Evening star. [volume], December 17, 1927, Page 6, Image 6

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

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6
'THE EVENING STAR
With Sunday Morning Edition.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
SATURDAY.. 17, 1027
THEODORE W. NOYES Editor
The Evening Star Newspaper Company
Butlnea* Office:
11th *t and t*enn«r|varo» Are.
J New York Office: 110 East 4 2nil St.
■ Chx-*ffo Office Tower BniMinr.
European Office 14 Resent St.. London.
England.
The Evening star with the rrn-n
trs edition ta delivered tv» carnere vithin
the city xt 00 cent* nrr month: daily only j
4S cent* ner month- Sunday* i nly *.’<• '*m» j
per month Orde-a mar V>* *»nt Sv metl n> >
telephone Main SOOO Oiolie-t'on I* made by I
earner at end of each month.
Rata hv Mall—Payable in \dvanc*.
Maryland and Virginia.
Dili* and Sundar....! *r Sf» no- i mo. y.V
?'ailv onlv .. . 1t r Srt nil - 1 mo So<
undav onlr.. P 1 rr S 3 00- 1 mo. Cot-
All Other States and Canada.,
Hvlv and Sunday l vr SIC on 1 mo $1 no
Daily only 1 rr.. SR.OO- 1 mo.. *sc
Sunday onlv 1 vr.. *4 00 1 mo.. 3.V-
Member of tiie Associated Press.
The Associated t*r-e«« t* exclusively entitled
to the u»e for remihlicatinn of all newt die
pat' h»» " -edited to it or not otherwise cred
tied in thia naper and «!*o tha local new*
V* bliyhc.l h-reio All iiyhte of nuhli v»*|on
es eperial ffi«ttafchec hereto are alao -«e”\ed
A Decade of Community Centers.
Ten years ago was started in Wash-
In gton a movement to make fuller use !
by the community of the school plant,
which provided specifically for public
education of the younger generation
representing a serious economic loss
In its long periods of idleness. To
night is celebrated the tenth snniver- J
•ary of the establishment of eomrnu- i
nitv eenters through the opening of the J
schools to community uses. It will J
profit the people of the Capital to at-!
temf this celebration at th» Central j
High P< bool and to witness the demon- !
etrations of the activities which hive ;
resulted from this organization. Fol- J
lowing a dinner, to be presided over j
by Commissioner Dotiehertv. there j
will he a program it> the auditorium,
with motion pictures and music, with ;
dancing in the armory, social games j
and square dancing in the girls' gym
nasium. and a basket, ha’l game in th»
boys gymnasium. This "open house,"
from 8 to 11 o’clock, will lie a demon
stration of some of the activities car
ried on by the community centers
throughout the District.
The real significance of this occa
sion lies in the fact that the city of
Washington is practically reviewing
one of its own accomplishments and
taking an inventory of the results
achieved by community centers in ten .
years. It is believed that these o»n j
ters in the National Capital come 1
nearer to realizing the ideals of com
munity centers titan do those in other
cities. e»i>ecially in their use by civic
organizations and the huildng of defi
nite cultural and recreational programs
for the people of the community. Ac
cording to a late calculation. 722 cities,
townships and villages in this country
are using school buildings as commu
nity centers. Besides the District, there
are thirty-two States that have laws
providing for community uses of
school buildings, advancing the ideals
of local democracy, economic self-sup
• port, the development of neighborhood
Jife, providing a focus for community
interests whether social, educational,
political or business.
. It. is unquestionable that these cen
ters have quickened community life,
have broadened the mutual acquaint
ance of the people, have afforded out
lets for ta’ents hitherto suppressed or
undeveloped, have given encourage
ment to the spirit of organization and
have developed leadership and co-op
•ration on the part of the people of
Washington.
It is desirable, therefore, that this
tenth anniversary should he marked
by a large attendance at tonight’s pro
grams in the largest of the buildings !
that have been opened under the Jaw j
for public recreational and cultural 1
purposes. For with understanding of!
what has been accomplished will come
fuller realization of the opportunity ;
Which this institution affords for
Wholesome community advancement. |
<»
One of the greatest compliments a
Latin American community can pay
* a distinguished visitor is to arrange
a bull fight for him. regardless of
whether he likes hull fighting or not. j
Possibly the U. S. A. will arrange, in |
a reciprocal spirit, to provide a prize !
fight for the special entertainment of i
an honored guest from abroad.
A Broad-Minded Bishop.
A bishop is a superior sort of a j
clergyman, and if good, plain horse j
sense, tolerance, a sense of humor ;
and ability to get the other fellow's j
viewpoint are marks of superiority,
then the Right Rev. Frederick L. j
Demne. Lord Bishop of Alierdeen and i
Orkney, in Scotland, now visiting in i
t Washington, is fully entitled to the!
ehurchly rank he enjoys.
Time was when a Caledonian clergy j
man was supposed to be able to turn |
milk to clabber with a look, while a ;
Scottish bishop did not feel he was
doing his duty to his church and his
/.ock unless he played the part of a
cross between a revivalist and a we?
blanket. There were exceptions, of
course, but this seems to have been j
the general rule. Apparently it is j
different today. The native sense of
humor of the Scot, long unappreciat j
e<t seems a virtue desirable in the
eyes of the clergy and la it.'' alike.
Bishop Deane, in the short time h®
he* been in the National Capital, has .
said a number of things calculated j
to endear him to Its cosmotsilitait
residents lie says lie has and there j
is no reason to doubt him —an intense
admiration for America and things;
American. He wants to hear Senator
Borah apeak. He declines to quarrel
with Mayor William Hale Thompson
over eighteenth century history, point
ing out that Scotland herself had little
use for George 111, hut thinks George
V should not lie made to stilTet
acutely because he happens to beat
the same Christian name. Big Bill,
he declares. Is accepted in the British
Isles with the utmost good humor
That may, or may not. he a delicate
-way of putting his conviction as to
the superiority of Britain's good senst
and discrimination.
In an interview given Friday to a
representative of The Star, the visiting
divine discussed such widely diverse
topics as prohibition. H. L. Mencken
and Sinclair Lew is, the cities of Boston
mnA N'«w Tork, companionate tpar
i Hage, subways. plumbing. press
' agents, prosperity, the press and
I the new Ford car. So far as
| known he did not discuss the ac
quisition of First lSaaeni'in George
Sisler, hut doubtless would have had
something pleasant and interesting to
sav if questioned on that topic. He
I declared (lie British isle* eventually
' would do away with the saloon. Just
!«.« fW have with bull-baiting or
| witch-burning, but added that they
i never would t ndertake prohibition,
j When an automobile press agent tried
; to Inveigle hint into posing with some
I chorus girls, was he horrified? Did
| his episcopal eye shoot fire? Not
I much! He just laughed and got out
! of it gracefully.
Bishop Deane intends to visit a score ;
! of American cities, including Chicago.
! Were a certain "Servant of the
Peepul" enjoying high rank out there;
of a mentality above that of the fifth j
grade pupils whose patriotism he is j
so nobly striving to keep untarnished, i
he might possibly learn something
from this distinguished visitor that
would he to his advantage.
Golden Chances.
An agnual institution of construc
tive generosity comes again, with the
Christmas season, before ihe people of
Washington, in Ihe form of the regu ;
lar announcement of the "Fourteen j
Opportunities.” Year after year these t
selected cases of families in need of j
aid have been presented by the Asso- j
dated Charities as specific instances j
in which direct aid can lx* given, witii j
, the assurance that every dollar con
-1 tribuiod will go direct to the main ;
j tenani-e of the beneficiaries. Tiles ■ '
j cases are carefully chosen. In every j
| instance there is positive necessity for
public aid. In every instance if this
j aid is not rendered the family will b®
I broken, the home will he destroyed,
! children will be separated from their!
parents, to he cared for in institutions,
or aged or infirm persons will tie
forced to subsist upon impersonal, in
stitutional charity.
It is always gratifying to give to »:
specific purpose. These Fourteen Op- j
portunities furnish such a means of
giving. While no names are ever men
tioned, and the actual identities of the
beneficiaries of the charity are hidden
from the public, it is assured that any
one who designates a gift to any one
of the fourteen cases is contributing)
specifically to that particular cause, I
and that there w-ill he no deduction 1
from that gift for the cost of organized '
charity administration.
In some instances the wage earner ;
of the family is ill, the income has I
stopped, the needs, of course, continue, j
the children must have food and cloth- j
ing and the house must be heated, j
Just a little regular assistance during
the coming year will keep that home
intact. Or the father had died, and
the widow is si niggling to maintain
her family; she nee.ds help at the stHii
to reorganize her life. Or a.woman
with seven children, deserted by a
recreant husband, must be given i
band to tide her over the difficulties.
There are many variants of the old.
old story of misfortune, betrayal and
sickness.
Every one of these fourteen cases
has been thoroughly investigated, and j
each of them is known to be worthy. I
The assurance given by the Associated ,
Charities suffices for the public. There
is never any question of merit. If tin
giver cannot decide which of the four-
teen to select he may give to all, his ;
donation being distributed throughout
the list. |
Jf these fourteen cases are not
helped by this direct means they must
be cared for out of the general funds j
collected during the. year. If they are j
all supplied to the amount of 815,(180,
which is the total of this year's requisi
tion for these cases, the burden that
rests upon Ihe city's organized charity
agencies will be materially lightened,
it is only a question of whether these
exceptionally appealing instances ot j
family need are to be. appropriated for ,
by the community specifically in ad j
vance or funded through deficiency
bills.
These Opportunities are always met. ;
it is the hope that they will be met j
this year by Christmas morning. The ,
time is short, hut the task can be ac j
eoniplished in the week that remains, j
Washington has never yet neglected j
these Opportunities, and will not n®; j
lect them now. I
It is well known that criminals revel
in notoriety and are fond of seeing j
their pictures In print. The custom
of calling all thieves "bandits" and
assigning fancy nicknames to them
I may have its share of reapunsibilitv
, for crime waves.
Thirteenth Street Paiking.
Merchants on Thirteenth street have
; been complaining bitterly over loss of |
; business since the new traffic rcguln
j tion barring angle parking went into j
| iffect. The Thirteenth Street Busin* ss j
i M n's Association, composed of mer- j
chants in the downtown section of that
street, has conducted a poll of its
members on the question with a re
suit that only five out of sixty-one vot- ;
ing approved the change to paralM |
parking. The merchants, in their com :
plaint, maintain that they were as J
i sensed heavily for the widening of tin
' thoroughfare, that the object of the |
increased width was to supply ample |
parking space, combined with friction i
less street travel, anti that the reguta
! tion lias been changed solely at the lx*
best of the hits companies.
There is no question hut that angl* ;
parking is a detriment to the smooth
! flow of street traffic. Cars being >
' barked in and out inevitably slow up •
; travel. But it is likewise evident that
! angle parking accommodates so many j
more cars than does parallel that its]
disadvantages are more than balanced
by its advantages. Angle parking will
take care of many cars that untier a
parallel parking regulation would be
! roaming the streets, their drivers die
i consolately seeking sufficient space
j into which to crowd. Thirteenth street
! is now an exceptionally wide thm
nughfare. anti if titer? is any place in
the city whet? angle parking is pet
missible it is tut tills street.
Bu* travel, of course, must he e\
Itedited by the authorities It is an im
portant part of the city’s business life,
it is apparent, however, that the
i I transit companies cannot be allowed
to be the aole arbiters of the traffic
THE EVEXTXa RTAT?, TT ASHTNOTOX, T). C.. £ A TUT? DAY. BECEMBETT 17 JL _lggT 1
f regulations. They aie now given large
! spaces for the busses to slop at the
various intersections, and bus travel is
J facilitated in every possible way. But
'ihe streets cannot he turned over to
j them exclusively, nnd they should he
willing to accept regulations that pro
vide the greatest good for the greatest
number.
This situation on Thirteenth street
draws attention to the steadily decrees
i ing amount of parking space for the
passenger automobile. Washington is
exceedingly fortunate that parking In
Hi® downtown section is still permit
ted. Rut with taxicabs overflowing
hack stands, new business entrances
authorized daily, large spaces for load
ing and unloading at the end of each i
j block and huge cleared sections for |
bus slops, lb® private owner finds him j
self in a difficult position when lit
makes a downtown slop,
j Sootier or later, of course, all con
j gested district parking will be a bob j
1 ished. hut until that time arrives every ,
effort should be made to protect from
encroachment ihe small amount of
space available. It is on this theory
that angle parking should he allowed
on all streets that are of sufficient
width to permit not only the maxi
mum amount of free-running traffic
but the maximum space for stopped
automobiles.
I ~ * tr
Bed Tag*.
“Badges of shame," or red license
; lacs. a>e proposed for all automobiles
j whose owners are held at fault ill ac
leidents. The suggestion was advanced ]
j bv the Public School Safely League of
'Chicago, and Haims are made that it
has found wide support.
The idea is basically unsound. There
can l»e no point in permanently penal
izing a driver who perhaps has caused
i minor accident title solely t,o a mis
take in judgment. It has often been
l said that every automobile operator,
| liefnre he becomes profjeienl, must
i have one or two minor scrapes, and it
, is apparent that to place a stigma
■ permanently on such a driver is ton
' great a punishment,
i Os course, for the habitually reck
less a ted tag might prove a warning
for others to get out. of the wav. but
this kind of driver should never he al
lowed behind the wheel of a motor ear.
Stricter examinations for operator's
permits anti more severe treatment by
j police and courts will do more to im-
J prove conditions than any set of red
' tags in the world.
There is nothing new in the rumor
j that money was placed at the disposal
of T'nited States Senators, which they
| did not accept. It is a matter of na
! tional pride that such experiences are j
! not uncommon in ihe history of legis- i
la tors.
Public thought is keeping earlier!
hours. The luncheon address and
even the breakfast chat may exercise
more influence than the most eloquent
after-dinner speech.
Whether he goes campaigning or
not. Charles E. Hughes may count on
being kept employed on important
matters by a country that appreciates
efficiency.
Florida has dispensed with brass I
hands and auctioneers for the present j
1 and seems disposed to allow the nat-J
J tiral increase in real estate values to ,
' proceed without artificial stimulation.
•
It was the irony of fate to find the
Dearborn Independent obliged to sits- i
1 j
pend just when Henry Ford was plac
ing his largest advertising order.
Women who kill their husliands and
write statements dispose of the old
idea that a woman cannot aim a gun
or sharpen a pencil.
The unkindness shown by the Mis
sissippi might entitle the relentless
stream to lie known as the stepmother
of waters.
SHOOTING STARS.
RV PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Immutability.
; The streets have changed. A greater
crowd
j Moves through the thoroughfare so I
! proud.
Where buildings rise in beauty fine
I Along the far extended line.
' Where once good horses plodded slow,
j And now the motors swiftly go.
; V?t Santa, as he plays the game.
Says, "Human nature's just the'
same.”
The children love ihe dear old toys.
The grown folk seek Ihe honest joys.
That through the centuries brought
cheer
To family or friends so dear,
i Though landmarks yield to prospects;
strange.
: As distant skylines shift and range;
j What great importance can they
claim.
Since human nature's just the same!
A Word of Kindness.
-Is there anything to he said for a
man who uses large sums of money
j in an election?”
I "Well" answered Senator Sorghum.
| "he can usually claim to leave politics
j a poorer man than when he en
: tered it."
Holiday Hesitation.
| An honest human being lends
A stalwart cheer extensive.
t il rather have my mortal friends.
A myth is too expensive.
Jnd Tonkins says one of the heroes,
j of the hour is the man wandering j
| through the shops trying to timl some- :
j thing his wife really wants for a
Christmas gift.
Relief Wanted.
“You are in need of relief?”
"1 am," answered Farmer Corntos
sel. "The radio's out of order and the
tlivver's froze so that we can't get to
lb« motion pictures.”
I “A fault too often forgiven,’ <aid
■ii Ho, the sage of Chinatown be
I omen in un|Ktrdonabie habit."
I.iiigering Sweetness.
; >n earl.v shopper hastens to Hu -tore,
i ' xt pa> day comes. And then tie
shops some more.
"When you expects a gift in re
urn," said t'nele "yoh gift airt
i really no gift at all. HV an invest
mefiW'' t .
THIS AND THAT
BY CH ARLES E. TRACER ELL.
Life Is not made np entirely of
grand moments nor do statesmen,
even, think only of matters of state.
The surprising humanity of human
beings conies home to on® when he
reads the following letter written by
an Englishman in Washington:
"Dear Sir:
"I have just read your ‘This anil
That' 'in reference to tobacco jars.
"1 am from Manchester. England,
and have only been in Ihe U. S. A.
since August last. 1 am a passionate
pipe smoker and, unfortunatelv. I iefi
! my earthenware tobacco jar in Eng
j land. What n coincidence!
"On Sunday I went around to sev- ,
i era I tobacconists, also souvenir shops, j
! inquiring for an earthenware tobacco
i jar, but was only offered the clear 1
| glass ones, which are not a patch on
i the earthenware jars.
I "When I read your article In this
i evening's paper. The Evening Star, to
! which I am a regular subscriber, you j
can imagine how pleased i was to j
find that others have been looking !
for the same article I searched for i
yesterday, but in vain.
"Now, it has just occurred to me
that you might he able to give me the j
address of the store where I can pur J
chase a tobacco jar made of green !
pottery. Thanking von in anticipa
tion, Yours trulv,
"WILLIAM L.”
** * *
Tt is a task, indeed, even at Christ
mas time, to find a real tobacco jar.
Let explorers track through the
frozen North, and fearless pioneers
brave the tempests of air.
Others will persist in their search
j for real tobacco jars.
An honest jar, where shall one find j
It?
Every smoker knows that the dear
glass affairs will not do. One would I
not go so far as to sav- that tobacco, in 1
itself, is ugly, that it must lie hid !
from ihe eye.
Tobacco unsmoked is pleasant, aro
matic; tobacco "dead” is fit only for j
the ash receiver, or the garbage can;
(preferably the latter).
Whether fresh or smoked, however, l
the "Indian weed,” as they used to j
call it over in England, is not partic
ularly handsome, per se.
No one ever hung up a clear glass
jar of tobacco as an art object, or I
really believed that fine, medium or
coarse ground tobacco enhanced the!
appearance of a living room.
Everything else being equal, an
opaque jar is better than a transparent
one. We have no quarrel with those |
who fancy the dear glass jars, but
solemnly believe that nine out of ten ;
men, given their preference, will
choose an earthenware or metal jar ■
of some sort.
** * ★
England still takes her smoking
very gravely.
I*lpe smoking, in particular, is a
rile over there.
Lloyd George presents every one of
his men with a new pipe at this time
of the year. The annual picture, with
each smoker brandishing his pipe, is
a thing to see.
As might he supposed, every ac
| cessory, every pipe essential, receives ;
as much care in its design and con
struction as if it were an instrument
of state.
40,000 Vacancies Are Filled
Annually in U. S. Civil Service
BY WILLIAM C. DKMINC;,
President, United Stale* Civil Service
Commission.
Filling 40,000 vacancies in the Fed
eral Civil Service with qualified work
ers in a wide variety of occupations is
the annual task of the United States
Civil Service Commission. Approx!
mately that number of appointments
are necessary each year to fill vacan
cies caused mainly by ileath, resigns
: tion, removal or retirement.
| Those who are appointed must not
only meet the mental and moral stand
-1 ards prescribed, but they must he in
| proper physical condition as well.
The appointment of persons with
communicable disease might prove a
menace to other workers. Certain de
fects render applicants unfit to per
form thejduties of some occupations,
or they niight be aggravated by work
| or he likely to result in injury to the
employes having the defects or to
their fellow workers. Injury in line
of duty would result in a claim against
the Government under the provisions
of employes’ compensation acts. The
importance of thoroughly investigat
ing the physical condition of each ap
plicant for Federal employment is,
therefore, obvious.
Kxeeutive orders issued in 1323 and
132 1 for the purposes of promoting
health and efficiency in civil service
and of minimizing claims tinder em
ployes’ compensation acts provide
for a general system of physical ex
| animations before assignment to duty.
I These orders direct the United States
! Public Health Service and other
\ branches which ha ye medical staffs
to assist the Civil Service Uommis
sion by giving physical examinations
to prospective Government workers.
From the beginning of the competi
tive examination system, applicants
for certain positions have been re
quired to undergo physical examina
, tion, but before 1323 it was not prac
ticable to undertake such a compre
hensive program as that contemplated
by the executive orders mentioned.
The new procedure makes it possi
ble to guard against entrance to the
service of persons who are in any wav
physically unfit by giving each appli
cant a physical examination before as
! signment to duty. This examination
; is in addition to the medical certifica
tion required In some cases, and tin*
sworn statement regarding physical
| condition ry tuired in all cases, prior to
admission to examination. By the
physical examination before employ
ment l lie prospective employes an
protected against assignment to duties
not in keeping with their physical
limitations and have the benefit of
the disclosure of any existing physical
abnormalities or defects.
The Government is given the bene
fit of a record of physical condition at
the time of employment—a very im
ixntant record in case a compensation
claim is- filed later. Clearly this pro
cedure is an advantage to the appli
cant ns well as the Government.
Persons who have physical ha ltd i
I r-aps ar*> not necessarily excluded from
| all civil service examinations. The
I physical requirements for entrance to
i examinations are governed in each
lease by the nature of the work for
i which tiie examination is held. In
! mechanical trades a ltd similar pu
sit ions, degree of robustness is con
sidered of such importance that it
enters into the rating of competitors.
In clerical positions, on the other
hand, good health regardless of muscu
lar development or minor defects will
suffice.
In examinations in which physical
| ability is given a .definite rating or
i where the work is arduous, applicants
| are required to furnish a medical cer
i tifleate executed by a duly qualified
physk-ia-n at the time of examination
| Members of the medical profession
| ate conscientious in assisting the com
mission in its endeavor to enroll only
physically tit persons for Government
i employment. One physician, after an-
I swering ail questions in the medical
I certificate with infinite care, wrote the
I following under “Remarks": “I have
examined this nian very thoroughly
i The only thing I can find wrong with
| him is that lie is bald-headed."
The President has authorized, on
' the recommendation of the Civil Serv
ice Commission, -in amendment to (lie
I civil service rule* which permits the
commission to exempt from the physi
cal requirements established for any
To look through a catalogue of
some English "tobacconist" is to dis
abuse one’s mind of the idea that a
pipe is just a pipe and a tobacco jar
just a jar.
Here are 200 different shapes of
pipes, in various finishes, at what
might seem, to the non-smoker, per
feet Iy outrageous prices.
Here are tobacco jars galore, all
supposed to he air-tight (although one
may doubt that), in mahogany (lead
lined). metal, pewter, porcelain,
earl henware.
The smoker’s fancy is intrigued by
"a faithful reproduction of a seven
teenth century tobacco jar: there is
\ an inner lid which fits mlcrometrically
j and the outer lid screws tightly on to
; the jar.”
This may strike Hi® cigarette
smoker as rather gilding the lily, or
painting tin* rose; the pipe enthusiast
recognizes immediately that such a
I jar might run some chance of being
i "aii tight.”
** * *
"While there are some smokers who
; believe in dry tobacco, feeling that it
i smokes cooler, ihe majority of "fans”
I want their fuel slightly moist.
I The air, however, seems to prefer
| moisture from tobacco to water from
any other source, at least if one may
judge from the avidity with which it
drinks up the fluid contents of a
pound of tobacco.
The Intrepid manufacturer puts his
| product into a hermetically sealed can
) (“tin,” they call it over there), in order
I that the consumer may get his favor
j ite brand in good shape.
! No sooner is the can opened, how
ever, with the aid of the neat little
i gadget, on the top, the best purpose
| of which seems to he to cut one's
j finger, than the tobacco automatically
| begins to dry out.
I Here is where ihe tobacco jar
| comes in.
Once in the jar, often fitted with a
' rubber gasket around the lid, the to
; banco is kept more or less moist by
j means of a sponge, placed tinder the
| lid. The better jars provide a space
! for this purpose.
i'nder the influence of the sponge,
j the interior of the jar becomes
j "steamy” anti the tobacco keeps nice
ly, retaining its essential juices.
** * *
i The esthetic side of the tobacco jar,
; however, is even of more importance.
Smoking involves not only the
| senses of smell and taste, but also
I those of touch and sight. The use
! >f beautiful objects enhances Ihe pleas
ure.
i The pipe smoker has quite an ad
vantage over cigar and cigarette
; smokers in this respect, because all
! the objects he uses may lx* works of
! art, if he has the taste and, equally
Important, the money.
The tobacco jar, sitting on desk at
office, or on home table, strikes borne
to the hearts and bosoms of smokers.
One does not have to go to an art
gallery if lie has a good tobacco jar
on his desk.
Wherefore Washingtonians may well
| sympathize with the Englishman who
cannot find a green earthenware to
! banco container in Washington. Let
ns wish him well and extend to him
i the following Christmas greeting:
i May you find it, old man!
position a disabled and honorably dis
charged soldier, sailor or marine on
certification by the Veterans’ Bureau
that he has been specially trained for
and has passed a practical test demon
, strating his physical ability to per
, j form the duties of the class of posi
j tions in which employment is sought.
The commission may, in its discretion,
waive the physical requirements in
the case of a disabled veteran not so
trained.
What is perhaps the most unusual
method ever employed in reporting
for physical examination recently
came to the attention of the com
mission. An eligible for a position of
post office clerk, who was enjoying a
vacation S.'» mi’es away from home,
did not receive his notice to report
for physical examination until the
morning of the day when he was
scheduled to report. No ordinary
means of transportation was available
and as a last resort the man swam
3 miles dowh a convenient tiver
to a point where one of his friends
maintains a hangar. Bv means of
an airplane and a hysterically hailed
taxi, he reached the Public Health
Service station in time for his exami
nation Tt is doubtful if the medical
j examiner found it necessary to re
; quire this applicant to hop about to
S test cardiac condition under accelera
■ tion. Uertalnly. this doughty prospect
should make a successful post office
employe.
j In prescribing physical require
j ments for entrance to the Federal
i service the Uivil Service Gommission
; considers the interest of the Govern
j ment and that of the prospective em
| ploye. Wherever possible, persons
! who have physical handicaps tha * do
j not materially .affect their usefulness
are admitted to appropriate exnmina
! tions. It is realized that these per
j sons are obliged to earn a livelihood,
j just as their normal brothers and sis
| tors are. and in some occupations they
! can efitv on just as efficiently.
Once a person enters tin* Govern
ment service he has every opportunity j
I to keep himself in good physical con ,
| dltion. Working conditions are gen :
ornllv good. Medical attention is pro j
v'ded for those injured in line of rlutv ;
Vacation leave is allowed, in addition
to sick leave in meritorious case i
Government working hours allow am
| ole time for healthful recreation am’
i relaxation.
A Credit to Washington.
Kmm the Washington Post.
The Washington Evening Star yes- J
terday rounded out the seventy-filth
year of its life. To the face of this ex- j
tmple of journalistic longevity, marked j
as it is by green and vigorous growth, j
the Washington Post begins to wonder j
whether it was not mistaken when it l
cited its own fiftieth anniversary as a
remarkable event. The Star saw so
much before the Post was horn, and
could a tale unfold of such surpassing
interest, that the public will not he
satisfied until it hears the story. The
years from 18-">2 to ISTT. crowded with
; fate and unrolling a pageant of mighty
| figures in mighty affairs, all passed
! under the watchful eye of flu* Eve
| ning Star. As a youngster the Post
is anxious to read The Star’s own ac-
J count, from Its own tiles, of those stir
! ring days in Washington.
The Star is built upon the most en
! luring foundations—-the sterling char
acter of two men. (.’rushy S. Noyes and
Samuel IT KautTmann. It is men who
j constitute a State, and men who build j
| up an institution like The Washington ,
j star. There is no substitute for strong
| manhood, resolute, self-deny ing and
I devoted to great ideals. Messrs. Noyes
j and Kauftmann concentrated their ef
i forts upon ft single task, a task well
I worthy of their lives devotion, and by
! h.tppv co-operation they built a struc
ture that will endure. Their sons and
| grandsons have proved worthy sue
j (. e ,«sors of the founders, wisely lollow
: ng the original plans white adapting |
i *he growing structure to modern re- j
! inirements.
■ | The Evening Star is prosperous be
cause it earns and deserves prosperity,
jit is a credit to the National Uapital
i in its enterprise, its wholesomeness
I ita public spirit and its loyalty to
Washington. The Post joins the pen- i
- pie of Washington and the country in ,
■ hearty’ good wishes t" The Evening |
Star st the beginning of its seventy
sixth year.
THE LIBRARY TABLE
fly the H.toklnver
Are wise and kindly parents as obso
lete as buggies and hansom cabs? *> r
is it tlie devoted and dutiful children
who are obsolete? Or is it merely that
our literary purveyors have ceased to
find Interesting the parent who satis
; t -, P s t |ip child? An outstanding exam
-1 pie in fiction of filial hostility and
| hatred is to Vie found in Samuel But
i let's "Wav of All Flesh,” but other
novels and not a few biographies re
j veal the same unfortunate psychology
j ,-al situation. Quite the reverse is the
altitude or Will Durant in his “Transi
don," which lie calls "a sentimental
story of one mind and one era" and
his publishers call "a mental autobi
ography.” The hook is dedicated "to
a tender mother and a perfect father
j —and this notwithstanding the fact
* that hi* father told him lie was the
' most ungrateful hoy any mother ever
had" and gave him three days to get
l out of the house, lie loved and lion
j ored his father in spite of this because
j |,c pad a philosophic mind and knew
that, from one point of view, his
father was right. "1 was not I'ittci,
nor was 1 lonely, liven in the heat
of the event I understood what base in
gratitude tnv apostasy must seem to,
parents who had stinted themselves
for years that I might have an edu
cation and he a priest. After all. i
! had been exiled gently, without vio
lence or hatred.
♦* * *
Dr Durant'* affection for his par
ents is one of the most pleasing traits
revealed in the "mental autobiog
raphy." His father, a mill worker who
could not read, a French-Canadian.
was “happv in his wife, and though
he did not idealize id* children, he
loved them intensely in his silent way.
When I think of it I marvel that I
cannot recall his giving our mother
the slightest cause for jealousy, much
less for any doubt as to his absolute
loyalty to her. In short. I dote on my
I father. I have reason to, for, like my
I mother, he denied himself a thousand
pleasures that we children might have
an education. He had received none
himself; he had never had a day in
school: and if within a few’ years of
our arrival in New Jersey he reached
the position of superintendent of the
largest department in the new factory,
master of 300 men. it was by native
ability and tireless industry, against
the handicap of utter illiteracy. That
was an achievement beside which this
paper-scratching of mine seems a little
i thin.” Os his mother lie says: "I
j know —because she is yet beautiful in
I her white-haired 70s—that she was as ;
j pretty a wife as any man had among
ihe workers in that town ; and that
dear mother of ours was bound to
make a saint of one of us. and tried
her host to inoculate me with every
virtue.” Deflecting on her grief over
| hi* abandonment of the religion in
which she had trained him. he says:
I -poor mother: What did it matter
! which religion we professed, or which j
j philosophy we believed, any more than ,
which language we spoke or what j
clothes we wore? The chromosomes
had more to do with US than these ex
ternal and accidental things. 3\ hat
really mattered was that you were
the tenderest of mothers, and that I.
| having none of your faith, could love
I vou and honor you more than this pen
1 can ever say.”
** * *
The age of Pericles departs from its
! classic mausoleum among the records .
of ancient history and comes to life j
in Gertrude Atherton's novel "The
Immortal Marriage.” Pericles and i
Aspasia are the chief participants in
the romance, and about them
Alcihiades. Phidias. Anaxagoras, So- i
phocies. Thucydides and Socrates —all {
as alive as if they were twentieth cen
| turv moderns. The greatest statesman
! and the most gifted and clever woman
of Greece in its most brilliant age
j naturally found each other, for Greece
I was small. The facts that Pericles had
(a wife and that he himself had passed
! a law requiring Athenians to marr>
only Athenians (Aspasia was from
Miletus) prevented their legal mar
riage. but not their “immortal” union,
which was ended, humanly speaking,
by the death of Pericles at the age of
K 4. Some of the dramatic episodes of
the novel are various Athenian polit
ical intrigues, the death of the son of
Pericles, and the trial of Aspasia for
her life on the charge of disbelief irt
the gods.
** * *
As introspective, if not as morbid a
mind as that of Marie Rashkirtseff,
is revealed in the “Journal of Kathe
rine Mansfield: 1914-19?:.',” edited by
her husband, J. Middleton Murry. Her
journal was Katherine Mansfield’s
confidante. In it she recorded events,
sometimes of a most trivial character
if they happened to impress her as
significant: but, even more, she con
fided to its pages her thoughts, her
evanescent feelings, reflections on her
own character, reactions to fragments
of beauty along the daily path, com
moots on people and conversations,
day dreams, notes for future stories
or essays. Introducing one volume
«he says: “Gome my unseen, my tin
known. let ns talk together." Illness
and its accompanying melancholy
show through the pages of the journal,
though never distorting the mental
outlook, as in Marie Rashkirtseff’s
tortured entries. The last months of
Katherine Mansfield's too short life
were passed at Fontainebleau, where
she died. The journal ends three
months before her death, with a final
pathetic wish for health: “By health I
mean the power to live a full, adult,
living, breathing life in dose contact
with what I love—the earth and the
wond°rs thereof—th" sea—the sun.
* * * Then I want to work. At what? i
| I want so to live that l work with my I
t hands and my feeling and my brain |
j I want a garden, a small house, grass j
I an’mals hooks, pictures, music. Am’
I out of this, the expression of this. I j
i want to he writing.”
** * *
I
“Fight O'clock Chapel,” a study of j
New Kiigland college life in the
eighties, by Cornelius Howard Patton
and Walter Taylor Field, indicates by
its title the fact that early American
colleges were an outgrowth of religion
The two authors had personal expert
price of three New Fngland colleges
! during the eighties—Amherst. Part
i mouth and Vale. Six others are in
j eluded in the study—Rowdoin. Rrown.
j Harvard Tufts. Wesleyan and Wil
1 liams. Puritan tradition influenced
j the early history of all these colleges.
and several chapters describe 'he
! working of this influence. The
eighties are considered the beginning
of the modern era in college method*
and life Very interesting are tic
accounts and estimates given of manv j
prominent administrators and teach .
ers. among them President Flint
Charles Flint Norton. William .lames j
and Rliss Perry.
** * *
Kducators have received a tribute;
ns social factors in “Gnid“s. Philo«o
--pliers and Friends," by Charles Frank- j
lin Thwing. president emeritus of j
Western Deserve University and Adel
i hert College. Twenty-two sketches. |
| chiefly of American college presidents
; and professors, reveal an intimate
acquaintance with these men of dis
tinction an tli" part of President
Thwing. The subjects include James
Bryce and John Morlev, President
Charles W. Flint of Harvard. Mark
Hopkins, president of Williams; Wil
liam Jewett Tucker, president of Dart
mouth: William R. Harper, president
of the University of Chicago: Daniel
I Coit Gilman. James R. Angel!. An
drew* D. White, Henry Adams and
John Hay.
** * *
“That’s New York:” by Morris Mar
key and Johan Rull. presents a New
York for all the different types of
people who know New York or wish
I to know it. Fast Side resorts, negro
I night clubs, the courts of .justice,
where justice is not always found,
churches, banks, parks by day and
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
fiV FREDERIC J. HASKIM.
Q. How many people attended hasp j
hall games at the Yankee Stadium last
Summer, exclusive of world sprit**?— |
A T.
A. Approximately I’>oo,ooo persons. |
Q. Where is the paper made that it*
known as Chinese paper?—K, F.
A. Probably you mean the very thin ;
paper made largely in Kurope for ex
port to China. This consists of about, i
75 per pent, mechanical wood pulp
combined with a certain amount of
sulphite for strength purposes.
Q. What was the Poston port bill?— j
W. T. H.
A. It was 3 bill introduced by Lord i
North, and passed by the British Par* j
liament, March. 177 i. closing the port j
of Boston, Mass., after June 1,1 774. ;
Q. When was beet sugar first used? I
-A. C: It.
A. In the year 174. a Herman scien
tist discovered the sugar properties of
the be»t. but it was not until altout
IXIO that tlie production of sugar
from the beet was seriously consid
ered Io a commercial way. In lxso ■
the beet sugar industry was intro- j
duced into the Cnited States.
Q. What did the Indians use to
scent or perfume smoking tobacco? — j
.1.1.. 11.
A. Kinnikinnick, an Algonquian !
word signifying "mixed by hand.” is
used to designate a mixture of tobac
co with some other plant, either for
the purpose of imparting a more
pleasant odor or to reduce its strength,
as the trade tobacco alonp is com
monly too strong to suit the fancy of
j the Indian. Among the Western
I tribes tobacco was ordinarily used by
mixing it with gum. sumac and bear
berry, the bark, leaves and roots of
| two kinds of willow, manzanita leaves
j Jamestown weed, touchwood, dogwood
bark arrow wood and a variety of
I other woods, barks, leaves, twigs and
j even insects.
Q. What prominent athletic director
j is also an artist?—K. T. C*.
i A. Or. Robert Tait McKenzie. g*n
i eral supervisor of athletics at the
j l niversify of Pennsylvania. has
! Statues and panels in the Metropoli
tan Museum of Art. the Panada Royal
.Museum at Ottawa, and th® Roya!
Academy in London.
Q. What are the natives of Guam
called? —N. E.
A. The name applied to the native*
! is Oharmorros. The Phamorm dialect
| spoken in Guam is a polygiot mixture
iof Spanish. Malay. Vapid Indian
‘ lingo and various Polynesian tongues.
Q. How many battles did Napoleon
win?—N. R.
A. Napoleon was victorious in 40
battles.
Q. What other Kuropean city is
built on islands besides Venice? —
J P. If. R.
A. Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
| The city is built on 9<t islands, which
! are connected by 350 bridges,
i Q. Os what nationality is Rosa
| Ponselle?—P. A. M.
j A. Rosa Ponselle is of Italian blood,
| hut was born in Meriden. Conn.
I Q. How many people take the Civil
j Servic® examinations in a year, and
how mnnv appointments are made?—
F. L.
j A. The number of persons examined
for original appointment in the fiscal
! year ending June 30, 1927, was 245.*
! 535. The number qf original appoint*
! nients to classified positions was
j 35.777.
Owen D. Young Is Discussed
As Presidential Candidate
.. ■
The suggestion by admirers of
j Owen D. Young that he is a logical
! choice for the Democratic presidential
| nomination has been greeted by many
striking tributes to Mr. Young’s
lability and personal fitness, although
I there are differences of opinion as to
i his political availability,
j On the latter point the Chattanooga
i Times (Independent Democratic) thinks
I “it would be immensely to the credit
I of the Democratic party to nominate
i such a man as Mr. Young, but it
would hardly credit the political
j acumen of its leaders.” The Roanoke
j Times (independent Democratic) ob
serves: “Owen D. Young undoubtedly
is all that his admirers say. But so
was John \V. Davis.” In fact, says
the Richmond News Reader (independ
ent Democratic): “Any one who will
ruminate fora moment will agree that
a recital of the qualifications of Mr.
Young has a very familiar sound.
By changing a few dates and connec
tions it would serve equally as w 7 ell
as a skeletonized biography of John
\V. Davis.”
Yet many Democratic papers warmly
welcome the idea of Owen ottttg as a
standard bearer. Says the Birming
ham News (Democratic): "One singu
larly attractive feature of the Voting
candidacy is that it unites the breadth
and depth of democratic sympathy
with the statuesque calm of the
aristocratic ideal. In this respect Mr.
Young is perhaps a stronger reminder
j of world statesmen like Pericles, Pitt.
Jefferson and Wilson than is any
other candidate the public now has
in mind for the presidential nomina
tion— Republican or Democratic —of
' next year * * * The more his name
| is thought of the stronger becomes
j the conviction that here is a name
J not merely to conjure with, but one
! to conquer with ns well.”
sjj iff iff >jc
i “The pronouncement from the
j South, m harmony with the position
I aken previously by Senator (Hiss of
Virginia,” is viewed by the New York
j Times (independent) as "one of several
j isolated expressions in his favor. But
it shows that the Democratic party
is not shut up to one man.” Con
tinues the Times: “It has available
talent in reserve and if it should be
necessary to call upon it no name
would be more appealing and com
manding with Democrats who think
about the country and the presidency
in the largest terms than that of Mr.
Young.”
That he would be "a competent
Chief Magistrate" is the verdict of the
Philadelphia levelling Bulletin (inde
pendent Republican), which remarks
that "as head of General Electric he j
I has demonstrated his administrative I
capabilities. His work on the repara
tions plan, and in other important
< public matteis, has shown his mas
i tery in other spheres.” The Ithaca
| Journal-News (independent) also de
| chin s: "There is no question ns to his
fitness. This has been recognized
[especially since his brilliant record as
i a member of tbe commission which
i evolved rind put in effect the plan of
I reparations which solved the Kuro-
I pean muddle —a plan for which credit
| may be given without stint to Owen !
I). Young."
Referring to the possibility of a Re
publican nomination for Dawes, the
Canton Daily News (independent Demo
cratic) feels that "it would he at least
interesting if the two men who worked
ride by side with mutual admiration
on the problem of German teparations •
were to lead their respective parties !
next year in the clash of politics.” The ;
Daily News states that "not a gieat!
deal has been said about it publicly. !
but there has long l»een a substantial j
weight of opinion among Democratic
night, newspaper offices, eating places
and always the streets, both uptown
and downtown, all go in make up New
York. Th* treatment is ironical. Mr.
Markey takes New York seriously and i
wonders whether New York de- 1
serves it. i
l Q. \\ hat star was called Lucifer*’
! —P. N.
A. Neons was called Lucifer by he
j ancients when it was a morning toar
| and Hesperus when an evening star.
Q. Where is the mummv of King
Tut?—D. W.
A. The mummy of King Tut Ankh-
Amen is in (he museum at Pairo it
; 1 j.*i =■ not been removed from th® casket.
The wrappings have been removed.
, Visitors may sec th® body.
Q. Where does th® mullet lay i s
] eggs, find how many are ?h®re j n
| a roe?- R. H.
A. Tli® Bureau of Fisheries «q>-«
has never been able to find out d®fi*
j niteiv the spawning habits „f ? h®
mullet. This fish is very myoo n „ u „
and not traceable
! Q. What ts the name for a "a.side,)
figure?—-P. H.
A. It is called a vigln'agon.
Q. Please give a list of common
foods eaten in Belgium and the menu
i for a Belgian breakfast.— R. L.
{ A. Tim Belgian Embassy savs that
I coffee and rolls is a typical Reigian
; breakfast. Potatoes, beet*, corn and
: rice are among the chief foods of that
country. Ducks and geese ar® used to
I a large extent. Veal is used much
more frequently than beef. P,ii e.
I grapes gelatin truffles and fish are
among other foods used in that conn
try. Vienna bread is very common!*
j used. \
Q. Is lime good for grass or is it
| not?- A. R.
i A. In the past lime was looked'on
las a geneial panacea for all sort* nt
[ soil difficulties, and it was thought it
j could be used on any type of soil. A *
j the present time it has been proved
very conclusively that certain typ®s of
! grasses, such as creeping bents, resist
the tise of lime and do best in an arid
soil. As far as Kentucky bin® grass
j is concerned, which is standard lawn
1 grass throughout Northeastern T’nlfed
‘ States, it has been found that lime is
| not essential to its well being. Lime,
j however, does assist, especially whh
! heavy soils, in increasing tilth and
I making them more easily worked.
j Q. What is the meaning of th®
word "boulevard"?—S. K. G
A. Generally speaking, it is a broad
city avenue designed for pleasure
j walking or driving. A new idea j s
j creeping into the word. It carries the
I meaning of a long, main street upon
which traffic has precedence over v®
hides approaching fro-m side streets.
Originally a boulevard was a fortress
or tower rampart, hence a street or
j walk laid'out on the site of such a
ramnart after Its destruction. Tb*
i English word “bulwark” and th®
I French “boulevard” are derived front
the German “hollwerk” or Danish
j “bulvaerk.”
Q. Was Napoleon's wife exiled with
1 him? — M. P.
A. She was not exiled. She return
ed to live with her family.
Thr answers to questions printed
here each day ore specimens picked
trow thr tuns* of inquiry's handled by
thr qrrnt Information Bureau main
tained ho The Kreninp Star in Wash
ington, It. P. Thin valuable service f-s
for thr free use of thr public. Ask any
question of fart you map want to
i know, ami you will yet an immediate
reply. Write plainly, inclose ? rents in
I stamps for return postape, and ad
j dress The Kreninp Star Information
Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director.
Washington. ft. C.
leaders that Owen D. Young woul
| make a most excellent Democratic
! candidate.” Th* Anniston Star (Deni
ocratic) similarly holds that “Mr.
Young Is a man of such outstanding
achievements, of such unimpeachable
integrity and of such commanding
presence that no Democrat would hav
to stultify himself to give to this gree
American his ardent support.”
** * *
‘‘The personality, business and pul
lie career of Mr. Young commend hit
to conservative influences.” says th
New Orleans Tribune (Democratic)
and the Charlotte Observer (independ
ent Democratic) adds: “He is today
one of the great prophets of the elec
trical age. Hjs knowledge of industry
and his vision of the industrial fu
ture of the republic make him some
thing more than an efficiency expert—
he is indeed a philosopher.” Th
Greensboro Daily Record (independen 1
Democratic) links his name with that
of Gov. Mcßean of North Carolina a
“outstanding leaders In tfieir sec
tions.” “Whether this cause can h<
made a popular one is a question the*
: will he pondered deeply hv Deni"
I rratie leaders before committing them
; selves.” in the judgment of the Hons
ton Chronicle (Democratic). The Okie
hnma City Oklahoman (independent
feels that “the average voter know:
mighty little about him. and any es
fort to reveal him now would loo!
decidedly like political propaganda.'
but adds that “if the country onb
knew Owen D. Young for what h» is
the name of his supporters would 1»
legion.
“In many respects his training an
his accomplishments parallel those "
the Secretary of Commerce.” remark
tbe Atlanta Constitution (Democratic*
which believes that “the Democrati<
party could go far and do no better.’
and exclaims: “What an innovation t*
put a man in nomination who is no*
a politician, who has never held an
: elective office, who knows most of a!’
| how to apply sound economics to busi
ness:" The Muskegon Chronicle fin
dependent) visions “the utopia of tit'
future” as a “republic in which th*
Youngs and the Hoovers would b
recognized immediately for their errti
rient fitness to he its leaders."
“He is the only possibility for th*
| nomination who is not a wet.” sug
gests the New London Day (Repuhli
can) with the conclusion that "if Mi
Young is nominated, the chances an
that the Democratic cause will stand
right where it did in 1024 with John
W. Da via carrying the standard.”
UNITED STATES
IN WORLD WAR
Ten Years Ago Today.
By a vote of 2*2 to 128 the H°us*
of Representatives late today adopts
resolution proposing an amendment
to the Federal Constitution which
would prohibit liquor traffic through
out the Nation. Slightly amend
ed, the resolution goes hack to
the Senate for concurrence and
j then goes to the States for raUtc
cation. Dry a are jubilant. * *
War Department names six new majoi
generals and four brigadier generals.
* * * Gen. Crozier, chief of mu
nance. tell* Senate military affaits
committee that red tape in the War
Department, plus delays in putting
war appropriations through Congress.
! has retarded equipment of the Ameri
can fighting forces in this country
| since we entered the war. *
! German raiders sink 11 vessels in
| British convoy in North Sea. Few fa-
I talities reported. * * * Neutral dip
j Inmats in Washington get tip of coin
ing German peace offer. * * * I rot
sky demands that the allies pass his
agents, otherwise Russia will not rec
ognize passports of allied representa
tives. * • * Fuel Administrator Gar
field asks coal miners to work on their
usual holidays, with th» exception of
'Christmas day, to prevent shortage of
i coal.