Evening Star Newspaper, April 18, 1940, Page 10

The Foening Htar With Sunday Morning Edition. THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY____ --April 18, 1940 The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Main Oftve: 1)th Bt end Pennayivarss Ave. New York Office: 10 East 42nd St. Chicako Ofce: 435 Nortn Michixan Ave., Prices Effective January 1, 1840, Delivered by Carrier—City and Suburban, Regular Edition. and Sunday 75¢ per mo. or 1Rc per week S Evening Biar " 456 ber mo. oF 100 per week The Sunday Star 10c per copy Night Final Edition. Ight Finaj and Sunday Star ight Final Star Rural Tube Delivery. o Evening and Sunday Star . 8%c per month e Evening 8t _ 3¢ per month The Sunday star 10¢ per copy Sollection made at the end of each month or ch ders may be sent by mail or tele- Phone Rationar 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. E:ny ard Sunday_.1 yr. $12.00: 1 mo. 3100 2da3" ; ] aadas only. o 800 1 me: foe Entered as second-class matter post office, Washington D. C. 85¢ per month 60c per month Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press 13 exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it of not otherwise credited in this Baper and also the local news published herein All rights of publication of special dispatches hersin also are reserved. -— Pressure on Rumania Although the Nazis boast of eco- nomic self-sufficiency in spite of the allied blockade, the increasing pres- sure they are putting on Rumania to permit exports of oil and wheat tells its own story. For the moment Ger- man demands are confined to trucu- lent complaints by Dr. Karl Clodius, head of a Berlin trade delegation which intermittently has been nego- tiating and threatening at Bucharest for weeks. So far his efforts to brow- beat Rumania into mortgaging the produce of her oil and grain fields to the Reich have been futile. King Carol’s government insists on remaining master in its own house, ! but in the presence of the mailed fist tactics to which the Nazis are resort- ing to insure their supply of Swedish iren ore, the Rumanians cannot dis- miss the possibility that, like the Danes and the Norwegians, they, too, may become the object of ruthless military measures undertaken to keep Hitler’s war machine going. That German influence at Bucha- rest is something to be reckoned with was manifested yesterday when the Rumanian Senate provisionally accepted a government bill to give Germany a thirty-year lease on almost 100,000 acres of timber. This was done in spite of testimony by army officers that the lease would endanger national defense. The Minister of Agriculture defends the grant on the ground that it is part of an economic understanding with Germany whichce inures greatly to | Rumania’s benefit. High-ranking military authorities retort that not only are Central Rumania’s vast forest reserves a natural defense line, but that rental of them to Germany would be a grave strategic error. It would allow Hitler to infil- trate Rumania with a huge corps of expert foresters and workmen in- stantly convertible into soldiers at the most vulnerable spot in the country, along the old German bor- der. The Minister of Agriculture admits the timber concession would also permit the Nazis to build a rail- road and sawmills for large-scale lumber operations. Bucharest is conscious of the grow- ‘ ing difficulty of her position. Berlin | is vehemently protesting the embargo Just placed this week on wheat exports and the temporary stop- page of oil shipments to Germany. Rumania is resorting to these meas- ures to fortify herself by storage of these vital commodities for her own use. But the embargo unquestionably deals a heavy blow at the Reich. In the recent past Germany has ob- tained about two-thirds of her normal wheat import from Rumania. The blockade makes her equally as dependent, or perhaps more so, on Rumanian oil. Nazi petroleum and gasoline needs and hopes of supplying them from Rumania are complicated by the fact that British and French capital con- trols the oil output. The allies, it goes without saying, are not pre- pared to see their wells exploited for Germany’s benefit, and may be ex- pected to match military force’ against any Nazi attempt to coerce Rumania. During the World War Rumania’s oil wells were destroyed extensively on the eve of the Ger- man invasion. This time invasion would be resisted by the formidable allied-Turkish army mobilized in the Near East under Marshal Weygand for the purpose of thwarting at- tempts to convert Rumania or the Caucasus into a German granary and filling station, with naval opera- tions in the Black Sea bulking largely in the picture. If Hitler's oil and breadstuffs re- quirements are as desperately urgent as they seem, the long-feared out- break of war in Southeastern Europe well may be imminent. Safeguarding the Canal With commendable dispatch, the Beénate yesterday passed the Army “civil functions” appropriation bill after restoring a $15,000,000 allot- ment urgently needed by the War Department to begin construction of a new set of bombproof locks at the Panama Canal. This item had been eliminated by the House on the ground that work could not be start- ed on this important project for another year or so. In lieu of the construction fund, the House ap- proved an appropriation of $850,000 with which to prepare plans for the locks. But President Roosevelt, after a personal inspection of the canal and of the site of the proposed im- provements, sent word to the Capi- tol that work could and should be begun at once on, the extra locks. N THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1940. THIS AND THAT By' Charles 3.7 iracewei!. His views were bulwarked by ominous statements made to the Senate Ap- propriations Committee by military experts, including a declaration by the director of the Army’s War Plans Division that a single air rald by enemy bombers might succeed in putting the present canal out of commission for months. The new set of locks would be entirely independent of the existing facilities and would be reserved for the exclusive use of warships. They would be constructed of materials designed to withstand the explosive power of the heaviest bombs. That the present canal is vulnerable has been an open secret for a long time. Besides the possibility of damage by well-aimed air bombs, there is the ever-present threat of sabotage to be guarded against. It has been pointed out that a ship carrying hidden ex- plosives could cause grave damage to the great waterway in time of national emergency. In approving the $15000,000 safety measure, the Senate undoubtedly had its weather eye on the swirling war clouds abroad. The House, when it recon- siders this item, can ill afford to dis- regard those same threatening signs of trouble ahead for the supporters and defenders of democracy. “Merit” and T. V. A. Senator Schwartz of Wyoming has presented an argument for keeping Tennessee Valley Authority employes outside of civil service which, what- ever else may be said about it, has the virtue of complete candor. Put these employes under civil service, he said, and they “won’t thereafter be worth a thin dime to the Democratic party!” The Senator, it appears, knows whereof he speaks. Once upon a time, according to his testimony be- fore the Senatc Civil Service Com- mittee, he was covered into civil service. That practically ended his interest in politics, and he wouldn’t like to see history repeat itself. The homily of the junior Senator from Wyoming was prompted by Republican criticism that the Rams- peck civil service extension bill, on which the Senate committee is con= ducting hearings, would freeze in office an army of Democrats. He dis- agrees. He believes that employes affected no longer would be Demo- crats; that the freezing process would cool their party enthusiasm. Senator Schwartz sees another danger in extending civil service to the T. V. A—the possibility that em- ployes chosen by open, competitive examination might not be such firm believers in the philosophy behind that vast Government project as those who are hand-picked, and that, | therefore, they would lack the spirit that must go with a job there. Furthermore, in Senator Schwartz’s opinion, the “merit system” under which the T. V. A. operates is much better suited to its needs than regu- lar civil service. One of the things in its favor, he pointed out, is the strict prohibition against intermin- gling politics in personnel matters. In fact, the penalty is dismissal for everybody concerned if it dewelops that an appointment or promhotion has a political tinge. On this latter score, the Wyoming | something of an inconsistency, his pride in the T. V. A. “merit system” seeming not to harmonize with his frank concern for the welfare of the Democratic party. But, be that as it may, there is no doubt whatever that the partisan philosophy he espouses is a fundamental obstacle to that improved government service which should be the objective of all citizens, regardless of their political affiliations. No Centenary Stamp? More than a year ago the organ- ized philatelists of the United States requested their Government to bring out a stamp to mark the centennial of the first adhesive postage label ever issued—the famous Penny Black | of Great Britain, released in London on May 6, 1840. Supported by the American Phila- telic Society and the National Feder- ation of Stamp Clubs, the petition was received with enthusiasm by of- ficials of the Post Office Department. Designs were prepared by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for the inspection of the Nation’s most dis- tinguished practitioner of the phila- telic hobby, President Roosevelt. Orders for the commemorative poured into the Philatelic Agency. Artistic first-day covers were manu- factured for use when it should go on sale. The centenary stamp was to be a feature of the celebration arranged by collectors as far back as 1936. But the European war has inter- fered with the plan. Late last week the press bureau of the Post Office Department announced that no cen- tennial commemorative would be authorized. When an explanation was demanded, it was hinted that an objection had been raised by the State Department. The proposed stamp perhaps might be regarded as “a gesture of friendship to Great Britain” and “an affront to Germany and Russia.”” American neutrality perhaps would be infringed. Condi- tions being what they are, it was “thought best” not to proceed with the production of the special issue. It is a fair question, however, as to whether the people of the United States, frankly hostile to the aggres- sor nations as they are, desire any such concession made to them. The influence of the Nazi and the Bol- shevik dictators, surely, ought not to be extended to so small a matter as an American postage sticker intend- ed to testify to the debt of gratitude which the whole world owes to Sir Rowland Hill, the great postal re- former, - m} to Jacob Perkins, the \ Massachusetts inventor of steel en- graving, who was his colleague. Stamp collectors, as might be ex- pected, protest the decision. To them it is of small importance that Hill was an Englishman. They would have wanted the commemorative even if he had been a German or a Russian. It is their hope that the logic of their argument may yet be recognized, but, even if it is not, their celebration will be something to re- member. Anniversary The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, today °celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of its creation by the Federal Government, finds itself in the midst of what per- haps is its outstanding period of usqfulness and real service to the American people. War pressure abroad has made im- perative the most rapid possible de- velopment of all the weapons of war. particularly of the military airplane. The increasing demands of air trans- portation and private flying in our own haven of peace necessitate con- tinued improvement of aircraft and aircraft engines and accessories. To the N. A. C. A. the Federal Gov- ernment has entrusted virtually all of the Nation's basic aeronautical research work. Upon the fundamen- tal findings of the N. A. C. A. scientists in the Langley Memorial Laboratories, Langley Field, Virginia, much of our aeronautical progress during the last quarter-century has been based. Since the outbreak of hostilities in Europe—or, rather, since the threat of hostilities which came with the casting off by Germany of the shackles of the Versailles treaty —European nations have poured millions of dollars into funda- mental areonautical research. De- spite a lack of increased appropri- ations, abroad. Last year, however, the sit- uation became alarming and Con- gress moved to create a second aeronautical research establishment for this country. The new labora- tories are being constructed by the N. A. C. A. at Sunnyvale, California. The N. A. C. A. during the last twenty-five years has been respon- sible for an impressive series of fun- damental improvements in aircraft and engine design which have kept this Nation in the forefront of aero- nautical development. The fact that American airplanes and engines are to be found on the airlines of the world, under the flags of a score of nations, and that they are playing a European war is not due to chance but to the basic excellence of their design. Among the outstanding develop- | ments fathered by the N. A. C. A. laboratories are the modern cowling for radial air-cooled engines, a de- velopment which enormously in- creased the speed and efficiency of American airplanes and which won for the N. A. C. A. the coveted Collier Trophy; the proper location of engines with relation to the airplane wing, which revolutionized the design of large bombardment and transport | airplanes; constant improvement in { Senator appears to have fallen into | wing shapes, indispensable to the design of the modern high-speed air- plane; the design of cooling fins for airplane engines to permit the most efficient location and operation of | aircraft power plants; the aerody- namic stressing of airplane wings and structural members to obtain requisite strength without undue weight; the application of wing flaps and other devices to reduce airplane landing speeds; the im- provement of control at low speeds to increase landing and takeoff safety; improvement of aircraft sta- bility at all speeds, preventing un- controlled spins and other undesir- able characteristics. These developments have affected profoundly the design and perform- ance of American aircraft. Research | projects now in progress hold prom- ise of further gains of as great im- portance. Creation and maintenance of the N. A. C. A. has paid rich returns to the American people dur- ing the last quarter century. Con- tinuance and expansion of this vital research agency promise even more valuable returns in the future. Mayor La Guardia states that the New York police department is one hundred per cent police and zero per cent politics. Some of us who are not 50 old can remember the days of Bill Devery when it was almost exactly the other way. The new “low” in advertising for the year seems to have beén at- tained by boosters for one of the big Western national parks. This is the phrase: “Pink-fleshed trout— whoppers—that allow themselves to be caught without a struggle.” The Old Testament phrase of “corn and oil” for supplies essential to mankind, has given place to the modern “wheat and oil.” = Wheat and corn in this case are synony- mous, but, oh, what a difference in the word “oil”! Little Switzerland has brought her hog population up from about a million in 1937 to 1,120,000. It is a good bet that no canny Swiss was subsidized for refraining to raise any or for killing any already born. American bicycles are being intro- duced into Turkey. This may be in the nature of a return for those Turkish trousers introduced here in the gay nineties by Daisy Belle. French may be the traditional language of diplomacy, but talking turkey seems to be the most efficient linguistic medium, - s , the N. A. C. A. worked nobly | to keep abreast of the developments | L e doerinnt makg Of Stars, Men And Atoms Notebook of Science Progress In Field, Laboratory And Study By Thomas R. Henry. Greenland is a land where, among the Eskimos, white men are regarded with- out prejudice as a breed of dogs. That is what some of Denmark’s for- mer subjects will think of the militant, race-proud “Aryans” who have taken over the mother country. The yclose relation between the white man and the dog, it is shown by ethno- logical literature on file at the United States National Museum, is fundamental in the Greenlander’s concept of things. The Eskimo has both the body and soul of the human being. The white man has, at the utmost, only the body. However humiliating to folks obsessed with ideas of Aryan supremacy, the Greenlander does not mean to refiect on the character or intelligence of the fair-skinned animals from the South. A dog with the body of a man, they hold, may be every bit as good as a real man, In some respects he may be even better. This curious aspect of the Eskimo's folk lore was investigated in detail more than 2> years ago by the Danish ex- plorer and ethnologist, G. Holm, but his reports are available only in technical publications. It is tied up closely with the dread shown at telling one's real name. A real human must have a body, a soul and a name. Each of the three is of equal importance. The pos- sessor of a man's name has as much power over him as the possessor of his body. The name, which is of the same size as the person, is joined with the body short- ly after birth. Usually it has belonged to some ancestor and has been wander- ing around loose ever since the original owner’s death. It must be revealed only to trusted persons. Otherwise de- rogatory things are apt to be said about it, it will become insulted, and will leave its new owner. He probably will die. For a white man, who is only a kind much difference. To the Greenlander a white man is a kavdlunak, a creature with a dog soul in a body quite similar to the actual human form. The soul is his true self. This zoological classification is not intended to be 1n anyway derogatory. There are two other dog-man races in the same category. One group of cousins of the white man are the erkileks. They have the heads and chests of men and the trunks and legs of dogs. Only the magicians, of course, have ever seen them. Unlike the havdlunaks, regarded generally as nice, friendly animals, the erkileks are hostile to mankind. The other cousins are the timerseks. | They also dwell in the interior. They have the form of man but are much more and more important role in the jinsEeiomakalifaspiioR Rk modbont e uniak, is long. The soul of timersek alone is as large as a man. The soul of the average human being is only as large | They live chiefly by as the little finger. hunting with the bow and arrow rein- deers, white grouse, hares and foxes. When they get very hungry, they come down to the sea and harpoon seals and walrus. For the most part, the timereks are enemies of the human race. Occasion- ally they kidnap one or two men. Oc- casionally, however, they live on friendly terms and may even exchange wives with some of the magicians. At least, the magicians say they do. The Greenlanders believe in spirits which surround them everywhere, but are seen only by initiated persons. Members of the true human race, in dis- tinction from the white men, are the inersauks. They live under the sea, but, otherwise, engage in much the same oc- cupations as men They have some- what broader bodies than human beings, | close-cropped heads, and no noses. The magicians sometimes visit them under the sea, where they always have plenty of meat. In the beginning, the Green- landers believe, the earth was flat, and there was no water. Then the earth burst, the water poured forth and men were hurled into the cracks. Those who suffered this fate became the sea dwellers. Perhaps, the most fearful superna- tural being of the Eskimo is the protector of these people. She is the sea woman in whose hair dwell the seals, narwhals and other marine animals. They are her “head lice.” Upon the care with which she combs her hair depends.the abundance of these creatures in any varticular season. In the sea also live Tornasak and his helper, Aperketek. The former is described as being as long as a big seal but much thicker in proportion. His head and back paws are like those of a seal, while his forepaws are long as a man’s arm but thicker, and end in fins. Aperketek may be as much as 4 feet long. He is black, and has nippers in his head. Off the east coast of Greenland lies & fairly large island which the natives know as Akilinek. Both the men and the animals there, the Greenlanders say, are of enormous size. The human beings are more closely related to the dogs and white men than to actual men and women, The Greenlander is surrounded by fearsome supernatural beings, seen only in tempests by ordinary people but fre- quently observed by the magicians. There are the gobajoks, pot-bellied women with long, iron finger nails; the narrasejots, hairless, naked, shrieking beings who carry iron knives in their hands; maka- kajuiks, hairless beings who rob men of their seals; and tarajuatsiaks, who are less than men and have pointed, bald heads. Commends Speaker On Star Radio Forum. ‘To the Editor of The Star: Mr. Lawrence Duggan's address on inter-American relations made on Mon- day under the auspices of your National Radio Forum was the most elaborate and comprehensive I ever heard over the radio on that subject. 1t was particularly gratifying, I believe, to the interested listeners, that in at least two instances, Mr. Duggan stressed the importance to Americans of know- ing Spanish and Portuguese languages, in order to make closer our commercial and cultural relations with the southern neighbors. Strangely enough, this fact is rarely brought out by the speakers and writers on Latin America. ALEXANDER H. YACOBY. New York, N. Y. April 16, | hatch is fairly common. “UNIVERSITY PARK, Md. “Dear Sir: “I was somewhat surprised at the statement in your column that ths red- breasted nuthatch is a rare bird, seldom seen in this vicinity. “These nuthatches have been regular daily visitors at my window sill feeding station for the past two winters. “Since at this station it is possible to view both the red-breasted and the white-breasted nuthatches at very close range, there can be no doubt of their identity. “Also, I have been very well acquainted with the red-breasted nuthatch for many years in Northern Minnesota, where the species is very common. “Sincerely yours, L. Z.” EEE This column is very likely to think of a species as rare if a specimen does not come to our own yard! That is & human vagary, no doubt. ‘We tend to think of a thing as rare if we do not see it, common if other folks see it. This particular observer has indentified 55 species of birds in one nearby Mary= land garden. He is, perhaps, to be forgiven if what he has not seen is held by him to be “rare.” Some of the books indicate that the red-breasted nuthatch is common enough around here, in certain years, quite rare in others, x % x Perhaps another criterion this column goes on, as to the commonness or scarcity of any particular bird, is the number of times readers ask about it. In past years, no word of inquiry has been received as to the red-breasted variety, although many correspondents have spoken of the white-breasted nut- hatch. This winter, on the other hand, several persons have written about the former. This season must be, therefore, one of those in which the red-breasted nut- No one seems to be able to account for the vagary of | the bird in this respect. It is just another case of now you see it, now you don't. Most. amateur bird observers, as we are all, do not hesitate to think of birds as either rare or common, according to the frequency with which they appear in any one garden. We believe, for instance, that blue- birds are exceedingly rare hereabouts, although at one time quite common. We know, too, that there are certain spots, in and around Washington, where they stay all winter. To persons who see them regularly, a statement that they are comparatively rare must appear rather odd. But if those same persons were to take up their stand in our yard, day and | night, for 10 years, and never see but one pair of bluebirds, no doubt they, too, would come to the conclusion that the bluebird is a rare bird, indeed. Many persons report a great many more birds, of any given species, than one person is likely to see. Really! Reports of 200 of any species, for in- stance, where ordinarily one will see only one or two pairs, may be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. Maybe they think they see that many, but, on the other hand, it may be that their enthusiasm gets the better of their judgment. We all know how that is! It is an amazing thing, how the numerical strength of things seen may increase with the telling thereof! We have all done it, and often marvelled at ourselves for the doing, but we tend to do it just the same. The fact is that the tale starts out modestly enough; it gives even the teller a “kick” to talk about 50 birds—perhaps because the number shocks even him. In the second telling, the narrator may surprise himself to find that he calmly announces 100 birds, this time. He doesn't know just why he increases the number twofold. He didn’t mean to do it, honestly. It just slipped out! Worse slippings are at hand, however. Before the day is over, the number of birds has increased to a solid 200 speci- mens, *x s Should the commonness or rarity of any species be based on city-wide dis- tribution, or the average home yard? For daily bird talk, we believe, the home garden is the best criterion. What comes, is common, and what does not come, is rare, It follows that no two observers will have exactly the same findings. It does Templeton Jones no particular good to rave about your bluebirds, if he has nothing but English sparrows. We believe that any one who has fol- lowed these discussions through the winter will ave been impressed with the variety of opinion expressed here by many observers, a sort of “get- together” in print, in which one shares with all, and all share with one. *x ¥ X x If we all found exactly the same thing, and all saw everything in exactly the same way, observing birds wouldn't be half the fun it is. Last autumn one correspondent doubt- ed this column because it spoke of eight cardinals in the yard at one time. That observer had never had but one red- bird, hence he could not credit any one who said he had eight. But since then, reports have come in of as many as 78 in one yard. Birds are where and how you find them, as we have said many times. Nature is large, she contains multi- tudes, as the poet said. She is un- changeable, in a sense, but variable, too, with an unending number of combina- tions. Before the bombs strike, let us be happy to sit in on nature’s constant | changeability, if we may so call it. Letters to Hope for Justice Seen In Walter-Logan Bill To the Editor of The Star: On the facade of the new building of the Department of Justice appears the inscription: “Where Law Ends Tyranny Begins.” This is an arresting but untrue state- ment. Tyranny begins well within the “law” | and it exists when the administration of “law” can defeat justice. Such a situation is presented when the concept upon which the law is based is unjust, or when the law is not administered impartially, or when the impediments | between the individual (or body) and a just result induce him to relinquish his cause though it be a just one. Any government which indulges in, or con- dones, such practices, or does not ter- minate them once they have become apparent, is tyrannous. The background for the separation of the legislative, executive and judicial functions incorporated in the American Federal Constitution was a long and costly experience with the sovereign executive, which in Great Britain once reduced the judiciary to agents of the sovereign-executive will. There was nothing new in a more recent attempt except the actors. It is implicit in the Constitution that the judicial function remain independent and apart from other functions of government and that there be free ac- cess to the courts. Yet a school of indoctrinated cir- cumventionists, skilled in ways of avoid- ing the letter of the Constitution, have, in disregard of its basic principles, and the experience upon which they are grounded, constructed “executive agen- cies” which, under the guise of ad- ministering some “act” of Congress committed to their charge, not only legislate, but try before themselves such as they select for the distinction. And they have even claimed, and sought to establish, that their decisions are final and not reviewable by the courts. In other words, we have arrived at what Lord Hewart of Bury (Lord Chief Justice of England) characterizes as “The New Despotism.” The Walter-Logan bill is designed - to scotch it and to restore the American idea (and British, too—for that matter) that the administration of justice should be wholly lodged in a skilled and in- dependent judiciary. It should become law. “The true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government.” It cannot exist where the citizen’s ac- cess to the courts is circumscribed or limited. HARRISON TILGHMAN. April 15. Union Blamed for Collapse Of Orchestra. To the Editor of The Star: I think it will be generally conceded that the duty of the leader of a labor union is to secure the best wages and working conditions possible for the men whom he represents. - Therefore, .no blame can be attached to the leader of the local Musicians’ Protective Union for the original effort to get increased pay for the musicians in the Nmonnl Bym- phony Orchestra. After long ne'ot.htlon, the union leader not only has not succeeded in T 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! on the contrary, has destroyed their Jjobs entirely. Perhaps it is not yet too late for him to redeem himself, and secure better pay for the musicians, by | accepting the compromise plan of the Labor Department conciliator, which | has already been accepted by the direc- | tors of the orchestra. If he persists in his present stand, it will be evidence of incapacity for the position of respon- | sibility which he occupies. The union should also consider that | destruction of the Symphony Orchestra may also quite conceivably cause a con- siderable decrease in the demand for the services in other ways of union musicians, on account of the natural resentment which symphony supporters will feel toward the union. The directors of the orchestra have made every possible effort to reach an agreement which would permit continu- ance of the orchestra. If the orchestra is destroyed, the musicians’ union must shoulder the responsibility. April 16. MARY P. MEYER. Sermon On Meanness In Politics Recalled. To the Editor of The Star: Some 40 years ago, at an evening serv- ice of his church, a decided stir in the congregation was noticeable as the Rev. T. Dewitt Talmadge spoke of the “mean- ness of American politics.” It was evi- dent that many members of Congress were listening to the sermon. That phrase as he spoke it was unforgettable. A great many instances have been noted since that time. Among those of late years the smear-Hoover campaign is a fine example. Today no one regrets it more than the men who financed it. Then there was the exceedingly bitter editoriul written by Claude Bowers on Hoover’s Des Moines speech in which he stated that the gold standard was threat- ened. No charge made in the cam- paign equalled it in bitterness and venom. Today it hurts only the writer. Later when the gold standard was changed, a cry was heard clear from Spain calling for relief from hardship caused by the change. A petty instance was the changing of the name of the Hoover dam by Secre- tary Ickes. That good Democrat, Will Rogers, in his daily comment, showed how hurt he felt that a member of his party showed sueh vindictiveness. It may havé given Mr. Ickes great satisfac- tion to make that change, but one can not imagine Democrats like Garner, Al Smith, or Jim Farley doing anything like that. Now we are informed that men are wanted with “iron in their blood” as bureau chiefs. So we are to have real bureaucratic Government. Will that be better than democratic Government? It is feared not by many able men. The attack on Dewey reminds us that Jefferson was attacked in a similar manner. Some bureaucrat may prohibit the use of the Encyclopaedia Britannica a8 it records that Jefferson was “a good violinist, a good singer and & fine dancer. Let us hope we can have a campaign with more honest debate and far less of meanness. A. T. LEITH. April 16, Answers To Questions By Frederic J. Haskin. A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Evee ning Star Informaticn Bureau, Fred- eric J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. Who said that the allies rode to victory on a sea of oil?—B. O. M. A. Lord Curzon said, “The allied fleets floated to victory on a sea of oil.” Q. Who is head of the Federal Re- serve system?—J. M. A. Marriner Stoddard Eccles is chaire man of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Q. At what age level are most arrests made?—R. R. A. According to the United States De- partment of Justice, there are more ar- rests for age 19 than for any other single age group. Q. Who popularized the song “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”?—A. F. A. The song was popularized in 1912 by Chauncey Olcott. Q. How many hot dogs were eaten at the New York World's Falr last year?— w.J. A. Visitors to the fair consumed 15,~ 800,000 hot dogs. Q. What is the name of the Senator from Missouri who was President of the United States for a day?—G. F. T. A. For many years there has been an apparently well-grounded opinion that David Rice Atchison, a Senator from Missouri, actually officiated as President of the United States for a day between March 3, and March 5, 1849, when President Taylor was inaugurated, due to the fact that the 4th of March fell on Sunday. The Biographical Die rectory of Members of Congress, which is compiled from official sources, cone tradicts this, the facts being as follows: Senator Atchison, who had been Presie dent Pro Tempore of the Senate, termie nated his office as Senator on March 3, 1849. He was re-elected for the term beginning March 4, 1849, but this day falling on Sunday, he did not qualify un= til Monday, March 5, and was thereupon elected President Pro Tempore of the Senate for the purpose of administering the oath of office to the Senators-elect. Q. Is it true that the first silk stockings - were worn by men?—B. H. A. Henry VIII of England wore the first knitted silk stockings, which came from Spain. Q. What city uses the slogan “Cli- mate Best by Government Test"?— R.D. H. A. Redwood City, Calif. Q. How many kinds of bent grass are there?>—D. E. W. A. There are 33 species of bent grass in the United States. Q. What is anchor ice?—J. S. A. Anchor ice, sometimes found at the bottom of a river, consists of an aggregation of small crystals or needles of ice frozen at the surface of rapid open water, and probably carried below by the force of the stream. Q. Did Darwin write a book on or- chids?—N. G. H. A. His treatise on “The Fertilization of Orchids” was published in 1862. Q. What is the word that describes the execution of a criminal by smearing him with honey and subjecting him to | the bites of insects?—W. M. B. A. Scaphism was an ancient Persian method of confining a criminal in a trough, covering his body with honey or the like and exposing him to the sun and insects. Q. How much money was spent last year for farm relief?>—C. T. C. A. The amount spent for the fiscal | year ending June 30, 1939, was $1,043,« 42483894. This includes money ap- propriated for the Farm Credit Organi- zations. Q. Who are the Four Norsemen on the radio?—J. B. 8. A. The quartet consists of Theodore T. Kline, tenor; Adrian Revers, second tenor; [Edwin Lindstrom, baritone; Kenneth Schon, bass. Q. What is the name in India for the part of a house where women stay?—D. M. A. Zenana is the name for that part of the house which is set apart for the women. In Bengal, the rules governing the seclusion of women are very strict, and there the zenana {is a separate build ing, to the rear of the one occupied by the men. Q. Who is the patron saint against toothache?—R. F. A. St. Apollonia of Alexandria. Q. What is the origin of taking the census?—K. R. T. A. The Old Testament records the enumeration at the Exodus of the fight- ing strength of the children of Israel and of the non-military Levites. In the Roman census, from which the modern custom derives its name, the members and property of every family were enumerated quinquennially for the pur- pose of determining their civil status and correspdnding liabilities. Dating from pre-republican Rome, the Roman census ‘was extended by Augustus in 6 B. C. to the Roman empire and thus covered the whole of the civilized world of those times. Q. Who was M;oroi Kansas City in 1900?—R. B. A. Mr. James A. Reed. A Mother's Prayer Oh, Mary, Mother of the Christ, with anguished heart I pray Be at the very door of heaven to greet my child today, And take him gently in your arms, and soothe his fears away. Of all the hosts who gather before the Great White Throne There is not one among them my Mttle lad has known; ©Oh, he will feel so strange and lost, so frightened and alone. ‘You are another Mother; I know when day was done Yeuomncndledonywrbrunm own beloved Son Oh, Mary, I beuoeh yO\l. watch o'er my little one. BESSIE 8. BUNTEN. * ’ i