Evening Star Newspaper, January 30, 1942, Page 12

The Eoening Hh With Sunday Morning Sditien. WASHINGTON, D. FRIDAY. January The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Main Office: '11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New Ycrk Office: 110 East 42nd 8t. Chicago Office: 435 North Michizan Ave, Delivered by Carrier—City and Suburban. Regular Edition. veing and Sunday_75c per mo. or 18c per week e Evening Star.__45c per mo. or 10c per week e Sunday Star 10 per copy " 85c per month 60c per month ‘85¢ per month Night Final Edition. Htlhl PFinal and Sunday Siar. .. ight Final Star e Evening and Sunday Star e Evening Star_________ 55¢ per month Tue Sunday Star Juc per copy Collections made at the end of each month or each week. Orders may be sent by mail or tele- ‘Phone National 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable ir Advance. g:uy and Sun ¥r. $12.00: 1 mo. $1.00 il = lass matter post office, Washington. D, C. Member of the Associated Press. THe Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches €redited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the locsl news publiched herein, I rights of publication of special dispatches Berein also are reserved. -_— Spying on Spies President Roosevelt has good rea- gon to be deeply concerned over legal restrictions which handicap Amer- fca’s counterespionage agents in their vital task of spying on enemy spies. The Roberts report on Pearl Harbor clearly revealed the danger ~—and the absurdity—of leaving on the statute books a provision of the Federal Communications Act which, because of its broad wording, pro- hibits the Federal Bureau of Inves- tigation and intelligence officers from “intercepting and divulging” wire and wireless messages passing between foreign spies or saboteurs. In announcing a conference on this | subject between the President and | Director Hoover of the F. B. I, Presi- dential Secretary Early declared that Mr. Roosevelt feels “that the hand- cuffs ought to be taken off the F. B. I. and put somewhere else.” The restrictions of which the Rob- erts Board complained can be re- moved only by legislative edict. It is gratifying to learn that Mr. Roosevelt will press for prompt ac- tion by Congress to permit tapping of wires and examination of cable or radio messages in cases where— as at Pearl Harbor—the national se- curity is at stake. A bill which would grant this permission already has been introduced by Representa- tive Celler of New York and similar legislation is being prepared on the Senate side, it is understood. Ob- jections which were volced against such legislation in the past no lon- ger are valid, in the light of the startling disclosures of the Roberts report. Congress should move at once to abolish the restrictions which continue to hamper the Nation's battle against the Axis fifth column. — Export Currency In view of the advantages which would result from the stabilization of foreign exchange rates in Western Hemisphere countries, the plan of Secretary Morgenthau for an export currency seems to merit careful con- sideration. A currency stabilization conference has been proposed in a resolution introduced at the Third Conference of Pan-American Foreign Ministers. This meeting would pre- sumably discuss, among other mat- ters, the suggestion for a hemisphere currency. What Secretary Morgenthau has in mind is a unit common to all the American Republics and Canada, for use in international trade. To assure a fixed value for the proposed export currency, it would be backed by a stabilization fund. The broad ob- jective would be to devise a method for the quick settlement of balances in hemisphere trade, through export currency of a definite and stable value, wherever used. There are various means through which such a medium of exchange might be created. As Secretary Morgenthau | pointed out, this currency, if adopted by the Americas, could be extended elsewhere. The principal purpose of the pro- posal is to assist in the restoration of peacetime trade. Stabilization of ex- change rates would tend to increase the flow of goods between the Ameri- can Republics and facilitate capital movements. By ending present de- lays and uncertainties as to exchange payments, stabilization would enable United States exporters to offer bet- ter credit terms to their Latin Ameri- can customers, thus providing them with a wider market for their prod- ucts. According to reports reaching offi- cials here, agents of the Axis have held out the promise that its clear- ance system would solve the post- war foreign exchange difficulties of Latin American countries. The Treasury plan, it is pointed out, would offer Latin America an al- ternative to the Axis program, and an agreement to stabilize exchange rates through the adoption of a hemisphere currency would therefore deal another blow to Hitler's hopes for economic conquests in the New World. Latin American countries have their own currencies, and in normal times most of their economies are largely depend=nt, for their efficient functioning, on foreign trade. As a result of our heavy purchases of strategic and raw materials, many of them now enjoy a favorable bal- ance of trade with the United States. This is reflected in a marked im- provement in their foreign exchange positions. After the war, there may be a slackening in the demand for their products, resulting in a less favorable trade balance. Unless a reasonable division 1s maintained between exports and im- THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, FRIDAY, ports, with a substantial interchange of goods and services, the scheme advanced by the Treasury can hardly be expected to hold foreign exchange rates at stable levels. As a supple- ment to other measures designed to increase the two-way flow of trade, currency and exchange stabilization should contribute much, however, to the closer economic integration of the Americas in the post-war period. The Stakes in Burma The grim struggles going on in the Philippines, the Dutch Indies, and around Singapore should not ob- scure the campaign in Burma. Here, too, the Japanese are conducting a vigorous offensive which, if success- ful, would have disastrous and far- reaching consequences for the Allled cause. Every one knows Burma’s import- ance as the starting point of the famous road which is China’s sole link with the outer world. Over that vital highway must pass the artil- lery, tanks alnd other heavy equip- ment which China must get from abroad if she is to be in a position to stage a large-scale drive against the Japanese invaders. That is why con- siderable bodies of Chinese troops have entered Burma to bolster the British defense. Reinforcements from any quar- ter are needed, for the steady prog- ress of the Japanese is reaching a dangerous stage. Not only have they overrun the long panhandle of Bur- mese territory reaching southward down the Malay Peninsula; they have also forced the mountain passes farther north and appear to be almost within striking distance of Moulmein, the main British advance base guarding the shore road and railway leading to Rangoon, only 100 miles away. That great port city is the seagate to the Burma Road, and so must be held at all costs. The chief barrier to the Jap- anese advance is the wide and swift- flowing Salween River which runs down from the mountains and jun- gles farther north and empties into the sea at Moulmein. But the Jap- anese are reportedly approaching the Salween line at more than one point. And through the last fifty miles of its course, the Salween runs through fairly open country. So the British must hold the line in strength to prevent Japanese crossings. An unfortunate aspect of the sit- uation is the fact that Japan has got what seems to be the willing co- operation of the Thai Army, reported to number at least 60,000. Thailand and Burma have been hereditary enemies for centuries, and Tokyo has doubtless promised the Thais a good slice of Burmese territory. On the other hand, these Thai invaders should stir the Burmese to fight more strongly and to think less of their distaste for British rule. The British are grayely handi- capped in reinforcing Burma from India by the absence of any railway or high road along the coast. On the map, the distance between the two countries is short, but the mountains which sunder them from each other reach into the sea. So the British have found it easier to communi- cate by water. This sea-borne line of communications has already be- gun to be menaced by Japan. Re- cently, two British ships were re- ported sunk off the Burmese coast not far from Rangoon, though whether the sinkings were due to Japanese airplanes or submarines was not stated. It is easy to see how precarious the situation of the Brit- ish forces in Burma would become if the Japanese Navy could have easy access to those waters, which would happen if Japan should get control of either the Strait of Malacca, now guarded by Singapore, or the Sunda Passage into the Indian Ocean, be- tween the Dutch Islands of Sumatra and Java. While a Japanese conquest of Burma would not enable them to invade India by land, for the rea- son already stated, it would give Japan air bases from which to launch wholesale raids on nearby Indian cities, especially the crowded population centers of the Calcutta region. What that would mean to those congested and inflammable human hives is easy to imagine. Yet the increasingly successful defense of the skies over Burma by British and American pilots is perhaps the most hopeful aspect of an otherwise critical situation. If the air can be held, Burma should be able to hold out until the turn of the tide. / Perry’s Statue The monument to Commodore Matthew C. Perry at Kurihama is to be destroyed. A radio broadcast from Berlin reports that ‘“leading per- sonages” in Tokio have ordered the demolition of the statue of the man who introduced Japan to the com- munity of nations. His effigy was erected by the Japanese American Association of Japan as a gesture of friendship to the United States. Now, however, after more than forty years, it symbolizes not amity but rather bitter strife. Perhaps it is just as well that it should perish with the sentiment by which it was inspired. Perry’s fame, of course, will be en- hanced by the insult to his memory. The effect of any such spitefulness is bound to be paradoxical. His own countrymen, few of whom are fa- miliar with the romance of his long career, may be stirred to inquire about the invaluable services he ren- dered to the world. The “most im- portant diplomatic mission ever in- trusted to an American naval officer” was but a single incident among many that are worthy of remem- brance in connection with his name. Born at Newport, Rhode Island,, April 10, 1704, Perry was a brother of the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie. He became a midshipman in 1809 and had his earliest experience in action in 1811. Cruises to Norway and to Holland, several voyages to Liberia with settlers for that colony, certain punitive expeditions against pirates in the West Indies, a tour of duty in the Mediterranean and an official trip to Russia kept him busy up to 1833, when he was appoipted second officer at the New York Navy Yard and took up the work of establishing a new cultural background for the maritime branch of the national de- fense. As one of the sponsors of the Naval Academy at Annapolis and an or- ganizer of the United States Naval Lyceum, Perry contributed immeas- urably to the progress of the Navy at a time when advancement was im- perative. He favored the use of steam, organized the first naval en- gineer corps, went to England and to France to study lighthouses and te collect information on ordnance, de- veloped the first American naval school of gun practice and played an active part in the suppression of the African slave trade, the protection of | the American fishing industry in the | North Atlantic and the winning of the war with Mexico. President Fillmore found Perry an obvious choice for the delicate busi- ness of approaching the “hermit kingdom” of Japan. It was in Jan- uary, 1852, that the mission was de- cided upon. The squadron assembled by Perry arrived at Yedo on July 8, 1853. Two imperial princes recelved Perry himself on the shore where his monument was set up in 1901. A second voyage brought him back to Yokohama to sign a treaty, March 31, 1854, and it was the covenant then formulated that was broken when Japanese raiders attacked Pear]l Har- bor on December 7, 1941, Social Gains and War In December of 1940—a year prior to the attack on Pea.l Harbor—The Star published an editorial com- menting on a statement by Secretary of Labor Perkins to the effect that there was no need to undermine wage and hour legislation or to lengthen the 40-hour week as our defense needs shaped up at that time. “Does Miss Perkins,” the edi- torial asked, “subscribe to the fan- tastic belief that we should wait until the British are fallen before exerting a maximum effort to arm ourselves and to aid them? Miss Perkins and those who agree with her utterly fail to comprehend the importance of the time element in modern warfare.” Secretary Perkins, in a letter to The Star, took vigorous exception to the editorial. “May I say,” she wrote, “that in recommending com- pliance with the wage-hour legis- lation I have always taken pains to say what I believe to be the truth—that the shorter hours will result in greater efficiency, greater per capita and plant pro- duction and can be relied on to speed up our defense program rather than to delay it.” She then went on to say that every study of industrial efficiency and production in this country and England has | shown increased production under | shorter hours. In this insistence upon mainte- nance of “social gains,” including retention of the 40-hour week, Miss Perkins was merely giving expres- sion to a point of view widely enter- tained at that time throughout the country. If one may judge from the statements of those holding to the viewpoint, it was assumed that our enemies would give us all the time that we desired; that they would not strike until we were fully armed ard ready to fight. On the morning of last December 7, however, this illusion was rudely shattered and the United States was plunged into a two-ocean war for which, as sub- sequent events have shown, we were lamentably unprepared. The defeat suffered by this Nation at the hands of Japan in the treach- erous attack on Pearl Harbor has not been an unmitigated disaster, however, for it has since become evident that the sense of national complacency symbolized by insist- ence upon the 40-hour week and the belief that we could superimpose the defense program on normal indus- try has been largely swept away. Among those who have undergone a change of heart in this respect, how- ever belatedly, is Secretary Perkins, who recently called for a forty-eight- hour week in defense production and asked for a relaxation of State labor laws affecting war industries facing a shortage of workers. The Labor Secretary, it should be noted, re- mains of the opinion that an ex- cessive work week would impair the . efficiency of the workers, but it is gratifying that she no longer is disposed to insist upon a maximum of forty hours. In this connection, it is to be hoped that sentiment in the coun- try as a whole has reached a point Where, for the duration of the war, emphasis no longer will be placed on the maintenance of social gains. The simple truth of the matter is that we cannot make the military effort demanded by this war while rePaining our 40-hour week and our high standard of living. For the time being, the latter must go. Many similes have been applied to war, but the most up-to-date one seems to be that it is a good desl like getting across a creek by means of stepping stones; each one occupied proves a base -for the approach to the next. R ————— Who remembers 'way back to 1940, when, each day, we thought the news was pretty bad? - Validity of Warning By Ickes Shown Destruction of Playgrounds Is Not Necessary In National Crisis At the October meeting of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Secretary of the Interior Ickes sounded a ringing warning against unplanned and unnecessary encroachments on ‘Washington's parks and playgrounds. ‘The following is quoted from his state- ment: “We find ourselves in the throes of a national emergency and there is a strong tendency on the part of certain defense officials to achieve their objectives with- out regard for the general interest. They would ignore the plans of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Park Service for the orderly development of the National Capital. * * * “An outstanding example of this, as you are all well aware, is the sudden construc- tion of another new War Department Building in Virginia with its upsetting influences involving shifting populations, traffic congestions and a general disturb- ance of the whole city pattern. “This disregard of park and recrea- tional values, built up through years of effort and expenditure, has been clearly demonstrated by the increase in size of the present War and Navy Department Buildings, and the demand for automo- bile parking areas in Potomac Park to accommodate the increased personnel. “‘Temporary’ office buildings are being located in many downtown parks, despite the unhappy experience of the last war. ‘Temporary’ buildings of the 1917 vintage, some of which still remain, gave Wash- ington its worst scars and have defaced the National Capital for nearly two decades, Instead of being & shining ex- ample to other crowded areas in the country, our Capital City offers a bad example. We need more parks and not fewer parks. We need more playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis courts and golf courses. * * * “Rock Creek and Potomac parkways have become main traffic arteries so that their preservation for park use and en- Joyment is becoming increasingly diffi- cult. Certain interests now propose to add bus traffic on these roads further to interfere with the intended use of the ‘'We are thinking of the United States Capital not in terms of beauty, vistas and gdequate park areas, but of buildings crowded together and of overworked streets. People ought to be just as im- portant as buildings and it should be realized that in urban communities the problem of the conservation of our hu- man resources becomes increasingly more important in direct ratio to population growth. Recreation must be provided for | this increasing population, and recrea- tion for the great mass of the population means parks and playgrounds. “The national consclence has been shocked by the number of young men | offered for enrollment in the Army who are being rejected for physical reasons. Healthy bodies can neither be built up nor maintained in areas that are crowded to the point of unhealth- Iness, * * * “At the rate we are going, the parks of ‘Washington will soon be nothing but glorified boulevards. There will be no problem of playgrounds and recreation areas, but only of traffic arteries, over- passes, underpasses, clover-leafs, automo- bile parking lots and sites for schools and office buildings. “I am opposed to any further encroach- ment upon our inadequate park areas. I believe in long-time planning and in ad- herence to pians when carefully consum- mated; not in the grab-bag method of putting a road or a building on any bit of vacant land that can be discovered re- gardless of whether or not that is the best use for the land. * * ¢ “President Roosevelt recently said that he had been guilty of a crime against ‘Washington over 20 years ago. He re- ferred to the ‘temporary’ Navy and War buildings that have squatted on park lands since 1917. “If necessity must, T would be the first to call for the destruction of our parks and even the demolition of the Washing- ton Monument and the Lincoln and Jef- ferson Memorials. I would be willing to pay this price and a greater one to save ourselves from Hitler. But none of these things is necessary. A little more imag- ination, a little more ingenuity and quite a bit more interest in Washington and its population would provide for our de- fense needs without destroying or mar- ring the people’s heritage.” Urges War-Time Use Of Substitutes for Sugar. To the Editor of The Star: The people of the United States should realize ‘that excessive purchase and con- sumption of sugar simply mean that they are sending out of this country huge sums for the enrichment of alien mo- nopolies. It appears to be the policy of short- sighted bureaucrats to aid and abet this large outflow of our money by asserting that sugar is needed in the making of alcohol for war purposes. But it has been stated that it is not necessary to use sugar for such purposes when there are available here, produced within our own borders, huge quantities of products suitable for manufacture of | a Nation’s devotion to its chosen leader? alcohol. It would be more helpful and patriotic, therefore, to use to the fullest extent the varied substitutes for sugar available, as was widely done during the First World War. With sugar as with milk, it is not necessary to consume a fixed quantity per day; it may be acquired in combina- tion with other foods. ‘The newspapers would be rendering outstanding service by directing attention of the people to the many substitutes for sugar and pointing out the best way to use them. JOSEPH W. CHEYNEY. Expresses Faith In Irish People. To the Editor of The Star: The protest of Premier De Valera at the landing of American troops in Northern Ireland was to be expected, considering the placement of his sym- pathies. It will be recalled that in 1916, when Britain was fighting with her back to the wall, a rebellion was staged in Ireland. Mr. De Valera is no more triendly to the Allied cause now than he was then. I believe, though, that a majority of the Irish people realize that Ireland’s fate is linked with England’s in the present eonflict and would help if given the chance. ALBERT 8. BROWN. JANUARY 30, 1942. THIS AND THAT By Charles E. Tracewell. 36th STREET. “Dear S8ir: “Is the titmouse seen only in migra- tion? And if so, why should it be migrat- ing at this time of year? “I ask this because yesterday was the first time I have seen a titmouse in our yard for months. “It was perched in a snowball bush, from which it was chattering at our big cat, which in turn paid not the slightest bit of attention to it. “I like this bird as well as any, or even better than most. In some ways I think it is & finer bird than the chickadee. “Sincerely yours, C. P. D.” * % The titmouse is a permanent resident. 1t is one of the birds which stay with us the year around. If at times it is not seen in & yard where feeding is carried on, it simply is because it has decided to go somewhere else for the time being. We often have wondered over the steadfastness of most of the winter birds. Four pairs of cardinals, for instance, are in our own yard day after day. At times the score runs as high as 10 pairs. We have a pair of Carolina chickadees the year through. This, too, is & common permanent resident. It must not be con- fused with the “black-capped chickadee,” which is regarded as a rare winter visi- tant here, Both species have black caps, of course. The chickadees seen here are exceptionally small. L The titmouse is a favorite of most per- sons. It is not often seen in the city, preferring to visit feeding stations in the suburban- sections, which are nearer to its heart's desire. The chickadee belongs to the titmouse family, rather than the other way around. Most of the birds of this group are not great singers, althoygh classed as songbirds. This scientific classification refers to the sort of vocal organs & bird possesses. It does not necessarily mean that a specimen really can sing. Thus the crow may be called a “songbird,” although its caw is not regarded by some listeners as very musical. (Other listen- ers regard the caw very highly, claiming that it is intensely musical, especially when heard in the early morning.) LR ‘The tufted or crested titmouse is some- times confused by newcomers to bird- land with the chickadee. The latter is the one with the black cap; the titmouse the bird with the crest. The titmouse is 6 inches lofg, with its | upper parts slate gray, its under parts white and reddish, often bordering on | orange. The bill is short and stout, the wings | Jong and rounded. the tail shorter than the wings, also rounded. The dainty crest is the distinguishing | mark of the species. The titmouse is rather on the slender | side, and shows it by being able to do all sorts of acrobatic feats on branches, often hanging head down with the great- est of ease. Titmice—which, of course, is the proper plural—eat insect eggs wherever they can find them, and also caterpillars, beetles, weevils, files, cutworms, wasps, plant lice and scale insects. The mere recital of the roster shows what a fine bird this is in every garden. Few songsters do better by our gar- dens than the titmouse. *x % % ‘The titmouse often is not held exactly in the same regard by bird lovers as the chickadee. The latter seems less timid, and miore lives up to the title of “cheerful” which is so often given it. But the titmouse cannot be called really shy. It will come for seeds to almost any zcrt of feeding box, although it will not be exactly chummy about it. That is, it never comes to eat with other birds, not even its mate, but waits until it can dash into an empty station. Then it seizes a seed and flies away with it. ©One good thing about this bird is that it seems to bring both the nuthatches and the chickadees. Wherever one of the three appears, the other two are sure to come, although not every day. Newcomers to bird feeding should learn as much as they can about these three, since they are the very backbone of the winter garden. They will not be seen every day, maybe not every week, but in time, over the season, will give a good account of them- selves, Often the titmouse can be told with- out one’s seeing it, by the high-pitched whistle it makes, as if calling & dog. LR The flicker, handsome member of the woodpecker family, is another species which remains here all winter, but which is not always present, and so when it does appear gives the observer the idea that it must have migrated, even at a strange season. The first flicker in our yard for weeks on end showed up last week end, and has been present every day since. This is the big handsome fellow with the red patch on the back of his neck and the black crescent on his throat. When he files, his wings show golden underneath. When we first saw him, he was perched on the side of a tree, indus- triously leaning back and jamming in his bill, but he was doing the tree no harm; he was just after ants in the crevices of the bark, these having been brought out by the warmer weather. The next day we saw him feasting on suet tled to the fence, but when three | old starlings approached he thought them too much and flew away. As he passed the feeding station on | & stake, a squirrel therein threw out a vawful of seed, squarely at the flicker, which thereupon wheeled abruptly and made off to a tree. The action by the squirrel made it seem as if the animal had thrown the seed purposely. Letters to Praises President Roosevelt On His Sixtieth Birthday. To the Bditor of The Star: ~ All America today honors the birthday of Pranklin Delano Roosevelt. Millions of American citizens Volun- tarily unite to commemorate the Presi- dent’s 60th anniversary by aiding, in his | name, a noble and humanitarian project | to which he has dedicated his heari—a mighty service for boys and girls crippled by infantile paralysis. Was there ever a loftier expression of ‘What are the triumphs of the classic ages compared with this unbought love and homage of a free and mighty people” Today's Nation-wide birthday testi- monial is not alone s tribute to the President’s official service, to his conse- érated eloquence, to his matchless states- manship. Primarily it is & Nation's tribute to personal character. It js a solemn public testimonial to a life of exalted purity of purpose, blended with commanding powers, devoted with absolute unselfish- ness and with amazing results to the welfare of the country and humanity. 1t is a people’s recognition of a unign of greatness of soul with depth of heart, of an example so inspiring, a patriotism so lofty and a public service so beneficent that discordant opinions, differing judg- ments and the bitterness of controversial debate vanish like frost in a flood of sunshine. Let us all offer today a fervent prayer that the God of Nations may grant to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our President, an abundance of mental, physical and spiritual vitality, so that under his in- spired leadership America, in this period of her supreme crisis, may add new luster to her glorious history and may attain new and still loftier spiritual and tem- | poral heights. FRANCIS DE SALES RYAN. Discusses Need for Housing For Girl War Workers. To the Editor of The Star: Your editorial, “New Housing Bill" printed January 24, is particularly in- teresting to parents not residing in Washington who have had members of their households leave their comfortable homes to engage in war work and other activities brought about by recent events. Many young persons who never have been away from home before are com- pelled now through force of circum- stances to live under conditions far from those they have been accustomed to, but these patriotic young Americans feel it their duty to carry on though apparently little or nothing has been done about the housing problem. Boys are. called to the service and are sent to places where adequate housing has been provided, but how about the girls? They come to Washington and are compelled to take what they can get. Often a girl who has known the tender care of a mother and a comfortable home has to take a room and share it with two or three other girls, strangers to her. To make a change is expensive and she has no assurance that it will be for the better. Officlals are deeply concerned about the welfare of the boys in camp. It is time they gave some thought to the girls. Certainly something must be done to provide proper housing for those whose work is necessary to the carrying on and victorious cenclusion of the war. Providing adequate shelter for the 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. thousands of war workers has been talked about for months. There has been ample time to prepare and pass a bill. How much longer will this very necessary action be delayed? WM. D. HARRIS. South Cairo, N. Y. Approves Legislation To Permit Wire Tapping. To the Editor of The Star: For one, I am completely disgusted with the present status of the law, as construed by our courts, respecting the right of our law-enforcing agents to use wire tapping in the performance of their duties. Congress should not lose a moment in proceeding to enact legis- lation that will give such agents clear and full authority for such reasonable and necessary procedure. Those who profess concern for the preservation of civil liberties in this connection well may be suspected of lack of concern for the preservation of democracy. No honest citizen need fear injury from wire tapping by the Government. He can realize complete protection through the simple expedient of conflning him- self to lawful communications. I hope The Star will keep up its cam- paign until the law is purged of its weakness in this respect. C. V. BURNSIDE. Questions Members of Congress on Their Own Responsibility for Disaster. To the Editor of The Star: Let Congress investigate Congress if it sincerely would Jearn what was wrong at Pearl Harbor. Who proclaimed that the United States would not be at- tacked? Did President Roosevelt? Did the cabinet members? Or was it the same wily gentlemen who now are so voluble in Congress in their search for a goat? Who voted not to fortify Guam? Who voted against giving the F. B. L. power to tap the Japanese spy wires? Who proclaimed to the Japa- nese and the Germans that America would not “meddle in their affairs” and 80 gave them carte blanche to strike where and when they would with the assurance that we would wait? And who, pray, lylled our admiral and our general into smug complacence and isolationist ineptitude? Is it imagined that our military men do not read the speeches of Representatives and Sena- tors? And is there no responsibility, not even moral responsibility, attaching to these gentlemen on Capitol Hill? RALPH ALBERTSON. Gives One Reason For Refusing Rides, To the Editor of The Star: If some authoritative department would furnish stickers reading to the effect “rides accepted at own risk” drivers might be glad to fill their cars, but not when the following is possible: A woman asked to be included in & party of friends who were driving to a convention and then sued the car owner when the trip ended in an accident. As long as drivers aré liable for such “lifts” I will continué to have four empty seats which I would gladly fill. CAUTIOUS DRIVER. 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. Did England have blackouts dure ing the last war? . M. A. Though strong lights were shaded, blackouts were not resorted to on the scale in which they are now being used. Q. How many broadcasting stations are there in the United States?—F. McA. A. At present there are 888 licensed broadcasting stations in the United States, and 35 with construction per- mits. Q. Could you tell me where the low- est point in the entire Western Hemi- sphere is located?—N. O'B. A. Badwater, in Death Valley, Calif, is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. It is 280 feet below sea level, Q. Will the cathedral at Coventry, England, be rebuilt?—A. 8. O. A. According to a recent announce- ment of the bishop and his chapter, Coventry Cathedral is to be rebuilt. Q. What is the size of the smallest opening through which a clothes moth can enter?—F. L. A. Tests have shown that a larva just out of the egg can crawl through an opening of only 4-1,000s of an inch, or one no wider than the thickness of & sheet of good quality bond paper. Q. When and where did Toscanini first conduct an orchestra?—N. L. M. A. He made his debut as & conductor in 1886 at Rio de Janeiro, when only 19 years of age. A cellist, he was called upon fo take over in an emergency, and to the amazement of every one con- ducted the opera “Aida” from memory. Q. I should like to know the name of the whaler on which Herman Mel- ville, author of “Moby Dick,” made & voyage as & young man—N. P. C. A. It was named the Acushnet and cleared from New Bedford on Decem- ber 30, 1840. Melville deserted his ship after & year and a half at the Mar- quesas, was captured by cannibals, res- cued by an Australian vessel and finally reached New York two years later. Parties and Games — Are you planning any parties for February? Valentine’s Day, Lincoln’s Birth- day, Washington's Birthday—each calls for a distinctive type of enter- tainment. Novel ideas and sug- gestions for parties on these dates as well as parties for every season of the year are included in our 44-page booklet. A special chapter is devoted to children’s partis nd games. You will find it a handy guide to modern entertaining. To secure your copy inclose 10 cents in coin wrapped in this clipping and mail to The Star Information Bureau. Name A Q. Pleass advise me if a retired eivil service employe must inelude in his income tax return the amount he re- ceives from the Government—O. W. A. Civil service retirement pay received from the Federal Government is taxable income if the recipient has received an | amount equal to the total amount which he originally pald into the fund. Q. Were dogs used in the last war? Are any being trained for this purpose now?—C. S. A. During the first World War dogs were trained as sentries, messengers, scouts and ambulance dogs. They searched the battlefields for the wounded and missing, carrying flasks of brandy or soup and a roll of bandages. In Britain, dogs are drilled for patrol and intercommunications work. An important phase in the drilling is to teach the animal not to bark while advancing. Q. Why do people throw salt over their left shoulder when they have spilled some?—C. S. 8. A. Salt was used to drive away evil spirits, and the left is always the side from which devils were supposed to enter, Q. Can you tell me the nationality of Gene Krupa?—G. R. A. Gene Krupa was born in America, He is of Austrian, Hungarian and Bo- hemian descent. Q. How does the population,of the anti-Axis nations compare with that of the Axis countries?—I. F. A. With declaration of war by the United States against Japan, the popu- lation of anti-Axis belligerents now to- tals 1317,897,000, as against & popula- tion of 306,281,000 in the principal Axis countries, as estimated by the Census Bureati on December 9, 1941, Q. When was cellophane first used as wrapping for cigarettes?—G. C. L. A. The first large use of moistureproof cellophane for the protection of cigar- ettes was in 1930. Shelter A ragged flame leaped thin behind the log And raveled into tatters in the draft; Beneath, a chubby flare that reeled and laughed Sank %aspinp, in white ashes like & 0g. The snow outside the windows made a fog of wh‘t!rung whiteness, dizzy-driven, aft As dervishes. The house, a solitary raft of la/;ty in the tempest, shook the og Upon the hearth-rug, with each straining blow Of blizzard bludgeoning; but he, too wise With older storms, knew how tough timbers keep Strong faith and ward; and resting constant so, Flattened his mose to warmth and closed his eyes, And once again, went hunting in his sleep. DOROTHY BROWN THOMPSON. » L