Evening Star Newspaper, May 20, 1940, Page 8

The Foening Star With Sunday Morninz Edition. THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor, WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY. May 20, 1940 The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Maip Offce: 11¢h 8t and Pennsyivanis Ave. New York Office: 110 Office: 43! cular Edition. ening and sunuu ¢ per IMo. o1 18¢ per week Evening Star 45 ver mo. or 10c per week t Pinal and Bundey Sear "™ 85 per month Nkt Final 3 e Rural Tube Delive Eo Evening and Sunday Star -~ 85c per month Gollection made at the end of cach month or esch w ders may be sent by mail or tele- Shohe Naciona) 5000 1 $8.00: 1 mo.. P AR A $6.00: 1 mo., Butered as gecond-clazs matter post office, Washington. D. C. 0¢ per month Chicsgo 3 Noren ‘Michigan Ave. Delivered by Cnrrler-—clly and Suburban. o Sunday m-r % - 10c per capy isht Final Edition. Ev 1 th S Sunday siar 106 ber copy Rate by MMI—Plyable in Advance. Bally and Sunday_.1 yr. 81200 1 mo. 81, e Member of the Associated Press, The Associated Press is cxclusively entitlied to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this Daper and also the local news published hercin, Al' rghts of publication of svecial dispatches herein also are reserved. Counsel of Disaster In an address which can only be described as remarkable for the in- | consistency and confusion of its thought, Colonel Charles A. Lind- bergh has told the people of America | that we are in no danger of war and that we will not become involved in war unless we seek it out ourselves. | implying a | With an assurance factual knowledge which he cannot have, Colonel Lindbergh says cate- ! gorically and without any qualifica- us.” The self-contradiction presented here is interesting. Since it is not to be supposed that Colonel Lind- | bergh has access to information concerning the plans of possible aggressors, he is giving dogmatic ex- pression merely to a personal opinion when he says that no one wishes to attack us and that no one is in a position to do so. case, or if he really believes it to be present site adjacent to the court- house. The structure, which is antiquated’ and inadequate, is anything but an asset to the courthouse square. Civic Federation officlals say the present structure was started in 1915 as a six-room private dweiling. In 1925 the Organized Women Voters of the county launched a move to have the Jail facilities modernized, but no results were obtained at that time. Jail problems often are among those concerning which nothing is done until some spectacular hap- pening claims public attention. The Civic Federation, therefore, is per- forming an important service in focusing thought on jall conditions in Arlington. A place of confinement, properly located, clean and modern, is a good investment for any community. For a county that has grown as much as Arlington has in recent years, an | up-to-date jail is a necessity. e Crime in Washington There are more dark spots than bright ones in the picture of crime conditions in the District of Colum- bia as painted in the report of the Washington Criminal Justice Asso- ciation for 1939. The darker parts include a 10 per cent rise in crime over the previous year, stagnation in growth of the Police Department .despite a steady increase in popula- tion, prevalence of “technical” or “dragnet” arrests of the type which evoke complaints that civil rights | are being ignored by police, exist- But if that is the the case, why, then, should he urge | the building up of our armed forces? For what reason would he spend money on additional arms if he does not believe there is any danger of an attack upon us? The colonel also advances as a novel proposal the thought that we ought to decide what we are going to defend before we think about building a defensive air force. If our defense is to be confined to the | past decade. United States, he says, we shall have | to build one type of air force; if we are to defend the Western Hemi- sphere planes of different types will be needed. That, coming from one who does not shrink from advising | the Nation as to the course it should ‘ The Metropolitan Police Department follow in this critical time, amazing proposition. is an President Roosevelt and other high | quest to Congress called for only officials have stated time and again that it is our intention to defend the Western Hemisphere. Fleet and land maneuvers have been carried out with that objective in mind. From no responsible quarter has there come the slightest suggestion ence of a “chaotic” bail bond sys- | tem and finally a 21.1 per cent de- tion that “no one wishes to attack | In the same breath he says | that we “need a greater air force, a | greater Army and a greater Navy.” | crease in successful Police Court prosecutions. Brighter aspects include a general improyement in police efficiency, as evidenced by a 215 per cent in- crease in number of arrests over 1938 and nearly 7 per cent over 1937; a 5.8 per cent rise in guilty pleas or guilty verdicts in the criminal branches of the United States Dis- trict Court, speedier presentation and disposition of criminal cases in the courts and improvement of pro- bation procedure. The rise in crime and the inade- quacy of police personnel are, of course, directly related. The asso- ciation has done the city a real serv- ice by focusing attention on the de- plorable neglect of the Police Depart- ment in connection with legislation for local law enforcement during the Figures show that although the city’s population has expanded by approximately 168,000 persons since 1930, only eighty-two additional policemen have been au- thorized by Congress during that period. This means that for every 2,048 new residents, one patrolman | was added to the force. In London, the report points out, there is one | policeman for every 390 residents. | has asked for one hundred additional that we should confine our planning | to a defense of the United States alone. To do so would be the sheer- est folly and no one knows that better than Colonel Lindbergh, for he acknowledged that any attempt to defend only the United States “eventually would leave us as vul- nerable to air attack as the nations | of Europe are today.” Colonel Lindbergh stands alone in his uncertainty as to what our defense policy is. It is a doubt which exists in his mind and nowhere else. But that does not soften the harsh fact that in advancing the suggestion that we do not have a definite policy In this respect he is doing a disservice to the country. If accepted by the | people at their face value, his remarks | could only serve to shake public confidence in the administration at a time when unity is a paramount necessity. Any and all suggestions that it is to our interest to aid the allies in their struggle against Germany are re- jected outright by Colonel Lindbergh | as being the machinations of uniden- tified “powerful elements” in America seeking to serve their own selfish purposes. Once again he holds forth personal opinion disguised as fact, without any supporting evidence. The President, with ready access to sources of information that are denied to Colonel Lindbergh, has stated in effect that France and Britain are fighting our battle and that they must be kept fighting at least until we can prepare ourselves. ‘That will require precious time, a year or more at best, but the colonel counsels delay. His advice invites disaster, as is evidenced by the fate which has befallen half a dozen stricken nations in Europe, and the American people should have little difficulty in choos- ing between the course advocated by the President and that which Colonel Lindbergh, a good airplane pilot, would follow. Arlington County Jail Forward-looking Arlington County residents will hope that the study of the county jail proposed by the County Civic Federation will produce tangible results, for the present in- stitution undoubtedly is one of the county’s worst liabilities. The civic group proposes to undertake the study with the assistance of the County Board of Public Welfare. Its survey would include consideration of the feasibility of maintaining a jail supported by two or more ad- joining jurisdictions and the desir- ability of retaining the jail on its men, but the budget-approved re- one-fourth of that number. Even this increment was disapproved by the House, but the Senate restored the item in the District supply bill. The fate of this important provision now is in the hands of Senate and | House conferees. It would be false economy of the most serious sort if at least twenty-five additional pa- trolmen were not supplied the under- manned Police Department of this big city. Meanwhile, the Police Department can strengthen public support of its difficult work by bending every effort to eliminate all cause for criticism with respect to the “dragnet” arrests | “for investigation” mentioned in the report. Too many persons are held without charges, in the opinion of the association.' This is a matter involving constitutional rights of the citizens and, therefore, it is of con- cern to the law-abiding as well as the transgressors. On the other hand, the police undoubtedly must be given reasonable latitude in in- vestigating crimes, else criminals may escape punishment. There is need for clarification of the laws governing arrests of suspected per- sons in Washington. Fortunately, the District Bar Association has this problem under consideration. It is to be hoped that a solution may be found—through new legislation, if necessary—in fairness to the police, to persons arrested upon suspicion and to the cause of better law en- forcement in the Nation’s Capital. Dark Days Ahead The allies face dark days ahead, whether or not the Germans’ drive toward Paris and the Channel ports is stopped. If it is not stopped the allied cause will be placed under the greatest strain; if it is stopped the | allies will then be confronted with | the heavy task of driving the Ger- mans out of France and Belgium. In either event, Britain and France will have to call forth every ounce of their strength. Evidence that this necessity is realized was provided by the shift in the allied command and Prime Minister Churchill’s address to the British people. Replacement of Generalissimo Maurice Gustave Gamelin with General Maxime Weygand, hitherto commander of the allied ammy in the Near East, signifies, first of all, a break with the defensive strategy with which General Gamelin had been asso- clated, and, secondarily, an effort, by radical change, to. correct any weakness in the high command which may have contributed to the German ' success in Belgium and North France. The change in command brings into the key position a man who was associated with Marshal Foch as chief of staff. Whether the A THE EVENING STAR, freshness of viewpoint and energy he brings to the alliled command can overcome the deficiencies in defense equipment now apparent in the allled armor remains to be seen. That there are such de- ficlencles is evident from the suc- cess which Mr. Churchill admitted the Germans had scored with their planes and armored divisions. The battle is not for France alone, but for the soil of Britain, too, and Mr. Churchill took pains to impress his fellow Britons with the danger that is in store for them once the lines in France are stabilized. Then, he said, it will be Britain’s turn to share with the men in the front lines the tortures of combat as Ger- many turns the full force of her air fleet against the British Isles. His broadcast was a mighty call to the British people to prepare tor the horrors Nazi Germany has in store for them, horrors which she has already loosed against the Poles, Norwegians, the Dutch and the Belgians. HIS speech was not a speech of reassurance that all is well in France, but one of confi- dence that the British will rise to the magnitude of their task. Teamwork Amid last week’s mostly gloomy news there emerged one thing for which all mankind may be thankful —new evidence of inter-American solidarity in support of “Christian morality” in international affairs. With one voice, the twenty-one American republics went on record in a protest against Germany’s “ruthless” violation of the neutrality and sovereignty of Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg, coupled with an appeal for “re-establishment of law and justice in the relations between | countries.” No one imagines for a moment that Germany’s cruel war machine will be stopped by a protest. But it is im- portant for the future of the world that there is on this hemisphere a solid bloc of nations proposing con- stantly to hold aloft the ideal that force has no place in relations be- | tween nations. In a resolution adopt- ed at Panama last Octoher, the twenty-one American republics reaf- firmed “their faith in the principles of Christian civilization,” declaring | that they “reject all methods for the | solution of controversies between na- tions based on force, abrogation,” and that they * and success of war.” The declaration protesting Ger- | many’s invasion of the Low Countries | was based on the Panama resolution. | There may be some who say ideals | are old-fashioned in this modern | world of “blitzkrieg” and “fifth col- | umn” warfare, but certainly they | cannot die as long as they are kept allve on this hemisphere. more our responsibility to safeguard them increases. It is comforting to mon good. And we owe our thanks to Uruguay for proposing the dec- | laration, in which all the American | republics joined, to reafirm our principles in condemning Germany’s | actions. " Cleanup With spring here, now is the time for all good wives to come to the aid of the party by conducting blitzkriegs | on various household treasures ac- cumulated throughout the year. The smarter ones strike without warning. Waiting until their hus- bands have gone off to work, they swoop like lightning on strategic spots like the attic or the cellar, where they mop up not only the dirt but also most of their mates’ cher- ished possessions. The more ruthless of the species have been knewn to throw out anything from fishing tackle to unpublished but still pre- cious manuscripts, and even the mildest ones will cheerfully put last year's ties and straw hats to the torch or give them to the ash col- lector. When the head of the household returns, he is faced with a fait accompli and can only sigh deeply and begin rebuilding in the devastated area. This spirit is not confined to the home, as was evidenced the other day when lawmakers in Kansas rum- maged through the legal attic in Topeka and brought to the light of day certain items of legislative junk, the gem of the collection being a law prohibiting Kansans from eat- ing in public any snakes, lizards, centipedes or scorplons. Although the statute was in good order, having suffered little from violation, they decided that it smacked too much of regimentation. From now on, all Kansans may come right out into the vpen and consume these tidbits freely with no other penalty than indigestion. Furthermore, in a burst of generosity, the abandoned law is offered free to any other State which wants it badly enough to send for it. Down in Bardstown the Nation paid honor to Stephen Foster, with stellar warblers singing his beloved songs and a special comremorative stamp placed on sale by the Postmas- ter General. It is a pity some of this enthusiasm and expenditure - could noPhave been utilized & little earlier to pay his debts. ——— A microfilm of “Gone With the Wind” is to be sealed into a “crypt of civilization” down at Oglethorpe Uni- versity. This will be opened in the year 8113. The diggers-upper of that date may well exclaim, “Our ances- tors could surely ‘take it!'* on the vioia- | tion of treaties or on theic unilateral | consider | the violation of the neutrality or the | invasion of wesker nations as an | unjustifiable measure in the conduct | The more | they are endangered elsewhere the ! WASHINGTON, D. Will Great Britain Muddle Through? "Politics Blamed for Early Reverses of First World War By Bertram Benedict. “We lose every battle but the last one,” the British like to assure them- selves. “We muddle everything, but we do muddle through. Take the last war, now.” All right, take the last war. It was like the present war for Great Britain in one respect, at least—a cabinet crisis in less than a year. Last time, the crisis came after nine months; this time, after eight. Last time the cabinet gave up its partisan status and became a coali- tion under the same Prime Minister; this time, & new Prime Minister replaced the old. The Chamberlain ministry at the out- break of the present war in 1939 was really in part a coalition one, although generally called Conservative. The tra- ditional opponents of the Conservatives, the Liberals, had split. About two- thirds were supporting the government, only about one-third were in opposition. Sir John Simon, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (we'd call him Secretary of the Treasury), was a Liberal, not a Con- servative. So was Edward Leslie Burgin, economic dictator on the home front. So was Hore-Belisha. And although the Labor party was officially in opposition, Malcolm MacDonald, in & key cabinet position, called himself a National Labor- ite, as had his late father, once Prime Minister. There was nothing like that at the outbreak of the last war. The Prime Minister in August, 1914, was Herbert H. Asquith, leader of the Liberal party, and he headed an all-Liberal cabinet. c, | Asquith was 63; his Chancellor of the Ex- chequer, David Lloyd George, was & mere youth of 51, the same age as Adolf Hitler today. The first British cabinet crisis last time, in May, 1915, arose from a muni- tions shortage. The army in France was complaining bitterly that it couldn't get any “forrader,” as the British love to say, because it hadn’t enough shells. Army leaders saw to it that their complaints | reached the ears of the Conservative leaders, also the ears of certain press magnates. The Secretary of State for War (we'd omit the third and fourth words in the title) was Lord Kitchener, Khartoum,” venerable and venerated veteran of many a campaign in the em- pire. He was bitterly attacked for in- efficiency in the Daily Malil, & North- | cliffe paper. To many Britishers that was like at- tacking somebody close to the throne of God. solemnly burned the blasphemous sheet on the floor of the exchange. But there were suspicions even in the cabinet that Kitchener had lost his grip. And the government seemed not to be “getting on” with the war in other sec- tors than France. The Gallipoli cam- paign, fostered by Winston Spencer Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty (we'd call him Secretary of the Navy), was fizzling out. On the eastern and southeastern fronts the Russian armies s | were in full retreat. believe that tne United States has | not shouldered that responsibility | alone, but is one of twenty-one na- | | tons working together for the com- So the ministry *was faced with the alternative, resign or coalesce. It co- alesced, and in May, 1915, the Asquith Liberal ministry became v.he Asquith coalition ministry. Churchill was demoted to a minor post, and room was found for Conservative leaders. The secretary of the British Labor party, Arthur Henderson, also en- tered the cabinet. As for Lloyd George, he got the all-important new post of Secretary for Munitions. Churchill wrote up later the difficulties of this coalition ministry. There was no discipline, little unity. The members argued and argued, expressed themselves vigorously all over the place, differed passionately on almost every problem except the man-eating shark. Before the ministry had gone coalition, the Prime Minister had been Mr. Boss. The British have a firmer sense of party discipline than the Americans; any member of the British cabinet who didn’t agree with the chief could forget it—or else. But in 1916 the Conservatives in the Asquith coalition cabinet, and for that matter Lloyd ‘George, knew that the Prime Minister was in no position to demand their resignations. By December, 1916, British public opinion had got “fed up” with Asquith at last, after two and one-third years of his war leadership. He had been Prime Minister for over eight years. Th France, hundreds of thousands of British lives, the flower of British man- hood, had been thrown away—so far as the John Bull could see, to no avail. In the east, the Russian military effort was completely spent, and Russia was out of the war for all practical purposes. That released more German troops for the western front. In the south, Italy, another of the allies, was making little progress against Austria-Hungary. In the southwest, Rumania was being overrun. At home, Ireland was in open rebellion at the failure of the government to redeem its pledge of Irish home rule. And the beloved and trusted Kitchener had been on the cruiser Hampshire when it was sunk with the loss of all on board. To those on the inside, the loss of Kitchener was actually a gain. The man in the street had less faith in the Asquith coalition ministry now that Kitchener of Khartoum was gone. Lloyd George, the Welsh barrister who worked his way to the top from nothing, more in the American than in the British tradition, now seemed to be the lad to win the war. The Conservatives, who had formerly loathed and denounced him as an upstart leveler, were grudg- ingly admitting his ability and energy. ‘The powerful Northcliffe press was be- hind him. But Lloyd George was a Liberal, and the head of the Liberal party was As- quith. To unseat his own leader would be party treachery. Most of the other Liberal leaders would have no part of it. So it was with Conservative backing that Lloyd George forced Asquith’s res- ignation and took over. Almost all the other Liberals in the cabinet went into the opposition with Asquith, and Lloyd George had to fill his cabinet chiefly with Conservatives. It was called another. coalition, but for practical purposes it L “Kitchener of | Members of the stock exchange | MONDAY, MAY 20, 1940. THIS AND THAT By Charles E. Tracewell. “HYATTSVILLE, Md. “Dear Bir: “Will you please tell me the name of the bird which is about the size and color of the sparrow but has a white stripe one-quarter inch wide over each eye and one over the top of the head? “I was thrilled to see a large flock of goldfinches in my back yard yesterday for the first time. “I enjoy your column, especially when it 1s about birds. “Sincerely, A. C* ko % This might have been the white- crowned sparrow, the white-throated sparrow, or the chipping sparrow. White-crowned sparrows have ap- peared recently, one at the window feeder of the writer. This fine finch has a crown which is marked by two broad lateral bands of deep black, inclosing a center one of white or grayish white of approximately equal width. The general appearance is of one white stripe in the middle of the head and one on each side. This sparrow is often mistaken for the white-throat. The white-crowned, however, does not have a yellow patch before the eye, the white patch over the throat, or the white patch over the eye. ‘The crown of the white-throated spar- row is black, divided centrally by a line or narrow stripe of white. There is a broad stripe over the eye, yellow from of the way. crown. The forehead is black, divided by a center streak of whitish, with a broad stripe of white or pale gray over the eye. The white-crowned sparrow is 6% inches long, the white-throated 7% inches and the chipping sparrow but 5% inches. * x %% The white-throat looks more slender now than he did in the winter and the yellow around his bill is much more conspicuous. fluffy in appearance. White throats are around locally much longer this season than usually. Hence our belief is that our correspondent’s bird is a white-throated sparrow. * x %% ing study. There are 19 species which live in or visit the District of Columbia and vi- cinity, including the English sparrow, the most common. Savannah, grasshopper, Henslow's, Nel- son’s, lark, white-crowned, white- throated, tree, chipping, Bachman’s, fleld, junco, Montana, song, Lincoln’s, swamp and fox sparrows. . Here is a wonderful fleld for speciali- zation in bird observation. A person might spend a lifetime studying these without ever coming near to exhausting the possibilities. One scientist has written two large bill to above the eye, white for the rest | The chipping sparrow, often called the ’ chippy, had a deep cinnamon-colored | All winter he was extremely fat and | ‘The sparrow family makes an interest- | ‘These sparrows include the vesper, Ja books on the song sparrow alone. Where can one find a more worthy bird? The song sparrow is famous for its song and its ways. It remains with us the year around, thereby becoming our familiar. L Surely there is no more pleasant sound in the world than the early morning song of this beautiful little bird. Especially when the snow is on the ground, and the winter winds do blow, the song of this sparrow is beautiful above all. The sight of him, then, is engaging, for he takes up his position on a gate post, or other elevated place, from which he pours forth his bubbling melody for all to hear. The mockingbird, in his season, has a wonderful song, especially in the moon- light, but for all-around sheer beauty, give us the year-around song of the 50Ng SPATTOW. If this bird had a “cute” name, like the chikadee, it would be vastly more famous, for it has more endearing ways, and is just as pretty. % Really to know, or even to begin to know, the local sparrows would require intense specialization. They are much alike in appearance, that is, they are all sparrows. The junco, or snowbird, as it is often called, is a real sparrow which does not look much like one to the average eye. more persons, perhaps, than any other bird, with the exception of our robin. | It is the bird of the city, coming where few others do. against it, but despite the imprecations hurled at it, this sparrow thrives, even with the coming of the automobile. ‘There are not 88 many English sparrows | now, as then,'but they still persist, and | find their ways to feeding stations, much to the despair of persons who believe that nature ought to be regimented, | with only the “nice” birds permitted | to eat. *xoxx Sparrows and warblers are the two | most difficult groups for amateur bird observers. Each class has many species which visit local gardens, and both are com- | posed of birds which somewhat resemble each other. There can be little doubt that many persons, seeing white-throated spar- rows, lump them off as English spar- Jows and think no more about them. | The young of purple finches sometimes | are mistaken for “just sparrows.” The sparrow family, ster with a glance. It might be a new sparrow, new for the observer, whose identification would prove quite as thrilling as that of some more flashy songster. After all, to know all the sparrows ls‘ | really something, in bird observation and identification. Letters to Credits Gen. Weygand With “Attack Complex.” To the Editor of The Star: It is no use. The allies haven't learned | a thing either from the first World War or during the eight months of the cur- rent one. ‘Why the arm of the German “pincers” to continue unmolested will go down into history as the crowning military blunder of all time. It cost the allies nearly 2 half million men and forced them to the wall. Marshal Mannerheim’s strategy in the recent Russian-Finnish War should be copied by the allies. The French should let the Nazis form a salient, then pinch it off at its base and proceed to wipe out the troors in the salient. This strategy was used suc- cessfully in the'last war, especially by the Americans. There is one French general who may have an “attack” complex—Weygand. Gamelin’s “retreat” to fortified positions is both costly and dangerous. Until Naziland is invaded and its industrial areas, air flelds, military bases and naval bases laid waste there will be no peace in Europe or anywhere else in the world. G. J. SIMMS. May 17. Discusses Contribution ° Of Isolationists to Nazis, To the Editor of The Star: If Germany wins this war, which at this writing looks more than probable, what part would cur isolationists have played in Germany’s victory? I say a very considerable part. They have succeeded in getting this country pledged, no matter how Germany vio- lates all laws of international justice, no matter how she may disregard the rights of small nations, no matter how ruthless she may be in her conquest for power, that we will never send to Europe one single American soldier to fight with the allies against Germany. We are pledged further not to send in any ship of American register any help in any form, whether a gun, a bomb or an airplane, What great¢r help could Germany ask of the United States? This was a Conservative government with a Liberal head. Lloyd George had learned a lesson from the bickerings of the Asquith coalition cabinet, where every minister was the equal of every other, only more s0. The new Prime Minister created an inner war council of five members (later increased by several more) to run the show. Eventually Mr. Henderson resigned. He charged that he was being used only for window-dressing, as the Americans say; and the British Labor party also went into opposition. But & resignation meant nothing to Lloyd George, who was bossing the show pretty much as he pleased. He knew he was indispensable, Across the channel the French finally swung around to the strong man con- cept, and in November, 1917, put their trust in old' Clemenceau, the Tiger. Both Premiers virtually made them- selver dictators for the remainder of the war; they finally muddled through to victory enly by fighting fire with fire. [y reaching for Rotterdam was permitted | 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. Plecse be Urief!- help is greater than Russia has given her, | it is greater than Italy has or tould | give her. It has given Germany the assurance that, regardless of the enormity of her crimes. the greatest nation on earth will not lay a straw across. her path. But if Germany does win this war, and gets control of the seas, what would be tRe position of the United States? Germany probably would establish air and submarine bases in Bermuda, the West Indies ‘and in Mexico and say to the United States that we must now trade with her and on such terms as she dictates. The isolationists would then know what part they played in placing the United States in such a predicament. May 15. JOHN MARTIN. Suggests Course America Should Follow. To the Editor of The Star: Hitler's latest moves in Scandinavia, the Low Countries and France at least are having the beneficial effect of clari- fying public thinking in the United States, Gone is the man who once argued that what happens in Europe is “none of our business.” A majority now sees clearly that defeat for England and France means defeat for the United Sftes and its sister republics in the Western Hemi- sphere. Ranks of those who declare the United States can keep out of this war are dwindling. More important, day by day fewer Americans believe their coun- try should keep out of it, even if it could. An increasingly large number an- nounce themselves unwilling to continue the role of spectator while England and Prance spend themselves in a struggle to save that democracy of which we as a people have always considered our- selves the planet's outstanding expo- nent. No longer is there a question of whether we shall enter this war. It has become a question of when we shall enter it. American public opinion has not yet crystalized enough to enable President Roosevelt to recommend to Congress that the United States abandon neutral status and take an open stand beside the allied democracies. May that crystaliza- tion not take too long. Given time, Hitler might defeat England and France. Then ours will be the task of facing, unaided, a conqueror leading a people already physically and psychologically mobilized, flush with the tonic of victory and fortified with the rich booty taken from overrun domains. But if America comes quickly to its inevitable decision, the addition of its already great naval and economic strength and its potential air power to the allied forces should render a Hitler victory impossible. It might even open up the hopeful vista of a world free of predatory totalitarianism. Alford, Mass, May 13, | Much has been said | | was a Thor. in particular, | ought to cause any observer to pause, ‘ when he is tempted to dismiss any song- 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. When were women first employed as theater ushers?—E. C. B. A. In December, 1903, the Majestic Theater in New York City engaged wom- en as ushers. A. Are there more white or colored people in the Canal Zone?—G. B. 8. A. The population numbers approxi- mately 60,000, about half of whom are white citizens of the United States and half Jamaican Negroes. Q. What is the origin of the expres- slon pin money?—J. K. o A. At one time pins were handmade and were so expensive that the money received or set aside by a woman for her personal expenses came to be known as pin money. Q. Who plays Ma Perkins on the rae dio?—V, 8. A. The role of Ma Perkins is played by Virginia Payne. Q. In what year did the excursion steamer Eastland capsize?—B. F. K. A. The Eastland steamer disaster oc- curred on July 24, 1915. Eight hundred and twelve persons were drowned when this steamer overturned in the Chicago River early on that morning. It was | estimated that more than 2,000 persons | were on board at the time. The English sparrow is known to | Q. Please give the number of miles President Roosevelt has traveled each year since he has been in office.—J. H. B. A. In 1933 the President traveled 7,672 miles; 1934, 24,836 miles; 1935, 19,071 miles; 1936, 47,914 miles; 1937, 19,964 miles; 1938, 29,159 miles; 1939, 30,496 miles; total, 179,112 miles. Q. How many tulips are there in Hol= land, Mich.?—W. T. A. At the time of the annual tulip festival from May 18 to 25 there are fully | 3,000,000 blossoms. Q. Who invented the washing ma- chine?—F. A. S. A. The first washing machine with a rotary motion was made in 1859 by Ham- ilton E. Smith at Pittsburgh, Pa. He continued to improve it until 1863, when he patented the first self-reversible mo- tion attachment. 'The first complete self-contained electric wdshing machine It was put on the market in 1907 and was patented by Alva J. Fisher, its inventor, August 9, 1910. Q. What percentage of school acci= dents are due to football?—T. B. A. A. The National Safety Council's 1939 edition of Accident Facts reports that 22 per cent of school grounds accidents are due to football. Q. Is Sholem Asch, author of “The Nazarene,” an American citizen?—K. R. M. A. Mr. Asch became an American citi- Zen in 1919. Q. When will the new memorial te ~ Senator Huey P. Long be dedicated?— V.L W. s A. The 14-foot bronze statue of Sena- tor Long, which stands in front of the | capitol at Baton Rogue, will be dedi- cated on his birthday anniversary, Au- gust 30, 1940. Q. What is the legend of the redbud | tree?--G. A. N. A. One legend is to the effect that the redbud or Judas tree once had white flowers, but that when Judas hanged himself upon the tree they turned pink with shame. Q. How tall are the famous waterfalls in New Zealand?—M. H. A. The Sutherland Waterfalls have a drop of 1,900 feet. Q. When was the Michigan State Col- lege Band organized?—C. A. D. A. The Michigan State College Band was first organized in 1874. It became & unit of the military department in 1885 and has functioned continuously since that time. Q. What has become of Blanche Ring, the actress?>—H. J. M. A She is playing in “Nights of Glad- ness,” a show at the Diamond Horseshoe in New York City. Q. Is there a Lake Winona in In- diana?—W. R. V. A. Lake Winona is located in Kosci- usko County, near Warsaw, Ind. Its area is approximately 2 square miles and it is a popular summer resort. Q. Who was the first cardinal in the United States?—E. G. A. Bishop John McCloskey was.named Cardinal by Pope Pius IX, the investi- ture taking place in old St. Patrick's in New York City on April 27, 1875. Q. Of what nationality were the parents of Thomas E. Dewey?—R. U. A. Thomas Edmund Dewey is the son of George Martin and Anne Thomas Dewey. His father was a descendant of the long line of Deweys headed by Thomas Dewey, who came to America from England in 1634. A fourth cousin of George Martin Dewey was Admiral George Dewey, hero of Manila Bay. Anne Thomas Dewey’s family had come to this country only a generation before. Her mother was an Irish girl, Augusta Corrigan, born in County Cork, and her father a Canadian of English descent. Glorious Acreage “Sometime Il have an acre, maybe two.” His words were as the eagerness of wings Longing to brush against the shining blue Eternal gates that swing toward heaven- ly things. A sudden light shone in his wistful eyes Affirming with a deeper language what His tongue would speak: A dreamed-of paradise With fruitful trees and well-loved gar- den plot. Never was any acreage more fair ‘Than his straight garden rows of pensive No orchard bore a yield that could compare ‘With ripened harvests on his own boughs gleaming. A plot of ground stands gloriously apart When it is held within a loving heart. ROSE MYRA PHILLIPS.