Evening Star Newspaper, May 7, 1940, Page 8

oAb g | he Bty THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor. WASHINGTON, D. C. AY. —— R R P e The Evening Star Newspaper Company, Main Office: 11th St »2d Peunsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd 8t. Chicego Office: 435 North Michigan Ave. Delivered by Carrier—City and Suburban, Regular Edition. ening and Sunday.75C per mo. or 18c per week e Evening Star .__ 45¢ per mo. or 10c per week The Sunday Star 2 10¢ per copy Night Final Edi num Final and Sundey Star ight Final Star ~-85¢ per month 0¢ per month Rural Tube Delivery. The Evening and Sunday Star._.. R3¢ per month e Evening Star - 53¢ per month e Sunday Star Z10¢ per copy Collection made at the end of each month or each week. Orders may be sent by malil or tele- Phone National 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. g:ny and Sunday_ 1 yr. $12.00; 1 mo. $1.00 dly only - yr. $8.00: 1 mo., 76 Sunday only. $5.00: 1 mo., 50¢ Entered as second-class matter Dost office, ‘Washington. D. C. Member of the Associated Press, The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it cr not otherwise credited In this Baper and also the local news publisned hercin: Al rights of publication of svecial dispatches herein also are reserved. —_— The _Mun of Sorrows Americans who have read Carl Sandburg’s voluminous “Abraham Lincoln—The War Years” under- stand, if they did not know before, :why the Great Emancipator was “called “the man of sorrows.” If they . will gpply the analogy of Lincoln’s ordeal before Gettysburg, and even in the two subsequent years before Appomattox, to the trials and tribu- lations of Neville Chamberlain, peo- .- ple in this country will have a better comprehension of the plight which the British Prime Minister faces in the House of Commons today and tomorrow. For two days the Chamberlain government, in a manner of speak- ing, will be on trial for its life. Its survival may depend on its success or failure in convincing Parliament that allied reverses in Norway are not due to what David Lloyd George ‘ in last Sunday’s Star branded as Anglo-French “blunders, ineptitude and slackness.” Throughout the Civil War, until " the tide of battle turned defhitely in the Union’s favor, Abraham Lin- coln was the target of precisely the same kind of criticism, hostility and abuse as that now leveled at Cham- berlain. Lincoln’s antagonists en- visioned the Confederacy in certain victory because of the North’s appar- ent inability to conquer Dixie and her valiant though hard-pressed armies. In Chamberlain’s case, of course, his detractors assail him for political and military errors that antedate the present ill-starred campaign. Their indictment includes, as Lloyd George puts it, “a series of incredible botch- eries.” It ranges all the way from Britain's indifference to Germany’s rearmament (at a cost of 90.000,000,~ 000 marks in six years, by Hitler’s own admission), to the “irresponsi- ble” guarantee of Poland’s integrity. Some of these alleged British blun- derings occurred before Neville Chamberlain became Prime Minister —Ilike the failure betimes to match the creation of Goering’s air force and to oppose the Reich's rearma- ment, including remilitarization of the Rhineland. But for events since then the Birmingham manufacturer turned statesman will be held squarely responsible as he faces Liberal and Labor attacks and even carping from his own Tory ranks when “the Gallipoli of 1940” is under fire this week. It is Chamberlain the appeaser at whom the barrage will be aimed, the man who brought home “peace in our time” from Munich, which only paved the road to Poland .and Norway. The latest indications are that the Chamberlain-Churchill war regime will survive the onslaught it is about to undergo. The government’s sup- porters compose a top-heavy, over- all majority of the House of Com- mons. It can afford the defection even of a considerable number of its embittered constituents and yet pre- vail. Attacks on the mismanage- ment of the Scandinavian campaign eventually may induce Mr. Chamber- —lain to revamp his cabinet, but it is doubtful, as he proceeds to meet his severest parliamentary test, that his government will fall. Britain and France still are the masters at sea. German air power ~has not paralyzed allied initiative, as attested by current Anglo-French naval moves in the Mediterranean. But as a consequence of what im- pends within the historic walls of Westminster, a new impetus is al- most inevitably about to be given the Chamberlain government's war effort. John Bull’s spirit is far from broken, his resources far from ex- hausted, but he is unmistakably on the brink of lost patience with a “muddling through” policy which has produced nothing but defeat and “loss of prestige, especially among neutrals. Any Nazi who reads de- spair and readiness for a Hitler peace into Britain’s criticism of her war leadership is woefully ignorant. of the character of the nation that never knows when it's beaten. Treaties and Bombs Few persons or nations would op- pose the idea of an international agreement to prohibit the bombing of helpless and unprotected civilians, as indorsed by President Roosevelt ! In his letter to.the annual conven- . tion of the American Red _Cross. ! This barbarous offshoot of modern totalitarian warfare was aptly de- scribed by Mr. Roosevelt as “a trag- edy which has aroused the horror i of all mankind.” The United States i has been most outspoken against the horror and has implemented its sen- '_timent with a ‘moral embargo” that . THE EVENING to. any nation guilty of unprovoked civilian bomb- ing. It is inconceivable that any na- tion would openly advocate such wholesale slaughter of the innocent or refuse to take part in a joint agreement outlawing it. Why, then, has not such an agreement been made, since the International Red Cross suggested it in 1938? The rather shocking but obvious conclusion is that the world’s states- men have not taken the trouble to sign a pact to which none would ob- ject because they feel that it would be .a futile gesture. Nations whose leaders are sincere in their horror of bombing civilians are not going to start the practice, anyway. Those guilty of the bombings that have out- raged mankind already have shown their contempt for “scraps of paper.” Treatigs renouncing war and aggres- sion have meant nothing to Ger- many, Russia, Japan, Italy. Is there any reason to believe another treaty would have kept bombs from falling “indiscriminately on civilians in Po- land, Finland, China, Ethiopia? The answer is that among the countries involved in war with the totalitarian states only those prepared to reply in kind have been spared the whole- sale death from the skies. There may be a lesson for us in the fact that, so far at least, the big civilian centers of France and Eng- land have not been subjected to the type of “horror” warfare that devas- tated Poland and Finland. The allies probably could bomb Berlin as well as the Germans could Bomb Paris and London. Apparently the power to exact an “eye for an eye” is the saving factor. But the United States looks for- ward to the day when force no long- er will be a necessary instrument of national policy. We are uphelding the principles of respect for treaties, international law, justice and de- cency in the face of their breakdown in some parts of the world. So it is well that the President give what | impetus he can to steps for outlawing civilian bombing. Perhaps, some day, the idea can be made efiective. In the meantime, America should make | sure that she is prepared to meet with force any attack that may be directed against her. — Washington’s Symphony With their goal set at $107,600, campaign workers started out yes- terday to seek Washington citizens who wish to provide the money nec- essary to sustain the National Sym- phony Orchestra for the coming year. After the dark days of a few weeks | ago, when the orchestra played at Constitution Hall what was believed to be its last concert, the outlook to- day is the brightest in years. Diffi- culties which have been an annual stumbling block finally hdve been amicably settled, and how long a season is to be planned for the next year depends entirely upon the in- terest shown by residents of the city. Washington’s need for its Sym- phony cannot be minimized. It is a great musical organization which is a distinct credit to the Capital of the United States. been to all classes, a fact most dra- who throng Potomac Park to hear the Water Gate concerts. To these listeners, who in their hearts love fine music and really appreciate the value of the orchestra to the com- munity, but who for various reasons have felt unable in the past to par- ticipate in assisting in keeping the organization alive, new opportunities are being offered this year. Naturally, any great artistic en- deavor must depend to a large extent upon the support of a comparatively few persons of wealth who are in po- sition to make large gifts. This is true of the National Symphony. In the past assistance of this type has been the chief means of support, and such help remains the foun- dation of the sustaining fund. But now, becguse of the known wide- spread public interest in the orches- tra, and the obvious desire of thou- sands of Washingtonians to do what they can, whether their aid be great or small, methods of participating are being presented through various channels of publicity. Through these means it is possible for every interested resident of the city to become a patron of the Na- tional Symphony. Juvenile Court President Roosevelt’s reappoint- ment of Judge Fay Bentley to the Juvenile Court hench serves two pur- poses. It assures the court of the continued services of a judge with long experience in dealing with prob- lems of child delinquency, and, in effect, it absolves Judge Bentley of charges by a few critics that she has, on occasion, displayed temperamental unfitness for the highly important judicial tasks entrusted to her. Most of the criticism had centered around specific cases—presented as typical— which sought to show high-handed and arbitrary conduct by the court. The presentation was, however, from one point of view only. That the de- partment was satisfled with Judge Bentley’s handling of the disputed cases is apparent from the fact that Attorney General Jackson recom- mended that she be continued in office. Judge Bentley was supported for \reappointment by many organiza- tions and individuals concerned with child welfare in the District. They had been impressed with her devo- tion to the cause of preventing juve- nile delinquency at its spurce—the home—rather than “attempting to deal with the problem solely through penological methods. Under the new D Its 1 | appeal here has | been the purpose or effect of the matically evidenced by the thousands | E2mbIns Sontu nou VAo iresLERin o from her court, she has had good opportunity to put into practice her humane theories. The results, on the whole, have been beneficial, Judge Bentley's renomination is a well-de- served recognition of her sincere ef- forts to serve as counselor and friend, rather than staid jurist, to the sev- eral thousand unfortunate children brought into her courtroom every year. Price-Fixing Banned The decision of the Supreme Court that the Sherman Anti-Trust Act prohibits price-fixing in any form by industry has far-reaching implica- tions. Government spokesmen were quick to hail it as a powerful weapon in the campaign on trade restraints in which the Department of Justice currently is engaged. At the same time it stands as a .warning to business, that no matter how far conditions might seem to justify price agreements, this method of meeting economic needs cannot be utilized. “Price-fixing combinations which lack congressional sanction are il- legal per se; they are not evaluated in terms of their purpose, aim, or effect in the elimination of so-called competitive evils,” said the court, in the opinion by Justice Douglas on which the tribunal divided, five to two. The decision was rendered in the so-called “Madison oil case,” and re- versed a ruling by the Seventh Cir- cuit Court of Appeals, which had granted a new trial to twelve major oil companies and five officials who had been convicted of conspiring to raise the price of gasoline in ten Midwestern States. These defendants were members of a group of more than ninety com- panies and individuals indicted in Madison, Wisconsin, about three years ago for combining to stabilize the gasoline price structure that was being wrecked by “hot oil” flooding the market in the five Southwestern oil-producing States. The plan called for the purchase of “distress” gaso- line from independent producers who were unable to compete with the “hot 0il” production, and the de- fense contended that prices had been affected only in the sense that the removal of the distress gasoline from the market had permitted prices to rise to normal competitive levels, and that there had been no undue re- straint of trade. The Government alleged that the real aim of the plan was to raise the | price of gasoline in the marketing area. In reversing the convictions, the Court of Appeals said that the trial court erroneously had charged the jury that a price-fixing combination was, as a matter of law, illegal, and the dissent by Justice Roberts, in which Justice McReynolds joined, adhered to this conclusion. “No case decided by this court has held a combination illegal solely be- cause its purpose or effect was to raise prices,” sald Justice Roberts. “The criterion of legality has always merce.” The broad language of the decision opens an interesting field of specula- tion in connection with the ruling shortly expected from the court on the applicability of the Sherman Act to labor, for at one point Justice Douglas declared that “any combina- tion which tampers with price struc- tures is engaged in an unlawful activity.” This principle could bear importantly on Government charges in the building industry cleanup that unions have conspired with employer groups to raise the price of materials Skywriting Plus The other night in Toronto citi- zens gaped at a huge billboard in the sky and rubbed their eyes to see if it were true. It turned out that the source of the sign was a projection machine which sent twelve-foot let- ters, clearly visible, two thousand feet into the night air. Among enthusiastic observers was I. D. Facem, prominent billboard operator. “This is all that was needed,” he said, “to cause the plane to replace the auto. Hitherto the sky has been a liability, not an asset; just a gloomy waste with a string of use~ less stars in it, with a wobbly moon unable to decide what shape or) size it wants to be. It has been no good to any one except a few astronomers, poets, spooners and nature lovers. Just wait till I muscle in on it! From the ground, it will take on a weird unearthly beauty, causing the be- holder to gasp in admiration as he sees spread in crimson glory across the heavens the inspiring admoni- tion, ‘Chew Chisel’'s Chicle’ No longer will the night flyer wing his lonely way across the barren un- charted trails of space. Instead, he will keep on Skyway 40 with effortless ease by following the ‘Go Get Guz- zle’s Gasoline” sign in the red and green letters. He can even fly right through them with no damage to our property, whereas his brother on the ground, alas, all too often crashes into one of our signs and severely fractures its advertising value.” A war correspondent speaks of the sound of the bugles of the famed French Chasseurs Alpins up in Nor- way. One cannot judge of the num- ber or position-of troops in that ter- rain very well; those crags give off a lot of echoes. - S ———— Hungary warns Slovakia not to hide behind any German guarantee. mmeomdmmlyboshuml_n hiding place. A .3 of Sturs,'Men And Atoms Notebook of Science Progress In Field, Laboratory And Study By Thomas R. Henry. Vitamin D is trapped sunshine. In nearly every animal cell there is a peculiar chemical structure known as a sterol.~ Similar structures are among the primary building stones of life, This particular sterol is abundant in the skin. It becomes active when struck by waves of the invisible ultraviolet light in sunshine. Then, in some way not clearly understood, it enables the system to absorb from the stomach the calcium and phosphorus in the food that make teeth and bones. It makes no essential differ- ence whether the sunshine is trapped as it is needed in the skin of the growing child or by a haltbut or codfish, which stores it away in its liver. A new-born child hardly can be said to have “bones.” Their place is taken by rather stiff cartilage. This cartilage must be filled up with calcium and phos- phorus to become hard bone. It is the D vitamin, the trapped sunshine, which makes this possible. If there is not a sufficient supply on hand the bones grow weak and crooked—constituting the widespread disease of childhood known as rickets. The anti-rickets effect of sunshine is dependent on its ultraviolet intensity, which varies with several factors, among which is the altitude of the sun above the horizon. This explains in part the greater prevalence of rickets and the in- creased need of vitamin D in the diet during the winter and early spring when the sun's altitude is low and there are not so many sunny days. It also explains why the disease is more common in the North than in the South. Nature has tried, not very successfully, to compensate. The fair-skinned races of the North make better use of the sun- shine they receive than the dark-skinned peoples of the South. There is consid- erable storage of the vitamin during the summer experiments with animals indi- cate. A summer at the beach may sup- ply & child with enough of the essential substance to last all winter. Rickets is still quite prevalent among the children of the Northern States, especially in the slum areas of the big cities. Very little is known about the results of vitamin D deficiency in older children and adults. Like vitamin C, it has been credited with preventing infec- tions during the winter, The vitamin occurs in a relatively few animal and fish foods. There is no con- clusive evidence that it ever is found in plants. For many years after its dis- covery cod liver oil was the richest known source. Now it is known that several fish liver oils, such as those of the halibut, tuna, salmon, sardine and swordfish, are even better. There are small’ amounts in liver, cream, whole milk and oysters. Also, some plant foods | contain a substance which can be | changed into vitamin D by ultraviolet | irradiation, either from sunlight or by sun lamps. . A “spoonful of cod liver oil contains about 300 units of the substance, and the Department of Agriculture sets forth the following requirements: Artificially fed babies, 300 to 800 units; breast fed babies, 300 to 400; premature children, 600 to 800; children and adolescents, 300 to 800; pregnant women, 300 to 800. The latter must build up a reserve supply for the expected babies. For other adults there is no known require- ment. Probably even the average factory or office worker gets enough sunshine during the year to manufacture in his | own skin the minimum amounts re- quired. Vitamin E is the reproduction vita- min—for rats and probably for human beings. There is no positive evidence that man needs it at all. Without it a female rat cannot bear living young. The same is not true, for instance, with goats. Extensive experiments at the Towa State Experiment Station show that these animals reproduce successfully not only with none of the vitamin in their food but with none demonstrable in their body tissues or milk. The one conclusively demonstrated function of the vitamin in the human being is that it tends to prevent abor- tion in women. Habitual abortion is quite a rare condition. Probably enough vitamins for all actual needs are con- taimed in the average diet. It is widely distributed in nature. The germ portion of wheat is an especially rich source, while vegetable oils, green leaves and eggs contain considerable amounts. One other vitamin, now known to exist In two forms, is essential to the human being, but there is no reason to believe that the average person does not get enough of it in ordinary diets. It is vitamin K, the blood-clotting vitamin. It is especially essential in new-born in- fants. - The richest source of this vitamin is alfalfa. It occurs in most other green leaves. Withering or yellowing of fhe leaves appears to have no effect onvit. Socialist League Secretary Criticizes Arms Makers. To tie Editor of The Star: i War means death and destruction for soldiers—young workers and students. To munitions makers, however, it brings handsome returns. An analysis of the inflated profits made by English arma- ment firms last year shows how war becomes the rich soil for & bumper har- vest of dividends to a select few. Vickers, English Steel. and - Cammel Laird, three of the largest British gun and bullet companies, each paid divi- dends of 10 per cent on its capital stock during 1939. /Swan-Hunter, another death-making firm, paid 15 per cent for that year. Even though these dividends are extraordinary, they still do not rep- resent the actua! profits made by these companies. The Economist, apologist for English industrial and financial war profiteers, says that Vick- ers, to cite one example, if it had de- cided, could have paid a dividend of 20 per cent! Another English armament firm, Had- fields, had to placate its stockholders with a measly 22% per cent dividend last year. Its actual profit was 35 per-cent! If the British men and women wili tighten their belts a little more, work harder, put in longer hours manufac- turing deadly weapons, maybe they can boost the 1940 profits of Vickers and his ilk to 50 per cent! PAUL.SIMMONS, Secretary, Young People's Socialist Leagus, Washington Circle. ‘May 8. 3 fy | away every catbird that came [ STAR, WASHINGTON, D.'C, TUESDAY, MAY 7, 180 THIS AND THAT By Charles E. Tracewell. Here's a reader who thinks that the starling has the most melocdious song of all, “In your column,” he writes, “I noticed that some reader wrote of having seen some catbirds this spring, and I was glad to know of it, for they have been most interesting around our terrace the last year or two. “One, in particular, has afforded much amusement to the family, and as we have breakfast on an open terrace, whenever the weather permits, in sum- mer, we have a good chance to watch the birds. -, “This one catbird had seemed more friendly than the rest, for a year or two, and last spring I would call to her, and carry on regular conversations, as she came nearer ard nearer, until she would sit‘on the back of a chair near me and then come to the glass-covered table and eat her breakfast. * K X X “I called her ‘sweetsie,’ and one day I made a terrible faux pas, for I was saying sweet nothings to the wrong bird! “I heard a familiar sound and she flew at the imposter with all the fury she could muster; she was angry and drove every catbird away, then she came to the chair back, and ‘bawled’ me out; she couldn't get over it for quite a while, but she did come back the same day, and ate some crumbs. “I tried to explain, but she didn't seem to understand. “And all the spring she would chase to the maple tree. It was very amusing. * x * X “One morning a dignified gentleman catbird came and called to her, evi- dently her mate, and he wished to know what all the fuss was about, it seemed. “She went over and sat by him, on the limb, and they surely had a short con- versation, after which he seemed satis- fied and flew away. “Meanwhile they were building a home in a thorny bush, in the front yard, and after the babies came she was much more cautious about coming very near the table, but she would snatch a piece of breakfast bacon for the babies occa- sionally. story of an English robin, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, entitled ‘My Robin,’ that I would not blame you if you | thought I had borrowed it, but it is a true story, and I know hers must have been also. “I never noticed jealousy in wild birds before, and it was surely that, for there were always other crumbs and seeds on the terrace besides the food on the table. “So I am waiting, rather impatiently, for my catbird to put in her appearance. “I want, too, to add my praise for the song of the poor hated starling. “It is the most melodious of all, in my opinion. “Yours very truly, L. P. 8. * X Xk % ‘The starling songs, as was pointed out | happened to be in an old neighborhood, | something familiar about it might at- “Now this story so coincides with the | here recently, must be listened to care- fully, in order to be sure that they really come from the starling, for this bird seems to have the ability to throw its voice, s It is particularly good in the spring, when it does its major singing. Listeners often fail to credit the proper bird for those very sweet notes they hear at this time of year. They think it is a mockingbird, when all the time it is just that squat cld starling over ‘there in the tree. “Give a dog a bad name,” etc. The catbird, too, suffers from contempt for its songs, at least some listeners fail to give it credit; but there are many bird lovers, of course, who do know that this creature is one of our best song- birds. ¥ * ok k% If there is any bird, truly, which would show jealousy, it is the catbird. Housecats have a reputation for being Jealous creatures, but not all of them are that way, by any means. Only one cat in ten, perhaps, or even a hundred, shows real jealousy. This tenth cat will shortly demon- strate that you must love it alone. If another cat is introduced into the house- hold, the jealous animal will refuse to have anything at all to do with i‘s human friend. g No doubt some birds have much the same psychology. That's a pretty hig word, to use in regard to animals, but there can be little doubt that they have brains, and where there are brains toere must be psychology, since it is but the working of the mind, or the mind in action, as it were. * X % % It is so much more difficult to keep track of our outdoor birds that we sel- dom run into such true cases of jealousy among them. Whether the catbird returns each spring to the same yard we do not know. We do not think that it does. The wren does, without doubt, but we doubt if this can be said of the catbird. On the other hand, we believe that they follow much the same migration routes year after year, and if they tract them, and cause them to fly down. * ¥ X ¥ | We are glad to find people becoming | more and more interested in the catbird. | This is one of the most splendid crea- tures in our local gardens. Few birds look any better in the grass. ‘The catbird’s blend of quiet grays and black can then be seen to best advan- tage. Even the chesty robin stands out no better on the lawn. It is an interest- ing thing, to make a comparative study of the appearances of birds on the grass as contrasted with their appearances in trees. They do not always look the | same. Sometimes a species seem much | bigger on the grass, while others some- how seem natural and beautiful on the | Letters to Tells of Bootlegging Long Before Prohibition. To the Editor of The Star: Writing in The Star some time ago concerning the so-called *“prohibition era,” Mr. Charles Mayer says: “If my memory serves me right, gang- dom was conceived during that era. Without prohibition, could there have been rum-runners and bootleggers?” Now, “if my memory serves me right,” | a very similar assertion was made re- peatedly by prominent politicians and | others during the campaign tor repeal of the eighteenth amendment, to wit, an assertion that prohibition was responsible for all the bootlegging and rum-running. Any person with sufficient experience in public affairs to have become a promi- nent politician must have known be- yond question that such an assertion was without foundation in fact. Similar assertions are frequently heard or read. As former Gov. Alfred E. Smith of New York sometimes says, “Let us take & look at the record.” No better record can be produced than the reports of the United States Commissioner of Internal Reve- nue. The act of Congress of July 1, 1862 (12 stat. 432) created the office of com- missioner and (page 446) provided for taxes, etc., on spirits, ale, beer and por- ter. This was not a prohibition law in any sense of the word, but was a revenue law passed to raise money to pay the enormous expense of the Government caused by the Civil War, It will always be found, however, that wherever govern= ment levies a tax or duty on any article, whether it be whisky, narcotics, silks, diamonds or income, persons of criminal tendencies will immediately plan how they may increase their wealth by de- feating the tax or duty. This law was no exception. - The “moonshine” snd “bootleg” practices began immediately. The report of the commissioner (E. A. Rollins), dated November 30, 1866, under the heading “Distilled Spirits,” states As follows: “The provisions of law bearing upon the-distillation of spirits * * * were in- sufficient, even in the hands of the most experienced and vigilant officers, to pre- vent frauds, either in large or small distilleries. “Great numbers of small stills, for the illicit manufacture of rum from molasses, were secreted in the garrets and cellars of the most populous cities, while many of the recognized and li- censed distilleries were run by night, their proprietors keeping fraudulent accounts. * * *” In the commissioner’s report made a year later, he says on page 9: “The frauds connected with the pro- duction and removal of spirit are of very alarming extent and character. * * *” On pege 15 he says: “The failure to collect the tax upon distilled spirits, and the imperfect col- lections from several other objects of taxation, are attributable more to the frequent changes of officers, and to the inefficiency and corruption of many of them, than to any defect in the law I write this * * * with shame, * * ¢ The law can never be thoroughly enforced ex- cept in those districts where the officers, both principal and subordinate, in the revenue and judiciary dgpartments alike; are earnestly determined that it shall active hostility of all those against whom It is enforced shall be insufficient f the removal of any officer opposed fheir plunderings. * * ¢ T honor > bough. | the Editor Letters to the Editor maust bear the name and address of the writer. although the use of a pseudonym for publication is permissible. Please be brief! and more the officer who yields neither to temptation’ nor threats, and to Hm it is due, as it is due to the country, that the revenue service be rescued from the control of purely political favor, which has for many years too largely dictated the appointments in most departments of the Government. * * * Men should be appointed to ‘place because they are needed and because they are qualified, not because they are out of employment and are the supporters of a certain polit- ical party or person.” When the commissioner said that “the law can never be thoroughly enforced,” he was writing about a revenue law such as we now have and such as was advo- cated in the campaign for repeal—he was not writing about a prohibition law. These quotations amply indicate that bootlegging and other crimes related to the liquor traffic did not arise from pro- hibition, but from the criminal greed and corruption of those in & pesition to profit by violating the law. Of course, an in- dispensable element in any such situa- tion is the lawless character of those persons who flout the law by buying from bootleggers. Without customers, there would be no bootleggers. With regard to the alleged “failure” of the prohibition law, Commissioner Rollins’ reports indicate that the same influences which have operated against the prohibition law were operating in his day against the revenue law. May 3. WILLIAM H. RAMSEY, United States Should Aid Allies, He Says. To the Editor of The Star: We may not altogether like the Brit- ish or the French. We may not alto- gether approve of what they have done in the past, or will do in the future, if they win the war. But what is the alternative? If we are willing to face the facts, to read the handwriting on the wall, in the light of recent German, Russian and Japanese history, there is no denying that the British and the French are fighting our war as well as their war. If you doubt that, ask yourself what a world this will be if Hitler, Stalin and Japan win. Who will dominate it? Can Amer- Icans be happy, contented or even safe in & worlld dominated by Germany, Russis or Japan? What was true of the first World War is doubly true of this war. If we don’t fght with the allles, we will have to fight without allies. Don’t forget that. Don't deceive yourseif into thinking: “It is their war, not ours.” The British and the French just happen to be closer to the dictators than we. But steam, gas, oil, electricity, the ship, the plane and the bomb have made the world far too small for us to escape humiliation and domination if the allies are defeated. The sooner we get into the fight the better. But how? First with our money, our resources, our credit, ' Then, if neces- sary, with all our man power. That is the best way to protect our resources, preserve our lives and effect peace—that is the only way to preserve |. our freedom. HENRY E. COLTON. Nashville, Tenn, “May & Answers To Questions By Frederic J. Haskin. A reader can get the answer to any question of jact by writing The Eve- ning Star Information Bureau. Fred- eric J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. What animal has the longest life?— M W ;\. The glant turtles of the Galapagos Islands probably attain the greatest age among animals, Q. When did, Duncan Phyfe’s work- manship begin to deteriorate?—M. W. A. “The Eneyclopedia of Furniture” says: “Duncan Phyfe's earliest work was done in Albany in the Adam-Hepple- white style of sound but undistinguished design. Arriving in New York about 1790 he built up an excellent trade with his exquisite workmanship and designs based on the Sheraton-Directoire man- ner. His productions in the best style cover about 20 years; there is little in any furniture, American or European, to excel in beauty or technique the grace of these interpretations. After 1820 the Empire styles bore down too heavily even on his mastery ‘and from that date on there was a steady decline in both artistry and quality.” ¢ Q. Please give some information about the first mission established in Texas.— G. R. A. The ancient Ysleta Mission is in the town of Ysleta, Tex., 12 miles east of El Paso on highway 80. The church is easily seen from the highway. ‘A monument, erected by ‘the State of Texas at this mission reads: “First mis« sion and pueblo in Texas. Corpus Christi de la Ysleta. Established by Don An- tonio de Otermin and Fray Francisco Ayeta, O. F. M,, in 1682 for the civilizing and Christainizing of the Tignua Indians, Pueblo Revolt refugees.” A small band of Tiguas, the last survivors of the race, still are living in Ysleta. Q. What race of people speaks the most slowly?—M. C. P. A. The slowest speech in the world is said to be Polynesian, which is spoken at the rate of 50 syllables a minute, Q. Is it possible to transfer fingerprints to another sheet of paper and make them appear genuine?—S. T, A. The Federal Bureau of Investiga- tion says that there is no known method by which fingerprints may be transferred from one object to another and made to appear genuine. Q. Please quote the Earl of Chester- field's letter to his son in which he refers to the benefits of travel —R. E. F. A. “Of journeying, the benefits are many: The freshness it bringeth to the heart, the seeing and hearing of mar- vellous things, the delight of beholding new cities, the meeting of unknown friends, the learning of high mannefs. But those who observe, and inquire into the situations, the strength, the weak- ness, the trade, the manufactures, the government and constitution of every place they go to; who frequent the best companies, and attend to their several manners and characters; those alone travel with advantage, and as they set out wise, return wiser."—Letter CXXX, October 30, 1747. Q. Where is the finest collection of early Van Goghs to be found in Europe? A. The Boymans Museum is said to have the outstanding collection., The museum is in Rotterdam. Q. Did the contestants in the ancient Olympic Games take an cath?—T. M. Gu A. Before the games all contestants made a pilgrimage to the statue of the god Zeus, where they took oath that they would abide by the rulings of the judges. This was followed by a prayer, each competitor praying for victory with the qualification of “only if I am best.” Q. Where is Light Horse Harry Lee buried?>—W. L. S. A. Light Horse Harry Lee died at Cum- berland Island, Ga., at the home of his old commander, Gen. Nathaniel Greene. He was buried there, but in 1913 his remains were transferred to the Lee Chapel of Washington and Lee Uni- versity at Lexington, Va, Q. Who wrote “In & Monastery Gar- den"?—@. 8. Z. ' A. The words and music are by Albert W. Ketelbey. Q. How did Sheboygan, Wis., get its name?—L. J. W. A. Sheboygan is derived from a Chip- pewa Indian word “jibaigan,” meaning & clay object, such as a pipestem. Q. What are the strategic materials of the United States?—H. D. A. They are those materials essential to the national defense for the supply of which in war dependence must be placed in whole, or in’ part, on sources outside the United States and for which strict conservation and distribution con- trol measures will be necessary. They include aluminum, antimony, chromfum, coconut shell char, manganese ferro- grade, Manila fiber, mica, nickel, optical glass, quarts crystal, quicksilver, quinine, rubber, silk, tin, tungsten and wool. A 5 DS Spring Twilight ‘The languid sun goes slowly from our sight, The plum trees wave in scented, calm farewell;.— Up from the meadow paths to meet the night, Echoes the haunting sound of heifer bell. The sky is lanced with gald and 6rchid bar, Glad wheels are turning homeward in the lane; The silver sickle moon and one great star Blend with the lamp-glow from the shining pane, Across the shadowed valley comes the howl Of hunting hound, too ‘long delayed in Pursued by hunger and by hooting owl, He seeks the ‘lghted windows, in swift pace, WitHin the house s man, s child, s wite, wxm:.h dru‘ smell of fresh-turied earth [ lmmulm hush of twilight, deep with el . The voices of the wind are soft in pray'r. Oh,iiélyh-hhli\hu who cannat aee In each twilight God's Eternity! i 'ALERIA R. LEHMAN. A €