Evening Star Newspaper, May 13, 1940, Page 10

:: mainland? s > R The Foening Hiar With Sunday Morning Editien, THEODORE W. NOYES,, Editor. WASHINGTON, D, C. May 13, 1940 .fl- Evening Star Newspaper Company. o e 1160 Eone o Bt North Michigan Ave. Delivered by Carrier—City and Suburban. Eyenine and sunaey e et mo. ot 18c per weel r - %7 456 Der mo. or 106 per wee ey Bk Per I O Y0c Der copy Night Final Editien. o dey St - 85c per mont Rieht Final gu Sondey ster - § 0 Per mont™ Rural Tube Delivery. 3 l&enlnl -"ldr. day St 3 ’figlll 85¢ per mon! --B3¢ pear mon! -.10¢ per copy end of each month or be sent by mall or tele- r., $12.00: 1 mo.. $1,00 ;;.. $8.00: 1 mo. 75 yt. $5.00: 1 mo. Bntered as second-class matter Dost office, el 8% Washington. D. C. Member of the Associated Press. erwise cri in the local news published hercin. publication of soecial dispatches Te reserved. — Facing the Facts There is no doubt that the vast majority of the American people has ceased to be neutral in thought with respect to the European war. Last Beptember President Roosevelt fore- saw the impossibility of rendering the American conscience insensible to events abroad. He undertook then to pledge that the United States as & nation would maintain strict neu- trality, but he declined to ask that citizens, as individuals, bury their heads in the sands of indifference and isolationism. Americans would be inhuman, indeed, were they to feel no sense of indignation and of sorrow over the outrageous tide of barbarism which has swept over most of Europe in the past nine months. The President puts it mildly when he assures King Leopold of the Bel- gians that the people of America “hope that policies which seek to dominate peaceful and independent peoples through force and military aggressionymay be arrested.” It does not detract one whit from the sincerity of the President’s ex- pression of sympathy to add that there is more than sentiment behind that hope. It would be refusing to face the facts squarely were this Nation and its people to profess an utter lack of selfish interest—of selfish anxiety—as to the outcome of the total war now being waged between Europe’s last democracies and the ruthless forces of totalitar- lan aggression. We are becoming increasingly interested and anxious because we are finding the shadow of this greatest of all wars edging closer and closer to our supposedly isolated and secure shores. With the cruel violation of Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg by Germany’s mighty air armada and mechanized divisions, new problems have been created that affect the neutrality policies in this hemisphere. Just as the Nazi conquest of Denmark caused America to turn her eyes apprehensively toward Greenland and Iceland, so the invasion of the Netherlands has given rise to concern over the fate of Dutch pos- sessions in the Caribbean and in the Far East. One fact that must be faced is that the Netherlands West and East Indies now constitute “enemy territory” on the maps of Germany’s war lords. They are fair game for aggressors—which means that they must be protected against any threat to their sovereignty. What if Germany should win the ' war-to-the-death now raging in Eu- rope? Implications of a Nazi victory . are staggering. Would the Monroe Doctrine be more than a “scrap of paper” to an aggressor on the march? Who can seriously believe that, with the British fleet destroyed or con- quered, Adolf Hitler would eschew the spoils of war which would beckon to him on this side of the Atlantic Ocean—including the British, French ; and Dutch colonies off the American coast and on the South American All are within easy ¢ striking distance of the Panama Paper and { Canal The threat is not so far-fetched @8 it might have seemed a few months ago. The worst must be an- ticipated and guarded against by adequate preparedness measures. Most important of these measures, of course, is the rapid building up of national defenses with which to im- plement our “keep off” doctrine. Our Army is lamentably weak. Our Navy should be expanded by at least twenty-five per cent of its present strength. Our air forces need bol- stering. Congress should reconsider the “economy” cufs already made in the Army and Navy bills. It is time, also, to think seriously about other measures for our pro- tection—such as the extension of even more substantial co-operation to Britain and France, in whose bat- tle against the spread of interna- tional gangsterism we have a very real and withal, selfish interest. The Star believes that every step which may be required to protect our own interests by direct and sub- stantial aid to the allies should and" mus} be taken now. For such aid is, in The Star’s opinion, one of the important measures for protection that remain to us “short of war.” ——— Subtle Differences On the face of official public ut- terances, there appears little dif- ference between the attitude of the United States and Japan about the Netherlands East Indies. Both gov- ernments have expressed their con- eern for maintenance of the status " £2% quo of the rich Dutch islands and have committed themselves to re- ) spect it. The catch is that this Government means just what it says, while there is strong suspicion that the Japanese may mean more than they say. Japanese expressions of concern and interest in some par- ticular area too often have been forerunners of “protective” military aggression in that area. The United States has done much to stave off trouble in the South Pacific. Presence of our fleet in Hawalian waters is & warning against any designs Japan might have on the East Indies. Secretary of State Hull has made our position as clear as it can be stated, reiterating as recently as Saturday that we expect Japan and all other nations to respect the status quo of the islands. Apprehension exists “that Japan will try to find some excuse to oc- cupy the Dutch territory, now that the home country is invaded by Ger- many. The most likely excuse that might be offered by Japan for such action would be the landing of British or French armed forces in the islands. It must be recognized, however, that the Netherlands and Britain and France are allies now, and so joint actien by them in the East Indies could not be considered a change in their status quo, but rather & move to defend it. Continued proximity of the United States fleet may help the Japanese to under- stand that. Army Weaknesses The future well-being of every American may depend upon the full realization before it is too late of three facts to which Assistant Sec- retary of War Louis Johnson di- rected attention in a speech yester- day at Amarillo, Texas. First, he pointed out, “we have enough assets to arouse the envy of any greedy nation” and “we live in an age when nations not only covet neighbors’ be- longings, but boldly cross their thresholds, enter their portals and seize their dearest possessions”; sec- ond, that a competent national de- fense is the strongest discourage- ment to aggression and hence “the surest road to peace”; and finally, that our national defense is far from as strong as it should be. These ideas are not new. Many persons, including those in re- sponsible positions in the adminis- tration, long have realized the truth and importance of such facts. But there has been an unfortunate tend- ency in some quarters to becloud their import with wishful thinking of the “it can’t happen- here” type. While reiterating that this country’s aim is to stay out of war, Mr. John- son frankly said that he “dare not be 50 optimistic” as to prophesy “that there would be no more war with the United States as one of the bel- ligerents.” Hoping alone will not keep it away, but the chances of war are much less “so long as our Nation is sufficiently strong and respected,” Mr. Johnson pointed out. But how strong -are we? The sixty-eight thousand men taking part in Army maneuvers in the Southwest represent almost the en- tire Regular Army contingent on duty in the continental United States, properly equipped to take part in such operations. It took nearly eight months to provide that force with necessary trucks and combat vehicles, illustrating just one weak- ness along the supply front. The pressing need right now is to pro- vide full modern equipment for the 227,000 men considered the minimum necessary standing Army, and to gear industry to supply more munitions quickly in an emergency. e ———— “If it had been man-to-man fight- ing,” declared a British veteran of the Dombas fiasco, “we’d have wiped them out.” Sure, old timer, but it was not that kind, and probably never will be again. Inter-American Bank America has moved to imple- ment its “good neighbor” policy in a most practical way by signing a convention for the establishment of a $100,000,000 inter-American bank. As Secretary of State Hull has said, the proposed bank should be of ma- jor importance in the development of inter-American financial and eco- nomic co-ordination. Significantly indicative of the way this hemisphere is demonstrating to the world that sovereign govern- ments: can act together for their common good, the bank project is truly co-operative. Each country has its proper share of the responsi= bilities and of the benefits. Briefly, the plan calls for minimum stock subsériptions by the American re- publics according to their foreign trade. Thus the United States, Ar- gentina and Brazil subscribe $5,000,~ 000 each; other nations lesser amounts. Subject to restrictions in keeping with its inter-governmental character, the proposed institution will be empowered to engage in ali usual banking operations designed to promote fuller exploitation of the natural resources of the participat- ing countries and to intensify eco- nomic and financial relations among them. In this manner, all the Americas may help to provide capital needed to develop the resources of one of their number—a procedure that should make for much better feel- ing all around than has resulted in some cases from the granting of concessions in one country to capital from another. Indications were that a sufficient number of the States Senate will be asked to ratify the convention, and Congress to grant the bank a charter for opera- tion here and to appropriate the funds necessary for this countryy participation. It is a project worthy of prompt congressional support. ‘Poor Man's Court’ The report on the first two years’ operation of the Small Claims Court, which Municipal Judge Nathan Cay- ton has just sent to Attorney General Jackson, demonstrates conclusively the worth of this experiment in the simplification of justice. Since the initial entry was made on the court’s docket on April 4, 1938, with the filing of a wage suit for four dollars and a half by a colored do- mestic, the tribunal, as Judge Cayton points out, has lived up fully to its mission as a “poor man’s court,” where those unable to bear the cost of counsel and of expensive litigation have been able, nevertheless, to get justice. Further, legal processes have been speeded, and the cases, involv- ing a total of more than a million dollars, have been disposed of at no cost to District taxpayers, while at the same time the court fees have been cut. Some of the detailed statistics pre- sented by Judge Cayton are worth repeating. For instance: In more than five thousand cases defendants were enabled to pay judgments in in- stallments, depending on their means; settlement was effected by conciliation in thirty-seven hundred cases; costs were walved for nine hundred -suitors; defendants were served by registered mail in about twenty-nine thousand instances! In all, forty-five thougnnd actions have been filed, and while the court is em- powered to handle any matter up to fifty dollars, it is interesting to note that the average sum involved has been less than twenty-five dollars, constituting a type of claim that under ordinary circumstances hardly would be taken to court: The showing is a tribute to the farsightedness of Judge Cayton and other leaders of bench and bar, who fought vigorously, in the face of some opposition from their own ranks, for establishment of the court; and it is gratifying that its scope is being extended now to landlord and tenant cases. Judge Cayton believes that the field of service can be broadened even more, and the record encourages the hope that this pre- diction may work out. Water Supply Providing a safe and adequate sup- ply ot water for a community of a million or more is not a work which can be carried out overnight. For two years New York City has experi- enced a water shortage which neces- sarily must continue for some time. This is because the combination of population growth and of changing standards, of which air-conditioning is an important factor, brought about demands for water use which increased faster than had been an- ticipated by engineers engaged in expanding the supply. 7 Almost identical i1s the condition facing Washington. Testimony pre- sented to the Senate .District Com- mittee last week shows that the present capacity of the city’s system is approximately attained. Within two years it will become necessary to overload the filters over long periods during the summer. By the end of four years the situation is expected to be so critical that rigid curtail- ment of use will become necessary. Since a minimum of nine years will be_required to complete the addi- tional system needed, immediate action looking to & start is impera- tive. At this time $20,000 is sought to make the preliminary surveys, which should require about two years. This sum has not yet been included in the appropriations but is under consideration. ‘While serious problems of equitably financing the $10,000,000 plant still must be worked out between the District and Federal governments, there is no reason why the compara- tively small initial sum should not be granted at once. Delay in the face of a critical shortage would be in- excusable. Walter S. Ufford Walter 8. Ufford, who died sud- denly yesterday afternoon, .retired almost seven years ago from active leadership in the work of the old Associated Charities, now the Fam- ity Service Association. But it is a tribute to him and to the position he held in the community that his real retirement came only when death stilled his hands and lips. He was always busy, and the duties to which he felt himself called were those of helping the unfortunate, seeking to ease their burden and trying to instill in the minds and hearts of others something of his own flaming determination to make this world a better place. The Washington community is better for having had Walter S. Ufford as a member for more than thirty years. Those who knew him will remember the gentle persistence, the unceasing charity in the full meaning of the word and the beauty of character of a Christian gentleman whose whole life was de- voted to his fellow man, who wanted, ‘and received, so little for himself. ———— In all this discussion of battle- American republics would sign th¥ | convention to make it effective soon after it was opened for signature. Before the bank can actually begin operations, however, considerable legislative action is required in the A Sweden’s Armies Once Invaded Germany New Book Tells Story Of Gustavus Adolphus, Called “The Great’ ! GUSTAV ADOLF THE GREAT. By Nils Ahnlund. Translated from the Swed- ish by Michael Roberts, Princeton, N. J.: Princeton University Press. The world is still wondering—al- though the question is not so important 8s it was a few weeks ago—about the fate of Sweden as the Germans, masters of Norway, envision it. A number of former Swedish kings must be revolving in their graves at the prospect of action by German troops on Swedish soil, and the swiftest revolver of them all must be Gustavus Adolphus, Gustavus waged war on German soil 310 years ago, and he was one of the greatest of all the kings of Sweden. Gustayus marched 13,000 troops across Germany as far south as Munich. It was a military expedition which crowned a life of war, When he mounted the throne at 17, Sweden was at war with Denmark. Two years later it went to war with Russia. Then Gustavus fought Poland. He extended his country’s bord- ers, unified its interests, solidified its Protestantism and left as a nation what had been little more than a group of provinces. - He was only 38 when he died in Germany at the battle of Lutzen. “When his majesty fell,” a notice of the day (1632) declared, “the sun lost his splendor, and shone no more there- after by the space of four weeks.” From his Far Northern land, remote from the affairs of Europe, Gustavus went forth and impressed himself on the history of all Europe. He fought Germany on the side of the Protestant princes against the Holy Roman Empire’s armies, in that desolating, debilitating = conflict known as the Thirty Years' War, from which Germany did not recover for more than a century. Dr. Ahnlund, a Swedish historian, de- votes most of his work to consideration of Gustavus from the viewpoint of one interested in his effect on Sweden. But he gives much space to Gustavus’ op- erations in Germany, not alone to what he did there, but why he did it. The problem is obscured by a surface incon- sistency, with Gustavus fighting for Protestantism and allying himself with Catholic France. Those were days of bitter religious difference, but they were the days, too, of practical diplomacy. Gustavus brought his troops into Ger- many through Pomerania, on the Baltic, & Swedish possession. He marched them through Brandenburg, whose elector was his brother-in-law, and southward to Breitenfeld, where he met the mighty armies of Wallenstein, the Emperor's general, in September, 1631. So com- plete was Wallenstein’s defeat, Dr. Ahnlund says, “that it set a‘barrier against recatholization which held for- ever afterwards” in Northern Germany. Henceforth, Gustavus was greeted as “The Lion of the North.” He moved his troops to Frankfort and Munich, in the deep south of Germany, trying in vain- to draw Wallenstein once more into bat- tle, then northward again to Ingolstadt and Nurnberg and back toward his vic- torious field of Breitenfeld. His army encamped outside the town of Lutzen, and there, before the battle, he was thinking, Dr. Ahnlund is inclined to be- lieve, of his prospects of establishing a Holy Roman Empire Protestant in its religious aspect’and presided over by Gustavus as emperor. It was a profit- less dream. Ten days the battle of Lutzen raged, November 6 to 16, 1632, and some time before the tenth day the Swede was killed. His army triumphed, but with- out its leader it obtained little strategic good from the victory. “This much ap- pears certain,” Dr. Ahnlurid observes, “that Germany, disunited as she was in politics and religion, suffered an ex- ceedingly heavy loss by his removal. But the work he had already achieved in his two years as champion of Protestantism in distress had assured his memory & permanent place in the history of the world.” It was 16-years before the treaty of Westphalia closed the Thirty Years’ War. But Gustavus gained his chief obfective (aside from the political pro- tection of German Protestantism): The Emperor was denfed a military foothold on the Baltic from which to threaten Sweden. A century later the Prussian kings obtained that foothold and from it now Hitler, controlling the Baltic, is a constant threat to Sweden. BLAIR BOLLES, Shakespeare Stamp Suggested. To the Editor of The Star: In response to the letter, dated April 21, by “An Old Collector,” the under- signed wishes to state that he has been collecting stamps for over 30 years, and I believe that most philatelists un- doubtedly will agree with the “Old Col- lector” that mass production of postage stamps should be discouraged. ¥ I have a complete set of commemora- tives, mostly in mint condition; s fairly complete set of the regular issues of United States stamps and a large collec- tion of stamps issued throughout the world. . With respect to stamps issued by the United States Government during the past decade, I think that the majority of the collectors specializing in United States stamps approve the Washington Bicentennial, National Parks, Constitu- tion and Heroes of Peace issues. How- ever, American philatelists would like to see the Government issue fewer stamps and better stamps. Many collectors are connoisseurs of art and would" like to have each stamp made a masterpiece in itself, and would like to have United States stamp issues the finest in the world. It was suggested recently in The Star that & dramatic art group should be added to the Heroes of Peace series. Players Have made as many notable con-~ tributions to the social progress of our country as the authors, poets, educators, sclentists, inventors, painters and sculp- tors and composers now included in the THIS AND THAT i By Charles . rrwméu._~ Some one called up the other day to ask if there 't something to lure cardinals beside sunflower seed. Yes, there is ground beef, especially at tils time of year. Redbirds are meat eaters, as well as séed eaters. ) Try a plate of beef on the driveway, in the grass, or on the back porch. You will be surprised how quickly the cardinals find it. LR Tigey is not feathered, but furred. He is a cat of the vagrant variety. He shows up every morning early for & handout. Often it is touch and go be- tween him and the dogs as fo which gets the food. o The plate of beef in question was put out for Tigey, who for some reason or other turned up his nose at it. Cats are odd—just a little odder or more odd, as you please, than humans, perhaps, though we are not sure, Tigey refused to eat. Hence there was left on the porch, with lattice on the east, one perfectly good platter of nice ground stewing beef. *x %% No sooner had the cat gone than s female cardinal arrived. How strange she looked, there on the deck paint, battleship gray! One is 30 used to seeing birds in trees, on grass, among flowers, that somehow they do not seem quite right any place else, cages inaluded. But there she was, her coloring set off well by the gray background. We thought at first she was after food for her young. It was a bit early for fledglings in the nest, but they have been observed as early, upon occasion, as the first few days of May. As we watched her, we realized that she was after beef for her own sake. Morsel after morsel went down that throat. She would lean her head over the edge of the plate, taking care to re- main on the wood, then snatch up a bit with that quick, eager way of hers, then swallow, then dip in again. Piece after piece of beef disappeared in short order. She must have consumed & heaping tablespoonful in a few mo- ments, certainly not more than two or three minutes. %% x After she had eaten her fill, her mate appeared, winging his way tiwough the lattice, whose bars are a foo! apart. This was easy for 4 bird. Just as we were watching him eat, the telephone rang. It was a reader in Hyattsville, who said that something unusual had just hap- pened in his yard. A mockingbird, flying on a level of 2 feet, had flown through a picket fence. The bird did not drop any, but went through as straight ss sn arrow, our informant said. He had got his rule, and measured the spacing. It was exactly 2% inches. e To achieve this, the mocker must have folded his wings, and gone through on his momentum. Pirst the bird was on one side of the fence, then on the other. It was one of those things you scarcely believe happened after you have seen 1t done. 8top to think of it, birds can get into very small holes. Entrances to bird houses are always very small, only seven-eighths of an inch for the wren, 1% inches for the bluebird, and so on. Each bird enters with folded wings, of course. Flying with wings folded is something entirely different, but they would not be folded but a second, at most, after which- the bird could pick up momentum with one flap. What is amazing about such a per- formance is the fact that the creature would attempt\it, and judge the space 80 perfectly while in flight. Such actions are instinctive, that is, . the bird lif ly does not have to think about it, it jus? does it. Every ong has had the experience of suddenly becom- ing conscious of some physical motion, such as walking, and finding one’s steps faltering. The perfect co-ordination of baseball players and other athletes 1s in effect an unconscious action, after 1t once is learned. If a ballplayer were to stop to think, “Now I must place my hands just so0,” well, he would muff ‘em every time, L Ground beef is one of the best foods to attract cardinals, at nesting time, Then the parents are not so keen on it as a personal food, but want it for the babies. As showing the astonishing amount of food required by nestlings, a pair of cardinals can carry away a heaping dinner plate full of beef. This must be seen to be believed. ‘Trip after trip is made. Catbirds, blue jays, song sparrows and robins are other birds which like fresh meat. Perhaps there is some danger of at- tracting & hawk, but not much, so don't let othat idea stand between you and some fun, if you feed the birds in sum- mer as well as winter, as you should. There is another food cardinals like in summer. . Save all your cantaloupe and water- melon seed. The stringy stuff which comes with the former need not be dis- carded. It is amusing to see the squir- rels get it in their whiskers as they go after the seed. Letters to Entertainment for Pay In Schools Disapproved. To the Bditor of The Star: I wonder if the people of Washington realize what is happening in their pubiic system of education. I wonder if they know that public school officials are using their offices to glorify their own personalities instead of sacrificing all for the pupil. Their sole aim in life is to make the school pay, prevent complaints from reaching superiors and present a glorious though misleading front. Let us examine the program of a typ- fcal junior high school in one of our poorer areas. A fall play was given for 35 cents. The play was held for two nights and .drew over 1,000 persons. Children participating in the play had to pay for their own costumes, and so the very poor were excluded. Next, a dance was held “for the pupils” in the school gym. Admission was 10 cents, although there was no expense to the school. Not enoigh money was in the treasury to suit the principal, so & movie was held in the school and an admission of 10 cents charged. Next, the financial wizards decided to extort from the grad- uates a sum’ of 2 cents each for an- nouncements that cost the school 3 mills each. The same program is heing re- peated the second semester: Pay movie, pay spring play, pay dance and pay grad- uation announcements. This school “clears” over $1,000 annually, I think it is a crime for school officials to be permitted to take money from children In this manner. A child should not be required to pay his way into a play, nor into a school dance. Plays, dances and movies in the schools, espe- cially in the elementary and junior high schools, should be free. Parents pay taxes for these benefits. Schools were not created to make money, they were ,created to mold character. If a school principal cares to put on plays or activ- ities for which taxes do not provide, they should be put on at absolute cost, not at a profit. G. SWANN. May 4. (Editor’s Note: Funds raised at school benefits go into a school fund to purchase miscellaneous supplies, such as bats and balls, library books, etc, for which the appropriation is insufficient or non-existent. The money is handled by teachers’ com- mittees, one dealing with intake and another with disbursment, and is au- dited by the school finance office at the Franklin School. Each purchase from the fund is accompanied by & receipt.) % To the Editor of The Star: Unsatisfactory labor conditions in Cali- fornia speed up the invention of robots, be even.. The young crop will then be in shape to be thinned with a cultivator as 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! even split Alaska from the 48 States under an immigration quota against Alaska. Ought Jot our citizens be alert to block any attempt to “amend to death” the Immigration Quota Acts, whether it be this Alaska scheme, proposals to mortgage future quotas, or plans to re- open closed quotas from former years— all to accommodate those living here who think more of overseas folk than our own unemployed? C. M. GOETHE. Sacramento, Calif., May 7. Points to Lack of Logie In Legislation, To the Editor of The Star: During the past few weeks the present muddle-headed Congress has done much to hasten our progress toward a total- itarian government. Picture on the one hand Congress cutting down on our de- fense funds by some 70 milliens of dollars, in & gesture at economy, while on the other hand passing a bill to give the farmers an extra-budgetary 200-odd mil- lions in a transparent effort to buy votes during the election year, ‘Who but a dictator will have the com- mon sense and non-political foresight to appropriate an adequate sum for our defense? Who but a dictator will have the courage to tell the farmers and other pressure groups that the United States Treasury is not a grabbag? Our pres- ent Congress appears to be too political- minded to do either. And last but not least, picture a gov- ernment willing to exchange our nation- al resources for useless piles of gold and silver when there are dozens of strategic and valuable materials which could be obtained instead, whose lack in this country may some day largely contribute to our defeat in a war with the dictator- ships. Must we have a dictator to achieve ordinary common sense in gov- ernment? H.C.P. To the Editor of The Star: If there should be a large electric sign upon the Capitol reading “Special Priv- benefit of the various industries that have maintained lobbies at Washington, Next in importance is the Silver Pur- chase Act fastened upon the American people by the 14 Senators from the sparsely settled silver States and which provides for the purchase of the world'’s To Questions By Frederic J. Haskin, At et e e, oy question o] vee :l;qlatg l;l{:'rmam Bu;eav, Fred- . Hasi director, Washington, D, C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. How do Government expenditures in this country compare with those in Great Britain?—L. B, K. A. President Roosevelt in January es- timated expenditures for 1940-1 st $8,400,000,000. The British government expenditures for the next .fiscal year are estimated at $9,334,500,000, Q. What animal can stick its tongue out farther than the length of its body? —-W. 8. M. 3 A. Natural History says that & T-inch chameleon has been known to efect its tongue 12 inches. 5 Q. How fast are the Union veterans of the Civil War dying?—R. D. A. The death rate of these veterans is estimated to be four per day. Q. Where does Tulsa, Okls., get its water supply?—T. B. R. A. Lake Spavinaw, a reservoir 60 miles east of Tulsa in the Ozark Hills, fur- nishes the city with all its water. Though the difference in elevation is only 90 feet, the water is brought the entire distance by the force of gravity alone. Q. Please give the total number of airports in the United States, classified by type—J. P. A. The total number of airports in the United States is 2,302, of which number 640 are municipal airports, 467 commercial, 274 intermediate fields, 58 Army, 21 Navy, Marine and .Coast Guard; 45 State, 666 auxiliary fields, 104 private and 27 miscellaneous Govern- ment. Q. How many words are there in the Prench language?—A. B. A. There are 210,000 words in the French language. Q. Who were the original experts on the “Information Please” program?— E Y. A. Of the present board of experts on the “Information Please” program, only Adams and Fadiman were included in the initial tryout. John Kieran was the third regular member to join the pre- gram and Oscar Levant, who appears bi« weekly, was the fourth. Q. When was the largest number of persons in the United States on relief?— M. M. E. A. The greatest estimated number of persons receiving public relief at any one time was probably in November, 1938, when the number reached 21,964,000, Q. What is the altitude of Mountain Lake in Virginia?—M. J. M., A. Mountain Lake, which is located 16 miles northwest of Blacksburg, in Giles County, has an altitude of 4,500 feet. Q. How does the Cathedral of 8t. John the Divine rank in size with other great cathedrals?—H. T. P, A. When St. John's is completed, the great cathedrals of the world will rank as follows: Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 16,822,000 cubic feet of content; Cathedral of Milan, 15,786,000 cubic feet; Liverpool (largest of English cathedrals), 13431,000 cubic feet; Cathedral of Se- ville, 8,908,000 cubic feet. Q. What is the inscription on Spen- ser's tomb in Westminster Abbey?—W, M. S. A. It is as follows: “Heare lyes (ex- pecting the second coming of our Saviour Christ Jesus) the body of Ed- mund Spenser the Prince of Poets in his tyme, whose divine spirrit needs noe other witnesse then the works which he left behinde him. He was borne in London in the yeare 1553 and died in the yeare 1598. Restored by private subscription 1778. Q. How long has the Arm & Ham- mer trade mark been used on soda?— M. G H. As'mh trade mark was adopted in 1873. Q. Where was California’s first news- paper published?—T. G. R. A. The first newspaper was the Call- fornian, which began publication at Monterey on August 15, 1846, five weeks after the United States flag had been raised over Monterey and California proclaimed a part of the United States. Q. Please give the height of Niagara Falls—B. R. A. The recognized height of the Amer- fcan falls is 167 feet; the Horseshoe Fall is 158 feet high. Q. What is meant by the Knicker- bocker school of writers?—C. B. F. A. This name is applied to a group of early American authors who were fol- lowers of Washington Irving. /+ Chief among them were Fitz-Greene Halleck and Joseph Rodman Drake. Q. For whom is the McCiellan saddle named?—W. M. L. A. It is named for Gen. George B. McClellan, who presented his saddle to the United States Army in 1852. This saddle was adopted by the War Depart- ment in 1859, Q. Has a fllly ever won the Kentucky Derby?—T. W. A. Only one filly has ever won the Derby, H. P. Whitney’s Regret, n 1915, Reaching With Eager Hands ‘What shall become of glamorous today, Reaching with eager hands toward to- morrow . . . Must she be vanquished before dreams come true? ‘The fascinating gaieties she knew Have left her naught but castoff joys to Dullaftermath of rollicking heyday. Her voice comes echoing across the way, Its liiting laughter deepening to sor- unmmvuh-mqm. Challenge of her relentiess foe is dus And time, with ruthlessness swift as an AITOW, > Suall Jesve her thers'. . . s wisttal Reaching with eager hands toward to- morrow. PEGGY LAWSBHE. A