Evening Star Newspaper, August 4, 1937, Page 10

A—10 THE EVENI THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY ___ August 4, 1937 THEODORE W. NOYES 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. Sunday Star The Evening and oY mosih or 150 per week 1 r The Evening StA%, . per month or 10c per week The Bunday Star _____ -5¢ per copy Night Final Edition, and Sunda; r--..70¢ per month per month t f each month or each week, Orders may be sent by mail or tele- phone National 5000. Night Fin Night Fin Collection m Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Marsland and Vircinia, All Other States and Canada, day. 4 yr, $12.00; 1 mo., $1.00 1 1 mo. 7 5300 The 50c 1 mo. $5.00i Vacancy or No Vacaney? Senator Borah's contention, voiced in the Senate yesterday, that no vacancy exists on the benc of the Supreme Court should not kb Ken too seriously. Though delivi earnestness, as , and seem a legalistic ar ssed to the question wh the vision, intended 1 response to the opinion lately rendered by the General to the effect that the President has the right, under the Constit , to make 8 recess appointment. Senator Borah has a keen sense of the ridiculous and it is quite possible that he was employ- ing the “reductio ad a of rejoinder. Or per at a demonstration of ness of the sta thin e constitutional pr y Well have been tus of re- tired jurists. At any rate, it was at the least an interesting coincidence that at about the same time of the Idaho Senator's ¢ “liverance the President was telling the newspaper White House that of the court appoir 1 of the appointee was act Senate for confirmation 1y” evading the di was a fai) er ment would be wi session of Congres There was, however, ous note disc the Senate promoted Senator Borah's conten- tion that no vacancy exists in the Su- preme Cou and ‘that t under the law as it stands does not constitute a complete separation from actual mem- bership of the court. This statement by Senator B elicited acquiescence from others. lently at least a question in thei s on this point. If, as Senator Borah held yesterday, Justice Dev er m despite his retirement, report for duty at the open- ing of the court's session in the Autumn end may sit in judgment upon the statutes and the practices of the lower courts, then, in e is need of ng legislation on the subject. But all part from the question ve no notice he name lly before the i “laughing- ther it e appoin 1d until the ne: newhat seri- a recess appointment might | 1e present vacancy, if ts—which, despite Senator argume the one really exi Borah's —and that might take his seat on the bench with- out confirmation by t Senate, in ac- cordance with the rem rKable opinion rendered by the Attor General. Nor is it pertinent to the question of the wherefore of the A ey General's opinion if the President does not intend to follow the advice of his chief law cofficer. Straightforwardness is a highly de- sirable trait in all walks of life. It is especially desirable in the highest office of the American Government. to be t 50 case appointee named —————s Somewhere there is a moving picture giving scenes from the “Mikado,” but using a smart English title. The Japa- hese are quick to take offe and it is to be heped that this particular picture Tuns its course before any of them see it. e A Careful Pedestrian. A careful pedestrian, traveling west- ward on Pennsylvania avenue, arrives at the corner of Twelfth street with that comfortable sense of satisfaction that accompanies the knowledge of being fifteen minutes or so ahead of an ap- pointment at a location in the next block. He is on the north side of the Avenue for two reasons. His own place of employment, from which he started, and the building in which he is to keep his appointment are both on the north side. At Twelfth street the traffic light is egainst him. Being a careful pedestrian he waits on the curb until the signal changes. North and south bound traffic halts while the allotted interval for east end west bound traffic prevails. He steps promptly and confidently from the curb to join the group of less considerate though more courageous pedestrians who have crowded out into the traffic lane and increased their chance of making the crossing. He is immediately startled by the violent honking of an automobile horn at close range and is forced to step back on the curb and wait until a long line of buses, taxicabs and private automobiles negotiate a right-hand turn. The light changes again and he is left standing in almost the same spot from which he ventured when he mistakenly believed that he had the right of way. Patiently he awaits the next turn for pedgstrians, only to repeat his previous experience. Several changes of the sig- nalg take place before he realizes that he {must either join the ranks of the impatient pedestrians or choose nnoth_er course. He wants {0 keep his l | tions. | natural phenomenon. The human mind status as a citlzen who respects the rights of others, so he decides to change his route a bit. With the next signal for the movement of north and south bound traffic he starts across the Avenue toward the old Post Office Department Building. When he reaches the car track on the far side he finds himself in a precarious plight. Cutting behind him and in front of him, drivers making left turns at high speed yell at him to get out of the way. He is in a safety zone, but it seems that this one is safe only when drivers do nst fiad it con- venient to trespass upon it. The signal changes, but the involun- tary release of a sigh of relief is prompt- ly choked off by the onrush of east- bound traffic. From his position in the street no signals are visible. A new horror! No guide except the movement of traffic! By a narrow margin he escapes the next rush of left-hand turn- ing traffic and reaches the maiked crossing as the signals free the north and south bound lanes. Good luck attends his progress across Twelfth street to the half-way point, where he encounters a steady stream of traffic turning right, plus a couple of buses and other vehicles turning left from the west-bound lane. Eventually he reaches the southwest curb and undertakes to get back to the north side of the street. Delays and difficulties again beset him, but he gets across, mops his brow and hurries to the place of appointment. A neat placard at- tached to the door bears the word: “Closed.” He looks at his watch. He has failed by several minutes to keep an important engagement, ) “Things Getting Worse.” An average American, old in' years and in experience, sat on the porch of nls home in suburban Washington one recently, talking with a group er men. heme of conversation was the state of the Nation. Said a lad from lina, “Seems to me things worse day by day.” To which g, native to Minnesota, re- “Either that, or else they're ' improving.” philosophic smile played over the countenance of the veteran. ‘“Perhaps,” he suggested, “it depends upon how much one remembers. When you can look back over a long time, you find reason to be hopeful. It is an advantage to have a lot of memories. “For instance, I recall the way people felt just after the Civil War. The coun- try was overwhelmed with hatred. South detested North, and North despised South. Responsible officials believed that the Union could be restored only by quartering troops in every town below the Mason and Dixon line. Passion ran high among all classes of the popula- tion. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox had settled nothing except the military aspect of the conflict. A whole new crop of problems followed the emancipation of the slaves. With the South impoverished | and the North groaning under an un- precedented tex burden, the future looked dark. “But prosperity returned—enough of it, anyway, to finance reconstruction. Then, the panic of 1893 upset the apple cart. Once again economic distress raised a universal lamentation. Prophets of disaster went up and down the land preaching revolution and found an army of disciples. That was the period of Coxie's army and the Homestead strike, Yet it did not survive the gradual restoration of normal business condi- Depression, you see, is not a and the human heart generally are opti- mistic. Only on comparatively rare occasions are people despondent. “I know, of course, that there in- variably is somebody waiting for a chance to stir up trouble. The agitator elways makes the most of his oppor- tunity. But even when he fs sincere, he soon fades out of the picture. I can remember dozens of men who wanted to reform everything, set up socialism in the United States. There was one chap—Most was his name—who wanted us to try anarchism. Henry George in- vented the single tax idea, Daniel De Leon advocated bolshevism before Lenin and Trotzky ever were heard of, Eugene Debs wanted a co-operative common- wealth based on the Marxian doctrine of public ownership of the production system, William Haywood propagandized for syndicalism and Huey Long de- manded that every man should be a king. Where are they now? Where is the Populist movement and the Non- Partisan League? You boys probably never even have heard of them. But they scared the daylights out of thou- sands of people when they were going concerns. “Things ha®e a habit of getting worse and getting better at the same time. Radicalism breeds resistance. It is at- tractive only momentarily. The annals of the human race prove that. Some evening when you have nothing else to do, look up the story of the Jacquerie in France and the Luddities in England.” o How many persons were killed over the week end is now a query of casual solicitude. At least we are prepared for this new form of new deal by having hearses equipped as motor vehicles. Flying Boat Tragedy. Washington has particular interest in the loss of the Pan American-Grace Airways flying boat near Cristobal, Canal Zone. Among the passengers who have disappeared are Rex Martin and G. Q. Caldwell of the Bureau of Air Commerce —men well and favorably known in the Capital. The plane was en route from Guay- aquil, Ecuador, to the United States via Cali, Colombia. Storms had delayed its progress. The last radio message from the pilot contained a reference to heavy rain. It, therefore, is evident that hos- tile weather conditions must be con- sidered in any effort to determine the cause of the wreck. But there is nothing new in the oppo- sition of the elements Nature is tem- /i peramental, especially in the Caribbean area. The operators of the air lines in that portion of the globe necessarily are obliged to practice a philosophy of cau- tion. Perhaps the present tragedy might have been avoided by halting the plane's departure Monday. Also, it may be wondered if night flying in South and Central American latitudes is a rational experiment in the current stage of air traffic develop- ment. Possibly it would be wiser to limit schedules to the daylight hours. But the public ought not to be dis- turbed by the loss of one ship. Travel by plane is relatively safer than travel by automobile. Thirteen precious lives destroyed in an airship wreck are com- paratively little to grieve about when it is remembered, as it should be, that many times that number commonly are taken over a single week end in motor smash-ups, An impression is left by a news item that all remaining of the personal fortune of Claus Spreckels, the sugar king, is an old unsalable truck. A young man who came into possession of the money by inheritance is blamed for the depletion, his effort evidently being to introduce too many new deals in the management of his affairs, et This city has grown in size at a re- markable rate and might profitably un- dertake for itself the task of looking after its race track touts and other queer people. It is unfair to leave Mary- land unassisted with so grave a responsi- bility. ——————___ There comes a time when even Al Capone feels that he is due to change his residence. The same sentiment takes bossession of Gaston B. Means. It may trouble both to see so much foolish money in circuiation. r———— So long as Japan and China are deter- mined to fight it may be as well for American statesmanship to keep as close an eye as possible on that supply of real gold locked up somewhere in Ken- tucky. Sixty thousand dollars in salaries fs mentioned as proper for advising the President. It might be worth the cost if it can be guaranteed that he will take the advice. e When Dr. Royal S. Copeland gets through with his experiments he can at least speak professionally and tell some of the politicians what will be good for their nerves. —————____ Chinese women are said to be organi- 2ing for war. This puts a new aspect on affairs in the Orient and compels the Japanese to study the situation with new vigilance. o Shooting Stars. BY PHIL Little bit of sunshine Peeping through the fence, So’s to help a morning glory grow— Happy, just for fun, to shine, From the sky immense, Cheering up a blossom here below. Little bit of smiling Through the busy day, Even though the earth se-us of care— Moments of beguiling Into life must stray Just to help the blooming here and there. full Surprise Parties. ““What's this new party going to be like?” “I suppose,” answered Senator Sor- ghum, “it'll be like the surprise parties we used to have when I was a boy. They were simply gotten up to show some- body a good time and became tiresome if they lasted too long.” Jud Tunkins says the fact that a man doesn't know what he's talking about too often encourages him to go on talk- ing without fear of being held re- sponsible. August Meditation. N The citizen with troubled brow Was heard to murmur with a sigh, “Most everything is boosted now. Even the temperature is high.” Defiant Insinuation. “What brings so many mosquitoes?” inquired the week end guest. “I dunno,” replied Farmer Corntossel. “But I have my suspicions. We don't never have 'em near so bad, 'cept when the city peogle come flockin’ into our once peaceful neighborhood.” “The people must have heroes,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “and often creates one out of its own imagi- nation. This method is convenient, since if one fails another will serve as well.” The Answer. 'Mongst messages of joy and hope For which folks daily call That little old pay envelope Speaks loudest of them all. Through theories found in the past We eruditely grope The answer always is, at last, In the pay envelope. “I likes a camp meetin’ better dan a plitical rally,” said Uncle Eben. “De preacher is satisfied wif a small dona- tion, but de politician ain’t after nothin’ short of de privilege of collectin’ taxes.” ——e—s Liberties. From the Battle Creek Enquirer-News. Complaint is made, says one column- ist, that there are no liberties left. But perhaps that is because every one is taking them. R Saved. Prom the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. ' We owe a great debt to Christopher Columbus, according to a recent edi- torial. You haven't said the half of it, brother. If it weren't for Chris we'd all be Europeans. A NG _STAR, WASHINGTON, D. NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM BY MARGARET GERMOND. AND SO—VICTORIA., By Vaughan gvukm& New York: The Macmillan o. Mr. Wilkins’ story of the tempestuous years preceding the accession of Victoria to the throne of England recalls to memory a fantastic ferm of entertain- ment produced not so many years ago by a mechanical device that proved to contain the principle upon which the invention and improvement of the mo- tion picture was later perfected. A coin dropped into a slot machine released the clatch on a crank that when turned set in motion a rotating shaft to which hundreds of tiny flexible cardboard pic- tures were attached in orderly sequence. The rapid release of one picture after another created an illusion of animation that made possible the presentation of a complete minature “motion” picture. The machine was so designed that only one spectator at a time could view the show, and a shaft-shifting device made possible a change of performance with the deposit of another coin. It was known as a “kaleidoscope.” Comparing a novel with a slot machine show is perhaps a far-fetched parallel- ism, but the resemblance in this in- stance is too pronounced to be_ ignored, even though the subject matter of_the novel is based upon well known and duly recorded historic facts. Countless episodes enhance the effect of a series of short dramatic pieces. Drawn to- gether into a whole composition, they present a kaleidoscopic pageant of fan- tastic pictures superimposed upon a large gallery of famous and infamous men and women who were constantly hatching fruitless plots and counterplots behind the throne to prevent the accession of Victoria. * ok % K Christopher Harnish proves to be a hero whose adventures make those of the time-honored and enterprising vaga- bonds of history and fiction fade into insignificance. He is presented as the son of the Princess Amelia and her nephew, the unacknowledged son of George III. The dramatic events which crowd his life begin before he is old enough to know that there is a world beyond that with which he has visual acquaintance. As a small child he is made the tool of a plot to kill the healthy girl infant who was destined to become Queen Victoria. Acquiring a decided dis- taste for his home, he runs away and falls into the hands of a disreputable rascal who scours the poorhouses, hovels and brothels for children to sell into slavery in the big cities. While with this miserable group of child prisoners he falls in love with one of the little girls. Later a murder is committed and only by the narrowest of margins does he and several of his waif companions escape being hanged. He finds favor with a little American girl living in London who helps him to evade his pursuers and lends a guiding hand in his development toward manhood. Christopher grows up and goes to Germany to serve as a cadet in the Household Guards of the Grand Duchess of Hesse-Niepperg. He becomes involved in another tragedv and through that experience learns the identity of his father. He learns also that William IV, the new King, is his uncle and that the famous singer who is the favorite of the Duke of Brunswick is none other than the little waif to whom he had given his childhood love. Learning also that the Duke of Cumberland has or- ganized a plot to seize Victoria and make himself ruler of England, Christopher decides to lose his own identity and to organize a counterplot to uncover the whole unsavory mess and to save Vic- toria. His new plans make it necessary for Christopher to travel extensively. He sails for America and gathers scores of adventures before he returns to England to try to frustrate a new plot, hatched by his disreputable relatives, to bring about a revolution and place Cumberland on the throne. He journeys to France, to Malta, to Egypt, to Mexico and to Wales, constantly scheming to defeat his own enemies and those of Victoria and regu- larly being rescued from tragic conse- quences by the faithful Lord Setoun, whose timely interest in carriages driven by coal affords the staging of a sensa- tional escape from a bad situation in Wales. It would seem that so much activity would leave Christopher little time for social life, love-making or the enjoyment of peaceful pastimes. But somehow he manages to accomplish all things, including a gratification of the urge to “put on paper the thoughts that filled his mind.” * x ok % In recounting the spectacular adven- tures of his hero, the author makes him an intimate part of each group with which he becomes associated. The cus- toms, manners and dialects of the vari- ous locations work into a colorful design which, woven between the episodes, serves to hold them together in a fairly good pattern. The story is. of course, a romantic novel, based primarily upon the historical events of a glamorous era in the develop- ment of a great empire. Such a story is always entertaining, even though it may not throw new light upon the familiar scene. Lack of entertainment is assuredly not a fault that can be lodged against Mr. Wilkins, who is a newcomer in. the field of fiction. Rather is it a surplus of entertainment that overburdens its more than six hundred pages and detracts considerably from its main theme. ——e—s A Linquistic Acrobat. From the Worcester Gazette. Mayor La Guardia of New York speaks several languages fluently. For a time, in fact, it looked as though he could talk Democratic to a Democrat and Repub- lican to a Republican. - The Real Need. Prom the Indianapolis Star. The United States has asked Japan to localize the war, but what it needs is a local anesthetic. e Education in Greece. Prom the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. Government decree has abolished co- education in schools of Greece. Like enough the girls have been winning all the spelling matches again. ——oe— Some Surplus. Prom the Omaha World-Herald. Nebraska's cherry crop is so good that there will be plenty left over after the robins have had their fill. Everybody Satisfied. From the Birmingham Age-Herald. Inland Steel signs with union and both claim victory. That's the kind of contract we'd like to see everybody make. 5 ) Broadening and Flattening. From the Salem (Mass.) News. All this traveling that people are do- ing is said to be broadening. Also it is quite flattening to the purses. ¢ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4 1937 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. One of the most curious forms of gar- den life is the red aphis, cousin to the brown and black plant lice. The red form of this tiny insect ap- pears in greatest numbers on an old favorite of amateur gardeners. The Golden Glow, sure-fire flower for average gardens, with its sprawly habit and fine heads of yellow flowers, most always suffers from this interesting pest. If an arm is brushed against a branch, it will appear as if covered with blood. This “blood” is simply the red aphid, or aphis, in great numbers. Spraying with dilute nicotine solution, preferably in soap suds, is the remedy, if the gardener desires a remedy. The Golden Glow is so tough that nothing at all need be done about the “lice,” as they are called popularly. This is one plant that seems to thrive on them. * ok ox X Some of the smaller birds like these plant lice, and may be seen feeding upon them, but it is questionable how much of a control they are for them. Those forms which get on the roots of plants, such as the China aster, as it was called once, seem to do the most damage. Tough membraned shrubs, such as various climbing roses (yes, a rose is a shrub), can be covered with plant lice and yet not seem to suffer much. The insects have a limited life. They tend to die out in time without any great harm coming to a plant. Nothing can be said against proper spraying for this pest, but at times it is inconvenient and must be passed up. Rest assured that the chances are that afflicted plants will not suffer much. Nature fortunately has a way of taking care of such things. Many insect attacks are nothing more than a natural pruning. Even when entire plants are killed, there may be more specimens than are needed. There can be little doubt that the cicadas last year destroyed some trees. Owners naturally were very much upset. Viewed a year later, the loss seems very little. * o ok X It is easier gardening, and most often much pleasanter, if the worker refuses to worry about his garden. Garden worry is a department of mod- erh life all in itself. A family buys a home and garden, and starts out valiantly. Before long the “black spot” on the roses assumes a tragic role in their own lives as well as in the life cycle of the plant. Those family members who do not actually work in the garden often tend to find fault with those who do, so that what ought to be pure joy for all turns out just another phase of American bickering. * o ox o There are certain established rites in the garden which no doubt ought to be observed, but, if they are not, the chances are very large that Nature will | take care of matters This is a good thing to keep in mind. If the garden is built up of the fine WASHINGTON “When do we adjourn?” That is the question now uppermost in the minds of most of the members of Congress, and also a question which is being asked frequently by the country at large. In this connection there is one incontro- vertible fact which has widespread rec- ognition, and that is that Congress after the strenuous days which lie behind it. is not in a mood at present to do its best work, to give calm, deliberative con- sideration to the problems now receiving its attention. In the minds of many officials and political observers here this raises the further question as to whether all of the legislation which Congress is attempting to pass during these humid, closing days will stand the acid test of constitutionality. If it does not, they point out, it 1s wasting its time. Further- more the people who are most interested in seeing such legislation placed on the statute books will be sadly disappointed if they discover later that it does not hold. and if they see some of it over- thrown by Supreme Court decisions. Under these circumstances, these polit- ical observers contend, Congress today may be proceeding on the theory, to paraphrase Tennyson, that 'Tis better to have passed and lost Than never to have passed at all. * ko K Despite marvelous progress in the art of flying, continuing tragedies of the air, as evidenced by the loss of the Pan- American airliner Santa Maria yester- day when near its destination at Cris- tobal, Panama, and by the recent swal- lowing up by the mist-covered depths of the vast Pacific of the intrepid Amelia Earhart, cause aviation officials here to recognize the needs of throwing every possible precaution about this profes- sion. In this connection they directed attention to the recent action of the Departmen of Commerce in postponing the granting of a license to James G. (“Jimmy”) Mattern for his proposed flight across the North Pole from San Diego to Moscow. After careful investi- gation and consideration of all factors in the situation, they advised postpone- ment of this hazardous undertaking until they could be assured that everything possible had been done in the way of ad- vance preparation to make reasonably sure of success. This applied both to equipment and to experience of the per- sonnel with conditions surrounding Arctic flying. For this reason, with the ready consent of Mattern and his advisers, it was decided that the flight which had been scheduled for this month should be delayed until next Spring, giving op- portunity in the meantime for perfect- ing equipment and for further study of the climatic and meteorological factors involved in the attempt. * ok % X James Roosevelt, son of the President and one of his secretaries, will assume a new role when he takes the platform as “keynoter” at the annual convention of the Young Democratic Clubs of America in Indianapolis August 20. The young Roosevelt is a skilled and forceful public speaker and has addressed many gatherings, political and otherwise, but the address he will make at Indianapolis will be the most important probably he has made so far in his career. His chief competitor for oratorical honors at the convention may be another member of his own family, also a public speaker of note, his mother. Postmaster General Farley also is scheduled to address the 15,000 Young Democrats who are ex- pected to attend the meeting. * ok % x Few of the hosts of people who have met the affable but serious-minded Josephus Daniels, now Ambassador of the United States to Mexico, probably have ever thought of him as an ardent base ball “fan,” and yet he reveals him- self as such in an article in the current issue of the American Foreign Service Journal. In writing at the age of 75 of some of the practices or rules of con- duct by which his life has been gov- erned, he says: “As a boy I was pas- sionately fond of base ball and almost slept with & ball and bat. I can prove by [ old standard things, and Nature is al- lowed to manage them, an amazingly good garden may be had without much how-dee-do on the part of humanity. These persons who, in recent years, have written books to tell perspiring gar- deners how to do all the essential work in a “week end,” or even less, no doubt have been foo\ng us; all th that Nature will do the work if we will let her do it. * ok ok K The old rhyme, “Let them alone, and they’ll come home, wagging their tails behind them,” applies to the flowers of the garden, too. For “home” let us substitute “bloom,” and for “tails,” the fine word “flowers.” The necessary thing is that we not worry the plants with too much atten- tion, or so prune, fertilize and cultivate that they get soft. ~ There is such a thing as softness, among plants, and it is caused by too much work on the part of some gardener who has read too many books. Garden books are fine, in most in- stances, but too great.a dose of them, in any one season, may set up a serious disease in the mind of the gardener. He comes to believe, alas, that his plants can't get along without him and his newly found knowledge! * ok % % The worst old weed in the corner lot has been growing along for thousands of years without any humgp help. It is trampled down, burnt over, fer- tilized by Nature, and watered by her rains, so that it comes up year after year at the old stand, without benefit of gentleman or lady gardener. If a seed of it blows across the com- munity, and lands in a cultivated corner, it grows up just the same. Sometimes the owner has enough sense to let it alone, and pretty soon he is the pos- sessor of something fine. Most of our cultivated plants are just such “escapes” as these. While the pres- ent strains are products of high cultiva- tion, they must have in their blood the desire to go a-gypsying. They can get along very well without us if we give them the opportunity. Let us say again that nothing ought to be said against proper care, including spraying, mulching and the like. These are good, but when they are overdone, as they sometimes are, they are not so good and the plants will suffer. They will suffer a too tidy appearance, if not in any other way. The immacu- lately pruned and scrubbed garden is not exactly the slice of Nature which it ought to be. It has acquired a new face, as it were, and scarce would know itself in Nature's mirror. The best way to garden the small place is for the fun of it, and this applies to the plants as well as to the owners thereof. No one can tell us that plants would not rather be let alone and per- mitted to grow as they want than to be perpetually pawed over and brushed to an inch of their liv The latter may be art, but it isn't ture. and if a garden isn't Nature, what is it? OBSERVATIONS Connie Mack that I still love Later as a youthful country publisher, how- ever, he found plenty of exercise. he says, “in reporting activity, in soliciting subscriptions and advertisements and in collecting for the same.” He does not report which of these gave him the most exercise, but at any rate he says they did rot give him time for the games which he enjoyed. * ok ok ok Appointment of Frederick Larkin, a man of many vears' experience in the architectural and construction field, as chief of the foreign buildings office of the Department of State, calls attention to the growing needs of the Government in that branch of the service. With a large number of its embassies and lega- tions abroad now owned by the Govern- ment and with others in course of con- struction or planned. it was recognized that expert knowledge was required to handle the problems arising constantly in connection therewith. In addition there are numerous other buildings oc- cupied by American diplomatic and Consular officers which require more or less attention. To assist mainly in ad- vising on the interior equipment and furnishing of these structures, Secretary Hull has appointed Mrs. Irene de Bruyn Robbins, widow of Warren Delano Robbins, United States Minister to Canada at the time of his death. as an assistant chief in the foreign buildings office. Mrs. Robbins will bring to this new assignment not only the tasteful, discriminating eye of a woman but also a technical and professional knowledge which she has gained through experi- ence in this field. * oK ok ¥ Research n thé archives of the State Department reveal that the first “stu- dent interpreter” the United States ever sent abroad was William Brown Hodgson, a native of Washington. whose “wealthy and respectable family” came to this city from Fredericksburg, Va. It was more than 100 years ago, in 1826, to be exact, that young Hodgson was ap- pointed this Government's first language studert and sent to the consulate gen- eral a. Algiers to study the Arabic and Turkish languages. Shortly before he had been offered a position as private secretary to Mr. Ninian Edwards, who had been appointed Minister to Mexico, but John Quincy Adams, then Secretary of State, expressed the opinion that “there is no use whatever for a private secretary.” The position of student in- terpreter no longer exists under that name, but foreign service officers are appointed from the unclassified ‘grade and assigned to certain countries for the purpose of studying and perfecting themselves in prescribed foreign lan- guages. * K k% Enthusiastic stamp collectors who con- tribute many a shekel to the revenues of the Post Office Department gave a recent manifestation of their eagerness to se- cure prized additions to their collections. According to the department there were 31377 covers carried from San Fran- cisco’ to Hongkong and 12.488 to Macao on the first flight of the extended trans- Pacific airmail service to those Far East- ern points. The majority of these “first- flight covers” were assumed to have been for collection purposes. (Copyright, 1937.) ——e— Beards and Patriotism. Prom the Shreveport Journal. We read of one Italian who has taken an oath he will not shave until Musso- lini rules the world, but we have a distinct hunch his face will look more Russian than Italian before he goes to the barber shop. ——e— Writers and Readers. From the Grand Island Independent, With approximately 60 per cent of the human race writing for publication, it is somewhat discouraging to hear from & more or less authentic source that only 35 per cent of the human rage can read. A ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How many flights have been made nc;os.;,tha Pacific by the Clipper planes? A. Cn July 20, 1937, 126 fiights across the Pacific had been completed by the Clipper ships since they began carrying mail in November, 1935. A trip one way is considered one flight. Q. Where were the scenes in “Cap- tains Courageous” taken?—H. B. W. A. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Cor- poration sent cameramen to the Grand Banks after having bought ships and hired a crew of deep-sea fishermen, so that every action would be correct. For fifteen months the crew of cameramen filmed the changing moods of the sea. Shots were made at the Grand Banks and at Gloucester, Mass. Q. Does a hostess or a house guest suggest retiring for the night?—V. M. 8. A. It 1s correct for a hostess to indi- cate that it is time to retire. It is also correct for a guest to ask whether she may be excused. Q. How many automobiles are in use in the world?>—D. 8 A. The total number of automobiles registered in the world as of December 31, 1936, was 40,286,575. Q. What States have post offices named Roosevelt?>—W. H. S. A. Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Min- nesota, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Washington. Q. What is the largest type of locomo~ tive in the United States?—L. A. A. The largest locomotive fn service in the United States is the Yellowstone type of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Q. How is the term, widow of a veteran of the World War, interpreted by the Veterans’ Bureau?—J. D. H. A. It means a person married to the veteran prior to July 3, 1931, who has not remarried., Q. What is Glenn Frank, former presi- dent of the University of Wisconsin, doing?—E. J. A. Dr. Frank is now editor of Rural Progress, a monthly agricultural maga- zine. He is also writing a syndicated newspaper column. Q. How did the gardenia get its name? —M. S. A. Tt was named for Alexander Gar- den, an American naturalist and physi- cian of South Carolina, who lived from 1730 to 1791. Q. What is considered the most im- portant battle of the Civil War?—M. G. A. The battie of Gettysburg. Fought in July, 1863, it is considered the turning point of the war. Lincoln's famous “Gettysburg Address” was delivared in November of that year. Q. Who was Mabel Gillespie?—F. C. A. She was an American labor or- ganizer. She was born in 1867 and died in 1923. She attended Radcliffe, then devoted her life to social and labor prob- lems. She became a member of the Executive Committee, then vice presi- dent of the Massachusetts branch of the American Federation of Labor and helped to establish the Trade Union College in Boston. Q. What is meant by the Beatific Vision?—F. T. T. A. In Christian theology it is the state of bliss in which God is seen face to face. Q. Did O. Henry write any novels? —S. W. A. Only one- He was the master of the ve: story, simply told, and usually unexpected ending. Q. How many miles of navigable water- ways has Louisiana?—M. F. L. A. The State has 4,794 miles of navi- gable waterways. ’ Q. How many Jews are there in the Irish Free State?—J. N. M. A. There are about 3,700. Q. Please give some information about the Cloisters in New York City.—E. H. A. The Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was closed to the public on February 10, 1936, to permit the architectural elements of the Romanesque cloisters of St. Guilnem- le-Desert and St. Michel-de-Cuxa and other medieval monuments to be in- corporated in the permanent building which is being erected in Fort Tryon Park. The Cloisters collection of archi- tectural elements and sculpture was originally brought together by George Grey Barnard, the sculptor, and was acquired by the museum through the generosity of John D. Rockefeller, jr., in 1925. Mr. Rockefeller has provided the site and funds for constructing a building to house the present Cloisters collection and other notable accessions. It is hoped the new building will be in readiness by January 1, 1938. Q. Where in Tennessee is the famous rock garden?—E. H. A. At Chattanooga, Tenn., Garnett Carter, the originator of miniature golf, owns what is called the world's largest rock garden. Q. How much did Stradivari receive for his violins when he was living?— E M. A. The famous violin maker received from $50 to $75 for his violins and about twice as much for cellos. Q. When did Admiral Parry attempt to reach the North Pole?—A. D. A. Sir William E. Parry, the British admiral, first sought the Northwest Pass= age and later, in 1827, was authorized by the Admiralty to find the North Pole. Sailing by way of Spitzbergen he reached a farthest north position of 82.45 north latitude. Q. Who owns the railroads in Trinie dad?—J. E. C. A. They are all government owned. ‘Worms. From the Grand Rapids Press. ‘The world's disturbers operate on the theory that the worm probably won't turn and will still be & worm if he does. oo A Future Taxpayer. From the South Berd Tribune. The two-year-old child who can count to 100 is destined—alas!—to be just one more taxpayer. —— o Ideal Candidate. From the Yakima Republic. A two-headed calf over at Wenatchee bawls through both mouths, They should run him for something. A