Evening Star Newspaper, May 18, 1940, Page 8

A—S8 The Foening Ftar | With Sunday Morning Edition. THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor, WASHINGTON, D. C. The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Main Office: 11th 8t and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd 8t. Chicsgo Office: 435 North Michigan Ave. Delivered by Carrier—City and Suburban, Regular Edition. ening and Bunday 75C per mo. or 18¢ Der week e Evening Star - 45c per mo. or 10¢ per week ‘he Sunday Star 5 .- 100 Der copy Night Final Rdition. ight Final and Sundsy Star 5¢ per month ight Final Star 3 - 80c per month vers. 85¢ per month e Evening Star_ . 53¢ par month e Sunday Star . 10 5l Collection made at the end of each month or ench week, Orders may be sent by mail.or tele- Phone Nationa) 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. ily and Sun . 11y only unday only. Entered as second-cls Washing Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively the use for republication of all news dis credited to it or not otherwise credit Biper and also the local news publisned hergin. ! rights of publication of svecial dispatches erein also are reserved Fifty Thousand Planes As headlines tell their grim story Of waves of Nazi armored bombers sweening relentlessly onward in Bel- gium and France, it is reassuring to witness the instantaneous response of industry, governmental agencies and the people generally to President Roosevelt’s suggestion of a 50,000~ plane American air armada. Many problems must be faced in effecting such a tenfold expansion of our aerial defenses, but there is unanim- ity of opinion that the job can and must be done. Just how it will be done is to be discussed at a con- ference here Monday between avia- tion manufacturers and War De- partment officials. The major problem is to raise ca- pacity of the American plane indus- try to a point where it can handle the manufacture of giant bombers and fast pursuit ships and other military planes on what would amount to a mass production basis. There are about thirty plants at work now on plane, engine and equipment orders for the Army and Navy. It is estimated that double that number of plants would be required to turn out the planes envi- sioned by the President. Fortunate- ly, our plane industry is geared to an unprecedented production sched- ule at the present time, due to the orders placed by the Allied Purchas- ing Commission. The production capacity of American plane factories has jumped in the past year from about 6,000 to nearly 15,000. This has been facilitated by premiums paid by France and England to cover plant expansion costs. In other words, the allies, in their desperation, have agreed to bear the expense of build- ing new machinery and new plants which will be of tremendous value to the War and Navy Departments in connection with our own emer- gency requirements. Why the hard- pressed allies should be forced to foot this bill any longer is difficult to see. It may be too late now to do them any good, but it would seem only fair and reasonable for this Government to absorb any future plant expansion costs involved in the allied purchases. And every encouragement should be extended to the British and French in their efforts to obtain more planes quickly. Another problem that must be met frankly is the rapid obsolescence of American warplanes in the light of developments abroad. German su- periority of air power over that of the allies is due not only to numeri- cal preponderance, but to such highly effective improvements as self-seal- ing fuel tanks, armored fuselages, bulletproof glass and powerful guns. These devices have rendered allied and our own ships out of date. These serious deficiencies must be remedied immediately. The huge air program necessarily must be a “we” project. Industrial interests and labor must share the responsibilities with the Federal Government. As an indication of its readiness to co-operate, the Recon- struction Finance Corporation has offered to assist in financing plant construction. Plans for model fac- tories will be provided by the War Department. Need for haste is ur- gent. All agencles and elements should unite in “giving the gun” to the Nation’s new drive for aerial security. Citizenship Day In recent years the privilege of citizenship in the United States has come to have a new meaning. With Europe sinking into chaos, it was inevitable that Americans of every condition of life should realize with increasing intensity the significance of being related to a democracy pos- sessed of power to survive unchanged for the worse. Men and women whose ancestors were colonial settlers in the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries perhaps took their good fortune for granted. Those descended from immigrants of less than a hundred years ago probably were more keenly conscious of their luck. But it is from people now being Americanized that the fullest and frankest expression of Joy is heard. They have escaped the conflicts of the old world. In the sanctuary of freedom they thank God for their release. * National Citizenship Day, arranged in honor of naturalized citizens and the youth of America coming of age, is to be celebrated in Washington tomorrow. The public is invited to attend a meeting at the Depart- mental Auditorium, Constitution avenue and Thirteenth street, at eight o'clock in the evening. Mem- bers of the Americanization School Association and_representatives of the Immigration and Naturalization Service will participate in the pro- gram. It will be an act of patriotism to share in the experience of an oc- casion precious beyond the power of words to tell. " ’Advance or Die’ For the second time in twenty-six years a French Army, fighting a desperate battle in defense of the | homeland, has been ordered by its commander-in-chief to advance if it can or, failing that, to stand and die rather than retreat again. As in 1914, the invading German forces appear tq be routing the de- fenders. The Little Maginot Line has been breached at Sedan and a deep pocket driven into French ter- ritory and, farther north, Brussels and Louvain apparently have fallen to superior German forces. In 1914 the military situation looked almost equally as hopeless for the French but they made a magnificent stand at the first battle of the Marne and stopped the Kalser's forces. Will they, with their British allies, be able to repeat that feat in 1940? The answer, of course, cannot be glven with any certainty, but it is obvious that there is no basis now for optimism. This time the Germans appear to have two tremendous advantages over the defending armies. First, they have undeniable superiority in the air, and, second, it seems that their armored forces are better than anything the defenders have been able to put against them. The Germans in 1914 were stopped through a combination of their own blunders and some well-planned maneuvers on the part of the allles which enabled them to rectify earlier mistakes. The German campaign in 1914 was based on the Schlieffen plan calling for a wide sweeping movement into France through Bel- gium. The German left was held stationary to serve as a pivot while the right, supposed to have been kept strong at all costs, was to out- flank the French left and surround the defending troops. At the outset everything went well for the Germans. The first army, under Kluck, worked to the west of the Franco-British forces, which retreated hastily to escape being flanked. If the Schlieffen plan had been strictly followed, Kluck, when he arrived north of Paris, would have swept behind the city, widening his flanking movement against the re- treating allied troops. But instead he passed in front of Paris, to its east. And, in addition, the German high command had not obeyed the aging Schlieffen’s supposed admoni- tion to “keep the right strong.” The French, meanwhile, had been attacking on their own right, but when they realized their acute danger they abandoned that offen- sive and General Joffre hurriedly dispatched troops to the west where they were formed into the French | Sixth Army and stationed on the left wing of the weakening British. This Sixth Army, under General Manoury, was driven by Kluck to the protection of the Paris forts. But when Kluck swept east of Paris instead of going to the west, Gen- eral Manoury, reinforced from the Paris garrison, attacked the German west wing and the flanker was out- flanked. Kluck turned back to meet this threat, causing a gap of some thirty miles between the German First Army and the Sectnd, under Buelow. Into this gap marched the British Army and the French Fifth Army. Kluck, who had been weak- ened by the sending of troop detach- ments to Belgium, fell back again and Buelow, fearing the significance of this maneuver, also retreated. The invaders’ communications had be- come dangerously extended and in the confusion the German general staff ordered what many military students believe was an unnecessary general retreat. As a result, the Germans were stopped and Paris was saved. But there is no real parallel between conditions now and those prevailing in 1914. The next few days should tell the story. Prince_aeorges .Courthouse Knowingly or otherwise, the Prince Georges County, Maryland, authori- ties who sponsored the enlargement and modernization of the Upper Marl- boro Courthouse have done more than merely provide' much-needed facili- ties. They have assured the con- tinued existence of Upper Marlboro as the county seat for many years to come. To be sure, there was no im- mediate danger of the town losing its distinction as the center of the county government. - Yet, intermit- tently over a period of years, there has been discussion of the advisabil- ity of having the county’s affairs transacted near the center of popu- lation, closer to Washington. For more than a decade certain offices have been maintained in’ the sub- urban area. Conscious of the per- manent need for quarters there, the Prince Georges authorities last year erected a fine county service bullding in Hyattsville. As part of the same construction program, which in- cluded Public Works Administration ald, the County Board also provided for the $185,000 courthouse project at Upper Marlboro. Neighboring Montgomery County has had a similar problem and years ago provided three government cen- ters—or, to be strictly accurate, one center and two branches—carefully safeguarding Rockville’s future as the county seat with an imposing courthouse there. In a way the problem in the growing nearby counties is like the contest that arose last year between Baltimore and Annapolis over the location of Maryland’s new State office building. » THE EVENING- STAR,- WASHINGTON, D. C, After a controversy that at times be- came bitter, Annapolis won and re- tains its claim to be the actual as well as the nominal capital of the State. It may cause some cltizens un- necessary inconvenience to go to Upper Marlboro to attend court, see the county commissioners, or trans- act other business, but to the dis- cerning there is a reward in leaving the congested centers of population and visiting a charming rural town in the midst of Maryland’s attractive tobacco country. For some time to come one of the historic town’s chief attractions will be its “new” court- house. s Mr. Hoover's Statement In declaring that “there can be no partisanship upon the principle of national defense,” former President Herbert Hoover gave expression to what must be the unwavering atti- tude of the Republican party if the United States is to make the most of the time which remains for the per- fection of our inadequate defenses against the grave menace which would confront us should the allles go down to defeat in Europe. That it will not be easy to refrain from partisan politics in this election year, particularly if Mr. Roosevelt should become a candidate for a third term, is obvious, but it must be recognized, nevertheless, that any po- litical struggle centering around the armament program and our foreign relations could only invite national disaster. It is not to be expected that the Republicans will abandon their wholly legitimate hopes of win- ning the election this fall. There is nothing in the present picture, omi- nous though it be, to indicate that the two-party system should be aban- doned. Without a doubt the forth- coming election campaigns will be vigorously conducted, and that is as it should be, provided always that the impelling and paramount necessity of maintaining a united front in the struggle to prepare ourselves to meet potential external enemies is kept uppermost in mind. This ban on political partisanship will be especially important in the preliminary effort which Mr. Roose- velt and Mr. Hoover agree must be made at once—the expansion of our facilities for production of defense weapons. Appropriation of money by Congress will be of little value un- less provision is made with all pos- sible haste for workmen, tools, plants and materials to transform these ap- propriations into the guns, planes, tanks and other implements of mod- ern war. In the taking of these preliminary steps it is imperative that the ad- ministration have the benefit of the services of the most able directors of American industry. In the past there has been considerable bad feeling be- tween these industrial leaders and the New Deal, but in this hour of national emergency it is essential that there be peace between them and that the campaign on the formal political front be conducted on a high and enlightened plane. Leavenworth My—s;ery An alarming case of dishonesty has Just come to light, with the proposed presentation to Congress of a bill to reimburse one John Kanes for lost jewelry. Mr. Kanes was for a time a registered guest of the United States at the Leavenworth Peniten- tiary, where he was better known under his pen name of No. 347,589. Due to an apparent misunderstand- ing of what he was getting into, Mr. Kanes first showed up with jewelry on his person, and so had to comply with a local rule of the inn and check it with the clerk. A few years later, when paroled, he was shocked to learn that it was missing. A certain trusty, wishing to do a Iittle profit- able homework and brush up on his forgery, had faked a release order and gone with the gems. The warden is sald to be absolutely crushed at the unfavorable publicity attained by his iron hotel. He says he cannot understand how it could have happened. It is not as if he advertised for his clientele haphaz- ardly and thus laid himself open to the acquisition of questionable guests. On the contrary, it is not easy to enter his hostelry; it cannot be done until twelve good men and true pass on the qualifications of the applicant and decide that he is worthy of admittance. Even then, he must be escorted to the doors with a guard of honor. In view of all these precautlons, it does seem a mystery how a crook managed to get in. E—— See that guy half asleep at the head of the line and holding up everything when the light turns green? Next ball game he will be out at the park berating the umpire for missing whatever cuts the corner of Athe plate, or bawling out the third baseman for not covering his bag. CEEp————— The average husky American, han- dy with his fists, must dream occa- sionally of being alone in a room with Adolf and Benito. He suffers from a mild psychosis in that he wakes completely baffled as to which one he would prefer to poke first. Insects generally have passed their peak and are now decadent, accord- ing to a Harvard University biologist. Maybe, but to those who go annually into the North Woods for fish certain sorts do not seem to be very decadent. A dictator has been likened to a man on a bicycle; to keep in the saddle he must go forward. Some of them seem today to be coasting fine—but every hill has & bottom. . 7 / > Of Stars, Men And Atoms Notebook of Science Progress In Field, Laboratory And Study By Thomas R. Henry. Nearly four quarts of a vaccine which may avert one of the greatest horrors of war has just been flown from the United States Public Health Service laboratory at Hamilton, Mont,, to Buda- pest, at the request of Hungarian Min- ister of Health Johan., It will be used, Dr. Johan told Public Health Service officials, in an attempt to prevent outbreaks of typhus fever in the great Polish refugee camps established in Hungary for the ragged, hungry hordes who trooped over the border in front of the advancing German and Rus- slan Armies. Typhus, louse-carried disease, has been one of the great scourges of the human race for 20 centuries. It has almost invariably accompanied wars and famines. The last great outbreak was in Russia in 1922-23. There were ap- proximately 20,000,000 cases and close to 10,000,000 deaths. It killed more people than the World War, of which it was an aftermath, Three months ago two obscure work- ers in the United States Public Health Service laboratory in Washington pro- duced a vaccine which prevented the development of typhus fever in guinea pigs. One, E. John Bell, was a labora- tory assistant. The other, H. A. Cox, was a bacteriologist. They pro- duced the vaccine by innoculating un- born chickens with typhus germs through the shell of the egg. Literally they hatched the vaccine, It was not tested with any human be- ing. The procedure of vaccinating a man and then infecting him with typhus was too dangerous, despite the favorable reactions in guinea pigs. The Hun- garian authorities felt that the neces- sarily crowded refugee camps were ideal breeding places for the dreaded infection. Fortunately, the first World War, so far as the western front was concerned, was ostensibly free of typhus. The only serious outbreak was in 1915 in Serbia. All the armies, however, suffered from “trench fever,” supposedly an extremely mild form of typhus. Dr. Rolla E. Dyer, assistant director of the Public Health Service laboratories, is far from con- vinced that the soldiers were saved by better military sanitation. It may have been blind luck that the germ attacked in a non-fatal form. In any event, Public Health Service officials explain, it is practically impossible to keep sol- diers in trenches or refugees in concen- tration camps free from body lice. The new vaccine can be made in un- limited quantities. There have been successful typhus vaccines in ghe past, but they have been so difficult to make, even in small quantities, that only a very small fraction of a population could be protected with them. Gallons of this material can be shipped to Europe if there is a demand for it growing out of the Hungarian experience. Meanwhile, Surg. Gen. Thomas Par- ran told the health officers of the United States and Canada, meeting in Washing- ton the other day, that the United States is far from secure from a typhus epi- demic. There has been a great increase in some Southern States in the number of cases of a type of the disease caused by rat lice. It is beginning to overrun State lines. pressed the fear that it may get into Northern industrial cities, where it will be carried on by human lice. It is the duty of the Southern States, he said, to keep an especially close watch on it. The laboratory at Hamilton, Mont., hitherto has been devoted almost exclu- sively to manufacturing vaccine for the dreaded Rocky Mountain spotted fever, & disease carried by dog ticks which is highly fatal. It can easily produce, it is believed, all the typhus vaccine required. The unhatched chick technique already has been developed by producing the spotted fever vaccine, hitherto an ex- tremely expensive and dangerous pro- cedure. The new vaccine, experiments have shown, can be kept on ice almost indefi- nitely without losing its probeqive value, a matter of vital importance’ in vacci- nating entire armies or populations. This might be necessary in some of the East- ern European countries if the dreaded malady once gains headway. With guinea pigs the vaccine is ex- tremely effective and the immunity it confers lasts for at least six months, Animals given extremely heavy doses of typhus organisms after being vaccinated either did not develop the malady at all or showed only mild symptoms of it., It is practically certain that the results will be the same with human beings, R ) Suggests Reflection on Merits of War at Home. To the Editor of The Star: Much is being said by Senator Hiram Johnson and his friends about the perils of tampering with his well-known antie lending bill. Just to keep the picture in balance, it is well to remember that these same individuals are the ones whose foresight and prescience were to save the United States from involvement in another war. Let those who gre still cocksure that the war will never touch us listen to the Hiram Johnsons. For those who not so sure, let them remember that they have been swallow- ing the Johnson pain-killer for 20 years and if they now get a clout on the head, they probably won’t feel it very much anyway. In the meantime they might reflect on the comparative merits of fighting at home and making their home & shambles, and hiring some one else to fight for them, somewhere else. May 15. CHARLES W. BISHOP. A Veteran Urges Our Participation in the War. ‘To the Editor of The star: Some persons are working day and night to tell the people of this country thét should war come to our shores we could not even put up a fight to protect New York City. That I regard as an in- sult to a World War veteran. Of course, I don’t want war—who would? But we are going to get in it just as before with the same excuse. I for one would wel- come it, although I swore I would never again go to another country to fight its battles. This time it is not a battle of any one cpuntry. May 18, JAMES J. RENCHAU. A The surgeon general ex- | | SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1940. THIS AND THAT By'Charles E. Tracewell. “S STREET. “Dear sir: “Tonight's story decides me to tell you another true catbird story that I've not sent you because it happened in Penn- sylvania, which may detract from local interest. “One morning in nesting season my father was walking to town by a usual short cut over a wooded hill, and as he neared a clump of laurel a distressed catbird flew out, uttering plercing cries. “She flew toward my father and back to the bushes several tintes, and he, realizing something was wrong, followed to the laurels to find a snake climbing up to the catbird’s nest and eggs. “The snake was dispatched and the bird’s cries ceased. “The next morning as my father went by again, and for several mornings until the eggs were hatched, the catbird flew out to meet him with a twitter, circled his head and flew back to her nest, showing not only gratitude but recogni= tion of the individual. L “A second true story comes from a Vermont cousin who has a row of tall, ancient elms in front of his house, and in the crotch of one of these starlings built a nest and proceeded to raise a family, “My cousin did not want them there, but he waited until the little birds were old enough to fly, and then he had his son mount & tall ladder and dislodge the nest from the elm crotch, “As the nest was moved a last little starling fluttered down to the ground and the setter started after it. “Out from a copse of trees across the street flew a catbird and did the ‘broken wing’ act in front of the dog to lure him from the baby bird. “By this time my cousin had called off the setter, but we all marveled that a bird of a different species should 8o to the rescue of the starling. “Thank you for all the pleasure your column gives to the many of us who love the great outdoors and all the birds and animals and flowers therein. “Sincerely yours, F. H.” * k kX k It is always a marvelous sight, this rescue of one species by another, Starlings often help sparrows. One instance, as given in this column several years ago, was that of a starling which flew into a pool where a young sparrow was drowning and pulled it to safety by its wing. There have been instances of birds of one species flying into a road, where helpless young of another species lay, and carrying them to safety. We must admit that we have never seen this, nor ever expect to, but it has been reported from different parts of the country. It is possible that the instinct to | safety, a part of the plan of self-preser- vation, is so firmly planted in the ani- mals that one of them will, at risk of life, try to help another, at least upon occasion., Heroism is not confined to man alone, but as with him, the desire to act is not always co-ordinated with the impulse to do so. Among men quite often the de- sire to help is there, but the muscles re- fuse to work. ‘The hero, evidently, is he whose mus- cles act instantly, so that the deed is achieved without much thought. This in no way detracts from the heroism of an act; it merely insures it. Instances of birds which show grati- tude are few and far between, but if any can, it probably would be the catbird, for here -is a magnificent creature, often overlooked in the home garden. The catbird has nothing showy or gaudy about him. He is a symphony of grays and black. The word “elegant,” often misused, fits him perfectly. Some persons, who permit his name to throw them off the track of admiration, claim that he is slinky. To others, this is grace. The catbird loves to build nests in the high bush cranberry. If you want cat- birds, plant this'shrub, and after it has grown it will always be filled with them. Many listeners mistake the songs of the catbird for those of its more famous cousin, the mockingbird. It is a ques- tion which one of these birds is the best singer. There can be no doubt, of course, which one has the popular ver- dict, but that is partly because many listeners fail to give the cattle credit. This bird’s peculiar mewing cry is its trade mark, among birds, but in addition it often sings by the hour with so many flourishes and trills that 99 out of 100 persons who hear it will exclaim, with the song, “Oh, listen to the mocking- bird!” * kK x Our correspondent’s letter calls atten- tion to the fact that bird lore is much the same in all parts of the country. ‘Wherever there are catbirds, there are the same traits to be observed. Thousands of persons who come to the National Capital bring with them love of the birds, and find here many if not all of the songsters which they had “back home.” In addition, many city dwellers move into the suburban sections every year, and shortly discover that the birds are a part of their everyday lives. Where before the birds meant little or nothing to them, now the songsters are alive with interest and flashing with appeal. ‘Who can see a bluejay at close range and not be impressed? Who watch a chickadee crack sunflower seed and not want to know the name of the bird? Going on “bird walks” is excellent, but the best place to really know and love the birds is in your own back yard. Letters to Condemns Passage of Pension Bill. To the Editor ot The Star: It would iInterest me to know whether Mr. Victor E. Devereaux, director Nation- al Department of Americanism, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, whose letter to The Star appeared May 14, on page 8, read the pension article on page 7 of the same issue. Mr. Devereaux, representing the war veterans, opposes loans to allied debt-de- faulting nations. He fears the American public will again be taken in by the “threadbare frauds” perpetrated in the name of democracy. Does Mr. Devereaux know that the | pension bill put through the House by ! the veterans’ lobby will cost this country $40,000.000 a year—and more as the years g0 by? Also that this pension will be paid regardless of whether a veteran's death resulted from his war service. Mr. Devereaux asserts, “The stage is being set carefully for the next barrage of international war propaganda engen- dered by the paranoiacs of Europe to enveigle good, old, big-hearted, rich Un- .| cle Sam to accept another stacked deck.” However, isn't Mr. Devereaux quite will- ing for good old, big-hearted, rich Uncle Sam to spend millions of our taxpayers’ money in pensions for thousands of peo- ple who were no more affected by the first World War than Donald Duck? Mr. Devereaux reminds us that the “prosperity which was temporarily en- joyed by the farmers and workers dur- ing the first World War brought a de- pression “from which we have not yet recovered.” Therefore we should close our minds and hearts and pocketbooks to the world about us—but in spite of our depression we must not forget the vet- erans. Does our patriotic veteran, Mr. Devereaux, take into consideration that by 1968 the sons and grandsons of those deluded farmers and workers of the first ‘World War will have been forced to pay out billions of dollars in unjust pensions, because a combination of election year and veterans’ lobby proved too much for our vote-conscious Congressmen to withstand? Maybe the American people are “sen- timental and emotional,” but I believe they will become indignant over the truly “Shylock” actions of the veterans’ lobby. M. G. H. May 16. Speed Urged in Defense Measures, To the Editor of The Star: The American people are very much interested in an adequate Army, Navy and air force in order that this coun- try may be a safe place for good citizens to live: The United States has now, ac- cording to the press, an Army of 227,000 Regulars, its National Guard and an inadequate Navy and air force to protect our possessions against invasion. Con- gress has hesitated from time to time to give this country the protection that 1t is entitled to. In the writer's opinion many of the W. P. A. workers could be taken care of in the United States Army or Navy or its air force and the money spent in that direction could aid the needy people in this country while also building an adequate Army and Navy. England has demonstrated the impor- tance of being prepared. That great country, with practically no army or air force, has attempted to protect many small countries while unprepared her- self to protect the British Isles. The United States should have at least s million men in the Regular Army, A i 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! properly equipped, and at least 100,000 in the Air Corps. The Navy should be ex- celled by none. Congress should make the necessary appropriations before it adjourns and provide for at least 10,000 airplanes, equipped for bombing purposes and car- rying soldiers with parachutes and equip- ment of every essential kind to trans- port soldiers from one sice of the North American conusent to the other. The writer feels that this is the only way that America can be kept out of the war and certainly the American people are entitled to have Congress act to speed up preparedness before it adjourns this ses- sion. WILLIAM C. TAYLOR. Mobile, Ala., May 15. Seeks Job Opportunities For Colored Workers. To the Editor of The Star: Yesterday your paper heralded the exhaustion of the unemployment rolls for white workers. This is a sad com- mentary on social-conditions. It is true that Negroes can find little work. They are always the last hired and first fired. Seldom will a compe- tent, loyal Negro worker be employed if a white worker is available, and often regardless of his ability or character. Your news article evidences one of the great causes of a large Negro anti-social community. Recently the welfare direc- tor in Richmond charged that Negroes were a source of over 50 per cent of the crime in many Southern cities. He also added that less than 10 per cent of the cities’ funds were spent-for improve- ment of Negro neighborhoods and educa- tion, less than 1 per cent was spent for housing and recreation andethe wages received for living were far below what other groups received. Here in Washington, it might be point- ed_ out, the Negro group participates very little in the agencies that affect govern- ment of himself and his community. Correct these conditions, give Negroes a fair chance at the diminishing jobs and you will remove a potential criminal, Communistic and revolutionary force in city, State and Nation. E. B. HENDERSON. Falls Church, Va. May 16. Says War Increases Church Attendance, ‘To the Editor of The Star: The people who talk smugly about the present European war having nothing to do with America make me think of the two men who were traveling on a ship out in the middle of the ocean. One man came running excitedly to the other say- ing, “The ship is sinking!” The other man smiled and answered, “What do we care, we don't own it!” In the meantime, we can console our- selves with the thought that God has a purpose behind all these scourges that e allows to cgme down upon the world, difficult though it may be for us to see it. The increased attendance in church, alone, is one tangible result. And out- side church people are mentioning God right out.Joud, without fear of being con- sidered queer, FACING FACTS. . May 14 3 A Answers To Questions By Frederic J. Haskin, A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Eve~ ning Star Information Bureau, Fred- eric J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. Where is the smallest state in the world?—G. O. R. A. It is Vatican City, in Italy, with an area of 108.7 acres. Q. What city has the largest diamond plant?—R. M. E. A. The Ilargest diamond plant in America is in Forty-seventh street, New York City. Q. Did the Supreme Court declare it unconstitutional for a city to forbid the distribution of ecirculars or pamphlets? ~L.G. Cr A. On November 22, 1939, the Supreme Court returned a decision in four cases, each of which presented the question of whether regulations embodied in a mu- nicipal ordinance abridged the four- teenth amendment. All of the ordi~ nances prohibiting the distribution of literature, meaning handbills, dodgers, circulars, etc, were declared unconsti= tutional. Q. Is Tod Sloan living?—A. L. B. A. The famous jockey died in 1933, Q. What is the meaning of the Nor- weglan suffixes dal and sund?—Y. G. H. A. Dal means valley and sund means narrow. Q. How many certified public account- ants are there?—W. N. A. : A. The American Institute of Ac- countants says that there are approxie mately 18,000 certified public accounte ants in the United States. Q. What railroad stations have the largest amount of daily trafic?—M. E. C. A. The two stations in the United States which have the largest amount of daily traffic are the South Station, Boston, Mass., and the Grand Central Station, New York City. Q. What is the name of the organiza- tion in Chinatown, San Francisco, that protects the interests of the residents there?—W. W. O. A. The Chinese Six Companies is a clearing house for the problems of the Chinese people and a kind of high court, not only for those in San Francisco but throughout the country. Q. Who first conceived the idea of having a circus in more than one ring?— H. B. A. W. C. Coup in 1869 originated per- formances in two-ring circuses. It was he who persuaded P. T. Barnum to enter the circus field. Q. In what year was the Morro Castle built?—H. W. 8. A. The Morro Castle was launched March 5, 1930; completed July 15, 1930, and delivered to the Ward Line August 15, 1930. The ship burned on September 8, 1934. Q. If any one loses his social security card, is it possible to obtain another? —H.B. M. A. A duplicate may be obtained from the Social Security Board at Washing- ton, D. C. Q. Please name the bloodiest battle in history.—E. O'B. A. According to ancient records, the battle of Chalon was the bloodiest battle in history. In this battle Attila the Hun was met by the Gothic prince, Thoris- mud, commanding the Visigoths and Roman forces. The dead left upon the field are estimated as between 250,000 and 300,000 men. Q. What is the oldest syndicated newspaper feature?—L. M. P. A. The oldest feature in the newse papers today is Dorothy Dix’s column, which was begun in 1896. Q. How old are the Badgett and the Kasper quadruplets?—L. J. A. The Badgett quadruplets of Gal- veston, Tex., are 15 months old and the Kasper quadruplets of Clifton, N. J., are 4 years old. Q. Did Col. E. R. Bradley contribute to Dr. Cook’s Arctic expedition?—J. D. H. A. He is said to have spent $50,000 in backing Cook’s trip to the Arctic. Q. Please give the quotation about a man’s love for his brother that was re- cited in the motion picture “Beau Geste.” —F. H. A. The Arabian proverb is as follows: “The love of a man for a woman waxes and wanes like the moon, but the love of brother for brother is steadfast as the stars, and endures like the work of the prophet.” Q. Please give the list of the 10 great- est American women which was pube lished some time ago in a woman's mag- azine—R. T. C. A. The National Council of Women and the Ladies’ Home Journal held a contest to select the 12 greatest Ameri- can women in the past hundred years, The names selected were as follows: Mary Baker Eddy, Jane Addams, Clara Barton, Frances E. Willard, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Julia Ward Howe, Carrie Chap- man Catt, Amelia Earhart Putnam, Mary Lyon and Dr. Mary E. Woolley. The Letter I wait your word, which, winging through the dark, Comes with the morning sunlight to my door, While early radiance spreads and songs upsoar Like blithesome birds in ever-widening arc. And I am led to meditate and mark The blessing of a friend who never wore ‘The name of stranger, one whose glances bore, From the first instant, a swift and kin- dling spark! This square of thin white paper holds the key To all your world; a spirit joyous, true, That wakes the gleam of miracle where'er it goes. Summer with birds and bees has come to me; Branches yield fruit; the dawn's wide skies imbue Hope; and, till late frost, there blooms the undaunted rose. MARY D. CASTLES. .3 A