Evening Star Newspaper, January 10, 1942, Page 10

The Foening Ht® With Sunday Morning Editien. THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY January 10, 1942 The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Main Office: ‘11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd 8t Chicago Office: 435 North Michigan Ave. Delivered by Carrier—City and Suburban. Regular_Edition. ning and Sunday By c per mo. or 18c per week e Evening Star__45c per mo. or 10c per week The Sunday Star 10c per copy Night Final Edition. Wight Pinal and Sunday Star . Rc permonth Night Pinal Star 60c per month Rural Tube Delivery. _ fi! Evening and Sunday Star 5¢ per month e Evening Star = 53¢ per month e Sunday Star T0¢ per copy Coliections made at the end of each month of each week. Orders may be sent by mall or tele, Shone National 5000, Rate by l\lail—l’nyahh in Advance. Daily nd Sunday i Dail* ml Sunc. only - Entered as second-class matter post office, Washington. D. C. Member of the e Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to t#he use for republication of all news dispatches eredited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. fi“ Tights of publication of special dispatches erein also are reserved. e Another Failure Efforts by members of Congress to examine the facts upon which the order for the decentralization of Federal agencies was based have met with another failure. Heretofore it had been supposed that at some stage of the proceed- ing the executive branch of the Gov- ernment would make available the considerations underlying the order, 80 that Congress might have the facts upon which to base an intelli- gent appraisal of the feasibility of the order and to study the possibility of some alternative solution of the Government’s space problem. But the latest developments in the mat- ter indicate that there was no basis for such a supposition. Budget Director Smith, who is in charge of the decentralization, had been requested to appear yesterday at a session of the Senate District Committee and to bring his files re- lating to the pending order for the transfer of twelve Federal agencies from the Capital. Mr. Smith was unable to appear because of another congressional engagement, but in a letter to the Senate committee he added that in any event he would have had some hesitancy in comply- ing with the request because he had acted in this matter “at the direction of the President, and the papers in | question are records of the execu- tive office and to some extent confi- dential in character.” This is the first time it has been suggested that the transfer of Fed- eral agencies and Federal employes | from Washington is a confidential | matter, and such a suggestion can not be viewed without serious mis- giving. Just what is it that is con- fidential in character? Surely not the Government's space needs, for Mr. Smith says he is willing to supply data on that point. And if there is no occasion for secrecy as to the need, why should there be any regarding the steps taken to meet it? It is evident that the project from beginning to end has been badly mishandled, that agencies scheduled for transfer to cities which had no suitable accommodations for | them, and that no adequate study had been made either of the hard- ship which might be worked to indi- viduals affected by the order or to the possibly adverse effect on the efficient functioning of the Govern- ment. which should be closed to appro- priate examination. On the contrary, it is only by open and candid in- vestigation of the whole problem that the bad features of the original proposal may be detected and satis- factory corrective steps taken. Under these circumstances it is gratifying that Barkley has agreed to help arrange a conference between congressional opponents of the decentralization | Perhaps it plan and the President. may be found through such a con- ference that it would be neither necessary nor wise to carry out the removal order in its original form. Certainly, the fact that we are at war is no reason why the executive branch of the Government should stand upon an order of this kind | merely because it has been issued, | Y | stronghold lies nearly 500 miles to | while denying the legislative branch access to facts which might show that the order does not provide the | best solution of the space problem. Emergency Rooms Commissioner J. Russell Young's appeal to District home owners to provide accommodations for incom- ing national defense workers is one which should meet with a favorable response on the part of all who have vacant rooms in their homes or who could provide such vacancies by a reasonable readjustment of their own living conditions. ‘The Commissioner’s appeal was is- | sued at the request of Chairman Downs and Representative Manasco of the House subcommittee conduct- | | Rommel and his lieutenants evaded ing hearings on decentralization of Federal agencies. These members of Congress have pointed out that some ! 40,000 additional workers are expect- ed to come to the District during the next ten months. It will be difficult to provide office space for them, but it is obvious that the problem of finding suitable living quarters will be even greater unless a substantial number can be lodged in the 104,000 private homes in the city. As Commissioner Young has pointed out, such an arrangement may mean inconvenience for many home owners. But under the con- ditions as they now exist, a matter of personal inconvenience should be a secondary consideration. It is to be hoped that the residents of the Capital, having in mind the neces~ K. were | | what its future prospects are. Yet these are not matters | Majority Leader | THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, sity of doing all in their power ‘to promote the war effort, will respond wholeheartedly to this appeal and that they will list all available rooms with the proper authorities as soon as facilities for this purpose are set up. They are not set up yet, as the Defense Housing Registry, which has done such splendid work in the list- ing of housing units, is in the process of moving to new quarters in front of the District Building. Within a week, however, the Defense Housing Registry will be in a position to list your room. Mr. Landis’ Task The appointment cf James M. Landis, dean of the Harvard Law School, as “executive” of the Office of Civilian Defense no doubt was in- tended to meet the growing criticism of an obviously vulnerable part of the civilian defense setup—the existing part-time national leadership. It would have been far better, of course, if the President, instead of creating another civilian defense post for Mr. Landis to occupy, had taken steps to insure full-time direc- tion of the agency within the sim- pler administrative framework now in force. Fortunately, Dean Landis is an exceptionally able man, with a knack of overcoming difficulties. He promises that his new post will receive his undiviced attention. Mayor La Guardia will continue to direct broad policies, in consulta- tion with Mr. Landis. As regional director of civilian defense for New England, Dean Landis obtained a valuable working knowledge of the whole program. As one-time chair- man of the Securities and Exchange Commission and former member of the Federal Trade Commission he demonstrated unusual capacities for public service. Given the free hand which he deserves in his difficult new assignment, he should be able to eliminate much of the confusion which has plagued the O. C. D. from its inception. And he will find that the general public, if provided with proper leadership, is ready and will- ing to co-operate wholeheartedly in making civilian defense completely effective. Prospects in Libya Compared with the tremendous struggles going on in the Far East and in Russia, the campaign in Libya may look like a sideshow. That, however, is not the viewpoint of the British high command. Large forces of British troops and notable amounts of heavy equipment, espe- cially tanks, were concentrated in Egypt for a major drive aimed at he destruction of the Axis army in Libya and the total expulsion of Axis forces from North Africa. Gov- ernment spokesmen in Parliament have acknowledged that risks were taken in the Far East by withholding possible reinforcements from that region in favor of other objectives, of which North Africa was deemed one of the more important. In the light of these admissions, it is well to note what Britain's Libyan offensive has achieved to date, and Cer- tainly much has been accomplished. With the Axis retirement from Agedabia, the whole of Eastern Libya or Cyrenaica has been lost to the Axis except for the isolated gar- risons at Solum and Halfaya Pass, far back at the Egyptian border. Those strongly entrenched garrisons, blocking the main shore route from Egypt to Libya, play much the same nuisance role as did the British gar- rison at Tobruk last year, but their prospects are less hopeful, since they cannot be reinforced and provisioned by sea. Those last nests of Axis resistance, therefore, should soon be eliminated. Furthermore, the Axis | already has lost heavily in men and equipment that will be hard to re- place in Africa. The British imperials now stand at precisely the point reached by General Wavell a year ago, and the | | high command is faced with a simi- | lar choice. | to stand pat The dilemma is whether in Cyrenaica, which effectively bars an attack on Egypt so long as this bulwark is strongly held. or whether to push on toward the final Axis base at Tripoli. That the westward, and the first 300 miles would be especially hard going, be- cause for much of the distance the sand desert reaches the sea. Tanks and artillery can move effectively only along the coastal road built by the Italians to bind their North African empire together. It was along this road that the Axis army | slipped quickly out of Agtdabia and made gnod its escape under éover of a sandstorm that screened it from the air. The British have thus fallen short i of their main objec'ive—the destruc- tion of the Axis field army. Three times the British thought they had the Axis main force cut off and sur- rounded, but each time General or fought out of the closing jaws of the trap. Since inland flanking operations on a large scale will be difficult across the sand desert, it looks as though the British would have to pound their way wéstward by frontal attacks against the Axis rear guard until the enemy elects to stand and fight a major battle. Lon- don intimates that the Axis army is being steadily reinforced by sea de- spite the British naval blockade and by transport planes flown in large numbers from Sicily. With each mile of retreat, Axis supply lines are shortened and resistance becomes more compact. By contrast, the British supply lines grow longer and a sustained offensive becomes more of a problem. There are no good A f | telligent police work, supported with | view and kept the R. A. F. out of | e o | something to do with the disastrous harbors on the Libyan coast between Bengazi and Tripoli; so it will be difficult to reinforce and munition the advancing British from the sea. If the British objective remains the capture of Tripoli, the campalgn apparently has reached only its half- way mark. Intervening desert terri- tory means little, one way or the other. So long as the Axis army re- mains intact, the British must either follow it to its Tripolitan base and deal it a knockout blow or consoli- date their hold on: Cyrenaica and halt their offensive, as Wavell did a year ago. Perhaps the deciding fac- tor may be the Far East, just as the Balkans were last spring. The ‘Fighters Within' When the history of the pres- ent tragic period is compiled the scholars who will do the work will not forget to mention that the first conquests of the dictators were those achieved in the countries in which they themselves originated. Mussolini, for example, triumphed not over a foreign foe in his famous march on Rome in 1922. It was his fellow-Italians who were defeated by the army of Il Duce. So, too, did Hitler conquer the citizens, the institutions, the formulas of democ- racy in the Reich in 1933. But such conquests never are altogether complete. Among the most energetic of the foes of the Axis powers must be listed the un- known friends of universal freedom who continue the struggle secretly on “the home front.” Of course, it is impossible to say how many per- sons are engaged in the task of preparing for eventual release from oppression. It is a fair guess, how- ever, that the number is not few. Especially in Germany just new it is logical to suppose that the spirit of rebellion must be growing. The winter has been cold, food is scarce, clothing insufficient, news from the troops il the field dis- couraging. As the retreat from Moscow, Leningrad and Rostov grad- ually develops into a rout, the an- cient fear of Russia is certain to be revived. It is natural, also, that resistance to Nazi administration of the occupied regions—the Balkans, Norway, France and the Netherlands most notably—will wax increasingly bitter as the pressure upon Hitler and his allies becomes ever more and more compelling. President Roosevelt in his message to Congress on the state of the Union with abundant reason declared: “As we get guns to the patriots in those lands they, too, will fire shots heard ‘round the world.” Perhaps what occurred in the au- tumn of 1918 may happen again. The first World War ended when the morale of the German people had been impaired—from within as well as without. Something of a like sort must be attempted again. The unseen heart in each of the Axis countries is beating not for tyranny but for liberty. Among the cru- saders for righteousness and peace, then, it is proper to include the “fighters within” whose efforts have been none the less helpful because hidden and concealed. Police Radio Trap Two spetacular automobile chases within twenty-four hours that netted local police a total of five suspected bandits have provided striking evi- dence of the value of radio-equipped police cars in modern law enforce- ment. Twice yesterday the Metro- politan Police radio station flashed warnings to scout cars that automo- biles believed to contain hold-up men were speeding toward them and each time, after swift and effi- cient maneuvering of police cars— largely by two-way radio communi- cation —important ecaptures were | made. In the first instance, two colored men in a fleeing car were cornered and trapped within five minutes of the robbery of a gasoline station, after engaging in a running gun battle with several of half a dozen police cruisers sent on their trail by the radio dispatcher at the tenth precinct station. Two-way radios enabled the police cars to receive instructions from the dispatcher and, in turn, to keep the latter ad- vised of every change in course of the quarry. Last night, upon re- ceiving radio warnings from Balti- more and Prince Georges County police of the escape toward Wash- ington of three armed robbers, the local police radio trap again closed in and the wanted car crashed into a tree on Columbia road, fatally in- juring one of the suspects and seriously injuring two others. Here is compound proof that in- adequate equipment, is more than a match for modern outlawry, how- ever resourceful the latter may be. Major Edward J. Kelly and his men merit the commendation of the community on these latest demon- strations of law enforcement at its best. A new concerto, performed by the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, has been described by the profes- sional critics as “exhausting.” The radio audience, hearing it broadcast, well could believe that its termina- tion found everybody prostrated. Perhaps the fact that it is coinci- dental with the worst of wars has connotations of what euphoniously is called “modern music.” Assistant Attorney General Thur- man Arnold says that “powerful pri- vate groups hampered the first ten months of the national defense effort.” Included among the offend- ers, it should be mentioned with emphasis, he lists “labor monopolies.” ) Of Stars, Men And Atoms Notebook of Science Progress In Laboratory, Field And Study By Thomas R. Henry. During the past eight months the American public has become nicotinic acid conscious—with a vengeance. This is the vitamin, essential to life itself, which prevents pellagra. It is one of the ingredients now being added to bread. Inadequacy of it in the diet of the people as a whole is credited with causing & general lack of well being which cannot actually be diagnosed as pellagra and which is manifested in & constant irritability. Last spring one of the foremost specialists in the field char- acterized it as an “anti-divorce vitamin.” ‘The result, according to an announce- ment just made by the Department of Agriculture, is that this year about 20 times the 1940 production will be re- quired—200,000 pounds for flour en- richment and 20,000 pounds for treat- ment of actual pellagra in the South. Nicotinic acid originally was derived from nicotine. It is not nicotine, how- ever, and constitutes only a minute frac- tion of the alkaloid in tobacco. It is absolutely non-poisonous. There has been much misunderstanding on this point and last spring sermons actually were being preached denouncing the Government for its attempts to put a “deadly poison” in bread. The National Research Council was obliged to issue a special statement clarifying the matter. It was all made synthetically out of coal tar products, much more cheaply than it could be extracted from tobacco. This condition, the Department of Agriculture announces, soon may be re- versed and a possible market found for from 17,000,000 to 20,000,000 pounds of tobacco. In Western Kentucky and Tennessee are thousands of acres suitable for grow- ing only very heavy grades of tobacco for which 75 per cent of the market was in Europe. This outlet has been cut off. No sultable replacement crop has been found. A few years 280 the Department of Agriculture developed species of tobacco very high in nicotine content. The plant breeders actually were trying to produce varieties low in the alkaloid and more suitable for smoking. Now 100 farmers have been set at work growing experimental acres of the new plants which apparently thrive on their soils. At the same time, chemists of the new regional laboratory of the depart- ment in Philadelphia have been set at work to find a eheap process of extract- ing the nicotine acid from the nicotine. At present this is the most expensive source. However, for the conversion of coal tar products into the vitamin. ex- pensive chemicals are required. These are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. Some of them enter into other branches of national defense work. There is a decided possibility that the Nation may fall back largely on tobacco for the essential vitamin. The chemists at Philadelphia believe they are on the track of methods which will enable them to get the life-essential acid—acid in chemical structure, but without any corrosive power—from to- bacco just as cheaply as from coal tars. * ¥ % % A new means of separating isotopes of elements has just been patented here | by two Government scientists and the | patent assigned to the Secretary of Agri- culture. The primary purpose, it is stated by Drs. A. Keith Brewer and Arthur Bram- ley, is to obtain an abundant supply of forms of potassium and the rare ele- ment rubidium which are radioactive and can be used as substitutes for radium. Another purpose set forth in the patent application is to provide targets and projectiles for nuclear disintegration. ‘This may have a bearing on the separa- tion from uranium of the rare form, U235, which is believed to constitute the greatest source of power known | to man if it ever can be obtained in considerable quantities. Nearly all the 92 elements are known to possess. isotopes, forms differing slightly in weight but with exactly the same chemical reactions so there is no possibility* of separating them by any chemical process. In the past, say Brewer and Bramley, there have been two known methods of “thermal diffusion” for separating such isotopes. One is simply to place the element, in the form of a gas, in a glass tube one end of which is heated and the other cooled. The molecules of the gas containing lighter atoms of the elements rise to the top and the heavy ones sink to the bottom, where | they can be drawn off with special de- vices. The other is to run a heated wire through a tube containing the gas. The walls are kept cool. The lighter mole- cules will tend to concentrate by the wire, the heavier ones by the wall. The first will rise along the wire to a resevoir at the top of the tube and the others will fall along the walls to & resevoir at the bottom. ‘The new device is based on the princi- ple that when a gas is set in motion within a tube the lighter molecules wi’ move faster than the heavier ones. The apparatus consists of two con- centric glass tubes, one inside the other. The inner one is heated, the outer cooled. This brings about an initial separation of the isotopes by heat dif- fusion. But, it is pointed out, the light molecules once they are heated move away from the hot surface faster than do the heavy ones. By applying this principle Brewer and Bramley have worked out a device by which the lighter isotopes can be gathered in the top and the heavier ones in the bottom. A more efficient method of separating the natural isotopes, the two scientists stress, is a vital need of medicine, agri- culture and chemistry. The new appa- ratus, they believe, can bring about a much better separation than any of the old methods. Beyond saying that the device may “provide targets for nuclear disintegra- tion” there is no reference to the atomic power question. While it is known that work is underway on uranium separation in various Government and university laboratories, any progress which may have been made is one of the most zeal- ously guarded of military secrets. . SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1942. THIS AND THAT By Charles E. Tracewell. “P STREET. “Dear Sir: “A few days ago my little granddaugh- ter and I were out for fresh air and sunshine in old Georgetown and we saw & squirrel scamper across the street with something in his mouth which we thought was a leaf. “He ran away up to the top of the tree and began to twist and twirl the leaf and his very actions implied something very unusual and delightful. “For some time he nibbled and almost danced with glee. Then, evidently, he wanted to carry the delicacy home, and as we had seen many a little squirrel do, he swung himself forward t> another tree, and much to our disappgintment, he lost the tidbit. “Down at our feet fell the bit of paper which had wrapped a sweetened date. “The child said, ‘Oh, poor little fellow. He worked so hard to get up in the tree, then lost his lunch.’ “I have read your articles on birds and squirrels and thought this incident unusual. “Very truly yours, C. L. C.* % %% This is a slight incident, indeed, from the standpoint of world politics. But from the individual viewpoint, it is very good. ‘The ability to notice such small mat- ters adds considerably to the poetry and beauty of life. Now that death and slaughter are so much a part of the international scene, it becomes more important than ever for the individual to keep track of such small incidents, so that the personal horizon may be kept sane, for only by keeping on as level a keel as possible may the citizen be able to meet the war emergencies. * & * ¥ ‘The saying of the child, as quoted above, reminds us of another small girl, many years ago. She was at the Zoo, and had thrown & peanut to one of the bears. The peanut rolled short of the bars. The bear, trying as hard as he could, was not able to reach the delicacy. “Oh, poor thing” said the child. “Maybe when they bring his lunch, he can reach it with a spoon.” * ¥ x % The world is an interesting and bright place still for persons interested in music, books and nature. These three we have singled out, be- cause they include so much. ‘There are many more. Every one can add a few. The pofnt is that the single-tracked mind, while no doubt achieving results, deprives a per- son of so much, Some people are purely politically minded, for instance. They are interested in nothing else. At the extreme end, we have some very horrible examples. But it is not usually realized, one may feel, that there are many more cases of the political mind which, while not con- signing millions of their fellow men to suffering and want and death, never- theless deprive their owners of much happiness. The second point, we think, i simply that it is not until one tries that he can be sure he is not interested in squirrel observation, let us say. Many eminent and very busy men have found animals a great mind re- lease, as well as mind rest. The pure political mind, just as the pure scientific mind, may not realize the personal good to be derived from watch- ing animals, birds, unusual scenes, ec. L The third point, we feel, is that it is necessary to drop the superior point of view, if you want to get the most, or anything at all, as a matter of fact, from the small observations of the everyday. One of America's greatest banes, it is being realized, is the attitude of mind visibly demonstrated in what is known as the “stuffed shirt.” Basically, this is difficult to define, but it means, one may feel, the executive with a swelled head. Not every “key man” has a swelled head, of course, but the ten- dency is in that direction. America has put such stress upon money that it is natural, perhaps, for the man who makes more money than most to think he is pretty good, and from there the descent into the hell of too much self-sufficiency is rapid. He makes more money, he realizes, therefore he must be smarter, and nat- urally must know more. And there- fore—and this is the big one—nobody else can tell him anything. To .admit that some one else can tell him something is to admit not only that a man meaking less money knows some- thing, but, more, that he, himself, the big fellow, doesn’t know it all. Knowing it all, of course, is exactly what he thinks of himself. Never will he admit that he doesn’t. And, in not admitting it, he deprives himself of the help others can give, and at the same time hurts and harms others, and even his country. This attitude of mind has given many sad examples over the years, in all countries, We won't go into that, What's the use? But if persons of undousted abilities would stop to watch squirrels, now and then, and pay some attention to the birds, they might be willing to listen, now and then, to other human beings made in their own design. At any rate, watching nature has been a favorite recreation of many mighty men and women. Just ordinary folks can get a great deal of interest, recreation and help out of it. Other things breathe and live, too; find out about them, and calm down. You will help vourself; at the same time you may help them, and vour country, too. Letters to Readers Discuss Problems Of Daylight Saving. ‘To the Editor of The Star: From your editorial on “Daylight Saving,” January 7, I quote: “That ex- tra hour of daylight would provide fac- tory and office workers with more tme for recreation out of doors, thus pro- moting health and efficiency.” I challenge that statement. In the first place, no law, no turning for- ward of the hands of the clock can create even an extra second of day- light. PFactory and office workers have little money for golf, etc., and the early morning hours are just as good for getting outdoors as the hot afternoon ones. More and more offices are be- ing air conditioned, so offices are more comfortable than homes or the great outdoors. Nor do factory and office workers have country estates where they can go to spend those long afternoons. No. the vast majority of city workers go home, turn on the electric fan, turn up the electric ice box to get more ice cubes for more cool drinks. While they wait for it to cool off so they can go to sleep they have plenty of time to brood about taxes, the high cost of living and question the wisdom of leaders who think daylight can be saved. Then in the cool morning hours when one or two more hours sleep actually would “pro- mote health and efficiency,” they must arise and go to work. You have no idea how many people get up at 5 or 6 o'clock even now. As to saving ‘fuel, more fuel is re- | quired to heat any building in the early morning hours than in the early eve- ning hours. there is need for conserving it, let us do so; but let us do so directly and definitely. Let us not depend on the hope that because we have to get up earlier, we will go to bed earlier, turn- ing out the electric light with one hand and turning on the electric fan with the other, MRS. COMMON SENSE. To the Editor of The Star: I was surprised to see an editorial in ‘The Star in favor of daylight saving the year 'round. In the summer, there may be some saving, but just how any one can arrive at a saving of electricity, which I believe is the principle aim of daylight saving, by causing thousands of Government workers to use two hours of electricity every morning instead of one, I do not understand. I am employed in the Department of Agriculture. I formerly went to office at 9 o'clock, and was able to get up at daylight, except on very cloudy morn- ings in winter. Some months ago our opening hour was changed to 8:15, which necessitates my rising at this time of year an hour before daylight— I am on the car and on my way to of- fice when the sun rises. Now, if we had daylight saving, we in the Department of Agriculture would burn electricity two hours every morning instead of one. There are hundreds of Government workers in the Bureau of Printing and Engraving and elsewhere who go to work even earlier in the morning than we do. Another thing to be considered is that it is much colder in the morning before sunrise, and fewer cars are running at that hour. Daylight saving in the winter would work a hardship on a large number of Government workers. I am willing to do my share, along with the rest, i I ) As to saving electricity, if | 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. The Star reserves the right to edit all letters with a view to condensation. am convinced that it is for the common good; but I cannot see where daylight saving the vear 'round is necessary or an advantage to any one ANNA M. PRIESTLEY. Suggests Another Name For Park near White House. To the Editor of The Star: Happening to find myself on Sunday morning in the vast outdoor arena that | stretches in a majestic square south of ! the White House to the Mall and the Washington Monument, unconsciously the words “Red Square” formed them- selves on my lips. Evidently, it was the heroic proportions of this area, inclosed within the noble | bastions of Government and patriotic buildings. that suggested its massive pro- totype in Moscow to my mind. But as the season's first snowfail still powdered the already greening spaces of the terrain, the term “White Square” suggested itself to me as a more distinctive and apt designation. One feels the need of some such appel- lation in referring to this, the heart of | the Nation, and the writer modestly offers the above as being worthy of consideration. W.D. ‘Wants Things Done at Once, Not Postponed 'Til Tomorrow. To the Editor of The Star: For years we, the Americans north of the Rio Grande, have been given to understand that we are different in one respect from our good neighbors of the southern part in that we do not leave for tomorrow anything we can do today. How perfectly wonderful, if true! But the fact of the matter is that we have more of that “tomorrow” habit than our friends to the south, and if we admitted this fault to ourselves we could avold the resultant tragedies due chiefly to the failure to do the right thing at the opportune time. Why not turn over a new leaf this year and begin to do things today, and get down to the real business of making up for lost time? We as Americans can do it, but we have to cut out procrastination today. R. C. GORDON. Asks What Lloyd’s Knew About Hawaii's Danger. To the Editor of The Star: Months ago you published without comment a small news item to the effect that Lloyd's of London was refusing in- surance on all properties in the Hawaiian Islands. I waited for editorial comment on this obviously significant development but none followed. Lloyd's of London had always boasted that they would insure anything (except life). It occurred to me that if Lloyd's of London felt dubious about the safety of Hawali, it would be a good place to stay away from. Can you tell ns what it was that Lloyd’s of London knew so long ago which the rest of us did not know and which enabled them to figure Hawai! & hot spot? It would be interesting and enlightening to know. LAURA K. POLLOCK. ) | times the Holy Spirit, Haskin’s 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. T am of the opinion that President Roosevelt has flown in an airplane during the time he has been in office. Am I right?—J. R. A. President Roosevelt has not flown in an airplane since his election as President of the United States. Q. Is Gen. Pershing still a general of the United States Army?—M. J. M. A. Gen. John J. Pershing is still a general in the United States Army and draws full pay and allowance. Q. Which countries in the world pro- duce the most oil?—C. R. V. A. The United States and the Soviet Union are the two largest sources of oil in the world. Q. Why does a person who has a eold lose the sense of smell?—P. K. A. The reason is that the mucous membranes swell to such an extent that the volatile material is unable to reach the olfactory nerve endings. Q. How does the giraffe manage to drink from a lake or stream?—H. B. A. The giraffe, tallest of mammals, is obliged to spread its forelegs apart to reach the water with its mouth. It is capable of going & long time without water, HASKIN QUIZ BOOK—This excellent little publication con- taining 750 questions and answers on such subjects as history, blog- raphies, sports, politics, familiar sayings, science, geography, ab- breviations, Government and numerous others is just what you need to sharpen your wits—an excellent brain tonic. See how many of the questions you can answer—you'll be surprised at how much you've forgotten. To secure your copy of this booklet inclose 10 cents in coin, wrapped in this clipping, and mail to The Star Information Bureau. Address Q. How long has Dr. Carrel's famous chicken heart been alive?—A. McQ. A. The fragment of heart was re- moved on January 17, 192, and is now in its 30th year of independent life. Q. When did the United States Post Office Department begin to issue a guide list of post offices>—G. G. F. A. The Post Office Department says that since 1789 it has published lists of United States post offices, However. it was not until about 1870 that the list was called the Official Postal Guide. Q. Can you tell me how mary people in this country own life insurance policies?—F. E. M. A. The total number of persons now owning life insurance policies is 66,~ 000,000. Q. What percentage of deaths in the various wars in which this country has been involved were due to disease?—L. N.H A. Revolutionary War. 90 per cent: Mexican War, 84 per cent; Civil War, 62 per cent; Spanish-American War, 87 per cent; first World War, 50 per cent. Q. T should like to know the meaning of the name “Copacabana.” A. It means literally “top eabin.” Q. Please give me a brief description of the Jenny Lind carriage —H. H. A. The “Jenny Lind” is a buggy named in honor of Jenny Lind. It was “in fashion” in 1855. It is a one-seated, two- passenger buggy, with a carved wooden dashboard. Q. Who onglna}ed the winged chair?— S.F. A. Hepplewhite is credited with design- ing this type of chair. Q. Who is the author of the Koran?— K L G. A. The Koran is said to have been communicated to Mohammed by an angel, who is sometimes the Spirit, some- later, Gabriel. It is written in Arabic and was eom- piled from the prophet's own lips over the major portion of his life at Meeca and Medina. Q. When was Palestine taken by the British?—A. T. A. Palestine, the Holy Land, was con- quered during the World War by British troops under Gen. (later Field Marshal) Viscount Allenby, Jerusalem being sur- rendered December 9, 1917. It remained under British military administration until July 1, 1920, when Sir Herbert L. Samuel was appointed high eommis- sioner, and governed (since September 29, 1923) by Great Britain under a man- date granted by the League of Nations. Street Scene in Winter Into the frozen street, Burdened and baffled By driftings of snow, Come the street-cleaning trucks With their crews of workers. Now, in a city unmoving, Motion moves in To music of voices and shovels, To creaking of wheel. Now flashes of color And glintings of steel Make pictures, new painted, For any beholder. How bright is the red Of a scarf against snow, Of sun gold on metal, Of silver hung breath. How graceful and flashing The shovel swept are As snow clots are lifted To powdery death. This is the picture, A street scene in winter, Hand painted by workers In color and motion And hung in the outdoor Municipal show room Of any big city. —HELEN HOWLAND PROMMEL.