Evening Star Newspaper, October 16, 1937, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR ‘With 8 y Morning Edition THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor* WASHINGTON, D. C. October 16, 1937 The Evening Star Newspaper Company Main Office: 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd St. Chicago Office: 435 North Michigan Ave. Delivered by Carrier—City and Suburban Regular Edition Evening and Sunday, 65¢ per mo. or 15¢ per week The Evening Star.. 45¢ per mo. or 10¢ per week The Sunday Star._. ¢ per copy Night Final Edition Night Final and Sunday Sta: Oc per month Night Final Star 8¢ 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 Virginia Daily and Sunday_. 1 yr., $10.00; 1 mo.. 85¢ Daily ouly _ 1y, $6.00: 1 mo. 50c Sunday only 1 yr., $4.00; 1 mo. €0c All Other States and Canada Daily and Sunday- 1 yr, § Daily only.__. he local news published nerein. blication of special dispatches erein also are reserved. What Next? Chairman James A. Farley of the Democratic National Committee pre- dicts that if President Roosevelt runs for a third term he will carry all forty-eight States of the Union. Whether the President will be a candidate for a third term, however, Mr. Farley says “only the President” can say. It might occur to Mr. Farley that the Democratic party, in convention assembled in 1940, might have a word to say about that matter. The chairman of the Democratic Na- tional Committee appears to have fallen in with the idea that Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the Democratic party today. Perhaps he is right. It is clear that Mr. Farley does not regard the one-hundred-and-fifty-year- old sentiment against a third term for a President as any bar to the renomina- tion or re-election of President Roose- velt. Yet back of that sentiment, from the earliest days of the Republic, has been a determination not to have a per- petual head of the American Govern- ment; not to have a continuing ruler and a ruling family. For the Demo- cratic party, of all parties, to advance the idea that there is just one man in the country fit to occupy and to continue to occupy the White House is strange doctrine. 3 President Roosevelt himself may pre- serve the anti-third term tradition. If Mr. Farley is correct, he is the only man who can do so. Despite the fact that he has been a breaker of precedents, there has been no expression yet from the President which indicates that he has reached the conclusion that the anti- third term tradition should be scrapped. It that tradition is thrown overboard there would be nothing to put a brake on the man in the White House. A fourth term or even a fifth term would be just as logical. There is & feeling in some quarters that the American people have no fur- ther regard for tradition, or even for the American idea of government; that they would view with entire equanimity the breaking of the ancient rule against the third term for President, which has come down to us from George Washington. In these days, when the power placed in the hands of the Chief Executive is far greater than ever before in the history of the country, power so great over the affairs of the ordinary citizen that the mere suggestion of such power would have amazed Washington or Jefferson, the idea of the scrapping of the third term tradition becomes all the more significant. To some it would be men- acing. i A number of aspiring Democrats would look askance at the suggestion of & third term for President Roosevelt. They have their own ambitions. Some of them may view the statement made by Mr. Farley as a timely effort to bring & denial from President Roosevelt that he has any intention of running in 1940. ———— When Dr. Mann talks to the young elephants and tapirs, the Zoo takes on & manner of sophistication which offers renewed hope of clever doings in local entertainment. The good doctor should have it understood that his title means something that goes into the mysterious Tealms of zoology. Plans for a social Winter in Washing- ton, D. C, are already being ‘discussed with some hazy idea that Japan and China will present the section of a war Zone as a realistic tableau. Scientific Speed Traps Maryland State police .are going scientific. Their Accident Prevention Bureau is using radio-operated devices to collect data on speeding on danger- ous sections of highway. On the same day that an automobile club protested the possible use of the device as a “speed trap,” the Accident Prevention Bureau released its Septem- ber analysis of fatalities showing that 59 of 327 drivers involved in accidents in the State were speeding. There were 189 accidents, in which 46 persons were killed and 150 injured. As might be expected the radio speed- checking device revealed the prevalence of speeding even on dangerous sectors of road. In a forty-five-mile zone the average speed of passenger cars was shown to be fifty-three to fifty-five miles an hour. . The mechanism developed to check the speed of passing cars consists of two-way radio sets. Officers stationed at one end tell those at the other to “check.” The man on the receiving end immediately starts a stop watch. Notes on the make, model and license number of the car being checked then are trans- mitted. When the information arrives at the checking station the-time is noted and the speed is calculated. The check HE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTO is said to be made over short stretches, half or three-quarters of a mile. A more complete potential speed trap can hardly be imagined. Those who have been operating the check-up insist, however, that it has been used so far solely for the collection of data on the average speed of passenger cars, trucks and buses. To this has been no objection and there can be none. “We believe the authorities will ac- complish more by treating the motorist fairly than by ambushing him,” the auto club’s speed-trap protest says. It would seem fair, too, if the speed demon were made to give fair warning, such as the continuous sounding of a siren, instead of “ambushing” his victim. Perhaps if the operation of the speed- checking device is' sufficiently publicized there will be no need for converting it into a trap. Thunder Over Rome? Next week—on October 22—Fascist Italy celebrates the fifteenth anniver- sary of the march on Rome and the ac- cession of Benito Mussolini to virtually supreme power in ‘the state. His rule, challenged and precarious in its forma- tive period, survived the shock of revolt personified by the ill-fated Matteoti af- fair in 1924. After that dissenter was “purged,” the first famous victim of what was later to become the routine technique of dictatorships, especially in Germany and Russia, for liquidation of foes or rivals, the Fascist sway has been conspicuously immune from serious op- position. The strong-arm system, char- acterized by the castor-oil treatment and other discouragements of non-con- formists, steadily accomplished its pur- pose. Today, along with the disappear- ance of all vestiges of democracy, hos- tility to the dictatorial reign has prac- tically vanished. Where it exists, it is of the sporadic, skulking variety devoid of political significance and possessing little but nuisance value. It is because of the supposition that fascism is impregnably intrenched that news of a revolt against Mussolini’s regime produces surprise. During the past forty-eight hours, twenty-six so- called “young intellectuals” acting for the “United Anti-Fascist Front” have been condemned by the drumhead se- cret tribunal for defense of the Fascist state, on charges of plotting to over- throw IlI Duce. The conspirators are said to belong to a subversive group op- erating for the past year at Milan under orders from a central organization in Paris, long a haven of refuge for fas- cism's exiled foes. The incriminated men are also accused of connection with an underground Communist junta dominated by reds also headquartered in the French capital. For the first time since the Ethiopian war proceedings of the high defense tri- bunal have been publicly reported, a circumstance which lends extraordinary importance to the seditious revelations. To suggest that the dictatqrship is un- dermined would be premature at this time. Yet there is a variety of circum- stances to support the theory that all is not for the best in Rome. The Ethiopian conquest fired Italian patriotic emotions despite its drain on the nation’s life and treasure. A year has elapsed since the mantle of imperial glory was draped over Victor Emmanuel’s shoulders, but the blessings and glories it was supposed to bestow upon Italy have been conspicuous by their absence. Needed capital for colonial development _has not been found. An extensive garrison is required for occupation of a vast and hostile ter- ritory. During the past month forty- one Italian officers and again as many troops have been killed in uprisings of native groups. The Rome government has just officially admitted that pacifi- cation of Ethiopia is a process of inces- santly bloody strife with rebellious tribesmen. Popular resentment over the cost of African empire and its failure to produce promised dividends is not lessened by the past year's adventure in insurgent Spain. Recent disclosure that one of Mussolini’s sons is flying with a bombing squadron in Franco’s army may well have been designed to revive flagging popular enthusiasm for Italian interven- tion in the Spanish civil war. II Duce hastened to incite national pride over the prowess of his “volunteers” at Bilbao and on other fronts, but the blow to Fascist military prestige at Guadalajara —“the Spanish Caporetto”—still rankles in Italian breasts. Pranco has just re- quested Mussolini to recall the two chief Italian generals who have been on duty in Spain. Foreign “diversions” — threats and dangers of war—are favorite panaceas of autocrats in domestic hot water. Is it possible that Mussolini’s deflance of Great Britain and Prance in the Medi- terranean betokens that all is not well on the home front—that there is some- thing rotten in the state of Italy? ——— 8chool children are ercouraged to study life from its very beginning and to understand personal hunger as a basic influence to be overcome in the devel- opment of Intellectual ambition, The Incorrigible Amateur. Everybody, it may be supposed, is acquainted with at least one incor- rigible amateur. The type is fairly common and rarely, if ever, concealed. Indeed, it seems to be inevitable for it to be articulate. Were it silent, it might pass undetected. But it must talk, it does talk—incessantly, dogmatically, pas- sionately. The arrogance of its manner is a symptom of its condition. For instance, a nameless specimen of the dilettante class comes aboard an ocean liner at the moment of safl- ing. He is excited, breathless, feverish, irritated because he is late. But he does ‘not retire to his cabin to rest. Instead, it is his choice to bluster up and ‘down the deck in search of a listener willing to hear his theory that ships ought not to depart-in the middle of the day. “It's ridiculous!” he cries. ) “There should be a law to compel these fellows to wait until evening to start!” Meanwhile, back on dry land, another self-confident apostle of reform is advo- cating the correction of railroad sehed- ules or radio timetables or domestic economy or national policy or even the cosmic system. It is characteristic of the breed to have an opinion on everything and usually the point of view is revolutionary and militant. The case of the professional state socialist may be cited by .way of illustration. “All children,” he declares, “should be turned over to the government at birth and raised scientifically. If you want to get rid of inequality and poverty, that’s the way to do it. The Spartans were right!” But he does not explain what became of the Spartan clan. It matters nothing to him that the Lycurgean scheme did not work. On occasion, of course, the amateur by accident is afforded a chance to put his notions into effect. Thomas Munzer, the Anabaptist fanatic, may be mentioned as an example. He was a radical preacher who, having collected forty thousand followers, set up a “new deal” commonwealth in Muhlhausen. It was his purpose to enforce communism at the point of the sword. The Holy Spirit, he announced, indorsed his pro- gram of terror. But his peasants were dispersed by Philip of Hesse and the would-be dictator was executed May 27, 1525, A decade later, however, another dreamer gambled in like fashion with fate. His name was John Bockelson, a tailor of Leyden, and he imagined himself to be the reincarnation of Enoch. A multitude of deluded people accepted his pretensions. Under his orders they burned the library and wrecked the Cathedral of Munster, slaughtered num- bers of “respectable citizens,” instituted a “heavenly Zion” to be “the capital of the earth” and withstood a siege lasting sixteen months. The end was not foreshadowed until the crazy prophet “gave himself sixteen wives.” After a terrible battle, during which “the streets ran with blood,” he was hanged in an iron cage which still is pointed out to tourists as a relic of as dangerous an amateur as ever lived and practiced. ——e—. Some of the great old publishers en- Joyed a success which was never quite understood until time makes it clear that feminine taste was frank in asserting authority. Men go out and offer their lives in social reform, but there is always a shrewd and intellectual women to indi- cate what the reform shall be. ——————— It is whispered that well dressed wom- en laugh at the hats provided for them by leaders in the domain of fashion. Nevertheless they are purchased despite protest and worn with confidence. Men may write laws, but they have no au- thority in expounding the mysteries of fashion. —_———— The distinguished son of Mussolini went to Hollywood, but evidently decided that the best way to see what is sched- uled to happen to pictures or anything else was to stop in and inquire at the White House. ————— Student bodies are choosing queens and 50 far as beauty is concerned are having considerably more success than those who long ago ventured to estab- lish standards of regal beauty. —————— The Mediterranean Sea maintains its ancient prestige as a trouble spot for na- tions no matter how economics may shift responsibilities. —————— Japan and China apparently agree that this is not to be called a war, but decline to stop fighting long enough to decide on a suitable designation. —_——— Shooting Stars. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. A Hero's Reward. The hero had a shower of wealth, 'Mid beakers raised to drink his health; 'Mid checks and contracts still to come Which mounted to a generous sum. Medals he wore with proper pride, Which to his breast were pinned or tied, And daily heard the horns and drums Sound forth “The Conquering Hero Comes.” And yet he was not quite content, Amid admiring sentiment. He often sighed, with pathos deep, “I'd like to have just eight hours’ sleep!” Statesmanlike Reticence. “Are you going to start any investiga- tions?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum. “I'll be satisfied if I can keep out of some that have already been started.” Jud Tunkins says’ honesty is the best policy, and mebbe, after all, it's also the best politics. Evolution. A small boy on s bike drew near, And filled pedestrians with fear. ‘When we behold him now, we stop. He is a motor cycle cop. Beauty Prize. “I won tue prize in a beauty contest.” “What good will it do you?” asked Miss Cayenne, after a critical glance.. “You can’t wear your bathing suit all Winter.” “A wise man,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “knows not only when to stop talking, but when not to begin.” Physical Limitation. The night club offers new delight, With an incessant chime. If I could stay awake all night I'd have a lovely, time! “A workin’ man,” said Uncle Eben, “never manages to get so much atten- tion foh hisself as de talkin' man” Misbehavior Wrongly Described as a Riot To the Editor of The Star: Several years ago a dignified associa- tlon of patriotic ladies gave a historical pageant in a nearby city. The actors were arrayed in some valuable old heir- loom costumes. A greup of children from the “best homes,” students in an exclu- sive private school, were in the audience. For some reason best known to their adolescent selves they pelted the actors with rdtten - tomatoes, graspefruit, etc. ‘The police were present and it is report- ed -they did not attempt to interfere. Some valuable costumes were spoiled and the pattiotic pageant was completgly demoralized. ‘This was a “prank.” The names of the prankers were not pub- lished. g A few days ago, for reasons also best known to their adolescent selves, four girls at the National Training School for Girls, all from underprivileged environ- ment, apparently could not resist the temptation to pltch some convenient plumbing fittings and rocks through a few windows. (That this is not an un- usual performance, note vacant houses and business buildings all over this or any city, with every window smashed.) However, at the National Training School for Girls, or at any other “correc- tional institution,” such behavior is a riot. Police, newspaper reporters, pho- tographers, hurry to the spot and sensa- tional headlines appear and inaccurate accounts. For example (the press re- ports notwithstanding to the contrary), there were no windows broken in the superintendent’s office; there was no “battling with the police”; there was no throwing of hot soup at anybody. “How long, O Lord, how long,” until the righteous will be “sporting” enough to give those whom they designate as bad a fair deal? “Equal justice under the law” is carved in imperishable stone over the door of the Supreme Court Building which looks out over the Wash- ington alleys! When will the same ideal be the governing principal in the police courts? CARRIE WEAVER SMITH, Superintendent, National Training School for Girls. Formula Given for Fireside Chatters To the Editor of The Star: Before the New Deal is finally laid to rest in its appropriate limbo—perhaps as a means to that desirable end—I hope some competent person will make a thorough study of the technique of its fireside chatters. Among these the President is, of course, pre-eminently first. Whether second place belongs to Wallace or Ickes or Farley is a nice question, but unique honors will go by acclamation to that priceless trio, Cum- mings, Guffey and Black. Assuming a common purpose and method in these attempts to invade our hearths and play upon our heart-strings, the general formula seems to be about as follows: 1. Begin on the high plane of univer- :A:‘ly accepted moral and patriotic plati- ude. 2. From this safe altitude view with disdainful irritation those fellows of the baser sort who disagree with you. 3. Express your irritation in the most picturesque language available. Con- sult Mr. X, 4. Maintain the personal note through- out. Persons are always more vulnerable than facts or arguments. 5. Study the many virtues and uses of silence. It cannot be refuted, and often implies that #n argument is not worth answering. 6. Never admit an error in fact or argument, in word or deed. Least said, soonest forgotten. % 7. End with the grateful assurance that the incident is closed. R. D. MILLER, Eccentricities of Local And National Finance To the Editor of The Star: The other night I had a call from a policeman. He stated he was greatly embarrassed, but he had been given a lot of tickets to sell for a prizefight in order to provide funds for food for un- dernourished school children. Last week I had a call from a fireman. He was begging for funds for widows and orphans of firemen who had sacrificed their lives for the District. A short time ago we had the Presi- dent’s Cup Regatta at Hains Point. That night for over two hours there were fireworks; thousands of dollars went up in smoke; enough money was wasted to amply provide for school children’s lunches and for firemen’s pensions. The President has returned from an- other vacation. He has been inspecting the numerous dams he has spread all over Western States. The West is now “safe for Democracy.” How about Washington? If we had & vote, doubtless the President would “give a dam” for us. A blaze Sengte, and a sophisticated House, “hear their master's voice.” They, too, don't give a dam for Wash- ington. The director of the budget tells our poor to look to the churches or to the Lord for relief. Over $30,000,000 has been spent in Senator Norris’ State, Nebraska, with a population not exceeding that of. the District. Money has been thrown away with abandon. And poor ‘Washington must have its taxes boosted and its poor neglected to pay for “votes.” What is the use, anyway? SUMNER L. CRISTY. Money Is Squandered As Children Lack Food To the Editor of The Star: T have just listened to a speech from an eminent prelate about the unnour- ished children in Washington of school fage. I want to say to the world what the trouble is. People will spend every- thing they have for gas for a car, and money for movies and let their families 80 hungry. Get rid of some of the cars and close some of the theaters and things will be better. MRS. E. M. TRAIL, Public Should Demand Fulfillment of Pledges To the Editor of The Star: President Roosevelt has reiterated his pledges of economy and a balanced budget. It now becomes the public's duty, by a campaign as clamorous as its anti-court-pack fight, to demand the fulfillment of these glib pledges, whose value to date is best measured by zero. The issue should be boomed—as it deserves to be—as the chief issue niow beforg the American people; superseding du:find N. R. A. measures or fake A. A. A concoctions. Only in this way_ will it be possible to prevent the rise of national debt figures to some fantastic height above the 40-billion mark. Only by waging this fight to a victory may this country set up insurance against such artificial stagnation—the outcome of five years of the misdeal—as now threatens to expand and to stall the slow, and m overdue, meh‘;c’k of established speculative industry, WALTER BAHNSEN., ¢ D. C, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1937. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “Dear Bir: “In tonight's column you explain that ‘a spider is an animal, not an insect. Since when was an insect nbt an animal also? Perhaps it were to presume too much on the erudition of your lay read- ers to say that ‘a spider is an arachnid, not an insect,’ and to note that both insects ahd arachnids are arthropods. ‘However, when you go on to empha- size the animalness of our friend, the spider, and even to put him in the class with poor Fido, one wonders whether or not a spider might turn out to be a mammal! “I don't believe an acquaintanceship with the grand division of creatures with jointed, manifold legs and a relatively hard, horny exterior is beyond the ken of most folks, especially if they once had high school biology, or did a little bit of nature study in the Boy Scouts. “After all, little as mankind cares for Insects it is a bit of discrimination to put them completely outside the pale, and, incidentally, to arrogate to the clams, starfish, worms, Fido and our- selves the exclusive privilege of being ‘animals.’ . “Yours sincerely, ‘D. TR L A We apologize to the beetles, bugs, flies and bees, to the spiders, mites, ticks, centipedes, wood lice, etc. Scientists have been telling us for years that the insects are ready to inherit the earth and now, at last, we are about willing to believe them. We always have had a partiality toward flies, however, and have a pet one, which eats a lemon drop daily at our right hand. Whether this has been one . fly, or many, over the last 5 years, we must leave to the erudition of our correspondent. The only thing we care to say is that it looks very much like the same fly. A fine fellow, this fly, a veritable Fido of flies, with an insatiable appetite for candy drops. Lemon is his favorite. He has been tried on all the popular flavors, but he always comes back to lemon. * x x % He is rather finicky about his lemon, though, preferring it fresh out of the packet. A drop which has been left on the desk overnight is refused after a few touches of his mandibles, or feelers, or whatever those things are he clashes together with such satisfaction from time to time. As for a drop which has been exposed 80 long that it has lost its nice lemon color (artificial, by the label), he has no use for it at all and will not even sample it. Right fresh out of the packet, says he, per feelers. * x x % This fly has become s0 tame that it is possible to extend a hand within a few inches of him without his flinching in the slightest or showing any fear whatsoever. Once or twice during the last year he has shown an adventurous spirit. He has advanced as far as the window sill, as if determined, at last, to fly out on Eleventh street. Each time, however, he has drawn back just before the great adventure. It is nice and warm in the office and, no doubt, that is what a fly appreciates more than anything else at this time of year. * % ok % Many office visitors have popped the fly’s lemon drop into their mouth before they could be stopped. Usually, it is lying in a small cigarette ash holder, making a pretty picture against the blue china. We had thought, from time to time, to label it carefully, “Fly’s food, leave alone,” but thought that would be attracting too much attention to the— er, insect. There is an obdurate race of wags, the members of which would like nothing better than to crush any one's pet fly. So we thought the best thing to do would be to let those eat the fly'’s food who would, and say nothing about it. “What you don’t know, won't hurt you,” goes the old saying. After all, eating food over which a fly has ambled is not new in the world; it was the common practice for centuries. Even today the man who invented window screens has not received one- tenth the praise he should. * ok ok % Perhaps the daintiest insect we ever have seen was one little fellow which lived on the hand wash basin, as they call it in Europe, for several months. This was one of the most charming of all invertebrates. It was so filmy in construction that each time it got in the water its life seemed gone, but each time it would emerge again. At last it got to be a sort of game. No one touched the insect, but let it alone, as it flew around. The creature developed a keen taste for shaving soap; he was always Johnny- on-the-spot in the early morning. Several times the whirlpool of water from the cold spigot—the best for shav- ing—caught him squarely. We gave him up, poor fellow, only to see him emerge at last, lie still for a time on the porcelain, then fly around as if nothing had happened. This went on for many weeks. ‘The “little bug,” as it was called with a fine disdain for entomology, came to be a household pet. He was 5o tiny that it was impossible to see him, really. Only his gossamer wings gave him substance. * x % % To greet him in the bath room every morning came to be a rite. But one morning he was not there. “Where is the bug?” He had been there yesterday—where was he now? A careful search was made behind his favorite cake of soap. Some careless person, perhaps, had put the cake down squarely upon him. But no, he was gone. He was not seen any more, and shaving has never been quite the same since. STARS, MEN AND ATOMS Notebook of Science Progress in Field, Laboratory and Study. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. A plant emigrant out of the Old Testa- ment has gotten its first foothold in North America and is causing some con- cern. This is harmel, or “Syrian rue,” a mat- like growing plant with the odor of rue and seeds which contain an opium alka- loid with some of the properties of hash- eesh or marihuana. It has established itself in an area of four square mile in New Mexico, apparently from seeds ac- cidently dropped. ! Department of Agriculture specialists are loath not to welcome the emigrant, for it promises to be an ideal erosion- checking growth for a great deal of the arid Southwest. But unfortunately, ac- cording to a report from William A. Day- ton of the United States Forest Service, if it becomes widely distributed through the range country it is likely to prove poisonous to cattle and sheep. It is a common plant in Judea. The alkaloid in its seed has various medical uses, especially in the treatment of such nervous diseases as sleeping sickness. Turks use the plant as a sleep producer and also as a source of spice. Its best known use, however, has been as the source of the brilliant dye, Turkish red. This now can be made synthetically. There is naturally some hesitation against the introduction of a plant which might add a new drug problem. It ap- pears never to have been cultivated in the United States, although it has been used for many years as an ornamental garden plant in England and Germany. In the Southwest it seems to have found & natural habitat where conditions of heat and moisture are just right. A somewhat similar plant, with some medical repute among ‘the Mexicans, long has grown in this country. * ok k% ‘The earth for a brief time after its creation was entirely molten. Such a supposition is necessary from the most recent findings concerning the composition of the planet, according to Dr. L. H. Adams, acting director of the Carnegie Institution of Washington's geophysical laboratory. Dr. Adams said: “Our earth is a spherical body about 8,000 miles in diameter floating in nearly empty space. Its nearest neighbor, the moon, is a quarter of a million miles away. To- gether, they revolve around the sun at a distance of some 90 million miles. The other planets of the solar system circle around the same sun, which; although by far the largest object in the system, is merely a star like countless others that dot the sky, and is, as stars go, & rather small and insignificant one. “Separated from the sun by enormous distances are the other stars of our galaxy, which has a disklike form and an extent of at least 50,000 light years, and is merely one of the innumerable spiral nebulae scattered irregularly through space at an average distance of perhaps 1,000,000 light years. “On 8o vast a scale, our earth, a tiny planet accompanying & small star, seems to dwindle into insignificance, but it is after all the place where we dwell*and have our 'being, and for us it has the importance attaching to a great object, which, except for the surface layers, is as yet unexplored. “It 18 now generally accepted that the earth was created from the parent sun about 2,000 million years ago through tidal disruption by a passing star. The subsequent liquefaction and solidification of the detached mass of glowing gas formed the juvenile earth. “This notion, advanced by Jeans and Jefreys, is quite different from that in- volved in the nebular hypothesis of La« place, according to which then;m :u originally surrounded by a rare nebu- 1s which rotated about the central mass. As the nebular material cooled it was to contract and increase its A speed of rotation, until finally the cen- trifugal force was sufficient to detach a ring of material, which condensed to form a planet. Although accepted for many years, the hypothesis was finally discarded on purely mathematical grounds. “The significance of the modern theory, for the purposes of this discussion, lies in the supposition that the earth for a brief time after its creation was entirely molten, well stirred by convection, and, to the extent that the component sub- stances were capable of being mixed in the liquid state, quite homogeneous in composition.” Protests Savagery of Dog Mart at Fredericksburg To the Editor of The Star: I am sorry to see that the so-called “dog mart” is to be held soon at Fred- ericksblrg, Va. It surprises me that the Chamber of Commerce of that town would sponsor such an affair. Why re- vive a legendary custom of.a lot of savages? Last year I attended this show. Around the public square a rope is drawn, this rope being abont three feet from the ground. To it the dogs are tied. It was a warm day, but notwithstanding this fact, I recall distinctly seeing but one pan of water for the dogs. One man had four or five puppies in what ap- peared to me to be a turkey coop. The flies were thick around an old green bone in thi$ coop, a bone that no dog, especially very young puppies, would be at all interested in. That bone was taken out of that coop. I saw a Doberman Pinscher there that was a twin to a walking skeleton. The dogs were lying on the ground, some with ropes hardly giving them enough play to be comfortable. Children were running and shouting all over the place. Having arrived there at about 1 o'clock, I didn't have to wait long for the main attraction—the auction. I don't know how long the dogs had been waiting. An old colored man started ringing a large bell, the signal for every one to get as close as possible to a high plat- form, which the auctioneer then ascend- ed. Through this packed crowd, dogs were pulled, dragged and sometimes car- ried to the platform. Then began a harangue about “man’s best friend.” A fine background for a lot of sentimental talk about dogs! We heard about dogs that had been the pets of children for some years; others had been for years in the family; some were great watchdogs, which means that they had been protecting their masters; there were puppies that looked to be too young to leave their mother. No matter! These dogs were sold for a few dollars and then taken no one knows where. The former own- ers had a little money, a great outing, a wonderful time and something to talk about for days. But what of the faith- ful old dogs that were carried to strange homes? Several merchants in town with whom I talked agreed with me. I spoke to one man in a store about all that senti- mental talk from the platform about dogs and then in the next breath a sales talk about selling an old pet. He smilingly replied that perhaps some of the people had owned the dogs but a very short time. A couple of sound trucks were there; the children were still running in and _out of the crowd; everybody was talking, Ia and joking; the dogs were the mgtml:u‘bdued of ail; th; ileln;tmenul still going on an left. sl s nf)sm'r E. ACORN, 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 fast does President Roosevelt speak over the radio?—G. McC. A. He speaks at the rate of 150 to 160 words a minute. Q. Do any of our foot ball stadiums seat more people than the Roman Coli- seum?—G. H. A. The Coliseum held 85000 people. The Los Angeles Coliseum seats 105,000; University of California at Berkeley, 90,« 000, and Municipal Stadium, Philadel- phia, 102,000. These stadiums are often used for foot ball games, Q. How much must a germ be magni- fied to be visible to the human eye?— M. N. A. Generally speaking, about a thou= sand times. Q. What is the difference between & royal princess and a princess royal?—F, K. W. A. In Great Britain, a royal princess is a member of the royal family, either the daughter of a sovereign or the daughter of a son of a sovereign. Princess royal is a title reserved for the sovereign's eldest daughter only. Q. What is a depth bomb?—C. E. C. A. A depth bomb-looks like an ordinary large ash can. It carries 250 pounds of high explosive TNT. It is released from the ship on a runway astern. Depth settings are made before release by a mechanism. Hydrostatic pressure in- sures that the bombs explode at the proper depth. Because water is not com= pressible, after the explosion a tremene dous pressure is set up in the water causing rupture of ship sides within 100~ yard radii. Q. Has Baltimore ever had a woman on the City Council before the appointe ment of Mrs. Baile; N. A. Mrs. Ella Bailey, who was appointed to complete her late husband's term, is the first woman to serve on Baltimore's City Council. Q. How is the ratio between bank de- posits and bank capital established?— R. B. A. No arbitrary rule as to the ratio of capital to deposits has been laid down, but the controller of the currency main- tains a close watch on banks and requires them to increase their capital when, in his opinion, deposits have become too large. This happens most frequently in tne case of banks which have been estab- lished in the suburbs of rapidly growing cities. Starting with small capital and small deposits, growth of the community results in greatly increased deposits, while the capital remains static. The controller uses his judgment and that of his examiners in each case, but follows no fixed ratio. Q. How many comedies did Aris- tophanes write?—J. M. K. A. He wrote, in all, fifty-four comedies, but only eleven have come down to us. Q. What per cent of the leather in the United States is cowhide?—M. G. A. Cowhide and calfskin amount to more than 70 per cent of the total leathier of the United States. Q. Who is Deanna Durbin's voice teacher?—E. W, A. The young actress is taught by Andres de Segurola, formerly a baritone of the Metropolitan Opera Company, and now well known on the screen. Q. Are hearts of palm used as food?— H. K A. They are considered excellent for salads and as a base for sauces. The taste resembles that of an artichoke and they may be purchased in cans. Q. Is there a tribe known as the Dig- ger Indians?—F. H. M. A. This term was applied to many tribes of the central plateau region, in- cluding tribes in Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada and Central California. It was supposedly derived from the fact that the Indians dug roots for food and has no ethnological significance, Q. How early in life are bables able to hear?—J. A. A. The American Medical Association says that the sense of hearing is probably fully present at birth. Q. What is meant by roadside ime provement?—S. C. A. Roadside improvement consists of two major activities. The first has to do with the removal of rubbish, the filling of unsightly mudholes, the re- moval of bilboards and objectionable signs. The second part of the program is to plant attractive flowers, shrubs, and trees in a way that will not hide curves, railroad crossings and other danger spots along the highway. Q. How many silver foxes are now raised on farms in the United States?— D.C. A, Production now exceeds 200,000 an- nually. Q. What was the name of the famous ballet dancer who appeared in “The Soul Kiss” many years ago?—W. J. H. A. Adeline Genee, Danish dancer, toured the United Statesin that ballet in 1908. Q. What is meant by fulling?—C. P. A. Fulling is the act of cleansing, scouring and pressing woven woolen goods, etc., to render them stronger, firmer and closer. It is also called milling. Q. Where is Goat Island?—E. F. G. A. There are two Goat Islands. One is in the Niagara River and the other is a large island in San Francisco Bay. A Rhyme at Twilight y Gertrude Brooke Hamilton. The Scissor-Grinder I heard a scissor-grinder’s bell today And seemed again to hear my mother say, “Run, child, and catch him.” Heard my childish feet Trip swiftly down the porch steps to the street, All eagerness the grinder to pursue And watch him make a dull blade shine anew, To see }1115 wheel revolve with steady whir, To hear the steel against the whetstone purr. And so today the old familiar That thru the crowded city traffic rang Malle me, as in the years long left behind, Gather up all my cutlery to grind. \