Evening Star Newspaper, April 16, 1937, Page 10

A—10 * THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Editien, WASHINGTON, D. C. April 16, 1937 THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company. 11th Bt. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd St. Ohicago Office: 435 North Michigan Ave. Rate by Carrier—City and Suburban., Regular Editlon. The Evening and Sunday Star s 5 ; 65¢ per menth or 15¢ per week The Evening Star ® St 6c per month or 10c per week The Sunday Star .. __ bc per copy ht Final Edition, Night F nal and Sund: 0 Night Final Star_- boe per month Collection made at ach month or each week, Orders may be sent by mail or teje- phone Natioral 5000 70¢ per month Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia, Daily and Sunday_. 1 yr. $10.00; 1 mo. 86c Dally only 2 $6.00i 1 mo., b0c Bunday $4.00; 1 mo., 40c Dally ang Sunday- 1 ¥ Daily only__. 1Yy Bunday only~ Member of the Associated Press. 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 righ.s of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. Illogical Discriminations. It is difficult to rationalize the ex- emption of Federal employes from State income taxes and the reciprocal exemp- tion from Federal income taxes enjoyed by State and municipal employes. But such exemptions have been sustained and broadened by a long line of court deci- sions. The theory originated in the sound comtention that the Government which possessed the power to tax the “means and instrumentalities” of another also possessed the power to destroy the other. But the present application of the theory seems pretty far fetched. The exemptions, however, exist and as fong as they exist an interesting question is raised as to the power of Congress, functioning as a local legislature for the District of Columbia, to impose on its employes who work here the same tax from which they are exempt in the States. The question will doubtless be threshed out at length and is perhaps more interesting from the standpoint of equity than from purely legalistic con- siderations. Such a tax here would produce end- less and sometimes grotesque inequities and discriminations. Two Federal em- ployes, say, live in Kensington, Md. One works for the Social Becurity Board in Washington, while the other works for the same agency in Baltimore. The salary of the one who works for the board here would be taxed, while the salary of the one who works in Baltimore would be exempt. The thousands of Federal employes in New York City would be exempt, but their fellows in Washington would be taxed. And while the bill neatly exempts the members of Congress from the tax, on the theory that they are not residents of the District, and although they are exempt from local income taxes in the States, it entirely overlooks the comparable status of other strictly non-resident Federal employes. Every additional exemption merely com- plicates the picture and piles up more inequitable and illogical discriminations. If the attempt were made to lessen one inequitable discrimination by ex- empting all Federal employes, another more marked discrimination would be substituted as between the Federal and non-Federal workers in Washington. And with Federal employes exempt, the tax would fail to produce the necessary revenue. The condition is indicative of a situa- tion peculiar to Washington, because Washington is the Capital City, and it emphasizes the error of assuming that all forms of taxation applied in the States are for that reason equally applicable here. If the income tax is to be adopted here, in spite of the apparent difficulties in its equitable administration, some of the illogical discriminations of the pres- ent bill should be removed. ————————— One custom of Theodore Roosevelt survives in public discussion. Even when angry, T. R. would 2o to almost any extent to invoke rites of circumlocution in order to avoid using the short and ugly word. —— e In case John Lewis arrives at political power, he may not care who goes into the Executive Mansion if he can put Willlam Green “in the dog house.” R A Great Flying Feat. Because of popular preoccupation with the Supreme Court controversy, labor unrest and correlated issues, scant at- tention was paid to this week's feat of twelve fighting airplanes of the Navy in completing a non-stop mass flight of 2,553 miles over an all-water route from San Diego to Honolulu in flying time of twenty-one hours and twenty-five minutes. A total aviation personnel of seventy-eight men was carried. The significant aspect of the flight is the fact that the Navy Department has come to look upon such achievements, which not so long ago would have been considered sensational, as purely routine service affairs. Nothing more is now- adays announced about them than a brief report of a squadron’s safe arrival at destination. It appears that these trips, known as “route transfers,” have become the usual method of delivery of flying boats from the mainland for permanent station at Pearl Harbor. The dozen ships that made the recent cruise were preceded by an equal number in January similarly fer- ried across the vast stretch from the ‘West Coast to the Hawaiian base. The Navy has successfully carried out three such mass flights, the first having been made last year, the method of “self- delivery” being regarded today as the entirely normal one. The planes which reached Honolulu on Tuesday are part of a fleet of 176 flying boats ordered by the Navy for special service. Their duty in an emergency would be to patrol the Alaska-Honolulu-Panama “triangle.” ‘With a cruising speed of 120 knots and an overseas radius of 3,000 miles, they A will constitute Uncle Sam'’s chief watch in mid-Pacific. With the rapidly growing importance of aircraft for national defense, it gratifies the country to know that the Navy is keeping fully abreast of modern demands in that type of armament. Two new 20,000-ton aircraft carriers, with a capacity of 100 planes apiece, evi- dence the United States’ intention not to lag behind in connection with the rapidly developing air weapon. Great Britain has just launched her $15,000,000 aircraft carrier, Ark Royal, of 22,000 tons, de- scribed as the most up-to-date warship of its type in the world. John Bull's rearmament program provides for four sister ships of the Ark Royal. Though they will exceed the American carriers in tonnage, ours are designed to accom- modate more planes. The British lay increasing stress on high-powered avia- tion as a naval auxiliary. According to the 1937 edition of the Aircraft Year Book, just off the press, the United States has dropped from fifth to sixth place among the seven major nations in number of combat airplanes available for an emergency. Only Japan, with 2,000, is ranked behind us. Our reported total of 2,200 service- able planes compares to 4,000 for Great Britain, 3,600 for France, 3,400 for Russia, 3,200 for Italy and 3,000 for Germany. The American people should not rest indefinitely content with a position of marked inferiority in the air. o Industrial Peace. With collective bargaining established not only as a principle underlying in- dustrial relations but also as the law of the land, it is the duty of employer leaders and leaders of labor to find some way to bring peace in industry—a peace that has been widely lacking in recent months. Miss Perkins, Secretary of Labor, has called some of the leaders here for conferences, to begin next Tues- day. There is every reason to hope that material benefits may come from these discussions. The decisions of the Supreme Court in the Wagner act cases appear to have definitely established the rule of col- lective bargaining and the right of the National Labor Relations Board to see that such bargaining is carried forward between employer and employe. Col- lective bargaining is not new in this country. It has been successfully carried out in thousands of cases in the past, altheugh many employers have here- tofore resisted it. Such resistance must now become a thing of the past, under the law. It s, of course, one thing to bargain and another thing to reach satisfactory agreements. The law does not, nor can it, compel either side to accept conditions demanded. It can, however, do a great deal to aid in bring- ing the opposing elements into agree- ment. Miss Perkins has invited to her con- ferences men who stand at the very head and forefront of industry and of organized labor, men who have shown clearly that they are desirous of reach- ing some means of bringing to an end the strife which has already this year cost millions of dollars in wages, in earnings and in production. Heading the list of employers is Myron C. Taylor, chairman of the board of the United States Steel Corporation. Already Mr. Taylor has broken precedent in the great corporation he represents and has agreed to the principle of collective bargaining. Gerard Swope, president of the General Electric Company and W. C. Teagle, presi- dent of the Standard Oil Company, are other industrialists who have been invited to the conferences. Organized labor will be represented particularly by William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, and John L. Lewis, chairman of the Committee for Indus- trial Organization. The principal object of these confer- ences, it is assumed, is to discuss ways and means of making the operation of the Wagner act widely effective in bringing about peaceful adjustment of differences between employer and labor. Chairman J. Warren Madden of the National Labor Relations Board is to be a participant. The discussions may run to the widening of the act itself, by amendment. There is report that such subjects as child labor, minimum wages and maximum hours may also come into the discussions at the conference. Whether such matters could be dealt with by Federal law without a consti- tutional amendment, however, is still a question. They are matters in which the present administration is strongly in- terested. The Supreme Court, in its decision holding invalid the N. R. A, did not give much hope that it would be possible to set up laws governing maximum hours and minimum wages for industry. The administration has yet to produce its program for legislation which it will seek at the hands of Congress. With Miss Perkins as its representative at the coming conference, it may give evi- dence of the way it proposes to follow. Certainly it may obtain ideas and infor- mation of value to be used in working out its program. ——————— By going to Europe Al Smith may at- tain a more philosophic attitude when visiting various capitals and seeing what real trouble looks like. Psychology of Panic. No man knows what he may do or fail to do in a moment of panic. Sudden fear creates a nervous reaction which never yet has been accurately appraised or analyzed. The passengers who yes- terday demolished a Georgia avenue street car in a rush for safety did not pause to rationalize about their danger when fire broke out at the control box. It is ridiculous to accuse them of cowardice. Given time to think, it is probable that every individual concerned would have demonstrated a normal capacity to be brave as the proverbial lion in the face of peril. There is nothing new about such an incident. On the contrary, the instinct THE EVEN STAR, for self-preservation is older than his- tory. The human race would have perished years ago if it had lacked the power to vision potential destruction. Lexicographers trace the word applied to extreme fright to the name of the Greek god Pan, & mischievous, and some- times malicious, deity, who found delight in scaring people out of their senses. Psychologists dzfine the phenomenon as “an outburst of terror affecting a multitude in common and rendered more furious by sympathy or infection.” Whole nations on occasion “go crazy” with alarm. Yesterday's incident was symptomatic of a conditional factor which ought always to be remembered in any effort to judge human conduct. It has both plus and minus values. In one emer- gency it preserves; in another it destroys, If it ever is to be controlled it must be understood. G e As an administration representative in a plan to reorganize the United States Government, Mr. Farley remarks: “It is in the bag!” Mr. Ickes speaks with | evangelical vehemence as he expresses thanks to divine omnipotence that they have the votes “to put it over.” It is reminiscent of the terms dictated by the racketeer who says: “You are going to take it—and like it!” —_— e Some of the Bethlehem Steel stock holders want Charles M. Schwab to re- tire on the theory that a man of seventy- five years however able and successful cannot be expected to defend himself in a fist fight. e Immediate action is still urged for the President's reorganization program. Among parodies of old songs to be pre- sented by campaign choristers may be “Now, Now, a Thousand Times Now!” ————— Madrid has already provided more of a local disturbance than sufficed to create the World War, from which humanity still suffers. Politicians remain fearless, but perhaps not quite so impetuous. e e A memorial temple to Thomas Jeffer- son would have an advantage over the splendid cherry blooms only in providing occasional tourists with a few more steps to sit on while eating lunch. One of Postmaster General Farley's self-appointed tasks appears to be pro- viding special delivery for members of the judiciary and rubber stamping each with a home address. e A famous bullfighter is Mr. Franklin, who lives in Brooklyn and remains there Jjust now under the impression, perhaps, that Spanish politics may unduly irritate the bull. [ —— e Easter Monday was a charming social success in the White House grounds. A plain Monday when Supreme Court hands down opinions is no idle egg rolling. —_— e Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Borrower. “Don't borrow trouble,” some one said To Hezekiah Bings; “Remain serene and go ahead ‘With more important things, Such as your comfort and your health, And do not interfere. Be careful to preserve your wealth Of personal good cheer.” But Hezekiah always found Temptations to invest In troubles that came driftin’ An’ causin’ folks unrest. Although he couldn’t hope {0 end Life's doubting and distress, He'd borrow trouble from a friend An’ make the burden less. ‘round He listened to the sorrowing tale Of many a mournful elf. He'd borrow trouble by the bale, An’ handle it himself. Sometimes he'd even put up cash— A most unusual plan! In financierin’ Hez was rash, But gosh! He was A Man, Study in Sacrifice. “Would you sacrifice your principles for the sake of an office?” “I suppose not,” replied Senator Sor- ghum. “And yet when you smother your principles you stand a chance of reviving them after you get the office. It seems too bad to sacrifice both.” Comparisons. “When I was your age,” said the re- proachful father, “I worked hard and saved my money.” “Well,” replied the irreverent youth, “that was because you didn't have a family whose mode of life led you into frivolous associations.” Ostentation. The man of mood the proudest May have little cause to boast; The man who talks the loudest Isn’t always thinkin‘ most. “We still put our faith in posterity,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “trusting we shall be luckier in that respect than our ancestors.” Worse, “Your husband has been ill,” said the caller. “Yes,” replied the little, worried-look- ing woman, “he has been feeling very bad. I do my best to please him, but nothing seems to satisfy him.” “Is his condition critical?” “It's worse than critical,” she answered with a sigh, “it’s abusive.” Her Sentiment. “I ne'er use slang, 'tis very rude, Although by some admired; Of course, I am not quite a prude— But slang just makes me tired.” “Politics,” saild Uncle Eben, “is sumpin’ dat some folks would call gamblin’ if it could be handled as quick 85 & hoss race or a raffie.” f\ =) WASHINGTON, THE POLITICAL MILL BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. Compromise talk grew apace today in connection with the President's court bill, when Senator McCarran of Nevada offered an amendment which would in- crease the membership of the Supreme Court of the United States by two in- stead of the maximum of six proposed by the President. McCarran has been regarded as one of those “on the fence” or uncommitted on the President’s bill. There are a number of these uncom- mitted Senators as well as a number of those who have agreed to go along with the President, and also of those who are opposed to the President’s plan, who would prefer the McCarran amendment, EE However, both sides, those for and those against the President’s plan to increase the Supreme Court, immedi- ately threw cold water on the McCarran amendment. The administration lead- ers joyously declared—as in the case of Senator Byrnes of South Carolina—that there would be no compromise—that there was no reason to talk compromise when the President had the votes safely in the bag to put through the bill as it stands. Opponents of the bill, on the other hand, like Wheeler of Montana, Burke of Nebraska, Vandenberg of Michigan, all insisted that there should be no increase at all in the membership of the court—no “packing” —at this time. They insisted they were fighting for principle and that principle would be violated by adding a single justice to the Supreme Court under the condi- tions that have been stirred up by the President. There is a lot of bluffing going on in regard to this court bill. The admin- istration does not fail to announce that the fight is won on every possible oc- casion. The leaders have watched Chairman James A. Farley's technique in campaigns of the last four or five years, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Counting noses in the Senate, however, is a difficult job when it comes to this court bill. There have been several shifts one way or another since the fight began, and some of them have been away from the ad- ministration side. * X Xk ¥ Other forms of compromise besides that of McCarran are expected to be advanced before the bill reaches the Senate. It looks now as though the ad- ministration would have a very tough Job getting the measure out of commit- tee without its being materially amend- ed. There are those who insist it will never come out of committee with the provision for six new justices of the Supreme Court, no matter what the majority of the Senate may do with it later. Betting against this administra- tion, however, has been a poor business for a number of years. The influence of the President is still tremendously strong. * K k% The Senate has now on its doorstep the Federal anti-lynching bill. And there it is likely to remain for some time. The House passed the bill yesterday by a vote of 276 to 119, with a desperate fight waged by a Southern bloc of Representatives to defeat the measure. The effort to put through an anti-lynching bill is not new. The House passed such a bill fifteen years ago, but it never got to first base in the Senate, and two years ago the Wagner- Costigan bill was reported favorably to the Senate, but was killed by a filibuster of Southern Senators. Years ago a fa- mous Senate filibuster killed the old “force bill.” With the rule of unlimited debate still in force in the Senate, the supporters of this Federal legislation face a hard fight to get action on the measure in the Upper House. The Southerners maintain that the States have a right to deal with lynchers within their borders and not the Federal Government. There is a constitutional question involved, and grave doubt has been expressed the Su- preme Court of the United States would uphold such a law. Senator Borah of Idaho has been strongly of the opinion that the proposed act would be uncon- stitutional, * K ok X More than a year ago the Idaho Sen- ator went on record as being opposed to the anti-lynching bill because it was unconstitutional. The issue was brought up against Borah when he was a can- didate for the Republican presidential nomination, in those States where there is a considerable Negro voting population —Tlike Illinois, Ohio and New York. Borah stuck to his guns, and he is still stick- ing to them. He has issued another statement attacking the measure on con- stitutional grounds. He will have other support from other constitutional law- yers in the Senate, as well as from the Senators from Southern States, when and if the fight for the passage of the anti- lynching bill reaches the floor of the Senate. If the President’s court bill and the anti-lynching bill both are to be urged in the Senate during the present ses- sion of Congress, the duration of the session is indeed indefinite. Unless the court bill {8 compromised materially, or unless the opposition to the President's plan to increase the membership by six is confident of defeating that provision, there will be a long filibuster against that measure. Should the anti-lynching bill be reported to the Senate while the court bill is up for consideration, or vice versa, the combined opposition to these two measures is likely to make the passage of either of them almost impossible, The Senate has a two-thirds cloture rule, but it would be impossible to impose this rule, because more than a third of the Senate is strongly opposed to the Presi- dent’s court plan, and it is doubtful in the extreme that a two-thirds vote could be mustered to clap cloture on the con- sideration of the anti-lynching bill. * ok %k X The postponement by the President of his message to Congress on relief appropriations until next week is indica- tive of the seriousness with which the situation is regarded. Estimates of re- ceipts by the Government from taxes have had to be revised considerably. This means that estimates of the deficit have to be revised upward—unless there is material reduction in governmental ex- penditure or additional tax laws. The congressional leaders are violently against new tax laws at this time, increasing the burden on the people. In spite of this opposition, it looks more and more as though the administration would finally have to come around to more taxes—either that or a reduction in ex- penditures far more drastic than is now looked for. The tax bill, whatever it turns out to be, may not be presented until Congress meets next January. But in any event, members of Congress do not look forward to the prospect of tax legislation with a campaign for re-elec- tion coming on next year. A general sales tax or a lowering of exemptions to put the income tax on more persons are the two most available fields for additional revenue. Neither would be popular, No Novelty, No Value. From the Birmingham News. Values depend on difficulties. If everybody could sound hideous, earsplit- ting high notes, no singer would use - D. C., FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 193 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “LAUREL, Md. “Dear 8ir: Ever since thz snow of the middle of March, I have wanted to write you and thank you for the comments on its beauty. “That snow showed its value more than many of them do. By m.elting so slowly it made the ‘run off’ of water much slower and as the snow melted the tem- perature kept low. “The first male cardinal came to our feeding station during that snow. While we had eight at one time last year, this year we had only one male during the whole Winter. “The robins had a difficult time getting something to eat during the snow. But there is a small brook near my garden and the robins are there by the dozen. Ever since March 15 they have been feeding in an old orchard, which has been pastured and is now covered with bluegrass. “When it rained on April 5 the earth- worms came out of the soil all over Laurel, and the birds filled themselves with so little effort that there were few for two days in their regular feeding place. “The first purple grackle was seen on the 9th of March, first old fleld larks the 20th and first phoebe on the 24th. These are all harbingers of Spring. “On the 6th of April I saw my first water terrapin. The next day I saw the first jumping mouse I had ever seen. Its body about 3 inches long and its tail 5 inches. Its hind legs were more than four times as long as its forelegs. I had struck and killed it before I saw it. It is said to jump from 8 to 10 feet the first jump or two it makes, and then comes down to a regular jump of 4 feet. “I also found several homes of the praying mantis. They are an exceeding- 1y interesting insect. “All of these things mean more to me because of your helpful suggestions. Sincerely, J. P. B." * X % x Spring in small town or city is a season of wonders. A few of them are given above. Almost any of us, by taking a little thought, may find many more. The above letter is interesting in its bird notes, as showing how they differ, place from place. There were, perhaps, fewer cardinals in the vicinity of Washington the past Winter than the previous one. It may have been that a milder Winter lured them to stay farther North. But certainly the writer here had far fewer at his feeding stations, although there were two pairs which remained all sea- son and are still around. * x % x While we never expect to see a jump- ing mouse jump, we have had the felicity of examining live praying mantises at close range. Several years ago two dozen of their curious nests hung from shrubbery by the sun porch. An unusual mild spell in the middle of that Winter led the entire colony of young to their doom, for they hatched out. found nothing to eat, and shortly were killed by severe cold and snow. Since then there has been none seen around the garden, whereas before that disaster at least two or three large ones were seen every Summer. A praying mantis, in case you have not happened to see one, i8 an unbeliev- able creature. While it somewhat resembles a very large grasshopper, it is entirely different, both in size and general appearance. Those folded front legs, from which it gets its name, are unlike anything else in_the insect world. Its leaflike body, its small but vicious head, its general appearance, its clean- liness—thes2 are features of one of the strangest of all created things. Many persons on seeing their first mantis, draw back in horror, thinking it can injure them in some way. They are in error. The praying mantis offers no harm to humans, but only to careless insects, upon which it feeds. Then those folded arms, so piously heid, dart out to full length and the unwary prey is drawn up to that cruel head. s There is nothing uninteresting in a yard, even those insects which we spray against and continually fight. Nor does one have to be an entomol- ogist to realize the wonder of insect life. ‘Today practically everything grown in gardens is infested with one or more insect pests, to say nothing of blights, rusts, fungi and diseases, such as the so-called mosaic. Nematodes and other minute forms of life use plants as hosts and spoil them for our uses, but not for theirs. Life is a “dog eat dog” affair. While we try to rid our ornamental plants and shrubs, our trees and veget- ables, our rock garden plants and all the rest, of insects, let us keep in mind the real interest of the creatures we are trying to slay. * ok K % In this way the amateur gardener can get a great deal of extra interest out of his hobby. A Japanese beetle is an interesting beetle. While one gladly would forego the op- portunity for close personal inspection of it, if it happens to come down in the garden, find out as much about it as pos- sible, and especially look carefully at a few of them, in order to know them when seen again and also to be able to ap- preciate them as insects. L There are many sorts of strange in- sects in all gardens, some of them harm- ful, some of them as innocent as the proverbial Spring lamb. Those curious pill bugs that hide under stones, for instance. How they scuttle away when the rock is overturned! We suppose no one would want to make pets of them or undertake their study except as a scientific investigation, but they have fascinated countless gen- ;rfltions of children and their elders no ess. Then there is that “bug” many think fabulous, the so-called ‘“doodle bug,” which lived in.the sawdust around old- fashioned ice houses. Country legend tells how the doodle bugs can be brought out of their holes by the intonation of a certain song at the edge of the sawdust. We suppose there are scores of inter- esting insects and small mammals, which most of us have had an opportunity to see, but have never seen. mainly because we are not used to looking so small. Two things are required of us, in this respect. the desire to see. which is inter- est, and the intellectual determination to realize how small many of these things are and how closely we must look to see them. Another thing is necessary and that is to hold no living thing too mean or too little to be of interest. Modern science has shown us how infinitesimally small but how world-wrecking are certain or- ganisms. Life is all around us and we must see as much of it as we can. One place we must never forget is the small home garden. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Little straws show how the wind Is blowing in connection with the ever- hotter fight over the Roosevelt Supreme Court plan. Disclosure that Senator- elect William H. Smathers, Democrat, of New Jersey is at length taking his seat, after three months of delay, smacks of tell-tale evidence that Senator Joe Robin- son, New Deal majority leader, feels that every possible vote that can be lined up for the judiciary bill should now be present and accounted for. The Jersey- man, who remained at Trenton until this week, to preserve the Democratic balance of power in a bitterly contested election contest in the State Senate, rates as a supporter of the court-enlargement pro- gram. He is himself a former jurist, having served on the bench of the Common Pleas Court of Atlantic County at Atlantic City and later as a member of the State Supreme Court Commis- sion. Though Senator Smathers has been a resident of “the shore, for the last 25 years, he is a North Carolinian by origin. His arrival in Washington, in an- nounced response to Senator Robinson's summons, would indicate that ad- ministration strength on the court issue needs bolstering. x X K X Nose-counting estimates of the Sen- ate’s final judiciary vote have been undergoing revision since the Wagner labor relations act decisions. Both pro- popenets and opponents of the bill claim augmented strength as a result of them. The favorite non-partisan guess con- tinues to be that the Senate stands today at about 53 for the President’s scheme and 43 against it. If this analysis is well founded, a shift of five votes would produce a tie, leaving to Vice President Garner the delicate duty of casting the deciding aye or nay. Thus it is within the realm of the conceivable that the Supreme Court's famous 5-to-4 division might find its counterpart in a Senate split of 49 to 48. The Vice Presi- dent has carefully kept his personal views on the judiciary bill from public knowledge. Until recently he was re- garded as favoring it, though reportedly without any overwhelming enthusiasm. Now there are Capitolians who profess to be assured that the . Texan's senti- ments have experienced a change which, fantastic as that possibllity would seem. might eventually find him arrayed against “the boss,” if conditions re- quired him to cut the Gordian knot. x X Kk X This observer ventures the suggestion that after Wallis Simpson is married to former King Edward VIII, she may not inappropriately be destined to take her place in history as “the Merry Wife of ‘Windsor.” * o % % Plans of Senator Schwellenbach, Democrat, of Washington to check the rising tide of exports of scrap iron by subjecting them to State Department license, coincide with significant revela- tion just made by the Independent Steel and Iron Producers’ Association. Ex- cessive scrap iron exports are declared to be a “menace” to the United States, from the standpoints of national welfare, labor, re-employment, recovery, foreign trade and naval defense. On the basis of heavy sales during the last two years, mainly to Great Britain, Japan and Italy, an exportation of 3,000,000 tons of iron and steel scrap is anticipated in 1937. This would involve the overseas shipment of the equivalent of 6,000,000 tons of iron ore, one of Uncle Sam'’s most valuable natural resources. Scrap Ll is an essential ingredient in steel manu- facture. American scrap, it is claimed, “may be fired back at our own forces in some future war,” a hint that exports are going chiefly into foreign armament production. A special committee repre- senting the National Munitions Control Board has undertaken a survey to de- termine whether shipments of scrap to Europe and Asia may cause a serious shortage in the supply for domestic use. * o ok ok There are now members of Congress Who foresee at least certain international unpleasantness, if not complications, should the placing of the Thomas Jef- ferson Memorial at the Tidal Basin re- sult in obliterating the cherry trees presented to the United States by Japan, The annual blossoms have become so recognized a symbol of good will between Nippon and ourselves that some Repre- sentatives and Senators fear their deliberate destruction might be looked upon in Tokio as an unfriendly act. That seems a somewhat far-fetched thought, but Secretary Hull and the State Department might consider it at least a diplomatic gesture to say to the woodmen of Congress: “Spare those trees! Touch not a single blossom!” x Xk ok * Indications multiply that President Roosevelt's desire to slash Federal ex- penditure is headed for loud and tesolute opposition on Capitol Hill. Mem- bers of Congress, because of back-home pressure, are hostile, for one thing, to the idea of saving $50.000,000 on the C. C. C. There’s also strong demand for immediate enactment of the Wagner low-cost housing bill, comprehending & $1,000.000.000 loan measure and a $50,- 000,000 annual subsidy plan over the next four years. Relief cuts are unpopular. Finally, there is the project fathered by Senator Pat Harrison to grant $300,- 000,000 in annual subsidies to the States for public education. Congress is fond of doing lip service to the ideal of a balanced budget. But when specific oxen are to be gored, enthusiasm for economy wanes. The idea of new taxes with which to finance bright congressional ideas is equally disliked. It is into a traditional atmosphere of this sort that F. D. R.’s new drive to pare Govern- ment expenses is already running. * X ok X% In the town of Long, Randolph County, W. Va., there has just passed away a man named Ira Shockey, who is sald to have been the oldest postmaster in the United States, both in age (95) and in point of service. He took great pride in his more than 60 years of asso- ciation with the postal service. A Union Army veteran and stanch Republican, three Democratic Presidents in succes- sion let Mr. Shockey hold onto his job, which he probably received in the first instance either from President Grant or President Hayes. In privafe life the veteran postmaster was a beekeeper and one of the largest producers of honey in West Virginia. Earlier in life he was famed as a trapper and hunter, * kX %X Life insurance is contributing fits quota of evidence that Old Man Depres- sion is down and out. New underwriting in March was 19 per cent above the total for the same 1936 month, while the amount for the first quarter of 1937 tops the corresponding period a year ago by 8.8 per cent. The figures come from 40 companies which carry 83 per cent of all life insurance now outstanding. Altogether, they wrote ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any question oj fact by writing The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Waskington, D, C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How long had it been since Oxford had beaten Cambridge in the rowing race?—M. P. A. This year's victory was the first since 1923. Cambridge’s crew was a 3-to-1 favorite this year, Q. What percentage of the babies born in the United States are born in hos- pitals?—G. T. A. Last year about 38 per cent. Q. Does the British government support the royal family?>—D. W, A. Parliament provides for the upkeep of the royal family of Great Britain by voting a civil list. This includes annual payments to the King and Queen and their children and other living members of the royal family, Q. Is it possible to find missing rela- tives through Social Security Board reg= istration?—E. R. A. This is not possible. Many requests for such information are received, but are refused. Q. Is General Ludendorfl married? —F. M. A. In 1926 he was married to Dr, Matilda von Kemnitz, a nerve specialist, Q. What is the date of the rhododen= dron festival at Asheville, N. C.2—E. H. A. The annual festival will be held ths week of June 13. Q. What becomes of all the gifts of ro%d that are sent to the White House? —E. J. A. Food given to the White House is distributed to Washington hospitals and charitable organizations, Q. Who invented the machine for ex- tracting cellulose which it is said will revolutionize the manufacture of newse print?>—H, W. A. The horn angle machine for ex- tracting cellulose from trees, plants and other vegetable products, is the invention of Matthew J. Stacom of the Island Lumber Company, Long Island City, N, Y. The present apparatus can produce several tons of wood pulp per day. Q. How much does a trailer cost?—D. D. A. Some of the most luxurious ones cost about $10,000. “super-fine” Q. Who is the editor of the magazine Editor and Publisher>—E. H. A. James Wright Brown has recently celebrated his twenty-fifth flnmversar& as owner and editor of the magazine, Q. In what parts of the United States is the truout fishing best?—s. J. A. In New England, Rocky Mountain, Pacific Coast and Southwestern States and in New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan and Wisconsin. The only States which have no trout are Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Q. Where is the Boy Scout Jamboree to be held this year?—H. I, A. It will be held at Washington, D. cC, from June 30 to July 9. A 350-acre tract will be used on which the tent city will be built. Q. Is the new inn at Williamsburg, Va., open? Of what style of architecture is it?>—K. M. A. The Williamsburg Inn was opened on April 3. Its architecture conforms w_llh the Restoration period, but is remi- niscent of the early nineteenth century hotels at the springs of Virginia and West Virginia. It is of brick painted white, two stories high, with the central portion containing an additional storv. The furnishings have been selected from the Regency period. Q. ;{as John Burroughs a living son? A. Julian Burroughs is the son of the famous naturalist. Q. What organization is sending an expedition to Peru to study the eclipse? A. The Hayden Planetarium Grace Ex- pedition, under the leadership of Dr. Clyde Fisher, will go to Peru to study the eclipse of the sun on June 8, § Q. How many letters Guardia receive?—H. W. A. The mayor of New York City re- ceives 1,000 letters a day, all of which are answered. does Mayor La Q. Who posed for the larly known as A. Whistler's own mother sat for the portrait, painting popu- “Whistler's Mother"? Q. Please give some information apout Isaac Watts, the hymn writer —C. J. A. Isaac Watts was born at South- ampton in 1674. From 1696 to 1701 ha was a tutor in the family of Sir John Hartopp. He became minister of the independent church at Mark Lane, Lon- don, 1702, resigning in 1712 because of ill health. Watts was a Ppopular writer and his theological works were numer- ous. His treatise on “Logic” became well known, but his reputation rests chiefly upon his hymns. He died in 1748, Q. What is another name for t of touch?—E. G. i A. It is also called the tactile sense, A Rhyme at Twilight— Yy Gertrude Brooke Hamilton. An Ordinance How Nature's children give! flower, Nourished herself by sunshine and by rain, Yields freely to the bee her honey dower The sweet he sips, again, and yet again. The clover Of dew the rose may drink; while she in turn Scents with rare fragrence the too- humid air. A brooklet feeds the river; where sojourn The fish that come to seek a living there. 'Tis Nature's edict: In receiving, give— That all beneath her wide, free skies may live. roundly $1,000,000.000 of fresh business last month and $2,300,000,000 during the year's first quarter. Another eloquent recovery note is supplied by statistics of liquor imports. A total inflow of 11,500.- 000 gallons for the first eight months of the current fiscal year represents a 77 per cent increase over the first two= thirds of fiscal 1937 (Copyright, 1987.)