Evening Star Newspaper, April 17, 1940, Page 10

‘A—10 ~ The Foening Star With Sunday Morning Edition. THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor. WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY - "April 17, 1940 The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Maip Office: 11th & and Pennolvants Ave. nd 8t. Chicato OMmce North Michigan Ave. Prices Effective January 1, 1940, Delivered by Carrier—City and Suburban. Regular Edition. ening and Sunday 750 per mo. or 18c per week ing Star __ 45 Der mo. or 10¢ per week Night Final Edition. ght Final and Sunday Star . 85c per month ight Final Star - 60c per month Rural Tube Delivery. e Evening and Sunday Star ;::e Evening_Star 5¢ per month The Sunday Star-___ - 10c per copy Collection made at the end of each month or each week. Orders may be sent by mall or tele- paone National 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. g ~-1 yr. $1200: 1 mo.. $1.00 Baily oy Sundr-od 3 SEA0 1 mo: S un .00: 1 mo. 50 85¢ per month Entered as second-class matter post office, Washington D. C. Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associated Press 13 exclusively entitied to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise creditea In this Baper and also the local news published herein All rights of publicaiion of special dispatches herein also are reserved, - War's Naval Lessons Admiral Harold R. Stark, chief of naval operations, told the Senate Naval Affairs Committee that events before and after the Munich crisis necessitated a re-evaluation by the Navy Department of the Nation's defense problem. As a result of that reappraisal, naval experts drew up a building program calling for a dras- tic expansion of fleet tonnage. Due to “budgetary considerations,” the Navy high command eventually de- cided to ask Congress for a twenty- five per cent increase in naval strength—considerably less than the experts had determined was essen- tial for “fully adequate” defense in both oceans. The House, after lengthy committee hearings, curtailed the expansion program sharply, on the ground that existing facilities for shipbuilding were limited and that if additional ships still were needed 8 year or so hence, they could be authorized then. As the bill came to the Senate from the House, it authorized only $650,000,000 worth of ships and planes, instead of the $1,300,000,000 requested by the Navy. No appropriations were provided in this planning bill. But important things have hap- pened since the House slashed the expansion bill in half. It would seem to be highly desirable that Congress should do some re-evaluating of the Navy’s needs in the light of the thor- oughly alarming events in Scandi- navia during the last week. Those events have served to emphasfzc two thought-provoking facts: First, that the steady march of aggression in Europe is fraught with ever-increas- ing dangers for peaceful nations— especially if they happen to be weak in their defenses—and, second, that naval power remains an all-impor- tant, indispensable instrument of war. The European war was in a temporary lull at the time of House passage of the ship bill; spring peace rumors, even, were in the air. But hopes of an early peace have been blasted by the Nazi blitzkrieg in helpless Denmark and Norway. Where the lightning will strike next can | only be guessed, but few observers | doubt that strike it will before long. And with every new blitzkrieg, with every new conquest by the totali- tarian war machine, the peace and the security of the remainder of the world become more and more imperiled. As for the importance of sea power 85 an arm of defense, nothing could have demonstrated this more dra- matically than the naval action so far in this war. The superiority of the allied fleet has enabled Great Britain and France to enforce an almost complete blockade of Ger- many; and that same superiority elready has enabled the allies to scatter or annihilate inferior Ger- man naval forces and thus clear a way for the landing of allied troops in Northern Norway. A superior Nazi air force was of no avail against these operations. Admiral Stark’s urgent request to the Senate, there- fore, for an “emergency” apprbpria- tion of $45,000,000 more than the $965.000.000 voted by the House in the regular Navy appropriation bill and for approval of the twenty-five per cent fleet expansion program provided in the original “authoriza- tion” bill is reasonable and deserving ‘of earnest consideration by both Houses of Congress. There is no extravagance in spending for such vital security measures as these. Golden Wedding To those most directly concerned, any golden wedding is important. But the fiftieth anniversary of the marriage of the Bishop of Washing- ton and his gracious wife has a special significance for a large circle of their friends. They are celebrating not merely five decades of domestic happiness. It happens that they also are observing a half century of service to the church and to its allied institutions in which they have been partners. Bishop and Mrs. Freeman have lived to see many changes in the world to which they belong. He was a railroad accountant in 1890, and * the thought of a clerical career had not occurred to him. On the con- trary, he believed that his future lay in the field of industry and busi- --ness. The decision to enter the ' ministry, it seems, was suggested to him by the character of home which his helpmate and himself established. It was “a Christian home™ in the most definite meaning of that phrase. The influence of his own mother end that of his mother-in-law were felt there; and they were women of d THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTO a school which was guided by the precepts of the Bible. To a younger generation such a force perhaps may be doubted, yet as Bishop and Mrs. Freeman look back upon it they are not skeptical of its reality nor of the power which is implicit in it. The church, then, was a mission to them. When they accepted its call they gave them- selves to it completely and together. Their fifty years, therefore, have been fifty years of labor for ideals which they shared and to which they now are devoted with a conviction confirmed by experience. What to- morrow may hold for their country they cannot guess. But if their prayers are granted it will be en- dowed with the strength of homes in which their Lord is a member of the family, an elder Brother whose presence is a testament of love. Georgetown Parking Resolutions asking for restrictions on parking along M street in George- town recently passed by the Arling- ton Federation and the Inter-federa- tion of Citizens’ Associations, raise a real problem for merchants of Georgetown who oppose such restric- tions. M street, the only connecting link between downtown Washington and Key Bridge, has constituted a traffic problem for several years, particu- larly during rush hours. It has become so congested during these periods in recent years that a large volume of Virginia traffic, which otherwise could more conveniently use Key Bridge, has been diverted to the Arlington route. And it has con- tributed to the oft-repeated argu- ment that the existing spans are inadequate. For several years there has been envisioned an elevated through thoroughfare above the present level of K street’s heavy industrial section. But questions of expense and expediency make this project just as far from realization as it was when first broached. This leaves the matter of diversion of part of the flow around the M street shopping area impossible of solution at this time. But, while facility of flow and volume of traffic is of great impor- tance to those going to and from Virginia, the problem of Georgetown merchants is equally serious. Much of their business comes from across the Potomac, and an important share of it depends upon home-going motorists. Georgetown's age and density of construction deny it the parking advantages of some other sections of the city. Within several blocks of M street there is virtually no available space for the con- struction of parking lots. And shop- pers leaving cars on unrestricted side streets keep the curb space filled during most of the business hours. Merchants of the community have | made repeated requests for parking | meters, but, while these would answer | part of their problem, they would not aid in facilitating traffic during | ! | that the Netherlands is drawn into the rush hours. Frobably the only solution would be an experiment, with a definite time limit, of prohibiting parking on one side of M street during rush hours, with a one-hour, or shorter, limitation on parking on adjoining streets during those periods. This would open the main thoroughfare and still provide for customers wish- | ing to trade in Georgetown. War by Intrigue Nazi Germany’s invasion of Nor- way, hailed at the time in Berlin as another convincing demonstration of the overwhelming power of the Reich’s war machine, turns out to have been a rather shabby affair by whatever standard of decency one chooses to measure it. Norway, it now appears, did not succumb to Germany military might, but was the victim of a campaign of intrigue which has few if any parallels in recorded history. By the standard of results ob- tained—and that, after all, must be the final test in war—this latest | adventure of Adolf Hitler's was an undeniable success. The principal Norwegian ports fell into German hands with hardly a struggle and the government of King Haakon was forced to flee in confusion. As con- quests go, this was an absurdly easy one, but it may well be doubted that the fighting men of the German Army can contemplate the manner of its achievement with any pride. The true story of Norway'’s fall was published in The Star on Monday. That article, product of a splendid job of reporting by Leland Stowe, and since corroborated by other newspapermen, reveals that Norway, proud home of the Vikings, was lit- erally handed over to the invaders by key men in her own defense forces and a minority political group. Pre- cisely how this was accomplished remains uncertain. Some of the trai- torous Norwegians may have been converted to the Nazi ideology; oth- ers may have “sold out” their own country for a price. But, to the extent that this shock- ing act of treachery has any direct bearing on the United States, the exact methods employed are rela- tively unimportant, the real signifi- cance lying in its value as a demonstration of the efficiency of the Nazi secret agents. Their accom- plishment in Norway by no means indicates that they could hope for equal success in this country. Indeed, it requires a straining of the imagi- nation to conceive even of a com- parable attempt being made here, but that is beside the point. The lesson for this Nation to learn from Norway’s tragedy is that the Nazi agents are almost incredibly effective in their work, and there is a great deal that they might do to cripple this country shouid it become by | East. involved in war. On the basis of the demonstrated capacities of these agents, it would seem that the least any patriotic American should do is to refrain from protesting against or hampering in any way the entirely reasonable and legitimate efforts this Government now is making to safe- guard the United States from sub- versive activities of all kinds. ‘Aid for Labor In offering to rule on union ac- tivities—contemplated or in opera- tion—to determine if they violate the anti-trust laws, and thereby give those responsible an opportunity to avert criminal prosecution, Assistant Attorney General Arnold has taken an effective step to refute the charge that labor is being treated unfairly in the current drive of the Justice Department on restraints in the building industry which has resulted in a number of indictments. The offer was made to John P. Coyne, head of the Building Trades Department of the American Federa- tion of Labor, which has objected vigorously to the Government using the Sherman Act against labor. From the tenor of Mr. Coyne’s remarks on the subject before the International Union of Operating Engineers, it was | favorably received. The plan contemplates that the | Justice Department be asked for an opinion as to legality whenever a union decides upon action that will restrain interstate commerce, even though it considers the restraint | “reasonable.” If the finding is ad- verse, the union, of course, will proceed at its own risk. If for any reason the department is unable to reach a conclusion, the union will be at liberty to act, and if it later is determined that its course is illegal, it will be subject only to civil instead of criminal proceedings. The Government undouhtedly would be gratified to have labor take the fullest advantage of this plan, which would go far toward settling the trouble that has been stirred over | the anti-trust campaign. The most apparent drawback is the fact that Sherman Act, and might not on that | account be willing to have any action measured by its provisions. The Supreme Court, however, soon is ex- pected to decide if unions are subject | to the act, and if this is determined | to be the case, the Arnold proposal affords a means by which labor can ‘ enjoy the fullest exercise of its rights, | while at the same time guarding the public against abuses. Netherlands India Japan h.as diverted her attention from China to look at the Dutch possessions in the Far East—the group of islands known as Nether- lands India—and to warn the world, with a special glance at the United States. against any effort to take Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, Hal- | mahera and New Guinea under any | kind of protectorate in the event Europe’s war. Japan appears to be paving the | way for her own protectorate in the ‘ Dutch islands if Holland is involved in conflict, and it is significant in | this respect that Foreign Minister; Hachiro Arita’s statement Monday is regarded by at least one Japanese paper as a prelude to action. If the Japanese are apprehensive about the United States taking over | the Dutch possessions in the Far East it is certainly ill-founded, for this country—far from extending its commitments in the Far East—has given token of its intention to liqui- date its responsibilities in that re- gion when the Philippines become independent in 1946, The United States harbors no de- signs on Netherlands India, but at the same time it could not regard with indifference any Japanese move to take the islands under their pro- tectorate, for Japanese control of the Dutch islands would put the Philippines in a Japanese vise. The raw materials of these islands are important to the United States, and this country could not look with approval on a wider Japanese monopoly of the products of the Far Invaluable Drug It is customary to speak of the red man as the “poor” Indian, but it now turns out that this is an error. Those who have oil leases can scarcely be called poor, and the others can take peyote. ‘What is peyote? According to an article, “Indians at Work,” published by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, it is a drug producing delusions of gran- deur and giving its devotees the im- pression of being very rich. It acts as a sort of poor man’s Wall Street, with the market rigged in advance the right way. The article suggests that “peyotism is not only a religion but also a way of life,” and says that members of the cult might seek con- verts among the palefaces, and repay the debt they owe the white man for introducing to them such boons as firewater and work. Good subjects of experimentation along this line would be those who direct the policies of the Govern- ment. Many of them are, it is true, well supplied with delusions of gran- deur, but unfortunately they lack that other symptom of peyote—the impression of having enough ready money in the treasury. Perhaps it would be easy and more pleasant all around to remedy this by giving them peyote instead of having them give all the rest of us higher taxes. As an alternative, the Government might give the ordinary citizen access to the drug, one shot of which makes a penny seem like a dime, and an overdose of which can parlay l that into a dollar. ' Individual Efforts For Peace Urged Easing of Personal Conflicts Held Possible Means to World Harmony To the Editor of The Star: As the war in Europe has finally reached the ugly stage when men’s lives and neutral rights are gambled away with equal ruthlessness, there is a grow- ing feeling among us Americans that we must do something. According to the tone of many of the letters printed in this column recently, there are many who want to do the ap- parently expedient thing, and enter the war at once on the side of the allies. I wonder if our urge to act without adequate reflection and our tendency to do the expedient thing as quickly as pos- sible are not two of our most dangerous traits nationally and individually. At the moment, I doubt if there is & man in America who could plot a sane long-term course in regard to this un- predictable war. Certainly, we cannot minimize its danger or its horror. But in spite of the uncertainty of the future and the likelihood of having to plot our course as the bloody drama unfolds, we do have guides to steer by and constant, | unchanging principles on which to stand. If we enter this war, we must recognize such a step as a desperate measure to stem the increasing tide of international lawlessness to give us time to seek a permanent cure. We must not allow our- selves to be misled again into believing that war participation is in any sense more than a horrible method of sup- | pressing some of the evil forces (and t they exist to greater or lesser degrees in all countries) until a permanent solu- tion can be tackled. In the Garden of Gethsemane Christ showed Peter that brute force is not the answer to brute force, and I don't believe there is a single instance in history that disproves His stand when considered on a long- term basis. We must, therefore, realize | that participation would place the guilt of violence upon our hands along with the rest. It is my earnest hope that our country | can begin to plan for permanent cures without going into the war, or at least that we can stay out until we have found a constructive plan for lasting | th igh' lied. | 1abor is claiming exemption from the | Bease LisuInenuibe apphed At the moment there seems to be little that we can do abroad—our envoy, Mr. | Welles, has returned, and there seems | to be little likelihood of acceptance of our offers to participate in peace plans | now; but there is much that can be done | at home. 1. Much of Europe's turmoil today can be traced to a general tendency to put more trust in human wisdom and to have less faith in God. Is our own country free from this tendency? Our forefathers believed in God, and also | believed in America led by God; might | | mot our first step be to recapture this splendid faith, and use it as the underly- ing strength of a reborn America? 2. The great war in Europe and the inner conflict that at one time or another has raged within all of us arise out of the same things—fear, hate and greed. we make a continuous and prayerful effort to get these things out of our own lives, we may find that we also have the answer to war itself. 3. We can also do something about our urge to do something and our tendency to take the expedient course even at the | sacrifice of principle. We can pray more realistically than ever before that God will show us the way to end the war in our own lives, and in all of the situa- tions in which we find ourselves. If we put our best efforts into finding an | answer to the conflicts that we can do something about, I am sure that we will feel more hopeful about the even- | tual solution of the one which at the moment seems out of our reach. 4. And when we have prayed for true faith, for abiding hope and for the country and community that are our responsibility, why not stop for a while to listen—the thoughts that follow such | prayers may also be the hope of the Nation! JESSE E. AIKEN, April 12, “Another Nature Lover” Speaks for Gardens. To the Editor of The Star: I wish to add an earnest protest to that of “Nature Lover” (as of March 21), against the habit of indifferent people permitting their pet dogs to run over and otherwise damage valuable gardens, especially “wayside gardens,” of which mine is a cherished example—represent- ing many days of hard labor plus a very considerable expense. Wayside gardens are not solely for self- ish pleasure. I believe it is the hope of every person cultivating one that pass- ersby will admire and derive pleasure from the flowers. The fact that there is no fence does not give a right to break, tread upon or mutilate the plants. It is hoped that these letters printed in your helpful column will serve to stimulate an interest in gardens by those who perhaps gave no thought to their value before, ANOTHER NATURE LOVER. March 29, Police Praised for Army Day Work. To the Editor of The Btar: 5 I wish to compliment Maj. Brown and the members of the Metropolitan Police force for the splendid way in which they handled 100,000 people on Army Day. It certainly was an orderly crowd and a very patriotic gathering. Men, women and children stood at at- tention every time the colors passed, making an inspiring sight. After the parade, the people were given the right of way before the officers would allow the machines to move, which was an excellent idea. To my knowledge, not one person was hurt that day. Congress should appropiate money enough to give Maj. Brown at least 200 more men to meet the needs of protection for the citizens in this city. April 14, TALBOT O. PULIZZI. Appreciates Editorial On Denmark. To the Editor of The Star: As an American citizen of Danish de- scent, I wish to thank you for your edi- torial “Denmark Not Forgotten.” Those of us who have read the papers and listened to broadcasts, hoping to hear something about the real situation in Denmark, have at times felt it was for- gotten, or worse yet, misunderstood. DORA HANSEN PITTMAN. April 13, It | D. C, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1940. THIS AND THAT By Charles E. Tracewell. “HOBAN ROAD. “Dear Sir: “Your writings in The Evening Star, with the exception of those dealing with the subject of fish, have always been of interest to me. If I had applied myself to the study of fish, I would undoubtedly look forward to reading your articles concerning them. However, at present I am allergic to fish; possibly due to my being compelled from infancy to consume them regularly at stated inter- vals. “My intention in writing you was not to enter into a discussion of fish, but to appeal to you for advice as to how I might free my lawn of rabbits. Knowing | that you are a great lover of all of God's | creatures, I naturally thought of vou when the foregoing question arose. I could readily buy some poison, and get rid of the rabbits in that manner; but I would be far from happy in ruthlessly | killing them. “My home is situated on a small piece of ground, and is opposite an estate of approximately 43 acres. To the left of | | | | | my home is another large estate. Why | the rabbits thought of building their | nest in our two-by-four piece of property is too deep for me. Maybe their reason- ing for such a move is sound, yet to a | ence of humans who like to hurt and kill. This is a difficult proposition to prove, but any one who likes animals will have enough examples in mind to make him think there is something to the theory. As with all such nuisances, an invasion of rabbits can become *an invasion of friends, provided one begins to look upon them as such. This means that the interest in watch- ing them and observing their life habits, and in helping and protecting them, gradually outweighs any former discom- fort or dislike of their presence. * x % % The other necessary thing is to get out of the mind the belief that such a colony will do any harm to one's precious plants. Plant just a little thicker, put in more seed, let the plants stand just a little bit closer and the beasties will have their food and you will have your plants, too. That is the way to enjoy one’s home grounds. Laying aside all preconceived notions of rahbit destructiveness, accept what comes to the yard with thanks that additional material for observation has been provided by nature. In time, if one has a sense of good | humor, and something of a kind heart, layman it would appear as if their rea- | soning would indicate selecting a more | pretentious place. It may be that they prefer to live in a neighborhood where edible flowers grow in greater profusion, so that they could just reach out and ! help themselves. Whatever their rea- soning, they are not welcome at our home; for they are increasing at an | alarming rate, and soon will be beyond | control. “I would appreciate it if you would advise me concerning an effective meth- od of inducing them to seek another home. They are likeable little animals, and I wish them well; but with them living with us, we are cramped for quarters. “Thanking you, T am, “Sincerely, C. J. 0.” * x x » Who says that rabbits haven't sense? For them to pick the lawn of a man who has both good humor and a kind | heart undoubtedly shows the keenest in- telligence. Matters of this kind come and go. in any neighborhood; the rabbits are here today, and gone tomorrow. One year, there will be a flood of police dogs, so-called. The next, there will be two or three of these dogs, but nany Airedales. If you wait long enough, almost sny | nuisance comes to an end. This is the practical wisdom of the suburbanite, often learned in a hard school. * x X x You would think. offhand, that the rabbits would select the larger estate, but the ways of the animal world are ! not our ways. We always have liked to think that the poor beasts know their friends, and seek them out, that they shun the pres- the lives of the creatures become far more interesting than any idea that one’s precious plants might be damaged. To listen to some folks go on about rabbits, you would think they were as large as elephants! Even dozens of them could not really do much damage in a garden. Let them eat your old petunias. What difference does it make to you? And it makes a lot to a rabbit. * X X Xk We believe that probably never in the world’s history has it been more in- cumbent upon men of good will to show kindness in their every-day actions than nhow. Something terrible seems to have happened to humanity; there is a sense of frustration and ill will everywhere; it will not do to place the blame upon sun spots, or the stars, but solely upon ourselves. do in a small yard is literally as nothing, compared with the harm one single bomb does. But the explosive force of kindness, exercised in a small place, may, as it has in the past, go on to create great ripples of goodness in what Shakespeare blandly called a naughty world. The word no longer holds. It is a terrinle world—a terrible human world, ‘| that is. The beasts shame us. We hope our correspondent and others will see fit to welcome the rabbits, and the skunks, and the birds, and others, in the sure faith that they are getting more than they give, and not only that; they are setting an example, though to unseeing eyes and heedless ears, of what mankind should be and some day may be, when the time finally comes, in the ripeness of God's will, when men shall beat swords into plowshares and there will be no war any more. Letters to | Recorder of Deeds | Disousses Auto Liens. To the Editor of The Star: In the Sunday Star, under date of April-7, you carried an editorial under the caption “Automobile Liens” in which | passage was urged of the bill by Chair- man Jennings Randolph of the House District Committee. which would require the registration of all liens on motor vehicles in the District of Columbia with the Director of Vehicles and Traffic. In this connection I wish to make perfectly clear that I am in hearty ac- cord with the spirit of the bill and the evils it seeks to correct, and have my self sought enactment of similar legis lation in previous years, my only con- | tention being that the function is now performed in the office of the Recorder of Deeds and should continue to be performed in that office. The fact that this function is being performed by this office at the present time has nothing to do with the con- tention that the public is not sufficiently protected. There is no law on the statute books that requires an individual or firm to record his liens, and that fact is largely responsible for the fraud com- plained of by purchasers of second hand automobiles. Some time ago, at my suggestion, Representative Schulte introduced a bill in the House, and Senator Reynolds in- troducted an identical measure in the Senate to eliminate this unjust practice. Last Monday, April 8, representatives of various organizations appeared before the House District Committee and, in support of the Randolph bill, con- tended that our fee for recording liens is too high, and that this office indexed liens by name only, wherein automo- bile liens should be indexed by engine number. These two features comprised the bone of their contention that the Randolph bill should pass. Every one familiar with the District of Columbia code will know that it specifically provides for the present system of recording these liens. They will likewise know that Congress sets the fees for this office. Those who have followed my work as Recorder of Deeds will know that T have realized that the fee for record- ing liens is too high and have sought for some time to have it reduced to 50 cents. When it was called to my at- tention that better protection could be afforded the public if liens on automo- biles were recorded by engine number as well as by name, I readily agreed to such a procedure, and went further in suggesting legislation requiring this of- fice to certify to the Director of Vehicles and Traffic daily a record of all liens recorded in this office. In the House of Representatives on April 10, 1940, Representative Kennedy of Maryland introduced, H. R. 9331, a bill that embodies all of the suggestions I have outlined and excludes none that the Randolph measure provides, with the exception that the Kennedy bill would leave the function of recording liens in the office of the Recorder of Deeds. This office has had conversations with Mr. Wender of the Federation of Citi- zens’ Associations, and Mr. Cleveland of the American Automobile Association, who have been active in support of the Randolph measure. Both have stated that it would make little difference ) the Editor Letters to the Editor must bear the name and address of the writer. although the use of a pseudonym for publication is permissible. Please be brief! where the work was done provided that the procedure and provisions of the Randolph measure were followed. lieving that they were sincere in their statements, T am certain that they will get behind the Kennedy measure and urge its passage, inasmuch as the main | bone of contention of those Representa- tives who have opposed the bill been based on their belief that has the | function should not be transferred from its present department. WILLIAM J. THOMPKINS, Recorder of Deeds, D. C. April 15. Faulty Distribution Blamed For Unemployment. To the Editor of The Star: It stands to reason that manufacturers would not go to the expense of installing labor-saving machinery if in the long run costs were not cut by so doing. The cheapest type of manual labor costs 25 cents per hour. Coal, oil, or water power energy to run a machine costs from 1 to 3 cents per hour. A machine can do from 13 to 100 times as much in an hour as & man can. That is one of the main reasons why the army of unemployed has increased from 3 to 11 million in the past 10 years. That | is why we can manufacture more goods today than we did in 1929 with 8,000,000 less men. There has been no slump in the manufacture of labor-saving ma- chinery. The scientists and engineers can flood the market with the necessities and luxuries of life at a price our population can afford to pay. They can give every man, woman and child in America the highest standard of living in the world if they are allowed to use their skill and ingeniuty in the problems of dis- tribution. Who, or what, is the nature of the monkey-wrench that is Jjamming the works, giving us scarcity, hunger and privation in a land of potential abundance? Whoever they are their motives smack not of the Christianity nor of the patriotism they so loudly sing. If Christ were here today he would, I fear, gaze at them with great sadness and sorrowfully say, “I know you not. Stand adide or else help me fulfill my prophesy that the meek shall inherit the eartn.” April 11. MINNIE FROST RANDS. Sees Millions Spent To Ruin Capital. To the Editer of The Star: Mijllions to turn the parks into baked concrete concourses and patios without regard to the tropical summer climate. Millions to erect a misplaced memorial in a public park. Millions to widen one by one every available street. Now more millions for erection of underpasses, which always reclaim to street more area formerly devoted to parking and sidewalk. ‘Why not call a halt in time or we will have a city the only virtue of which will be the desirability of getting far away from it. I. H. LATIMER. April 14, {\ Haskin's Answers To Readers’ Questions By Frederic J. Haskin. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Evee ning Star Info 'mation Bureau, Fred- eric J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. What is the inscription carved over the entrance of the University of Vir- ginia?—F. R. W. A. The motto over one of the two gates at the entrance to the grounds of the University of Virginia reads as fol- lows: “Enter by This Gateway and Seek the Way of Honor, the Light of Truth, the Will to Work for Men.” These words were written for this gate by the university’s first president, Edwin An- derson Alderman. Q. Is there any estimate of the num- ber of people who listen to the radio?— A. There are 28,000,000 families in the United States who own radios and the number of listeners is estimated at 70,- 140,000. Q. What was the last county formed in Pennsylvania?—M. M. A. Lackawanna County was the last one to be created in Pennsylvania. It was organized August 13, 1878, and was formerly part of Luzerne, Q. Who invented dry ice?—A. L. F. A. Experiments in mechanical refrig- eration by P. Picted, a Swiss engineer, resulted in the production of condensed carbon dioxide. In India, Germany and England attempts were made to produce carbon dioxide snow commercially. While at first and for many years it was merely a laboratory curiosity, it was made into a practical portable refrig- erant by Dr. Percy W. Bridgman. Q. Are there any independent cities in Virginia besides Alexandria?—S. O. R. A. The following are independent cities: Bristol, Buena Vista, Charlottes= ville, Clifton Forge, Danville, Fredericks= Be- | burg, Harrisonburg, Hopewell, Lynche- burg, Martinsville, Portsmouth, Peters- burg, Radford, Richmond, Roanoke, South Norfolk, Staunton, Suffolk, Win- | chester, Norfolk and Newport News. All the harm a colony of rabbits might | Q. Where was the first race track?— G. C. G. A. The first race course ever built was the Smithfield Track in London, about 1174 AD. The date of its opening gen- erally is regarded as the inception of organized racing under saddle. Q. Who was the Democratic candidate for Vice President when Cox ran for President?—B. C. A. A. Franklin D. Roosevelt ran as Demo | cratic nominee for the Vice Preside: with James M. Cox. Q. Please list the United States Min- isters to Canada with the dates of their appointments.—D. F. A. William Phillips, February 17, 1927, Hanford MacNider, June 20, 1930; Warren Delano Robbins, May 11, 1933; Norman: Armour, May 29, 1935: Daniel C. Roper was Acting Minister from early 1939 until the appointment of James Cromwell, January 5, 1940. Q. What is the average number of telephone poles per mile of railroad?— O.F. A. There are approximately twenty- five to forty-five telephone poles to the mile of railroad, depending upon the weight of the wire carried. It is cus- tomary to number every fifth pole as 4025, indicating that this pole s 40 miles plus 25 poles from the numbering terminal. Q. How was the news of the sinking of the Titanic broadcast?—R. V. K. A. At the time of the Titanic disaster, Capt. Smith went to the wireless room and instructed the operators to call for assistance by sending out the distress signal “CQD.” The distress call was heard by the wireless station at Cape Race, together with the report that the | vessel had struck an iceberg. From this station the news of the accident was given to the world. Q. Did Mark Twain say “Everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it?"—T. C. A, Charles Dudley Warner is the origi- nator of this famous witticism which was written for the editorial page of the Hartford Courant. Q. Has the human eye ever been suc- cessfully transferred from one person to another?—L. C. A. The magazine Hygeia says: “One of the crowning triumphs in eye surgery was performed by two Army doctors in February, 1938, in the eye, ear, nose and throat department of Fitzsimons Gen- eral Hospital, when a veteran who was | blind in one eye was given a new eye to replace the sightless one. This delicate operation, fascinating to physicians and surgeons throughout the Rocky Moun- tain region, was similar to cornea trans- plants that have been performed in Russia and Prance for several years and a few times in the United States; but it was the first to be performed in this part of the country.” Mother You left me in my childhood, but your words Live on in daisies and the songs of birds. Your look, your merry, tender little ways Go with me always through my length of days. In memory my eager hand I yield To yours, and through the summer field, Woven with butterflies, we go to look For all the wonders of the nature book. In hollow fence-posts, under bark of trees, We pry for nurseries of ants and bees. Perched on an old stone wall, we spend an hour Learning the lovely structure of a flower. Upon the warm, sweet meadow grass we lie, Awed by the blue infinity of sky. Today, the notes of meadowlark and wren Link me with those bright wanderings again. And still the breath from little cocks of hay P Brings back the twilight hour of & day When, pointing out the earliest-shin- ing stars, You showed me Venus, Jupiter and Mars; Then led me in and up the stairs to bed With stars and firefiies gleaming in my head, And close beside me as the dusk grew deep Repeated poems till T fell asleep. INEZ BARCLAY KIRBY.