Evening Star Newspaper, July 3, 1937, Page 6

A—6 —’I‘HE EVENING STAR With Sunday Monflnl Edition, WASHINGTO SATURDAY. ________________ Jllly l, 1937 THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company. 11th 8t and Pznnsylvln): Ave New York Office: 110 East 42nd 8t. ©Onicago Office: l’fi NDrlh MlChllln Ave. Rate by Clrrler—CI!y and Suburban. Regular Edition. ? Sunday Star The Evening AN G oRth or 15¢ per week TAMEveRInK s"isc - per montn or 10¢ per werk The Bunday Star _ 5c per copy m.m Final Edition., Night Final and Sunday Star_ _70c per month Night ‘Final Star__ ~-hbc per month Collection made at the and of each month or each week. Orders may be sent by mail or tele- phone National 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia, Daily and Sunday yr. $10.00; 1 mo. &hec Daily only $68.000 1 mo., 50c Bunday only_ $4.00; 1 mo., 40c All Other States and Canada, y ang Bunday. 1 1. $12.00 v qnly__ 1 $8.00 $5.00; Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for repnblication of all news dispatches eredited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein, All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are aiso reserved Dai g 1 mo. ay only 15 1 mo.. The Gambling Indictments. The fact that five members of the police department were named in the indictments returned yesterday against more than a hundred persons®accused of violating the gambling laws—together with the indictment of another police- man for alleged extortion—is apt to overshadow in some minds the im- portance of this extraordinary round- up of the suspected leaders in Washing- ton’s gambling racket. If that is the case it will be unfortu- pate. The most important l}'\mg to re- member about the indictment of the policemen—who will, of course, be given &n opportunity in open court to defend themselves—is that the cases against them were “worked up” in close co- operation between the police department and the United States attorney’s office, with whatever assistance may have been rendered by Bureau of Internal Revenue. The pelice department is, in other words, helping to clean its own house of any suspected dirt that may be found. Five policemen have been indicted—not the police department itself. And five policemen out of a total uniformed and plainclothes force of more than 1,400 men represents an insignificant propor- tion. Public interest in the cases which have now been reported on by the grand jury was aroused last March, at the time of the spectacular raid on an estab- lishment maintained in the Albee Build- Ing. That raid was followed, it will be recalled, by several others. What marked the attacks apart from other raids in the past was the smoothness with which they were executed, showing the result of detailed planning in ad- vance. The police were tnere on time and knew what evidence to look for and where to find it. The Albee Build- ing raid was followed by another round- up of a great number of suspected book- making establishments throughout the city, and while this follow-up was not a failure, its complete success was marred by the discovery that there had been ob- vious tip-offs in advance from unknown sources. The care with which the raids had been planned, however, must have nar- rowed at the outse. the sources of the tip-off. The indictments yesterday in- dicate where the leak may have oc- curred. United States Attorney Garnett has established a fine record for himself and for his office in his war against the gambling racket in Washington. His efforts have been the more praiseworthy because they have resulted in real ac- eomplishment. More than one “big time” gambler is already behind the bars. Yesterday's indictments represent no flash-in-the-pan gesture against gamblers. As the defendants will doubt- lees learn during the trial, the cases have been prepared with extraordinary thoroughness, such preparation begin- ning weeks before the first raid occurred. s e M Tt is a matter of historic record that the problems of taxation must be con- stantly studied with a view to meeting new needs and curtailing old ones. As Mr. Robinson studies the situation he should find methods which he can apply to meeting new needs as well as to their curtailment. He should be looked to for some serious and helpful expression on the subject. e In Sight at Last. For many, many years Washington has 8een the enactment of river and harbor legislation carrying millions of dollars appropriated for such work in all parts of the Nation. And for many, many Yyears civic groups and the National Capital planning agencfes have sought in vain for the improvement of the long-neglected and very dilapidated Washington water front. With enactment of this year's War Department appropriation bill, however, the delayed improvement of the water front is at long last in sight, with only one more hurdle to cross. - The author- ity has been given by special act of Congress. The plans have been prepared by the Corps of Engineers. And now the money is about to be appropriated, and will be made available provided the Becretary of War and the Chief of Engi- neers make the necessary allotment to begin the first year's work on an eight- year program. There are meny considerations weigh- ing in favor of a prompt allotment of the necessary ‘funds. One is that the plans contemplate the construction of piers that will again make Washington a port for much water-borne commerce for which local facilities are now lacking. The commercial aspect of the improve- ment is, therefore, important. Another is that the plans contemplate yacht basins to accommodate the growing number of pleasure craft, not the fine yachts of the tax-evading millionaires, by the way, but the small boats of the the agents of the | salty skippers who loqk to the river for their few hours of recreation in the afternoons and over the week end. But one of the most compelling rea- sons for the allotment of funds now is to accomplish the development of & part of Washington which has lagged far behind in the whole program of National Capital improvement and beautifica- tion—a program, by the way, in which the Corps of Engineers of the Army has played a most prominent part. Washington's ramshackle water front is litile short, of a disgrace to the Capital City. The engineer’s plans would trans- form the water front area, making it attractive and pleasing to the eye and at the same time taking full advantage of the utilitarian opportunities which it affords. The improvement program has been spread out, wisely enough, over eight years. The snnual allotments will not be large, while the improvement can go ahead without too sudden dis- ruption to the business of Uncle S8am's tenants who now occupy leased or rented space along the water front, which is all United States property. The river channel is now being dredged to a depth of twenty-four feet, all the way to Georgetown. The water front improvement program, undertaken this Summer, would represent the neces- sary, accompanying project. It will be good news for Washington when the initial allotment of funds for the first year's work is made. e Nazi Church War. By jailing the Reverend Martin Nie- moeller, the backbone of the resistance to attempts to subordinate the Evangel- ical Church to the will of the Nazi state, Hitler manifests his determination to wage war to the knife on German Prot- estantism. With Dr. Niemoeller's ar- rest, the government takes a decisive step to silence leadership of the move- ment which opposes the program to bring religion under the political yoke and suppress freedom of conscience. The imprisonment of their most con- spicuously courageous spokesman cli- maxes a drive which has placed any- where from fifty to one hundred Evan- gelical pastors behind the bars, pending trial for defiance of the Nazi cult. Dr. Niemoeller was accused of “making agitatory addresses in both divine serv- ices and public assemblies, slandering leading figures in the state and advo- cating hostility to laws and ordinances.” His activities also were pilloried as sup- plying material for the “anti-German foreign press.” Being in no doubt of his impending apprehension and prosecu- tion, Dr. Niemoelier boldly announced the creation of a secret leadership to carry on the work of the church in place of officials who find themselves in the clutches of the law. As an American commentator in Berlin cables, German Protestantism “has thus become a cata- comb church, with its leaders, like the early Christian bishops, forced to func- tion in stealth.” Dr. Niemoeller's arrest was apparently timed to banish the last vestige of ef- fective opposition to the so-called elec- tion planned for tomorrow for ratifica- tion of the plan to harness the Prot- estant creed to the Hitler chariot. Just prior to the militant pastor’s incarcera- tion, decrees were issued denying to the church all facilities for election propa- ganda of its own and transferring its financial administration to the state. To the last, the government was warned by eminent moderates like Foreign Minister von Neurath, Reichsbank President Schacht and Finance Minister von Kro- sigk that Niemoeller's arrest would not only outrage the sensibilities of German Protestants, but aggravate resentment abroad of the Reich’s neo-pagan crusade. The Nazi autocrats were not impressed by these arguments. They are plainly bent upon pushing to the bitter end the new Kulturkampf against both Prot- estants and Catholics, to say nothing of the unrelenting persecution of the Jews. Hitler, Goering, Goebbels and Kerrl profess to believe that the safety of the totalitarian regime demands that the church in Germany be purged of its fundamentally spiritual nature and im- pregnated with raclal mysticism, regard- less of the violence thus done to Chris- tian doctrine. Whether the Naxi dictae torship commensurately assesses the eventual effects of ruthless war on the faiths can only be guessed. To the out- side world its policy savors not only of brutal unrighteousness, but of political madness and suicide. ————— The Fourth of July arrives with de- mands for patriotic remembrance by those who have regarded the day with sincere reverence, even if some able book- keeper showed a way of helping the firm to avoid expenses in incidents of patri- otic expression. Washington’s Beauty. The superlative beauty of Washington must be deliberately sought if it is to be appreciated. It cannot be compre- hended casually nor without effort. For example, the glory of the dome of the Capitol is contradicted, even violated, if glimpsed from a squalid alley or over a hideous billboard. To see it at its noblest, one must go to the portico of the Union Station at dawn in good weather or travel eastwardly out Pennsylvania ave- nue to the Twin Hills on a misty evening. Like any other picture, it needs a friendly frame to show its richest values to proper advantage. And a similar stipulation may be reg- istered for Washington Cathedral. The dynamic lift of its walls is manifested most notably at & point in Wisconsin avenue between Tenley Circle and Upton street. In the twilight of congenial Summer, the Great Choir and North ‘Transept are silhouetted against a south- ern sky still bright; and the effect is compelling in its appeal—it convinces even the professional skeptic, hitherto naturally doubtful of its power. The new Calvert Street Bridge, again, merits a certain deliberate study. It should be approached in the manner of s careful camera artist, focused with conscious intent. Probably the wisest THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON strategy is that of walking toward it over the road along Rock Creek below Allen place. The arches loom high above the valley as one proceeds. An element of illusion provides them with increasing elevation. Each step appears to move them to a vaster elevation. For the Lincoln Memorial another technique, a particular method of in- spection is indicated. Night is the ap- propriate time, especially now that the temple is illuminated; and the poetry of the scene is enhanced by circling the spot ai the greatest practical distance. Riding around it in the widest possible arc, the pilgrim receives it into his heart as a silver vision made real by the magic of moonlight. It is possessed of the vi- tality of speaking marble. A visitor from a foreign land called it “eloquence immortalized, a sermon without words.” Such a phrase with equal justification might be applied to the Amphitheater at Arlington. Viewed by night, under sen- tinel stars, it is reminiscent of the Acropolis in Athens—the form of it, of course, is different; yet the atmosphere —the spirit—of it is the same. The music of an imagined organ wakes L] quiet echo in the responsive soul. ————————— Much has been gained by the study of eccentric homicides. In fact, the inves- tigation is expensive and too often leads to conclusions which appeal neither to calm intelligence nor to emotional sym- pathy. Yet a famous crime is almost sure to bring into action some one with & claim to attention as a famous lawyer. o The Maryland Legislature has to con- sider taxation from some new angles and meet a new situation with plans that combine old wisdom with modern exigencies. e Stalin is said to be apprehensive of the future. The same report comes from Japan. China may yet have to do some- thing about a matter that threatens to become urgent. o e—e— Ttaly and Germany will not be encour- aged in an attitude of warlike defiance. Spain will continue to wait and see what benefit she is to expect from such devel- opments in the neighborhood. e — One reason why George Washington is remembered as a serious and thought- ful man is the fact that he was aware of hardships of the future and had to study to meet them. S B T el According to Dan Beard, if you want to lead a long and useful life study law, if you like, but be sure to become a scout- master. e The Fourth of July is still a national holiday and “The Star Spangled Banner” is a success on numerous musical neigh- boring programs as well as at home. e In a few days this country will be celebrating the Fourth of July and re- calling the fact that the old holiday still means a great deal to the average citizen. R Shooting Stars, BY PHILANDER JO;‘NBO". Alaska, Alaska! Alaska! The home of ice and snow! The silvery land of promise, ‘Where the goiden nuggets grow. The home of splendid forests And streams of mighty pow'r. What once we thought a wilderness Became hope's choicest flow'T. Alaska! Alaska! The lure that you extend Brings men close back to nature, To call each other friend— A symbol of the future Which this whole earth will view— A land that's now awakening To bid great dreams come true. Laissex Faire. “Isn’t our friend, the political boss, rather abrupt and dictatorial?” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum. “He won't last much longer.” “What are you going to do about it?” “Nothing. S8imply let ill nature take its course.” Jud Tunkins says the only kind of courage & man who rocks the boat shows is a deflance of public opinion. The Easjer Lot. The humbler task is often The easier by half— The golfer does the fretting And the caddy has the laugh. Heart Still in the Same Place. “When we were first married you sent me flowers and matinee tickets.” “Henrietta,” replied Mr. Meekton, ‘“‘customs change with time. I am spend- ing just as much now buying groceries and tickets for your lectures.” “Trade is the great civilizer,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “but it must be honest trade or else it becomes a de- moralizer.” Procrastination. “There’s plenty of time,” said the morn- ing sun, As he laughed in the rosy sky— 8o I smiled at the task that was still undone 5 And the hours went drifting by. And the day grew short and the shadows long— And the moon with the silvery beam Taught the breeze to whisper the same old song, “There is plenty of time to dream.” The clock is in contradiction set As it rings with a careless chime— The hours are too short for the task— and yet There is always “plenty of time.” “When you says ‘Safety first’” said Uncle Eben, “you wants to make it sumpin’ better than just a new version of the eld remark, ‘Look out for No. 1.~ Real Responsibility For Johnstown Deeds To the Editor of The Star: C. I. O. leaders disclaim responsibility for the Johnstown sabotage. The thing was done by foreigners, who do not un- derstand our peaceful ways. When they have been caught and punished, as the Governor directs, everybody concerned will feel duly virtuous and the incident will be closed. Unless, indeed, it should somehow be the beginning of new heart-searching by the American people. What, after all, is the essential difference between the vio- lent word and the violent deed? Every man according to his gifts. Mr. Lewis has a large Shakespearean vocabulary with which to pulverize his enemies, while his less inspired followers may possess nothing but a pair of brass knuckles. And if they speak only Ital- ian, which even Mussolini has found in- adequate, they are driven infallably to nitroglycerin. ‘When Mr. Roosevelt declared in one of his rabble-rousing speeches that he had Jjust begun to fight, how did his under- privileged admirers envisage the victori- ous end of that battle? Certainly not as a war of words. And when his long silence condoned a host of minor infrac- tions of law and order, how were his sub- ordinates to know just where to draw the line? And who shall blame them if they thought the sky the limit? The train that fired the dynamite at Johnstown leads by a circuitous but in- evitable path to the White House. R. D. MILLER. ——s A Query As to Mrs. Roosevelt’s Taxes To the Editor of The Star: I have just returned to my home, after a visit to Washington, D. C. If there is any satisfactory explanation to be given as to why Mrs. Roosevelt can take off the total amount of the money she earns and says she turns over to charity, while the average taxpayer is only permitted to take off 15 per cent, what is it? In this time of “tax evasion” hue and cry. it would seem to me that tax evasion is tax evasion whether the evaders be Raskob, Du Pont or Roosevelt. In this era of the “more abundant life” let us all pay our taxes on an equal basis. and not favor some one who has plenty of money, and always has had. MARY THOMPSON. Indianapolis, Ind. ——— Proposes Traffic Holiday At the Christmas Season To the Editor of The Star: Seems a bit queer to be writing of Christmastime in June, and especially on such & warm day.. For an idea. however. to reach all motorists by Christmas it might be well to start out now. This year it would.be a nice thing to stop all traffic accidents for a couple of days at Christmastime. We could set aside the time from Friday afternoon until Sunday night as the no-accident period. Christmas comes on a Saturday. Stopping accidents for two days is a rather big order. Our usual means, traffic safety campaigns, would hardly suffice. One thing could do it. That is the Christmas spirit. This is well defined as good will. We do change at Christmastime. There is a different spirit abroad in the land, a very real thing. Bringing this spirit of Christmas to our streets and highways will work a miracle. The main thing, however, is remember that it is good will, and let that dominate us. It's not so much what the other fellow does, but what we do that counts. Thinking of what Christmas means to us. and that it means as much, and more, to others, arouses our desire to co-oper- ate in a movement for no-accidents. ‘We might try and give to each other the Christmas present of safe transportation. Could sort of wish each other a Merry Christmas through our driving. Such a traffic holiday at Christmas should be a gradual thing. not a surprise. It is well to think about it now. Talk it over among our friends. Consider our driving habits and perhaps make some necessary changes. In short. prepare ourselves for this no-accident period. For success it will be necessary for every one to help. Not enough to just have no accidents ourselves, but we should do all possible to help others avoid them. Just thinking about it will, I am sure, produce the desired results. F. B. WILLIAMS. Bakersfield, Calif. ——— e Civil Service Rules Vs. Union Compacts To the Editor of The Star: Labor unions are organized and main- tained for the purpose of collective bar- gaining on wages and working rules with the union members’ employer. The em- ployer of Government employes is the Federal Government in Washington. Most of the Government employes are supposed to be under civil service rules based on civil service laws enacted by Congress, which cover the wages and working rules of the employes. In othef words, a civil service employe’s rate of pay and the conditions under which he will work are fixed by Congress. That being so, will not organization of Gov- ernment employes into labor unions eventually eliminate civil service laws and rules, if it is the intention of the unionized employes to make agreements or ‘contracts with the Government to cover their wages and working condi- tions? It is entirely pmbable that, eventually, the employes would be better off.through working contracts negotiated with the Government by their union leaders than under civil service rules, at best. The point is, however, it doesn't seem to be possible for unions and the civil service to be in the same places at the same time. RIENZI B. LEMUS. —————————— Use Charleston Plant For Naval Armor Plate To the Editor of The Star: The steel strike is on, regardless of the fact that our Navy must pay twice the cost for armor plate than it can be made in the $24500,000 Charleston, W. Va,, plant, which stands idle. The last bid for armor plate was $560 a ton, yet at our Government plant it can be made for $264 a ton. The plant has two 100-ton openhearth furnaces, two 40-ton electric refining furnaces, the largest steel press in the United States, weighing 14,000 tons, capable of handling an ingot weighing 100 tons. Right now with the key men and workmen who can be assembled in 30 days, the plant has a capacity of 80,000,000 tons a year. Only 25,000,000 tons are needed yearly for the Navy at present. 3 By spending $4,400,000 of the billion and half relief money on the Charleston plant it would be the second largest in the world. Germany has the largest. This money would not be lost, but would be a profitable investment. The Govern- ment would get a dividend. Many other projects are a dead loss. President Roose- velt should consider this very carefully, and let the good people in West Virginia use their share of the relief money in making armor plate for the Navy. JOHN RIGGLES. Seabrook, Md. D. C, SATURDAY JULY 3 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “Dear 8ir: I have read W. E. G.'s plea for birds as against cats. “My feelings are for the cats every time. It is dog nature to chase cats, cat nature to chase birds, and so on down the scale. “Many cats wear bells and if the birds haven’t enough sense to get out of Pussy’s way, they deserve their fate. “Beautiful but raucously noisy bluejays in our neighborhood are rapidly driving away more attractive birds, so all the blame need not be put on the cat. Yours truly, “J. L. M.” From Alexandria, Va., the following: “Dear Sir: May I be one of the first to offer my congratulations to W. E. G., Landover, Md. He has expressed my sentiments in regard to cats and birds. “I am fortunate to live where there are many birds, and I have seen the neigh- bors’ cats ‘who do not touch birds when they have been well fed’ commit crimes which I hesitate to mention to one who loves cats. Sincerely, ‘DM.G” * K Kk “Dear Sir: Two cardinals this Spring built their nest in a small cedar tree next to my porch. All during the very bad storm of wind and rain that we had that lasted for several days, Mrs. Cardinal sat upon her nest, the tree bent low, but she patiently sat there, only leaving for short intervals for food. “I had found a male cardinal that had flown into my radio wire dead on my porch roof outside my bedroom win- dow, and I had had it mounted. “Perhaps you will think it cruel of me, but I had teased Mr. Cardinal by placing the mounted one on my porch railing (the porch was screened). It was in- teresting to watch his reaction. How- ever, he finally seemed to sense that the dead cardinal could do no harm and became indifferent to it. “They were my star boarders, for I furnished them with sunflower seed, and detected an air of excited pride in Mr. Cardinal when his babies were hatched. I watched them each day, replenishing their rations whenever they grew low. “One morning I thought of my little family and went to see if they were all right. “To my horror and consternation the nest was lopsided and there were no baby cardinals. I went outside and there on the ground were some tiny feathers and a little leg. “There are several cats in my neigh- borhood, and I have found them several times in trees stalking their prey. How can you defend them? It was really pathetic to see Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal calling and searching with food in their mouths for their babies. They only stayed around one day. and I have not seen them since. Sincerely, F. H. D.” * % % No one could or would defend such actions on the part of a cat. One oniy apologizes for him, pointing out that it is in-his nature to do these things, and if any human finds them lamentable. as all must, he must go far- ther back than the one culprit. Cats have been killing birds all these centuries, but humans have done their share of killing them, too. It was man, not cat, which extermi- nated the millions upon millions of beautiful and harmless passenger pigeons. STARS, MEN Left to the cats, America still would have had these wonderful creatures, whose annual migratory flights were one of the wonders of Nature. Nature, in setting up the system whereby one living thing eats another, may be sald to have known what she wag doing, no matter how much the kindly human may shrink from tae eventualities. A certain sacrifice there was, but when the great balance was drawn at the end of any year, it was seen that the living far exceeded the killed. Thus cats and birds have lived to- gether in the world for centuries, with both continuing to live and to progress as_tribes. While the sensitive person must shrink from such sad happenings as listed (and while the writer here does not agree with the first letter above, to the effect that a bird which does not get out of a cat's way deserves its fate), it must be re- membered that man's inhumanity to man is far exceeded by his inhumanity to beasts and birds. The migratory bird law was invoked only the other day against persons con- victed of slaying and selling certain water fowl as “squab.” There is on record the history of the ‘terrible slaughter of certain sea birds by an organized expedition, which took ad- vantage of their lack of knowledge and hence fear of man to club them into extermination. * % %k X Cats as bird slayers, therefore, are really not so bad, although no individual instance is pretty to see or hear about. Nature, strange aggregation of all things, made the gentle heart of certain civilized persons out of the same stuff she constructed the claws that catch and the jaws that bite. In her long list of inventions will be found a little of everything that is: she made love, and at the same time did not put her ban on cruelty. Concepts of God and devil, Heaven and hell are ancient attempts to ex- plain this duality of things, with what success must be left to the individual. x ok % x Tt is not fair to cats to rush to the conclusion that every destroyed nest is their work. If one does not see the thing done, one really ought not to jump to con- clusions. As for us, we have watched cats and birds for many years, and have yet to see one of the former climb a tree after either birds or nests. We do not say this has not happened, but that we have never seen it happen. A bird’s nest is a frail thing, at best. We watched the Baltimore oriole build her nest at the tip of a long locust branch. We knew it would blow down, and, sure enough, it did. There were no birds in it, nor do we think there ever had been any. Evidently the pair de- cided the location was not safe, for the nest had not been finished. although lined with small, soft, yellow feathers from the breast of the male. Our point is that we nor any one else would have a right to cry “cat, cat.” just because there are no birds in a nest. Let us be sure who or what kills them. AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. An element of which minute traces are absolutely essential for plant life, but which acts as a deadly poison to vegeta- tion when there is a slight overdose in the soil, is described in a report just made to the American Association for the Advancement of Science by Dr. Frank M. Eaton of the Department of Agri- culture’s Bureau of Plant Industry. This element is boron, which charac- terizes borax and boric acid. Said Dr. Eaten: “Plants cannot survive without a minute amount of this element. Most plants grow best when the concentration of boron in the soil is about one part per million. When present in excess the element is extremely toxic. Lemon trees are severely injured by two parts per million. and a long list of plants will not thrive with as much as ten parts per million. Asparagus and the date palm, on the other hand, are extremely toler- ant. They do best when supplied with ten parts per million or more, and will survive with 200 parts. “Important plant diseases, such as heart and dry rot of beets, top rot of tobacco, drought spot and corky core of apples are now known to be caused by insufficient amounts of available boron. This element, when applied to the land as an impurity in potash fertilizers with- oui knowledge of its presence, caused much injury to crops during the World ‘War. Excessive amounts in irrigation waters of the West have caused crops to fail and the productivity of lands to be injured. The judicious use as a fer- tilizer, however, promises to increase the yields of crops in many States, both in foreign countries and in our own North- western and Atlantic States. Search for elements 85 and 87—the last missing links in the table of 92 ele- ments, which are the building blocks of all things known in creation—is being made in material from the great “alkali lakes” of Northern Texas, according to a report to the American Association for the Advancement of Science by Dr. William ‘M. Craig of the Texas Tech- nological College. During the late Permian geological period, about 200,000,000 years ago, Dr. Craig explains, a body of sea water which originally connected with both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean was stranded in this area. Evaporation fol- lowed and vast deposits of alkali salts were laid down. These were later cov- ered with strata from other periods. An artesian flow of water through the slight- ly inclined Permian strata dissolved out some of the soluble alkali salts and underground caverns were formed. Over- lying strata fell into these caverns and produced large depressions, which are called alkali lakes, some of which cover a thousand or more acres. Water seldom covers the entire surface except after a rain, but seepage from below keeps the surface continually moist, even in periods of extreme drought. Shallow wells furnish very strong brine solutions. The present investigation was undertaken largely because of the sodium sulphate content, dye to the extremely important medical and industrial uses for this material. Some of the lakes furnish mineral waters which are 40 times as strong as that from some of the most famous mineral wells of the world. But many spectrographic plates have been taken by the Texas chemists in a search for the less common alkali metals. Lithium has been found in near- ly every case. It is by means of these spectrographic plates that they hope to find traces of the missing elements which thus far have eluded the most intensive search all over the world. Although some have reported faint signs of them in the spectrum of sea water these have not made it possible to isolate them. A method has been devised, Dr. Craig said. by which almost pure spectrum pictures are obtained. “A continuation of this research,” he reports, “bids fair to be of vast importance industrially, to say nothing of the theoretical importance from a research viewpoint.” * ok % ok Clothing turned out with the speed of newspaper presses is seen in the future by Joseph K. X. Harold, New York chem- ical engineer. in a statement from the American Chemical Society just issued here. “When the ideal synthetic resin comes,” says Mr. Harold in the Journal of In- dustrial and Engineering Chemistry, “there may be the suggestion of the fab- ric of the future, made on the instant. as fast as textiles are printed. With the speed of the photo engraver, which the American hunger for news has rendered unsurpassed, milady's dress would not only boast of beauty, but of the actuality of news itself. She would be clothed in the 9 o'clock edition. “It is highly probable that in the near future we shall have rayons that are really synthetic, that do not require the destruction of wood or cotton to make fibers, and that rely on no vegetable or animal sources, but are chemical in all phases of their manufacture.” r—oe—s Bill Grants Authority for A Military Government To the Editor of The Star Veterans over the country appreciated The *Star publishing the letter of Dr. Waring, U. S. A, Ret.. in reference to veterans' treatment which one could expect from some officers, but some are more considerate and have gone out of their way to help those in the ranks wHho were in distress. The doctor is worried about Army men, but what will happen to plain Mr. Citizen if Welsh-Vinson bill No. 2523, giving the President of the United States power to appoint Army or Navy officers, active or reserve, in all the key positions of the Government, which will make this a military government? It is aimed at the steel strike or the C. 1. O, but it is not a pleasant outlook. We read every day of conditions in countries ruled by the iron hand of mili- tarism. Not that our officers would be as cruel. Bobby Burns said: “Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn.” We don't want to be in that thousand. This is the best nation on earth. We are prosperous, free and happy. Presi- dent Roosevelt should consider the rights of the millions who voted for him, and if this bill should pass, veto it, for hu- manity’'s sake. JOHN RIGGLES. R “ Good Openings. From the Pontiac Press. Government service is one high-pay growing business the smart 1937 gradu- ate will not overlook. o Busy John. From the Birmingham Age-Herald. John Lewis is a busy man. He's trying to fix everything but the Hours of Iniquity and the Wages of 8in. Elisian. From the New Haven Journal-Courier. Apparently those workers who want to go back to work have noticed that the strikers are simply removing “rations” from “corporations.” ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C, Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How long has May 1 been a labor holiday in Europe?—E. C. A. It was first designated as a day for labor demonstrations in 1889 by the Becond Soctalist International. Q. When is the Virginia Bicentennial? —H. J. A. The Virginia Capital Bicentennial will be celebrated at Richmond from September 12 to 25. Q. What active volcano has the largest crater?>—J. M. A. Kilauea in Hawaii has the largest crater. It is about eight miles in cir= cumference and is surrounded by a wall of volcanic rock from 200 to 500 feet high. Q. With what kind of a pistol was President Lincoln shot?—W. L P. A. He was shot by a Henry Derringer muzzle-loading vest pocket pistol made in Philadelphia. This pistol is now in the office of the Judge Advocate General of the War Department. Q. How is soybean milk made?—W. W, A. Several methods could be used. A simple one follows: Wash the soybeans. Dry thoroughly, crack, and grind them fine. To each pound of soybeans add three quarts of water, soak for two hours, then boil twenty minutes, stirring con- stantly, then strain through cheesecloth. Add sugar and salt to taste. Keep in a cold place. While not of equal food value with milk, it is a good substitute. Q. Are first children apt to be twins? —H. N. A. The age of the mother is an im- portant factor. The frequency increases threefold from the age of 18 to 38, and is also probably influenced by inherited tendencies, Q. How is the air in the Carlsbad Cave erns kept fresh?—S. W. A. No artificial means is necessary. Some undiscovered natural process keeps the air fresh and pure. The tem- perature remains about 56 degrees F. at all times. Q. When did the dirigible balloon R-101 crash?—L. F. A. On Ocmbfl 5. 1930, the British dirigible R-101 hit a wooded hill near Allone. France, and crashed, exploded and burned. Forty-seven were killed. Q. How much water is carried to the ocean by river systems?—M. F. A. The river systems of the earth are estimated to carry to the ocean each year about 6,500 cubic miles of water. Q. What is the Philadelphia Light Horse flag?—M. H. A. Tt is believed that this flag was car= ried by the troop that escorted Gen. Washington from Philadelphia to New York in June, 1775, when he was on his way to take command of the Army at Cambridge. The banner, now in posses- sion of the Philadelphia City Cavalry, derives special interest from the fact that its canton is formed of thirteen stripes. alternating blue and silver, prob- ably the earliest use of stripes on an American flag. Q. What is the boudoir parliament? —A. AW A. This is a reference to the great in- fluence which Mme. de Maintenon had on Louis XIV and hk advisers. Q. Who lnvemed the violin bow?— L.PF.C. A. The Hindus claim to have invented the violin bow. They maintain that Ravanon. King of Ceylon, who lived about 5,000 vears ago, invented the rava- nastron. an instrument played with a bow. Sanskrit scholars say that names for the fiddle bow occur in works which are not less than 1.500 to 2,000 years old. Q. When did the late Will Rogers start writing a daily column for the news- papers?—H. W. A. He began in 1922 with a feature called “The Woru Story of Today.” Q. What is the purple of Cassius? —H. K. G. A. This was a fine purple pigment first prepared by Andreas Cassius about 1685 and called also gold purple. It is eb- tained by treating a solution of gold chloride with a mixture of tin chlorides. The resulting product is believed to con- sist of tin oxides mixed with finely di- vided metallic gold. It is used to impart a pink. rose or ruby red color in stalning glass, in painting potterv and enamel, and in coloring artificial gems. Q. Where is the famous La Bajada Hill>—W, H. A. Tt is twenty miles west of Santa Fe, N.Mex. Inone and one-half miles there is a difference of 700 feet in elevation on the roadway. Q. Was Theodore Dreiser's name origi- nally Dresser?—T. M. A. It was not. His brother Paul took the name Dresser and was well known under this name as a composer. His best-known song is * ~On the Banks of the Wabash Far Awa; Q. What has become of Imogene Wilson who played in the movies under the name of Mary Nolan?—E. H. A. The actress is recuperating from a long illness at the Actors’ Fund Home, Amityville, N. Y. Q. How far is the Taos Pueblo from Santa Fe, N. Mex.?—K. H. A. It is a 75-mile drive America’s Favorite Poems. Here are the poems selected by the pub- lic, through a national poll, as being closest, to the hearts of the American people. This famous callection has been printed in an attractive 48-page booklet. It contains all the old favorites, the heroic poems of every era of our national history. The finest sen- timents of the race are expressed in its poetry. Every one will enjoy this remark- able booklet. Order your copy today. In- close 10 cents to cover cost and handling, Use This Order Blank ‘The Washington Evening Star Information Bureau, Prederic J. Haskin, Director, ‘Washington, D. C. T inclose herewith TEN CENTS in coin (carefully wrapped) for a copy of AMERICA'S FAVORITE POEMS.