Evening Star Newspaper, August 6, 1937, Page 8

A8 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Editien, FRIDAY = Zohs THEODORE W. NOYES_ The Evening Star Newspaper Company. 11th St ana Pennsylvania Ave. New Ynrk Office: 110 East 42nd 8t. ©Onicago Office: 435 North Michigan Ave. Rate by Carrier—City and Suburban. Regular Editlon. Bund 8t The Evening and By ath or 15c per week vening Star TmaiEre 45c per month or 10c per week The Bunday Star ... bc per copy Night Final E@ition, Night Final and Sunday Bt ~.70¢ per month Night Final Star__ —_bbc per month Collection made at the end of each month or each week. Orders may be sent by mail or tele- phone National 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Vireinia Daily and Sunday.. 1 yr. $10.0 Daily only L ] Sunday only All Other States and Canada, Daily and Sunday. 1 yr. $12.00; 1 mo., $1.00 Dails “only. Aly ; 25 mo.. 76¢ Su=day nniy_ mo., B0c Member of the Associated Press. The Assoctated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and al<o the local news published herein, All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are aiso reserved “The Better Boat.” When Challenger Sopwith ran with Endeavour I so close a race for the America’s Cup in 1934 that the match was decided in the sixth and deciding contest by a margin of only fifty-five seconds for Harold Vanderbilt's Rainbow there was general gratification on this side of the Atlantic, mixed with a sym- pathetic disappointment for the failure of so gallant an effort to “lift” the trophy of nautical supremacy. And when Sopwith challenged again for another race it was believed that he would im- prove upon his 1934 performance and would perhaps succeed where so many of his fellow countrymen have failed in the course of the past sixty-six years. That belief was negatived yesterday when Ranger, Vanderbilt's newly-built defender, ran away with the four-race match, scoring four wins in succession, taking the final race by a margin of three minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Even reckoning the time lost by the challenger in a penaity of more than a minute for crossing the line ahead of the signal, the last and deciding race belonged to the defender. Ranger had won in the fastest time on record for a triangular course. In a gallant spirit of acknowledge- ment Mr. Sopwith has offered no alibis for his failure. “Endeavour went as well as she ever has,” he said after the race; “you simply have the better boat.” Nor was there any failure on the part of skipper or cre Barring the misfortune of a premature crossing of the starting line yesterday, which proved not to af- fect the res there were no accidents. Sails held, masts and spars withstood the strain. There was no blocking of the course by unduly enterprising sight- seeing craft. The “better boat” won. Just why these successive victories of American yachtsmen over their British rivals have persisted during two-thirds of a century cannot be answered ex- plicitly. The rational reason seems to be that expressed by Mr. Sopwith yes- terday, the “better boat.” During the earlier phases of this international com- petition the British challengers were under the handicap of having to cross the sea by their own sailing power, without assistance. Therefore they had to be built for strength and safety as well as for speed. But that stipulation has now been waived and both of the Sopwith challengers have been brought over in tow, thereby gaining somewhat in racing qualities. The close match of 1934 seemed to indicate that possibly this new condition may have been & material factor in improving the chances of the challenger. But this year's contest ended in such a decisive victory for the defender that there would seem to have been no advantage in the towing concession. Despite this long series of unbroken failures to “lift the cup,” ending for the present in so sweeping a victory as that of Ranger over Endeavour II, it may be confidently expected that British yachtsmen will continue to challenge for the cup. Perhaps Mr. Sopwith, for whom the American people have an aflectionate regard, will carry on in the spirit of the late Sir Thomas Lipton. ————— It can hardly be said that a man is fulfilling a favorable destiny when, like the President of the U. 8. A, he 1s expected to face the caricaturists alone while the other members of the family 80 on pleasure trips. oo Public Opinion, Pascal, in his “Provincial Letters,” de- clares that: “Force and not opinion is the queen of the world.” But the ink is not yet dry when he adds: “It is opinion that uses the force.” Evidently the Port Royal philosopher comprehended the dynamic of an aroused and militant populace. He ¥ived in a day when the meekest of worms were beginning to turn. One hundred and fifty years later ‘Talleyrand was to inform the peers: “I know where there is more wisdom than 1s found in Napoleon, Voltaire or all the minisiers present and to come—namely, in public opinion.” But even now, in a society linked by education as never before since history began, an occasional skeptic challenges the existence, the reality. of a common mind and a common conviction. John L. Lewis, for instance, put into effect allegedly new methods of labor warfare; yet, as the current Review of Reviews- Literary Digest observes, he “remained an old-fashioned labor leader in his scorn for public opinion.” Like W. H. Vander- bilt, he declared: “The public be damned.” And that error was fatal. “As C.I. O. engineered one inconvenience to the pub- lic after another without so much as an expression of regret,” the Review-Digest continues, “the public soon concluded that there might be something in what employers and lawyers said about union invasion of rights. Men of small property began to think along with those of large i property, and unorganized workers to resent being separated from their jobs. As soon as the latter were offered police protection they went back to work. Thin ranks of the organized minority could not hold against the growing sentiment stir- red by C. I. O. attacks on law, custom and the services on which decent living happens to depend.” Perhaps it is not entirely true that “illegal procedures can no longer win snap victories while complaisant officials look the cther way,” but it will be a long time before the outraged and irritated millions forget that altogether too many of the twenty-three hundred strikes of the past seven months have been viola- tions of the commonweal, invasions of the public welfare. The masses may not think very deeply. All that is necessary is that they should feel profoundly enough. ——oe—s. They Keep the Peace. After several weeks of quiet negotia- tion, the railroads and their non-operat- ing employes—such as clerks and shop crafts—have reached a new wage agree- ment under which some 750,000 or 800,000 workers will profit by about $98,000,000 annually, This was a compromise. The employes, represented in fourteen unions, had asked for an increase of 20 cents an hour. They settled for five, which, it is esti- mated, is about 8'z to 8% per cent over the present scale. Undoubtedly, rail management made what it was felt was the best offer possi- ble, considering the financial status of the carriers as a whole. The unions, in turn, accepted these terms as being the most advantageous they could expect. Hailing the settlement, the National Mediation Board, which went in when employers and employes could not get together, said the matter “was disposed of in a reasonable, just and far-sighted manner.” . That is evident. Boon the railroads and the five train and yard brotherhoods will start wage conferences. Here the workers, about 250.000 in number, are asking a 20 per cent increase. Undoubtedly, an amicable agreement on a give-and-take basis will eventuate, and the vast rail network will continue to operate uninterruptedly, just as it has for more than a decade. Here is a demonstration of wise leader- ship on both sides that might well be taken to heart by management and labor as a whole. Incidentally, it proves the worth of the machinery that first was set up by the Government in 1926, and then expanded in 1934, to end industrial war- fare on the railroads. The non-operat- ing unions had taken a vote that was overwhelmingly in favor of striking if the wage negotiations failed; the train brotherhoods have done likewise. But there was no fear of a walkout in the first case, and there is none in the second, for the simple reason that here is an indus- try voluntarily bound by legislation to a course that accepts strikes only as a last resort. Since 1926 there have been but four rail strikes over the whole of the United States. Only one of these assumed any proportions, this one occurring on the Louisiana and Arkansas Railroad, and resulting in three months of disorder that brought a known death toll of half a dozen. It took forty years and a succession of failures for the railroads to progress this far along the road of amicable labor re- lations. But it has been eminently worth while. —————————— Having had a fairly good time in Washington, D. C., Mr. Copeland thinks of resuming a career in New York City. He will, of course, leave his future to be determined by others. A wise physician may prescribe, but he cannot force others to take his medicine. — e L Postmaster General Farley has deliv- ered another radio address comparing business and politics. It is when the two show signs of being definitely related that the public begins to be scared. B Representation. One of the common mistakes which those unacquainted with history make is that of supposing that the idea of representative democracy is something relatively new in the world. The con- trary, as it happens, is true. Indeed, it is practically impossible to find any- where in human experience a perfect example of absolute tyranny. Theo- retically, instances of personal dictator- ship are many—the average individual probably imagines himself competent to name a long list of rulers who were re- sponsible to nobody but themselves. Alexander the Great, Julius and Au- gustus Caesar, Charlemagne, Jenghiz Khan, Mohammed, Willlam the Con- queror, Ivan the Terrible, Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, Louis XIV, James II, Frederick the Great, George III, Na- poleon, Wilhelm II, Lenin and Stalin, Mussolini and Hitler—all these are popu- larly believed to signify unlimited, un- hampered, uncontrolled autocracy. But these men actually have been dependent upon organized groups of fol- lowers with whom it was imperatively necessary to maintain cordial relations. None of them ever attained command- ing eminence alone, solely by isolated effort. Each was, in sober fact, lifted to power by contemporaries of lesser genius whe found advantage in the ele- vation. The moment the gain was threatened, the tie of mutual interest imperiled, a change of sentiment ensued. It was the defection of his friends that provided the opportunity for Caesar’s assassins; it was the failure of his allies that brought Napoleon to his ultimate Waterloo. Turning to the other side of the pic- ture, a thoughtful student easily enough discovers the elemental strength of the democratic ideal. Durability and strength in a government traces back *o the sup- port of active majorities. No state, certainly no republic, “can long endure” without the consent, the confidence and the co-operation of “all men * * * created equal” A certain natural psychological factor is mv?ufl: People resent being THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, “bossed” to their own hurt. Much wiser, much more effective is the policy of concession which grants a voice and a vote to everybody and so correlates to a central authority the good will of the masses. Henry W. Nevinson, in “The Growth of Freedom,” notes that “the African chiefs had their palavers, the Redskins their pow-wows, the Homeric kings their elders, the Indian rajahs their durbars, the early English kings their Witan or Witana-gemot—the coun- cil of experienced people.” The same writer cites the principle of Justinian— “Quod omnes tangit, ab omnibus appro- betur” (what concerns all, must be ap- proved by all)—as “the very basis of democracy.” It is to this philosophy, this anclent practice, this primary law of civilization, hallowed by centuries of gradual prog- ress, that the residents of the District of Columbia appeal when they petition Congress to accord them political and fiscal equity. They want representation because historically it is demonstrated to be necessary to social stability, justice and civic freedom. ———t That old New England territory still carries a thrill. Texas and Arizona have thrills of their own, but they lack the ancestral authority of people who actu- ally fought with George Washington and occasionally quarreled with him, —_— et = It is predicted by Mahatma Ghandi that influential nations will undertake another temperance movement which will at least keep poor liquor from getting into bad hands, B People continue to take snapshot pic- tures of eminent citizens, but at least refrain from showing them in model bathing suits ready for a plunge. ———————— When Mr. Garner comes to this city all the way from Texas there is usually & serious conference in prospect or else a good dinner, —————————— Radio has become a recognized means of advertising. and there is no way to prevent statesmanship from employing it as such, R Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Stepping Along. One foot up and one foot down; You got to keep steppin’ along. Sometime life is a mournful sound An’ the next time it's a song. One foot will slip in the mire, no doubt, But if you watch what you're about The other foot's ready to lift you out. You got to keep steppin’ along. Sometimes quick and sometimes slow, You got to keep steppin’ along. Can't see clear where you have to go, But youll get where you belong. The path with flowers may be gay, Or it may be rough through a rainy day. The sun won't shine and the band won't play— But you got to keep steppin’ along. Forgiveness. “You should -cultivate a forgiving nature.” “I do,” answered Senator Borghum. “I'm obliged to. I'm always -willing to forgive a man who didn't vote for me at a recent election if he will change his mind before the next one.” Accelerating Influence. “Is your boy Josh & help in running the farm?” “It depends on which way it’s run- ning,” replied Farmer Corntossel, “in debt or out of it.” Ungderstandings. Men often say 'tis sad they should Be frequently misunderstood— Such are the men of guarded phrase ‘Whose words go forth in devious ways. But he who seeks but to disclose What he believes or what he knows, And makes each word tell what it should, Will never be misunderstood. Jud Tunkins says by the time he has decided how many hours a day he ought to work it's s0 near quitting time there's no use starting. “You have invented many great and powerful machines,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown. “As individuals they amuse you. As a public you are not sure they may not in some manner combine and run away with you.” Peacemaking. You often turn in silence mute From hope to aid some brother— You try to settle one dispute And merely start another. “A man is entitled to his own opinion,” said Uncle Eben. “De objection comes when he refuses to enjoy it without forcin' it on somebody else.” e Hitch-Hiking. Prom the South Bend Tribune. So far this year the anti-hitch-hiker campaign has been extended so that laws against “thumbing rides” are on the books in almost one-third of the States. In a greater number of States, twenty- four at this writing, the Legislatures have deprived hitch-hikers of the legal right to sue for damages if the samari- tans who pick them up drive them into accidents. Most of the non-suit statutes validate compensatory actions only on proof that the hitch-hikers’ injuries were brought about by willful misconduct by the drivers or intent to inflict injury. This legislative attention to the “thumbing” practice grows out of the fact that it has become a nuisance. In some instances it has generated crime. In others it has proved a financial burden for kindly drivers, as some courts have returned verdicts in favor of hitch-hik- ers injured in accidents. Despite the known hazards some drivers remain “soft” where hitch-hikers are concerned. Their manifestations of sympathy tend to nullify the local ordinances and State laws against hitch-hiking. With “human nature” operating in that manner, there is skepticism about success of the laws. Much depends on the law enforcement system. Rigid enforcement has not de- veloped in any State, judging by the lcmlq of news about a¥rests of viola e BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. The row over President Roosevelt'’s Su- preme Court program still smoulders. The President is reported to be bitter and resentful, although outwardly show- ing no signs of such sentiments. Demo- crats in the Senate who voted against the court bill and worked against it prior to the vote are taking the “peace” talks of Postmaster General James A. Farley, chairman of the Democratic Na- tional Committee, with more than a grain of salt. The announcement of Senator Van Nuys of Indiana, a court bill foe, that he will seek renomination next year despite the statement made a few weeks ago by Governor Townsend, brought from Senator Wheeler of Montana a warning that if any reprisal is attempted by the administration against Van Nuys, he, Wheeler, will campaign for Van Nuys, even if he runs as an independent candidate for the Senate. Furthermore Wheeler declared that if the adminis- tration seeks to kill off other Democratic Senators who voted against the Presi- dent’s court program the anti-court pro- gram Democrats will seek to eliminate Democratic Senators who supported the court bill. That would be a pretty kettle of fish. Nevertheless, a strong feeling continues that the President and his backers will not only be glad to see his opponents defeated, but that they will do what they can to bring this about. * ok ok ok The Democrats of the Senate are staging a get-together party next Tues- day night in honor of Senator Barkley of Kentucky, their newly elected leader. They are not going to Jefferson Island, where the President and the late Sen- ator “Joe” Robinson of Arkansas put on a mammoth party for all Democratic members of the Senate and of the House. They are sticking closer to home and will give a dinner for Barkley in the Raleigh Hotel. Senator Pat Harrison of Mis- sissippi, who was defeated by one vote for leader, is slated to be a guest of honor. President Roosevelt has been invited and will either attend or send a letter to be read. So the effort for party harmony goes on. * ok ok % President Roosevelt has handed the Democrats from the South and West who opposed his court bill a jolt. He has declared that there will be no more crop loans until a farm bill has been passed for the control of crops. Since many of these Democratic Senators not only voted against his court bill, but also had declared that this was no time to pass a new farm bill, the President’s present declaration has given them something new to think about. They have argued that it was unwise to jam a half-baked farm bill through this Summer, that more time should be given for study, and that the measure should be taken up in the Fall. Some of them are beginning to feel that turning the purse over to the President is a great mistake; that Congress should say when and where money is to be expended or loaned. If Congress adjourns without passing & new farm bill, and if the President goes through with his threat not to permit any further crop loans before such legislation is enacted, who will get the blame, the Congress or the President? It is not a situation that either can look upon with entire equa- nimity. Should the President put his foot down on crop loans—while he was still in a position to make them—after the adjournment of Congress, he might have a lot of explaining to do. * o ox x The adjournment situation, so far as Congress is concerned, seems to be more and more complicated, despite the de- sire of many members of both houses to get away. The fight over the wages and hours bill holds possibilities of delay. The House apparently is intent upon passing a substitute, in large part, for the Senate bill. The House Labor Com- mittee has agreed to a number of amend- ments offered by William Green, presi- dent of the American Federation of Labor. One of them would, in effect, maintain the differentials between the North and the South in the matter of wages and working conditions. This may be entirely pleasant for Southern members. It will not sit so well with those from the North, particularly the New England States. Some of the Sen- ators from New England who voted against recommitting the wages and hours bill last week have a lingering regret. * % Kk ¥ Chairman Farley 'of the Democratic National Committee is prophesying again. This time it is in connection with the Republican presidential nomination of 1940. Farley picks Senator Arthur H. Vandenburg of Michigan for the part. It may be a good bet, for Vandenberg, had he permitted himself to be a can- didate last year, might have won the nomination. He kept himself, however, not only clear of the presidefitial nomi- nation, but also avoided the nomination for Vice President. His refusal to go on the ticket as a running mate for former Governor Landon of Kansas caused some bitterness among Repub- licans at that time. It is possible that some of the Landon people—and others —will remember this against him in 1940, if Vandenberg is a candidate. ‘Vandenberg, however, has stood out in Congress as the Republican with ability to suggest constructive measures as well as to stick pins in the administration. He may have a great many supporters for the presidential nomination three years hence, unless he does not choose to run. A great deal will depend upon what happens in the next couple of years. * ok ok ¥ Mr. Farley, willing enough to pick a Republican candiate, is silent upon the probable choice of the Democrats for the nomination. That's a horse of a different color. There is still Mr. Roose- velt as a third term possibility. If the President insists he will not run, the fleld may be wide open for the Demo- cratic aspirants or the President may so dominate the situation as to be able to pick the candidate of the Democratic party. A former President Roosevelt did that very thing in 1808, when he brought about the nomination of the late President and Chief’ Justice William Howard Taft. * K X % It was-Vandenberg who recently stirred up a rumpus when he introduced a resolution declaring that President Roosevelt should not make a recess ap- pointment to the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Justice Van Devanter. Some of the Democrats, even some of those who fought the President on his court bill, attacked Vandenberg, insisting that he was playing politics. Senator Connally of Texas, who went against the Presi- dent in the court bill fight, took occa- sion to defend the President and to suggest, sarcastically, that Vandenberg could handle Supreme Court vacancies as he thought best when he became President. * %k ok % ‘The one thing that might line the Democrats up solidly would be an ate tack by the Republican minority, The AUGUST 6, 1937. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Nothing new under the sun? Why, of course, there is! No more absurd old saying ever was perpetrated, although every one knows how it was meant, of course. There is always something new crop- ving vy, really. One may have to wait for twenty years for it, but if patience is exercised, and the mind kept open, it will eventuate, Consider that old family phonograph, of the acoustical type, really the most wonderful of all, just as the crystal radio set was, in some respects, the most amazing. The old phonograph was purchased twenty years ago, in the days when there were no radio recefving sets. ‘When radio, as the world now knows it, came into the popular ken, it con- signed many a faithful disc machine to basement or attic. The instrument in question went into the basement. It had contributed many thousands of hours of genuine enter- tainment to its owners, Now “something new,’ called a radio, has come along, and the old went into the discard. Many persons, in those days, gave away the family phonograph, or sold it for "a song,” as the saying was. ‘Who would want a phonograph again? It was such a simple affair, in com- parison with the new electrical marvel. Many of the records were slightly “sour,” or off key, to the sensitive ear. There was always that bother of jumping up and down to put on new records, and needles to fool with. You didn’t even have to move, with a radio —wasn’'t that the aim of all good Amer- icans, nevef to move at all? ok ok K The making of records, as the discs were called, popularly, never quite went out. New electrical methods of re- cording were being invented, these in turn were being perfected. While the huge purchases of records by the people went down and down, the sales never let up entirely; the accent by the makers was put on the classical, and upon sets of records, such as of operas, and symphonies, sold in albums. Time brings all things, it is said; in time the great mass of the people began to see that they had given up a good thing, when they let loose of their phonographs too quickly and easily. One of the greatest comebacks in art | and industry was beginning, but it took several vears for it to get going. In time, however, people began to go back to recorded music. A whole new library had been built up; there were amazingly perfect new ‘“phonographs,” electrically operated with tubes and speakers. About the only thimgs that seemed unchanged, in appearance, were the discs and the needles. circles, usually of black material, were new, too; one had but to put one of them on a machine to understand—hear —that the bass was there at last. Voices and solo instruments seemed to be float- ing on a great sea of beautiful sound. It was there in the record, now; it had nkver been there before. These new records, on the old acous- tical machines (rescued from attic and basement) gave very good performances, but the old machines could not bring out that wonderful accompaniment that was in the records. Still, the old “boxes” gave very good accounts of themselves; the music they put out was excellent, as of old, with more of the accompani- ment “showing” than in the old days. * % % % But the !} chine from the basement. It ran splen- didly without a hitch, with never a groan, with the same excellent performance it gave in the days when it had been the “very latest thing.” ‘The new records, with wooden needles, sounded very gocd, but not particularly better than the best of the older records. At the time the radios began to function as musical instruments, beginning with 1923, the record makers had achieved some very fine work. By 1626 and there- abouts the records made were excep- tionally fine. Many of them, although made according to the old acoustical methods, had a roundness of tone which is amazing, even today. Members of this family often had said, in the old days, that one of the real defects of recorded music was that, once made, a record infallibly gave what was in it, and nothing more. Surprise was gone. The same notes, the same gasps for breath—in the case of the fat con- tralto—the same tone, timbre, nuances, etc. After a listener had heard a given record several score, several hundred, times, he might not ever want to hear it again. * If he did hear it, he found himself listening for the same false notes, which sometimes occurred, the very same fail- ures, as well as successes in the indi- vidual recording. “What a wonderful experience it would be,” said one, “if some time when we put a record on ft, it suddenly did some- thing new!” ok ok Twenty years after that statement was made, the dreamed of “something new” really came true. Twenty years went by, a long time, by any measurement Then the “something new under the sun” began, and functioned twice, and never again. Here was the way it came about: It wasn't the machine, it wasn't the record, but the wooden needle which, for two complete playings, gave a taste of something new. And after those unusual playings, the needle went back to its status. No needle before ever had done what it did, and probably no needle ever again will do it. Certainly in twenty years none had ever done it before. ‘What it did was to play the first two words of each line in the verse twice, the first time softlv, but very distinctly, just as if some one were prompting the singer, and then loudly and normally, the singer herself, a little French cabaret singer, in one of the excellent foreign pressings. When the listeners first heard this, they scarce could believe their ears. Let us sav the first line went, “My mother told me.” The way it came off the disc was “My mother,” as if whispered, then “My mother told me,” etc. The strange fea- ture was that the extra syllables did not | in any way interfere with the “time” of the composition, or seem hurried in any way; the record took just exactly as long to play as ever, but no more nor less. Explanation? The point of the wood needle was slightly frayed:; perhaps one tiny in- visible point tracked the side of the groove a split second before the main point; but why did it give only two words—and why wasn't the playing con- fused? It was really “something new” under the sun, and probably never will be heard again, as it never had been heard One family rescued an old-type ma-. before. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS One of the most important factors which Congress must take into consid- eration in all of its actions during the closing days of the session is the fact that election year is drawing on apace and that, willy-nilly, considerable political ef- fect will be exerted as a result of con- gressional doings between now and the close of the present session. Whether it be a fact or not that the power of this effect increases in direct ratio to the proximity of elections, it is admitted by most of the politically-minded members of Congress that they feel that way about it. Aside from this psychological ele- ment in the situation, however, the mem- bers recognize that the remaining legis- lation which they hope to complete be- fore they adjourn is of great and vital importance, both to the communities and States of which they are a part and to the Nation at large; and that they and their fellows will will be judged at the polls next year to a considerable extent on the outcome of what they do now. On that account, while a majority of them are anxious to leave Washington as soon as possible, many of them being willing to come back for a special session late in the Fall, they are keenly desirous before they leave of making a showing which will be pleasing to their constituents. * ok % X% One of the most active committees in Congress during the session now draw- ing to a close is the Senate Foreign Re- lations Cominittee. The House Foreign Affairs Committee also has been busy and has transacted a large amount of business, chief of which was considera- tion of the new neutrality legislation. But the Senate committee in addition to the neutrality legislation and other matters in which it acted jointly with the House committee, also had on its calendar a number of treaties on which Senate action alone was required. In- cluded in the last-named category were eight of the treaties, conventions and protocol adopted at the Pan-American Peace Conference at Buenos Aires last December, which was opened by Presi- dent Roosevelt who made the trip to South America for the purpose of de- Vandenberg resolution was a case in point. A number of Democratic Sen- ators believe that the President should fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court while the Senate is still in session—par- ticularly as the vacancy has existed now for more than two months. But they would not say it, except in a few in- stances. Senator Burke of Nebraska is one of the outspoken antagonists of the President—on this court issue. He de- clared that if the President made a recess appointment, he would vote against con- firmation when the Senate reassembles. * ok Xk X ‘The New York mayoralty fight changes from day to day. Unless there is a fur- ther shift, Senator Copeland will fight it out in the Democratic primaries with former Supreme Court Justice Jeremiah T. Manoney for the party nomination. Copeland is an anti-New Deal, anti- administration Democrat. If he wins the nomination in Greater New York, his victory will be hailed as significant. That he can do so is a matter of doubt, even though he has the backing of Tammany. The organizations in the other bor- oughs are, generally speaking, opposing him. However, Copeland has shown him- self a great vote getter in the past. Mayor Le Guardis, in the meantime, must be enjoying the row between his potential opponents. ’ livering the address with which the Con- gress was inaugurated. * % % ¥ Pride of “the old home State” swelled up in the bosoms of several members of the Senate during the debate on the Wagner housing bill and caused them to come to the defense of the section they represent. One of these was Senator Swellenbach of Washington, who objected to the “slum” suggestion in the bill and who said: “I take pride in the fact that the State which I in part represent has no slums, and probably we shall not re- ceive any money as a result of the en- actment of this legislation.” A little later during the debate when Senator Burke of Nebraska said he did not know they were dealing in the proposed bill not only with the “slums of New York and Chicago, but with those that I saw in Seattle when I was there several years 2go.” Senator Swellenbach called on Senator Reynolds of North Carolina to come to his defense and describe what he saw when he was in Seattle. The North Carolina Senator willingly admitted that he had never seen a more beautiful spot on earth, “except my home town, Ashe- ville, North Carolina.” * ok oK K “Hello, London! This is Washington calling!” Trans-Atlantic telephone calls are being made with increasing frequency, as shown by the latest reports to the Fed- eral Communications Commission. More than 100 such calls on an average per day have been made so far this year. As persons become more and more conscious of the advantages and opportunities of- fered by this service, the officials say, they are using it to an increasing degree. It is the belief of these officials that the greater percentage of this increase was in calls made for the transaction of busi- ness. Many personal and social calls also are being made, however, by persons de- sirous of hearing the voices of members of their family or of friends traveling abroad. There has been an increase of nearly 50 per cent so far this year over the corresponding period last year in the number of trans-Atlantic telephonic com- munications. * X ¥ X Unusual interest is being manifested by visitors to the International Exposition in Paris, according to advices received here, in the exhibit of the Department of State and particularly in the central fea- ture of this exhibit. This is a diorama designed to illustrate the effectiveness of the present program of trade agreements on which this country has embarked in reducing the excessive barriers that im- pede its commerce with other countries. The diorama consists of two scenes. The first shows a typical American community obviously in the grip of depression. The community is shut off from the rest of the world by a high wall, symbolic of tariff barriers at home and abroad. The light goes out and a second scene comes into view. In this an opening has been made in the wall, permitting a flow of goods in both directions and the whole tempo of the community changes for the better as a result of the mutally profitable exchange of goods with other nations. B Lieut. Roger Brard, a young French naval construction engineer, now in ‘Washington, believes firmly in the old motto, “Try, try again!” He has seen it come true. He was the designer of the screw propellers for the popular French liner, the Normandie. There was some vibration of the vessel on its first trip and some changes were made in the pro- pellers. lc?lt.hq did not give complete 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. Are peopie considered vain who have their features changed by plastic surgery?—B, C. A. When features are not normal, it cannot be considered vain to desire to look one's best, and to present to the world an attractive appearance rather than a repulsive one. Q. Does the air contain salt?—D. J. A. Substantial quantities of salt are suspended in the air, especially near sea coasts. Often salt air gathers so thickly that it produces a fog known to me- teorologists as salt haze. Q. When was the eight-hour work day introduced?—L. A. A. In 1867 Illinois and Connecticut made eight hours a legal dayv unless otherwise agreed. Progress was slow, and it was 1912 when it was generally accepted without pressure Railroads came to the eight-hour day in 1916, Q. How many military airplanes are there in Japan?—S. L. A. The first ef this year the number was estimated at 2,000. Q. Ts there any preventive for chigger bites?—H. 8. A. A good preventive is said to be flowers of sulphur, which may be bought at any drug store, and sprinkled inside the clothing. Other precautions are the wearing of leggings, or a light applica- tion of kerosene to the outer clothing. Q. When was William Jennings Bryan employed as a reporter on the Omaha World Herald —C. D. A. Mr. Bryan was never a reporter on this paper. At the conclusion of his two terms in the House of Represent- atives, 1891-1891, he was employed by the late Senator Gilbert M. Hitchcock, then owner of the World Herald, to act as editor of the paper at a salary of $150 per month. Bryan continued in this capacity until he received the nomina- tion for the presidency at the Demo- cratic convention in Chicago {n 1896. During his employment as editor of the Omaha paper Brvan did not remove iz residence from Lincoln and was seldom seen in the office. Q. What is scutage?—J. H. A. Scutage or shield money was a tax first levied by Henry II in 1159. The owner of every knight's shield or scutum was obliged to pay a sum of monev known as scutage or escuage in lieu of personal service, Q. When did George Arliss first play in America?—M. R A. The actor made his first America in 1901 with Mrs. Campbell's company. tour of Patrick Q. What vitamins are there in soye beans?>—C. C. J. A. They contain vitamin G and & small amount of vitamin A. Q. Where is Watlings Island?—E. H. A. San Salvador of the Bahama group, West Indies, is known also as Watlings Island. Q. What is eyanide of potassium wused for>—R. 8. A. Tt is used for killing insects. It is exceedingly poisonous and must be handled under rules laid down for the handling of dangerous chemicals. Q. What is the word used when, al- though you are doing something for the first time, you have an odd feeling that you have done the exact thing before? —A. K. A. The word is paramnesia. It is a common experience, and, brieflv ex- plained, the reaction depends upon a little trick of the mind manifested by a momentary loss of a sense of time and space. The individual enters into an experience or a situation, obtains & fleeting impression of this situation, then the attention is momentarily attracted to something else. The period of time may be almost infinitesimal. Then upon the return of the attention to the original situation this lapse of time 1s lost to the individual and the period between the two experiences seems occa- sionally to expand into a long period, even into the remote past. Q. What are the most essential tools used in repairing automobiles?—J. 8. A. It has been found that the follow- ing tools are most essential, and are adequate for most jobs: Four open-end wrenches, Nos. 34, 25, 29, 734; one monkey wrench, one main-bearing wrench, one connecting-rod wrench, one screwdriver, one pair pliers, one valve cap wrench. Q. Who executed the panel of sculp- tured glass over the main entrance of the International Building, Rockefeller Center, New York?—A. H. A. The 16-foot panel, symbolizing “The Vision and Leadership of Youth,” is the work of Attilio Piceirilli. Q. What is the situation in regard to the Will Rogers memorial fund or foun- dation to which so many of us sub- scribed a short time after his death? —F. H. A. The Will Rogers Memorial is a lovely home for ill persons of the theater and also has facilities for caring for persons of the stage who have passed the period in life where there is an opening for them. The home is located near Saranac Lake, N. Y, and is a beautiful building in a gorgeous natural setting. 8hots of the building and grounds were shown recently in a news- reel. Q. What is meant by the gentlest art? —E. J. A. The term refers to letter writing. _— satisfaction and they were changed a third time. This time it was with suc- cess and Lieut. Brard himself was a passenger on the ship when she made her record-breaking crossing of the Atlantic last week. * ok ok ok Michael J. McDermott, popular chief of the division of current information of the State Department, has shown that he knows much about art as well as in- ternational affairs and diplomatic doings. Having recently secured some new fur- nishings for the press room at the State Department, “Mac,” as he is known by the hosts of newspapermen and others at home and abroad who know him, de- cided that some further decoration was needed to complete the picture. So through the art project section of the Treasury Department he obtained a num- ber of fine paintings which now hang on the walls of the press room. They depict a wide variety of subjects, including a view of old Trinity from Wall Street; an “old salt” standing by a pier head on a dock looking thoughtfully out to sea, and & scene of the Charleston earthquake, (Coprright, 1037.) 4