Evening Star Newspaper, July 26, 1937, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. July 26, 1937 THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company. 11th St and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd St. ©hicago Office: 433 North Michizan Ave. Rate by Carrier—City and Suburban. Regular Edition. The Evening and Sungay Star N c Der month or 150 per wee The Evening suiz o 5 z % by 2 ¢ per mont c per wee The Sunday Star'r " °r 165 Der Ty Night Final Edition, ight Final and Sunday Star....70c per month 1 Star. -+ 5c per month ¢ the end of each month or Orders may be sent by mall or tele- nal 5000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance, Maryland and Vireinia. Daily and Sunday.. 1 yr. $10.00; 1 mo., 85c Daily only 1 yrll "$3.000 1 mo 50c Sunday only. 1 yr $4.00; 1 mo. 40c All Other States and Canada, Daily and Sundas. 4 yr. $1200; 1 mo. $100 5. 21 yrl T§K00: 1 m 5 Daily only_. Bunday nnlyT__ZI2 1 yri $5.000 1 mo., T3¢ mo.. b0c Member of the Associated Press. The Assoclated Press 1s exclusively entitled to the use tor blication of all news dispatches credited to L ol her! credited in this grllverr;gnnd aiso the local news blished herein. 1l hts of pubilcation of el herein are also reseived. SPECdmasche _— Jefferson Memorial. A difference of opinion as to the loca- tion of the proposed Jefferson Memorial has developed and unless it is settled promptly it will result in either a pro- longed delay in the construction of this tribute of the Nation to one of its most illustrious statesmen or a placement that will be uns ble. The Committee on Library of the House of Representatives has taken issue with the Memorial Com- T 1on in respect to the site and has submitted to the House a report rec- ommending the enactment of the bill introduced by Representative Treadway providing that “in no event” shall the commission select the Tidal Basin site This action causes a conflict of Juris- diction over the matter of the place- ment of the memorial. The commission was by act of Congress given authority to select a design and a site for the tribute to Jefferson. Only by act of Congress, therefore, can its decision in favor of the Tidal Basin site be set aside. If the H does not act upon this report of the Library Committee, with the Senate concurring, at the present gession, the commission may, under its general au rization, proceed with the letting of contracts and the construc- tion of the memorial on the site Wwhich it favors. Congress may, however, with- hold appropri: e construction upon such a site, which would be equiv- slent to a disapproval of the proposed location. The reasons advanced by the Library Comnmittee the Tidal Basin site are, first, t the cost would be excessive if the memorial should be erected as planned by the commission, that indeed there is no way of knowing what the actual cost will be, the estimates of the Army er ecrs ranging from $2,500,000 to $6,500,000. It is next urged by the Library Committee that there is no assurance of a substantial foundation being secured for the memorial at the site chosen by the commission. It is further noted that the Basin site would lead to a grave traffic condition, that 1t would conflict in esthetic relationship with the Lincoln Memorial and that it would destroy some of the artistic values of the general location, which have be- come traditional. This present session of Congress ghould not lapse without some definitive action on the question of the placement of the Jefferson Memorial. At least there should be some decision as to the juris- diction of the now conflicting bodies, the Memorial Commission and the Congress {tself. The House Library Committee represents Congress directly, to the ex- tent of its jurisdiction. The Memorial Commission likewise represents Congress, through its authorization by Congress to proceed with the selection of a site and a plan and the presentation of a requisition for an appropriation. Only by act of Congress can this matter be adjusted. So far as it has been manifested, public Judgment upon the matter of the site has been adverse to the location favored by the Memorial Commission. That is not entirely a local public judgment. Protests against the intrusion of another great structure upon the park area and the incidental destruction of many of the cherry trees which form one of the most charming and appreciated features of this park have come from others than residents of the Capital. All considerations point to at least a delay in the matter, to permit a fuller study of the esthetic, as well as the financial considerations involved. That can best be assured by the passage of the Treadway bill, which the House Library Committee now urges. In any event, it must be borne in mind, steps toward the actual construction of the memorial upon the site chosen by the commis- sion and opposed by the House Library Committee cannot be taken until Con- gress provides through appropriation the funds necessary for the execution of a contract. . Contrary to some ancient traditions there are moments when a Vice Presi- dent of the United States should be both seen and heard. . Vivian Burnett. “Little Ford Fauntleroy,” in the theory of his more robust and forthright con- temporaries, was a sissy and a prig. ‘The costume in which his creator dressed him, the language which she put into his mouth, the atmosphere with which she surrounded him were open to ridi- cule. It was inevitable that they should be parodied and mocked. Thus the career of the original model was shad- owed and saddened almost from the start. But Vivian Burnett was, in sober point of fact, as manly a man as any- body could have wished. He was ten years of age when his mother’s famous romance was published, a sophomore at Harvard whenl she disclosed that “the perfect little boy” was a portrait of her second child. After graduation he served successively on the Denver Re- publican and the Washington Times, earning an honorable name for himself as a working reporter. Still later he was one of the group of so-called “muck- rakers” who wrote for McClure's Maga- zine in the days when that publication was leading the van in the campaign for social reform. Now he is dead, and the manner of his passing from the world is such as to insure remembrance of the gallant and courageous individual he really was. His final effort was the rescue of four per- sons from a capsized sailboat in Man- hasset Bay. The exertion brought on a heart attack which cost him his life. Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett never invented a more authentic or a more attractive hero. The “Romantic Lady” simply could not vision in her imagina- tion a character as fundamentally in- teresting as her son actually became. Truth again is demonstrated to be more engaging than fiction. ———— King Leopold’s Proposal. Young King Leopold of Belgium comes forward with a new proposal for bringing order out of international economic chaos. He suggests a continuing com- mission to deal with the commercial and financial problems which perturb the world and are sowing the seeds of armed conflict. The idea is cordially received in Washington because it is concretely along the line of the Roosevelt-Hull reciprocal trade program, which has become the keystone of the administra- tion’s foreign policy. The King's scheme does not take our Government by sur- prise, because when his premier, M. Van Zeeland, was here last month, the proj- ect was broached in broad outline and, presumably, acclaimed as a move in the right direction. At first blush, the permanent body which the Belgian monarch recom- mends bears a cousinly resemblance to another League of Nations agency in different form. For years Geneva has maintained an economic commission charged with the duty of exploring all phases of the international economic structure. It has held innumerable sessions and conducted countless investi- gations. In 1933 it essayed its most ambitious venture, the London Economic and Monetary Conference, which ended in glittering failure, due, as some Euro- peans alleged, to the action—or inaction —of the United States. Just as the League's various economic branches have accomplished little more than academic research, it is to be feared that King Leopold's enterprise would be condemned to similar futility. It would, to begin with, lack teeth—the power to enforce those changes in the realms of colonies, tariffs, exchange con- trols, trade embargoes, financial credits and raw materials—without which any such commission would remain a pious gesture. To paraphrase a famous saying, it would be magnificent, but it ‘would not be peace. On the same day that King Leopold launched his idealistic plan, Premier Mussolini inspired & newspaper article on the subject of international “fic- tions,” which he prophesies will some day be “overwhelmed by reality.” Roman observers think Il Duce means that these “fictions” can be wiped out only by war. ‘While there will be lively disagreement with that theory in democratic countries, there will ke less inclination to dispute the view that there are problems in the world today which urgently clamor for realistic solution. The claims of the “have not” nations for more territory and independent sources of raw mate- rials and foodstuffs are paramount among those conditions. Until these international imponder- ables are practically grappled with, dis- satisfied powers like Italy, Germany and Japan will continue to prepare to acquire by forcible means that which the “have” peoples deny them. One doubts whether the King of the Belgians has evolved a device that promises any genuine adjustment of these burning questions. —————————— Maverick Brander was a character introduced by Charles Hoyt in “A Texas Steer.” The author is now remembered only because he was momentarily asso- ciated with Maude Adams. The name was & good one, however, and Maverick Brander still lives in political fact as well as in theatrical fancy. o Dangerous Freight. Three times within a week collisions have occurred on the roads between small motor cars and large trucks. In one case in Virginia, in a head-on colli- sion between a coupe and an oil-laden five-ton truck and trailer, three men were burned to death, a woman was fatally injured and two others were badly hurt. Yesterday two similar cases were reported. In the neighborhood of New York City twenty-two persons were injured when a passenger bus col- lided with a gasoline truck which ex- ploded. No lives were lost. Again last week seven persons were burned to death in Maryland when a truck hit their car, causing an explosion of its gasoline supply. These accidents, which may have been due to bad driving and disregard of the ardinary rules of the road, demonstrate the menace to life on the highways through thelr use by large commercial vehicles. For some time there has been consideration of a proposal that special roads should be provided for such traffic. With their greater size and higher power they are a menace to all passenger vehi- cles. They are competitors of the rail- roads, which are, of course, confined, to their own lines. Their owners and oper- atives do not bear an equitable propor- tion of the cost of maintaining the roads. They have virtually free use of the high- ways over long routes. A system of commercial highways, to be used only by goods carriers, would be a solution of this problem of road safety. It is true that there would remain always the element of danger in the improper handling of passenger cars, but with the trucks and other commercial eonveyors barred from the lanes of passenger traf- fic and confined to lines provided exclu- sively for their use there would be un- questionably a material reduction in the casualties which are now so grave a menace in this country. This matter must be taken into con- sideration sooner or later. The use of trucks for freight carriage, and especially of dangerous loads such as oil and gaso- line, is too great a menace to life to be borne longer without some attempt to find a remedy. ———— . Irresponsible rumor brings a report that a lady who glimpsed a red bathrobe on one of the historic railway trains that have recently sped on long journeys, sends a message to the anonymous wearer desiring personal acquaintance. The words of women have lately been regarded as words of wisdom and it would be a misfortune to see them re- verting to days when the “personal column” was accorded under social influence in the realms of print. e Life in its progressive stages reveals something of the same difference be- tween the sexes that school days re- veal, with the male intelligence largely busy with big, beautiful figures, and the female mentality stil busy with the effort to make intelligent ararngements to keep the bank account in conserva- tive relations with the grocer's account. ——ae—— Mrs. Marshall Field, aged 84, deeply esteemed and victorious after some con- spicuous social struggles, dies, to receive the homage of a continent. Her emi- nence though implying polite accomp- lishments really began when her father went to Chicago and organized 4 hard- ware company. It was a hardware com- pany de luxe and is remembered among the great influences in the country's development. Bt The stories of Spanish aggression in South America are old and would be forgotten if it were not for the warlixe attitudes forced upon Spain herself and by implication communicated to this continent. —————— A custom of welcoming the President of the United States at the opening games of the base ball season may have encouraged some of the players to be- lieve that true eminence can be main- tained conly by a systematic participa- tion in small scrimmages. ———. Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Achievement. “Our Congressman has done his best The Nation's ear to reach. It is admitted East and West He made a splendid speech. His voice re-echoed to the skies. And 'mid the thunderous roar He made more arguments arise Than there had been before. ‘The base ball game again we see Upon the old town lot. Our Congressman appears to be At present quite forgot. Thus patriotism we neglect In the award of fame And our applause again direct Unto the base ball game. History’s Repetition. “What we want to do,” said the ex- citable man with bristiy hair, “is to take all the money from the rich and give it to the poor.” “Grand idea!” answered Senator Sorghum, “but how are you going to keep the same people from geiiing the money away from the poor, same as they did in the first place?” Jud Tunkins says a man often thinks he's the life of the party when he’s only a spotlight grabber. Accomplished Without Armament. The dove of peace flew round the ark And gayly ventured this remark: “The greatest voyage now is done, And no one had to use a gun.” Popular Attention. “Why do you think a classical educa- tion is not desirable for your boy Josh?” “Folks don't appreciate it,” replied Farmer Corntossel. ‘I never yet saw & Summer boarder who was educated enough to hold his audience when a fellow pulled out a pack of cards and began to do tricks.” “We are living in an age of ma- chinery,” said Hi Ho, the sage of China- town. “Yet, instead of doing the work for us, existence is made still more dif- ficult because we didn't know how to control all the machines.” Hats. Of fashions we must still take heed As frequently they change, And some of which just now we read Appear as passing strange. And now as women set the pace They warn that for a while In cultivating proper grace High hats are out of style. The hint is one men can’t neglect; ‘The proud and lofty way Is one that no one should neglect In this momentous day. We meet our neighbors, man to man, And try to wear a smile, Remembering in this modern plan The high hat's out of style. “Keep yoh imagination under control,” said Uncle Eben. “When big work is bein’ planned don’t mistake yohself foh & pump an’ think you kin be useful by throwin’ cold water.” Gardening. From the Grand Rapids Press. To enjoy garden work, put on a wide hat and gloves, hold a little trowel in one hand and tell the man where to dig. Unimportant. From the Jamestown (N. Y.) Post. A German biologist finds that man has fifteen senses, but, evidently, some of them are not highly important. Parole of Criminals Is A Dangerous Practice ‘To the Editor of The Star: The curse of this Nation is its maudlin sentimentality. The State of Maryland has recently turned several hundred criminals loose for no better reason than that they had made good records in do- ing the work assigned to them. One of the best workers in a gang of men I once had knocked an old man in the head with a brick to rob him of $2. Our national crime bill already exceeds all other costs of government. It is idle to spend mil- lions of dollars of the taxpayers’ money to detect and convict criminals and then release them for so flimsy a reason as that they properly performed the tasks assigned to them. If the loss of the tax- payers’ money were the only considera- tion, it would not be so serious, but the fact that J. Edgar Hoover points out that every man of his force who has been killed was killed by a convict on parole makes it certain that Maryland will pay dearly in a new wave of crime for her misplaced clemency. It would seem to be about time for legislators to give a little consideration to the law-abiding man who pays his taxes and tries to raise his family to be law-abiding citizens. That he must lock up everything every time he turns around, and leave his woman folk un- guarded only at risk, seems to be about the last thing that ever occurs to the law- makers, who yield too readily to the pressure of sob-sister groups. This Maryland law should be promptly re- pealed. Or, better still, amend it to make the legislators or parole officials respon- sible in damages to any citizen robbed or otherwise damaged by the criminals that such legislators or parole officials turn loose upon society. F. G. CAMPBELL. o Land Tax Alone Approved For District of Columbia ‘To the Editor of The Star: I see that our Real Estate Board is much exercised over the prospect of Dis- trict real estate having to pay much more than a present 60 per cent of municipal expenses. As a home owner whose land and improvements are about equally val- ued I am not protesting the Senate's proposed 1 per cent increase in the Dis- trict land tax, as the value of my land is not due to my ownership. but to the presence and activities of all other Washingtonians. Were they banished the entire lot would not be worth more than one square foot of its present assessed value. What I should like to see for the District is a land tax alone, all improve- ments exempt, to meet the costs of its government. That would put us on a par with Sydney, Australia, a city com- parable to Boston, Mass.; Johannesburg. South Africa, and many other towns and other political divisions of the British colonial empire. Community members here and elsewhere now pay a heavy tat for the use of land and are constantly bidding against one another to increase it. Land taxes are cheapest to collect, and cannot be dodged or passed on to the consumer. Hence, with no other tax to burden us and complicate our bookkeep- ing. cost of living would be reduced by a half or more. and there would be no further ground for apprehension over in- crease in housing rents. W. N. CAMPBELL. Nazi Demonstration in New Jersey Protested ‘To the Editor of The Star: I was very much moved when T read in The Evening Star yesterday about the | Nazi activities in the Sussex hills of New Jersey. As an American citizen T should and do sympathize with the V. F. W. in their demands for a congressional investiga- tion and proper steps should be taken. J. R. BONNHILL, To the Editor of The Star: I was reading in The Evening Star where “8.000 German-Americans Open Nazi-Emblemed Camp” with 1,000 uni- formed men, accompanied by a military guard, parading by a platform featuring & picture of Chancellor Hitler. In my opinion there ought to be a law barring demonstrations of this sort in honor of foreign rulers. Such movements of these so-called Nazis will sooner or later increase foreign power in this country. They may be law-abiding citizens, but they cannot be loyal to two countries and be good Americans. If movements like these don’t prove harmful in the long run or if there is anything in the Con- stitution prohibiting Congress from act- ing in cases of this kind then I have a lot to learn. E. JEFFRIES, A Timely Rebuke by the Acting Controller General To the Editor of The Star: In refusing® to honor the vouchers of Mr. Jacob Baker and his fellow co- operative investigators for their trip to Europe, Acting Controller General Elliott is administering a proper rebuke to President Roosevelt, at whose behest the trip was made. The trend of the times has definitely shown that power is now no longer in the hands of Mr. Roosevelt and his radical friends, but where it should reside, in the people, who have always guided the destinies of this Nation. To.us who await impatiently the res- toration of sensible government, this calm, quiet and statesmanlike overruling of Mr. Roosevelt is very encouraging. As Controller General Elliott has so point- edly said. Mr. Baker has found his “proper sphere” outside of Government activities. Mr. Roosevelt has been taught a lesson and given a warning by his controller general. Y P. ATTERLEE. No Vote, No Voice, Not Alien. Prom the Janesville, Wisc., Gasette. Residents of the city of Washington and the District of Columbia are again voicing their protests over their disfran- chisment. A resident of Washington, D. C, or its suburbs in the District ex- ercises the same right of citizenship as the alien who has been here 30 days ori less—and no more. The minute one takes up his residence in Washington he loses that real evidence of citizenship which is the right to vote. True it is that thousands of our citizens who have that right do not exercise it. If one tried to take it away from them, there "would be a serious protest, not only from the citizen himself but all those concerned with him. American society and government are made up of this clear distinction between the sovereignty of the citizen and the definitely unal- lowable alien outsider. The alien may be a resident of this country, and be the beneficlary of all our liberties, but he does not have the right to aid in the organization and perpetuation of gov- ernment by voting in elections. The citizen of the District of Columbia—if he can be called a citizen—has the same right as the alien and no more. He can live in the District, pay rent and taxes, but he is denied the right of franchise. This is an unjust and in- excusable situation and ought to be without question or delay, N THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Hibiscus. Interesting word, interesting flower. It means marsh mallow, and refers to & genus of malvaceous plants, of which the althea and the common hibiscus are well-known. Every one familiar with the flowers of the althea shrub recognizes this kinship instantly on seeing one of the great din- ner plate sized blossoms of the hibiscus. Few flowers excite more interest than these huge blooms, especially when brought into a downtown office. The fact that they will last only a few hours, even when placed in water, .makes them not good for such usage, but the real fun, of course, comes in the jokes made by persons unfamiliar with them. P “Where did you get the daisy?” some wag is sure to ask. The “daisy,” of course, is some 8 to 10 inches in diameter. The motion pictures often show beau- ties of the great South Seas wearing these huge pink blooms in their hair. * X X % It is amazing to many home garden- ers to know that they may have these large blooms in their own gardens. Few flowers are easier to grow. Although true marsh mallows do best in damp soil, such as at the edge of a marsh, most of the varieties grown in the garden are hybrids, and do well in drier soil. ‘The roots of this plant are long and tapered, and of such strength that it is most difficult to disengage them from the earth, once they have taken hold and grown well for a season. These roots live op year after year, although the tops die down, leaving only bare canes in the, wind. These canes, of course, are deaa, and nothing grows on them again. * Entire new growth must be made from the roots each year. This begins early in Spring, and by this time the bush is 5 or 6 feet high, and begins to send forth the huge blossoms. * ox % x It 4s the size of the flowers which compels attention, but the texture of the petals is not coarse, as might be expected, nor is the color poor. In fact, these hybrid specimens now come in several fine colors, including pinks, reds and whites, and combinations of these colors. Also in pale yellow. For a large flower, the hibiscus is deli- cate. If we wive to place it immediately alongside a spike of gladiolus we would see at once where the latter is more velvety in texture, more refined in char- acter, more subtle in every way. But at the back fence. where its rather coarse habit of growth belongs, it is a very good shrub, although it possesses one fault, even there, which is that it is rather floppy. The canes, unless staked up and held with a string, may blow down in a Summer thunderstorm. This shows very well how nature takes care of such things; in the natural habitat, especially in the marshes, the old canes from last vear's blooming are left behind, and these still stand to help | hold up the plant. When the wind-: strikes a clump of such nature-grown hibiscus, or hibiscuses, the new canes, with their great blooms, blow over against old canes, and are held up. * k% o* The word is pronounced “high-bis- cus,” with the accent on the second syllable. It is funny to listen to some persons who think they must be “arty” at all costs. The terrible ways they twist this poor word is amazing as well as amusing. The family to which this great flow- ered one belongs is an interesting fam- ily. It includes Malva sylvestris, the common mallow, and M. rotundifolia, the dwarf mallow. Both of these are of Old World origin, but are now nratural- zed all over the United States. In the old days infusions of the leaves were used as soothing agents in sprains and the like. The root of some of these species is still used as a demulcent for kidney affections. The large, fleshy roots lend themselves well to this pur- pose. Perhaps the roots of the hibiscus would do as well as any. All the members of the family pos- sess mucilaginous properties and persons interested in herbalism still find use for them. The taste of all of them is rather weedy, naturally enough, since this weedy character is very marked in the +growth habits of all except the common althea, which is entirely woody in nature, lending itself to hedge purposes, trimmed or untrimmed. * x X % ‘The hibiscus should have plenty of sun, wherever planted.* It may be used in any garden situa- tion, water being no more essential to it than to most plants. This is strange, since growth by water is natural to it. With ordinary garden soll and’ water, however, it does very well, and grows as large, fresh and meaty blossoms as ever. The great flowers open in the very early morning and generally close about noon. On cloudy days they may remain open all day and, occasionally, the next morning also, especially if a light and misty rain has served to keep them fresh. They stay open longer when the Summer days are cool than when hot. They are not satisfactory cu? flowers, as they tend to wilt and close about noon, whether in or out of water. * o ox ok ‘While the hibiscus may be grown easily from seed, the most satisfactory way 1S to purchase the roots in the early Spring and plant them at once. This gives the specimen every chance to make a good start and to be all ready to push up those stout canes early in April. At first the canes are green on the outside, and rather tender, but with the passing days they become tougher and turn to a slightly gray-green cast with the growth of a regular bark. The canes always remain very brittle and that is one of the best reasons for putting a stout stake at each specimen and tying most of the cane up to it. in a rather loose way, not too close or tight, as the latter arrangement spoils the character of the plant. It is no fun to see a fine hibiscus snapped off about 6 inches from the ground in a thunderstorm. but this often happens unless the specimen is tied up. Once the plant is broken in this way, it is a dead loss for the season, although the great roots may live and send up stalks the next year the same as ever. The sprawly habit of growth makes rather close planting best, say about 2 feet, s0 that the branches intertwine and help hold each other up. The effect is best if at the extreme rear of a lot, and in a place where wildness shows to | the best advantage. This is not a tidy shrub, like its cousin, the altkhea, nor are its flowers any more beautiful, but their immense size gives a note scarcely to ke found elsewhere, WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. To judge by his demeanor at the first ‘White House press conference following collapse of the Supreme Court plan, Mr. Roosevelt is a cheerful loser. His laugh and smile are still in working order. ‘Whatever emptions may fill him, he has the philosophical bearing of a man who, having fought and failed. is resigned to | the inevitable. The President conveys the impression that his crusade for ref- ormation of the high bench was by no means fruitless. F. D. R. was fully prepared for reportorial curiosity about his reaction to his heaviest® political re- verse. In response to questions, he reeled off, with wnfeigned satisfaction, a typewritten memorandum of pro-New Deal decisions that ensued upon the heels of the court-packing proposal. Although denied his real objective, Mr. Roosevelt clearly feels that the game was worth the candle. He seems per- suaded that a “court-conscious” and “Constitution-minded” country shares his abiding aspiration for continued progress along trails which have now been blazed. The President rejects sug- gestions that he will go on “campaign- ing” for his court program and stresses that the business of extending social legislation gains is up to Congress. But no doubt exists that he intends to exer- cise unceasing influence in promotion of all the causes still close to his heart. * k% % Inclusion of Senator Bob La Follette and his brother, Gov. Phil, in the first presidential week end cruise after the judiciary battle is an event of deepest political significance. It is an open secret that the young Wisconsin Progressive's influence in administration councils, even though he constitutes a one-man group in the Senate, is of grade-A quality. Whenever he takes part in White House conferences with congressional leaders, it's of record that Bob's views carry as much weight as, and sometimes more than, those of some front-rank Demo- cratic brethren. The President is tre- mendously fond of both the La Follettes and admires the skill by which they have become political masters of a great State. Their ideas on social and labor ' legislation particularly command Roose- veltian respect. Prognosticators of long- range events are certain that if there's to be a realignment of liberal forces, within or outside the Democratic party, in 1940 or before, the President courts a working alliance with the La Follettes and the elements which they personify. Progressive preferences and prejudices on the subject of Supreme Court ap- pointments will weigh heavily at the ‘White House, too. * o k% President Roosevelt and Postmaster General Farley don't seem to see exactly eye to eye on the present and future of the economic situation. The President holds fast to the theory that certain New Deal objectives, hitherto balked by Jjudicial processes, must be attained be- fore anything like durable prosperity can be expected. A Nation “one-third ill- fed, ill-housed and ill-clothed” is appar- ently still the picture which the White House sees.. At Saturday’s Democratic rally in Toledo, Farley declared that “it can be stated emphatically that re- covery is here to stay—that the past few months have shown a gratifying increase in the pace of business expansion, and experts are almost unanimous in pre- dicting that the upturn will continue.” In the same speech Sunny Jim trotted out a wealth of statistical data to bolster the claim of “restored economic health” and “justified optimism over the ecoe nomic outlook.” He also glorified the fact that “labor is enjoving a larger share of the rewards than it did in the so-called boom years.” * ok k% While comment on lately embittered events almost universally depicts Presi- dent Roosevelt as chief loser and victim, victors in the judiciary battle say that some of the places on the mourners’ bench should be allotted to certain brain trusters—mainly. young legalistic lum- inaries of the New Deal—who are re- garded as the real villains of the court- packing piece. The rebuke which Con- gress and the country have just admin- istered to their ill-starred ideas discredits them, according to some Capitol leaders, far more than the President, to whom their patent medicine was sold. In this connection, it is suggested that while Roosevelt has lost political prestige, his popularity is probably not diminished in any proportionate degree. A friendly court opponent thinks the London Eco- nomist’s recent survey of the New Deal put matters in a nutshell when it said that while the President may not always have the right answers, he asks more of the right questions than any other con- temporary American statesman has done. % ox % Senate court oppositionists grabbed most of the recent national limelight, but honorable mention is due those House Democrats who, within a week of the launching of the President’s court proposal, made public protest against it. Prominent in that pioneer group were Representatives Celler of New York, Pettengill of Indiana, Cox of Georgia and Lamneck of Ohio. Judiciary Com- mittee Chairman Sumners of Texas was also in the vanguard, as was Representa- tive Drewry of Virginia. Beginning as a slender minority bloc, the movement was destined to grow into what un- doubtedly would have become a sizablé majority against the bill. All the early House protecters would have been in the thick of the fray had the doomed scheme ever reached their side of the Capitol. * ¥ X % Those who believe that what really killed the judiciary bill was the change of heart which the Supreme Bench underwent after February 5 are recalling & wisecrack by a distinguished foreign member of the press gallery who is famed for his politial epigrams. His court jest was: “A switch in time saved nine.” * ok Kk “Dear Alben” Barkley’s election to the Senate majority leadership brings par- ticular joy to the country’s rail workers. Almost 15 years ago, as a member of the House, the Kentuckian introduced the famous Howell-Barkley bill at the re- quest of the standard railroad labor organizations. The measure had hard sledding in both branches of Congress, having been stubbornly opposed by the carriers, but eventually, and largely under Barkley's leadership, the first rail- ‘way labor act was passed, and years later was strengthened by amended legisla- tion. In 1926 railmen had an oppor- tunity to show their appreciation of Barkley's friendship, when he was in the midst of his first and hotly contested senatorial campaign. Labor, official organ of the brotherhoods, spread a special edition over the Blue Grass State, which helped materially to give him victory. * % % X Americans recently in Europe bring back a report current in Berlin that Viadimir Romm, former Washington correspondent of the principal Soviet newspaper, Izvestia, who was implicated ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any Qquestion of fact by writing The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D, C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How near completion is the United States-Alaska air route?—W. H. A. Only July 5 the route was twoy thirds in operation. Q. How many refrigerators are thers in the world?—E. G. D. A. There are about thirteen million. Of these, about eleven million are in the United States. Q. Please list the instrumentation of the Naval Academy Band—M. B. S. A. One leader, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassons, 1 E-flat clarinet, 1 alto clari- net, 1 bass clarinet, 24 B-flat clarinets, 4 saxophones, 10 B-flat cornets or trumpets, 8 French horns, 8 trombones, 2 baritones or euphoniums, 6 basses or Sousaphones, 4 percussion. Total, 75, and a harp to be added soon. Q. How many kittens are born at one time?>—B. E. B. A. A litter usually contains from two to seven kittens. Q. What is the significance of the red dots on automobile tires?—S. B A. These marks may be square, round or triangular. They indicate how well the tires are balanced and at what point with respect to the casing the inner tube valve should be placed when a tire is mounted. Q. How large is the kidney human Body?>—G. L. E. A. Dr. Morris Fishbein describes a kidney as about 4'3x2':x1'¢ inches. Each kidney contains between one mii= lion and four million filter chambers, each with 2 inches of microscopic tubing, in the Q. Were the members of the crew of the Hindenburg civilians or soldiers?— R. W. A. They were citizens. was operated commercia. Q. What university in the United States has the largest collection of books?—H. G. A. Harvard University 3800000 books leads and pamphlets with the | largest university collection in the world. Q. How many Americans are permanent residents of France?—S. M. A. There are now 11,881. This is an increase of about 700 over last year. now Q. Has Tennessee a new child-b: law?—H. J A. Tennessee's new marriage law sets 16 years as the mmimum age for brides. ide Q. How many Spaniards have lost their lives in the Spanish Civil War? —W. R A. On July 17. the first anniversary of | the war, 500,000 Spaniards had been killed. Q. Please name two sonzs which can be sung simultaneously by two groups of singers as a stunt—E. K A. “Solomon Levi” and “The Spanish | Cavalier” lend themselves well to this sort of vocal combat. Q. How large is Swope Park in Kansas City, Mo.?—E. A. The park consists of 1,400 acres. Q. How were the boundaries of the United States fixed after the Revolu= tionary War?—C. W. A. They were fixed by the treaty which ended the war and all powers of govern= ment and right to soil passed to the United States. Q. What is meant by C.J.C. A. The term is applied rays which occur beyond the red end of the spectrum, and are of longer wave length and invisible lack 1i Q. What is the name of the town in the South that has an all-Negro popu- lation?—H. K. A. Mound Bayou. Miss. was founded 50 years ago by former slaves ar has a population of 2,000 Negroes. Th is no jail and for 13 years no capital crime has been committed in the comi- munity. Q. How many trips to foreign lands did George Washington make?—W. H A. Washington's trip to Barbados in 1751 was the only foreign journey he ever made. Q. Was shell shock first noticed in the World War?—A. M. A. It was known as early as the six- teenth century and was called “wind of the ball’ In the World War some of the explosives caused & pressure of 10 tons to the square yard. This caused great injury to the nervous system, pro- ducing various disturbances. Q. In the early days of railroad build- ing, how much land was donated to the railroad companies?—W. L. K. A. Approximately 138 million acres of land was donated to the railroads by the Federal Government and approximately 40 million acres by the various States. Q. What is the derivation of the word “socialite”?—W. H. A. Tt is coined from the words “social” and “elite.” Q. Was Mark Twain the author of the inscription on his daughter's grave be- ginning: “Warm Summer sun, shinc kindly here"?—J. L. A. The lines, which were altered b: Mark Twain, are from a poem entitle “Annette,” by the Australian poe. Robert Richardson. A Rhyme at Twilight By Gertrude Brooke Hamilton. Homing Thoughts. I'm homesick tonight for the old, old days, The earnest nonsense of childhood's plays; I want to be young, very young, again, When the only sorrow was physical pain, Or the broken strands of a daisy chain. To wake at dawn with a heart full of song For the day that never seemed too long, When only a pleasure missed brought a frown; And to whisper, as night inclosed the town, With a sleep-bowed head: “Now I lay me down.” in the Radek treason trial at Moscow last Winter, is still alive, but an exile in Siberia, (Copyrieht, 1037.)