Evening star. [volume], January 31, 1932, Page 2, Image 26

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

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the evening star
With Sunday Morning Edition.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
SUNDAY.January 31, 1932
THEODORE W. NOYES. . . .Editor
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Orders to the Fleet.
Orders were issued yesterday to the
Asiatic Fleet of the American Navy to
stand ready to protect American lives
in China. Admiral Pratt, chief of
operations, stated that "our fleet will
be ready to evacuate our nationals or
to protect them if a crisis arises where
mob rule prevails; our forces will go
in and take whatever steps are neces
sary to protect our people."
If such is the program, alone, there
Will be no dissent by the people of this
country. There will be universal sup
port of any such policy of protection.
That is what the American Navy is for,
in any emergency. It is the defensive
force, designed for the safeguarding of
American ' rights, American property
end American lives.
But beyond such measures of protec
tion and rescue from danger the Navy
should not go. whatever the scope of the
conflict in Asia. The quarrel between
Japan and China does not involve the
United States. This country is not a
member of the League of Nations. It
is not alone a guarantor of the terri
torial integrity of China, though with
eight other nations it is sponsor for it.
It holds no mandate for the preserva
tion of peace there or in any other
quarter of the world where its terri
torial rights are not involved.
However the sense of justice of the
United States may be shocked by
Japan's aggressive policy against China,
however greatly it may be aggrieved in
its sense of fair play and international
righteousness, it cannot, without a |
perilous departure from its wisely es
tablished principles, intervene by force
of arms in a situation in which its
direct interests are not involved.
Neither side in this deplorable dis- I
putation has appealed to the United
States directly for aid or support. There
Is no warrant for such appeal. The
fact that this Government is party to
a series of treaties in renunciation of
■war, to which both of the nations now
approaching a state of war are likewise
subscribers, does not impose upon it
the obligation in any degree to inter
cede. save by advice and imploration.
Certain principles are held in the
highest regard by the people of the
•United States, in respect to foreign re
lations, direct and indirect. One of
these is the integrity of nations. But
when that principle is violated, if in its
violation the vital interests of the
United States or the persons of its na
tionals are not affected, it is not re- |
quired to intervene: indeed it should not .
Intervene.
For intervention implies war, if it !
does not immediately and directly in- !
volve the United States in war. For ;
the United States to go to war with
Japan to prevent the seizure of China,
or to compel its release if seizure were
already effected, would be a monstrous
Injustice to the American people, a
sacrifice of American lives and Ameri
can treasure for which there would be
no Justification.
The hard times cloud has one touch
ef silver—the suavity and courtesy of
taxicab drivers.
The Sinking of the M-2.
It now appears certain that all of the
sixty men on the British submarine
M-2 have perished and that another
major disaster of the sea has been re
corded. The M-2 disappeared four
days ago while engaged in routine div
ing tests in the English Channel. When
she failed to come to the surface a
searching party was promptly organized
and frantic efforts were made to locate
her. For a time it was believed that
anc had been found, and divers were
hurriedly summoned, but their report
was discouraging. It wras merely an
©id wreck on the ocean bottom that the
grappling irons had struck. The British
admiralty has now advised the rela- j
'• tives of the men on board that they !
have undoubtedly been lost.
Just what happened to cause this
tragedy may never be known. While
\jtiie M-2 was not of the latest type, she
was considered thoroughly seaworthy
and an efficiently performing efaft.
Officers and men were equipped with
t-the most modern life-saving devices
which, under normal conditions, would
enable them to escape if the boat could
not be brought to the surface. These
devices were of the type which have
reached a high point of development
in the American submarine service. As
a matter of fact, it was soon after the
sinking of the United States submarines
S-51 and S-4 that all nations began a
determined campaign to provide some
planner of escape from stricken craft.
In view of the fact that those on
the M-5 had «3ie means at hand to
leave the boat if It was merely a mat
ter of her refusing to rise it would
seem evident that she was ripped
apart by collision wdth submerged
wreckage and that the accident w-as
1 so sudden that no time was allowed
for escape. Even if this w*re the case,
it is difficult to understand why at least
a few men did not get out. In the
crash between the S-51 and the steam
ship City of Rome, which sent the
submarine to the bottom like a plum
met, three men succeeded in getting out
(of the wrecked craft and were the only
f survivors of a crew of thirty-seven. In
\ the other major American tragedy, that
j of the collision between the S-4 and
U *he CotjJ; Guard destroyer Paui^ng,
I
there were no survivors, although the
sunken submarine was promptly lo
cated, life was found aboard and frantic
efforts were made to raise her before
the suffocating gas and lack of air
ended all.
The sympathy of America goes out
i to the relatives of those who were lost
1 on the M-2 The people of the United
States have had their own experiences
with thus type of disaster and appreci
ates what they are suffering.
Eight Shoulder, Arms!
The plan for reorganizing the Engi
neer Department of the municipal
government was drawn up by Maj.
Donald A. Davison, the acting Engi
neer Commissioner, arid is understood
to have received the approval of the
Chief of Engineers of the Army as well
as of the District Commissioners Rep
resentative Simmons of Nebraska. Rep
resentative Cannon of Missouri and
the director of the Bureau of the
Budget. It may be accepted, therefore,
as a sound plan, capable of increas
ing efficiency of administration at the
District Building. It is to be assumed
tha*,.the discharge of two low-salaried
employes, the reduction in salary of the
municipal architect and the failure to
fill vacant subordinate positions in
order to create funds for the hire of
new executives were considered from
the angles of both justice and neces
sity. The advantage of having perma
nent officials in charge of work that
should be planned far in advance, to
be gained through this reorganization,
is obvious. Heretofore the District has
suffered through the constant change
of Army officers, who, just as they
became familiar with work in progress
and plans for the future, were ordered
away on new assignments.
The reorganization, however, and the
manner in which it was made effective,
serve to emphasize the unique position
of the municipal government as a
Federal agency, pure and simple, to
which Congress has delegated some of
its administrative powers. That this
form of government can be efficient is
not open to question; that it can elimi
nate much waste and needless expense
for which other municipalities pay in
their taxes is granted.
But from its very nature, and from
such processes as that manifested in
the reorganization, it should be ap
parent that here we have a municipal
government responsive to the will of
Congress and not to the will of the
taxpayers; representative of the Con
gress, which supervises its work, au
thorizes its expenditures, expresses its
pleasure and its displeasure over the
manner in which it carries out the
work—but not representative of the
community that is governed. As bu
reau chiefs, the municipal officials are
anxious for all the money they can
spend—a characteristic common to bu
reau chiefs in general. And the man
ner of their selection serves more and
more to place them in the category of
bureau chiefs whose chief interest is
to obtain from Congress the funds
that will enable them to ao things—
regardless of the source of such funds.
A few years ago Capt. H. C. White
hurst, then assigned to the District as
an Assistant Engineer Commissioner,
resigned from the Army to take a ci
vilian position, at a much higher sal
ary, in the municipal government—a
position he has filled with skill and
ability. Now Capt. Hugh P. Oram, an
other Assistant Engineer Commissioner,
an efficient and iespec‘'d Army officer,
is to resign to take another civilian
position created by the reorganization,
and at a much higher salary than his
Army pay. The District is hiring Mr.
Harold W. Baker, director of the Roch
ester. N. Y., Department of Public
Works, who will come here to super
vise construction of local public works,
including the Municipal Center, and
who will assume the important job of
land buying. Mr. Baker has been ■
highly recommended for the job by |
Maj. Carey H. Brown, U. S. A., re- ,
sj^ned, now holding a civilian position j
in Rochester. Of the four men to be i
assigned to the new positions under the I
new set-up. Sanitary Engineer Gordon j
alone was selected from the Washing
tonians at the District Building.
Over these four new positions there ,
will be the four Army officers assigned
to the Municipal Building as Engineer (
Commissioners. The most recent of
those so assigned is a young lieutenant, j
now' serving on the West Coast. When J
he comes here he will be assigned ,
either to the Zoning Commission or the !
Co-ordinating Committee of the Na
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, or placed over the man In
charge of buying land. Two other va
cancies among the Army officers soon
must be filled. The appointees will
probably not be selected according to
rank or standing on the Army lists, as j
precedent has been well established i
now for departure from that custom.
The Army officers selected will un
doubtedly represent somebody’s personal
preference.
These, with the retired Army general ,
now a member of the Board of Com- j
missioners, the retired Army general ;
now chairman of the Public Utilities .
Commission, the retired Army general j
now the superintendent of police and !
the two resigned Army officers now to
supervise other municipal agencies,
working in close co-operation with the
Army officer in charge of water supply
and the Army officer in charge of
parks and park purchases, will, in addi
tion to providing a suitable martial at
mosphere in the District, co-ordinate
work efficiently.
There is much to be said in favor of
autocracy as a form of government. I
Its chief disadvantage, in the District
of Columbia, is the misunderstandings
resulting from its confusion, in the
minds of strangers and new members
of Congress, with a democratic form
of government. There are, of course, a
number of differences.
No headline writer, so far as known,
j has yet seemed able to combine the
words “attack,” “abject,” “apology,”
"Abyssinia” and “Addis-Ababa” all into
one alliterative masterpiece.
Car Parking in the Triangle.
The Secretary of Commerce has
J asked that two entire squares in the
■ Mall-Avenue triangle now being cleared
I for future development as a grand
plaza within the group of structures
that will rise between Twelfth and
Fifteenth streets and Pennsylvania and
Constitution avenues be set aside for
the exclusive use of employes of that
department for the parking of their
cars. It is expected that this request
will be granted only in part and that
mere# a portion of this space will be
thus allocated to the Commerce De
partment workers. They will, in that
case, pay a fixed rental for the space
they occupy.
This, if effected, will be merely a
temporary expedient. In the course
of a very few’ years, depending upon I
the length of time required for the j
strengthening of the Federal Treasury |
to the point of permitting the de- ,
velopment of this plaza, the ground
must be taken away from the con
cessionaires and turned into a park.
Where then will the motor cars of the
Commerce Department employes be |
placed during working hpurs?
The question has been pending for
some time. It was brought up when
the great Government building proj- |
ect was adopted. It w’as not then settled.
Again it was brought forward when
the Commerce Bidding was approach
ing completion, and once more de- ]
cision was postpone^. The matter was
studied by an organization which
specializes in such puzzles, and recom- J
mendations were made, but not adopt- j
ed. It was more convenient, apparently, I
to procrastinate than to decide.
In the course of perhaps two years
three units will have been added to the
building group in this section of the
Triangle, the Post Office, the Depart
ment of Labor and the Interstate Com
merce Commission. These will house
more people 'nan even the great Com
merce Building. The car-parking prob
lem will be magnified beyond ready
computation. When .he central plaza is
done over into a park the cars can not
be put there. Where will they go? Into
the streets? They are already c .ngested
even beyond the safety point. Into the
park to the couth? There is a decided
objection to this use of the public reser
vation.
Private enterprise has not appeared to
be willing to provide parking accommo
dations for the cars of the Government
workers at the rates which could be
borne by the car owners. The main
tenance of the permissive rule regarding
street parking works against such pro
vision. If that rule is rescinded garages
may be built, perhaps within the in
terior of squares in the down-town area.
There must be accommodation for at
least 20.0C0 cars daily, if the streets and
the parks are not to l-e used. Perhaps
many more. Is it not time to start
something in this direction by Govern
ment operation or by private invest
ment?
In an experiment conducted at the
University of North Carolina cotton was
sowed like grass, mowed like hay and
converted into cellulose. Now it only
remains for some bright mind to dis
cover a method for converting this
product into synthetic cotton.
-» 4
It used to be thought that the recipe
for continued connubial happiness lay
mainly in faith, understanding and
mutual consideration. These days it
would appear to be contained largely in
certain brands of washing powders and
soap flakes.
“Fool-Proof Auto is Problem for
Engineers,” ran a recent headline. The
problem will be solved entirely only If
and when the first part of the hyphen
ated word is obsolete. , Nor will this
happen in any year beginning with “19.”
A movie actress earned her way from
Kansas City to New York and on to the
stage by painting greeting cards. She
should be eligible for some high office
in thefcNational Society of Greeters.
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Sad W ords.
A man stalked forth in solemn show,
"The saddest words,” he said,
“Are not ‘It might have been'—ah, no;”
He slowly shook his head.
“The lesson that they seem to teach
Is like a merry tune
Compared to that remorseful speech,
The words, 'I talked too soon!’
“The man who finds the marriage yoke
A misfit for the pair—
He wishes he had never spoke
With such deficient care;
He shows to us the sorry case
Of any man whose mind
Lets Vocal Effort set the pace
While Thought trails in behind.
"The man who has to contradict
Some speech he made last year;
The man who finds he has been tricked
Into a contract queer—
They join the rhythm of regret
That marks the general tune;
That line to minor music set;
'Alas! I talked too soon!”’
Limited.
‘‘Are you ready to make personal sac
rifices in order to serve your country?”
“Yes,” replied Senator Sorghum.
“But they've got me limited. I’d put
three or four times as much money into
my campaign if they'd let me.”
Jud Tunkins says he hopes communi
cation with spirits will be perfected so
that great men can come back and give
their own opinions of what historians j
say.
Demonstration.
Unskilled zeal is often first
In evidence and longest.
The player who performs the worst
Wants the loud pedal strongest.
Foresight.
“I suppose you attribute your great
success in life to your own foresight,”
said the magazine biographer.
"Yes,” answered Mr. Dustin Stax.
"In what way did it manifest itself?”
"In picking out smart lawyers to look
after my affairs.”
\ Impenitence.
I^'s kinder awful when I think
pf hours I’ve fooled away
A-kngerin’ on the river’s brink
Tp watch the ripples play;
A-««tchin’ silvery clouds that float
Acjrost the crystal skies,
Or stoppln’ by the hour to note
Thlf dancin’ butterflies!
I might have been a-savin’ coin
An’ pilin’ bricks on stone,
An’ fimdin’ easy folks to join
Their money with my own:
An' yet, whene'er I think of it,
My iteart grotvs warm an’ gay.
I somehow don’t begrudge a bit
The hours I’ve fooled away!
■ "A truv> friend,” said Uncle Eben, ”Is
a man dat can't fohgit a favor nor re
member • fault.” ^
SOBER THINKING
BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, D. D, LL. D„
Bishop oj Washington.
Text: “I say—to every man that is
among you, not to think of himself
more highly than he ought to think,
but to think more soberly.1'—
Romans, xii.3.
Sober thinking is the apostle’s appeal.
Over against it and as a hindrance to
if he sets self-conceit. He does ap
peal against that reasonable kind of
self-respect or self-assurance that is
indispensable to efficient Jiving. Emer
son in his famous essay on "Self-Reli
ance” makes it a cardinal virtue. It 1s
not against this that the apostle In
veighs. As a matter of fact, there is a
kind of self-respect that borders closely
on self-conceit that constitutes a real
asset in the prosecution of any task.
On the other hand, there is a repre
hensible and offensive kind of self
conceit that defeats the ends we seek
to serve. Possibly we of America have
largely illustrated this in our more re
cent years. We have disclosed a kind
of conceit in our institutions and en
terprises that has rendered us immune
to caution and reasonable conserva
tism. We have builded our great en
terprises upon tlie assurance that, in
dependent of what the rest of the
world might experience in the way of
misfortune and disaster, America was
immune. With humility we admit we
have thought more highly of ourselves
than we ought to think, and for it we
have paid in costly sacrifice. It is
inevitably true that a too great self
dependence leads inevitably away from
God-dependence. In our conceit wre
reach a condition where we depend
wholly upon our own genius for W'hat
we are and what we have As a mat
ter of fact, the whole drift of modern
living the whole world 'round has been
in this direction. We have suffered
from a condition bordering closely on
intoxication; Instead of being rational
we have become irrational; instead of
logical, illogical; and for these indis
cretions we are being penalized. It
reminds us of the statement of a gTeat
English admiral made in the height of
the World War. Speaking to his fel
low countrymen, he said: "Not until
England goes to her knees with a prayer
to God upon her lips shall we see the ■,
beginning ot the end of this war.”
With the shattering of self-conceit and
self-dependence and our rude awaken
ing to our lack of self-sufficiency, we
are being compelled to give ourselves to
sober thinking, sober thinking that mu'jt
lead us back again to ways of sobriety,
decency and a fresh respect for those
virtues that have stood us in 3tead in
other crises, In all our planning today
in all our efforts to recover our lost
poise we are compelled to reckon with
the essential pl&ce that our religious
convictions occupy. In the text quoted
the writer speaks of sober thinking
being conditioned by the measure of
faith we hold. Whether we are seeking
to improve the conditions of our homes,
the conditions of society or those of in
dustry, in our thinking we are com
pelled to reckon with that which con
tributes to the stabilizing of character.
We cannot legislate ourselves into more
efficient living, nor cart we insure our
selves against misfortune through the
acquisition of things material. We
have depended largely upon capitaliza
tion to guarantee us against mishap.
W'e have thought that the vast extent
of our enterprises was the one supreme
thing to render us secure. It was a case
of undue conceit and self-dependence,
now we are compelled to consider other
values. If the people of this Nation
are to bring about the restoration of
order and to dissipate the clouds that
obscure the sun of their prosperity, they
will have to do some very serious and
sober thinking. If we could once re
solve to reaffirm our faith and to bring
it to bear upon every relation and con
dition of life, once determine to set our
house in order and to do this with seri
ous Intention, we should hasten the day
of our return to those conditions of
life that for the while we have lost.
Not until we do these things will we be
rid of the fear complex that has brought
us to our present estate. “Be not wise
in your own conceits,” might well be the
admonition repeated in every place of
legislation, every board room, every in
dustry and every home. The call to
sober thinking must be heeded, or to use
the language of Carlyle, “We shall con
tinue distressed and distracted ever
more and more.”
Roosevelt Against the Field Is Now
Democracy's Pre-Convention Situation
_
BY GEORGE VAN SLYKE.
NEW YORK, January 30.—Gov. j
Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York
has held his lead through his first
week in the open as an avowed can
didate for the Democratic nomination
for President, even though he has
come into direct conflict with the de
termined opposition of the allied forces
in the national organization which are,
bent on halting his boom as quickly
as possible.
Since informing the North Du.iota
Democrats last week that he would
enter their primaries. Vermont and
Wisconsin have declared for him and
Washington has indicated its prefer
ence. Both Vermont and Wisconsin
were credited with leaning strongly to
Alfred E. Smith and their indorse
ment without reservation has had an
impressive effect on other States. Fully
a dozen Roosevelt States have made
known thev are preparing to take a
stand for the New Yorker within the
next few weeks
Seemingly well satisfied with the'
drift his way. Gov. Roosevelt gives no
hint of altering his plan of action,
although being urged to go forth on
a Nation-wide pre-convention battle
for delegates. If the policy now pre
vailing is followed, the country is to
witness a new brand of presidential
campaigning.
* * * *
The old ballyhoo methods are out of j
date, it seems. The Roosevelt man
agers are content to wait for States
to come to him. instead of following
the old system of engaging upon a na
tional scramble for delegates. The
plan has its advantages. The candi
date avoids the risk of entangling local
alliances and factional disturbances.
He takes a position of extreme con
fidence. which inspires his following,
and he gets over the trouble of having
to declare his stand on pressing na
tional issues, such as the League of
Nations and prohibition. Mr. Roose
velt has not yet declared himself on
any issue and yet his boom goes mer
rily on its way.
Until the opposition shows signs ot
making more headway than it has to
date the Roosevelt managers propose
going along as they have been. Their
system appears to be baffling to the
opposition, which is asking whether he
is a more skillful politician than has
been recognized.
The Governor's strength Is now put
down at about 500 delegates, maybe a
little more or less. At any rate, he I
now holds more than one-third of the
voting power of the National Conven
tion and therefore has the veto. His
opponents have yet to get that veto it
they are to block Roosevelt. In other
words, he is in a position already to
block the nomination of any candidate
who stands up against him and those
opposing him have a fight ahead to
get their ofie-third.
Mr. Roosevelt has reached this en
viable position, his managers point out.
without going after a delegate entering
a State or making a promise. The
movement for his nomination has come
from the State organizations, acting on
their own and not as a result of propa
ganda and solicitation. If his J1101'10"
has been good enough to carry him half
way without a struggle, his friends insist
it should have a further try-out.
* * * *
There Is no present intention of or
ganizing a national Roosevelt-for-Pres
ident Committee, as many have de
manded since the Governor stepped out
a week ago as a candidate. High-pow
ered salesmen are not to be sent on the
road. At the most, the intention is not
to go into more than three or four
State contests. His candidacy and his
future are to be entrusted to the State
organizations. Pleased with the con
fidence shown in them and delighted not
to have a super-authority set up over
them, the State leaders who favor
Roosevelt are straining every nerve to
make good, apparently with success. It
is a new' system, but it may work. Even
Woodrow Wilson and Champ Clark,
John W. Davis and A1 Smith had to
be “sold” to the country by elaborate
and expensive committees and swarms
of “workers.”
As the Roosevelt plan of campaign
has unfolded, the strategy of the oppo
sition to his nomination has been re
vealed in several moves this week. The
partv is to be split into as many units
and favorite-son delegations as possible
in the effort to stop the Governor. Mr.
Roosevelt is going forth on a new ad
venture: his political enemies are re
viving the old-time tactics which dis
rupted the Democratic conventions in
1912, 1920 and 1924.
* * * *
Newton D. Baker hastily took the leap j
necessary to keep him in the race this
week w hen he renounced the League of
Nations as a controversial issue for the
campaign; offered himself as a rally
ing point for wavering *bate leaders
who like him but hate the League, and
took his stand with the allied forces.
His re-entry as an available candidate
is distinctly an anti-Roosevelt move
ment. He is now counted as the run
ner-up in the race; the possible favorite
if Roosevelt can be blocked and a com
promise or dark horse candidate chosen.
To reach that position Mr. Baker had
to get rid of the League, w'hich he has
championed for years as successor to
Woodrow Wilson and which lies close to
his heart. But he did it. He is back
in the race.
Gov. Ritchie of Maryland, the other
candidate already in the field, has be
gun to speed up this we»v through his
big committee and his objective is said
to he 100 delegates. He ha* his own
State, a promise of a handful of dele
gates from Pennsylvania, a few from
Delaware and is going after others in
the bordering States. His is a distinctly
anti-Roosevelt candidacy.
Speaker Garner of Texas appears to
be taking his candidacy seriously and
his gain is decidedly Roosevelt's loss.
Friends of Melvin A. Trayloi, i .e Chi
cago banker, are credited with moving
oi. his behalf. They purpose showing
the country that he is presidential size
and available as a candidate. That is
anti-Roosevelt.
* * * *
The A1 Smith puzzle remains un
solved. Still he hesitates, and his
silence is a cloud over the Roosevelt
boom. The day is close at hand when
Mr Smith must tell the Democrats of
New Hampshire and Massachusetts
whether he will accede to their request
and enter their primary. The Smith
men are making a careful canvass in
both States. If convinced Mr. Smith
can win, he doubtless will enter. If
the result looks dubious, he will not.
If he consents tacitly by neither ob
jecting nor consenting, he will be ac
cepted as a candidate.
The fact that he hesitates and seems
reluctant to go in is viewed by the
Roosevelt men as evidence that he does
not dare risk defeat, for if Mr. Smith
were beaten, even in a small State pri
mary contest with Mr. Roosevelt, his
leadership pf the wet Eastern wing
would almost collapse.
(Copyright. 1932 1
Electrical Industry Now
Going After New Business
BY HARDEN COLFAX.
Now it is the electric equipment in
dustry that has made up its mind to
get after trade with a vim, following
the example set by the motor car manu
facturers. Increasing activity in the
electrical appliance group is noted by
the Department of Commerce at the
various manufacturing and distributing
centers.
These industries have not been so
fear-ridden as some others. In fact,
they boast that at the close of 1931 the
electric refrigerator industry, almost
alone among major manufacturing in
dustries of the country, could show a
stronger financial condition than it
had ever had before. They have been
pegging away without let-up since the
depression began, but they have now
launched a sales campaign, largely
through advertising, that promises to
have decisive results for themselves and
kindred industries.
* * * *
At the beginning of last year the
goal set was to sell a million electric
refrigerators during 1931. involving a
total of $250,000,000. This was accom
plished. The makers of refrigerators
are now In the second year of a three
year campaign.
Heartened by the success of the cold
air people, who sell refrigerators, the
hot-air folks, who make electric ranges,
are also after a million sales for their
goods over a three-vear period. They
are not quite so ambitious as the re
frigerator venders, perhaps, but just as
determined. They have just voted to
spend $18,000,000 in advertising. This
will mean not only disposing of a mil
lion electric ranges. It will probably
involve the sale of at least $200,000,000
worth of allied materials. Aside from
advertising, this range campaign In
volves the expenditure of many millions
more for sales promotion and organi
zation and, it is estimated, will produqe
a total of at least half a billion dollars'
worth of business for electrical contrac
tors, dealers, central stations and manu
facturers. Observers of the effect of
their effort report that it has already
been stimulating to many side indus
tries.
* * * *
When It is remembered that there
are now more than 3,500,000 electrical
I refrigerators in use in American homes
and that these homes and apartments
also enjoy the comforts of more than
1,000,000 ranges and some 300,000 water
heaters, the scope of this campaign may
be seen.
The leaders of the electrical equip
ment trade are enthusiastic over the
prospect of introducing new inventions,
conveniences and novelties and, through
advertising now under way, they show
an increasing number of these. They
are planning new campaigns for future
years, each one concerned with some
particular electrical appliance or serv
ice. It seems probable that the year
1933 will usher in a concerted drive by
I the makers of electric water heaters,
and who knows what other form of
electrical convenience? They are even
getting after the farmers to buy appa
ratus for electrical heating of hotbeds.
* * * *
These activities are the result very
largely of the joint efforts of the
largest busy makers of electrical ap
pliances and the utility companies
throughout the country—the National
Electric Manufacturers’ Association
working in close co-operation with the
National Electric Light Association,
i The makers of appliances, however,
are not the only ones who are busy
in the electrical field. Television, we
are told, is hiding just around the
corner, while “air conditioning” and
the artificial heating or cooling of
homes by electricity are actually being
developed for commercial exploitation.
The trade is pushing the sun lamp,
which is increasingly effective in tan
ning our skins. The more advanced
promoters of electrical goods are pre
dicting a great future for the photo
electric cell.
(Copyright, 19^.)
Capital Sidelights j
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.
The favorite prayers by George Wash- >
ington, copied in his own handwriting
and entitled by him "The Daily Sacri
fice,” are preserved in facsimile form in
the archives of the rare books division
of the Library of Congress, Washing
ton, D, C.
This prayer book, written by Wash
ington, was first published by Stan V.
Henkels, Philadelphia, in 1891. The
copy which is now treasured in the Li
brary of Congress is that of W. Herbert,
Burk, and was published for the benefit
of the Washington Memorial Ci.-pel of
Valley Forge in 1907.
"Washington Prayers,” as they are
officially called, were found in a manu
script form, hand written, among the
Washington relics, purchased in 1891 by
Rev. C. F. Hoffman at a sale by Thomas
Birch’s Sons of Philadelphia.
These prayers cover the days of the
week, from Sunday until Thursday,
stopping abruptly with the Thursday
morning offering. It is probable that
only a portion of the original manu
script was found. These at once simple
and majestic petitions reveal the sublime
confidence of Washington’s.heart in the
guidance of God.
The Sunday offering, morning and
evening, follows in its entirety. Ex
cerpts from the other days are also
quoted:
SUNDAY MORNING.
Almighty God and most merciful
father, who didst command the chil
dren *jt Israel to offer a daily sacrifice
to Thee, that thereby they might
glorify and praise Thee for Thy protec
tion both night and day; receive O
Lord, my morning sacrifice, which I
now offer up to Thee; I yield Thee
humble and hearty thanks, that Thou
hast preserved me from the dangers of
the night past and brought me to the
light of this day and the comforts
thereof, a day which is consecrated to
Thine own service and for Thine honour.
Let my heart therefore, gracious God.
be so affected by the glory and majesty
of it, that I may not do mine ow'n
works, but wait on Thee and discharge
those weighty duties Thou requireth of
me; and since Thou art a God of pure
eyes, and will be sanctified by all who
draw near unto Thee, who dost not
regard the sacrifice of fools, nor hear
sinners who tread in Thy courts, pardon
I beseech Thee, my sins, remove them
from Thy presence, as far as the East
is from the West, and accept of me.
for the merits of Thy Son Jesus Christ
that when I come to Thy temple and
compass Thy altar my prayer may come
before Thee as incense and as I de
sire Thou wouldst hear me calling upon
Thee in my prayers, so give me grace
to hear Thee calling on me in Thy
word that it may be wisdom, righteous
ness, reconciliation and peace to the
saving of my soul in the day of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Grant that I mav
hear it with reverence, receive it with
meekness, mingle it with faith and that
it may accomplish in me. gracious God,
the good work for which Thou hast
sent it.
Bless my family, kindred friends and
country, be our God and guide, this
day and forever, for His sake, who lay
down in the grave and arose again for
us, Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
SUNDAY EVENING.
O most Glorious God in Jesus Christ
my merciful and loving father. I ac
knowledge and confide my guilt in the
weak and imperfect performance of
the duties of this day. I have called
on Thee for pardon and forgiveness
of sins, but so coldly and carelessly
that my prayers are become my sin
and stand in need of pardon. I have
heard Thy holy word, but with such
deadness of spirit that I have been
an unprofitable and forgetful hearer
so that O Lord tho' I have done Thy
work yet it hath been so negligent
that I may rather expect a curse than \
a blessing from Thee. But, O God
who art rich in mercy and plenteous
in redemption, mark not I beseech
ihee what I have done amiss, rematn
|>er that I am but dust, and remit
tny transgressions, negligences, ig- j
norances, and cover them .all with the
absolute obedience of Thy dear son.
that those sacrifices which I have of
fered may be accepted by Thee, in and
for the sacrifice Jesus ^ \rist offered
upon the cross for me: for his sake
ease me of the burden of my sins and
give me grace that by Thy calls of the
Gospel I may rise from the slumber
of sin with newness of life. Let me
live according to those holy rules which
Thou hast this day prescribed in Thy
holy words. Make me know what is
acceptable in Thy sight and therein
to delight. Open the eyes of my un
derstanding, and help me thoroughly
to examine myself concerning my
knowledge, faith and repentance. In
crease my faith and direct me to the
true object. Jesus Christ, the way. the
truth and the life. Bless O Lord all
the people of this land, from the high
est to the lowest, particularly those
whom Thou hast appointed to rule
over us in church and state. Con
tinue Thy goodness to me this night.
These weak petitions I humbly im
plore Thee to hear, accept and answer
for the sake of Thy Dear Son Jesus
Christ Our Lord. Amen.
MONDAY MORNING.
O Eternal and everlasting God. I pre
sume to present myself this morning
before thy divine majesty beseeching
thee to accept of my humbie and hearty
thanks, that it hath pleased thy great
goodness to keep and preserve me the
night past from all the dangers poor
mortals are subject to. and hast given
me sweet and pleasant sleep, whereby
I find my body refreshed and com
forted for performng the duties of this
day, in which I beseech thee to defend
me from all perils of body and soul.
Direct my thoughts, words and works
and wash away my sins in the im
maculate blood of the Lamb and purge
my heart by the holy Spirit from the
dross of my natural corruption, that I
may with more freedom of mind and
liberty of will serve thee, the everliving
God. in righteousness and holiness this
dav and all the days of my life.
Teach me how to live in thy fear,
labour in thy service and ever to run
in the way of thy commandments.
. , . Discharge my soul from all things
that are displeasing to thee, of all ill
will and discontent, wrath and bitter
ness, pride and vain-concelt of myself,
and render me charitable, pure, holy,
patient and heavenly minded. Be with
me at the hour of death, dispose me
for it, and deliver me from the slavish
fear of it, and make me willing and fit
to die whenever thou shalt call me
hence. . . . Bless, O Lord, the whole
race of mankind and let the world be
filled with the knowledge of thee and
thy son, Jesus Christ. Pity the sick,
the poor, the weak, the needy, the
widows and the fatherless and all that
mourn or are broken in heart and be
merciful to them according to their
several necessities. Bless my friends
and give me grace to forgive my enemies
as heartily as I desire forgiveness of
thee, my heavenly Father.—Our Father.
Bless all in authority over us, be
merciful to all those afflicted with any
cross or calamity. Bless all my friends,
forgive my enemies and accept my
thanksgiving this evening for all Thy
mercies and favors granted me. Hear
and graciously answer these my requests
and whatever else Thou seest needful
for the sake of Jesus Christ in whose
blessed name and words X continue to
pray, Our Father.
Pardon my sins for the sake of Thy
dear son, my only Savior, Jesus Christ,
who came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance. Be pleased to
renew my nature and write Thy laws
upon my heart.Help me to live
righteously, soberly and godly in this
world, make me meek, humble, patient
and contented and work in me the grace
of Thy holy spirit. Keep me in perfect
peace which I ask in the name and tor
the sake of Jesus Christ.
Let Thy favor be extended to all my
relations, friends and all others who I
ought to remember in my prayers and
hear me I beseech Thee for the sake
of my dear Redeemer, in whose most
i holy words I pray—Our Father.
What couldst Thou have done Iiord
more for me and w'hat 'ould I have
done more against Tbee?—Our Father.
THE NEW BOTANIC GARDEN
BY FREDERIC }. HASKIN. .
A happy-ending chapter has begun
to be written for the long history of
the United States Botanic Garden at
Washington, a feature of the Capital
1 City's magnificence which for a cen
tury has been neglected. The Botanic
Garden, although originally intended
to rank importantly, has been the step
child of Congress, yielding to any
number of other improvements in the
1 matter of expensive improvement and
care.
At long last this Garden Is about to
be moved and, on a new' nearby site,
is expected to be raised to the dignity
its patience may be considered to have
merited. This late development comes
as a part of the great program of
public buildings improvement now
going forward at Washington. The
Garden has occupied the first open
section of public land to the west of
the Capitol Grounds proper. Inas
much as this land is to be included in
the scope of the whole Triangle de
velopment. flowing into the Mall, the
Botanic Garden itself is bring trans
ferred to a site covering a city square
and a triangular part of another
square between First and Second
streets and running from Maryland
avenue to Canal street. The Grant
Memorial, which has stood at one side
of the Botanic Garden, and the Meade
Memorial, which has stood in the cen
ter of it, w'ill remain as features of
the Mall development, but the green
houses and gardens themselves will be
moved.
A new $1,000,000 structure, midway
in design between a temple and a
greenhouse, has been provided in the
plans for the new Garden, making
up, in part, for the long parsimony
which has characterized the attention
given it in the past.
It was expected that the Capital
City would develop first in an easterly
direction from the Capitol, the central
feature of the new city. The east front
w'as given the closest attention in the
matter of design. It could not be fore
seen that the years would see the de
velopment precisely reversed and what
might be regarded as the back door of
the Capitol looking out over miles of
development. However, Maj. l'Enfant
had laid out comprehensive plans for
the western side.
Meager Start Made.
The Garden was located at the foot
of the slope gliding down from the
Capitol eminence. Although as earlv
as 1792 orders were given to begin
clearing away the alder swamps which
occupied the point adjacent to the site
of the Garden, at which Pennsylvania
avenue was designed to begin its his
toric course from Capitol to White
House, it was not until 1796“ we find a
first step being taken. That was only
a warning to David Bumes, the Scots
farmer who owned much of the site of
the city of Washington, that he planted
crops on the Avenue and the Mall at
his own risk, as something might be
done almost any time to make a thor
oughfare.
Still nothing was done, and it is prob
able that Thomas Jefferson was the
first influential person who took an in
terest in clearing up the brush that
covered the land. In 1810 we find that
some rows of Lombardy poplars had
been planted, but the Avenue itself v/«
too much of a morass to be traversed
save on horseback.
It was not Until 1820 that Congress
definitely provided the site for the Bo
tanic Garden. It was then under the
jurisdiction of the Columbian Institute
for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences.
The site, at the foot of the Capitol
grounds slope, was reputed to have been
intended for that very purpose by both
Washington and l’Enfant.
Sixteen years passed without a hand
being turned to improve the Garden
site—only the land had been provided
and it part of the Tiber Creek marsh.
When, in 1836, Congress was prevailed
upon to appropriate $5,000 to drain the
site and erect a fountain, the prompt
ing idea probably was more to get rid
of the stagnant and malarial mire than
to set out on any elaborate program of
beautification.
Actually, the Garden got its real start
less than a century ago and as the re
sult of an outside influence. In the
years 1838 to 1842 Lieut. Charles Wilkes
of the United States Navy, at congres
sional behest, had taken six naval ves
sels upon an exploring expedition to the
South Seas. The scientific staff in
cluded W. D. Breckinridge, a botanist,
who brought back with him what for
those days was a comprehensive collec
tion of strange specimens, including
seeds and cuttings. These wrere of no
use to the Navy Department, so they
found their way to the United States
Botanic Garden, up to then empty of
anything save the wild rushes and
alders indigenous to the fen. That was
the real beg nning of the Garden.
Historic Trees to Be Moved.
Several historic trees stand in the
Garden and are to be removed to the
new site. The Crittenden oak marks
the spot where John J. Crittenden
made an unavailing address in an ef
fort to avert the Civil War. The Beck
Washingtcn elm is a scion of an elm
earlier planted by Washington himself.
A plane tree which Thaddeus Stevens
brought from the Vale of Cashmere, a
sycamore planted by Senator Daniel
Voorhees, whose nickname was the
Tall Sycamore of the Wabash; a Chi
nese oak from the grave of Confucius,
two cedars of Lebanon and several
ethers all have historic associations.
The Bartholdi fountain, the work of
the same sculptor who designed the
Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor,
was removed from the central site in
the Garden, where it long stood, to
make way for the memorial to Gen.
Meade, the hero of Gettysburg. The
graceful fountain has been in storage
for several years and is to be re-erected
on the new site.
The Garden never has been allowed
but a small appropriation and, although
faithfully cared for by the small staff
in charge, has not had opportunity to
develop on the scale one might expect.
It now is to have its chance and it is
scarcely to be doubted that it will vie
with those of foreign nations, not only
in floral and arboreal beauty, but in
scientific value.
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star
An extra edition of The Star of Jan
uary 25, 1882, announced that the jury
_ .. in the Guiteau case had
"utility as returned a verdict of
Indicted ” "?uUty as indicted ."
inaictea. The triaI began on
Monday, November 14. and lasted two
days more than ten weeks. A further
edition of The Star of that date thus
describes the final scene:
"At 5:35 the prisoner was brought
back to the courtroom and it was whis- :
pered that the jury had agreed. A minute
later Judge Cox appeared and the
court was called to order. Almost
simultaneously the jury filed in and
the roll of jurors was called by the
clerk. When this ceremony was over
the clerk asked the usual question:
Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed
upon a verdict?’
" 'We have’, saia Foreman Hamlin.
“ ‘Guilty as indicted?’ asked the
clerk.
" 'Guilty as indicted.’
“ 'If the court please-’ said Mr.
Scoville. but he was interrupted by
the clerk, who proceeded, saying:
“ ‘Gentlemen of the jury, hear the
verdict as rendered. Your foreman.
says that you find the defendant.
Charles J. Guiteau, guilty as indicted.
So say you all?’
’’ 'So say we all,’ replied the jury
men in chorus.
“ 'If the court please ' said Mr. Sco
ville. 'I desire to have the jury polled.'
The clerk then polled the jury, in the
usual form. The prisoner then shout
ed from the dock. ‘My blood will be on
the head of that jury.’
"Mr. Scoville. rising said he de
sired to file a motion for a new trial.
Judge Cox said he had four days in
which to file such a motion.
“ ‘God will avenge this outrage,’
shouted the prisoner."
*
* *
The following day. January' 26. 1882,
The Star thus editorially summarized
tt the Guiteau case:
Ihe Verdict “The trial of the
A nnrnvpd assassin Guiteau has
Approved. termiiiated as the
common sense judgment of the people
anticipated, in a verdict of 'Guilty as
indicted,’ and it is safe to say that a
verdict never met with more general
approval. As a matter of course the
end of the legal proceedings has not
yet been reached, but the worst is
probably over. The defense will un
doubtedly exhaust every means to save
the assassin from the gallows, but it is
not likely that their efforts will ac
complish more than that delay which
will be necessary to a fair hearing of
the points they raise. Nobody be
lieves that a new trial will be granted.
Indeed, there is substantially nothing
to base the application for one upon
The court went to the extreme of
leniency with the prisoner, apparently
with the purpose of avoiding even a
reasonable pretext for the setting aside
of the trial.
‘"The verdict of the jury has had
the effect of satisfying doubting minds
as to Guiteou’s sanity, and the defense
rested their case upon this one point.
The cold-blooded murder of the Presi
dent was admitted. That the act was
premeditated and coolly planned was
admitted, and the entire defense was
based upon the alleged unsoundness
of the assassin's mind. The jury had no
side issues or legal technicalities and
constructions to embarrass them. Their
minds had but to be fixed from the first
upon this one single issue. The assassin
was before them daily, giving them op
portunity to study his character, peculi
arities or eccentricities, if he possessed
any, and above all his mental condi
tion in the light of the evidence and
the record of his past life. The de
fense and the prisoner acknowledged
on numerous occasions the Intelligence,
capacity and attention of the jury.
"The judge's charge to the jury was
clear, comprehensive and eminently
fair to the prisoner. He declared that
the jury must find the prisoner guilty
of murder or acquit him. as an ‘irre
sponsibly insane man could not com
mit murder.’ As insanity Is the ex
ception to the rule, every man is pre
sumed to be sane and responsible for
his acts until the contrary was shown,
and the burden of overthrowing this
presumption devolved upon the defense.
“The case thus went to the jury, as
it had been made by the defense,
cleared of everything that could em
barrass or confuse, and the verdict
was entirely in accordance with that
already rendered by the American
public. Aside from the feelings of con
sideration for the distinguished victim
and of indignation at his cowardly
murder, there was a feeling that a
failure to convict would establish a
most dangerous precedent for the in
sanity plea." ^
British Opinion Shocked
By Aggression on China
BY A. G. GARDINER.
LONDON. January 30#—The startling
development of events in Shanghai has
shocked the public mind here and cre
ated a profound revulsion of feeling in
regard to the intentions of Japan.
Hitherto there has been a disposition
in some quarters, while recognizing the
indefensibility of Japan's invasion of
Manchuria in view of her treaties, to
admit grounds of provocation; but the
sudden and challenging attack on Shang
hai has been taken to indicate a far
more serious and sinister motive which
threatens incalculable possibilities.
On the eve of the meeting of the
long-deferred Disarmament Conference
the world is confronted with a menace
as grave as that of July. 1914. At
tempts to represent the action of Japan
at Shanghai as equivalent to the action
of the powers in Shanghai in 1927 are
merely derisory. The action then was
in common and entirely precautionary,
while this undisguised act of war is as
indefensible and provocative, in view
of the Chinese acceptance of Japan's
terms, as Austria's ultimatum after
Serbia’s acceptance of her terms.
* * * *
Apart from the Rothmere and B^a
verbrook newspapers, which throughout
have been protagonists of Japan, the
English press is unanimous in its de
nunciation of this latest outrage, which,
apart from any moral question, gravelv
imperils the foreign population of the
International Settlement. The settle
ment contains a million Chinese who. if
not held in check, are unlikely to dis
criminate between one race and an
other.
Emphasis is laid on the fact that the
British interests in Shanghai are far
greater than those of the Japanese, and
it is pointed out that if the boycott of
Japanese goods is held to justify Japa
nese occupation of Shanghai, it must
equally justify unlimited Japanese in
vasion of China.
Dr. W. W. Yen's appeal on behalf of
China to the League of Nations Council
to invoke the powers of the covenant
are not expected to have any effect, the
nerveless action of/the League through
out the Manchurian crisis having de
stroyed confidence in that vehicle of
action. Moreover, the removal of Aris
tide Briand from the French foreign
office adds to the difficulties of the
League Council and to the disquiet in
regard to the FTench attitude on the
situation. That disquiet was increased
by a significant statement in the Lon
don Times from its Washington corre
spondent. who says: "The assumption
prevails in responsible circles in Wash
ington that some form of understanding
exists and has existed for years between
the French and Japanese governments
of a sort which may make the associa
tion of France with the United States
and Britain in any move independent of
the League of Nations a source of con
fusion greater even than prevails to
day.”
* * * *
This goes far to explain the paraly
sis of the League in the presence of the
unprecedented challenge and what the
New Statesman calls the complaisance
of the British foreign office in the Man
churian affair. Can that complaisance
be extended, not merely to contemptu
ous disregard of treaties and covenants,
but to a menace to the vast and mate
rial British interests in China?
The Manchester Guardian hazards
| the view that future developments de
pend upon how much further the Japa
j nese think they can count on the re
' markable "patience" already shown by
| the Western nations. Both journals
strongly advocate co-operation with the
i United States in a more vigorous policy
! as the only action likely to check fur
| ther aggression to a point which will
i lead to inevitable catastrophe.
-h -r
The London Times adopts a more
cautious official note, but agrees that a
common line of action on the part of
America and Britain is extremely im
portant, while discountenancing talk of
an economic boycott.
In political circles the utmost anx
iety prevails, aggravated by the delay
i of Foreign Minister Sir John Simon's
| reply to the American overtures and
j the unfortunate fact that he at this
I most critical moment is confined to his
: bed with influenza. The British mes
j sage to Tokio and the action of the
! consular services to halt the fighting at
i Shanghai gives a momentary pause,
i but does not relieve the gravity of the
position and the need of assertion of
world authority in the presence of a
crime as reckless as it is unexampled.
If civilization permits this outrage upon
its covenants and humanities, then it
may be asked. Why send solemn repre
sentatives to a disarmament confer
ence to sign more idle covenants?
(Copyright, 1932.)