Evening Star Newspaper, July 13, 1937, Page 8

A—8 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition, WASHINGTON, D. C. TUESDAY __ __ ~._July 13, 1937 THEODORE W. The Evening Star Newspaper Company. 11th St and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd St ©Onicago Office: 435 North Michigan Ave. Rate by Carrier—City and Suburban. Regular Edition. The Evening and Sunday Star 65c per month or 15¢ per week The Evening Star 45c per month or 10c per week The Sunday Star ___ 5¢ per copy Night Final Edition, Nicht Final and Sunday Star—__70c per month Night Final Star. c per month Collection made at the 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, Dailv and Sunday. Daily only 1 mo Sunday only $4.00; 1 mo., 40¢ All Other States and Canada, Member of the Associated Press. The Assoclated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. Al rizhis of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved Is This the Solution? The Congressional Airport Commission very properly laid emphasis on the tech- nical considerations that enter into selection of an airport site, such as the nature of the terrain, the soil, the natural and man-made hazards to flying and the rapid development in speed and €ize of air liners, demanding more space for landing and take-offs than is found in older airports. The result is a tech- nical report which seems reasoned and logical, with which there can be little disagreement except from those whose gtudies have convinced them of the advantages of another site—such as Gravelly Point. But the logical reasoning and the possibly sound conclusions of the report gomehow seem beside the main point, which is: Where is the money coming from? The cost of acquisition and develop- ment of the selected site near Camp Springs, Md., is estimated at $3.286,250— Including the construction of a new express highway to the airport as a necessary part of the development. Where is the money coming from? From the people of the District? They are already faced with a greatly increased burden of local taxation which will do little but provide for normal mainte- nhance expenses of the District under the existing division of cost between the District and the Federal Government. Are they to be asked, in addition, to shoulder a large proportion of the cost of an airport more than ten miles from the center of town, in Maryland? If auch demand is made now—and the re- port stresses the need for immediate action—the people of the District should be forewarned that still higher taxes will be necessary, and that projects of more immediate interest to the Wash- ington community, if mot the Capital City, will go unmet. The community effort to interest Con- gress in construction of a suitable air- port was begun more than ten years ago. The Star at that time assisted in creating public interest in the matter through a series of articles setting forth the need then and what the need would be in future years. The first airport bill was introduced in 1926. Had Congress acted then, Gravelly Point might now be an operating airport instead of a watery waste. But the airport matter has been shoved around, with the ex- clusively responsible Congress exhibiting an amazing lack of leadership and fore- sight. The people of the District may feel that the airport commission has done its work carefully and conscientiously, subject, as always, to the interminable delays which beset the activities of such agencies. But under the District's exist- ing financial condition, can any hope be entertained for immediate action in keeping with the report’s recommenda- tions? It is hard to believe so. The commission has presented a con- vincing case in favor of an airport some distance from the heart of the city. Per- haps the development of highspeed air- liners and of highspeed highways will make more logical the location of air- ports some distance from the city. But experiences in New York, Los Angeles and Detroit have demonstrated the fact that if airports are too far from town, the patronage falls off. Location of an airport ten miles from the center of town would seem to be a hazardous under- taking—as far as immediate success of the venture is concerned. oot When the power of delivering a fellow statesman’s death warrant is attributed to Mr. Farley there comes a determina- tion in the minds of several seasoned statesmen to find out how much arbitrary power he has managed to accumulate. ———e— When he mentions an exit from the old Democratic party, Senator McCarran does not assume that James A. Farley is to hold the prompt book with espe- clal haste marked for certain characters. ——e— Central Library Financing. During hearings last week on Repre- sentative Collins’ bill for construction of a new central library building, some otherwise sympathetic members of the House Distyict Committee raised objec- tion to the provision permitting the Dis- trict to borrow funds from the P. W. A. for such construction. The point was made that such a loan might deprive the people of the District of funds other- wise available for publié¢ relief. This represents a misconception of the loan plan, which is contingent, of course, on the ability of the people of the District to secure necessary advances from the Public Works Administration. The Pub- lie Works Administration money is not “relief” money in the same sense that ‘Works Progress Administration funds are used for relief. P. W. A, funds are available to communities on the loan and grant plan, and are not avail- able for direct relief. The District was authorized by Con- gress to borrow up to about $10,000,000 from the Public Works Administration for certain local projects approved by Congress—such as the tuberculosis hos- pitals, the sewage treatment plant and some funds for Children’s Hospital. This privilege, however, has been exercised only to the extent of about $6,000,000. Permission to borrow for the library construction would be in keeping with the principles of existing legislation and the library building represents the type of project which has been favored in other communities by the Public Works Administration. The terms of previous loans to the District from the Public Works Admin- istration were much more severe than those applying to other communities \t present. The District is now repaying such loans at the rate of a million dollars a year. Every one is convinced ogthe need for a new library building and thz time has come when the necessary ex- pansion of existing, inadequate facilities must take place. The financial plan outlined in an amendment to the Collins bill should have its appeal as a sensible way of obtaining money for a worth- while type of community improvement. The District, in this respect, should be accorded the same privilege which is enjoyed in other communities. ——e— Is It War? After Chinese and Japanese troops clashed west of Peiping last week, the conflict was brought to a close as sud- denly as it began, with a truce whereby both sides agreed to evacuate the em- battled area and leave questions in dispute for diplomatic adjustment. Early this week hostilities were resumed, amid circumstantial evidence that both China and Japan are now girding for actual war. Such preparations continue de- spite reports that the second battle on the Yungting was also brought to an end by an armistice, concluded by “local authorities.” Meantime Japanese forces in divisionsl dimensions are converging on North China, as the Kwantung army in Man- chukuo mobilizes for large-scale opera- tions. The Tokio cabinet apparently views conditions as threatening a grave crisis with China. The Nanking govern- ment, on its part, facing stern demands for apologies, indemnities, withdrawal of Chinese troops from the Peiping re- gion and guarantees against anti-Japa- nese agitation, seems also to have con- cluded that the long-awaited showdown with the island empire is unavoidable and it is moving in the direction of stiff military resistance. All these events present disquieting evidence that Japan considers a pro- pitious moment to have arrived for gratification of the desire to bag, as her next Chinese booty, Hopei Province, which includes Peiping and Tientsin. The episode therefore appears to be merely the latest development of the program to acquire piecemeal possession of North China. Following the Man- churian venture in 1931 and throughout their subsequent activities south of the Great Wall, Tokio militarists were heid in check to a certain extent by the fear that a powerful Soviet Russia might come to China’s rescue. It looks as if recent. incidents revealing the red army as a colossus with feet of clay suddenly imbued Nippon's extremists with the belief that their hour in China had finally come. It may well be, too, as happened at Mukden six years ago, that army commanders on the spot have taken matters into their own hands, hoping again to confront the govern- ment with accomplished facts and rely- ing upon imperialist patriotism to sus- tain action taken in the name of “Greater Japan.” Prince Konoye, the new premier, rates as a moderate statesman with full con- ception of the effects of aggressicn against China upon Japan’s interna- tional relations. While outside powers are not likely to embroil themselves to the extent of offering Chiang Kai-shek armed aid, they yearn to escape the perils to world peace that would lurk in a Far Eastern conflict. Not only be- cause of the West's interest in preserva- tion of China’s integrity, but also be- cause of anxiety not to be drawn into a general conflagration, it will continue to hope, imminent as war seems, that such a catastrophe may yet be averted. ————————— It is now definitely ascertained what this Nation will do with some of the gold it has buried in the Kentucky hills. China will consent to borrow some of it. In the great game of modern finance, everybody is apparently to be entitled to experiment with gold excepting the citizen, ——————————_ Maryland taxpayers are slightly an- noying in their requests for more in- formation about taxes. The more the talk of inland airports increases, the more delicate the question of taxes be- comes, Bound in Red Tape? Possibility that the chief of engineers may not allocate any of the authorized funds for improvement of the Washing- ton water front until the District's share has been placed “on the line” in cash demonstrates once more, with harsh severity, the incredible division of au- thority and responsibility in local affairs. After many, many years of effort and perservering agitation of the need for improvement of the National Capital's water front, local citizens finally con- vinced Congress of the need and obtained legislation authorizing an improvement program. But another year had to pass before the money became available. Now the money is available. The pro- gram will cost about $1,600,000, spread over eight years. Under the program the District's expenditures would amount to about $389,000. But the money would not be spent until the third year. In the meantime, the immediate need is for an allocation of $285,000 for the 2 THE EVENING STAR, first year’s work—this money to come from the War Department appropriation 2 for rivers and harbors and which must be spent before the District’s funds can be spent. Phe chief of engineers seems to take the view that the Federal revenues can- not be allocated to the District until local revenues are put up. Yet the ex- clusively legislating and appropriating Congress has made no allowance for the District's share in the current appropria- tion bill. Other communities, the War Department seems to argue, put up their money before getting the Federal allocation. But other communities are self-determiring. They can do what they please, when they please. The Dis- trict cannot spend a penny until Con- gress has appropriated it. Congress has authorized this expendi- ture. Congress controls the District’s purse strings. The chief of engineers cannot believe that Congress would fail or refuse to meet the District’s share of the cost, when the time came -0 meet it. Congress would not cheat Congress, or go back on an agreement that Con- gress itself wrote. If the view of the chief of engineers, as expressed to the Commissioners, is the prevailing view, then the Corps of Engineers of the Army has become enmeshed in fllogical red tape that one does not associate with the spirit or the traditions of that branch of the service. . e e Nicola Tesla has worked hard, dis- covered many things and is expected to put an end to financial troubles when he gets ready to explode an atom. Tesla has already lived a long time and it may be hoped he has found the experience sufficiently agreeable to be prolonged indefinitely. Belief in the extraordinary power over life and death that the in- dividual may assume has already pro- gressed too far. e So much time is elapsing in Senator Robinson’s plans for the Supreme Court that he may prudently question the de- sirability of a Supreme Court salary ‘which may again face an economical re- vision so far as individual benefits are concerned. ————— - If airships are worth as much to a civilization as is claimed, Governor Nice ought to be able to detect a large amount of revenue by taking a look over Balti- more’s flving equipment, e Sam Gompers had many admirers as & labor leader. He got into fights, but when they were settled he never caused alarm by the amount that went auto- matically as his personal share. e Japan and China are said to be ar- ranging definitely for warfare. What can happen around the Mediterranean Sea continues to hold its old interest for people who speak modern languages. ————— It has been & hard Summer but some of the men who seek to keep affairs going at a regular pace appear to prefer & course that promises action. Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Tllusions. “I'm glad that some {llusions fade,” 8aid Hezekiah Bings, “And that our daily dreams are made Of such uncertain things. I'm glad to find that the storm so0 grim Has left no cause for fright, And that the gathering shadows dim Will vanish with the night. “I'm glad when one I thought a foe Has proved a friend at heart, And that so many a fancied woe Is but of dreams a part, Though plans are often disarrayed As time new knowledge brings, I'm glad that some illusions fade,” Said Hezekiah Bings. Playing the Game. “I've got to do something to strengthen my hand in this political game,” re- marked Senator Sorghum. “Thought you were a standpatter.” “I am, as a rule, but you've got to show the real cards once in a while in order to get the proper respect the next time you have to bluff.” Jud Tunkins says politics does great work in making men ambitious to live easy realize that now and then they've got to hustle, Difficult Selection. The landlord's lot is full of strife, The tenant finds no glee, I cannot tell to save my life Which one I'd rather be. The Artistic Sense. “Pjute Pete lost his place as a cow- puncher.” “Yes,” answered Cactus Joe. “He got a job with a movie company and that spoiled him. Every time himself and hoss happens to strike a picturesque pose it irritates him ‘cause tha’ ain’t no camera around.” “It is possible,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “to make the rules of a game perfectly fair, but not possible to prevent unscrupulous players from find- ing means to evade them.” Superior Wisdom. The Injun in his light canoe Is scantly civilised, it's true, And yet he has, when once afloat, Far too much sense to rock the boat. “Of coh'se,” said Uncle Eben, “you {is intitled to speak yoah mind, but it'’s a was'e of time standin’ aroun’ an’ spressin’ opinions to a balky mule.” Un-Hitlered Himalayas. From the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph. Seventeen members of a German ex- pedition climbing the unconquered Nanja Parbat peak in the Himalayas were killed by an avalanche, but as yet Hitler hasn't decided whether he will have the mountain bombed or put the world on notice that it better not happen again. l TWASHINGTON, THE POLITICAL MILL BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. Opponents of President Roosevelt's program to enlarge the Supreme Court have from the beginning asserted that any change in the court at this time should be through amendment of the Constitution. Through constitutional amendment, they maintain, the people will themselves have an opportunity to express their will. Through the action of Congress, demanded by the adminis- tration, only the will of the Chief Execu- tive is expressed. The reply of the administration and of the President has been that constitutional amendment is too long a process and too uncertain, * kK X But now the opponents of the court bill and the compromise substitute offered for it are considering the possibility of substituting a constitutional amendment for this legislation. They believe that such-an amendment, providing for com- pulsory retirement of justices of the Supreme Court at 75 years of age, may well prove a way out of the controversy that has tled the Senate into & bowknot, and threatens to prolong the present session indefinitely. They feel that Sen- ators who are willing to enact legis- lation which in effect renders retire- ment at the age of 75 necessary shonld be willing to vote for a constitutional amendment which accomplishes the same end. There is nothing, it is said, that would prevent the offering of a constitutional amendment as a substitute for the pend- ing legislation. Nothing, that is, in the parliamentary rules of the Senate. With such understanding, if the Senate Ju- diciary Committee recommends the adoption of an amendment, the op- ponents of the bill believe this substi- tution might be accomplished. And | even if the committee does not bring forth a resolution proposing a constitu- tional amendment, one could be offered Lrom the floor as an amendment to the i1l * X Kk & Whether this plan will be carried into effect remains to be seen. At least it is being carefully considered today by the opponents of the bill. If they can obtain enough votes for a constitutional amend- ment, they will at least have effectually sidetracked the court bill. Several amendments to the Constitu- tion dealing with the Supreme Court have already been offered and referred to the judiciary committee of the Sen- ate, among them those of Senator Andrews of Florida and of Senator Burke of Nebraska. At the meeting of the Judiciary Committee yesterday, Senator Andrews appeared before it to discuss his proposed amendment. The committee took no action. But it is expected that Senator Burke, a member of the com- mittee, and others before long will insist upon the consideration of a constitu- tional amendment. Burke's own amend- ment would compel retirement from the Supreme Court at 75. It has other fea- tures, including a provision that the Supreme Court may declare an act of Congress unconstitutional only by a two- thirds vote or more. * % % % The chances are, however, that when the proposed amendment is finally offered it will provide merely for com- pulsory retirement at 75, and perhaps fix the number of the members of the court and provide, too, for voluntary retirement at seventy. Burke has recom- mended that the number of the court be fixed at nine, a Chief Justice and eight associate justices. This may be increased to ten associate justices, mak- ing the membership eleven. That, how- ever, is a matter that will remain to be determined. Senator Andrews’ proposed amend- ment provides that the Supreme Court shall consist of a Chief Justice and one associate justice for each of the judicial circuits of the United States. Objection is raised to this. It is argued that Con- gress can and will from time to time increase the number of judicial circuits and thereby increase the membership of the Supreme Court. The present situa- tion, with an administration seeking to increase the court membership for its own ends, might again arise, it is urged. * x X % ‘There is some support for the idea that each judicial circuit should be rec- ognized, with & member on the Supreme Bench. At present there are ten judicial circuits. If each were recognized with a member of the Supreme Court, there would be ten associate justices and a Chief Justice, & court of eleven members. Today there has been no attempt to place on the bench a member from each Judicial circuit. Indeed, some of the circuits are represented in the court by more than one member, and others have no representation at all. New York, for example, which lies in the second judi- cial ctrcuit, is represented in the court by Chief Justice Hughes and Associate Justices Stone and Cardozo. As the country grows there may come & demand for additional judicial circuits, in order to bring about more expeditious transaction of business and justice. How- ever, if the Constitution should provide that each judicial circuit shall be rep- resented by & member of the Supreme Court, it might easily happen that the court would at times be composed of an equal number of justices—twelve, four- teen or even sixteen. An even number of justices, it is pointed out, might result in an equally divided court, and ruling become impossible, if the court divided evenly. There is, therefore, a disinclina- tion to write into the Constitution a pro- vision that each circuit must be repre- sented. * x x % The constitutional amendment method of dealing with the controversy in the Senate over the Supreme Court might prove & happy solution. It might bring to an end a battle which has been tear- ing into the very vitals of this Demo- cratic Senate. The debate which is now in its second week has increased a feeling of bitterness already existing when the discussion of the court bill began. There is & question as to how far this kind of thing can go without bringing & rift in Democratic ranks that would go far toward nullifying much of the program which President Roosevelt has in mind for the re- mainder of his present term of office. Certainly it will make the road no easier for the measures which he may ask. * x %k X The administration, despite its decla- rations of confidence that it will put the compromise bill through the Senate, is aware that it has a desperate fight on its hands. Its troubles are mounting as the days go by, rather than diminishing. Forty Senators have publicly declared against the compromise, and others are preparing to make similar announce- ment. The Senate is made up today of 16 Democrats, 16 Republicans, 2 Farmer- Laborites, 1 Progressive and 1 inde- pendent. It is obvious that a great wedge has been driven into the Demo- cratic ranks by this contest over the court bill. The bitterness so far evidenced has come in clashes between the Democrats on the floor of the Senate. Opponents of the bill have attacked the efforts of Chairman Farley of the Democratic Na- tional Committee and other Democrats to drive’ them into line. Supporters of D. C, TUESDAY, JULY 13, 1937. — e e THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “Dear sir: 1Is it harmful to fish in an aquarium to leave an electric light burn- ing over their tank day and night? They canrot close their eyes; do they mind the light? Very truly, 1. B” As far as is known, a light on an aquarium incessantly is not harmful. As a matter of fact, it increases the metab- olism of the animals and helps give them “a short life but a merry one.” However, there can be little question that it is a great deal more natural, therefore more desirable, to have alter- nating periods of light and dark, as in the natural habitat. It is difficult to. imagine a situation in pool or stream where strong light would play upon the water 24 hours around. Especially there could be nothing equivalent to the glass walls of the home fish tank, with light coming into it from practically all directions. (Even from the bottom, in & sense, because white sand has some reflective possibilities.) * x % % Since fishkeeping in an aquarium s based solidly on human kindness, it would certainly appear better to relieve the fishes from too much light and give them a chance to sleep in peace. Do fishes actually sleep? This has been argued, from time to time, but there can be little question about ft. Of course they do! Are they not living, breathing, eating creatures? And, therefore, sleeping creatures, ok ox % The laws of Nature, in regard to life, are remarkably uniform over the entire range. If an animal called a dog sleeps, an- other animal called a fish sleeps, too Any one who owns an aquarium, whether it contains exotic fishes or the common goldfish, can prove to himselt that his fishes sleep, by suddenly switch- ing on the lights at night. Almost without question the animals will be found huddled down in some corner, or motionless at about mid- heighth in the water. It is an interesting commentary that practically all the so-called tropical specimens (exotic, or other land) are much darker in the dark than in the light. This is one of Mother Nature's kindlier provisions. Since night is night, and black is black, the darker a fish is at night, the more easily it blends with the universal darkness and the more difficult it is to be seen by predators. Some of the darkest and most beauti- ful colorin, re found in sleeping fishes, or resting®fishes, whichever one prefers. If a light is suddenly switched on over & tank of three-spot Gouramis, nor- mally light olive-silver in color, the fishes will be found to be two or three times as dark as during the daytime. If the light is kept on, the intense coloring tends to fade out. These observations do not apply to goldfishes. Light or dark seems to have little or no influence upon their coloring. - o ow ‘We do not feel, however, that aquarium fithes like incessant and strong light STARS, MEN upon them any more than we believe baby turtles care to have “Washington, D. C.” painted on their shells. The latter fad is silly and ultimately harmful to the species; unvarying light on a tank will not strike the human ob- server as necessary, even if the aquarium 1s located in a dark spot which makes close electric fllumination essential. Research in recent years has shown that a strong electric bulb placed very close to the tank, preferably within a few inches of the surface of the water, and permitted to burn for from 5 to 8 hours, will give the plants enough light to insure their proper growth. For an average-sized tank, say of 10 to 20 gallons, one 60-watt lamp, or two, perhaps, will be enough. It is a curious thing that if these lamps are placed at either end of the tank they usually will build up soft green algae on the inner wall of the glass, which is a delightful and neces- sary food for many aquarium specimens. Usually this does not resuit if the bulbs are over the water. If at the ends the algae created (really grown) by the ac- tion of the light tends, of course, to cut down on the effective strength of the light. * X x % In any case, it will be realized that the light is for the fishes only indirectly; that is, the beneficial effect of light on a tank is simply due to its influence on plant growth. Since the health of the fishes is partly due to the absorptive powers of plant tissue, and their ability to utilize carbon dioxide, and their power of giving forth oxygen under the influence of light, the relationship between plenty of light and fish health is obvious. Here, however, as with most natural things, where a certain amount is good, too much is bad. This is one of the oldest laws of Nature, and applies to light in an aquarium as well as to light on the human skin. * X X x A good aquarium, one which is good for the fishes and a pleasure for hu- mans to look at, is either a matter of great good fortune or intelligent appli- cation of Nature's laws in little. Enough light is good, too much bad; enough food is best, too much will harm fishes and the water, which, of course, in its turn then harms the swimmers; high enough water temperature is neces- sary for most exotic specimens, too high a temperature will “cook” them. Wherever we turn, whichever course we take in managing the small aquarium, we find that “too much of anything is bad.” For this reason. if for none other, we should not keep strong light playing all the time on any tank. The fishes may not protest. if we do. and may not seem to suffer, but things may happen to the water and the mind of man will be displeased somehow. It fishes sleep, as they do, and cannot close their eyelids having none, there can be little good reason for forcing them to sleep in incessant light. They are animals, too, and share with dogs | and men both the necessity for sleep, and the preference for darkness for sleeping in, we feel sure. AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. ‘The great Western drouths follow the sunspots, but in a rather complex way. The rainfall record for the past half century shows that the extremely dry periods have accompanied sharp changes in the numbers of these stormy areas on the face of the sun. The change may be in either direction. Evidence to this effect was presented in a report prepared at the deseri laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of ‘Washington at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Ad- vancement of Science in Denver. In the past there has been abundant evidence that drouths and periods of normal rainfall succeed each other in the range country and that there is some sort of cyclic phenomenon involved. The difficulty has been to find some high correlation which holds up over a long period. Sunspots long have been suspected. The difficulty has been that the dry periods seemed to follow the sunspot cycle rather indifferently. The cycle from sunspot minimum to maximum and back to minimum again takes ap- proximately eleven years and six months. Drouths have come roughly at 23-year intervals, or intervals of double the sun- spot cyvcle. They have come, however, when there were great numbers of dis- turbed areas on the sun and when there were very few. The report also pointed out that there have been at least four cycles of settle- ment in the drouth country, and that these have been closely correlated with the amount of available moisture. The first came immediately after the Civil War, when the men just released from military service went West by the thou- sands. They ran into the great drouth of the early seventies and the worst plague of grasshoppers ever known in America. Then came the dry period of 1889, followed closely by that of 1893, when a half million disillusioned settlers returned to their homes in the East. Their places, however, were quickly taken by & new generation. These settlers met with exceptionally rainy weather and confidently predicted that the climate had permanently changed. ‘The next major drouth came during the war, when prices were so high that it passed without much notice. Until the great drouth of 1930, coming coincidently with the economic crash, the inevitability of the cycle hardly was realized. Says the report: “In the hope of discovering a connec- tion between drouth and sunspot ex- tremes,” says the report, “the rainfall records of all stations in the Middle and Far West were compiled. The first out- come of this study was the discovery that the three greatest drouths fell at high sunspot maxima—in 1870-72, 1893- 95 and 1917-19, when. the number of sunspots for the year of maximum averaged 139, 85 and 104, respectively. The alternate maxima of 1883 and 1905 were marked by a relatively low num- ber of spots, namely, 63, and rains were generally good to excellent in and about these years. At first glance it would appear inconsistent on the basis of energy relations to find drouth at cer- tain maxima and high rainfall at others, but it is plausible to assume that the large differences in actual solar output would be reflected in the precipitation. Tentative forecasts of & maximum of about 100 spots in 1917 attended by seri- ous drouth and of approximately 75 the bill have railed at those Democrats who are unwilling to give the President what he wants—this bill. Democratic Senators are beginning to ask how far this kind of thing is to be allowed to go. They are looking to the future. . spots in 1928 with normal rainfall were verified by the outcome. “Rainfall records now are being com- piled in terms of excess and deficit for the entire North American continent. Beginning with 1876, the chart shows, drouth at high sunspot maxima is con- firmed and in addition there is revealed a marked tendency to drouth years at times of minimum spots. It not only corroborates the trend toward normal precipitation at the low maxima of 1883, 1905 and 1928, but also discloses that normal rainfall or better occurs be- tween rainfall extremes. The great his- toric drouths fell at the high maxima of 1870, 1893 and 1917, while similar crises took place at minima of 1878, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1923 and 1933. This leaves unexplained the dry years of 1886-87, 1910, 1925 and 1930-31. In seeking the cause of these in solar radia- tion it has been found that each co- incides with an abrupt change of from 25 to 30 sunspots in the direction of maximum or minimum. This is in close accord with much sharper rises of 65, 37 and 47 spots that preceded the respec- tive drouths of the seventies, nineties and our own war period. “The periods of good rains in the last half century have extended from 1875- 78, 1881-85, 1902-08, 1914-15, 1920-23 and 1926-28, with frequent single years in- tervening. Beginning with 1929, the de- parture in the West generally and in the drouth belt in particular has been uni- formly minus, although the drouth belt deficit was slight in 1929, 1932 and 1935. Although the dry stretch from 1929 to 1036 is the most continuous that has been recorded for the United States, the interval from 1893 to 1901 was practically as severe. Bad as it has been, the severity of the recent drouth has been much overestimated, largely because of dramatic duststorms. “The interval between major drouths at maxima has been approximately 23 years, or a double sunspot cycle.” Pacific Assurances Do Not Guarantee Peace Prom the Asheville Citisen-Times. A case-hardened world has seen 30 many crises fade into harmless incidents that it is, perhaps, disposed to discount sharply the gravity of the present in- ternation situation. It goes placidly about its getting and spending in the assurance that the diplomats will find a peaceful solution. That such sophisticated optimism will be justified by events is, of course, the fervent hope of all who set any atore by peace. A war coming at this time would be an unspeakable tragedy, fatal alike to belligerents and to neutrals. It would speedily bankrupt all the nations that directly participated and would destroy the prosperity of those countries which managed to keep out of its whirling vortex. That it could be severely local- ized is most unlikely. That it would finally wreck the foreign commerce of all nations is certain. There might be at the outset some hectic trade, but this would fade and then disappear as the devastation proceeded apace. Despite this widespread optimism, the would is nearer a continental war then it has been at any time in recent months, perhaps at any time since the World ‘War. The explosive train has been set. An untoward event may provide the detonation. ! Hitler assures an American business man that Germany does not want war. Mussolini tells Alfred E. Smith that Italy does not desire war. Too much importance should not be attached to such bland assurances. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Zvening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Hazskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. What was Braddock's share in the Baer fight and in the Louis fight?—F. R, A.In the Baer fight, Braddock's shara ‘was $31,244. In the Louis fight, he ree ceived $262,000. Q. How much air does the averags person breathe daily?—L. F. M. ‘A. Nearly 400 cubic feet of air pass through the lungs of an adult each day, but this quantity can be doubled by pro- longed muscular exertion. Q. Was the Methodist College in Rome confiscated by the Italian government? —J. G. N. A. The Colegio Monte Mario, under the Board of Foreign Missions of the Meth« odist Episcopal Church, located in Rome, has not been confiscated. The school is closed because the government decided that it was providing ample education for its youth and that this school was not needed any longer. Q. How large is the big top of the Ringling Circus?—G. K. A. The tent seats some 16,000 persons. It is 600 feet long and 240 feet wide. It is the largest tent in the world. The menagerie tent is 405 feet long and 140 feet wide. Q. How can dirty mercury be cleaned? —A. G. A. Dirt can be removed from mercurv by shaking it up in a bottle with a small amount of cane sugar and then filtering off the mercury through a pin hole in a paper cone. However, if the mercury is contaminated with metallic impurities dissolved in it, it will soon become dirty again if left in contact with air. Such mercury should be shaken with dilute nitric acid for several hours or even days in order to dissolve the base metals, Q. Was the noted French actor, Coque- lin, ever in this country?—C. M. F. A. In 1900-1 he toured America with Sarah Bernhardt playing Flambeau ton her Duc de Reichstadt in Rostand's “L’'Aiglon.” Q. Who was the first white man to visit Arizona?—K. W. A. The first white man to visit Arizona was Fray Marcos de Niza who traveled from Mexico City in 1539 in search of mineral wealth. Q. Who founded the French Acade emy?—M. L. A. This famous honorary society of letters was founded by Cardinal Rich- elieu in 1635. Q. How many miles is covered by the news wire system of the Associated Press?—H. J. A. The news wire system of the Asso- ciated Press covers 280,000 miles. Q. In what group of islands is Guam? —H. W. A. Guam is the largest island of the Marianas group. Q. What is the Army and Navy Legion of Valor?—H. F. A. This is a patriotic society organized in 1890, to which any one is eligible who has received a medal of honor or the Distinguished Service Cross of the United States. Q. Are the public schools of England actually public achools?—D. W. A. They are in fact strictly private schools, such as Eton, Rugby, Harrow, ‘Wichester, and some six or seven others, and draw their students from the wealthiest families of the British Empire. Q. How many uses has salt?’—E. L. A. 8alt has over 1,500 recognized uses, Q. How much money is made in the aviation industry?—F. R. A. The industry in all its branches now brings in about $190,000,000 a year. Q. What is Huntington's disease?— E. M. A. It is hereditary chorea, a compara- tively rare disease. At times it is hard to distinguish from locomotor ataxia. It was first described by Dr. George Hunt- ington of New York in 1872. Q. Who was the author who wrote on a letter of his wife's, “Opened by mis- take to see what was inside"?—E. K. A. It was Mark Twain. The letter {s on exhibition in the Clemens’ collection at the Missouri Historical Society, St. Louts. Q. What is the name of the famous Gretna Green in Maryland?—E. R. A. Formerly Elkton, Md., was a popular Gretna Green, but a new law in Mary- land now requires two days' notice of intention to marr) Q. Where is the Pitcairn Bible?—A. B, A. The Pitcairn Bible was prepared in Edinburgh in 1764 and was brought aboard the Bounty by a sailor and taken to Pitcairn Island in 1789. It remained there until 1839. On May 24, 1924, it was presented to the New York Public Library by the heirs of the Rev. Daniel Miner Lord. Q. Where are the finest Panama hats made?—C. H. A. They are woven in the village of Monte Cristi, Ecuador. Useful Booklet on the Care of the Car The purpose of the booklet is to help the average owner of an automobile to get more service and greater enjoyment from his car. While the modern car does not require perpetual adjustment and tinkering, it does, however, requirs constant care in cleaning, lubricating, and proper driving. The best experts on car care and safety were enlisted in fur- nishing the text and illustrations for this 32-page publication. You will like ft. Order your copy today. Inclose ten cents in coin to cover cost and handling charges. Use This Order Blank ‘The Washington Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, ‘Washington, D. C. T iInclose herewith TEN CENTS in coin (carefully wrapped) for a copy of the booklet, CARE OF THE CAR. Street or Rural Route..__....... ks City .- BIAS oeeeoeneeenseseas