Evening Star Newspaper, May 27, 1940, Page 10

. @he Foening Htar® With Sunday Morning £ditlon, THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor, WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY. May 27, The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Main Office: 11th 8t and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd St. Chicsgo Office’ North Michigan Ave. Delivered by Carrier—City and Suburban. Reeular Editlon, ing and Sunday 76¢ per mo. ot 18¢ per week o Evening Star __ 43¢ per mo. or 10c per week The Sunday Star i 10¢ per copy Night Fin; ght Pinal and Sundsy Risht Final ao sunes Rural Tube Delivery. d Sunday Star 856 per month 60¢ per month tar de e sent b5 mal) oF Telor £s may be sent by mall or teler 5000, week. Or Pphonhe National Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. {ly and Sunday..1 yr. $12.00; 1 mo.. $1,00 only 1 yr. "$R00: 1 mo. %86 87 only. 1yl $6.00: mo., Ve Entered as second-class matter post office, Washington, D. C. Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to e use for republication of all news dispatches | credited to it cr_not otherwise credited in this Paper and also the local news pubiisned hercin, Al rights of publication of svecial dispatehes herein also are reserved. —— Fireside Talk President Roosevelt’s fireside talk of last evening, his first since the terrible implications of Europe’s war have become apparent to the majority of the people of this coun- try, was designed primarily to strike a reassuring note, to forestall unreasonable apprehensions by re- counting the strength of our armed | forces in the most favorable terms that facts and hopes will permit. The President said that some ele- ments of our population are suc- ! cumbing to a “fear bordering on | panic.” If that assumption was cor- | rect, and it may have been, there was ample justification for the effort on Mr. Roosevelt’s part to get the record straightened out and to allay apprehensions which are more imaginary than real. But if exaggerated fears are dan- | gerous in our present situation, so, too, is unwarranted optimism. Only at our peril can we ignore certain harsh facts of the world as we find it today, and it is disappointigg that the President, to whom the Nation must look for guidance, did not see At to discuss them. It is no doubt true, as Mr. Roosevelt 8ald, that the weakness of our mili- tary establishment has been over- stated by some of the critics of his administration. But the fact remains that we are sadly unprepared in a military sense for the vast responsi- bilities we will have to assume if the Allies are defeated in Europe. Nor can we hope to overcome these deficlencies at our leisure. Time is the all-important factor now, and if Mr. Roosevelt has any comprehen- sive and definite program for cutting through political obstacles to make the most prompt and effective use of our industrial resources in this rear- mament effort, he failed to disclose such plans last night. - The President also refrained from getting down to realities in another respect. Qualifying his remarks to the extent of making it clear that he was discussing only the “present emergency,” Mr. Roosevelt said he 8aw no reason for modifying any of the social gains or objectives of the New Deal. In brief, he proposes to maintain wage and hour standards and, if possible, to extend the cover- age of old age pensions and unem- ployment insurance. Nor does he contemplate any retreat from other objectives—conservation of resources, assistance to agriculture, housing and help to the underprivileged. That is an ambitious program, one calculated to tax the resources of a nation at peace in a peaceful world. Its accomplishment, under the most favorable circumstances, would be expensive in the extreme, and if we must add to that outlay the billions of dollars which we are going to spend and must spend on arms, the financial burden will be a staggering one. And yet, in the face of that inescapable fact, the President said that he contemplates no economies " affecting social expenditures, and he did not so much as mention the new and heavy taxes which will have to be imposed. This limited present emergency of which the President speaks will dis- appear if the Germans win the war in Europe. Our planning is shaped to conform to that possibility, and, if 1t materializes, the people of America will have to make very heavy sacri- fices indeed. France and Britain— as we are doing—tried to find an easy way to national security against a hard and relentless foe, and they are paying an appalling penalty now for their early refusal to come to grips with reality. There is every reason why we should learn the les- son implicit in their tragic mistake, and the President could render no greater service than to point the way while there is yet time. Aviation Forum should make possible a healthful dis- cussion of a multitude of problems in the light of the existing emergency. Outstanding national leaders are participating in the sessions of the forum, which is intended to serve 1940 primarily as a clearing house for in- formation essential to aviation “wel- fare and a means of co-ordinating activities. Well aware of the importance of the forum, President Koosevelt has appointed Chairman Robert H. { Hinckley of the Civil Aeronautics Authority as his personal representa- tive. Heads of the Army and Navy aviation services are taking active parts and twelve Federal agencies handling aeronautical matters are participating in the forum sessions or in the many exhibits which have been arranged at Bolling Fleld and in downtown Washington. These exhibits, coupled with dem- onstration flights by representative combat formations of the General Headquarters Air Force of the Army, the Navy air force and the Marine Corps combat squadrons, are ex- pected to provide a graphic demon- stration of recent aviation progress. The National Aeronautic Associa- tion and other participating organi- zations are to be commended for making possible so comprehensive a study of a national problem. In Mercy's Name No other. portion of President Roosevelt’s “fireside chat” last night was more important than that in | which he appealed for subscriptions to the American Red Cross for war relief purposes. It was the speaker’s deliberate choice to open his address with a plea for mercy. His words had been selected with care. They were poignant in their compelling power. It was right, Mr. Roosevelt de- clared, that “on this Sabbath evening | I should say a word in behalf of women and children and old men, |‘-who need help—immediate help in | their present distress—help from us across the seas, from us who are still free to give it.” The civilian popula- tions of Belgium and France, the President explained, “are now mov- ing, running from their homes to es- cape bombs and shells and fire, with- out shelter, and almost wholly with- out food.” Millions “stumble on, knowing not where the end of the road will be.” The problem hardly could be set forth more dramatically—or more accurately. Mr. Roosevelt did not exaggerate. On the contrary, his language was moderate, in every sense unexceptional. None but simple phrases were employed in the petition for charity which the Presi- dent filed with “each one of you that is listening to me.” The aver- age citizen could and did understand the meaning of each syllable. Of course, the appeal could have been expanded. Mr. Roosevelt might have wished to repeat that only America can aid the stricken peoples of the war zone. Some nations al- ready are involved in the strife, their resources requisitioned for national defense; others, because of thelr poverty, are lacking in means to assist. The United States alone is both at liberty and possessed of wealth enough to engage in the labor of love for which the President requested volunteers. To refuse, to “pass by on the other side,” would be to deny “our common humanity” in an hour whose tragic emergency never yet has been'surpassed since history began. The query is made as to why man- ufacturers do not roughen racks so that towels will not fall off. In many homes no towel that Junior has usea once can ever slip. New Methods and Men ‘The change in “methods and men” which Premier Paul Reynaud of France hinted at more than ten days ago in addressing the Chamber of Deputies has come. A policy of attack is being substituted for de- fensive warfare, exponents of ag- gressive strategy are replacing sup- porters of the Joffre theory that success favors the army which saves its strength and lets the enemy wear himself out by taking the initiative. Of course, superior airpower and mechanized might of the German armies were important factors in the Nazi break-through on the Meuse front and elsewhere. But few doubt that there were serious errors of judgment by Allied strategists—even stupidity or worse. For these failures, men in high places must bear the blame and the penalties. General Maurice Gamelin, believer in static warfare, has given way to General Maxime Weygand, ardent advocate of a war of move- ment and schooled in the Foch pre- cept: “The attack, always the at- tack!” And now, under the official heading of “penalties” has come the summary removal from their com- mands of fifteen French generals whose troops were routed along the Meuse. The charges against them No event could prove more timely | have not been revealed, nor have than the National Aviation Forum which, opening today, brings to Washington aviation leaders in all branches of the industry. Though arranged months ago, the forum and the thorough agenda prepared for its delegates serve to support and foster the great national air defense and pilot training programs now getting under way. The thorough preparation of this peace-loving Nation for eventuali- tles in a war-torn world will impose a burden on every branch of Ameri- can aviation, military and civil, from the qualified individual instructor to the largest manufacturing plant. The fact that virtually every aviation activity is represented in the forum their names been published. It will be recalled, however, that Premier Reynaud, after the collapse of French resistance in the vital Meuse sector, spoke bitterly of incredible blunders that had been committed there. Perhaps there was a lack of alertness, of appreciation of the driv- ing power of the enemy. Perhaps there was a disregard of planned strategy. Certainly there was utter confusion as the fire-fringed steel spearhead of the German military machine smashed into and through the French position with amazing swiftness. Whatever the reasons for the debacle, it is only natural in the grim business of fighting & war that methods and men must be cast aside b THE EVENING STAR, in favor of new methods and new men it the exigencies of battle de- mand. Almost simultaneously with the shift in the French high command, the British announced important changes in theirs. General Sir Ed- mund Ironside, chief of the Imperial General Staff, in which post he was top man of the British Army, has been made head of home defenses. His successor as supreme war lord is General Sir John Dill. While the importance of Britain’s home de- fense is not to be minimized, it may be significant that Genesal Dill is said to be imbued with the “offense is the best defense” idea. He has been in charge of mechanization ac- tivities of the British Army. These changes in methods and men may bring historic changes in the story of the war which is being written on the French and Belgian battlefields. Already the momentum of the German drive has been slowed almost to a standstill by Allied coun- terattacks. It will take prodigious oftensive thrusts now to close the narrow corridor between Bapaume and Perronne, through which the Germans have been sending supplies and reinforcements to their forces in Northern France. “The attack, always the attack” will be the battle cry under the new command. And with the shift in tactics and officers may come & decisive turn in the tide of battle within the next few critical hours or days. Prophecy Fulfilled Secretary of State Hull remarked the other day that he believed events had justified his emphasis during recent years on the necessity of in- ternational co-operation to check forces driving the world steadily toward a new and terrible “Dark Age.” There can be no doubt about the justification now. The tragedy is that the people of this and other peace-loving countries did not heed the astute Mr. Hull’s advice and act on it in time to avert the catas- trophic events. Some may say that nothing can be gained by “crying over spilled milk,” but an intelligent review of past mistakes can give valuable les- sons for the present and future. The most vital lessons emphasized by recalling Mr. Hull's warnings in the light of recent events are that coun- tries which seek peace by trying to isolate themselves and failing to arm adequately when “international law- lessness is on the rampage” merely encourage aggression. They are being learned now at tremendous cost be- cause Great Britain and France dilly- dallied with “appeasement” and iso- lationists in this country cried down as “steps toward war” any sugges- tions for effective international co- operation or real national defense. In a speech to the National Press Club on March 17, 1938, Secretary Hull warned that the “crucial issue” then was whether peace-loving na- tions could act together effectively or “whether international anarchy based on brute force will inundate the world and ultimately sweep away the very bases of civilization.” Aloof- ness between peaceful nations serves only to encourage warlike actions by “nations lawlessly inclined,” he added, insisting that the longer parallel action to maintain order and respect for treaties was delayed “the graver will be the jeopardy” to the “clvilized existence” of all coun- tries. He had proposed on July 186, 1937, that “apart from the question of alllances with others, each nation should be prepared to engage in co-operative effort, by peaceful and practicable means” to support prin- ciples of international law and pro- mote world economic stability. Ger- many’s invasion of one weaker nation after another while this and other democracles failed to give practical effect to Mr. Hull's ideas has shown that his warnings were fully justified. We should make sure now that the lesson is not overlooked nor forgotten. Black Eye There are on the market a number of good etiquette books, but, strange to say, none of them devotes even so much as a paragraph to an im- portant problem that comes up now and then in social intercourse, namely, how the explain a black eye both plausibly and neatly. And yet the subject fairly shouts for a technique in handling which will avoid embarrassment to both parties alike, for it is often just as hard for the reciplent of the alibi to swallow it gracefully as it is for the donor to say the right thing. Theoretically, the correct thing to do when a black eye heaves into view is to ignore it; practically, it is no more possible than it would be for an observer at Niagara to ignore the Falls. As 2 horrible example of what not to do, take the case of a certain coach at the University of Oklahoma who appeared on the campus with a glorious midwestern mouse and in explanation of its presence said that he was struck by a huge hailstone while playing golf. One cannot help admire his intrepidity in attempting to put this one over; but let us not forget that the spirit of the Lost Cause was also admired in the early spring of 1865, just before the crash. It would be better to bury the dead and start fresh, even if with nothing better than the story, first used by Tut-ankh-Amen, that he fan into a door. S E—— Certain South Sea primitives be- leve that felicity after death de- pends on wealth and prestige during life. ON, the poor, benighted heathen! e It is stated that Japan plans for & marked increase in China’s salt production. To rub into the latter’s ‘wounds, it is presumed. b B WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, MAY 27, 1940. THIS AND THAT By Charles E. Tracewell. Conquest of England Is Difficult Task Trickery Contributed to Duke of Normandy's Victory in 1066 By Blair Bolles. " Almost 1,000 years ago a fleet of 1,400 vessels carrying a motley army of war- riors gathered from every quarter of France and led by the Duke of Nor- mandy sailed across the English Channel and landed on the shores of England. The date of their debarkation was September 28, 1066. Over the rough waves of that same channel Hitler’s soldiers can look today, toward the island which has been safe from invasion since Duke William conquered it. Will Hitler chance invasion? England fears it. The German Puehrer could scarcely be a sterner, more determined conqueror than the Norman Duke, who was a great statesman but a rough foe. The English today regard Willlam as the man who started the island kingdom on its road to greatness among the na- tions. To the English now, 1066 is a great, a memorable date. So do long time and faits accomplis justify under- takings which in their own settings seem scarcely legal or just. The Norman undertook his invasion to satisfy a dubious claim to the English crown. He was the cousin of Edward the Confessor, next to last Saxon king of England, and Edward made a vague promise to his Norman relative that the throne should be his when Edward died, although the throne was elective and its succession in the hands not.of the mon- arch but the wise men among the people. William fortified his chance of succession later by extracting from Harold (the Saxon whose leadership made him Ed- ward’s logical successor) an oath made over a cask of saints’ bones that he would assist Willlam in obtaining the English kingdom. When Edward was dying in January, 1066, he urged the appointment of Harold as his successor. The Saxons proceeded to elect Harold their king when Edward was dead. The news aroused the Duke in his capital of Rouen across the chan- nel, and a Norman messenger was hur- ried to Harold with a seminder of his holy vow. “It is true that I took an oath to Wil- liam, but I took it under constraint,” Harold told the messenger. He took it in the Norman city of Bayeux while & crowd of armed and hostile Normans sur- rounded him and while his two younger brothers were in “protective captivity” of the Normans. “I promised what did not belong to me, what I could not in any way hold; my royalty is not my own; I could not lay it down against the will of my country.” Willlam, enraged, promised to seize England within the year. He enlisted the aid of the Pope, Alexander II, and from every part of France he gathered sol- diers—archers, crossbowmen, spearmen, horsemen—offering good pay and the plunder of England to all supporters. In early August the men met at the mouth of the River Dives, emptying into the English Channel along the Norman coast between the mouth of the Seine and the Pointe de Barfleur (far south of where the Germans are today), and there they boarded the boats which had been abuilding since th; spring. All was ready except the weather. England was only 90 miles away, yet the channel pas- sage was a grave problem. For a month contrary winds kept the ships in their harbor. Then a south breeze carried them up the French coast almost to Dieppe, where a storm sent many to the bottom. Finally, in September, the expedition- ary force set off across the channel be- fore a favorable wind. Duke William's vessel was first, with the papal banner at its masthead and the three lions of Normandy on its sails. The run was 65 miles, taking 24 hours. The force landed at Pevensey, near Hastings, in the south of England. Sixteen days later the decisive: battle of Hastings, or Senlac, was fought be- tween Duke William and King Harold. The issue would have been joined sooner, but Harold was the victim of double in- vasion. A few days before William set out from France, Harold’s jealous broth- er, Tostig, and his ally, 7-foot King Harold of Norway, landed in the north of England with Norwegian armies to seize the English throne. King Harold of England beat these invaders at the bnmi of Stamford Bridge on September 25. He was taking his ease in York, re- covering from his wounds, when word came that the Normans had arrived. It was news Harold had long expected. Harold gathered his army and began the march southward with 100,000 men. He hoped to surprise the Normans, but members of the “Afth column” of the day—Normans who had moved to Eng- land in King Edward the Confessor's day—got the word to William. The Nor- mans were encamped at Hastings, and Harold drew up his army on hilly ground &t Senlac, 7 miles away. Before a clash of arms, the Duke twice in vain tried to negotiate a peace with Harold. On Octo- ber 13 William decided that the next day would be the day of battle. Early in the morning of October 14 the invader told his army: “Remember to fight well and to put all to death; for if we conquer, we shall all be rich; what I gain, you will gain; if I conquer, you will conquer; if I take the land, you will have it. Know, however, that I am not come here only to obtain my right; but also to avenge our whole race for the felonies, perjuries and treacheries of these English.” The fight was hot, but William, mem- ber of a race noted even to this day for’ circumlocution and subterfuge, won it by & ruse. He sent 1,000 horsemen galiop- ing off in a feigned rout. The Saxons relaxed, and the Normans surrounded their redoubts. Harold, who earlier in the day had lost an eye from an arrow, was kiilled, with two of his faithful brothers. The Normans were given the spoils of the Saxon dead as their first booty. Then slowly they marched to- ward London, where at Christmas Wil- Elusive Goal York farmer, aged 102, up active farming. ARLINGTON, Va. “Dear Sir: “I read your comments on birds with great enjoyment. “Inclosed is a clipping which may be of interest, whether the drastic measures used meet with your approval or not. “Of course, all of us who live in Wash- ington know the nuisance starlings are, but it hadn't occurred to me they could be the source of such great loss. “Since we moved to Virginia last fall my sister and'I have had lots of fun watching the starlings who came over to visit in the day then flew away at night, 80 we haven’t had the roosting problem, “Sincerely, A. J. G.” k% % The article, from the Fort Smith (Ark.) Times, will be of interest to all persons who watch and feed birds. The article, signed by C. C. Brown, states: “The voracious appetites of an esti- mated 50,000 or more European starlings which have invaded the barns of the ‘West Fort Smith Horse and Mule Co. at the west end of the Garrison Avenue Bridge are costing the company about 500 pounds of horse and mule feed daily. “Louis E. Beland, secretary of the com- pany, and Ray Williams of the Parmers’ Livestock Commission made the estimate, “‘That sounds like a lot of feed,’ Be- land said, ‘but there must be more than 50,000 of the starlings in our 15 barns and I believe the estimate is about right.’ * o % “Already more than 1,000 of the black birds, each about the size of & robin and with long talons and beaks, have become casualties before the barrage of air rifle pellets and blows from tennis rackets and clubs. “Ray Willlams, Jimmy Williams and volunteers from the ranks of the feed men at the barns and ‘mule skinners’ had planned a large-scale assault on the invaders Thursday night but postponed the attack because of the opening of the Golden Gloves tournament. “Face scratches received in leading a skirmish against the starlings were ex- hibited by Ray Williams. “‘I would estimate conservatively that there are at least 50,000 or 60,000 of the birds in the 15 barns,’ Ray Willlams sald. ‘We went into three barns last Saturday night with tennis rackets, air rifies and flash lights and killed about 1,000 of them. But I don't believe that we killed 10 out of 300 that were there.’ * x % x “Williams said he took & post in a cor- ner of the barn and his helpers drove the birds to him. “Using his bare hands, he caught 217 of the starlings and jerked their heads off in 20 minutes. “‘Then we went into another barn and I pulled the heads off of 178 there,’ he said. ‘After that, I got tired and we have decided to get a big gang together and really wade in. “T had & bird in each hund once, Williams said, ‘when another flew in my face, his claws ripping my glasses off and cut my face. Those claws are long and sharp, too.’ . “It 15 useless to attempt large-scale poisonings of the starlings, Willilams said, “‘It is yseless because the birds have such big appetites’ he said. ‘You can put out & pound of poisoned feed and five birds will eat it all. The poison Just isn’t distributed among enough birds.’ 4 * % % % “One pellet from an air rifle isn't enough to kill a starling, Williams said the hunters found out. “‘And just to explain how thick they are in the rafters and under the eaves,’ he said, ‘one of the boys fired an air rifle about 9 or 10 times into a large group of the starlings under one eave. “‘We could hear the pellets hit but no birds fell. Finally, one bird was wounded. “‘He flew out and five dead birds dropped to the floor. They had been packed in s0 tightly the dead ones couldn’t fall free.’ “One of the starlings killed by Wil- lams had been banded by the United States Blological Survey. Williams copied the registry number from the band and forwarded it to the survey headquarters at Washington, D. C.” * X % % Man killing in Europe, starling killing at Fort Smith. 80 runs the world these days. It s & sad day for kind-hearted people “who wouldn't kill a fly.” Maybe they will have to kill more than flies, before they get through, and then & few starlings won’t matter. In the meantime, city and suburban dwellers who feed the birds will continue, some of them, to find the starlings in- teresting birds. Scientists do, why not others? In the quoted article, such stress is laid on the “long claws” of the birds that one may wonder if they really are starlings. Could they be grackles, after all? If we were wringing birds’ necks, and had a specimen in each hand, we would much rather be hit in the face by starling claws than grackle claws. * x % x The intelligence of the starling is at- tested again. The birds seek out food, even going into barns after it. There they seek the comfort of the warm eaves, and pack themselves tightly together. They fly across the continent, taking Fort Smith in their stride, In the fall, they fly back to those nice marble window sills of our Government buildings, kept warm night and day. A smart bird is the starling, none smarter. A few hundreds or thousands of starling martyrs will die at Fort Smith, and at other points, but the race will go on. Letters to -Cites Role of Thrift In German Successes. To the Editor of The Btar: There is one reason for the devastating sweep which Germany is making which may have escaped some of us and which needs to be registered so deeply in our subconscious mind that its sction be- comes automatic. This tremendous war machine was built up by intelligence, thrift and self- denial of the masses. Germany has built up power, but is using it destructively, so if law rules the universe it must fall. Yet the fact remains that this power was built by economy and thrift. Let wasteful America look to this. Knowl- edge is no longer power, but goodness and thrift are. A READER. May 24. Opposes Change In Johnson Act. To the Editor of The Star: As predicted by this writer in & letter to your newspaper two weeks ago, the move by certain groups to arouse the people in favor of revision of the Johnson Act to permit credit to the British and the French is now fully under way. There are a few facts which the gen- eral public should face and analyze carefully before they give their unquali- fied support to this type of loan propa- ganda. For example, the United States is already offering material assistance through the release of the latest type of airplane, and the Neutrality Act, as it now stands, definitely favors Britain and France. Neither Britain nor France has asked the United States Government to revise the Johnson Act. The English and the French press have reported that their governments have sufficlent funds invested in the United States to take care of paying for war orders for some time. With the resources of the English government not now at the exhaustion point, it is improbable that Britain would petition the United States Govern- ment to extend credit for war purchases. May 24. b Organization of Rifiemen For Defense Suggested. To the Editor of The Star: Deep in his heart, each and every true American is concerned over the European developments and the apparent inade- quacy of modern instrumentalities for national defense in these United States of America, A ‘While the President and the Congress, in traditional American fashion, are en- ergetically preparing to meet the short- age of modern military equipment, let us take inventory of some of the things available, namely, the American rifieman and the Springfleld rifie. They may prove an asset in combating enemy para- chutists and saboteurs should an emer- gency arise, For a number of years America has had the foresight to train many of its civilians in the art of rifie shooting. Money has been expended for the pro- motion of rifie practice with the idea of having available skilled rifiemen in time of peril. Annually the country’s finest marksmen assembled in divisional or na- tional competition, Today we have & number of distin- guished marksmen and expert rifiemen who are too old to meet the requirements of our Army and Navy. These men have had military training and their expert- ness in firearms makes them an asset in A 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! 8 national defense emergency. The American distinguished marksman and the expert rifieman are second to none and should be considered in combating what may be termed the parachute menace. Organize this valuable man power into anti-parachutist brigades. Equip them with the discarded Springfield rifles. For practical target practice make avail- able several aeroplanes in each State, from which a number of silhouette fig- ures, the size and shape of a man, could be dropped, suspended from para- chutes. Several weeks of this type of target practice and there would be ready for an emergency brigades of qualified riflemen capable of asisting in the de- fense of our vital manufacturing plants and airports from saboteurs and para- chutists. HARRY F. RICHARDSON. May 23. Comments on Loyalty Of Negro Race. To the Bditor of The Star: Within & month Germany has in- dicated to the world how completely an- nihilating force and espionage can be In establishing Mr. Hitler's ideas of social control. At first it was thought that this ruthless combination could only work in the smaller nations, but France has disproved that. Now America sets itself to the task of preparing against any such disastrous eventualities. Perhaps we can proceed on the business assumption that 90 per cent of the population is honest and loyal. But how about the 10 per cent? What destructive part can this 10 per cent play i our industrial, military and naval preparations? Oddly enough America has a minority population of 13,000,000 people, no mem-~ ber of which has ever proved traitorous in war or peace. When it has come to plotting against either the State or the Nation, in accepting foreign gold, Tevealing secrets or blowing up plants, 1o black American has ever been proved guilty. If there ever was a time when America needed the loyalty and service of this group it is now, for it is no longer a matter of North and South or black and white, but it is the future safety™of every man and woman who desires to see America survive. It is bad at any time to hang out & “white workers only” sign, but it is extremely dangerous these days. For in doing 80, we run the risk of the very individuals in the Army, Navy and industry who when the day comes GEORGE W. GOODMAN, Bees Useful Role Feor Horn-Blowers, ‘To the Bditor of The Star: I see by the papers that Uncle Sam wlllhemfincpflnhmrwmnrphnu and I understand they must be quick thinkers to fly these fast ships. I believe the necessary man power for this great number of pilots could be se- lected from the horn-blowers who wait only 1/1000th of a second after the light turns green before squawking. May22. CARLETON U.EDW. Answers To Questions By Frederic J. Haskin. A reader can get the answer to question of fact by writing The Eve- ning Star Information Bureau, Frede eric J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply. Q. Who was Lemonade Lucy?—W. 8. H, A. President and Mrs. Rutherford B, Hayes refused to permit wines or spirits to be served at White House functions, substituting lemonade. Cartoons of the period designated Mrs. Hayes as Lemon- ade Lucy. Q. What was the total attendance at the home games of the New York Yankees last year?—C. K. 8. . 5 A. The official attendance at the home games of the New York Yankees for the 1939 season was 900,000. Q. When was the big windstorm in Louisville, Ky.?—W. E. G. A. Louisville was visited by & tornado on March 27, 1890. It demolished many buildings and caused nearly one hun- dred deaths. Q. How many women have been Gove ernors and how long have they served? —R. T. A. Only two women, Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming and Mrs. M. A. Fergu- son of Texas, both Democrats, have been elected Governors. Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Ross served from January 5, 1925, to January, 1927. Mrs. M. A. Ferguson served from January, 1925, to January, 1927, and was re-elected for the term 1933 to 1935. Q. Please give some facts about Marco Polo—E. K. B. A. He was an Italian traveler and trader representing some of the great Venetian merchants. In 1298 he was captured by the Genoese and imprisoned. ‘While in prison he dictated to another captive the story of his adventures. This account, later published under the title of “The Book of Marco Polo,” revealed to Europe the wonders and magnificence of the Eastern world. Q. How long have horse races been held?—K. M. A. Horse racing is mentioned in the Tliad and was also known to various Oriental peoples at a very early date. Q. What condition inspired Oliver Goldsmith's “Deserted Village"?—J. W, A. It was inspired by the depopulation of Ireland during the 18th century. Q. Is Elsie Robinson, author of “Listen, World,” married?—R. H. A. She is the wife of Benton Fremont of San Francisco. Q. What city had the first street raile way?—H. M. A. The first street railway was built in New York City in 1832, the tracks being laid on the Bowery and Fourth avenue from Prince street to Harlem, the rail consisting of strips of flat iron laid on granite blocks. This railway was put into operation in June, 1833, the first cars running from Prince street to Mur- ray Hill. The cars resembled the stage- coach then in use and were mounted on flanged wheels. Q. Who was the father of Lucresia Borgia?—W. W. M. A. Lucrezia Borgia was the daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgis, afterward Pope Alexander VI. Q. How many florists’ stores are there in Washington, D. C.>—E. M. F. A. There are approximately 125 florist shops in the Washington Metropolitan | Area. Q. Who plays the part of Ginger Rog= ers’ grandmother in “Primrose Path”?— D. R. A. Queenie Vassar enacts this role. Q. What proportion of elementary school children live in cities, villages and on farms?—R. T. V. A. Of every 100 children attending elee mentary schools, 52 live in the country or in villages, 17 in towns of from 2,500 to 10,000 population, 7 in cities of from 10,- 000 to 30,000, 5 in cities of from 30,000 to 100,000 and 19 in cities of 10,000 and more, Thus approximately 70 per cent of the Nation’s elementary school children live in the country or in small towns. Q. What was the value of the widow's mite?>—B. H. A. Most commentators are of the opin- ion that the coin was the lepton, a coin of ancient Greece, the value of one-third of an English farthing, or about twoe- thirds of an American cent. Other com- mentators think it is a still smaller coin with a value of one-seventy-second of an English penny. In both cases the coins would be copper. Q. How much should one tip & hat check girl?—K. E. 8. A. Ten cents is the minimum. In a !uh":.mbll place the usual tip is 25 cent Inviolate Lives have been lost, and countless battles fought, And yet no tyrant ever had the power To quite subdue, or conquer human thought, Or change the fragrance of & wayside flower. Though despots may, with diabolio art, -_Enslave a land, yet never can they take The p;ecwu.l things within the yearning eart, The things which brutal force ecan never break. Although men gaze upon a trampled creed; : Although ‘their last 'white sepulchers burned; be Although the hearts of stricken mothers bleed; Though prayers be mocked and holy pledges spurned; Though men may see the hard, less heel Feant- Of cruel hordes upon o their country. kneel, P The soul remains erect and undefied.” For no decree has ever yet been signeq