Evening star. [volume], July 04, 1930, Page A-6, Image 6

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

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A-6
THE EVENING STAR
With Sunday Morning Edition.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
FRIDAY July 4, 1930
THEODORE W. NOYES Editor
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Ited in this paper and also the local l ews
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special dispatches herein are also reserved.
The Inestimable Right.
One hundred and fifty-four years ago
today a body of Americans assembled
In Philadelphia, representing the people
of the colonies of England in this con
tinent, signed a Declaration of Inde
pendence which became the comer stone
of American freedom and national ex
istence. A bitter war was necessary to
secure that independence. It was won
and with the victory was established a
free and independent Government of
the United States which stands today
the strongest In the world.
In the Declaration the citizens of the
colonies who staked their very lives
upon their demand for freedom from
British dominion recited numerous
grievances against the King of England,
whose rule had been tyrannical and un
just. The statement of these political
and economic cruelties constituted the
body of the immortal instrument. In
brief compass the case of the colonists
against the King was set forth vividly
and completely. That document be
came the Magna Charta of America and
Inspired other peoples, in distant lands,
to strike for freedom. Today, as for
more than a century and a half, the
signing of the Declaration is celebrated
in America and by Americans wherever
in the world they may chance to be
placed.
Throughout the Declaration runs the
thought that representation in the law
making and taxing body that consti
tutes the actual Government is a funda
mental right of a free people. In one
passage particularly this principle Is
declared:
He (the King) has refused his as
sent to laws, the most wholesome and
necessary for the public good. He has
forbidden his*Govemors to pass laws of
Immediate and pressing Importance,
unless suspended in their (Operation until
his assent should be obtained; and when
so suspended he has utterly neglected to
attend to them. He has refused to pass
other laws for the accommodation of
large districts of people, unless those
people would relinquish the right of
representation In the Legislature, a
right Inestimable to them and formi
dable to tyrant* only.
Here In this free country, In this land
established upon the principle of full
participation by the people In their
Government, the principle of repre
sentation in the law-making body, "a
right inestimable to them and formida
ble to tyrants only,” half a million
Americans are today a* they have been
for more than a century and a half
denied this very right, deprived of this
Inestimable privilege of representation.
They are, by the most singular of
anomalies, the resident* of the very eeat
of Government.
Today, on. thi* anniversary of the
birth of the American Republic, on this
day consecrated to the principle of gov
ernment by representation, the half
million imfranchised American* cele
brate the Declaration of Independence
without any share In the supreme right
of participation which that instrument
proclaimed. They Join in the celebra
tion because they are by birth or by
adoption American citizens. They sor
row because they are denied that which
all other citizens enjoy without ques
tion or restriction unless they are crim
inals or insane.
These unfrinchlaed Americans are
not enduring this injustice in silence.
They- are demanding a redress of this
grievance of taxation and administra
tion without representation. They ar«
asking Congress to adopt for submission
to the States an amendment to the
Constitution that will enable Congress
In Its discretion to admit the District
to representation in House and Senate
and in the electoral college. They will
continue to demand this redress of
grievances. They will continue to ap
peal to the people of the country to aid
thefn in their plea for enfranchisement.
Tbpy will persist in the hope and the
that through their complete ad
mission to American citizenship they
will eventually be in a position to cele
brate Independence day without reserva
tion and with pride.
Suffering and privation am not nec
essary to make a hero. Bobby Jones,
idol of the golf course, is as great a hero
as any of them.
Victory for Principle*.
Long before the end of the fight
over the amount of the lump sum the
battle between House and Senate had
narrowed to one that concerned prin
ciple* more than mere figure*. For this
reason the settlements on the District
bill can be counted as a distinct vic
tory for the Senate, and some of the
fruit# of that victory will accrue to the
District, which In the fight ha* been
the Senate’s silent ally.
The principle, as far as the House
and Senate alone were concerned, as- j
tected the fundamental rights of the j
latter body as a copartner In the bust- j
ness of legislating. The Senate has
demonstrated that It is not to be
bluffed or bulldozed.
As far as the District was concerned
the principle narrowed down to the old
point of whether a few members of
the House, disregarding considerations
of equity and fair treatment, would con- '
tinue indefinitely and without rhyme
or reason to allot as the Federal share
an arbitrary and fixed sum to Capital
maintenance without regard to the
number, nature or cost of Capital City
projects to be charged to the taxpayers
by an alien legislative body.
The protracted fight between the Sen
■MHHHfUHUiiii
plus the arrogant refusal of the House
to compromise until the last minute of
a long session, makes the Senate vic
tory more pronounced. The $500,000
> yielded by the House Is a relatively small
sum. The main thing la that the House,
. and not the Senate, yielded at the end,
and that the lump sum, fixed and un
changing for the last six years, has
been changed and revised upward in
favor of the District
At one time the District was placed
In the position of losing the 1931 ap
propriation or of seeing the Senate
yield once more to the domination of
the House. If the appropriation had
failed the District would have been
forced to undergo actual hardship and
development of the Capital would have
been seriously retarded. If the Senate
had yielded the long fight by the Dis
trict for fiscal equity would have been
fruitless, and small hope would have
remained for a new deal.
The agreement, however, changes all
this. The deadlock, and with it the
fixed amount of the lump sum, has been
broken. The Senate has ably demon
strated that there is spirit as well as
strength in the District’s contention,
and the attention of the Nation has
been centered on a problem for which
Congress in self-defense alone must pro
vide a sensible and permanent solution.
Once again the Senate, taking the
part of the unrepresented citizens of the
District, has waged a good fight. But
this time the Senate has won.
Congress Adjourns.
The Seventy-first Congress concluded
last night its second session, and, shak
ing the dust of the National Capital
from its heels, went home. The Sen
ate was balky to the end, but inef
fectual. The accomplishments of the
insurgents and the Democrats, united
in a coalition, have been practically
nil—except talk and delay. The Con
gress might have wound up its work
two months ago and gone home with
the same legislative results as have
now been accomplished. The Senate
coalitionists may urge that the time
has been well spent in "educating the
country.”
The proof of the pudding is in the
eating. Much has been said in the press
and in the Senate about the ineptitude
of President Hoover in dealing with the
Congress. Now that the Congress has
actually adjourned it is possible to assay
more correctly what has been done, in ac
cordance with the recommendations of
the President. In the end Mr. Hoover
has won all along the line. Yesterday,
for example, was a big day for the ad
ministration forces on Capitol Hill.
The World War Veterans’ bill was put
through In a shape which met the
views of the Chief Executive, whose
veto of the original veterans’ bill had
been sustained by the House. Mr.
Hoover also was successful in obtaining
a $250,000 appropriation in the second
deficiency bill to continue the work of
his Law Enforcement Commission, and,
finally, his insistence that something be
done to break the deadlock between the
House and Senate on the District of
Columbia appropriation bill was sue
cessful.
The President, it is true, has had the
support of a strong Republican organi
zation in the House. The combination
of the Chief Executive and the House
proved too much for the Senate coall- i
tlon. The very fact that a strong party
organization has functioned In the
House, while the Senate coalitionists
have had no effective leadership, has
given the House an advantage over the
Senate which it has not been slow to
use. It has been clear that the House,
ready to sustain a presidential veto, has
had the whip hand ever the Senate
from the start.
The President met only two reverses
that stand out In the session of Con
gress just closed. His appointment of
Judge John J. Parker of North Carolina
to be an associate justice of the Su
preme Court was rejected by a narrow
margin in the Senate and his veto of
the Spanish War veterans’ new pen
sion bill was overridden by both
houses of Congress. His successes far
overshadow these reverses. He won In
his contest with the Senate coalition
on the "debenture” and the "flexible
tariff” In consideration of the tariff
bill. He won In his demand for con
tinuance of his Law Enforcement Com
mission. He won In the fight over the
nomination of Chief Justice Hughes.
He had his way in connection with the
pension legislation for the World War
veterans. His program of legislation |
for the better enforcement of the pro
hibition laws has been partially en
acted Into law.
The record of legislative accomplish
ment during the special and reg
ular sessions of the Seventy-first Con
gress stands out as remarkable when
compared to actual results with the ad
ministration which Just preceded.
The Coolldge administration tackled
farm-relief legislation. It remained for
the Hoover administration to write the
1 farm bill into law. The Coolldge ad
’ ministration did not tackle the tariff,
r and the Hoover administration did and
■ put through a revision. The Hoover
■ administration put through the trans
fer of prohibition enforcement from
the Treasury Department to the Depart
ment of Justice.
The Hoover administration has nego
-1 tlated a naval limitation treaty with
the other great naval powers of the
world, covering every category of naval
craft. The treaty has been reported
favorably from the Senate Foreign Rela
tions Committee and will be ratified at
a special session of the Senate to be
called by the President almost imme
diately. It appears that a supplemen
tary chapter dealing with the alleged
"lneptness of Mr. Hoov«£’ must be
written before the book is closed.
Chicago racketeers are not as much
afraid of the constituted civil authori
ties as they are of one another.
Patriotism by Rote.
Writing In one of the reviews that
takes a pessimistic outlook on the striv
ings of humanity in general, an author
recounts the fact that be never sees
the American flag proudly waving with
out experiencing a secret desire to
heave a rock at It, not because of any
subversive philosophy that he has em
j braced, but because, as a school boy, he
was once required to stay after school
and practice the “Salute to the Flag"
while his comrades stood around and
made merry over his shortcomings in
mastering the prescribed formula.
The other day one of Washington’s
kindergarten teachers thought she
heard a discordant note in tha class
, rendition of "Three Cheers for the Red,
THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY. JULY 4, 1930
White and Blue,” and after the song
asked the class what “Cheer” meant.
Up went a dozen hands or so, and a
child was ksked for the definition.
“Something you sit on,” said the young
100 per center, and pursuing the in
quiry further it was discovered that
some of the children, at least, had con
ceived of three chairs, one for the red,
one for the white and another for the
blue —the concept being perfectly or
derly and with no overcrowding, as in
the schools. In another case a child
reciting the "Salute to the Flag” was
substituting for the words “One Nation
Indivisible” the shocking picture of
"One Naked Individual,” while another,
with some vague memory of the Lord’s
Prayer, was adding "With Liberty and
Trespass for All.” Another child, who
will probably develop into a realist as
he waxes in years, was making more
truth than poetry out of "The Star
Spangled Banner” when he sang, "Oh
Satan Can See, by the Dawn’s Early
Light,” and yet another was making It
“Darned Early Light.”
None of this proves anything in par
ticular, and all the incidents above
recounted were, happily, not in the
same class. But as the Fourth of July
approaches it is well to remember that
patriotism is one subject not to be
mastered by rote alone and something
might be gained by informing the chil
dren that the Fourth of July is not
observed to commemorate the first man
who lit a firecracker. On the other
hand, it does not make a great deal of
difference after all.
»
Washington, D. C., is the Nation’s
city beautiful. It requires the intelli
gent consideration of statesmen who do
not regard a country town style of cap
ital as exemplifying the spirit of de
mocracy.
Criminals are no longer adroit. They
proceed to regulate their own affairs
and intimate that if let alone they will
co-operate with Justice to the extent of
killing off one another.
Few newspaper men aspire to be
President. Several Presidents have
aspired to be newspaper men. There Is
a fascination In printer’s ink that levels
all distinctions.
A great poem might be revealed to
the world if D’Annunzio could feel se
cure in liberating his muse from the
Mussolini censorship.
America has provided Spain with one
of her greatest bullfighters. What the
New York Stock Exchange is looking
for is a good, reliable bearfighter.
Limitations of ship strength lead to
minute calculation, which shows no
present sign of limiting the possibility
of airship strength.
Communistic activities are arousing
protest in various parts of Asia. Ex
periments in that line have been under
taken by Asia for centuries past.
It is not believed that continuous in
vestigation is of benefit to basic finan
cial interests. Wall Street needs relief
at times, as well as agriculture.
Athletic games still hold their popu
larity, although aviation, at present, is
undoubtedly the world’s greatest sport.
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Celebration.
Proud is the boast on the Fourth of
July,
When matches with firecrackers flirt,
If we can remark when the day has
gone by,
"Nobody Hurt!”
Oreat is the day and sublime is the fun
As we Independence assert,
If we can observe, when the fireworks
are done,
"Nobody Hurt!”
Swift is the pace we are setting today,
And we move with our senses alert,
That hour brings a triumph in which
we can say,
"Nobody Hurt!”
Braving the Future.
"What do you know about the tariff?”
"A great deal,” answered Senator
Sorghum. "A tariff always leaves a
great many people dissatisfied. My im
pression is that It is another of those
J things they call a noble experiment.”
Jud Tunkins says he goes fishing
when real amusement gets so scarce
that there doesn’t seem any other place
to go.
Personal Viewpoint.
Each theory that I call nice
I advocate as good advice.
And each that brings my mind distress
Is "propaganda”—nothing less.
Honest Admiration.
"Are you Interested in the Russian
drama?”
"Very much,” answered Miss Cayenne.
“I don't understand what is being said
and I must admire the intellectual su
periority of the actors who unquestion
ably do.”
"If all our wishes were fulfilled,’’ 6aid
Hi HI, the sage of Chinatown, "life
would be sorrowful, with nothing left to
wish for."
Brief Authority.
The chain store makes a haughty show
That leaves its patrons at a loss.
While new directors come and go,
Each showing clerks just who is boss.
"Dar is heaps of automobile drivers,”
said Uncle Xben, "but mighty few men
wif sense enough to drive a mule. Ma
chinery Is useful, but animals still pro
vide de sportsmanship.”
June Time for Showers.
From the Lowell Evening Leader.
And in the merry, bridal month of
June little Dan Cupid will be safe
enough in predicting showers.
20,000 Tariff Mistakes.
Prom the Tulia Dally World.
It Is said the tariff bill has 20,000
1 mistake*. That comes from rushing
things.
Shooting to Continue.
Prom the Dei Moinei Tribune-Capital.
Apparently there are so many rack
[ eteers in Chicago that the shooting will
be good for some time to come.
i _ _
t Unimportant News.
, Prom the Tulsa World.
Our idea of unimportance is matri
-1 monlal news concerning gals allied with
, the show business out In California.
| THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.
The Senate's troubles with the au
tomatic phones are as nothing com
pared with the trials of a man who
can’t get his own home because his
wife insists on talking so long with-a
friend.
Such a gentleman is always willing
to swear that no woman in the world
can talk so long on the telephone. Per
haps this is a slander on a good woman
who, after all, is no mote talkative than
the next.
One Washingtonian solved this prob
lem in a masterful manner. After he
had called his home several times, with
the unvarying reply that “The line is
busy,” he decided to try headquarters.
Calling up the telephone company
Itself, he explained his dilemma and
asked that an interruption be made in
the talkfest in progress, and that his
wife be Informed that her husband de
sired to talk with her on urgent busi
ness.
This scheme, which worked out suc
cessfully, is recommended to all busy
executives who find themselves foiled
in this little domestic matter. The
telephone company is willing to please
at all times.
** * *
When one stops to think of the mul
titudinous human relations Involved in
the successful working of this modern
utility, he will be willing to admit that,
on the whole, that working is carried
out with great smoothness.
Just whether the dial phones will
add to or end the troubles of subscrib
ers remains to be seen. Those who
have have had experience with them in
other cities declare that they are a
great improvement over the old manual
system.
At present there is a gfceat deal of
confusion in the minds of many tele
phone users, owing to the fact that
often they use a dial phone to talk to
some one who is still on the old-style
system. They do not realize that their
call does not go straight through, as
it will when the dials are In universal
use throughout the city, but that it
must go into a regular "central" and
then be completed by hand, as it were.
One of the most exasperating things
about the dials, as some see them, is
that the user has such a helpless feel
ing when the dialing does not work out
correctly. Especially is this true when
the call must be completed as above
outlined, and the “hello girl” declares
that you have not dialed the numbers
correctly.
“But I know I did!" you assert with
some heat. The truth often is that you
did not; that you have not yet got so
used to the dial that the instrument is
handled without mistake. It must be
kept in mind that “Figures never lie,”
and that if the dial numbers are done
correctly the call must be completed
correctly.
** * *
Many users do not seem to realize
that the dials are pure mathematics.
The letters on them, for instance, are
in reality numbers. Thus if one wants
to call National 6000, what he really
dials is 62 — 5000. Suppose it was a
party line, and had a “J” on the end
of it. In that event, what he would
dial in reality would be 62 —5000—5.
The greatest difficulty with the dials
is not with the manipulation, but with
the powers of memory, or their lack, of
the user. Perhaps it would be nearer
the truth to say that their use requires
a co-ordination of hand and mind
which approaches, in some slight de
gree, the abilities of a good tennis play
er or golfer.
By this we would not imply that
dialing is a sport, either Indoor or out,
but simply that the use of the dial
phones does introduce a totally new
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE.
When President Hoover tu at the 1
Capitol late last night signing eleventh* 1
hour bills observers thought they de
tected Just the semblance of a smile 1
on the face that hasn’t often been so 1
adorned In recent times. Congress was ;
off the Chief Engineer’s hands at last, j
It has been on his hands for all but
six weeks of his presidency. Mr. Hoo- ;
ver has the Senate still to deal with for (
a spell in connection with the naval j
treaty. But his principal trials and
tribulations on Capitol Hill are over— ,
for the time being. What the remain- .
lng two and a half years have in store ,
for the administration Is on the lap of
the gods. If the Democrats capture •
either branch of Congress In November
or make G. O. P. control of the House
or Senate more precarious than It now ;
Is, Hoover’s troubles will pile up. De
spite taunts of his lack of leadership
the President can contemplate with
satisfaction his first siege with Con
gress. He was beaten on the national
origins Immigration repeal, on the
Parker nomination and on the Spanish
War Veterans’ bill. But otherwise the
Hoover legislative slate Is clean. In
stead of wielding big sticks he Issued
statements. In nearly every case they
accomplished the White House purpose.
** * *
No stone will be left unturned by the
administration to get prompt and
affirmative action on the naval treaty at
the special Senate session opening Mon
day. The President regards the London
pact the brightest feather in his cap
thus far. He doesn’t intend to have
It droop In ignominious defeat If he can
help it. The first fight of the ratifica
tion forces will be to keep a quorum In
the chamber. Senator Watson, Repub
lican leader, confesses that’s a tall order.
Cool weather will help. If blistering
Midsummer heat comes along next weejs,
admlnistratlonlsts admit it's going to be
a tough Job to hold enough Senators In
Washington for business purposes.
Transatlantic sailing plans, vacation ar
rangements at home and congressional
campaigns In many States are factors
which have to be combated. Perhaps
the treaty’s deadliest foe Is apathy. Sev
eral of the men in whose hands the
ratification battle will rest are for the
pact, they say, because It’s "harmless.”
Not of such lukewarm stuff Is the fight
ing spirit made.
** * *
Col. Amos W. W. Woodcock, newly
created prohibition director In the De
partment of Justice, will spend the next
two weeks at one of his iavorite occu
pations, soldiering. He Is about to Join
his regiment, the Ist Maryland Na
tional Guard, for a fortnight’s tour of
duty at Camp Meade. The regiment Is
going to engage In some particularly
fascinating activities. It Intends to
carry out a plan of campaign not dis
similar from that which the British
Army conducted when it sacked Wash
ington In the War of 1812, Some of
Col. Woodcock’s friends suspect that his
main Interest In the operations Is to
find out Just how a British rum fleet,
acting In co-operation with American
land forces, might maneuver In the
waters adjacent to these arid shores.
Folks who dote on coincidences have
just discovered that Bishop Cannon and
the new prohibition ’ czar” w’ere born
j In the same town, Salisbury, Md.
,** * *
Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm von Prittwitz,
German Ambassador to the United
States, will make his radio debut on
Sunday afternoon, when he speaks In
the Columbia Broadcasting System’s
"Conclave of Nations” series at Wash
, ington. The talk will be in the nature
' of a temporary farewell, for the Am
bassador and his family are sailing for
Germany next week on an annual
leave of absence. Dr. Von Prittwitz
has seen Gernjan-American relations
substantially solidified during his two
and a half years in this country. Rep
arations and war claims have been defi
nitely adjusted. Investment of Amer
ican capital In German industrial
enterprises* has taken place on an ex
tensive scale. We have had visits from
the Graf Zeppelin, German transatlantic
- flyers and Prof. Max Schmeling. The
l Bremen and the Europa have captured
the blue ribbon of the ocean and the
equation into this great necessity and
utility. We do not know Just what the
proportion Is between familiar calls
which one makes and unfamiliar, but
probably most men in business call
more numbers with which they are un
familiar.
Under the old system It was easy
enough to look at a strange number in
the book, repeat it to one’s self a
couple of times, and then remember It
long enough to give it to the operator.
After that it was her lookout. The
patron’s responsibilty was ended.
With the dial phones one is required
to keep track of two entirely different
matters, the handling of the right hand,
and the handling of the memory. This
is further complicated by the use of
the letters, especially with three to
every number, and the use of the two
upon the same spots.
An old saying declares that “No one
can do two things at the same time,”
yet that is exactly what the dials call
upon one to do —to do a little fancy
twiddling with the finger, while at the
same time keep in mind a sequence of
numbers.
** * *
It will be found helpful to most users
of the dials to write out on a piece of
paper the number which they want to
call. This applies particularly to the
unfamiliar calls.
Often the dial will slip, or rather one
will dial clumsily. Immediately the at
tention will be called to one’s poor han
dling of the mechanism, just long
enough to permit the mind to forget the
next number to be twirled.
Those who dial seem to be divided
between the use of the right forefinger
and a lead pencil. Just why some take
to the use of the pencil is a mystery,
when the index finger serves very well,
indeed.
We heard of one woman who asked
for a pencil to make a call, thinking
that the job could not be done with any
other instrument.
Use of the dials in the flat position
seems easy enough, but to many their
placement in an upright or vertical
position makes for clumsy handling.
Their use in this position in the booths
peculiarly complicates difficult telephon
ing. Some Inventive genius ought to
do something to improve the booths.
They are hot, stuffy and uncomfort
able, especial*) in hot weather. Now,
with the coming of the dials, they are
particularly disagreeable. If one finds
it necessary to write out the number’
in order to have it before his eyes while
he is dialing, he will find that there is
no place to put the slip of paper. Ho,
hum!
** * *
Yet surely one is going to miss the
“hello girl” and the opportunity she
offered of some one to “talk back to.”
It is amazing how quickly the aver
age male telephone user can “fly off
the handle,” especially in the morning
hours before he has warmed up to
the day.
It is no mystery—especially to tele
phone girls and stenographers—that the
average business man does not smile
until about 10 or 10:30 a.m., no matter
how good a breakfast he has had.
It is during these early morning min
utes that the “hello girl” gets “bawled
out” the most. Then she is submerged
beneath a barrage of masculine sar
casm. That she remains as pleasant
as she usually does is vastly to her
credit.
The dial phones, we are told, will
offer & mute mechanism, Infallible, re
lentless and remorseless, instead of a
very human being. If you dial it cor
rectly, it will respond correctly; If it
does not produce, the user has made a
mistake. The machine wins again.
World War seems as far away almost
as if it had never happened.
** * *
Suggestions are forthcoming that S.
Parker Gilbert, young American wizard
of finance, may be invited by President
Hoover to take the chairmanship of the
reconstituted United States Tariff Com
mission. Gilbert’s Job as agent general
for reparation payments at Berlin came
to an end a few weeks ago with the In
ception of the Young plan. He can
have his pick of a dozen New York
banking Jobs at fancy salaries and may
prefer that kind of a career to con
tinued public service. Gilbert, who is
only 37, would meet with Mr. Hoover’s
requirements for a tariff chief, wholly
isolated from politics and political en
tanglements. His four years in Europe
have given him a deep Insight into eco
nomic conditions “over there.” As
these will be the bedrock of tariff re
vision under the flexible system, Gil
bert, in many respects, is ready-made
for the Job In question.
** a *
Dean Roscoe Pound of the Harvard
Law School and one of the members of
the Wickersham Law Enforcement
Commission has gone to Ireland for a
walking tour. Perhaps he wants to as
certain at first-hand just what It was
that St. Patrick did to drive the snakes
from the Emerald Isle and see how far
the methods of Erin’s legendary hero
can be invoked for certain purposes in
the United States. Pound is an inde
fatigable knight of the road. He made
himself an authority on Civil War bat
tlefields by tramping over them.
** * *
Representative Robert Luce, Repub
lican, of Massachusetts, ranking mem
ber of the House Committee on World
Wa t Veterans’ Legislation, receives the
lion’s share of credit on Capitol Hill for
the final termination of the recent scrap
along lines satisfactory to the adminis
tration. The cultured author of “Legis
lative Procedure” and “Congress: An
Explanation” rates as the strategist who
evolved the rapid-fire scheme of sustain
ing the Hoover veto of the first veterans’
bill and then trotting out the Johnson
substitute, which now is law. There’s
nothing in recent annals to equal the
deftness with which the White House
face was saved and Congress extricated
from a predicament by one and the
same token. Luce is a past master of
the ins and outs of legislative magic, and
he drew triumphantly on his storehouse
of knowledge in the veterans' mess.
** ♦ *
While veterans’ legislation is still fresh
in mind comes the story that Represent
ative John E. Rankin, Democrat, of
Mississippi, sponsor of the original
House bill, aspires to be majority floor
leader if and when the Democrats or
ganize the lower branch and name
‘Jack Garner Speaker. Rankin is a
World War service man himself. To
him Is credited the grandiose plan of
seeking to wrest for the Democratic
party the leadership of all veterans’
legislation, In order that It may reap the
power and the glory so long enjoyed by
the Republicans as the political spon
sors of the Grand Army of the Republic.
(Copyright, 1930.)
Questions Justice of
Skid-Death Penalty
To the Editor of The Star:
I read in The Star the account of a
man being sentenced to five years in
Jail because his machine skidded and
killed a woman. I know neither party
nor have we any mutual friends, but I
did not know any one could be held re
sponsible for his car skidding. How can
a skid be prevented? The account said
the car skidded 50 feet before striking
the woman. Surely the driver was in
very great danger himself and must
have been doing everything in his
power to stop the skid. I would be glad
to know the reasoning of the jury in
this case. B. S. GOODWIN.
Does Own Angling.
Prom the South Bend Tribune.
It Is now Evident that President
Hoover's fish are not caught for Mrn by
his secretaries.
Absurd Parking Light
Rule Enforcement
To tho Editor of The Star:
The District police may not be able
to catch a murderer, but they are won
derfully clever at surrounding a parked
car and attaching a ticket to It for
some petty violation of the traffic ordl- ,
nances. Mine was parked In front of ,
my residence, within 20 feet of an arc ,
light, but clear visibility of the offend- ,
tag vehicle Is no excuse. Two thousand
other Washingtonians are In the same .
fix, which works out at $4,000 to for- .
felted collateral for one night's work. |
Not bad!
I hereby propose and offer myself as
signatory to a petition to Congress for
modernization of the traffic rules. Why (
should cars parked under an arc light ;
need a parking light? Os course, “It Is
the law .and therefore It should be j
obeyed,” but why are the police so ca
pricious in enforcing it? About six
weeks ago some local business man ]
abandoned his car in front of my res
idence for three days, naturally without
parking lights, and I had to call up the
police twice to notify the owner of my
Innocent desire to have access to my
own house. For weeks and months
cars to my street are left without park- i
tag lights and there is never a sign of 1
a summons. Then the police flop on a
big murder case and show their au- 1
thority by holding a battue of parked
automobiles.
All we can do is to petition Congress
for relief and for a recognition of the
fact that the police are not our masters,
but our servants. They exist for us and
are paid by us to protect us from each
other. Is It too much to ask Congress
to protect us from the police? I sug
gest a petition, but If any more prac
tical method can be suggested for put
ting an end to the arbitrary exercise of
petty authority on the part of our po
lice servants, I shall be glad to co
operate. JOHN CARTER.
Error as to House of
Marshall Corrected
To the Editor ot The Star:
Mr. James W. Brooks, who wrote the
article in Sunday’s Star, "American
History by Motor,” was misinformed In
regard to Rosebank being the home
of Chief Justice Marshall and & soldier
under Lafayette naming the village of
Paris.
I was bom in Fauquier County, Va
st years ago, between Markham and
Piedmont, the latter now called Dela
plane. Rosebank, which is at Mark
ham, was the home of Gen. Turner Ash
by’s father and Turner himself was
bom there. It was purchased from
Turner Ashby’s mother after his
father's death by Edward C. Marshall,
a descendant of the Chief Justice. The
Ashby family were my relatives.
The home of Chief Justice Marshall
was called Oak Hill, and it Is still stand
ing between Delaplane and Marshall.
I was there many times in my youth,
visiting and attending parties, and a
; great-granddaughter of the Chief Jus
, tice was one of my most intimate
friends. I motored over this route
three years ago and saw many of the
old places, Including both Rosebank and
; Oak Hill.
A great-uncle of mine, Thompson
; Ashby, was keeping the tavern at Paris
when Lafayette stopped there and he
himself gave the village Its name.
Thompson Ashby was a lieutenant in
the Revolutionary War.
MRS. BLANCHE ASHBY LAMBERT.
No Pedestrian Safety in
Red Lights or Zones
To the Editor of The Star:
Is it lawful for autos and cabs to run
through safety zones? We have al
ways been told that this was not lawful
and that the red light meant safety
and we could cross while it was on. But
It seems that the public must have been
misinformed, for a few days since I
came within a few inches of being run
down crossing directly before my home,
1736 Connecticut avenue northwest,
from one platform and on the red light,
when an auto came dashing through
and almost ran me down. Several peo
ple saw this. A poor woman who has
to earn her living shortly before this
was run down early before dark in an
other place—(safety zone) —and was so
badly injured that she was taken to a
hospital with a badly Hurt hip from
which she is still suffering. The
offender told the policeman he either
had to run into her or another auto
mobile. Has it come to this pass, that
a human life is worth much less than
a thing of iron without feeling? Some
times 10 and 15 cars will pass between
these safety zones, in a few moments,
and when getting off a car it Is im
possible to see them running through
behind the car. Every one Is talking
about this point and we would be glad
to know definitely what we are to ex
pect, as to the law upon this point.
MADGE I. MCLAUGHLIN.
Better Standards
In Government
Prom ths Chicago Dally New*. ,
Sir Joslah Stamp, the British econ
omist and financier, in an address
before the American Academy of Po
litical Science, expressed the hope that
before long the constructive thinkers and
business leaders of the world would put
; as much driving force behind economic
questions as they do behind chemistry
and physics. In order to do this they
must take an active part in public
affairs. Why should they not? Those
affairs have a direct and important
bearing upon business, just as do the
discoveries of the experts in physical
science.
Politicians and holders of public
office have much to do and say In re
gard to economic matters. It would
be difficult to take economics out of
politics. The tariff, the reparations
question, waterway development, the
idea of European federation and many
more illustrations of this truth readily
come to mind. But the social sciences
are not exact. Their conclusions can
not be tested in laboratories. Hence
every person has his own notions—
! and emotions—about government, eco
nomics, international relations. When
one’s emotions are excited, one has little
respect for expert opinions.
As Macaulay pointed out many years
. ago and Spencer after him, bias, per
sonal Interest, fear and habit stand
, in the way of ready recognition of
truth in the domain of social relations,
whereas in the domain of the exact
sciences one encounters few such ob
stacles or none at all. Discoveries and
generalizations make their way largely
because their ultimate effects cannot
; be foreseen or measured. Selfishness
and timidity may delay the use of an
invention, but cannot long prevent that
use. In the social and political sciences
, the whole situation Is different. Issues
are confused; appeals made deliber
, ately to prejudice and common; dema
; gogues care little for truth, sacrificing
, everything to ambition, love of power
, and desire for gain.
Men of science and men of large
affairs and sound moral standards are
needed to combat these evils by going
into politics, taking office and. at the
risk of defeat, educating the electorate
in essential, if unpopular, truths.
Where the leaders are in earnest and
have courage and integrity, truth ulti
mately prevails.
Little Difference.
rrom the Helena Montana Record-Herald.
It makes little difference to the pedes
trian who has been messed up bv an
automobile whether the car was a
brand-new model or one of the used
1 variety.
Doesn’t Work.
> From the Topeka Dally Capital
If they keep arresting A1 Capone, the
Chicago gangster. In Florida, he may
change his mind about Southern hos
pitality.
Might Croak.
i From the Omaha World-Herald
r These shoes that are made es trot 1
skins ought at least to squ££! f
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC 1. RASKIN.
This bureau does not give advice, but
It gives free Information on any subject.
Often to be accurately informed is to be
beyond the need of advice, and infor
mation is always valuable, whereas ad
rice may not be. In using this service
be sure to write clearly, state your in
quiry briefly and inclose 2-oent stamp
for reply postage. Address The Evening
Star Information Bureau, Frederic j.
Haskln, director, Washington, D. C.
Q. On a hot Summer day does an
airplane ride have a cooling effect?—
H. J.
A. Aside from the motion, there is a
second reason which makes an airplane
ride cool: For every 1,000 feet ascended
there is an actual drop of 3 degrees
in temperature.
Q. Are there any Negro Jockeys in
the big-time races? —L. B. S.
A. Although Negro boys are employed
as exercise boys and stable boys at the
big race tracks, they are not employed
as jockeys. The number has been de
creasing rapidly for the last five or six
years, and they do not usually ride, even
on the smaller race tracks.
Q. Did Lindbergh actually deliver the
letters of introduction which he took to
Paris?—T. W.
A. Ambassador Herrick said of this:
"When I greeted him he handed me his
three letters of introduction with a
happy smile.’*
Q. Os the money spent by American
tourists, how much is spent in the
United States?—C. A.
A. It has been estimated that Ameri
can tourists spent $4,000,000,000 in 1929,
Os this, about $3,000,000,000 was spent
in tourist resorts within the United
States, $800,000,000 went to Europe.
$350,000,000 to Canada and $24,000,000
to Cuba.
Q. Where is the famous Endicott pear
tree? How old is it?—F. L.
A. This tree is at Danvers port, near
Danvers, Mass. It was planted in 1632
by Gov. John Endicott on his land there
and is still the property of the Endicott
family. William Crowningshield Endi
cott, owner of the tree, believes that it
was planted In Gov. Endlcott’s garden
at Salem even before it was planted at
Danvers and that it was brought from
a nursery in England in 1630. The
tree bloomed this Spring preparatory to
bearing its annual crop of sugar pears.
Q. What is the origin of notches in
coat lapels?—T. B. A.
A. The notch is said to have origi
nated through the rivalry of Gen. Mo
reau with Napoleon, Moreau’s followers
having devised it as a secret badge of
their partnership.
Q. Who was master of ceremonies at
the first inaugural?—G. S. M.
A. Col. Smith, husband of Abigail
Adams Smith, was one.
Q. What is meant by the Brattsys
tem of Sweden?—M. F.
A. The Brattsystem refers to Sweden’s
system of liquor control, organized by
Dr. Ivan Bratt. Under its workings
Sweden is divided into 121 liquor con
trol districts, with a separate system
company to each district, the company
having the monopoly of the retail trade
in its district. Each of the 121 system
companies buys its liquor from a sin
gle wholesale system company which
has the monopoly of the wholesale
business in Sweden.
Q. What is being done to save the
Leaning Tower of Pisa?—H. K.
A. A commission of experts has been
appointed to check the increasing list
of the famous monument. It was found
Country Is Unable to Agree
On Law Enforcement Board
Pew subjects before the country In
recent months have brought out so
many differing opinions as the contro
versy over the appropriation for Presi
dent Hoover’s Law Enforcement Commis
sion. Supporters of the commission
that is headed by Mr. Wickers ham
charge that senatorial criticism has
been inspired by political opposition.
Others, commending ithe achievements
of the commission to date, believe that
the $250,000 asked should be granted
for further work. There are conflicting
views, also, as to the suggestions that
private contributions be made in the
absence of adequate funds from the
Treasury, and that the inquiry should
be confined to prohibition.
The theory that both sides to the
controversy are wrong is held by the
Milwaukee Journal, whose position is set
forth* in the statement: “President
Hoover’s motives in defying the Sen
ate’s limitations on his Law Enforcement
Commission are doubtless good, but
when he announces that he will seek
private funds to carry on the part of
the work the Senate refused to approve,
he is setting a precedent which has
dangerous possibilities. The propriety
of a President of the United States
soliciting funds for any public purpose,
other than in behalf of the Red Cross
or similar charitable enterprises, is ex*
tremely doubtful, for it will always be
difficult to divorce from such funds a
political implication.”
In reply to this argument, the Phila
delphia Inquirer states: “Such action
is not without precedent. An act
passed to forbid it during the Roosevelt
administration was interpreted by the
Attorney General as ‘not intended to
cover services rendered in an oflicial
capacity under regular appointment
otherwise permitted by law to be un
salaried.’ Since the members of the
Law Enforcement Commission are serv
ing without salary, this ruling obviously
applies to them.” The Inquirer charges
“a policy of harassing the President”
and contends that “there will be scant
sympathy with any attempt to hamper
the President by such' picayunish
methods of interfering with the work
of an important commission appointed
by him for a highly useful purpose."
“Pin-pricking hostility to President
Hoover” is seen by the New York Herald
Tribune, which maintains that “the
commission was created for the broader
purpose of recommending improvements
in the whole field of law enforcement.
* * * The members of the commis
sion are public-spirited citizens serving
without salary. * • • It shows petti
ness of mind on the Senate’s part to
refuse to support this work to its con
clusion. * * * Its gesture is one largely
of futile ill-will."
“As for the public generally,” in the
opinion of the Chattanooga Times,
“some will agree with Senator Glass
that those private individuals who may
finance the commission will be foolishly
wasting their money, while others will
hold with Senator Jones that Congress
ought to feel humiliated. One thing,
at least, is clear: Congress has got very
much out of the hands of the Presi
dent. And the body’s action in connec- "
tion with this commission appropriation
may be taken as further indication that
Congress is not likely to pay much at
tention to the commission’s report when
it is finally issued.”
The New York Evening Post sees
“more than a tinge of personal spite in
this congressional attack” and states :
that “to limit the commission is to give
it a function half public, half private,
is to reduce the value of the costly
work already done and to lessen the
authority of any verdict or verdicts
which It may eventually bring In.”
The value of the work done by the
commission Is questioned by the Balti
more Sun, with the added comment: ,
“In all probability the commission is
making useful studies in certain fields,
but so far little has been advanced save <
suggestions for greater efficiency in en- <
forcing laws which millions of people
regard as unjust and unworkable. Find- 1
ing in the commission no interest in .
that aspect of the question, the public i
is tired of the commission. It is that
fact, over and above senatorial ill j
nature, which explains the act of 1
mayhem.” 1
“If the commission gives out a quar- <
ter-million siollars’ worth of lnforma- i
tion,” suggests the Port Worth Record-
that water, filtering underneath the
tower, is responsible for undermining
its foundations. A process of strength
ening through injections of cement is
to be used for the future safety of the
tower. t
Q. How long is the Potomac River?—
P. B. L.
A. It is about 650 miles In length. ,
Q Who originated the chambermaid
or parlormaid comedy character?—G. X.
A. Kitty Clive, who flourished in the
early part of the eighteenth century,
was famed for depicting such a char
acter.
Q. What is a clerical linen collar
called?—W. W.
A. It is called a rabat. *
Q. Why do sea gulls face the wind
when they fly?—P. D. B.
A. They can balance and steer better
when flying In that position.
Q. Where is the best port in Cen
tral America on the Atlantic aide?—
H. D.
A. The most Important Atlantic port
in Central America is Port Barrios,
Guatemala.
Q. What is catnip tea?—R. M.
A. Catnip is a synonym for catmint.
Catmint is an aromatic herb of the
mint family of which cats are fond,
and which is used as a domestic rem
edy. being slightly stimulant and tonic.
Catnip tea is simply made by steeping
catmint leaves in water.
Q. What is the length of time an
average popular song holds the public's
favor?—M. T H.
A. E. C. Mills of the National Broad
casting Co. says the modern popular
tune has a life span of 90 days. It is
this situation which has given rise to
such new methods of distribution as
selling phonograph records at the news
stands.
Q Where was Pocahontas* eon
reared?—F. A. L.
A. An uncle in England reared
! Thomas Rolfe.
1 Q. How old is Gene Austin?—R. T.
A. This popular singer was born June
| 24. 1900.
> Q. What do the initials A, J, O, J
. mean when used in connection with
stocks?—P. L.
i A. They stand for April, July. Octo
ber and January, meaning that quar
• terly interest, or dividends, are payable
■ in those months.
! .
• Q. How long have we had free pub
lic libraries in the United States?—
M. E. V.
< A. The modem public library, main
tained by the municipality or some
I other unit of local government from
the proceeds of taxation, dates from
about 1850, but its real development
began in 1876. The earliest tax-sup
ported library is said to have been the
. town library of Salisbury, Conn., es
. tabllshed in 1803. The oldest existing
’ library of this kind is the one at Peter
| borough, N. H, established in 1833.
Q. In casino, playing a four-handed
1 partnership game, can a partner assist
in a build which has already been
started, even though he has not the
1 card in his hand to take the trick?—
i T. T.
A. The rules provide that this may
be done.
** British Museum?—
. i Y. The ® rltish Museum was opened
to the public on January 15, 1759.
Telegram, “the American public will
feel easily justified in believing In Sant*
, once “ orc " The New York
World is convinced that “the snarl which
the appropriation for
the commission’s work is a natural re
sult of the confusion of its nnHHM
The curtailment of funds was virtually
denia! of a vote of full confidence ”
No one has been able to give any
assurance,” says the New Orleans
item, that the commission has a
chance to render greater service in the
.than it has already rendered.
The evidence indicates that it has been
an important agency and is likely to
continue so. Why, then, spend $250,000
more upon it?” The Birmingham News
voices the view that “findings of a com
m“»}°n financed by private and not by
public funds may become legally doud
fu Lynchburg Advance offers
the criticism, “The people of the United
States are vastly more interested in the
dry question than they are in a study
of general crime, and had the commis
sil,l followed the general purpose for
which it was created, the country might
have been on the way to a solution of
a perplexing problem.”
'•That the Wickersham commission
should be adequately financed in the
completion of the work on the broad
lines hitherto projected seems a per
fectly reasonable proposal,” states the
Springfield Republican, expressing its
sympathy “with the President’s purpose
to finance by means of private funds the
commission’s requirements in complet
w* program unhampered by the
limitations which the Senate would
impose on it.” The Louisville Times
comments: “The results of the work
may be or may not be worth the outlay,
or worth a farthing. But why investi
gate one form of crime only?”
The Asheville Times “finds itself in
sympathy, speaking in general, with
the President’s defense of his commls
but adds, “It must be confessed
that it is not difficult to understand
the impatience that marks the criti
cisms. in the Senate and elsewhere, of
the law commission’s necessarily slow
labors.”
“Since the commission has under
taken,” according to the Erie Dispatch-
Herald, “the huge task of investigating
the whole subject of law obedience and
enforcement, with special reference to
the prohibition problem, it should go
through with it. The commission has
accomplished something substantial,
giving hope of a final constructive
report.”
Parents Responsible
For July 4 Injuries
To the Editor of The Stsr:
May I suggest that you call to the
attention of your readers:
1. The “Glorious Fourth” in 30 year*
has cost U. S. A. morq. lives than tho
war that made its celebration worth
while.
~ 2. Parents never expect their children
will be the sufferers.
3. It is the parents’ direct respon
sibility if they are hurt.
4. Powder injuries are peculiarly sub
ject to infection.
5. There’s a reason why fireworks
must be “bootlegged”—and there is
still a big work to be done by the peo
ple of the suburbs.
H. V, SCHREIDER.
Move to Check Sale of
Fireworks in Maryland
To the Editor of The Star:
The Decatur Heights Citizens' Asso- ,
elation wishes to commend your edi
torial “The Barrage Descends,” which
appeared in the issue of The Star of
July 1, 1930. This association by a
unanimous vote has passed a resolu
tion favoring the restriction of the
sale of fireworks in the State of Mary
land in conformity with the rules regu
!•«?* the sale in the District a#
Columbia.
GERTRUDE BICKNKLL,
Secretary;