Evening Star Newspaper, January 12, 1942, Page 10

A-8 Che Foening Htar With Sunday Morning Edition. THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor. WASHINGTON, D. C. January 12, 1942 The Evening Star Newspaper Company. : ‘11th 8t. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd St Chicago Ofl:e 135 North Michigan Ave, Delivered by Clrrler—clty and Suburban. Regular Edition. ening and Sunday.75c per mo. 18c per week e Evening Star___45c per mo. or 10c per week “The Sunday 8t 10c per copy 85¢ per month 60c per month 5 per month 5¢ per month Night Final Edition. Jlisht Pinal and Sunday Star__ ight Star 1 Tube Deli week. Ord hone Nationai 8000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. ly lnd] Sunda! Sunday omy Bntered as second-class matter post office, Washington, Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. AU riehts ublication of special dispatches erein also are reserved. A Pointed Decision A recent decision of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in a wage- hour case serves as an admirable {llustration of the extent to which the philosophy of certain New Deal legislation can interfere with the successful prosecution of the war. The question before the court was whether the minimum wage rate fixed by the law or the employe’s | regular rate of pay should serve as the basis for computing overtime compensation. The appellate tribu- nal, reversing the District Court and upholding the Wage and Hour Divi- sion, decided that the regular pay rate was the proper basis, and there seems to be little doubt that this is the intent of the statute. It is pertinent and possibly signif- {eant, however, to note the language used by the court to justify this in- terpretation of the law. “One of the fundamental purposes of the act,” the court said, “was to induce work- sharing and relieve unemployment by reducing hours of work. One of the impelling forces behind the act is the effort to promote economic | stability through increased purchas- ing power. These purposes of the act are accomplished because the over- time provisions of the act, requiring employers to pay an extra bonus or penalty for such work, distinctly tend to discourage overtime.” That is pointed language. In effect, the court is saying, first, that the ‘Wage-Hour Act tends to increase pur- chasing power at a time when the Government, through other devices, is seeking to curtail purchasing power, and, second, that the act is designed to penalize employers for requiring overtime work at a time when overtime work in certain in- dustries is absolutely essential to the successful prosecution of the war. In other words, the force of world events has brought a social philos- ophy attuned to a period of peace and depression into conflict with the real- itles of a gigantic wartime industrial effort, and the two will not blend. If the Nation is willing to pay the price In higher war costs and reduced military output, we probably can get the necessary production job done despite the legislative obstacles that stand in the way. But that is no rea- son to ignore the fact that such a procedure is absurd on its face. The Mulay States When the Japanese government published an ‘“official guide” for Eastern Asia in 1917, it permitted the editor of the volume to say: “Unlike India, Ceylon, Burma, Siam, Java and other surrounding coun- tries, the Malay Peninsula has no history.” The long tongue of land between the South China Sea and the Bay of Bengal, it was explained, had been “simply a wilderness with luxuriant jungles here and there.” Negritos and a South Mongoloid people who called themselves “orang malayu” discovered and settled the territory at some unknown date in the distant past, “but it was the Chinese and Hindus who * * * made it habitable.” The first British fac- tory of which any record survives is alleged to have been established in Patani on the east coast in 1613. Penang was purchased in 1786 and Singapore in 1819, and those colonles, together with Malacca, taken from the Dutch in 1795, were ruled from India until 1867, when the Colonial Office in London assumed adminis- trative powers. The Federated Malay States, in- cluding Perak, Selangor, Negri Sem- bilan and Pahang, associated them- selves in a treaty with Britain in 1896, and Johore, Trengganu, Kelan- tan, Kedah and Perlis came under similar British protection .in 1909. Perhaps, as the Japanese guidebook suggests, “the Malays of the penin- sula are not spirited people. So long as they are not taxed too heavily, and their lives and property are safe- guarded, they will be content.” An- other way of expressing a similar thought is that employed by Major General Sir Ibrahim, Sultan of Johore, who no longer ago than yes- terday urged the Malays to remem- ber “and be thankful to Allah that for generations we have lived in harmony, peace and prosperity under the guidance * * * of our closest friends, the British.” It is not entirely an accident that the Malays “show a marvelous loyalty to their rajas and chiefs,” not excluding their “advisers.” One rea- son for such gratitude may be found in the development of the rubber industry, the story of which is as romantic as any deliberate work of fiction. James Collins and H. A. ‘Wickham were the heroes of the tale. The former failed in his endeavor to fmport para rubber trees from the THY EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, valley of the Amazon by way of London and Calcutta; the latter, after l.ncredible labors, succeeded, in 1877, and it is to him that the wel- fare of thousands of plantation operators traces back. By processes equally constructive even the smallest Malay villages have been improved as centers of human habitation. Education and health services of every modern kind have been created and maintained for the benefit of the whole population. To illustrate the progress of the penin- sula in terms of wealth, it may be mentioned that the revenue of Perak in 1926 amounted to $45,000,000, as against $226,000 in 1874. The Japanese invaders are de- stroying the system which has been conducive to the civilization of the Malays. It may be wondered to what extent they will be successful in controlling the native victims of their campaign. Far Eastern Crisis The Far Eastern theater of war covers literally millions of square miles of mainland, island and sea. It stretches from the frost-bound north of China to the sub-equatorial insular chain of the Netherlands Indies, and from our Hawaiian base at Pearl Harbor to the British base at Singapore. Over this vast expanse, a complicated game of strategy is being played between“Japan and the A.B. C.D. powers. With almost dia- bolical energy, the Japanese are throwing every ounce of their strength into a supreme effort to win a quick victoyy, and in every sector except China they have scored an uninterrupted series of successes. But their man power and resources are limited, and they must be spreading themselves thin in their multiple campaigns. Their varied opponents, strategically integrated under a unified command, are re- sisting desperately and are mobiliz- ing rapidly for a stonewall defense. It is essentially a race against time. Thus far, the Japanese have breached the Allies’ outer positions at almost every point, but the key strongholds still stand. These are Singapore, Java and Chungking. Until at least the first two have fallen, Japan has not "attained even provisional mas- tery over the Far East. The darkest spot undoubtedly is Singapore. The Japanese admitted- ly are two-thirds of the way down the long Malay Peninsula, and the British show no signs of being able to do more than fight delaying ac- tions, although increased British air activity in Malaya indicates that re- inforcements have arrived which may partially dispute Japan’s hither- to local dominance of the air. Still, that will not be enough to stop the Japanese, who are reported to out- number the defenders five to one. At Japan’s present rate of advance, Singapore should be under direct siege within a fortnight. Even though the fortress itself can hold out a long time, it could be masked and thus rendered useless as a pro- tecting bulwark for Java, the heart of the great Netherlands colonial empire, which is the richest prize Already the Netherlands Indies are under multiple attack. Its northern outposts, from Borneo to Celebes, Amboina, and possibly New Guinea, are targets for Japanese raids or landings. Behind lies the second island chain, from Sumatra to Timor. And Timor lies danger- ously close to Port Darwin, the lone base in Australia’s undeveloped and unpopulated north. The one bright spot in this other- wise gloomy picture is China. There, a Japanese large-scale offensive to- ward Changsha has been smashed with enormous casualties. This is the third time Japan has tried to capture this strategic center in South-Central China, which would have opened a through land route to Canton and cut off the seaboard provinces which still resist the Japa- nese invaders. But each time the attempt has failed, and this latest drive has been the most costly of all. Furthermore, the Chinese have taken the offensive at several points all the way from extreme north to south. All this will at least prevent the switching of any more Japanese troops from China, and may compel if the twisting 2,000-mile front in China has been depleted below' the danger point. China’s trained man power is so abundant that part of it is being transferred for action with the British in Burma for an offensive against Thailand and Indo-China which might threaten Japan’s com- munications for the Malayan cam- paign. This is the final complexity in a situation which must seemingly soon develop decisively, one way or the other. — Victory Book Campaign Books are as necesary to national defense as bullets. The annals of modern times are replete with evi- dence of the fact that good soldiers are readers—literate, intelligent men. Every great war from the time of the invention of movable type has ! been, paradoxical as the circum- stance may be considered, an occa- sion for a revival of learning, rich in cultural develoyments. The stalwart fighters and the intrepid mariners of Queen Elizabeth’s reign were skilled in appreciation of literary values. Oliver Cromwell’s troops went into battle witg their Bibles to sustain them. The Continental Army at Valley Forge in 1777 had cultural fare to refresh faint-hearted recruits even when bread was lacking. By way of illustration of the de- pendence of military personnel upon books, it may be mentioned that when Napoleon Bonaparte had be- come Emperor of France he made the most of every opportunity to favor A | 11 such an undertaking. bibliographic institutions of public inportance because, as he said, he r/membered their helpfulness to him. vhen he was a penniless'young cadet. It is against such a background arundant experience that the Ameri- on Library Association, the Red Cross and the United Service Organi- 2ations have launched a Victory Book Campaign to collect ten million books tir distribution to Army dayrooms, spips, naval bases, etc. The local <ive, beginning today, will be in cnarge of a District of Columbia C>mmittee headed by Mrs. Philip Sdney Smith. Books wanted are “the kind of boocks we like to read our- srlves.” Fiction, mystery stories, tales o' adventure, technical studies, his- tiries and biographies, reviews of current affairs, poems, plays, refer- ence works—books of all these many cassifications are desired. Donations nay be mailed or delivered by hand %) the Central Building or any banch of the Washington Public Lbrary. The closing da(,e is Febru- ary 4. No definite quota has been set for the effort in the Nation’s Capital, but 11 this respect as in all other en- d.avor related to the successful pros- e:ution of the war the people of Vashington surely will wish to do nore than is asked of them. The Faderal City should be proud to lead Wartime Assembly Defense of the Commonwealth and o the country, an objective which irspired Delegate Patrick Henry in 1'75, again will be the chief order o’ business when Virginia’s General A;sembly, oldest legislative body in t:e Nation, convenes this Wednes- diy for its regular biennial session. Noved by the oratory of the young p-triot, the Virginia Provineial Con- v/ntion—organized after dissolution © the original Assembly—ordered creation of a militia and adopted a'her measures for militant defense ©: a nation about to be born. At the Sxty-day session which begins this week, an Assembly aroused by new | tireats to American freedom will d:vote much of its attention to spe- cil defense legislation. On the general program will be a g-oup of model bills drawn up at a recent meeting here under auspices o' the Council of State Governments, with approval of Federal authori- tes. These measures have to do with air-raid precautions, fire pro- tsiction, emergency highway control and special health, sanitation and Inusing problems. Similar bills are to be submitted to a dozen other Siate Legislatures this year. More srecifically, Virginia will consider ligalization and financing of defense ouncils, anti-sabotage laws, a bill t» permit “close pursuit” of sus- yected saboteurs and sples across Etate lines, plans for possible evacua- ton of coastal areas, requisitioning o' private vehicles if necessary, sringent control of manufacture axd sale of explosives, reduction of sneed limits on highways and other rroposals related to wartime needs. ¥ortunately, Virginia already is well zivanced in her defense program, tianks to the foresight and energy ¢! retiring Governor Price. There is esery indication that the new Gov- emnor Colgate W. Darden, jr., will }ave wholehearted co-operation from al political groups in carrying for- vard Virginia’s wartime improve- ments and activities. The State is ating wisely in seeking to co-ordi- nate its wartime legislative program with like measures in other States, fir it is important that separate jurisdictions work together in com- bating the fifth column and protect- ing the people in event of attack fom the common enemy. Aside from defense, there are other rcoblems which will demand ade- qiate attention from the Assembly. Cne of the more interesting of these ic the matter of reapportioning the Siate’s representation in the As- s'mbly. Nearby Virginia is particu- lerly concerned with this problem, f.r it stands to receive larger repre- smtation at Richmond under a re- rrt to be made by a legislative cymmission. Fast-growing Arlington vell deserves greater voice in the the sending of reinforcements there | FOuse of Delegates and a Senator of 13 own, as recommended by the commission. The city of Alexandria aid Fairfax and Prince Willlam Counties also would gain under the proposed reapportionment. e No Crime “I feel a bit under the weather,” s:1d Detective Lester Chorpenning of tie Detroit police, “and would like to hive the day off.” This he got; but scmething in his manner intrigued tie professional curiosity of his brethren. Lester lacked the appear- aice of illness—rather he seemed im- bied with an ill-concealed excite- nent. Added to the daily routine nysteries served up by the less well- brhaved citizens of Detroit, another Lad germinated right at headquar- t.rs. Investigation seemed required. Fortunately the premises were as well supplied with trained investi- gitors as is Newcastle with lumps of ©al, 50 at no expense and with com- paratively little trouble a corps of &nerlocks took up the case to learn what the absentee was about to com- wit. Whether or not they made use o! discarded cigar butts or cufflinks 1: not stated, but in some way they contacted the suspect and stuck gimly to his trall. Doggedly and dviously they followed it—ulti- nately to a church—where they were just in time to witness their quarry standing at the altar and, with the collusion of a minister and a charming young woman, commit- tng matrimony. \ D. C, Capitol-White House Liaison Urged Writer Tells of Need For Co-operation of Executive And National Legislature By Buel W. Patch. At the beginning of the second month of American participation in the war, there remained to be developed & satis- factory method of keeping Congress as & ‘whole officially informed on the conduct and progress of the war. The plan for appearances of representatives of the State Department, and presumably of other departments and war agencies, before executive sessions of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee consti- tuted only & limited answer to demands for establishment of some form of close, regular liaison between the legislative and executive branches of the Govern- ment, enabling Congress to check up on the progress of the war effort. Expres- slon of such demands at the o of the 1042 session was believed to reflect complaints which members of Congress had heard from their constituents over reverses suffered in the Pacific. ‘The progress of defense production has been scrutinized during recent months by a special Senate committee headed by Senator Truman of Missouri and by the House Military Affairs Com- mittee, but their activities have to some extent duplicated each other. Now that the United States is at war, it has been contended that such activities should be entrusted to a special joint committee, charged with maintaining a constant inquiry into the effectiveness not only of war production efforts but of the military and naval effort. Senator Vandenberg of Michigan has proposed creation of a congressional committee to advise with the President on the conduct of the war. Senator George of Georgia was quoted, January 2, as saying: “There is a real need for & thorough understanding and complete co-operation between Congress and the executive departments. Congress ought to be kept intelligently informed of what is going on.” He expressed the opinion, however, that satisfactory contact could be maintained through the chairmen of the regular committees of Congress. Senator Taft of Ohio observed that a special committee might become merely & critical group, hampering to the war effort, unless the President were willing to give it full co-operation. Proposals to establish a closer relation- ship between the Legislature and the Executive in the war emergency recall suggestions to the same end advanced in time of peace as a permanent govern- mental reform. To mitigate some of the disadvantages inherent in the system of separation of powers, it has thus fre- quently been recommended that cabinet members be given seats on the floor of one or both houses, where they could participate in debate, but not vote, and be called upon to answer questions con- cerning their depastments, much as is the custom in the British House of Com- mons. During the present war, the British Prime Minister has appeared at irregular intervals before the House of Commons to give a review of the war situation. In such an appearance, September 30, 1941, however, Mr. Churchill recalled that he previously had “deprecated making too frequent expositions of government pol- icy and reviews of the war situation by Ministers of the Crown,” since “anything which is said which is novel or strange will, of course, be studied attentively by the enemy and may be of-help to him in measuring our affairs.” Even if infor- mation be submitted in secret session, there is always risk, in the case of a body so large as the House of Commons or the United States Congress, of leakage of information of possible value to the enemy. Such considerations constitute an ar- gument for establishment of laison through a small committee. When Con- gress convened to revise the Neutrality Act, three weeks after the outbreak of the war tn Europe in 1939, President Roosevelt asked it to adjourn at the conclusion of that business, but said that leaders of both parties would remain in Washington, and that he intended to “consult with them at frequent intervals on the course of events in foreign affairs and on the need for future action in this fleld, whether it be executive or legisla- tive action.” This plan for close col- laboration between the White House and the Capitol, however, was not put into practical operation. Nor was progress made by two proposals submitted to Congress at that time, one calling for a Joint congressional committee to act as an agency through which information on foreign policy could be transmitted to the Legislature, the other calling for a Joint congressional-cabinet committee to consult Wwith the President on foreign policy. — Says Foam Extinguishers May Be Used Against Bombs. To the Editor of The Star: In a feature headlined “You and an Alr Raid,” published in the December 28 issue of The Star, the use of fire ex- tinguishers in fighting incendiaries is discussed. In the story occurs the fol- lowing statement: “Do not use any ‘foam® derivatives. The foam is supposed to exclude oxygen from a fire. Since bombs have their own supply of oxygen, this type of extinguisher will be of no use at all.” This, however, is not sound advice. Any extinguisher of the water-filled or water-solution types can be used on the light magnesium incendiary bomb if their normally solid streams are con- verted into a spray by breaking the stream at the nozzle with the thumb. Foam is & water-solution extinguisher, its stream consisting of 95 per cent water. ‘We question, too, the advisability of recommending that the bomb be fought in a prone position. It is diMcult to use & garden hose, extinguisher or any other device in this position and, what is more important, the operator has small chance of escaping quickly from the scene if necessary. By standing erect or crouch- ing, the operator is in a position to move around the bomb, using his tools most effectively; and he can escape in an instant. These points are made clear in the instruction film, “PFighting the Fire Bomb,” which has been approved by the Office of Civilian Defense. It was pro- duced under the technical supervision of the Chemical Warfare Service and the National Fire Protection Association. L. W. HUTCHINS, Director, Safety Research Institute. New York Oity. A MONDAY, JANUARY 12, THIS AND THAT By Charles E. Tracewell. Every day is “squirrel day” in our garden. “Squirrelday,” it should be written, in order to correspond to Monday, the moon's day; Sunday, the sun’s day; Thursday, Thor’s day, and so on. In our yard the squirrels have it, seven days a week. There are now ten or a dozen of them, eating at the bird-feeding stations, chasing each other across the garden, and back again, up trees, across the ga- rage roof, and down lilac bushes. ‘The lilac bush by the feeding station op one side of the garage is their fa- vorite. Never before had one of these rodents deigned to pay any attention to this bush. But when the feeding station was established there, they took to running up and down it. Somehow, a squirrel looks odd, going up and down a lilac. The shrub’s branches seem too slender for such fat animals, Any one who has watched squirrels with delight knows, however, even a lmle branch can sustain them. Often they leap lrom one tree to an- other by going out to the extreme tip of a slight branch, and there casting them- selves into space, alighting on the tip of another branch even smaller. ‘Though the branches sway downward to an alarming extent, they never seem to endanger the health and long life of squirrels. *x % Ten or & dozen squirrels, eating seed all day long, can get away with many more pounds than scores of birds would eat. Yet they should not be begrudged, especially on snowy days. When the fall is too deep, that is a foot or more, the animals stay home. But following the slight fall of snow after New Year Day, the squirrels came forth in numbers in every suburban section. ‘They seem to enjoy a light snow. Backward and forward over the yard they scurry. They can go for short dis- tances about as fast as birds can fly it. Both birds and squirreis like some shrubbery to be near where they eat. The squirrels run up and down in it. The birds perch in it. The best arrangement is for shrubs to be both at the station and some little distance away, say between 15 to 30 feet. This permits the birds, especially, to fly back and forth. Birds at a feeding station are very ittery. They fily up and away at the slightest alarm. If there are squirrels present, these alarms will be constant | for the four-legged things are constantly on the go. * x % % Persons unacquainted with squirrels need not fear that they will harm the songsters. Such harm as they do is done at the nesting season, and then to fledglings. | Letters to Objects to Mr. Lawrence’s Views On President’s Policies. To the Editor of The Star: As a constant reader of your paper, I wish to register a protest against the column published by you under the au- thorship of David Lawrence, Many times, I have thought of writing such a letter, but hoped he (Mr. Lawrence) would become less hostile in his attitude concerning the administra- tion and the President, but he con- sistently has criticized the President’s foreign policies and practically all of his New Deal policies. Not only have I found his general trend unfair to the President, but many of my friends and business associates lkewise have voiced serious disapproval of his unceasing complaints against | the President’s principal utterances and actions. The article of January 2, approaches %0 nearly to treason that I have been amazed that your paper would print such criticism as this columnist dared to indite against the President of this great republic. By Insinuating that the President should be impeached for allowing such | “incompetent leadership in military mat- ters” when referring to the Pearl Harbor “defeats” and “the loss of American territory,” as in the Phillipines, because of lack of economic preparation, he is | agitating and A}irflng up disunity. At a time when all patriotic Amer- icans and loyal citizens are bound to- gether in the strongest bond of free men to oppose the dastardly attack of the Axis powers, it is extremely un- fortunate and dangerous to allow any one to give views so inimical to the | and scores of “just civilians.” welfare of all the people as Mr. Lawrence has done. AN ALL AMERICAN, Urges Poetry to Strengthen American People at War. ‘To the Editor of The Star: ‘What is offered here is a practical solu- tion to the problem of winning the war. At first sight it may seem trivial, but I assure the reader that it will do more than all the training camps in the world to turn out alert, energetic and high- minded young men for the Army. We are being beaten in the Pacific and are in & mess at home because we have lost the fineness of mind that used to be ours. Degenerate art, music and literature have brought us low, and we are reaping the results. I have found from a long life of teach- ing, that the surest way to climb back is to read a few lines of good poetry every day, and think them over for a few minutes. Whoever makes this s habit will be amazed at what it can do. It need be only four lines a day and it must be good poetry, in variety. The democracies have lost their love for poetry because it is not advertised, and 1t is not advertised, because there 1s no money in it; but because we have de- spised this gold for dross, we now are mentally at & lower level than our fathers, who won and developed this great country. They loved poetry, and 1t, hand in hand with their religion, made them great. They never piped the silly slogan: “We can take it.” They never took it; they gave it, hot and humming. Before we again can exhibit the force of s, strong nation, we must first be strong within, We are not strong within now, and that i why we have been humiliated by Japan. Not all the money, . \ 1942. Even this is rare, according to our ob- servance. Like the great nation of Rus- sla, the squirrels mind their own busi- ness very well. Squirrels often make rushes at birds, but do not do it out of any malice or real intent to harm. The squirrel is & “comic,” in the best sense. He likes his little joke. .If a bird files away, the squirrel is satisfied. No matter where or how a feeding station is placed, a squirrel will find out how to get In it. And while he i3 in it, no bird can get in. That does not mean that the birds cannot get something to eat while he is around. Far from it. He knocks out everything else except the sunflower seed he is after. What falls on the ground is for the birds. Since they like nothing better than to eat from nature’s table, this suits them from “the ground up.” LR Watching the birds on the snowy day 1s just a little better than on most days. They seem to enjoy themselves so much. Persons who have not yet enjoyed this fun should not miss it on snowy days, at any rate. There can be no better time to begin. ‘There is something about a bird in the snow which appeals to countless persons who otherwise do not think about them much. Any one who has a crust of bread can put out a little of it for the birds. Newcomers to the sport often wonder if the birds will find the food they put | out. They even worry about it, for fear 1t will go to waste. This, like many other worrles, is & waste of time. Even though no food has ever been put out before, the birds will find it. Even more wonderful, even if there has never been a bird present before, some of them will come within a short time, once food is put out. This is one of the marvelous provisfons of nature whereby she takes care of her- own. Just how the birds find the food 1s a difficult question to answer. Most of them see it, but some of them, undoubt- edly, detect it by “smell.” Robins “hear” their food, the earthworms, as they | slither through the earth. There is no need for any one to worry about whether the birds will find food put out. If you were as hungry as a bird, and food put out, you would find it, too. There is real and sincere pleasure in feeding the birds that winter with us. The sport has an honest glow to it which must be experienced to be realized. No | doubt some men think this is peculiarly & woman's recreation, and women do, indeed, enjoy it, because they like to heip all forlorn creatures, but there are thousands of men interested in it, too, including doctors, Army and Navy men— more of the former, for some reason— Take it up, sometime, and see for yourself. 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. or planes, or tanks in the world will give us victory, if we do not first raise our- selves to our original level within. Mark my words: Poetry is the only medium that can lift us back. Even a return to God is dependent on this simple recipe. Just a bit of poetry every day, read thoughtfully. Start poetry clubs everywhere, but do not confine study to technique. The important thing is to strgss the appeal to morale that lies in every piece of good poetry. However noble we are, we can be nobler still. MARY E. FORBES. Boston. Proposes Planning Reforms In Prince Georges County. To the Editor of The Star: If the Planning Commission wishes to render the residents of Prince Georges County a real service, I would suggest they take up the following program as a starter: 1. Widen all the present “trails” that now masquerade under such misnomers as “street,” “avenue” and ‘“boulevard” and ease off the radius of the intersec- tions of those that cannot well be widened. 2. See that no more dead-end streets are laid out in any plat and that a mini- mum of 28 feet be established for the paved portion of any future street in a residence district. 3. See that a walk is provided on every future residence street that pedestrians must use to get to shopping and trans- portation centers. 4. Erect more and better-designed highway route signs at intersections in such positions as can be read by the light of a motorist’s headlamps before he makes the turn, 5. Provide adequate lighting for all new street intersections and bring the present obsolete lighting up to date. 6 See that a minimum lot ares of 6,000 square feet is provided for a single- family dwelling in every new plat. 7. See that provision is made in every new plat for sanitary and storm sewers of such size as properly will safeguard the health and property of the residents of the community. “G. B. GERMAN, Hyattsville, Md. Distinguishes Between Humans And Less Savage Animals. To the Editor of The Star: Just in deference to the English lan- guage, please let me offer a word of grateful appreciation to Secretary Hull for his exact use of words in the state- ment: “We can be sure that the forces of barbaric savagery and organized wick- edness cannot and will not prevail.” It is a great relief to note his sub- stitute for the overworked and inexact adjectives “brutal” and “beastly,” so often employed in this sense. In the bloodiest era of all recorded history, with mass killing the leading industry of the human race, what is there in the canduct of poor dumb brutes and beasts comparable to the wide-spread diabolical savageries and wickedness of man? T. H. RUSSELL. Haskin’s Answers To Questions By Frederic J. Haskin. A reader can get the answer 10 any Mzmolmbpmi’luln- ning Star Information Bureau, Fred- eric J. Haskin, director, wumm D.C. thmhamupmnfly Q. How many Negroes are there in the Army Air Corps?—M. C. A. The Army Afr Corps says that as of December 1, 1941, there were approxi- mately 2,200 Negroes in the Air Corps. Q. I have often heard the remark that battles affect the weather. Is this so?— A. McC. A. The Weather Bureau says that tte rather widespread impression that rc are commonly caused by battles been found, by s critical examina. of past records, to be unjustified. Q. Did the revolution in Germany oc- eur before or after the first World War ended?—J. E. D. A. The revolution in Germany broke out November 3, 1918. The Armistice was signed on November 11. Q. What part did Napoleon take in building up the Louvre?—P. D. T. A. The Louvre was opened as an art museum in 1793. When Napoleon came into power, paintings taken as plunder of war from Italy, Germany and the Netherlands were placed in the Louvre. At one time half the masterpieces of Europe were in Paris. About 2,000 of the choicest paintings of Europe, levied by Napoleon as indemnities from countries conquered in wars, were contributed by him to this great gallery, making it by far the greatest collection in the world. Q. Please advise when, and by whom, the name of Siam was changed to Thai- land.—J. McE. A. Prince Aditya Dirabha, Regent of Siam, affixed the royal seal on a decree which officially changed the name of the kingdom of Siam to Thailand on June 24, 1939. Thailand is the ancient name of Siam. The native form is Muang T'al and means land of the free. Map of Africa—Africa is one of the major continents of the world. It is an active news center, with the warring nations trying to pro- tect their interests or usurp the rights of others there. Follow the news dispatches from there with a good map. The reverse side of this map, which is in full color, 31 by 28 inches in size, carries a vast amount of statistics of wide inter- est. To secure your map inclose 10 cents in coin, wrapped in this clipping, and mail to The Star Information Bureau. Q. In how many countries of the world do geysers exist?—M. 8. 8. A. In only three places, Iceland, New Zealand and the United States. Yellow- stone has the biggest geysers and the largest number. Q. Is Catherine Breshkovsky still liv- ing?—M. T. A. Catherine Breshkovsky died in 15Tt at the age of 90. Daughter of a Rus=itn noble, she devoted her life to the wel- fare of Russian peasants. Q. What was the amount of the biggest purse ever received by a prize fighter?— F.EH A. It was $990,445, received by Gene Tunney in his fight with Jack Dempsey in 1927, Q. How many Latin American coun- tries were liberated by Simon Bolivar? —G. Q. A. Boliver led a series of revolutions which resulted in liberation from Span- ish rule of six countries—Venezuela, Co- lombia, Ecuador, Panams, Peru and Bolivia. Q. T should like to know if & rifie is classified as & gun—M. B. A. The term rifie is applied to guns or ordnance of all sizes, but unless quali- fied is usually understood to mean the arm that has superseded the musket in military use. A gun is any portable fire- arm except a pistol or revolver, such as a rifle, shotgun or carbine, Q. Is there any truth to the belief that parsnips, if left in the ground all winter, are poisonous?—J. 8. A. Parsnips should be left in the ground until spring. The improved flavor is due to the accumulation of cane sugar. They should be removed from the ground before growth starts in the spring as this uses up the food in the root, which soon becomes woody and un- palatable. The reported cases of poison- ing from eating so-called wild parsnips have been traced to the water hemlock, which belongs to the same family. There is no evidence to indicate that parsnips which have remained in the ground over winter are poisonous. Q. What city was the first to adopt daylight saving time?—M. L. A. It was first adopted in New York City on March 19, 1918, by city ordinance. Q. When were stock tickers first used? —C. C. A. The first stock ticker was intro- duced In 1867. St. Francis’ Orchard Season on season on season the deer come back, Down from the mountain to where the track Of partridge or quail goes criss- cross along Under orchard trees berefit of song; There is silence within the blue- bird’'s hole Close where the gnarled bough leaves the bole Of the Mackintosh; but withered fruit Hangs in the air and lies on the root, Where furred and feathered seek through the cold Knowing the feast awaits as of old; And grandsir dreaming where logs burn free Sends his thoughts eway to an orchard tree, Seeing in fancy the wild folk there Who savor the bounty he joys to share. JESSIE M. DOWLIN. \