Evening Star Newspaper, May 27, 1937, Page 12

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. May 27, 9317 THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company. h L. d Pennsylvania Ave. Nt,vll“\"r\%k 61’:‘::»- 110 East 42nd 8t. Chicago Office: 435 North Michigan Ave. Rate by Carrier—City and Suburban. Regular Edition. veni Star The EenInR ey N ath or 15¢ per week The Evening Star per week 45c per month or 10¢ The Sunday Star B¢ per copy Night Final Edition. 70¢ per month 55¢ per month he end of each month or each week. Orders may be sent by mall or tele- - phone National 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunaa; Daily oaly _ 0., Blc Sunday only_ 1 m 1 mo.. 40c All Gther States and Canada. Dally and Sanday. 1 yr, $12.00: 1 mo. $1.00 .Daily on! yr. TSR.00; 1 mo., 7dc Sunday onl $5.00i 1 mo., 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 Il rights of publication of special dispatches erein are also reserved The President Persists. President Roosevelt is still intent upon having a Supreme Court which will de- cide that the Constitution means what he thinks it means. For that reason he insists that he has not abandoned his bill for the reorganization of the court, by a maximum increase in membership to fifteen, and does not intend to abandon it. He is not convinced that the recent decisions of the Supreme Court uphold- ing the validity of the Wagner labor relations act and the social security act mean that the court is sufficiently liberal in its interpretation of the Constitution. Bufficiently liberal, that is, to uphold additional New Deal legislation which he is seeking; for example, the new wages and hours bill for labor. If the Supreme Court must uphold all the laws enacted by the New Deal Congress, why have a court? Or why permit these New Deal laws to be chal- lenged in the Supreme Court of the United States? The country has already experienced a series of Congresses which have signed on the dotted line. ‘The President at one time called on members of the House to pass a bill even if they had doubts of its consti- tutionali He has now gone a step further-—a considerable step. He is in- sistent upon having a court that will uphold the validity of the acts of Con- gress. He does not say “whether the court has a reasonable doubt as to the constitutionality of the laws or not.” But the implication is there. ‘The President has persuaded the Con- gress to take his view on the constitu- tionality of laws which he believes to be in the interest of the country and the people. He is engaged in the process of persuading the Supreme Court to do the same thing. And if the court is not willing to be persuaded to the limit he desires, he wishes to be on the safe side by revamping the personnel of the court. It would be a simple process, provided he could get his court bill through the 8enate. Up to date that has not been possible. As time passes it apparently becomes increasingly difficult. There " are Senators who still cling to the idea that the Supreme Court of the United Btates should head an independent branch of the Government. The Supreme Court has been a bul- wark of the Nation against unconstitu- tional acts of Congress and of the State Legislatures. It has been so regarded. 8o much so, that these legislative bodies and Presidents of the Nation and the Governors of the States have seemingly been willing to take a chance on meas- ures demanded at the time by many of the people, realizing that the court of last resort would have the final word in the matter. In the vernacular, they did not mind “passing the buck” to the highest court. Once the Supreme Court has become merely a rubber stamp—willing to write opinions because they coincide with those of the Execu- tive—the bulwark is gone. If this bulwark is removed, the people Wwill have to rely upon the good judgment of the executive and the legislative branches of Government to see that the Constitution is not amended by act of Congress rather than by three-fourths of the States, as provided in the Constitu- tion itself. If the executive dominates the legislative, they will have to rely upon the judgment of the President alone. And if that times comes, the Chiet Executive will be in a position to say as once did a French king, “L'etat, c'est moi.” ‘The American people should be allowed to speak for themselves, if they desire their Constitution amended. They have done so in the past. The short cut, through the imposition of the will of the Executive upon the courts, may easily prove an evil that will destroy the American form of government. Where courts are subservient, there is no longer Justice or freedom. A court that can be compelled to uphold a law that appears beneficent may also be com- pelled to uphold a bad law. R ——— Dr. Eckener is engaged in efforts to persuade Secretary Ickes to sell helium for airships. The use of this gas may, after all, give America the last word in aviation, Flying to Bermuda. Mark Twain is reported to have said that the forty-eight hours required for sea travel from New York to Bermuda— which he regarded as one of the most delightful vacation places anywhere to be found—was the longest and most wretched period of life. The sea route is at such an angle to the Gulf Stream that a peculiar twist is given to almost any ship that makes the crossing, and all but the stoutest seafarers are apt to succumb for at least a part of the time to the rigors of water voyaging. Many people have been deterred from traveling to that lovely island by the bad repute of the sea. Now it is planned to establish an air line between New York and Hamilton, with craft capable of a cruising speed of 160 miles an hour, which will permit & passage in a little more than five hours, just about one-tenth of the time required by sea. Survey flights are being made by both an American and a British air service, possibly with the result of the setting up of a competition. Would Mark Twain, the one-time Mississippi pilot, be lured to essay a flight for the sake of a shorter passage and a smaller chance of distress? He was a confirmed boat rider. He made history at the sounding line and he made literature of a famous voyage. Somehow it is hard to imagine him in a plane, even on the way to Bermuda, the island of his dreams. e The Merchant Marine. It was to be expected that an in- dustrial statesman like Joseph P. Ken- nedy, chairman of the new Maritime Commission, would tackle his job with enthusiasm seasoned with realism. His recent National Maritime day address reflects the soundly constructive spirit in which he approaches the problem of restoring the American merchant ma- rine to its former importance and to a status commensurate with the modern necessities of the country's sea-borne commerce. Mr. Kennedy discloses that the Government is prepared, if required, to take the lead in a building program, which is the immediate need of the hour. Our merchantmen now in commission are for the most part from fourteen to twenty years old. Thus, an adequate merchant marine for the United States, Mr. Kennedy explains, means & new fleet, for in another five years eighty- five per ‘cent of our vessels will be fit for retirement. To such a condition, he holds, there can be “but one answer— to build ships of the best and most modern type, and build them right aw: The Nation will approve the Kennedy goal of an American merchant marine second to none. In providing a direct subsidy in place of the indirect subsidies of the past, Congress once again has rejected Government ownership as a means toward establishing a mercantile fleet equal alike to peace-time commer- cial necessities and the emergencies of national defense. Contending that there is today no more enticing field of in- vestment than the shipping industry, Mr. Kennedy admonishes private capital not to lag in availing itself of its op- portunities under the new law. Pointing out that the Government is now em- powered to take the initiative in a build- ing program, he warns private shippers that the day may come when “the people may want to own the tow as well as the tug.” The maritime chairman seems per- suaded that with genuine teamwork among the Government, shipowners and shipping labor, the objective of replac- ing the American flag on the seven seas can ultimately and practicably be attained. Having in mind recent un- rest on both seaboards, Mr. Kennedy promises shipping labor ashore and afloat “a square deal,” but emphasizes that the commission and the taxpaying public expect similar treatment in re- turn. The commission is facing its task from the standpoint of seeking solutions based alike on shippers’ balance sheets, construction costs and the foreign trade outlook. Chairman Kennedy's maiden pronouncement of policy justifies confl- dence that the merchant marine situa- tion henceforth is to be handled in that spirit of combined enterprise and cau- tion which complex international ship- ping conditions call for. [ So far from becoming & recluse in study pertaining to the serious work in congressional sports, Mr. Garner is now represented as diligently attentive to official base ball. You cannot say exactly where a star of the new season will hail from, but you are well aware that he will speak cheerily to the administra- tion. ¢ — e Many men by the name of Rockefeller are left behind to carry on a system of accumulation made famous by its founder, long after he became aware of the fact that the benefit of wealth must be measured by its distribution rather than by its concentration. B e — Jews in Italy. While there is slight prospect that anti-Semitism in Italy will reach the brutal stage it has attained in Ger- many, it is disquieting to learn that the Fascist government has adopted a policy which threatens drastic restrictions upon Jewish activities and freedom of thought. In an article published by Mussolini’s Milanese newspaper, Popolo d'Italia, and obviously written under official inspira- tion, Jews are warned that they must decide “whether they are Jews in Italy or Jews of Italy.” They are adjured in truculent terms to give whole-hearted support to Fascism or leave the country. In particular, it is demanded that they renounce criticism of the Nazi racial doctrine of ruthless discrimination against “non-Aryans.” This program, like most of Italy’s present-day maneuvers, springs from international considerations. The Hitler influence is manifest. Recent visits of Berlin leaders in Rome now assume a new signficance. The demand that Italian Jews suppress hostility to Ger- many is based upon the contention that opposition to Nazi ideas is “irrecon- cilable with the friendship that binds Italy to Germany, and which has ob- Jectives far more vast and fundamental than the Jewish question.” This is undisguised afirmation of the “ideolog- ical” ties which unite the Fascist dic- tatorships in their antipathy to Com- munism. On the political side, it denotes the community of purpose which looks to promotion of Italo-German military, territorial and economic ambitions in Central Europe. What 1s certain to be regarded by Italian Jews as & special hardship is the proscription of the Zionist move- ment. In inhibiting their support of it, _THE EVENING STAR, 11 Duce’s mouthpiece assails Zionism as “definitely opposed to the Mediterranean spirit of Italy.” According to this fan- tastic theory, the Jewish National Home in Palestine is designed to set up a new state under British control, which would be hostile to Arabs and Moslems. In thus tilting at Zionism, Mussolini kills two birds with one stone. He chal- lenges British influence in the Near East and at the same time enacts the grandil- oquent role in_which he recently cast himself as “protector of Islam.” There is no indization that Italy plans to treat Jews on familiar Nazi lines, but they are on notice to abandon “inter- national anti-Fascist Hebrewism” or re- linquish Italian citizenship and resi- dence. Democratic peoples everywhere deplore the probability that Italy’s policy will add fresh fuel to antj-Semitic fires in Europe. There will be little patience abroad, especially in the United States, from which Zionism derives so much sustenance, with the notion that senti- mental identification with that great ideal is inconsistent with complete loyalty on the part of Jews to countries of which they are a part and in which they are fulfilling faithfully all the obli- gations of citizenship. e A base ball catcher known for his re- sistible quality as “Iron Mike” was downed when a base ball pitched by Mr. “Bump” Hadley struck him on the right temple. The hospital hopes for the best for this thirty-four-year-old vice presi- dent, manager and catcher of the De- troit Tigers, who may prove another vic- tim of a rather fiercer aspect than even sport has assumed. A slight cold penalized the President for his willingness to stay outdoors to pitch the first ball in the game last Sat- urday between the National Press Club and a team made up of Representatives and Senators. He canceled all appoint- ments except his press conference and it is understood that only symptoms were discussed then in a friendly fashion. —ee— The anti-Nazi speech delivered by Archbishop Mundelein of Chicago has been made a subject of protest to the holy see by German Ambassador Diego von Bergen. It is earnestly hoped that the sentiments of resentment will be long and soundly discussed and then redis- cussed. ———————— Of course, a man who takes to farming in the seventy-eighth year of his age as Justice Van Devanter is doing is likely to think farming is an easy way to earn a living if he is one of these people who feel that they have the magic touch for everything. ——ae Everybody is trying to guess a name for the new Lindbergh baby. He might be called “Samuel” and allowed to exercise a mature taste about the encouragement of boys who want to supply the “Uncle.” oo Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. A Proud Possessor. I know a queer monopolist. You never get a chance To tell your hard luck story when he’s busy with his own. He never notices the flowers. He never gives a glance At all the bits of beauty which into each path are thrown. He does not boast of hoarded gold nor of his bonds nor stocks. He even says his interest in life is rather small. He never talks of treasure guarded safe by bolts and locks. But when it comes to troubles—why he thinks he has them all! We're all collectors in a plain or scien- tific way; Some gather mighty dollars; ,some are hunting butterflies; Some seek for wisdom; others are alert for stories gay. And some are always busy just col- lecting tears and sighs. He's gloomy, but superior, when with my tale of woe In search of human sympathy on him I chance to call. He doesn't brag of riches nor of power to make a show, But when it comes to troubles—why hesthinks he has them all. In Agreement. “Do you think your agree with your views?” “Yes,” replied Senator Sorghum. “I made it a point to have my views in agreement with theirs before I said & word.” constituents “The most difficult incident to learn- ing,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of China- town, “is to discover misinformation and forget it.” The Farmer’s Reflection. This is the greatest source of care Among our tribulations many— When wheat is cheap we've lots to spare, And when it's dear we haven't any. A Songster of the Night. “What makes you say I am fonder of dogs than of human beings?” “Because,” replied the nervous per- son, “if you cared anything about human beings you wouldn’t keep a dog.” ‘Tomorrow. By hope the heart is comforted. Though present griefs dismay. Tomorrow’s always just ahead, 8o never mind today. And yet a second thought may tell Of the neglected hour. Unless today is guarded well Tomorrow may prove sour. “Dah is two ways o’ wastin’ money,” said Uncle Eben. “One is ter spend it 50 fast it doesn’ hab time ter do no good; an’ de yuthuh is ter hol’ onter it so tight it nebber gets a chance.” WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1937. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Maintaining the Fiction Of Blood and Descent To the Editor of The Star: The fiction of blood and descent must be maintained. King George’s hold upon the English is in great part due to the fact that he is a descendant of Eliza- beth Stuart, daughter of James I. She married Frederick, palatine elector and, for a short while, King of Bohemia. There have been 12 generations since that time. Even figuring James as “100 per cent Stuart” (which, of course, he wasn't) we find that George VI has about 3-64 of 1 per cent of that blood in him. But he need not worry. In heraldry the fraction of a drop is as good as a gallon. There are some in England who grant to the former Crown Price Ruppert of Bavaria a better claim. He traces his descent to Elizabeth’s niece, Henrietta, daughter of Charles I, “the martyr King.” “He nothing common did upon that memorable scene. And a groan of awe and pity went up from the multi- tude when the royal head fell.” Henri- etta became the wife of the French Duke of Orleans, brother of Louis XIV, her descendants intermarrying with the ruling Catholic families of Spain, Aus- tria, Sardinia and Bavaria. And so, Catholics being excluded from the British throne, Ruppert’s claim must be disre- garded. In the meantime he has no hankering for the crown. He is well off where he is. The founder of the family’s fortunes was one Alan, a Norman baron who fol- lowed the Conqueror. His son Walter apparently knew all about busohermeat. And so King David 1 of Scotland made him “Dapifer,” meat bearer to the King and steward of the royal household. There, from the name, the office. so it appears, became hereditary. The family was on the way, later attaining regal status in Scotland and, finally, in Eng- land. James’ predecessors, of course, had intermarried with non-Stuarts. On the male side, of course, the King is the scion of an ancient and illustrious German house, although it never at- tained the imperial dignity. The Guelphs ruled as dukes in Saxony, Bavaria and even in Tuscany. Later they split up into various “Brunswick” branches, one line acquiring territories that later be- came the electorate and kingdom of Hanover. This is the branch that through Elizabeth’s marriage gave to England George I and his successors. And so we have the potent house of Guelph-Brunswick-Hanover. And now Windsor. Due to intermarriages with German royalty exclusively George VI, in blood, is practically a German. But th the eventual access of little Princess “Lisbeth” a vigorous new Scotch strain’ll become evident. We wish her well FRED VETTER. Idea for Eight-Day Week With “Sacksday’ Included To the Editor of The Star: As a protestant against this “would-be” advantageous change in time, permit one who has memory of past experiences a view. This daylight saving is the bunk. It failed to prove beneficial some years ago and a lot of us remember many of its disadvantages, discomforts and in- conveniences. It would be far more diffi- cult now for Washington to adopt it with any satisfaction since our sister communities do not have it. It confuses those who depend on trains, as railroad authorities flatly refuse td tamper with the time; my hat off to these authorities. Can Mr. Sacks show us one thing day- light saving can do for us now that it failed so miserably to do some years ago? I would like to suggest another comical ‘way of getting more time; why doesn't he, or some other person with plenty of leisure, try starting an eight-day week? This brain-child might be named, shall we say, “Sacksday,” and have it come between Saturday and Sunday., but of course it mustn't be a work day. All work suspended from noon Saturday to Monday morning, thereby giving two and one-half days right together for golfing, gardening or any recreation one might select. Wouldn't that be just dandy? I believe it would prove just as exciting, confusing and impossible as Mr. Sacks’ present “brain-child.” Some equally en- thusiastic person could no doubt start something of the sort just for the fun of it with at least one and perhaps two minor benefits pointed out which we might derive therefrom. J. MEEKS. R Storm Demonstrates Need For Burying Power Lines To the Editor of The Star: At 4:20 pm. Saturday, during the storm, the electric current went off at all homes on Marion street in Hyatts- ville. Within half an hour I notified the Potomac Electric Power Co. The current came on at 8:50 p.m. I am not prepared to say, in view of transmission line trouble reported at Alexandria, that the power company should have acted more promptly as to this area. But the fact remains that the cutting off of current for four and a half hours might be a very serious matter. As more people become dependent on the power for heat (oil burner), light,.re- frigeration, cooking, etc., the possibility of large areas being deprived of it for indefinite periods raises the question as to how long it will be before the power companies realize the necessity of placing all transmission lines underground—ex- cept the long-distance lines on steel standards. These latter seem to be safe. As the companies press on for larger consumption of current through the in- stallation of more and more appliances, they should take all possible precautions to protect their customers against in- terruptions by lightning, wind and sleet. MAURY H. BROWN, “Lie-Down Strike” As Daylight Saving Cure To the Editor of The Star: I wish to make an appeal on behalf of the housewives and mothers of the Dis- trict of Columbia and suburbs. Their hours of work are from 10 to 14 hours a day, seven days in the week— especially those who do not keep a maid, and they are in the majority—conse- quently they greatly need that extra cool hour of rest in the early morning. The children also need it, as they will not go to sleep an hour earlier in the evening. You canont change orderly, healthful habits by shoving the clock up. Such a course tends to disorder and confusion twice a year. It is hard to see how an added hour in the heat of the day is of benefit even to the “play boys and girls.” If such a law is passed, all housewives and mothers should go on a “lie-down strike” that first rising hour in the morning, and let the “play boys” try to get them- selves to their desks on time. MRS. MARY HARRIS. Too Late. From the Asheville Times. ‘The crowning of King George was en- tirely ignored by the Italian press. For the many who were pretty bored by it all it's too late to say: “American papers please copy.” \ Everything has its problems, and the outdoor pool is no exception. One of these is the fishing cat. What to do when Tom or Tabby sits on the edge of the water and catches itself a nice goldfish? It is probable that most persons who establish fish ponds are friends of all animals, and therefore would not willingly harm another person’s pet. The problem, then, is to scare Puss away without harming her. The problem4s complicated by the fact that the common domestic or house cat, so-called, is one of the most stubborn of all living creatures. The mule cannot hold a candle to her. We mean no reflection upon the female cat; her mate is equally as stub- born. They are just determined animals. * K Kk ok Perhaps the best way to thwart a fish- ing cat is to place a screen of small- meshed chicken wire over the pool. This will be easy, if the water is in a tub. A few heavy rocks, or even bricks, placed around the edge to hold the wire down will suffice, if the mesh is taunt enough to hold the cat, which may walk out on it, and even repose thereon. It goes without saying that the mesh should be small enough to keep the animal from putting its paw through. The idea, of course, is to give the cat the firm idea that there is no use in its coming to the water at all. * X ok X% Cats are smart, and soon get the idea. We speak, of course, of the fishing cats. Not all of them are addicted to this sport, any more than all men are anglers. While every cat, driven to it by hunger, might spear fish, the real fish- ing cat does so for love of the sport. Perhaps as many as 9 out of every 10 cats are non-fishers. Many of them will come to the edge of a garden pool, and lie down, watching the fishes, but never offer them any molestation. We have seen them do this so many times that it is almost axiomatic not to get excited simply because a cat goes to the pool. Often cats drink therefrom without paying any particular attention to the swimmers. * ¥ % ¥ It Is a curious thing that the goldfish seems to have a genuine interest in Tom and Tabby. It likes nothing better, when they are around, than to swim close to the surface, peering all the while intently at the great head and glistening eyes of the four- legged creature on the brink. We have seen cat and fish fairly touch noses, without any untoward event, or slightest manifestation on the part of the cat of harm to the fish. Rather a genuine interest, each in the other, was shown; the cat looked at the fish, and the fish at the cat; neither seemed afraid of the other. To those who do not like cats, or who have had the misfortune to be in the same neighborhood with a fisher, this may seem something of a fairy tale. It is unquestionable, however, that cats are not as avid about catching things, mice, birds, fish, as many persons would have the world believed. Such mammals as dogs and cats, which have lived with man for centuries, shar- ing his triumphs and sorrows to the ex- tent which the Creator has put in them, are amazingly human, in many ways. They share his diseases, and many of his seemingly psychological traits are perfectly well known to them. It may be believed, without any stretch of credulity, that cats differ in tempera- ment much as people. Some of them can- not see a fish without wanting to spear it. Others seem to lack the desire. Just how much good feeding has to do with this latter case is open to ques- tion. Many believe that the well-fed cat still will catch any moving thing which is smaller than itself; others feel sure that the cat with a full stomach loses some, at least, of this instinct. We incline to the latter view, basing it on two tomcats which, at various periods, lived on the back porch for months at a time. One of these never offered to harm the birds at the feeding stations. The other, which was so hungry when it arrived in the yard that it ate bird seed greedily, at first moved beneath the feeders in an attempt to catch the song- sters, but in time came to leave them strictly alone. It was hard to see it any other way than a t1."mph for good food and plenty of it. * K kK Those who like cats will feel sure that much can be done with them through patience and kindness, perhaps far more than by harsher methods. It must be kept in mind that such pro- cedure resolves itself down to a test of determination. Which will win, man or cat? Since both of these creatures are very stubborn, the outcome cannot be prophe- sied in advance, but it is much the same here as with the catching of an aquarium fish in a net. Though some of the smaller specimens may seem to exert almost fiendish in- genuity in escaping the net, it will be found in every case that the mind of a fish cannot equal the mind of a man. If one is patient, and careful, and refuses to get angry, the human soon outthinks the fish, and pins him fast. In much the same way, the pool owner who wants to do so can outwit even the cleverest cat, if a little patience and kind- ness are exerted. * K % % Some one laughs and says, “What! All that trouble? Why, I can show you how to discourage him—easy:- 2 Well, what would that show except the old brute in man? It has been shown enough in the past, heaven knows, and is now being shown in certain unhappy spots. Read about Spain, if you must, and you should, be- cause ft is well to know about what is going on there. It is possible to discourage many living and inanimate things one does not like by exceedingly simple methods, but al- most without exception these are unin- telligent, though effective. Those who still believe in the applica- tion of intelligence and love to the prob- lems of this world, as far as feasible, will be forced through very logic to use them on the smaller affairs of life, because they are easiest applied there. It may be true that man is not a logical animal, but at least he may be at times, and it is the sum of these which makes him what he ought to be, rather than what he is. STARS, MEN AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. Tentative evidence that the speed of light may vary according to wave length has just been communicated to the Na- tional Academy of Sciences here by Dr. F. Zwicky, physicist of the California Institute of Technology. The hypothesis, if sustained by actual observations which Dr. Zwicky proposes, might have far-reaching consequences to current theories of the structure of the universe. Light of the entire spectrum, from the infra-red through the ultra-violet, so far as it ever has been possible to observe hitherto, moves at a constant speed very close to 186.324 miles per sec- ond—the ultimate speed in creation. This speed, it has been assumed, never varies regardless of the intensity or the distance covered. Now probably the greatest puzzie of modern astronomy has been the ‘red shift,” first observed at the Mount Wil- son Observatory of the Carnegie Institu- tion of Washington. All the lines in the spectrum of a luminous object mov- ing away from an observer, it long has been known and can be calculated from physical formulae, will be shifted slight- ly towards the red end. Conversely, all the lines of an object moving towards the observer will be shifted slightly towards the violet. The speed of motion of the object can be determined from the extent of this spectrum shift. It was found by the Carnegie astronomers, observing the spectra of “island uni- verses” millions of light years distant from the Milky Way Galaxy, that the more distant the object the greater the red shift. In other words, the farther away a galaxy the faster it was moving away from this region of space. An ex- act ratio of speed to distance was ob- tained, so that it was possible to cal- culate the distance from the extent of the shift. This has constituted the chief physical evidence in favor of the hypothesis of the “expanding universe” in which all things are flying fragments from the explosion of an original cosmic atom. But the red shift, Dr. Zwicky empha- sizes in his report to the National Academy, can also be explained in another way which may be experi- mentally verified. Supposing that red light actually moves a trifle faster—say a hundredth or a thousandth of a kil- ometer a second—than violet light. ‘There is a way of measuring this, says Dr. Zwicky, “if we knew of any light signals of different frequency which have started simultaneously from a very dis- tant source. The dependence of velocity on frequency could perhaps be demon- strated by checking up on the times of arrival of these signals. A unique case to perform this test is afforded by the observation of distant nova outbursts. For such an outburst we may safely as- sume that photons in the various emis- sion lines of hydrogen have started out simultaneously on their long journey. ‘We must therefore attempt to determine whether or not the intervals in which the different hydrogen lines flare up in the spectrum of a distant super-nova are zero or not. With the present telescopic equipment it is probably possible to find super-nova to distances as great as 100,- 000,000 light years. With reasonable luck it should be possible to detect dif- ferences in the time of arrival of vari- ous emission lines amounting to as little as a few days.” But this is a little more than an hy- pothesis, Dr. Zwicky stresses. Nova, er new stars, flash up occasionally not only in the Milky Way galaxy, but in the far distant island universes. Presumably these star explosions are identical phe- -~ v nomena, but the distribution curves of the different wave bands of light seem different. Recent observations at the Mount Wilson Observatory of a new super-nova give a spectra which, con- trary to all expectations, shows no ultra- violet light at all over a considerable This might be explained, Dr. ays, on the assumption that the olet light did not arrive at the same time as the visible light and hence was missed. There are alternative ex- planations, however, which may explain the phenomenon just as well. A few months ago Dr. Edwin Hubble of the Mount Wilson staff. discoverer of the “red shift,” predicted that the queer phenomenon might vet be explained as due to some as yet undiscovered prop- erty of light. At the utmost the dif- ference in the speeds of different sorts of light particles or waves must be far too small to detect except over vast dis- tances which radiation requires millions of years to traverse. Various tests in the past have shown no difference in the properties of light within the Milky Way galaxy and that from the far-distant galaxies—at least within the range of any earthly instru- ments. —oe—. Souvenirs of National Capital Made in Japan To the Editor of The Star: Last week when in Washington I had Just a few moments to purchase a souve- nir of our Capital for my two little girls and made the purchase in the Union Station. It seems rather ironic (let's call it that) that so many of the items they sell there are made in Japan. Due to my haste I did not notice the source of man- ufacture of the items I bought, but imag- ine my face when my “kids” opened the package and, after examination, ex- claimed, “Oh, Daddy, look, these were made in Japan.” Should your face be red, fair National Capital. Incidentally my children’s ages are 7 and 11. Most learned and all wise rulers and lawmakers—you of college degrees and noble age—take note. Maybe you can learn a lesson from these two youngsters—I qualify this with “maybe.” GEORGE W. YOUNG. Plainsfield, N. J. R Easy to Identify the Billionaire Dictator To the Editor of The Star: Ambassador Dodd at Berlin says we are in danger of a dictator, a man that has about a billion dollars he will spend for it. I agree with him that we are in danger of a dictator if the court bill goes through. As to the one man that has a billion at his command, we all know him. He has a debt of between 35 and 36 billions. I should think Mr. Dodd would know him. He has the best chance of any one man and controls more billions. I say, give no one the power. J.R. FERNEAN. Dangerous Ground. From the Manchester Union. Warning all bachelors, warning all bachelors! Montrose, a Virginia town of 166 persons, has 23 widows.. Initials Demanding Attention. Prom the Charleston (W. Va.) Mail, ‘With all kinds of prices going up, lots of people wish the Supreme Court could do to the H. C. L. what it did to N. R. A. 2 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. What is Ralph De Palma's latest record and in what car was it made? —J. K. A. This month at the Indianapolis Speedway Ralph De Palma averaged 82 miles an hour in a 500-mile test run driving a stock La Salle V-8. The run, sanctioned by the American Automobile Association, was made to show the prog- ress in endurance and reliability of the modern passenger car. Q. Is it possible for European nations who owe us war debts to borrow money in the United States?—W. R. A. The Johnson act forbids any country * in default to the United States from floating loans in this eountry. Q. Who is painting the biggest picture in the world which will be exhibited at the Paris Exposition?—K. L. J. A. Raoul Dufy is the artist, who, with his brother and several assistants, has been working on the canvas for eight months. The picture will depict the his= tory and development of electricity from the days of Archimedes to the present. It will also be exhibited at the New York World's Fair in 1939. Q. Who is president of the Dude Ranch Association?—H. J. A. The president is Irving E. Larom, owner of Valley Ranch, Wyoming. Q. When and where was helium dis- covered?—E. G. F. A. The discovery of helium was made in a little town called Dexter in Southern Kansas, during the drilling of a well for natural gas. It proved to be non-inflam- mable and the townspeople were very disappointed. A sample of it was sent to the State university, where the secret of its fireproof qualities was discovered by Dr. H. P. Cady of the university staff. This was in 1905. When its value for flying was discovered, experts in the Army and the Navy were called into con- ference and experimental plants were opened to develop its commercial use. In addition to its use in airships, helium gas is used in deep-sea diving, in the treatment of metals in inert atmosphere, for fighting fires of various kinds in ofl- cracking processes and for filling toy balloons. Q. How much will the Queens Midtown . Tunnel (New York City) cost?—P. L. M. A. Tt is being built at a total estimated cost of $58.365,000 and is expected to be completed in 1940. Q. What was the last play in which John Drew appeared?—C. R. A. Drew’s last performance was with Mrs. Leslie Carter in Somerset Maug- . ham’s play, “The Circle,” in 1921. Q. If the Chicago Merchandise Mari were on the moon, could it be seen from the earth with a telescope?—A. V. A. Buildings as large as the Merchan- dise Mart could probably be seen throush the 100-inch telescope, although not dis- tinctly. Q. What are pack mules?—J. H. A. They are a type of mules selected for carrying burdens. They are low down, thick, blocky animals with strong backs and loins. Q. Where A. This is a range of the Carnic Alps between Yugoslavia and Italy, with charming valleys and lakes comparable in scenery to the Alps of Switzerland. Mount Triglav is the highest peak and Lake Bled, in the range, is a fashionable Summer resort. are the Julian Alps?— Q. How old was Mendelssohn when he composed the music to “A Midsummer Night's Dream”?—W. H. A. He composed the overture at 70 * and the rest of the work was written much later. Q. When was the guillotine first used in France?—G. R. A. It was erected and first employed to execute a highwayman in Paris, April 25, 1792. Q. What was the full name of Law- rence of Arabia?—L. C. L. A. Thomas Edward Lawrence. Q. Who invented paper bag cookery? —K. L. A. Nicholas Soyer, who died recently at the age of 74, invented this method of cooking while he was chef at Glamis Castle during Queen Elizabeth's girlhood. Q. Why is there no J street in Wash- ington, D. C,, or J company in the Army? A. In the District of Columbia there is no J street because J can so easily be confused with I. The same rule applies to companies in the Army. Famous Places in the United States What is the most famous spot of his= torical interest in your State? The new service booklet, FAMOUS PLACES IN THE UNITED STATES, presents 49 scenes of inspiring patriotic associations —one in every State and the District of Columbia. What is the most famous memorial in the National Capital? Glimpse the tumble-down shack in Mis= souri in which Mark Twain was born; see Longfellow's house in Portland, Me.; Andrew Jackson's home in Tennessee; George Washington's residence in Vire ginia. These are but a few of the famous sites depicted. Every photograph is accompanied by a page of authentic historical and descriptive text. No one can glance at these pages without feel= ing a new pride in the history, tradi- tions and rich natural endowments of, the United States. Write for your copy today. Inclose 10 cents to cover cost, handling and postage. Use this order blank by mail: The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. I inclose herewith TEN CENTS in coin (carefully wrapped) for & copy of FAMOUS PLACES IN THE UNITED STATES. Name Address .. B