ireland as an independent kingdom vanished. The long procession of oppressors and ex- ploiters succeeded in wearing down its people, but, perhaps to the surprise and dismay of its conquerors, the spirit of its people still lived. Its native civiliza- tion, weakened by the natural erosion of continuous invasion, gradually dis- appeared. But neither physical nor po- litical power succeeded in Killing the inherent belief of its people in their right to possess the soil and its products, and to develop the cultural, spiritual and creative characteristics distinctive of the race. Submission or surrender not being in accord with the Irish temperament, the people naturally withdrew to them- selves, living under, but apart from, the would-be lords and masters of their national destiny. Conquered kingdoms and occupied ter- ritory seldom result in the complete con- quest of a people. Ireland is an out- standing example of the spiritual tenacity of a race subdued against its will. Through generations of turmoil, through disastrous rebellions under in- adequate leaders, through hope and despair, the people of Ireland held on to the remnants of their nationalism, to the fragments of their native culture, to the spirit of unconquerable pride and valorous conduct which characterized the achievements of their ancient heroes. When, in 1916, the faint breath of a new hope gently touched the small, bright flame of nationalism, it needed only the careful and skillful addition of selected fuel to feed and spread the awakened fires of passionate patriotism. * X ok X How that spark of love for political and spiritual freedom was quietly fanned into a formidable and successful flame through an “army without banners” is the true story which Ernie O'Malley tells, not as an authentic history of the struggle which gripped Ireland from 1916 to 1921, but as an attempt to show the background of that struggle to- gether with an impartial account of events as they developed and of his own relation to them. Mr. O'Malley was born in the west of Ireland. He was living in Dublin when Padriac Pearse proclaimed that a provisional government of the Irish Republic had been formed and that “the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland and to the un- fettered control of Irish destinies” would be asserted by force of arms. O’Malley was but a boy in his teens, and not par- ticularly interested in the ups and downs of Ireland's struggle for freedom. But he accompanied a friend on a nocturnal sniping expedition against British soldiers, and when the rebel leaders of the Easter week uprising of 1916 were shot by the British after surrender, O'Malley became a convert and an able leader in the “army without banners.” which conducted five years of guerilla warfare against the British Empire. Guerilla warfare, in the public mind, is outlawry. Just why there should be so marked a distinction between a soldier fighting for a righteous cause in his own clothes and one dolled up in a uniform is a question which does not make any material difference to the layman who believes in the inherited right of man to govern himself. Ire- land's “army without bannets” was also an army without uniforms. It had to be. Also it had to be more quick-witted and more versatile in its strategy. And it was. It needed to possess the imple- ments of war, to maintain a spy system and to safeguard its plans with all the secrecy of an accredited military force. And it did, with remarkably few tragedies, considering the magnitude of its task and the odds against which it fought. Hardship, imprisonment and danger were endured and faced by the noble ununiformed army, however, with the courage and audacious spirit char- acteristic of the Irish, and victory was the reward. Not a full victory, to be sure, but a great one, nevertheless, for the people with whom the British Em- pire had been playing foot ball for far too many years. * &k X X An integral part of this extraordinary story of the struggle of a race for free- dom is the sheer poetic nature of its author. For instance: “We halted near a bank. I had heard a starling mimic a disgruntled sparrow and then the clear whistle call of a blackbird. As we watched him feed on purple blackberries there was an orange blue green flash and a petulant screech as a kingfisher slipped into yellow flags amongst the reeds at the bottom of the slope. Jerry gripped my arm: ‘Look! soldiers!” I saw two bits of khaki figures throw themselves down on the upper slope; bullets whizzed as we crossed through the thorn bushes on the bank. We spread out; rifle shots came from different directions. I saw tin-hatted soldiers rush toward a hedge. I used my Parabellum; I heard the loud, dull sound of Jerry’s Winchester. He had moved further up the slope. “Through my glasses I saw glimpses of khaki above him on higher ground; behind us was a rise of ground. I ran toward him. ‘They’re outflanking us on the right, Jerry. Get back to the rise and cover me’ I shouted. He ran quickly with bent back. I lay on the bank and fired rapidly toward where I had seen the outflanking soldiers. I reached the rise where Jerry was. Heel to heel we angled our bodies and swivelled on the low aftergrass of the slope. There was a strong, sweet smell from the clover.” Is it any wonder that this revelation of a race and story of the guerillas who revived its-long-dormant spirit of na= mr;nhmkutucmflngunhmnu- There is another bird all suburban residents will be expecting to see soon, and that is the little house wren, with its tip-tilted tail and noisy, excitable song. ‘The mystery of bird migration is never more poignant than in the face of those tiny specimens, come to us over the hundreds of miles. The chances are very large that they are exactly the same pair which lived in the house last year. The miles and the days which separated us could not keep them away. Over rivers and mountains, fields and forests, they flew away, so0 little that practically no one noticed their travels. Over rivers, fields, forests and moun- tains they will return to us, precisely back to the same little hut atop the arch. ‘Won't that be mystery enough for one day? * ¥ ¥ % It is the day every subruban gardener waits expectantly for, and it won't be long now. About the end of this month, or maybe a little sooner, down into the garden will drop a little brown bird. It will perch on the branch of a tree, and lift its head in its peculiar song. Song, do we call it? For surely it is querulous, an ecstatic bubbling over of sounds, rather than a real song. We know perfectly well that in time it will become very tiresome, that out- pouring of feathered energy. Every time any one goes into the garden, every time a cat ventures to set foot anywhere near the arch, Mrs. Wren will chatter and scold, until she becomes a real shrew. This song is not very musical. * ok % X How busy he will be, looking over all possible sites, inspecting them, poking his head in the house, going in after it, bustling out again, flying back and forth with bits of straw, and many strange appearing pieces of material, difficult to determine what. How he will work at it, getting every- thing ready for the most famous mem- ber of the wren family, Jenny Wren, herself, when she flies in from the South, as she will do a few days after he lands amongst us. Then the fun begins. Jenny is not satisfied with his choice of a nest. Not satisfled at all. She inspects the houses, particularly the old one. Johnny has decided upon a new place, but Jenny says that the old one will do. Busily she will clean it out, then furnish it for the new season. * k x X Those who have had wrens return to the same box year after year never doubt in the least that it is the same pair. Only catching and banding the birds would really prove anything, but fortunately most bird lovers ask no such proof. They are satisfied to feel sure, anyway, and perhaps that is just as well. All wrens look alike, of course. They are as alike as most birds of the same species. This means that they run true to ancestral type. There is variation be- tween male and female of the species, and also between the young. Juvenile colorings are always different from those of the adult birds. In practically all species the male is the brighter and heavier of the two. Johnny and Jenny Wren, however, are practically of a size, so that the average watcher must look closely to tell them apart. * ko Those who have not had these mites of bird life in their yards need not de- spair. Let them put out a wren house at once, and hope for the best. Wrens have a way of finding houses built for them, perhaps just a little better than most birds which will use man- made houses. Beautiful bluebirds, for instance, are rather “snooty” about their selections. Often they will spend a day looking over a site which was hopefully selected for them, only to fly away at last, disgusted with the proximity of English sparrows. Wood thrushes build their nests in sites of their own selection. No need to put out houses for them, for they will not enter holes. Only birds which in their natural habitats nested in holes of decayed trees find new homes in our bird houses, so-called. The friendly robin will, at times, utilize a shelf put out for him, but mostly he is too indifferent a builder to care much. A crotch in the trees will do for his very flimsy nest. The first wind may jostle it down, but the robins do not care a whit about that. They simply build another one, and trust to friendly days and nights to see the family through. * x X X Wrens, however, like their small houses. They take to them readily, although tales are told of their utilizing coat sleeves in garments left hanging on the line. Stories also are told of house wrens selecting boxes placed for them at the kitchen door, and even on the family porch (old style). No doubt the stories are true, but we have never seen wrens select so intimate a site. A secluded place is best, if for no other reason than it tends to cut down on the amount of noise the birds make. Noisy little birds they are, so much so that even an ardent bird “fan,” at times, will wish they had selected some other garden, rather than his own. This feel- ing, of course, only at odd moments. In the main these small fellows are well worth all the racket they make. It is only by courtesy that their sputters can be called “songs.” If it were not for their pert appearance, and interesting ways, together with their faithful re- appearance, they scarcely could have re- tained the affection of bird lovers, as they have for generations, and always will, without a doubt. * K K “Pussy” is the title usually assigned these wrens, which are about 5 inches long, which means from tip of tail to end of bill. Such lengths often fail to give an adequate idea of a bird; this wren’s tail is tilted up, and it seems very much shorter and smaller than its offi- clal length would indicate, at least to the lay observer. Fussy these birds are. but most of it is laid at the door of the female. She bosses the family, from Spring to Fall, when all fly away again. Both birds are good garden inmates. Their food is practically 100 per cent insects. Fine little scavengers they are, at all times, and worth far more to the gardener than the small cost of the houses he puts out for them The same, of course, may be said of many other birds. Most of them, in fact, are better than sprays. They are the best “insecticides” in the world. This is a very practical reason for cherishing | and protecting our bird life. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. ‘Whatever betides respecting the Roose- velt Supreme Court plan—whether it is withdrawn, modified or left to face the congressional guns—everybody admits that the Wagner labor law decisions will have lasting and far-reaching effect in the field of industrial relations. The right of Congress to exercise wide regu- latory powers is now indisputable. To that extent, last Monday’s findings con- stitute an undeniable and historic vic- tory for the New Deal. that immediately led many authorities to think that President Roosevelt could gracefully and legitimately recede from his demand for enactment of the judici- ary bill in unamended form. There will never be an answer to the question as to what extent, if any, Chief Justice Hughes and his majority colleagues were “influenced” by the administration- inspired anti-court crusade. On this score divergent views prevail. One is that F. D. R.’s drive definitely and un- mistakably persuaded the high bench to “see the light.” The other is that the court cleverly seized the oppor- tunity, while striking a blow for human- itarian rights, to spike the guns of Mr. Roosevelt’s scheme for an enlarged and “enlightened” tribunal. Proponents of the presidential program, though elated over the Wagner decisions, insist that validation of New Deal measures by a single vote furnishes no security of “permanent iiberalism” in the Supreme Court. That is a pretty clear indication that the White House stands pat. * Kk kX Many Democratic leaders, even some who more or less cordially support the court reform scheme, yearn to see the whole controversy wiped off the slate as speedily as possible, because of its disastrous effects on party unity. Noth- ing since the dawn of the New Deal has split its cohorts so bitterly asunder. The extent which rancor has reached, even within the intimate Rooseveltian circle, is manifested by Secretary Ickes’ scath- ing denunciation of opponents of the President’s plan as “deserter decoys, re- actionary geographical Democrats and piqued professional liberals.” No matter what happens, it will take some time for all the wounds of the court fracas to heal. If the Democratic party is not to become a house hopelessly divided against itself, peace in the judiciary ven- detta is an urgent and obvious necessity. That, under any circumstances, pre-war alignments will be restored, few believe possible. * %k Kk One of the lessons clearly to be drawn from the Government’s sweeping tri- umph in the Wagner and other late Supreme Court decisions is that when Congress looks before it leaps into the legislative abyss, it can be fairly sure of receiving the stamp of constitutional sanction. A plain hint to House and Senate to watch their step on that score seems to be conveyed by the court ma- jority’s dictum that the cardinal prin- ciple of judicial construction of acts of Congress should be “to save and not to destroy.” An N. R. A, which the Supreme Court as now constituted would okay, is one of the mirages already loom- ing on the Wagnerian horizon. It's an open secret that law after law was passed by successive New Deal Congresses dur- ing the past four years without any- thing approaching universal or thorough understanding of its true inwardness. This observer recalls an amusing ad- mission by S8enator Ashurst in 1933, while many members of Congress, despite ad- Journment ef the long first Roosevels It is this fact | session, continued to linger in tropical Washington. Asked why he and many of his colleagues were still hanging around, the Arizonan said: “I suspect a lot of us think it might be a good thing, now that we have a breathing spell, to get acquainted with some of the bills we passed.” x % ok ¥ One of the commonest churned to the surface by the valida- tion of the Wagner law is what Henry Ford is going to do about it. Chair- | man Madden of the National Labor Re- | lations Board expressed a popular view | when, in reply to a question, he ob- served at a press conference: “I would say that the decisions leave Mr. Ford subject to the law.” The chairman pro- ceeded to explain that Ford workers, under the Supreme Court decree, now have the opportunity to join a union free from interference of any sort. * % x % In the midst of the all-engulfing talk- fest over the Supreme Court, politicians are milling over the surprise emergence of a Farley-for-President boom. Dis- cussion is the result of a newspaper poll which shows the Postmaster General well out in front for the 1940 Democratic nomination. He leads a galaxy of rivals including, in the order named, Earle of Pennsylvania, Murphy of Michigan, Mc- Nutt of Indiana, Vice President Garner, Lehman of New York, Secretary Wallace and John L. Lewis. The Rooseveltian fleld marshal, though previously men- tioned as presidential timber, may now take himself more seriously in that honorable connection than he's hitherto been inclined to do. Friends ‘are said only to await the signal from Sunny Jim to launch a real campaign on his behalf. Nobody, not even the President himself, possesses so far-flung an ac- quaintance among Democratic party workers in every nook and corner of the Union—a readymade personal or- ganization resultant from Farley's many years of labor in the Roosevelt vine- yard. * ok % X Premier Paul van Zeeland of Belgium, who has just won so smashing a victory for European democracy against the forces of fascism, took his Ph. D. at Princeton in 1921. One of his class- mates, in the department of Govern- ment service, was James M. Landls, chairman of the Securities and Ex- change Commission. M. van Zeeland's graduation thesis dealt with the work- ings of the Federal Reserve System. The treatise later had a good deal to do with his meteoric career in the man- agement of Belgium's national bank. It was while he was administering its af- fairs in 1935 that he was drafted into the government to carry out the de- valuation of the belga, a feat which led him to the premiership. Van Zeeland’s opponent, the Rexist leader, M. de Grelle, tried in vain to smear the premier dur- ing the recent campaign by taunting him with his “American education.” * koK % From steel continues to come im- pressive evidence of recovery. February employment in the industry reached an all-time high with 556,000 men on the pay rolls, or 98,000 more than were at work in 1929. The level was 23 per cent above the employment total in February, 1936, while wages were nearly half again as large as those paid out in that month. . * % & X One of the lighter-tone comments on constitutional developmerts is questions | 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, Walhlnylrm D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. What was the first tablold paper in this country?—E. W. A. The first in the field was the Illustrated Daily News, established in New York City June, 1919, by the Chi- cago Tribune. Q. What is a boysenberry?—M. W. A. It is a new berry developed from three blackberries of unknown origin, Cuthbert raspberry and loganberry, The berry is sweet, has small seeds, and averages 1'z inches in lengthk and 1 inch in diameter. Q. Can an elephant swim?—M., H. A. The elephant is an excellent swim= mer. Elephants have been known to swim in deep water for more than six hours at a time. Q. Does a member of Congress draw his salary if he is denied his seat?>—P. K. A. A member of Congress, who is for any reason denied his seat in either body, receives his salary from the be- ginning of the term until an act denying him his seat is passed. Q. How old must a boy ina C. C. C. camp?—D. J. A. He must be 17 years old. be to enroll Q. Is No. 2 butter as clean as No. 1 butter?—G. D. A. Butter is graded according to flavor. No. 2 butter is just as clean and gives Jjust as good food value as No. 1. It {s against the law to market dirty butter, Q. What is the meaning of the prison term, chalked out?—H. W. A. The expression means dead or dis= charged. When a prisoner begins sen= tence his cell is marked with an X in chalk. When he leaves for the electric chair or is freed, the symbol is removed. Q. What is the oldest church in New York City?—M. L. W. A. The Dutch Reformed Church (1628) was the first church in the city and is today known as the Collegiate Church of New York City. Q. Where is Samuel Insull now? Is he penniless?—J. H. A. Mr. Insull is living in Chicago. He is said to receive a $21,000-a-year pension from the Commonwealth Edison Co. Q. Why is the nuthatch so called?— E. G A. The bird derives its name from a habit of cracking nuts which it places in a crevice of the bark of a tree and then hammers with the point of its bill until the shell is broken Q. Are there any gases in sea water?— W. H A. The water of the ocean, like any other liquid, absorbs a certain amount of the gases with which it is in contact. Sea water contains dissolved oxygen, nitrogen and carbonic acid absorbed from the atmosphere Q. Who originated the serial story?— C. M. A. By some authomties Daniel Defoe, the English journalistic writer, is cone sidered the originator. Q. Please give details about the monu- ment in the Congressmnal Cemetery, Washington, D. C., to the victims of an explosion in an arsenal—M. C. A. The explosion occurred on June 17, 1864, at 11:50 am. One hundred and eight girls were at work in the main laboratory of the arsenal, making cart- ridges for small arms. A quantity of fireworks that had been placed outside the building became ignited and a piece of fuse, flying into one of the rooms in which 29 young women were working, caused an instantaneous ex- plosion. The building caught fire and was destroved. The monument in the Congressional Cemetery was erected by public subscription by the citizens of Washington, June 17, 1865. Q. How many miles of wire are used by the Bell Telephone System?—F. § A. About 80.458.000 miles—enough to reach from the earth to the moon more than 300 times. Q. Who were the “Poor Priests"?—A. N, A. They were students and followers of Johm Wyclif. They went forth in coarse garments, barefoot, with staff in hand, to carry Wyclif's teachings and his translation of the Bible to the com- mon people of England. They became known as Lollards Q When is gardrn week in Virginia? =y A. The famous gardens of the State will be open from April 26 to May 1. Q. What is a fip?—T. N A. Fip was a slang term used during early American history to denote a monetary value of 6': cents, or a half shilling. Two fips equaled a bit, a shill- ing, worth 12!: cents. Two bits is & term used to this day to describe a quarter. Q. Please give the name of an up-to= date book dealing with tricks and magic. —H. G A. The “Magic Show Book,” by Alex- ander, the magician, gives directions for doing over one hundred tricks. Q. Is Robert Burns' grave a shrine?— F. M. 8. A. A mausoleum was raised by public subscription for the remains of the poet, which were transferred to it on Septems ber 7, 1815. The tomb was completed in 1817, A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton. A Fancy. If I could catch the sparkles on the river And toss them in my eyes, what fun ‘twould be! I could become a gay and reckless liver, And all the world would be sunshine for me. In breezes I would dance, I'd care not whither, ‘While wind and water sang the melody; With spangles in my eyes, blown hither, thither, I might attain the sparkle of the sea. that if Mr. Dooley were still making his pungent comments on national affairs, the philosopher of Archey-Road would probably be assuring his friend, Mr. Hennessey, that, instead of ‘“following th’ illection returns,” the Supreme Court nowadays “listens to fireside chats.” (Copyright, 1937.)