Evening Star Newspaper, July 12, 1937, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition, "WASHINGTON, D, C. MONDAY " July 12, 1937 ~ Editor THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company. 11th St and Pennsylvania Ave New York Office: 110 Fast 42nd St Chicago Office: 435 North Michigan Ave. Rate by Carrier—City and Suburban. The Evening and Sundav Gac pe The Evening Star 45¢ per month or 10c per week The Sunday Star ___ _-5¢ per copy Night Final Edition, teht Final and Sunday Star.. ight Final Collection each week. Orders may be sent b: phone National 5000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance, Maryland and Virginia, Dails and Sunda: Daily “only Sunday only onth or 15¢ per week 0c per month 5e per month All Other States and Canada. Daily anq S L $17.008 1 mo D on X001 mols 55000 1 mol. $1.00 The Bic The Associate entitled to the use for dispatehes ted in this ews pubiiched hereim, All rights of publication of speclal dispatches herein are also reserved A Helpful Warning. The President is to be commended for his frank and helpful discussion of the subject of Federal employe unions. Be- cause of the very nature of the C. I. O, that organization’s announced camp: within the Federal service has met a frigid reception by a public sentiment fully aware of its implications. The Pres- ident has made it clear that there is a distinet limitation to the principle of “collective bargaining” as far as the Federal service is concerned; that etrikes or walk-outs are not only {l- legal but incompatible with the spirit of the civil service. There have been unions of Federal employes for many years and it has been shown that such unions can be em- ploved to the interests of the employing Government as well as to Government employes. But, as the President pointed out, there is no analogy between the collective bargaining principle as ap- plied to private employment and found in the Government service the Government service wages and working conditions are dealt with by law, and the law represents the will of the employing people as expressed through their representatives in Con- gress. There is room for collective bargain- {ng in the Government service, as far as the discussion of working and other conditions is concerned, when the dis- cussion is carried on between represent- ative spokesmen and administrative of- ficers; or, as the President suggests, when spokesmen of employes appear be- fors Congress in the interest of laws af- fecting the Federal service. The Presi- dent recited incidents in his own ex- perience as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to demonstrate his point. But there is no room in the Federal service for a union of any sort that places allegiance to the union above allegiance to the Federal service. And there is no room for anything approach- ing the idea of the closed shop in Gov- ernment service, as that idea is under- &tood in private employment. When any Government establishment recog- nizes any union as the sole collective bargaining agency for that establish- ment, merely because the union may have a majority of the personnel in its membership, the way is opened for a strugele between competing unions that would only be productive of great evil. The President has, very cor- as In rectly, put his foot down on that sort | of thing and he has done it at the right ‘ things fashionable and popular in the time. e Congress took the trouble to inspect Jefferson Island in the Chesapeake Bay. It revealed itself as a comfortable spot, but not large enough to accommodate more than a third of the party at a time. In doing honor to Jefferson it becomes necessary to think of his intel- lectual deeds rather than his architec- tural fortunes, e e A strike has been in progress and has stirred some of our public men to out- bursts of Shakespearean quotation. One reason the public has learned to regard the Supreme Court so highly is because of its direct expressions, free from poeti- cal embellishment. ————— A Fascist Olive Branch. Through the gathering war clouds in Asia and Europe now overcasting world skies in annual Midsummer darkness, one ray of sunshine bursts. It is the understanding between Great Britain and Italy in connection with the parti- tion of Palestine. Alarmed by the danger of renewed Arab-Jewish strife over the scheme to divide the Holy Land, Foreign Becretary Eden besought the Italian gov- ernment not to ex‘plmt the partition plan as an occasion for renewed Fascist propaganda among the Arabs, Ever since Mussolini embarked upon his conquest of Ethiopia and in retalia- tion for British: opposition to that ad- venture, the powerful Adriatic broad- casting station at Bari has been filling the air of the whole Near East with Italian propaganda designed to under- mine Britain's position by inciting Arab hostility. The broadcasts have been made atregular intervals in Arabic and other Moslem languages and, in some cases, even in the native tongues of India. Their underlying purpose was to popularize the idea launched by Il Duce during his spectacular trip to Libya last Winter, when he grandilo- quently proclaimed himself “the protec- tor of all Islam.” The Bari station’s propaganda has long been one of the major causes of friction between Great Britain and Italy. Fearing that its activities would be intensified by developments in Pal- estine, London requested the abandon- ment of this practice, and has promptly received from Rome assurances that provocative broadcasting has now been forbidden at the express order of Pre- mier Mussolini. Theban is not only employe | | Sing.” expected materially to ease the long- strained situation between the rival Mediterranean powers, but to enable Britain to maintain a strong hand in coping with any resistance to the Pal- estinian program by antagonistic Arab elements. The resultant prospect of improved Anglo-Italian relations could not ma- terialize at a more fortuitous moment. Japan and China are again at daggers drawn. Russo-Japanese relations, re- cently aggravated by the clash on the Amur, are smoldering afresh in conse- quence of Moscow’s warning that ag- gressive “incidents” provoked by the Japanese on the Siberian-Manchukuoan border will no longer be tolerated. The Spanish conflict, which will be a year cld next Sunday, is once again fraught with peril of flaming into a European conflagration in consequence of France's threat to throw open its Spanish border for transit of war supplies if Italy, Ger- many and Portugal do not at once re- sume participation in international con- trol of the passage of men and muni- tions to the civil war belligerents. At an hour like this, Italy's pledge not to add to Britain's Near Eastern woes becomes a positive and welcome con- tribution to peace. B Reassuring. The President’s assurance to Federal cmployes that the contemplated saving of ten per cent in some of the current year's appropriations will not come out of salarles—that is to say, will not be made by discharge of employes—is wel- come news indeed to the thousands of emploves who suffered the uncertainties and the hardships of the drastic reduc- tions which were a part of the depres- sion-born economy acts. The eftort will be made, the President explained, to effect what savings are possible by not filling vacancies. But there is a substantial and rather con- stant turnover in the Government serv=- ice and many vacancies must be filled. The fit accompaniment of the Presi- dent’s decision not to resort to whole- sale layoffs would be a policy of re- employment under which vacancies that must be filled would be filled from the ranks of those who have lost their po- sitions in other establishments. The practice of bringing new employes to Washington to fill vacancies is wasteful and inefficient. The attempt might well be made to “freeze” Federal employment at its present level in Washington and when employes are released, from lapse of appropriations or other causes, to give them priority in filling vacancies elsewhere. One of the possible savings to be ef- fected under the President’s plan would be to cut down on the number and cir- culation of some of the Government's publications. There has been an enor- mous increase in the Government's printing bili. And while some of the publications may be readable, beauti- fully illustrated and—as in the case of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ magazine which carries messages of great moment to the Indians concerning the nobility of the court-packing plan—most illuminat- ing, these “free” publications constitute a heavy drain on the taxpayers that is by no means merited. ———— George Gershwin. The durability of the measure of fame achieved by George Gershwin may be doubted. It is, obviously, much too early to attempt a final judgment on his effort. He was frank to admit that “my time is today,” and the mo- ment, invariably, is fleet and brief— current season may be lost, forgotten or even ridiculed and mocked next year. But there can be no question about the tragedy of Mr. Gershwin's untimely passing. At thirty-eight, he still was young enough to anticipate a long career. The apprentice period of his life was not yet finished; he still was learning, still growing in spirit. Granted two or three additional decades, he might have writ- ten his name high and immortally in the history of music. Those compositions of which, he was proud—the “Rhapsody in Blue,” “Concerto in F” and “American in Paris"—were gestures in the direction of maturity. They proved his facility; also, they testified for the gradual de- velopment of his capacity for self-dis- cipline. His ordinary public did not un- derstand them, but his closest friends and a legion of strangers recognized in them an earnest of what he could do when he deliberately chose to try. However, the works more likely to be most frequently heard in the immediate future almost certainly will be selections from “Porgy and Bess” and “Of Thee I They possess the element of melody which a natural folk instinct de- mands of a contemporary composer; - they have the character of beauty which is so conspicuously missing from the dissonance known as “jazz.” Mr. Gersh- win was not ashamed of them, nor is his country unappreciative of the youthful genius to whom it is indebted for them. ———————— Efforts of small time aviation to claim a footing in Maryland are in danger of throwing new complications into the efforts of Baltimore editors to conduct an entire national pageant. Aviation is putting on a big show and its interests with headquarters in or near Baltimore are heavy. Motor Horns. A Boston motorist has just got it going and coming in the matter of horn blow- ing. Haled before & magistrate for traf- fic misdemeanors, he was fined a dollar for blowing his horn unnecessarily and then fined two dollars for not blowing it when there was need. His case should impress drivers everywhere, especially in Washington, with the need of dis- crimination and care in the use of the audible signal. That there is much needless horn blow- ing needs no further proof than that afforded by brief observation on any street side. In nine out of ten cases the horn is sounded when there is no occasion. The driver tds the horn button im- THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON patiently when the car ahead at a corner blockade fails to move forward. The signal does no good. The man ahead cannot advance without collision, He is just as eager to get on as the man behind. Sometimes he joins in the horn tooting, to spur forward the man ahead of him. The result is a deafening din that only adds io the torments of city driving That is needless horn blow- ing, such as the Boston magistrate has penalized. The more the horn is blown without occasion the less effective it is when there is actual cause for sounding it. Pedestrians, who are at the mercy of the drivers, especially at corners, are confused by sounds that may mean only the irritation of the driver at having been blocked in a line or may signify & purpose to round the bend of the street. Drivers whose hands are constantly tap- ping the horn buttons thus contribute to the perils of traffic. Misuse of the horn has become so com- mon a practice that the signals of ap- proach have almost lost their value. ‘Whether this is a chronic nervous re- action or just selfish exhibitionism is of no moment. It is bad driving, and it should be checked by the imposition of penalties as examples, as in the case of the Boston motorist who has just contributed three dollars to the munici- pal treasury, one for an act of commis- sion and two for an omission, ———r——————— Eddie Rickenbacker is active in mod- ern aviation. His biography calls at- tention to sixty-nine personal victories during the war. Just what personal vic- tories during a war have to do with aviation in time of peace is another of those questions which tend to confuse the mature judgment on which a great republic must frankly depend. e Base ball players are welcomed as en- tertainers of the President himself, but this fact should not encourage them to rely on skill as personal comedians in- stead of personal proficiency in the game. ————————— The loss of Amelia Earhart brings a .shadow of sadness over the subject of aviation. The popular attitude toward flying is changing. It is a serious en- terprise which needs both space and intelligence. —————— President Roosevelt assisted finely in giving the Boy Scouts a suitable fare- well. His photographs were without ex- ception dignified and handsomely suit- able to the occasion. s Reference by Senator Wheeler to the new court plan as “cheap” is likely to bring resentful response from gentlemen who frankly regard the salary as suf- ficient and in line for duplication. v Every reference to a leader of divine power in Harlem makes New York more interesting and more earnest in a de- mand for sincere leadership and intel- ligent co-operation. — Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON cialization. Each mortal looks around the scene Upon the earthly sphere ‘Where Nature's effort all serene Bears fruit from year to year. Of discontent each feels a thrill— It almost makes him sob To think how easy he could fill Some other fellow's job. I wonder if the lima bean Is envious of the corn. I wonder if the lettuce green Reggrds the oats with scorn. Or does the heart of man awake Alone unto the throb ‘Which makes one fellow want to take Another fellow's job. Majority and Minority. “The great majority must rule!” ex- claimed the patriot. “And yvet,” said Senator Sorghum, “I hesitate to intrude any remark which might disturb a long-respected theory— and yet I sometimes feel that politics is conducted by two organized minorities each endeavoring to persuade the great majority to vote its way.” Jud Tunkins says the world has pro- gressed. Wealth used to be estimated in shells and later in tobacco. Now it's estimated in automobile tires. The World's Hope—a Laugh! The man who takes in serious mood Each serious thought that may intrude In mind is ever tempest tossed; And he who cannot laugh is lost. Surprises. “Aren’t you surprised at some of the costumes at the seashore?” “No,” answered Miss Cayenne. “No- body in our family is surprised at cos- tumes any more, excepting father when the bills come in.” “We should forgive our enemies and seek no revenge,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “but we find this easier when we can observe just retributions into which their errors have led them.” The Final Arbiter. “Conscience is still a small voice” Which often seems to be unheard— And yet when you must make a choice In conduct, Conscience says the word Which finally decides your plan In spite of all orations, And “Conscience still must rule the man And mark the path of nations.” “De man dat tries to start a fight be- tween science and religion,” said Uncle Eben, “looks to me like he ain’ got much of either.” ——r———————— Changing Home Life. From the Worcester Gazette, “What is a Home Without a Mother?” the old wall motto used to ask. Well, for one thing nowadays, it probably hasn’t many cigarette ashes on my w | burlesque. | no longer depend upon nudity and in- | decency to bring the customers to its Boy Scouts Head March Toward World Fellowship To the Editor of The Star: Washington's historic Monument Ground has been the scene of many showy activities and displays in the past. However, I believe, one of the greatest displays ever presented on this sacred ground was the Boy Scout Jamboree of 1937. It was more than a show or dis- play—it was a demonstration. A dem- onstration based upon good, sound, basic facts. During the encampment it was my good fortune to visit the various camps, to chat and intermingle with the Scouts from all sections of this country and abroad. One of the most inspiring facts gathered from the visits, and this great experience, was to learn of the extreme good fellowship existing among all the Scouts. In establishing relationships among people, wherever there exists this fellowship, there is no thought or idea selfishness, unkind word, deed or action. Fellowship is one of the Scout’s car- dinal points and one upon which the structure of the organization is built. Another cardinal point is the teaching of self-reliance—depending upon one's self to meet and overcome difficulty in situations when apparently all seems at loss. To those of us who have attended the various demonstrations of the Scouts during the past 10 days, we must agree that the teaching, training and activity of Scout work is truly one of the most beneficial training schools to fit the b and young men for their station in life. The principles are sound; the rec- reational training is clean, wholesome sport; the environment is good, happy companionship; the morality is healthy thoughts and ideas and the service based upon kindness, consideration and helpfulness toward every one. We must agree, too, that when boys and young men have such teachings, training and practice these self-same boys and young men are an asset to the community in which they live, as well as to the entire Nation. On the opening night of the jamboree, a new slogan was taught—"'World Fel- lowship.” This was again renewed on the closing night. Nation after nation may plan and construct ships, planes or any other im- plements of war, but until the peoples of nations believe in “world fellowship” genuinely from within their own hearts, we shall not have world peace. “World fellowship!” Oh, that such might become possible. Until that time and not until that time, will the world be safe for democracy. And the Boy Scouts of the world will lead the way. Hail to the wonderful movement! H. A. WOERMAN. ———— Memory of Famous Stars Hides Shame of Burlesque ‘To the Editor of The Star: There is some discussion currently in the amusement world concerning bu lesque and the possibility of resurrect ing an art long lost in the maze of metamorphoses which have occurred in the amusement game during the past few decades. Recent happenings, cli- maxed by the closing down of bur- lesque houses in New York City, have given the owners much time to while away repenting over the evil of their ways and to decide just what they in- tend to do about it. but the situation presents something of an involved and unworkable enigma. Owners have the choice of cleaning up their shows and presenting a better brand of entertain- ment for public consumption. or clos- ing up their houses permanently. The motion picture at several stages in its short historv has been afflicted with similar ailments and was headed to- wards the Valhalla of frustrated enter- prises because of a tendency to be- come smutty and offensive, but the leaders of the fllm industry level-head- edly took the hint offered by an indig- nant public and the edicts of the various censor boards and cleaned the films thoroughly. They now enjoy a better reputation than ever before, and the grosses piling up at the box offices are due testimonial to the fact that the pub- lic definitely does not like dirt with its entertainment. But the motion pic- ture is a much bigger proposition than Burlesque knows that it can box offices; and it further realizes that it is economically impossible to secure the quality of entertainment now needed to instill new life into its hardening veins. Other fields of entertainment such as the night club, the radio and motion pictures are better situated to acquire and monopolize the services of talented performers. Burlesque, there- fore, seems to be dead. Stiff and cold, burlesque reposes on the thoroughfare of so many failures—Broadway—the street to which it looked for its early successes. In erecting tombstones and perpetrating appropriate epitaphs. it would seem to be the gracious thing to conceal the latter-day offenses by super- imposing thereover the faces of such worthy troopers as W. C. Fields. Eddie Cantor, Marie Dressler, Fanny Brice and a thousand others who found in bur- lesque the means of bringing laughter into the world through clean humor and fame unto themselves. In this way burlesque may be assured of a decent burial. Time, by this method, will ef- face the memory of the depths to which burlesque had sunk at the time of its decease. HARRY J. MAGINNIS, S Supreme Court Judges Have Saved Democracy To the Editor of The Star: Some of the men who want to change the Supreme Court judges should go to Europe where easy egg slaves like to pay those high taxes for the politicians to live on. The New Deal, or I would call it the raw deal, has caused more blood-sucker politicians than ever be- fore in our American history. Our Su- preme Court judges are trustworthy, true patriots who believe in our form of government. That are men of high standing, upright statesmen who should be left there. They can and have done more in the past five years to save democracy than any other judges. Just beware of the ones who will succeed them if they go by the New Deal policies. Save democracy; save your freedom. Don’t change the Supreme Court or judges in any way. DAVID W. HUGHES. Arkport, N. Y. R Asks Answer to Question on Executive Tax Evasion To the Editor of The Star: If the President and Mrs. Roosevelt have nothing to conceal, why do they not ask that the Committee on Tax Evasions examine their income tax re- turns and assure the public that they have not taken advantage of any of the devices the use of which the Presi- dent has condemned by his message to Congress and by public statements? JAMES W. McMAHON. ————— Advance. From the Ashtabula Star-Beacon. Modern facilities for repeating history are far in advance of the old syuipment. D. C, MONDAY, JULY 12, 1937. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. ‘The best way to get rid of ants in the lawn? Why, induce a pair of flickers to come to your yard. This bird is the best ant trap in the world. We saw one of them going along the edge of a walk the other day. At first we wondered what he was doing there, driving his sharp long bill repeatedly in the bit of earth just along the edge. Time after time that sharp beak went down and up, down and up, each up- ward movement climaxed by an exul- tant gulp. He was after ants, and getting them, too. Slowly he worked his way down the concrete, taking all the ants in his stride. By the time he had finished there was not an insect left. No doubt he and his mate were the very good reasons why few ants have bothered the lawn this season. * X ¥ X He loves to consume his favorite food along the trunk of a tree. If you ever see a rather large bird, with black on him underneath his chin, and a red splotch at the back of his neck, busily going up and down a tree, you can be pretty sure that it is a flicker. He is larger and longer than most birds which gome to the garden, but still not big enough to attract attention just on that score. He comes by tHat stout bill legiti- mately, being a member of the world famous woodpecker family. Every now and then one reads about me painter. or the like, who is dubbed vell known” or “famous” when the reader never heard of him before. The flicker really is famous. People have heard of him for cen- he belongs to a famous old No need is there of publicity tricks to “put him over.” He has been placing himself squarely on the map for cen- turies. * ok % ok He belongs to the great army of birds which devour insects in their many forms. When that is said. a great deal is said, much more than many persons suspect who have not stopped to think of the part bird life plays in plant life. Just as the house cat is said to have helped make agriculture possible, through keeping down rodents, so birds keep down the insects, and thus give all plants a better chance of life. One bird eats one “bug,” another still another; between them all, they eat many insects of all kinds, making so little fuss about it that persons who are | not particularly interested in bird life scarce can credit all they do. They are insatiable in their food de- mands, these birds, that is where their ability comes in. If they ate just three meals a day, they might not be able to do so much, but since they are eating practically all the time, it is no wonder, perhaps, that millions of insects bow to them. Not all birds, of course, eat such fare, | but still there are enough of them which do like it to make gigantic inroads on the hosts of those curious creatures WASHINGTON | the picture. which some scientists tell us may in- herit the earth. They won't inherit it, however, if the flickers have anything to do with fit. While these specialize on ants, they like a great many other sorts, too, and do fine work in extermination. A pair of flickers, as stated, is really much better than any amount of so- called ant bait, or traps. Of course, there is more pother put up over ants than they deserve, especially in regard to these things in lawns. After all, ants seldom damage a yard much. It is mostly in the owner's eyes, but my what a fuss he makes over a few ants. Every ant hill which appears assumes mountainous proportions. If only the owner would stop worrying about them, he would find that in a few weeks not even he could tell where the insects had been. L If it were not for flickers, and others, he would have real cause to worry. might have a hundred, and instead of a few thin green worms dangling at him from the oak tree he would be struck in the face by millions of them. If it were not for the birds, all of them individually and collectively, the battle against garden pests, both insect and fungi, would be a thousand times as difficult as it is, and heaven knows it is bad enough now. Insect pests not only chew and other- wise destroy plant tissues, but thev take fungi for a ride on their backs, feelers and feet, and thereby disseminate them to plants which otherwise might escape their inroads. No doubt the so-called “black spot” of roses is carried this way, in part, at least. * ok % % Nature's neat little scheme of solving the food problem for her multitudes has but one justification—it works. There are always enough of any tribe of creatures left over from the slaughter, so that what seems cruelty, in the in- dividual case, resolves itself down to expediency in the mass. Birds do their share of eating, and are eaten in their turn, but the balance is in their favor, provided onlw man himself. the arch slayer, keeps out of Birds have the sharpest eyes in the world, and therefore can see an insect hiding where the eye of no human can | detect it. Most birds love mulberries, for in- stance, but everv 17 years the cicadas come along. and then the mulberry trees are deserted. Thus mulberries are seen beneath these trees only once in every 17 years in this locality. Why? Because when the 17-year locusts are at hand. the birds are too busy eating | locusts to pay any attention to mul- berries. Now a cicada is a pretty good mouth- ful, even for a chesty bird such as the robin. It means that large insects, as well as tiny ones, are seen and “kept in place” by the birds. They are at hand in all weathers to keep down these insects, which aim at conquest of the world and all therein. Left to themselves, they would do it; OBSERVATIONS left to the birds, they simply make a good dinner, and become at last fer- | tilizer of excellent quality, as part of | Nature's curious efficiency in making all things help do the work of all. BY FREDERIC From now on, the Senate struggle over the Supreme Court bill, while pub- liclv waged in the chamber, will in re- ality be fought behind the scenes. It rages around the group of Senators not vet openly committed for or against the compromise measure. As the battle enters its second week, the rival forces appear almost evenly divided. The latest authoritative count of noses shows that Senator Robinson can rely upon at least 39 administration supporters, while the Wheeler-Burke phalanx is as- signed almost exactly the same mini- mum. If these figures are founded on facts rather than hopes, 17 or 18 Demo- cratic Senators hold the balance of power. Both the Robinsonians and the Wheelerites henceforth will leave no stone unturned to win wavering mem- bers to their respective sides. Private persuasion and negotiations are likely to ‘prove far more potent than oratorical arguments on the floor. Seldom in mod- ern legislative history have log rolling, gumshoe work and the other tricks of the congressional trade been more in evidence. Rooseveltians, with the Presi- dent’s prestige at stake as never before during the New Deal, are putting forth Herculean efforts to save the day for him. Their zeal and resourcefulness are fully matched by the determination of the opposition to defeat court-pack- ing by “slow motion.” as Senator Wheeler npillories the compromise scheme. DY It appearances count for anything, compromise proponents are serenely confident that victory is going to perch on their banners. These emotions are conspicuously reflected by Joe Robin- son's demeanor. Throughout the heat of debate, atmospheric and vocal, the Arkansan remains as cool as the pro- verbial cucumber, or, to vary the simile, as contented as the cat that just swal- lowed the canary. Long-time observers of the Democratic majority leader under war conditions say his bearing is always a reliable barometer of how things are going. While last week's turbulence was at its peak, he was imperturbability incarnate. At intervals he would cross the aisle for merry heart-to-heart con- fab with Charlie McNary, Republican minority leader, who receives credit for much of the strategy of the Democratic court insurgents. Robinson smiled be- nevolently at some of Senator Wheeler's caustic sallies and registered amused un- concern even when the Democratic brethren were squabbling over points of order, yielding privileges and other snarls caused by the ruse to call July 6 a legislative day. wi.th::m, end. . Senator Wheeler's eloquent 3-hour speech against the compromise bill is the most powerful attack on dictator- ship yet leveled at the New Deal in Congress. The Montanan did not mince words in warning that the administra- tion’s Supreme Court proposal heads the United States in the direction which events have taken in Russia, Germany and Italy, Into his impressive perora- tion Wheeler poured all the fervor and fire he had left. Having recited the un- precedented authority granted to F. D. R., Wheeler closed with these words: “I am not complaining about the way he has used this power. But with a sub- servient Congress, with such tremendous power in the executive, has not the time come when we should say there is a line behind which no man should pass? Has not the time come when we should say to the President: ‘No matter how be- loved you may be, no matter how pro- found and wonderful you may be, no matter how much your sympathies are with the masses of people of the WILLIAM WILE. United States, no matter what you want to do. the time has come when we should say there is a line bevond which, under this American Government of ours and under our Constitution, no man shall pass’.” | Cotton Exchange * K X ok President Roosevelt smilingly but | firmly declined to discuss at his latest | press conference the reported cooling in affections between the White House and C. I. O. Many observers neverthe- less consider that the executive ban on collective bargaining and strikes within the Government is a semi-rebuke of the Lewis organization, which is about to launch an intensive drive for union- ization of Federal employes. The em- bargo applies equally, of course, to the | American Federation of Labor. Mr. Roosevelt makes it perfectly plain that anybody on Uncle Sam’'s pay roll has the right to join a union and present his grievances in any form he chooses. But the presidential pronouncement on | bargaining and strikes plainly indicates | that the Government will tolerate noth- ing like sit-downs or the violence that has characterized labor strife in recent times. It remains to be seen, under the circumstances, how far the crusades to organize the civil service will now go. * ok %ok Never before during the present un- spectacular session of Congres has the Capitol been besieged by gallery visitors on the scale which the Senate court de- bate has produced. They throng every inch of seating and standing space, as they haven't done since Huey Long's time. Men in linen and women in fluffy Summer togs give the chamber a country club aspect which is also re- flected by the omnipresence of white, cream, tan and other shades of light at- tire to which nearly all Senators are addicted during the tropical season. Many sightseers are attracted to the halls of Congress because of the Capi- tol's air-cooled qualities, as much as by the oratorical show now on in the Sen- ate. Senators are not only consuming inordinate quantities of ice water, but making heavy inroads on their handker- chief supplies, as the fury of debate bathes their fevered brows in honest sweat. * ok ok Kk Masuo Kato, who has just arrived in ‘Washington to take charge of the bureau of the Domei News Agency of Tokio, the Associated Press of Japan, is the latest foreign addition to the Capital news corps. Bearer of one of Nippon's distin- guished family names, Mr. Kato is no stranger to the United States, having been graduated from the University of Chicago, and had journalistic service here since then. He has latterly been Domei correspondent in London and was pre- viously on duty at the League of Na- tions. Mr. Kato was in Geneva when his country bolted the League five years ago after the Sino-Japanese contro- versy there. * %k ok X C. I. O. has now invaded the citadel of the economic royalists. The United Office and Professional Workers, a Lewis affiliate, has just opened a public drive for unionization of Wall Street employes. It announces a series of Wednesday lunch-hour meetings to be held in the heart of the financial dis- trict throughout the Summer. * X Kk X Politicians must envy Dr. Daniel A. Poling, famed prohibition crusader, who has just been elected for the thirteenth time to the presidency of the Interna- tional Society of Christian Endeavor. In Anti-Saloon League days, Dr. Poling was s {i figure in Wi (Copyright, 1037.) ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writivg The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic .1 Heskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. In speaking of golf irons by nume ber, what is each one?—C. M. A. No. 1 iron is a driving iron; No mid-iron; No. 3, mid-mashie; No. ‘mashie-iron; No. 5, mashie, No. mashie-niblick; No. 7, pitcher; No. pitching-niblick, and No. 9, niblick, Q. How large is the island on which the Jefferson Islands Club is situated? —W. R. A. The club house is located on Wilson Island, which has an area of 34 acres, The other two islands in the group are known as Jackson and Roosevelt Island. The entire group was formerly called the Poplar Islands, but was ree christened by the Democrats, Q. How many members has the Amere ican Newspaper Guild?—C. R. A. The organization has a membership of about 11,000. Q. What is the prison name for the magnetic eye at Alcatraz?—M. P. A. It is known as the snitch. Q. Who was at the head of the Span- ish government at the time of the Span- ish-American War?—J. R A. The mother of Alphonso XIII was Queen Regent at that time. Q. How many times has Jack Demp= sey been married?—B. K A. Three. His former wives Maxine Cotes and Estelle Tavlor present wife was Hannah Williams. wera His Q. What are the school neckties of Eton and Harrow?—H. A. N A. The Eton tie is black diagonal blue stripes, while the Harrow tie is hlua with white double stripes. Q. What was the first city to use the gridiron plan for its streets and parks?— W. H A. Philadelphia was the first modern city to be laid out on the gridiron plan, with broad. long. straight streets, inter- secting at right angles, and with small parks and squares located at suitable intervals. Q. If a white man's skin is grafted on a Negro, does it remain white?—M. T A. Experiments show that it will turn dark, while a Negro's skin grafted on a white man becomes w s Q. What is the derivation of the word nickname?—W. R. A. Nickname is derived from an old English term. ekename, meaning addi- tional name or surname. Q. What did a seat on the New York sell for in August, 1906?—I. H A. 8ales of New York Cotton Exchanze memberships were made in August, 1906, at $17,000 and $16.500. Q. Is it true that the curtain rizes every night on some performance of a Gilbert and Sullivan opera in England or her possessions or in this country? —R. E. W, A. That is said to have during the last fifty vears. Q. Do plastic surgeons take pictures of their patients before operating?—A. G A. Ethical plastic surgeons take photn- graphs before and after the operation for record purposes. been true Q. Please explain briefly how wood- cutting is done.—J. R. A. The art of woodcutting consists in drawing, or photographing, a design on the flat surface of a block of wood, generally boxwood. and in cutting awav all that portion of the block upon which = the design does not appear. The pary | of the block which is left in relief is covered with ink and impressions of it are taken. Q. How is the center of an ellipse determined?—G. W A. Tt is that point within the circum- ference which bisects all chords passing through it. Q. Does the American Telephone & Telegraph Company own all the stock of its affiliated companies?—H. J. D. A. American Telephone & Telegraph Company owns 93 per cent of the com- mon stock of 23 associated companic and 99 per cent of the common stock of the Western Electric Company. Q. How long has the Bank of Englanc been called the Old Lady of Thread- needle Street?—G. K. E. A. It is so called because it stands in Threadneedle street. The term dates from the late 18th century, and there {s a caricature of Gilray. dated May 22, 1797, entitled “The Old Lady in Thread- needle Street in Danger.” which refers {o the temporary stopping of cash pav- ments February 26. 1797, and to the issue of one-pound banknotes on March 4 the same year. Q. Who was Edwin Caskoden?—H. M A. This was the pen namy of Charles Major, author of “When Knighthood Was in Flower.” Q. How much does it cost the Gov- ernment to print paper money?—H. K A. To print a thousand sheets of Federal Reserve notes at the Govern- ment Printing Office involves an expen:-¢ of about $97. Q. How old is the famous lawver Clarence Darrow?—P. W. A. He is 80 this vear. Q. How does the Seeing Eye get it dog trainers?—H. F. A. It selects a group of young men who wish to become associated with the institution as trainers. These men mus pass through a three to five vear period of apprenticeship., during which time they undergo a definite course of in- struction. At the end of that course they are considered finished trainers and remain with the organization in that capacity. A Rhyme at Twilight B Gertrude Brooykz Hamilton. An Idler. T tossed a pebble with idle hand, Loitering on the river strand; It fell with a tinkling plash, And starlike circles of foam it made— For only a gram my pebble weighed, Too light for much of a splash. Then with all my might I threw a stone; It struck with a loud, resounding tone, While the water circled far. And yet, in spite of the wider spray, I rather liked, in an idle way, My pebble’s circling star.