Evening star. [volume], January 12, 1923, Page 6, Image 6

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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6
THE EVENING STAB,
With Sunday Morning Edition.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
FRIDAY January 12. 1923
THEODORE W. NOYES.. .Editor
The Evening Star Newspaper Company
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i::— . . i ._. i .=3w
The District’s Surplus a Fact.
As a result of the auditing of Dis
trict-federal finances just completed
by the accountants engaged by the
joint select committee under the act
of June 29. 1922, charged with a de
termination of the amount, if any, of
surplus District tax revenues lying in
The Treasury, they report, as a neces
sary deduction from their tabular Ex
hibit A. that there is without any
question a sum of at least $4,671,196.97
of District money in the custody of
the United States not subject to imme
diate appropriation. At the same time,
the accountants state, the Treasury
(United States general accounting of
fice) has shown a balance or surplus
of District tax revenues lying unex
pended there of *4,676,457.63. The Dis
trict auditor’s report shows a free sur
plus of District money amounting to
$4,677,347.90. These three statements
of the account are to all practical pur
poses identical, there being a differ
ence of only $6,150.93 between the
highest, that of the District auditor,
and the lowest, that of the joint com
mittee’s accountants.
Whatever the amount, whether that
stated by the accountants, or that
stated by the Treasury, or that stated
by the District auditor, the widest pos
sible difference being *6.150.93. this re
port establishes the fact that there is
a specific concrete free surplus of Dis
trict tux revenues in the Treasury
consisting of unappropriated District
money. Thus the surplus is proved to
be no myth, as has been urged in Con
gress. but a definite credit balance,
subject to any deductions or any in
creases which Congress may make!
based upon inquiry into the compara
tive equities.
As to the merits of possible offsets
In favor of the United States which
the accountants, as directed by the
committee, suggest for consideration,
they express no opinion. Though they
do not point to them in their report,
the District has certain offsets or
claims of its own to suggest and to
urge. These claims will be stated to
the joint select committee, which will
then determine whether It will now re
open the whole accounting back to
1874 and balance the proved equitable
credits of District and United States,
respectively, or wnll rest content at
this time with recognizing the present
actual credit of the District of at least
$4,671,196.97, on the Treasury books,
and leave to the future the increase or
decrease of this surplus by deliberate
adjudication of the opposing claims to
equitable credits by the District and
the United States, respectively.
Constantine.
Ex-King Constantine of Greece did
not long survive his second exile from
Athens, and perhaps his death was
the happiest possible ending of a
career that could not have been
brightened by any conceivable future
change. During his first exile Con
stantine, or "Tino,” as he was more
familiarly known in Europe, was ener
getic in his efforts at restoration,
which were finally successful. But he
returned to Greece in circumstances
i.hat made irresistibly for more trou
ble. He succeeded to an impossible
adventure in arms in Asia Minor. The
collapse of the Greek campaign there
compelled his abdication.
At the outbreak of the great war
Constantine's partiality for Germany,
occasioned by the fact that his wife
was sister of the kaiser, placed him in
a, most difficult position, and Greece
suffered seriously in consequence. He
could not clear himself of this asso
ciation, and his later troubles may all
be attributed to the relationship with
Germany and his failure to express
the Greek sentiment in the war.
In Greece Constantine was an alien,
after all. His father, son of the King
of Denmark, had given the country an
Intelligent rule and had won to a
great degree the sympathies and un
derstanding of the Greek people. Con
stantine, succeeding him upon his as
sassination, did not, however, succeed
him In the respect and affections of
the Greeks, end the war was his un
doing. It is doubtless well for Greece
that Constantine has passed, for he
would have remained, despite his
formal abdication, a potential center
of intrigue for restoration. Now he is
i emoved by death, and the Greek prob
lem, difficult at best, will be perhaps
brought closer to solution in conse
quence.
Germany's protests that she is not
sufficiently prosperous to feel like en
tertaining guests make no difference
to France.
“Eat, Drink and Be Merry.”
Rum running Is not only lucrative
but Joyous. The runners are merry
fellows, having the time of their lives.
A rum fleet, deep in the water with
the stuff. Is off the coasts of New York
and New Jersey and communicating
with ease with the shore.
This is taken from a dispatch from
Highlands, N. J.:
The rum runners make not the least
effort to disguise their actions. The
transi’er from power boat to trucks
and passenger cars goes on noisily.
At tl« various landing places there
is g< od-natured laughter, bursts of
song end bantering. It Is a lucrative
day for every one.
Appropriately enough, this occurs in
the state which the wets carried In
November by an enormous majority.
The successful candidate for United
States senator was the man who as
governor had expressed a wish to see
the state "as wet as the Atlantic
ocean.”
Well, there is the state and there
the ocean, and the rum runners are
doing their best to bring that condi
tion of affairs about.
It Is a remarkable situation, there
and elsewhere. Prohibition is the law
of the land, and yet, in this open way
and In other open ways, it is being
mocked. Great sums of money are in
vested for lawless purposes, and great
sums made from the investments. No
legitimate business is yielding profits
as large.
And this defiance of the law is of
fered as one of the reasons why the
law should he modified or repealed!
The bootlegger and his patron make
themselves superior to the law.
Badio and the Lawbreakers.
*The “long arm of the law” may be
increased in length by the radio. This
possibility is suggested by the pro
posal of a "wireless net” over the en
tire country for the arrest of desperate
criminals by the police of all cities
which has Just been advanced from
Detroit. MaJ. Sullivan, superintendent
of police here, has been consulted and
is now considering the proposal.
At present the telegraph and the
telephone are employed in criminal
pursuit, even as formerly the mails
constituted the chief reliance of the
police in following fugitives from jus
tice. The radio permits an immediate
broadcasting of information in all di
rections. A single message transmitted
from Washington, for example, reaches
not only all police officials in every
city, but millions of people, who be
come thereby informed of the requisi
tion for arrest. Possibly in this latter
fact lies a disadvantage in the broad
casting method through the giving of
information to the criminals them
selves or their friends or others who
are beyond the pale of law and have a
sympathetic feeling for all those who
are sought by the police.
It is extremely difficult now for a
known lawbreaker to escape. If a de
scription of him is available it can be
placed in the possession of police offi
cials in every city within a few hours
of the commission of the crime.
Photographs already widely distributed
of previously arrested persons are
available for reference. If the fugitive
is a newcomer in the ranks of law
breakers, and his photograph is to be
had, it can be sent out to the confines
of the country within a few days, trav
eling almost as fast aa he can go him
self. The radio will not facilitate this
process of identification unless devices
for the reproduction of pictures by
! wireless are perfected.
The meshes of the law's net are un
doubtedly becoming finer, and the net
itself extending, despite the vast area,
to be covered within this jurisdiction,
the plight of the persop whp se.eHs to
escape has become, indeed, desperate.
If the procedure of trial and punish
ment were as speedy, law enforcement
in the United States would be. Indeed,
effective, but, unfortunately, it would
seem that the more efficient the process
of criminal catching becomes the
slower goes the work of the agency
for trial and punishment.
Jackson Day and November.
The response to the appeal of Chair
man Hull of the democratic national
committee for a Jackson day celebra
tion of the signs of the times as con
tained in the November elections was
not general. At any rate, the dis
patches have carried little on the sub
ject.
Jackson Is still revered, and Jackson
day still a great anniversary. But the
public is busy with live and throbbing
topics. World conditions are again
tense. All eyes are on Europe, and all
interest centers in what is taking
place there. A fear prevails that war
is again In the air.
There was a response at Springfield,
111., and some vigorous party talk In
dulged in. The principal speaker was
Senator-elect Ralston of Indiana, a
next door neighbor, and by his own
people as well as by some others re
garded as of presidential size. He in
veighed against what he called “the
republican policy of International iso
lation.”
The tone of the occasion was jubi
lant. The democracy was hailed as
comlfig back, and as certain to arrive
next year. The shibboleth of the even
ing—though Mr. Ralston himself did
not use it—was “Treat ’em rough!”
meaning, of course, the republicans.
Something softer and more argu
mentative might have been better.
The democracy, though with an im
proved outlook, is far from being out
of the woods yet. and is scheduled for
some rough going before the time ar
rives for nominating Its next national
ticket and constructing its next na
tional platform.
Wilhelm Hohenzollern can at least
feel that he will not be held responsi
ble for any fighting that may result
from the present Franco-German situ
ation.
Paris possibly resents the fact that
a number of Germans have been ex
perimenting with gliders when they
might have been shoveling coal.
Senators who insist that we are al
ready in European affairs must admit
we are not as far in them as we might
be.
Motor Thieving.
Five men have been arrested at
Bridgeport, Conn., on a charge of
being agents of a gang of automobile
thieves in New York. It is believed
that an Immense business is being
done in the disposal of stolen cars,
and an estimate has been made that
pilfered machines have been shipped
out of New York lately at the rate of
thirty a day. The Bridgeport men, It
is charged, have been engaged in the
work of altering the distinguishing
marks on the machines. By means of
acids and dyes all numbers on the
motor parts are obliterated and trans
formed, so that It is very difficult to
identify a machine thus treated. A
lively trade In stolen cars has been
THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C.,' FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1923.
driven In the city cf Bridgeport Itself,
and the police declare that no less
than 680 residents of that city are
now driving such machines, bought in
good faith from agents of the ring,
and that in other parts of Connecticut
and in Massachusetts at least 1,200
cars of the same kind are in use.
It has long been evident that the
motor thieves operating In different
cities were under some sort of central
guidance, or at least that they knew
well how to dispose of their plunder.
While some motor thefts are doubt
less sporadic cases Induced by oppor
tunity and sudden impulse, plainly a
majority of the cars stolen hav% been
taken for vending to a “fence” con
ducted by shrewd and resourceful peo
ple. The device of changing the dis
tinguishing marks and numbers has
been suspected, but until now It was
not known just where and hoV this
wae done. Fifty dollars’ worth of work
on a stolen car can render it almost
undistinguishahle. While the owner
may know It through the "feel” of the
engine and other Intimate signs, even
as a mother knows her child, it is
difficult to prove property when all the
formal tokens of identity have been
obliterated. ...
This trade in stolen motors is cost
ing the people of this country millions
of dollars annually. Motor insurance
companies, issuing policies against
theft as well as damage, have been
conducting a vigorous campaign of
research and detection, and there is
hope now that the center of the traffic
has been discovered, and that this in
dustry of car stealing will bo effective
ly checked. 1
Capital punishment for women is
repulsive to men. Whether it is so to
all women is another question. Women
have been courageous in assuming
civic responsibilities and are likely
in most instances to be no less fearless
In demanding that punishments legal
ly incurred shall not be waived out of
‘deference to their sex.
An effort to maintain French tradi
tions for politeness is evident in the
reparations note to Germany. The ef
fort is, in fact, too evident to seem
spontaneous.
Turkey sees no reason for courts to
adjudicate rights of foreigners, assum
ing there can be no circumstances in
which foreigners had any rights In the
first place.
Will Hays, in permitting the picture
producers to designate him a “dic
tator.” accepted a title which is pre
carious in every human relationship.
If the numerous processes of mental
healing all prove effective the drug
stores will not need to sell much be
sides picture cards and soda water.
Dr. Coue chose about the only large
and influential country on the world
map that seemed eligible to a serene,
contemplative state of mind.
In spite of the fact that President
Ebert holds the position of highest
political authority, Hugo Stinnes has
most of the Influence.
There are far more vicious offenders
against the law. but tha violator of
motor regulations is the one who gets
caught first and oftenest.
Lloyd George was correct in predict
ing trouble, although there is nothing
to suggest that he could have prevent
ed most of it had he remained in office.
Total abstinence as a religious and
political obligation does not prevent
the Turk from occasionally becoming
drunk with power.
The two leading democracies in
Europe ore making little headway
toward harmony in promoting their
political ideals.
Remarks by Dr. Coue are reassur
ing, Europe should be persuaded to
make a special study of the principles
he lays down.
Among the many great objections
to war, the greatest is that it is con
tagious.
SHOOTING STABS.
f 1
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Current Literature.
Granddad says that long ago.
When he was a studious kid.
It was rather nice to know
What the great world said and did.
Now and then the papers brought
Various items touching crime,
But they did not turn your thought
To such doings all the time.
Had a yacht race now and then.
Or a celebration grand; '
Great orations by big men
And sweet music by the band.
Then the underworld obscure
Did not spoil light-hearted glee—
Granddad says that literature
Is not what it used to be.
Prudent Quietude.
“What are your constituents saying
about your record In Congress?”
“Nothing,” replied Senator Sor
ghum.
"Haven’t you been able to Interest
them?”
“Fve done better than that. I've avoid
ed attracting the attention of friends
in a manner that will simply wake
up my enemies.”
Jud Tunkins says he can't tell by
the sound whether the cook is break
ing dishes or his boy is practicing for
Ms Jazz orchestra.
The Oyster.
The oyster in his silent shell
Resides alone in dumb content,
And finds ft comforting to dwell
Where no one bothers him for rent.
Utility.
“Radio will displace the telegraph.”
“Not entirely,” said Cactus Joe.
“Radio may suffice for conversation,
but when the posse catches a boss
thief there’s nothin’ so handy aa a
telegraph pole."
“Never imagine,” said Uncle Eben,
"dat you kin git so good you don’t!
need a little boostin’. Even Earn urn’s 1
circus had to us# billboards.” ' j
Washington Observations
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. ,
Quite apart from his official status,
no man In the United States has a
deeper personal Interest In events of
the moment than Dr. Otto Wledfeldt,
the German aipbassador at Washing
ton. Previous to his entry into the
diplomatic service Dr. Wledfeldt was
a director of the Krupp works and
resided at Essen, the center of the
new French occupational movement
in the Ruhr. Probably by this time
’the former Wledfeldt mansion is serv
ing aa a billet for officers of the
French “mission of control.” It will
be particularly interesting to iearn
whether Villa Hugel, the Krupp an
cestral castle on the outskirts of Es
sen, has been commandeered by the
French for residential purposes. It is
the homo of Frau Bertha Krupp von
Bohlen, the "cannon queen," after
whom the “Big Bertha" that rained
ruin on Paris from a range of seven
ty-five miles was named. Frau Krupp
von Bohlen was-married at Villa Hu
gel in the presence of the kaiser in
October, 1906.
** * *
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes received their latest authentic
reports of German economic condi
tions from Jeremiah W. Jonks. For
merly professor of political economy
at Cornell and now director of the
division of oriental commerce and
politics at New York University, Dr.
Jenks is probably America’s most ver
satile authority on world economics.
He returned from Europe in Decem
ber. after serving on a commission of
international experts invited by Cer
many to study her financial situation
and recommend away out of the tan
gle. John Maynard Keynes was the
British member of the commission.
I>r. Jenks was in Washington recent
ly and communicated unofficially with
government authorities interested in
the reparations crisis. The commis
sion report, in which the American
economist concurred, advocated a
German moratorium of two years,
both for cash payments and deliver
ies in kind. Upon the granting of
such a moratorium, the commission
thought, it would be feasible to sta
bilize the German mark on the basis
of about 3,500 marks to the dollar,
through tha use of the Relchsbank’s
gold reserve.
** * *
One of the most distinguished Brit
ishers ever to set foot on the soil of
Washington tarried there Incognito a
fortnight ago under the auspices of
Andrew W. Mellon, Secretary of the
Treasury. He was none other than
Thomas Gainsborough's celebrated *
“Blue Boy,” who recently passed into (
the possession of the California col- I
lector, Henry E. Huntington, at a
price approximating $1,000,000. En !
route from its recent owner, the Duke i
of Westminster., to its future domicile
at the Golden Gate, the painting was !
loaned to Secretary Mellon, a pas
sionate art connoisseur, for a week |
end. "The Blue Boy,” ensconced In I
the drawing room of the beautiful I
Mellon apartment In Massachusetts
avenue, received the homage of a se- 1
lect and privileged companv of Wash- i
ington picture lovers. Mr. Mellon j
himself sat before the celebrated
Gainsborough for hours In transfixed
admiration.
*♦ ♦ ♦
There is sadness in the Washing
ton diplomatic corps over the sudden
death In Greece of Jonkheer William ,
H. K. de Beaufort, until March, 1932,
a popular official of the Dutch lega- |
EDITORIAL DIGEST
.
Entente Break Causes Gloomy
Forebodings.
The break at Pari*, when the Brit
ish premier withdrew after refusing
to accept the program of France for
dealing with Germany, has caused a
general feeling of pessimism In edi
torial circle®. Failure to agree nat
urally endangers the future rela
tions of .England and France, but
there is a voiced hope that the good
sense of the chiefs of both countries
will yet find away whereby a new
European line-up will not become
necessary. The situation, however, is
conceded to remain moat dangerous,
and a single false step might spell
ruin to the world.
Dissolution of the entente compels
the observation from the Baltimore
News that "it is a sign that it is
not practicable. It has not always
worked for good by any means, but
Its disappearance would work a very
definite evil. . The entente could be
led to rash common adventure, but
there can be no unity for correction
}of mistakes made in common.” The
I Springfield Union Inclines to the opln
j ion that the break “may clear the
I air and bring the really vital ques
[ tions involved to the front In such
away that the influence of the
United States may be brought to bear
upon the situation.” It is the ver
dict of the Springfield Republican,
however, that unless the United
States "were to assure France that
it would put all of its power back of
a new reparations settlement, re
vised downward drastically in ac
cordance with Germany's capacity to
pay without being ruined” the crisis
cannot be ended, and It is convinced
no such solution is to be had. Yet,
while the collapse naturally "threat
ens a crisis," the York Post points
out, It "ha* not precipitated a crisis,”
so that "the opportunity lies open
for the mobilization of our good serv
ices, If only we have the will.”
Likewise there Is no occasion for
alarm at the moment, as the Roanoke
World Nows sees it. and, after re
viewing the developments in great
detail. It suggests that "there never
has been a situation to which the say
ing. ‘Time will tell,’ was more appli
cable than now existing.” The Rich
mond Tlmes-Dlspatch holds that “It
is reasonably clear that F’rance Is
drifting toward a step the nature of
Which fully Justifies all of M. Poin
care’s ‘great anxieties.’ ” Occupation
of‘the Ruhr, tho Boston Globe is con
vinced, spells danger "not to Ger
many alone, but Franco: and not to
Franco and Germany alone, but all
Europe and America. For the finan
cial and economic solidarity of the
world affairs rest upon delicate ad
justments of credit; and to add Ger
many and Prance to the list now com
prising Russia and Austria would
quickly upset the whole,"
"There "ought not to be any mistake
about what the decision means,” In
the opinion of the New York World,
because "Great Britain and America
now are neutral as between France
and Germany. It. means that any
German disorder that may be provok
ed Is France’s affair, with such as
sistance as she can obtain from Bel
gium and the redoubtable Mussolini.
It may mean the end of all repara
tions out of Germany If German eco
nomic life is paralyzed and then de
stroyed. If this Is the result the re
sponsibility will lie at the door of
tion in the United States. Jonkheer
de Beaufort ended a fine career at
Washington, extending over ten years,
by serving as one of the Netherlands’
delegates at the conference on far
eastern problems. No foreigner ever
identified himself more successfully
with American life and customs. So
ciety man, athlete and all-around
good fellow, de Beaufort’s statuesque
figure was long familiar in the cap
ital. He was raised to the rank of
minister to Athens while still on -.he
sunny side of forty, and looked for
ward to a distinguished career In
Dutch politics. The Jonkheer was
a cousin of the Washington confer
ence beauty, Mme. de With.
♦♦ ♦ ♦
King Constantine of Greece, who
has Just died in exile, shrank from
publicity with the coyness of an
American politician. He had a spe
cial fondness for American news
paper men, And “cultivated” them as
sldiously during the period of his first
banishment in Switzerland, two or
three years ago. When “Tino” re
turned to Athens, rehabilitated,
aboard a Greek battleship from
Brindisi he insisted upon taking with
him all the American and European
correspondents he could drum up, in
order that they might adequately
broadcast to the universe the story
of his "back from Elba" expedition.
Constantine was so delighted with
the services of one American scribe
in particular, Paxton Hlbhen, a kins
man of the president of Princeton,
that “Tino” named a street after him
in Athens.
♦* * ♦
The President and Mrs. Harding
are planning upon spending at least
three weeks at the McLean villa in
Palm Beach in March. All depends
upon Mrs. Harding's recuperative
progress In the meantime. She still
lives for the most part the life of
a wheel-chair invalid, but it is not
an inactive life, for she Insists upon
"motoring” about the White House
with considerable vigor in order per
sonally to superintend affairs. When
some particularly favored guest is at
the executive mansion he is accord
ed the privilege of relieving the first
lady’s regular attendant and piloting
the “boardwalk car.”
** * *
One of the features of the new
Hotel President, adjacent to the House
office building, will be automatic bells
connected with Senate and House for
summoning members to roll calls.
* There also will be a subteranean tun
| nel leading to the Capitol and to
I the Senate and House office buildings.
;As an up-to-date touch, the hotel
' will contain a jnovle theater for the
i exclusive projection of films of "legls
( latlve Interest.”
** * *
Ernest Abbott, editor of The Out
( look, is giving the Washington poli
j ticai situation a microscopic inspec
■ tion. He says the one regret of his
j life is that he didn’t follow in the
| footsteps of his celebrated father, the
1 late Lyman Abbott,- and learn law
I before practicing Journalism. Fol-
I lowing the civil war both Lyman Ab
; bott and his brother were active at
; torneys in New York city. The for
| mer always attributed his knowl
i edge of "life” to the experiences he
I encountered while pursuing evidence
i in defense of libel actions brought
I against a famous New York news
paper.
I (Copyright. 1923)
France. But it may mean even worse
things than that, for the policy of
Poincare is, in perfectly plain lan
guage. the policy of another France-
German war. About that Great Brit
ain and America will inevitably have
something’ to say. They will say it.
~ • Poincare, no doubt, understands,
not as the allies of France, but as
two world powers vitally concerned
in the peace of the world. France
having chosen to ta*e a free hand
their hands are also free.”
Accepting this as the summary of
the situation, and agreeing to the ex
treme gravity of the outlook, the
ivnoxt file Sentinel sees a ray of
hope In the adage that “the darkest
hour is just before the dawn. Op
timism Is wiser and more profitable
than pessimism. It is better to hope
than to give way to the suggestions
of despair. Let us hope therefore that
something will yet occur or be done
to save us from the worst conse
quences of this situation.” Inasmuch
S' 8 , both premiers voiced their mutual
friendship, even after differences in
policy forced the break, the Asheville
Times feels "In such an atmosphere it
should not be impossible to effect
some compromise that would be rea
sonably satisfactory to both coun
tries and that would save the world
from a serious crisis.” Support of
Italy and Belgium was “the trump
card,” the Boston Transcript holds, and
indicates the strength of FYance,
which “already influences in no small
degree the policies of the little en
tente. The break with Great Britain
leaves Prance for the time being the
leading figure on the diplomatic chess
board of the continent. Even though
she has no warlike intentions against
any of her neighbors, the position is
one that Is not without peril. For M.
Poincare and his associates the mo
ment Is one that carries great re
sponsibilities.”
‘Which has the better understand
ing of German psychology no one can
answer postively.” says the Newark
News, "but In adventuring upon the
course she has chosen France takes
a great responsibility and may make
the situation a great deal worse in
stead of improving It. The easiest
way for those who question the wis
dom of Prance’s policy is to take a
pessimistic view, which may easily
exceed all warrant; for France is not
so rash as it sometimes appears. She
is going Into the thing after studying
it from all aides, and there Is every
reason to believe that she will pro
ceed moderately, experimentally, and
with an avenue of retreat open in
case she finds this method threatens
disaster.” The fact that this
short-lived conference developed that
both France and Great Britain Were
willing to reduce the amount of the
German debt “is encouraging at
least,” the Chicago News says, and
while France may "use force to ef
fect guarantees she will seek In every
way to make the movement appear
economic rather than militaristic.”
Comes to Defense
of French Attitude
To the Editor of The St«r:
It was refreshing to read the article
in The Star of January 8, by E. M.
Cushing, showing that there is one
individual ip the United States who
has real sympathy for Prance, one
who can envisage her point of view
sufficiently to realise what France has
suffered, what she has been deprived
of and her needs of today in order
to regain normalcy; one who upholds
her in taking supreme measures “to
enforce the collection of reparations
to which she is entitled, and which
Germany, under the treaty, agreed
to pay.”
Since the war we have all become
Shylocks, Interested chiefly in de
manding her last penny of principal
and Interest on our debt.
What has become of the lofty
sentiments and ideals which prompt
ed our entrance into the war? They
seem to havecbeen east aside and been
I transformed into an unsympathetic
sordid condition which reflects no credit
Upo„ »«•
Key Mansipn Remains
f
Report of “Razing” Historic
Georgetown Home Is Denied.
To the Editor of The SUr:
There seems to be a wrong Impres
sion gaining ground now that the re
naming of the new bridge across the i
Potomac at Georgetown Is being
agitated—to the effect that the old j
home of my grandfather, Francis;
Scott Key, located at the Georgetown j
end of the new bridge, has been de- j
mollshed. “Now razed” and "site of i
Key mansion” Is the way my grand- {
father’s home is alluded to in a re
cently published District of Columbia
D. A. R. historical directory. These
terms are entirely wrong and mis
leading. My grandfather lived In this
old house for thirty years of his mar
ried life; It was his home at the time
of the writing of “The Star Spangled
Banner”: all of his children (eleven
in number, including my own father,
who was the youngest son), were
born in the "Key mansion.” Living In
Washington, I have, of course, been
familiar with the condition of the old
family home, and was deeply inter
ested In the efforts made by a patri
otic committee headed by Admiral
George Dewey to save the house for
the American people. This project
failed, for lack of funds, and the
house was remodeled In 1912 for busi
ness purposes. The contractor who
did the work has recently given a
signed statement to this effect —that
the house is still standing, that only
the front wall Svas removed and the
attic leveled to a flat roof for the sec
ond story. The law office adjoining,
which was used by my grandfather,
was built up an additional story and
also changed into a business property.
Much of the home remains, however;
floors, partitions, windows and the
basement, where the dining room was
located. The condition, therefore, of
the “old Key home" is that described
in “the short but simple annals” of
many historic homes of Washington,
"remodeled for business purposes."
MARY TAYLOE KEY McBLAIR.
Ruling Evokes Protest
Writer Would Have Those Now
on Retired List Get Increase. !
i
To the Editor of The Star;
The recommendation of the board of
actuaries (as reported in your valu
able columns on Tuesday, In regard
to an increase In the amount now
paid as an annuity to civlf retired em
ployes) exempting from the benefits
of the proposed increase those now
on the retired list has already caused
much discussion and amazement
among those who have been unfortu
nately compelled Involuntarily, be
cause of age, to leave the government
service during the past two years.
Upon what grounds Is this grossly
unjust discrimination based? Why
should not the comparatively few now
in enforced retirement, after a faith
ful service of thirty or more years,
and still physically and mentally lit
to perform the duties required of
them, be entitled to share in the much
needed additional pittance to be doled
out In future from their own monthly
contribution^
The proposition Is simply incom
prehensible and it is unbelievable t h at
the sense of justice and generosity
among our national lawmakers will
sanction ft. To do so. in view of the j
utter Inadequacy of the amount now
paid to eke out hardly a decent, not
to say comfortable, living, particularly j
by those who have dependents, would
be an almost unpardonable cruelty. It
has been clearly established over and
over again that in this era of the
i high cost of living from S3O to
S6O a month is not sufficient to obtain
the necessaries of life. It must be
remembered, too, that the increase
that Is now asked and that Is so
eagerly and anxiously awaited by all
! concerned does not come out of the
government exchequer, but out of the I
contribution of 2% per cent of the j
employes’ salaries. !
In view of these facts it is the j
sense of the many Interested that a |
vigorous protest be made against the j
denial of those now on the retired j
list from participation in the pro- i
posed increase.
CHARLES F. KREH.
Problems of British
Taxation Explained i
To the Editor of The SUr:
It will probably Interest your read
ers. especially such of them as are
about to visit the United Kingdom,
to know the extremely complicated
and technical character of the law
relating to tax liability in order that
they may avoid pitfalls.
Thus a person having a residence in
England to which he can return at
any' time he wishes is liable to tax on
the whole of his remittances home for
any tax year he visits the United
Kingdom. A common Instance Is a
man whose wife resides In England.
For any fax Year In which he does
not visjt the United Kingdom at all
he has no tax to pay whatever so far <
as remittances home are concerned :
out of his foreign and colonial in- ;
come, but if be spends a day In Eng- ]
land he is caught for the whole year, i
On the other hand, a man who has
no residence in the United Kingdom
can spend any time there less than
six months without incurring any j
tax liability on colonial or foreign in- ■
come whether remitted or not.
It la not known as much as it 1
should be among non-residents that
they are free from British tax on for
eign and colonial income, even if it
happens to be paid In the United ,
Kingdom, and on most of the war
loan stocks. If the tax should be de
ducted It can generally be recovered
In full.
Also that all non-resident British
subjects and a few other persons can
get some kind of relief in regard to
Income from which British tax Is de
ducted, the amount depending upon
the proportion their total Income from
all sources bears to the British part
of it. CHAS. H. TOLLEY.
——
Claims Washington
Ignorantly Lighted
To the Editor of The SUr:
I have been reading your articles
on street lighting in The Star.
I have been in the lighting game
for the past thirty years, and have
always wondered why Washington ;
was the worst lighted city in the
United States. I made this remark to
an official of the Potomac Electric
Power Company, and he answered my
remark by saying “Absolutely.”
1 asked him why they used the opal
glass In city lights His answer was,
“Government specifications.” Said I, |
“Don’t you know this glass destroys (
60 per cent of the light?” He answer- !
ed by skying. "Seventy per cent when
they are dirty, which they are moat
of the time.”
For the amount of money paid
Washington gets less light than any
city in the United States.
The answer is “Ignorance.”
A. M. MCALLISTER.
Scores Viaduct Lighting
To the Editor of The SUr:
While Investigating the question of
the city’s lighting, would it not be
well to Inquire why the lights In the
viaduct, or tunnel, of K street north
east are lighted at 4 o’clock in the
evening and sometimes put out, as
they were thle morning, at 6:30, leav
ing It so dark that you cannot see
the person who happens
I CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL V, COLLINS.
Washington Is awaking to discover
that what statesmen have been call
ing by the jawbreaking name ‘‘propa
ganda” is Just plain, old-fashioned
advertising. The Advertising Commis
sion of the Associated Adver
tising Clubs of America—the em
bodiment of all that is wise and
expert and full of knowledge In pub
licity—has come here to tell each
other and “tell the world” that the
greatest of the graces is advertising.
And, as if to echo their doctrines,
today's cable from London tells of
the forced sale of a famous old shoe
blacking manufacturing establish
ment in that metropolis. Day &
i Martin—made famous by Dickens in
j his novels. The sole cause of the fail
ure was that it had refused to ad
vertise. That is the statement of Its
1 general manager. He declares that its
stockholders were opposed to spend
ing anything for advertising, and
now the business has dwindled,
though he believes It could yet be
resurrected by judicious publicity. It
is getting publicity through its mon
strous failure to comprehend that an
advertisement in a Dickens novel a
century ago Is not sufficiently alive
for present-day profits.
♦* * *
The shoe blacking is just as good
i today as it was in the time of Dickens.
It makes the leather soft. It makes it
black, it gives it a mirror-like polish,
and there is no other blacking that Is
better. But today’s population does
not get its information of shoe polish
from novels a century old; the peo
| pie of today read the newspapers and
magazines.
The most egregious blunder made
by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his es
says was that in which he announced
that all that was necessary to win
success was to produce something a
little better than anybody else pro
duced. and. though you - hid yourself
in the midst of a wilderness, the
world would soon make a beaten path
to your retreat. Not only did he theo
rize that advertising was unneces
sary, but he believed that merit, like
! virtue, is its own reward —its own
j guarantee of success. That is all that
t a last century New England philoso
-1 phe.r knew about business. Today’s
j bootblack might enlighten him. if
j questioned as to why he shines shoes
1 with some other make of blacking
I than Day & Martin’s. The boot
black would laugh at the notion that
a blacking he had never heard of
was good, simply because a novel he
j had never read had said so. a hun- |
! tired years ago. But the smug British
stockholders ‘‘knew - that what was
good enough for their fathers was
ballv good to the end of the world.”
The British worship antiquity, almost
with oriental faith. Hence, in this
case, the forced sale of the good name
and the lost fame are wholly attrib
uted by its handicapped manager to
lack of modern advertising.
** * *
There used to be a good deal of
that sort of “conservatism” even in
America, but not so much in recent
decades. The firm with the Day &
Martin blindness "goes to the dick
ens” long before a century, in on
ward-pushing competition.
The best advertised man in Amer
ict today is a Frenchman —Coue —but
he has'the secret which underlies
1 success in all advertising. Coue tells
j us that the strongest motive in hu
man life is imagination, and he is
I right. The advertisement stimulates
imagination in the reader—incites,
through that imagination, a vision of
delight or longing to get whatever
is advertised. Every successful ad
vertisement can be subjected to just
that test. It may contain a world of
facts and a logical argument and an
exact draught of all the mechanism
of the thing advertised, but if it
lacks that appeal to the human
Imagination to create the desire to
■ possess what is advertised it is dead,
i Coue himself demonstrates that prin-
Hole by avoiding details of how - his
formula works, while he excites won-
I der and interest and craving for its
j results. There is no difference, then.
| between the psychology of selling
■ shoe polish or selling health—it is
]al 1 in exciting wholesome vision of
1 power to accomplish, with what is
' offered. That comes only by telling—•
j by reiteration—by “letting your light
I so shine that men Seeing your good
i works” want the same power. Then
they “buy.”
*♦ ♦ ♦
j Advertising is not a mere trick of
Youth Played Chivalrous Role
In Mountain Battle for Girl
Those brave and bold days of yore
when valliant men fought for lady
fair and bore off the charming damsel
to their own domain had no far-off
young life of John
-ause he himself
was the hero in
lust such an es
-apade in the j
Tennessee mount
ains when he was \
chivalrous fifteen.
And now for many
years the charm
ing maiden has
Representative
SEP. TIXSOK. Tnson has served
in one war and
a near-war. During the war with
Spain he ,was second lieutenant in
the 6th United States Volunteer In
fantry. From the end of the Spanish
war to November 8, 1916, he served
in the 2d Connecticut Infantry. He
responded to the call of the Presi
■ dent on June 20, 1916,* and was
1 lieutenant colonel in command of his
t regiment on the Mexican border.
Each time he expected to see actual
fighting, but though double a vet
eran he was never under fire except
as noted above.
There is a “wart" sticking out on
the boundary line of Tennessee, pro
i trading over into North Carolina.
That “wart” is mountainous region
out by five parallel valleys—and it is
historic entirely aside from the fact that
Tllson was born there in a log cabin,
when moonshine was really made
from good corn. The neck of this
"wart” was like the pass of Ther
mopylae, when, during the civil war
the northern troops, under Burn
* s ide came up the valley from JCnox
j ville and were spreading into North
I Carolina. They found this pass
! blocked by a barricade of southrons.
I so much for background, and now to
! Tllson's tale:
He dwelt in Central valley, where
for several years they had had
schools, and where the boys and girls
were beginning to consider them
selves in the highbrow clash because
they were mastering the elem'ents of
primary arithmetic, and some of them
were in the fifth grade. In a neigh
boring valley, called "Sodom,” it was
the boast of the cotemporary youth
that they no book larnin.”
A man from Sodom came to Central
modern business; it is not modern a>
all. It is the underlying principle of
the churches In doing missionary
work: “Go ye into all the world and
preach my Gospel.” ‘‘Gospel” mein?
"God’s spell”; i. e., “story.” It is de
fined sometimes as “good tidings
but the original Anglo-Saxon, from
which our word comes, was “God's
spell.” Yet In spite of that injunc
tion the churches have only recentiy
taken hold of the power of telling
the world the story or tidings as li
is now doing through even the art
that was once believed to belonged to
the devil—printing. Should men
light a candle and hide it under a
bushel? Emerson’s philosophy wav
that they should do that stupid act
Day & Martin did it. The successors
of Day & Martin will set their polish
on a stick at “top of column, next to
pure reading matter.” that it may
rival Liberty Enlightening the World.
** * *
There is no more scientific art than
the art are of advertising, and Wash
ington has received new inspiration
from its visitors, the experts of that
art.
♦♦ ♦ ♦
Senator James Reed of Missouri
has introduced an issue, in Congress
which seems likely to start some
thing. In his resolution asking our
State Department to sound out Eng
land and France as to whether they
would be willing to consider nego
tiations to sell to us their holdings
of islands in the Carribean sea, as
part payment of their debts to us
There will be much to be said on
both sides of that interesting propo
sition. On one side there will be
sharges of a policy of imperialistic
tendencies, and on the other sid*
we shall hear all about the Monro*
Doctrine and the history. of how
often the friendly relations be
tween nations last only a generation,
to be reversed by the following
generation, and war ensued. This
principle has been demonstrated b>
our close alliance with France dur
ing the revolution, followed by war
in 1795, and the generation of dis
putes of the spoliation claims gro'.\
ing out of that war. In the sam.
manner we were at peawith Eng
land In 1783, only to be at logge
heads again with a dozen years and
at war again a quarter of a cen
tury fter the peace of Yorktown.
The Monroe doctrine came near
causing war between us and Franc**.
Spain and Austria over Maximilian's
tenure on the throne of Mexico after
the close of our civil war, and it
brought from President Cleveland an
ultimatum of war against England
over Venezuela only twenty-five years
ago.
We are on friendly terms with all
European nations today, but what
will tomorrow hold? That is the line
of argument for the peaceful purchase
of islands close to our shores and
dominating the Panama canal and
the mouth of the Mississippi river, as
well as Atlantic ports. What the
republicans, or other democrats, will
answer to that proposition of pur
chase of the islands remains to be
heard, for the whole matter came to
the Senate without warning.
There can be no compulsion about
the negotiations. It is not taking
the islands rather than lose the debt,
for neither England nor France will
repudiate their obligations, but there
are hopes that the purchase might
be so negotiated as to be of mutual
advantage.
** * *
There are special benefits to be
derived through calling in a doctor
to feel the pulse of a government
department. Ever since Dr. Work
became Postmaster General the em
ployes have been feeling better
Maybe it has been due to their Im
aginations, but now it is planned to
give all the post office employe
throughout the country tangible rca
sons for feeling better; all are to b<
vaccinated for smallpox, typhoid and
paratyphoid. It is Just like going
into the Army again, and they won't
come back —to work—"till it's over,
over there”—wherever the 330,000
vaccinated arms happen to be.
If that is wise treatment for
330.000 government enployes. It iv
equally wise for all civilians. We
grow careless even though we know
that the value and safety of vaccina
tion have been scientifically demon
strated. so that they are no longer
debatable. The free inoculations of
the post office employes are not com
pulsory, but are reccmmended, and
provision has been made through the
United States public health service
to give the Inoculations.
valley and rented some land from
Tilson’s father. His name may have
been Hensley, but that makes no
never mind, because he Is merely
serving here as a ‘John Doe” i<>
bring the case into court. This man
grew a corn crop and then arranged
for a “corn shockin’” (mark you, it
wasn’t a husking bee. as they would
I say in New England, where Tilson
has spent his maturer years). To this
{"corn shockin’” he invited his old
i pals from Sodom as well as his nev
i friends, the educated young men of
Central valley. With the Sodomites
j came his sister Mary, who, like Eve
started all the trouble.
Having a brother In school inCen
: tral valley. Mary’s alUgiance was di
vided. During the shockin’ such a di
vergence of opinion sprang up be
tween the Central valleyltes. proud
of their scholastic attainments, and
the Sodomites, equally proud of th*
fact that they were getting along
without book lamin’, that the former
decided to withdraw their culture and
finish the party at the home of Til
son’s father. The Sodom visitors had
no objection at all to this—in fact
encouraged it—until they learneu
that it was part of the plan to tak<
Mary along. Then they Issued an
ultimatum.
In view of the fact that they were
going to the log-cabin domicile of
Tilson’s father, this strapping youth
was picked to be Mary’s escort, while
the others were to deploy as a rea*
guard. It was a pitch-black night,
with no electric street lights to aid
the gunmen, for in those days in
the primitive country these young
men all carried revolvers, and mos:
of the Sodomites also carried squir
rel rifles.
With Tilson making a strategies re
treat with the girl, th© maddened
Sodom swains opened fire from secu
rlty behind stumps and trees and out
buildings and corncribs. The learned
young men from Central valley wen
not too proud to fight. Far from i*
They fired back valiantly from behind
worm fences and shocks of corn.
Looking back today Tilson. from
his military experience, says that th*-
proper tactics would have been a rear
guard action until he and the girl go*
out of range, but there were two
principal obstacles to this. First, tho
girl herself was unwilling to leave thr.
fight which she rather enjoyed, since
she was th© admired cause of the fra
cas: and, second, Tilson himself want
ed to stay with bis schoolmates and
fight it out.
Under this policy the battle contin
ued for some time, until several hun
dred shots had been exchanged. Torn
twlxt love of the fight and duty to
get the girl to a place of safety. Til
son finally tore hlmseff away and hus
tled the damsel to his father’s home—
a log cabin fortress. When their am
munition was exhausted the gunmen
of the rival valleys stopped fighting
for good and sufficient reason.
Mary had come to Central valley to
stay, and Tilson knew her well for
many years—until he Journeyed to
Yale in quest of more advanced "book
lamin’ ” —and Mary gave her heart to
a boy from Sodom.
’ Yes. there's still much reminiscent
romance In Congress.