Evening star. [volume], June 28, 1932, Page A-8, Image 8

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

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THE EVENING STAR
With Sonda* Morning Edition.
WASHINGTON, I). C.
TUESDAY June 28. 1932
THEODORE W. NOYES Editor
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Justice Toppled by Expediency.
The situation concerning the economy
bill may not be without precedent, as
Congress has established precedent at
one time or another 1pr nearly every
thing under the sun. But the situation
is so extraordinary that the hard-work
ing Senators themselves are faced with
difficulty in understanding it and the
Government employe, most concerned,
is placed in a cruclly helpless position.
Last week, after the House had ap
proved the conference report, a num
ber of Senators realized the full mean
ing of that document and there was
introduced in Senate debate an opinion
from the controller general indicating
that one clause of the report, which
by Senate approval would become law,
placed an additional cut on appropria
tion bills—not generally contemplated—
and really turned the furlough plan
from a job-saving expedient into a
ruthless proposal to discharge men and
women. There were other sections of
the bill, as well as the conference re
port, that were found to be wholly un
acceptable to the Senate. The Senate
JOSt. no urne in vuuug ιυ kuu mi
measure back to conference.
But in Chicago there is a party con
vention. This party convention is an
extremely important function, impor
tant to members of the Congress espe
cially who must face re-election; so
Important, in fact, that the chair
man of the House conferees was forced,
along with some twenty-five members
of the Senate, to attend in person.
The Speaker of the House chose
to accept the action of the Senate
in turning down the conference re
port as a challenge, and not as an
Invitation to iron out injustices. He
has refused to appoint new conferees.
And as the original conferees cannot
attend to their important business in
Chicago and return in time to attend
to the relatively unimportant matters
tied up in the economy bill, the Senate
now faces the prospect of preventing
enactment of that measure before the
end of the fiscal year—by Thursday
evening. If the measure is not passed,
along with the remaining appropriation
bills, the "financial and business af
fairs of the Government will be in
chaos." according to Chairman Jones
of the Senate Appropriations Commit
tee
The Senate today, then, is consider
ing whether it will adopt the confer
ence report, bag and baggage, and write
into law one of the most illogical and
confused measures ever enacted by Con
gress, or whether it will put in jeopardy
what good point* there may be in the
economy bill and, along with them,
other appropriation bills.
The situation certainly offers no en
couragement to thœe who seek comfort
In the belief that the United States
Congress acts with deliberation and
concern for the welfare of the people.
Here is a case where mere expediency
dominates the situation and threatens to
make effective a host of inequities and
injustices that no reasonable man can
defend as warranted under any condi
tions. The Senate's objection was, gen
erally speaking, to three points in the
bill—the "impounding clause," the sec
tion relating to discharge of married
workers and the section relating to
discharge of superannuated workers
without the benefit of the retirement
pay which the Government has con
tracted to furnish. The House could
have selected conferees who, with the
Senate, would have ironed ouf these
inequitable features within the course
of a few hours. The Spfaker preferred
to view the Senate action as inviting
a fight. The House can win this fight,
of course, as men and women in the
Government service approaching retire
ment age and other helpless employes
facing loss of their job.·, cannot fight
back. But it will be an empty victory
ior the Πι will
In entertaining <t*o conventions ol
opposing ideals, Chicago has shown ad
mirable tact In preservin? an aspect ol
neutrality.
Distribution of Relief Funds.
The President prefers that the pro
posed $300,000 000 for direct relief ol
distress, to be made a"ailable und'r
terms of the Wagner-Garner relief bills
by loans to the States from the Reccn
etruction Finance Corporation, bp made
available according to the need of the
States rather than on the basis of pop
ulation. There are indications that the
conferees on the bill may seek to make
this proposed change.
When that matter was discussed in
Senate debate during consideration oi
the Wagner bill it was stated that th<
distribution of this sum on the basis ol
population was the only method found
feasible and practical, although th<
merits of distribution according to neec
were considered. Some of the States
have been stricken more seriously bj
the depression than others, yet, on th(
population basis, they would receive lesi
assistance from the Federal Govern
ment than another State which ha!
been more fortunate in taking care ο
Its own problem. One difficulty of dis
tribution according to need, however
Is the lact that the determination ο
such need would necessitate the settini
up of some sort of Federal fact-findini
agency to weigh the relative degree ο
need among the States, and to appor
tlon the money on the basis of th
facte rjve&led. That, of course, woul<
require considerable time. One of the
good pointe of the relief bills is that
they make the money available without
delay.
Solution of the problem might lie, in
part, in determining whether all the
States, or how many States, will take
advantage of the maximum loan avail
able. If a good many States do not
borrow to the full extent of the law. a
surplus would be given to the Recon
struction Finance Corporation. Amend
ment might be made of the law. per
mitting the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation to dispose of this surplus
on the basis of need in the States. But
if each State borrows to the maximum,
it is obvious that no other method of
distribution than on the basis of popu
lation can be found readily acceptable.
Roosevelt's Belated Telegram.
Late last Thursday night at Chicago
j Chairman Farley of the New York State
j Democratic Committee, manager of the
! Roosevelt campaign for the Democratic
I presidential nomination, held a meet
ing of leading supporters of the New
York Governor, at which it was de
cided to seek the abrogation of the
two-thirds rule in order to permit the
I nomination by a majority vote. There
was then In evidence a considerable
! majority of delegate strength in favor
'■ of Gov. Roosevelt. In the absence of
any statement from Albany it was ac
I cepted that Gov. Roosevelt agreed to
this policy of convention campaigning,
i notwithstanding the fact that in 1924.
on the eve of the New York convention
of the party, he explicitly expressed his
doubt whether "any rules of the con
vention should be changed after the
delegates are elected," adding that "if
after the convention has met it should
appear that the old rules are working
I a hardship on the party that might be
a reason for a change next year."
The decision of the Roosevelt man
j agement at Chicago to seek the re
! placement of the two-thirds rule by a
majority rule to govern this present
convention aroused a storm of protest
and evoked only thinly veiled threats
ι of a bolt against a nomination obtained
inrougn a cnange 01 rules on tne eve
oi the balloting. Yesterday, nearly
four days after the announcement that
the Roosevelt managers would seek a
change of rule. Gov. Roosevelt sent a
message to his State chairman, saying:
I believe and always have believed
that the two-thirds rule should no
longer be adopted. It is undemocratic.
Nevertheless, it is true that the issue
was not raised until after the delegates
to this convention had been selected,
and I décliné to permit either myself
or my friends to be open to the accusa
tion of poor sportsmanship, or to the
use of methods which could be called,
even falsely, those of a steam roller.
I am accordingly asking my friends
in Chicago to cease their efforts to
secure the adoption of the majority
nominating rule at the opening of the
permanent organization. I ask this of
those delegates who are honoring me
with their support and who number
many more than a majority. I trust,
however, that the Committee on Rules
may recommend some rule to Insure
against the catastrophe of a deadlock
or prolonged balloting.
It is not clear whether this telegram
was in hand when by a vote of 30 to
20 the Rules Committee yesterday
ι adopted a compromise regulation pro
viding for nomination by a fimple
majority if the first six ballots failed
to effect a choice. This has been
called a compromise between a
straight-out repeal of the two-thirds
rule to apply to this convention and
retention of that rule to govern in the
nomination of the ticket for 1932. As
a matter of fact it is not a compromise
at all If the assured Rooeevelt strength
is at this point more than a majority
but less than two-thirds. The effect of
such a rule as that proposed is abroga
tion of the century-old rule in the
middle of the nomination .fight.
The question remains why Gov.
Roosevelt waited nearly four days to
! make his position clrar. He was in
j constant communication with his man
! agers and doubtless knew every move
i that was being made. Had he re
! pudlated the move for abrogation im
; mediately and stood by his prec?pt of
j 1924 he would have b?en in much
j stronger position than he is now as
either a candidate for the nomination
or as the nominee of his party, if that
should be effected.
The vocabulary of political indigna -
J tion has been refined further since
1 Theodore Roosevelt alluded, with polite
! restraint, to "the short and ugly word."
I The phrase now ceurteously employed is
; "intellectual dishonesty."
There is a strong impression to the
: effect that in its selection of political
j leaders this Nation is rtill under the
; influence of the old Ohio habit.
I
Lindbergh as a Witness.
,j Yesterday at Flemington. Ν J. was
ι presented one oi the mast pitiful spec
( taeles ev?r witnessed in this country,
ι Charles Augustus Lindbergh, greatly
; bOoved by the American people, took
I the stand as a witness in the ease of
the State of New Jersey against John
j Hughes Curtis, charged with preventing
I and hindering the apprehension of the
• person or persons who committed the
j kidnaping of the Lindbergh baby oi)
March 1. Through question after ques
t tion he told the story, first of the steal
j ing of his child, then, after a futile ef
j fort' at ransom in which he was b^
! tray-- J into paying a large sum without
i effect, of the meeting with Curtis
■ throuçh the introduction of a friend
and th° unfolding of a plan by which
the baby would be recovered. This plan
1 led to no end. as it proved to have been
bas-d apparently upon the imaginings
or pretensions of the self-appointed in
termediary.
i There will be a defense in this case,
of course. Just what line it will take is
1 unknown. Although he was called yes
terday for the nrosecution, Lindbergh
has been likewise summoned as a wit
ness for the defendant. If he Is thus
called to the stand there will be a con
dition practically without precedent.
But the story that Lindbergh will tell
as Curtis' witness, if he so appears, can
not differ In any way from that which
he is now telling in support of the in
dictment Of Lindbergh's truthfulness
and straightforwardness there can be
no question.
This case has aroused public indig
; nation almost equal to that of the crime
I itself. Following as it did the fraud of
( pretended ransom, which was in itself a
: monstrous injustice, it climaxed an ex
; ploitation of the tragedy that veritably
; stunned the people of this country. To
what end could thi.s pretense have been
■ conceived? To what advantage—save
! personal profit—could any person hav«
1 sought to beguile and delude the suffer
trig parent Into a hope of recovery of
hie stolen child? Wis It a form of
megalomania or desire for exploitation?
That question will perhaps be answered
in the course of this trial.
Meanwhile, Col. Lindbergh is required
to tell veritably to the world, as he sits
in the witness chair at Flemlngton, the
poignantly sad story of his sufferings of
mind, his alternating hope and despair,
his grasping at every possibility of suc
cessful search, his eventual disillusion
ment and the disclosure through the
confession of his volunteer agent that
the whole business was a hoax. The
tragedy of March 1 is in this epilog
brought vividly again to mind.
The mystery of the stealing of the
Lindbergh baby remains unsolved. Will
it ever be solved? A few weeks ago
it was apparently on the point of an
swer through the suicide of an un
happy girl In the course of a series
of questionings. That prospect quickly
passed. Now, seemingly, there is no
progress toward solution. Every avenue
of research appears to be closed. Some
where, of course, are people who know
just what happened on the night of
March 1. Perhaps the force of con
science may drive them ultimately to
disclosure. There is no thought that
from this present trial of Curtis will
come any new fact that may lead to
solution.
Accurate in their measurements of
gallery reaction, Huey Long and Wil
liam Murray have evidently decided that
the convention can be picturesque and
colorful without great assistance from
them.
Up to the present moment the debo
nair and always popular Senator James
Hamilton Lewis Is the only favorite son
to put in an appearance with more
votes than he really knew what to do
with.
References in metaphorical vein to a
conflagration in political affairs sug
gested an inclination to abandon the
old band wagon for parade purposes and
call in the fire department.
Germany cannot fail to note with
approval the expressions in favor of
beer. Some of the most popular brands
used to be imported direct from the old
country.
Neither party, however willing to pla
cate the dry sentiment, Is likely to
regard Clarence True Wilson as suffi
ciently tactful to qualify for a diplo
matic service appointment.
George Washington is the recognized
star of this year's celebration, but for
the moment Thomas Jefferson has
managed to steal the spotlight.
Now and then a prohibition com
mentator includes a direct sarcasm in
his remarks. The soft drink does not
necessarily include the soft answer.
Kentucky could not fail to point with
pride to the maimer in which Mr. Bark
ley maintained his party's traditions of
eloquence.
Demand for the privilege of being
heard in general description is making
the Chicago microphone appear as busy
as a barber chair on Saturday night.
The old Democratic donkey is again
the trick mule of the arena, waiting for
some one with courage and skill to
ride it.
That ancient friend of political fable,
the Democratic donkey, has been known
to perform with great docility, only to
balk at a critical moment.
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Boy and Man.
Speaking pieces, long ago
When the schooling seemeji so slow.
Waiting for the day's release,
We were made to speak a piece.
Audience was kind o' cool.
Feljow members of the school
They'd applaud; that much we knew,
'Cause the teacher told 'em to.
When at last among the great
Folks so earnestly orate,
Speaking pieces is the rule,
Same as when we went to school.
Influential Opinion.
"Do you think we should be guided
by the utterances of the founders of
this Republic?" asked the lady with
the note book.
"Not entirely," answered Senator
Sorghum. "They had no means of
knowing anything about the radio an
nouncers whose personal opinions were
eventually to become so influentiâl."
Jud Tunkins says the aisles where
delegates march have suddenly become
more important political thoroughfares
than the sidewalks of New York.
Importation Not Required.
Why should we go abroad to find
Problems to occupy the mind
When daily it is clearly shown
That we have plenty of our own?
·
Arithmetic Superstition.
"Do you think the number 13 is
unlucky?"
"I used to," answered Uncle Bill
Bottletop. "Seem' how conventions are
go'n' after the most famous constitu
tional amendment, I'm inclined to add
Ave."
"To honor an ancestor," said Hi Ho,
the sage of Chinatown, "we must heed
his example. It is not enough to pay
him idle compliments."
Practical Muse.
Used to s^ng of Roses,
Now I sing of Wheat
Since the time discloses
Need of things to eat.
Hunger never dozes;
Never owns defeat.
Used to sing of Roses,
Now I sing of Wheat.
"I aln' doubtin'," said Uncle Eben,
"dat dis old world is ginter git better,
wlf so many smart Doctors figgerin' on
what's de matter wii it."
The Diploma Mille Thrive.
From the Indianapolis News.
The firms that produce the gradu
ation diplomas shouldn't have any kick
on business.
Considerate.
F:om the Sioux Falls Dally Argus-Leader.
Six Minnesotans who held their rum
parties in a cemetery at least chose a
spot where the neighbor* could sleep
in spite oi them.
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.
ι
I've got a blue-jay feather
In my hat.
This and That,
In my hat!
It fell from a tree right at my feet.
I stuck it in the bend, and it looks
real neat;
I got a feather,
A blue-jay feather.
In my last year's old felt hat!
Lest any reader feel that the writer 1
here has gone completely daffy, we
hasten to state that the gorgeously
beautiful morning of Friday last was
responsible for this outpouring.
Such a wine-like atmosphere is sel
dom known in these dry. days.
It was the sort of day. we thought,
as we strode along to the diurnal task,
which undoubtedly inspired thp gentle
man to write the song, "A Rainbow
'Round My Shoulders."
Just then a blue-jay, the "fightingist"
bird alive, stabbed the crisp morning air
with a couple of fiery notes, and as he
did so he ruffled his wings with such
abandon that a feather came loose.
* * * *
The feather was about four inches
long, with the midriff, or whatever the
rib of a feather is called, very much
over to one side, the wide portion show
ing gray and the narrow part the bright
blue of this bird's coloration.
Into the old hat band it went, while
the walking assemblage under the hat
fell to singing—inwardly—a song, re
produced above, unconsciously modeled
on the "Rainbow'' song, with just a
dash of "Yankee Doodle," no doubt.
"He stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni."
Many a schoolchild, and perhaps
elder, too. has wondered what the
"macaroni" had to do with it.
How one could stick a feather in his
cap and call it something to eat?
Maybe the grade school teachers ex
plain that sentence today, but they
didn't when we were attempting to
learn how to use "which" and "that"
and "who" and "whom."
* * * *
It wasn't a flour preparation, formed
in long tubes, which was meant by the
word "macaroni," but the young trav
eled Englishman of the eighteenth cen
tury who affected foreign ways.
This exquisite, this fop, as he used
to be called, undoubtedly got his name
because "macaroni"" was one Italian
word the average English-speaking per
son could use without fear of mis
pronouncing.
He stuck a feather in his hat and
called himself pretty slick — pretty
smart—very chic, as the ladies of today
would declare. '
That was what the old "Yankee
Doodle" lines meant. Today they
mean nothing much at all, because
the term has gone out completely, Just
as fop has and dude.
What has become of the fops and
dudes?
Young men no longer seem interested
in sartorial display as such.
In fact, the accent has gone quite
the other way; the more neglected an
air the modern youth can give him
self. the more in style he seems to be
with his mates.
* * * *
So here we were walking through the
old State of Maryland, mixing up or
nithology and lexicography, thinking
about rainbows 'round one's shoulder
and blue-jay feathers in hats.
This old Maryland had a troop of
soldiers in the Revolutionary War
called Macaronis, because they wore
rich uniforms, at least rich for those
great days.
"Macaroni" was a "peppy" word
then. It carried all the "punch" any
slang word of the moment seems to
have. Occasionally they become a
r
veritable part of the language. Mostly,
however, they enjoy a few years of
popularity, and then die the death.
Think of "skidoo" and "twenty-three
for you."
"I should worry" has hung on a bit.
The term "macaroni" first came into
use in England about 1760.
It took it about 15 years to make
its way to the Colonies of America.
No doubt it was such a popular word
in 1775 or thereabouts that it naturally
found a place in the song which be
came so popular.
This song seems all burlesque to us
today, but there are many who hold
that it did, indeed, mirror perfectly
the feelings of a raw Continental re
cruit.
* * * #
What glorious days in the life of
Americans those must have been!
We had this borne in on us the other
day in looking over a book to be secured
at drug stores, "Great Moments in the
Life of Washington."
It's by Irving Bachelier and Herbert
S. Kates, the latter contributing illus
trations of superlative merit, they
strike us.
Great days, glorious days, in ret
rospect, and they must have been then,
despite the hardships and the vast un
certainty.
Those men had everything to lose,
but they gained everything, because
they risked everything.
For sheer, unequivocal courage, no
men in the history of the world ever
surpassed George Washington and his
compatriots.
* * * *
It's λ wonder some Continental com
pany did not call themselves the "Blue
Jays," for if ever there was a fighting
fellow, the jay is it.
To many bird lovers this blue anc
gray specimen is one of the prettiest
of all birds.
Its habits are interesting, and it
possesses a variety of sounds scarcelj
equaled by any other songster, if one
may call the blue-jay such.
Most' of its notes are raucous, ol
course, but right in the midst of its
chattering and scolding it can Inter
ject amazingly soft whistles and the
like, which commonly are overlooked
since most listeners do not actually see
the bird which makes thena.
Unless one sees the blue-jay and can
see as well as hear the source of these
notes, few would suspect that they
come from his war-like, crested head.
* * * jje
What an actor he is. and how much
better off many people in this world
would be if they could scrape up a
bit more of the actor attitude in their
own lives!
After all. most human beings relish a
bit of strutting now and then.
The desire to "show off" is part ol
normal human nature.
Most of us find this desire suppressed
and held down from childhood.
Yet at times, on perfect mornings
when the air is crisp and cool, there
comes over the most timid soul e
desire to stick a feather in one's hat
and make up a song.
Let us make up these songs, all oi
us, no matter how poor they are, anc
let us sing thfm, too, even if we have
to do it under cover of traffic.
Do not forget the Washington gir
who won the first of the great oratorica
contests by first perfecting her speech
on the Million-Dollar Bridge, as it was
called then.
She shouted her oration over the
parapet, saved from the stares ol
passersby and automobilists by the verj
roar of traffic which they created.
In like manner, most of us may sinf
songs to our own heart and receive the
applause of the unseen audience of oui
own mind.
Highlights on the Wide World
Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands
EL TELEGRAFO, Guayaquil—The
salt and match monopolies of
the government "have not been
productive of the results and
profits confidently expected for
such assumed prerogatives. This is
particularly the case with regard to
matches, for when rumors beg»n to
circulate that the supplies contracted
for by the authorities were about to
be temporarily exhausted, householders
and dealers who had surplus supplies
began to sell their own stocks at con
siderable advances over the officially
regulated prices.
Here in Quayaquil, within recent
days, the small boxes have been sell
ing for as much as 12 V2 centavas each
(2Vs cents).
Such a scheme of profiteering, as
we all well know, is directly contrary
tc the law and the rights of the fiscal
department, and we are informed that
the government intends to punish se
verely all such speculators. The na- :
tional monopoly alone has the privi- j
lege of fixing and altering the prices
on matches, and likewise on salt, the
available supplies of which latter, both
in quality and quantity, are now being
investigated at Santa Elena by govern
ment inspectors.
It is said that the government has ;
demands upon it for no less than 140.
000 quintales of salt to be shipped first
to Guayaquil and from here to provinces
in the interior of the republic. New
warehouses have been built at Santa
Elena which will facilitate the handling
of these shipments. However, the
profits on salt are comparatively insig
nificant, and for this reason most of
the illicit trafficking has been in
matches, an enterprise much enhanced
in recent days because of disquieting
rumors of volcanic disturbance and im
minent earthquakes. Catastrophes of
this sort have demonstrated in the
past that the humble match is an in
dispensable friend and helper when
electrical and other more pretentious
modes of illumination have been de
stroyed.
* * * *
Irish Glad to Keep
Gaelic Typescript.
Irish Independent. Dublin.—To the
editor: The decision of the new ad
ministration to revert to Gaelic type
script is wclcome news to native Irish
speakers and lifelong students of the
Irish language, who regard the Roman
typescript as something foreign to the
language and in the nature of an an
chronism.
The Roman typescript may have been
easier to set to type, but to readers
conversant with the traditional presen
tation of the Irish language in print or
manuscript, the Roman type ofTened
their artistic taste and seemed to make
the written word look like a makeshift
production.
The substitution of the letter H for
a consonant sound not definitely repre
sented in the Irish language by a spc
i cial letter was in itself enough to an
tagonize competent readers of the Gaelic
script from reading Irish when presented
in Roman characters. Give us the Irish
language, and give it as it should be
given in Irish characters.—P. J. Lyons,
"Cork.
* * * *
Spanish Clergymen
Rehired by Republic.
ABC. Madrid.—The minister of state.
Senor Quiroga, has ordered the re- ;
employment of all the clergy, In the :
capacity of lay help, in the hospitals
and asylums, preferably in the ones
formerly under their auspices or juris
diction. It is estimated that there are
now some 2,000 friars and monks so
employed in these institutions, which !
have come under the supervision of the
national government.
« * * * #
Big Arson Ring
Revealed in Bangkok.
Bangkok Daily Mail.—If .former work
ers of Bangkok and vicinity cannot find
jobs in government offices, in business
firms or in labor gangs, they can al- j
ways And lucrative and comparatively ;
steady employment as professional ar
sons; and they need not walk the
streets looking for jobs of this kind—th<
aperators of the arson trust will come tc
them.
This astounding state of affairs Ls on«
of the effects of the business depression
with the accompanying unemployment
that has struck Siam with such a ven
geance, according to information thai
has come to the police of Bangkok in
the past few weeks.
This week the police succeeded in
arresting two Chinese who, they say
have been unemployed men here and
on the West Bank to commit arson. 11
is indicated that the Chinese were, in
turn, hired by local merchants, whc
hoped to collect insurance on shops and
business houses which otherwise would
soon go bankrupt.
* * * *
New Y. M. C. A. Stirs
Pride of Egyptians.
Egyptian Gazette, Cairo.—Assiut's new
Y. M. C. A. is a landmark in modern
Egypt's growth. Not only has the grow
ing program of service in that town foi
the past nine years been administered
by a committee almost exclusively
Egyptian, but through the efforts o1
these same men the L. E. 4,500 used
for the purchase of land and the erec
tion of the new building was raised ir
Assiut and its immediate vicinity. In
addition to this task of the financing
of physical equipment, the major por
tion of the current expenses of thf
movement in Assiut has been secured
from Egyptian sources. The signifi
cance of this becomes the more im
pressive when one remembers that thii
effort was carried through in a time ol
very great financial depression.
The Y. M. C. A. has been described
as the most flexible instrument in the
world for meeting the varied and
changing problems of modern youth
Its entry into the land of Egypt is an
other example of its capacity to meet
the needs of men of every race, creed
and color. The fact that in so short a
time the Egyptian leadership in Assiut
has set the movement upon so solid a
foundation is a great tribute to their
capacity for leadership and constructive
imagination.
Legislate on Weather
As Well as on Leaves
To the Editor of The Star:
At an early session of the American
Congress a Representative proposed tc
limit the American Army to a few
thousand men. It is related thai
George Washington suggested that tht
gentleman amend his bill to providt
that the British should not invade tht
country with an army in excess of the
same numbe~ of men.
'Apropos of the feature in the econ
omy bill now before Congress which
will permanently limit the annual lfave
of Federal employes to 15 days—vaca
tions as such being limited thereby tc
from 7 to 10 days—it is suggested that
the bill be amended to provide:
1. That the temperature in Washing
ton during July and August of each
year shall be permanently limited tc
B5 degrees instead of the customary 95
to 100 degrees which Government em
ployes must endure during that period
2. That the Congress shall have the
same privileges as other Federal em
ployes. to wit. a 15-day recess each
vear, with every 5 minutes' leave strict
ly charged against the total.
3. That there shall be published a
computation showing what the Govern
ment will lose under this provision ol
the bill on account of decreased effi
ciency, increased use of sick leave, etc
O. R. SMITH.
By Any Other Name.
Prom the Rochester Times-Union.
Call that Seabury document an "anal
ysis" or "charges," as you wish, bur a
decaying cabbage by any other name
smells as sweet.
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. G. M.
AFRICA SPEAKS: A Story of Adven
ture. By Paul L. Hoefler. F. R. G.
S., producer of the motion picture
"Africa Speaks." Ilustrated. Phila
delphia: John C. Winston Co.
Lucky you, already to have seen the
film "Africa Speaks" before coming
upon this book. Both are derived
equally from Paul Hoefler's trail across
equatorial Africa, east to west, Mom
basa to Lagos.
The picture brings back to trail alive.
Pattern and color of its scenery. Look
and habit of its animal life. The feel
of night time and of day. Tribal va
riants in look and habit. Striking
events to show human ways and animal
ways, developed by time and climate
throughout the uncounted centuries. t
The high spots of the hot trail does the
moving picture bring to life.
j The book is something different.
! though sourced in the same adventure.
I It amplifies impressions drawn straight
from the film. Long stretches of his
tory spread for explanation of event,
for theory of tribal distribution, for the
general economy of life, human and
animal, within this region. Stories of
strange people, the pygmies, and their
skillful hunting of the elephant. A
passing view of "saucer-lipped" women.
Oh. no. not according to our standards.
These probably not of the tribe that
thinks well of companionate marriage,
that practices it. Here are stories of
tribal wars and of the hunting of big
game. Elephants, lions, tigers, the
antelope and many another valiant
creature that so stirs the white man to
artificial primitive savagery. However,
Paul Hoefler Is not of that breed. With
no weapon more hostile than a motor
truck loaded with the photographer's
necessities, he makes his lusty way
I through the interior of the Dark Con
tinent. watching its native life in every
possible circumstance of getting a liv
ing. These he gathers up in picture
and story and plain record, all animated
equally by the gusto of his own spirit,
by the thoroughness of his own en
deavor. The book alone carries about
150 illustrations which, with the print
and film, constitute Mr. Paul L.
Hoefler authority, delightful authority,
upon the region of Africa lying between
Mombasa and Lagos.
* * * *
FIGHTING MEN OF THE WEST. By
Dane Coolidge, author of "War
Paint," etc. Illustrated. New York:
E. P. Dutton & Co.
According to this writer, the time to
save a man to the truth about himself,
whether it be to his glory or to his
damnation, is while he is still alive or
instantly following that state. For, at
death, immediately the age of fable
sets in, turning to saint or devil that
which, but a moment before, had been
merely a man.
The West in particular is famous for
its legendary "bad men." Not so wholly
bad, in any proper use of that word, as
that they have been overfictionized. So
here he sets out, in a measure, to rescue
from hopeless ill-repute the memory of
more than one who, In pursuit of his
proper business, made use of methods
that to another locality and time have
taken on a heavier load than they can,
by right, be made to carry.
Going about the West on quite an
other errand, Mr. Coolidge filled in
leisure minutes with collecting from
every reliable source accounts of one
and another of the Western heroes of
which much has been heard. Scouts,
rangers, cattle kings, border outlaws,
man killers, Mexican bandits, are
among these with whom this scientific
expert searched out in odd hours. He
listened to fireside tales and grocery
gossip. He followed responsible guides
to this point and that one. He made
collections of newspaper clippings and
other records Out or these he finally
constructed the stories of this book.
Among them "Col. Charles Goodnight—
Trail Maker," "John Chisum—Cattle
King," "Tom Horn—Scout and Man
Hunter," with a handful, besides, «11
equally personal and adventurous in
character.
"Some told me the s toiles themselves,
fighting their battles over; others
chatted of old pardners, passed on ;
others, again, sat close-mouthed, guard
ing some secret whlcn will never be
known." These stories were not written
to be "sagas of the West." but, instead.
! to make as accurate records as possible
of the lives of famous fighting men. "Not
all of them are heroes. They represent
the two extremes of outlaws and officers
of the law. But every man was a war
rior—ready to fight, right or wrong—a
man who made his mark upon the
West."
Today the situation throughout the
country is of a character to produce a
new stripe of crime fiction. Indeed,
that new order is already in full swing.
It Is time, so Dane Coolidge thinks, to
round up the "bad-man fiction" of the
West. Time to clear It of ita chief sins
against either fact or acceptable fiction.
It is in some such spirit that he has
constructed, upon good foundations of
truth and plausibility, these tales of
certain outstanding men of the West. A
good deed. A set of fine adventures
that reflect much of ihe development of
the great West as they move forward.
* * * *
BEFORE THE COVERED WAGON. By
Philip H. Parrish. Illustrations by
George A. Dowling. Portland: Met
ropolitan Press.
Much in debt are we to one and
another of the idle dreaming lads of
the world. Take this one: There he
sat by the hour on the river bank, the
bank of the Missouri, not so far from
the house, doing just nothing at all, so
his mother said. Nothing but wonder
ing where that river came from and
where it was going and what its busi
ness was. Away to the West and North
west did his mind fare, almost day and
night, in pursuit of that magic stream.
That was the beginning of the boy, of
the boy who grew to follow the stream
that, clearly, had enchanted him. Out
he went into the lands even beyond
the river, into the Oregon land.
And here, after much of digging and
delving into the past, he has told the
story—-no, hardly that. Instead, he
has set the drama of the Pacific Coast,
searched out by adventurers from
many a far-away place. Oriental and
ι Western man and Indian came togeth
er here long before the old Oregon
Trail of 1843. Indeed, back for 300
years has this lad from the banks of
the Missouri searched out records of
fact to sustain a very stirring and
dramatic picture of the great West
before it entered the catalogue of mod
ern States. Here are stories mag
nificently set in the forests and among
the mountains of what is now Oregon
and its outreaches, stories of heroic
cast, of strange peoples who first fol
lowed the river trails and penetrated
the dense forests of the Pacific Coast,
who first made faint paths along the
shore lines and then retreated, leaving
only the Indian, more or less uncer-i
tainly named "native." Inscrutable
and uneommunicablc red man.
Staidly, this young author says. "This
history was written to vitalize early
events in the Oregon country, out of
justice to the adventurers of those
times and to those who read of them
now. I kept in mind the romance,
but all the time maintained a pro
found respect for the truth." Sounds
like a boy. yet like that boy who
dreamed ση the river bank. Let us
hope that he did hold to "a profound
respect" for the facts of history. But.
above all, let us be grateful for the
delightful sense of picture that he has
so clearly kept, for the crisp drama
that he has sustained. A very beau
tiful piece of work. A true adven
turer on his way.
No Difference.
From the Ashland Dally Independent.
It means the same thing whether that
yarn about a 56-inch tarpon being
found on a Florida golf course was told
by a fisherman or a golfer.
Not Lovely Lucre.
From the Toledo Blade.
French critic says American money
Is inartistic. What of it? We don't
pretend to loi? It for art's sake.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. ilASKiy.
Any reader can get the answer to
any question by writing to our Informa
tion Bureau in Washington, D. C. This
offer applies strictly to information.
The bureau cannot give advice on legal,
medical and financial matters. It does
not attempt to settle domestic troubles
or undertake exhaustive research on
any subject. Write your question plain
ly and briefly. Give full name and ad
dress and inclose 3 cents in coin or
stamps for return postage. The reply
is sent direct to the inquirer. Address
The Washington Star Information Bu
reau. Frederic J. Haskin, Director,
Washington, D. C.
Q. In contract bridge, when a bidder
who has been dpubled fails to mike
his contract, the bonus differs accord
ing to vulnerability. Does the status
of the doubler affect the score?—C. J. R
A. It is the bidder who is penalized
according to whether his side is not
vulnerable or vulnerable. The status
of the opponents Is not considered.
Q. How long was John McGraw in
base ball?—D. G.
A. He was identified with base ball
for 42 years, about 30 years of which
he was with the New York Giants.
Q. Does the word Jew denote creed
or nationality?—W. G.
A. It usually denotes both. It may
be said that the people are Hebrews in
race and language, Israelites in religion,
and Jews in both senses.
Q. What can be added to a rinse
water to render clothes fireproof?—
D. Β
A. Fabrics may be steeped in almost
any saline solution, such as borax, alum,
sal ammoniac, etc. The addition of
about 1 ounce of alum or sal ammoniac
to the last water used to rinse textile
materials or the addition of a lesser
quantity to the starch used to stiffen
them renders them so little combus
tible that they will not readily take fire
or burst into flame if kindled.
Q Did James Bland write many
songs besides "Carry Me Back to Old
Virginny"?—A. L. G.
A. He wrote about 700.
Q. How old is the superstition to the
effect that ostriches bury their heads
in sand?—W. W.
A. It is thousands of years old, but
only such races as are unfamiliar with
the habits of ostriches believe it to be
true.
Q. How high can a man ascend in a
balloon and make his voice heard on
the ground?—N. G.
A. It is estimated that a man with
a strong voice of ordinary pitch may
be heard on still, calm days from a
height of 2.500-3.000 feet. The actual
height depends greatly on the prevail
ing distribution of temperature with
height. With some distributions of
temperature, sounds would not be
heard In either direction if the balloon
ist were, say, at an elevation of only
2,000 feet.
Q. How far is it from Rangoon to
Mandalay?—V. D.
A. Mandalay is about 410 miles north
of Rangoon, two miles from the Irawadi
River.
Q. What is the term used to indicate
an excessive fear of heights?—E. D.
A. Acrophobia.
Q. What type of banks holds most of
the Nation's savings?—Ν. Β. K.
A. Mutual savings banks, which pay
no profits to stockholders, lead as a
class. They hold more than $10,000,
000.000, or 35 per cent, of all the sav
ings in the country. Inasmuch as there
are only 587 such mutual banks and
they are located in only 18 out of the
48 States of the Union, compared with
a total of over 20.000 banks of other
classes, they may be said to represent
the largest concentration of savings of
any type of banks. Other types In
clude national banks with savings de
partments. non-mutual or proflt-mak
ing savings banks. State - chartered
commercial banks, trust companies and
private banks.
Q Is Lake Pontchartrain a fresh or
salt water lake?—E. J. L.
A. The water is brackish.
Q. Is the postage rramp a form of
taxation?—T. E.
A. At the present time it is not. The
entire revenue derived from the sale
of postage stamps is applied to the
cost of maintaining the Post Office
Department and handling the mail.
With an increase in postage rate beyond
the expense of postal service, such
stamps are a form of taxation.
Q What is the Ruodlieb1—T. F
A. It is a romance in Latin verse by
an unknown German poet who flour
ished about 1030. He was almost cer
tainly a monk of the Bavarian abbey
of Tegernsee. The poem is one of the
earliest German romances of knightly
adventure, and its picture of feudal
manners gives It value as an historical
document.
Q. Do sun lamps produce tan?—R S.
A. Baths by sun lamps will give a tan
to a person as well as the actual sun
light.
Q What does an owner of a box In
the Metropolitan Opera House pay for
the privilege?—Ε "7.
A. Each boxholder pays annually a
certain sum which goes to pay the
taxes on the buildine and other ex
penses of a minor character. This an
nual payment of late years has been
S5.220 for each owner. The ownership
of a box represents a one-thlrty-flfth
share in the ownership of the opera
house.
Q How was pink dogwood de
veloped?—W. H.
A. The Forest Service says that pink
dogwood originated from the white by
grafting and may be considered a sport.
This means that dogwood of a pink
tinge was grafted on to other dogwood
of a pink tinge, the color thereby be
ing deepened.
Q Who was the first man to dis
charge an exploeive. located at a dis
tance. by an electric current sent over
a wire?—P. S.
A. Benjamin Franklin.
Q Why did Munkacsy devote so
much time to painting pictures of
Christ?—A. L. R
A When the Hungarian painter was
a lad he was dissatisfied with repre
sentations of the Christ which he saw.
They seemed "effeminate personifica
tions of too much humility." He wished
to paint "such a man as could be severe
to the wrongdoer, even while he was
forgiving and tender to the repentant.·*
To counteract the effect of the paint
ings of which Munkacsy disapproved,
he himself painted pictures which h*ve
Christ's life for theme.
Q. Who first raised mules in the
! United States?—H. G.
A. George Washington was among
the earliest, if not the earliest, breeder
of mules. He received two jacks and
i two Jennets from the King of Spain
and one jack and two jennets from
Lafayette.
Q. In what modern battle has there
been the greatest loss of life in a short
fight?—M. B.
A. In proportion to the number of
combatants engaged and the actual time
of fighting, it is said that more men
were killed at the battle of Namasigue,
I in Honduras, than in any other battle
I in recorded history. Three thousand
or more were slain In a few minutes
tn 1907.
Depression in Background
As Hoover Asks Indorsement
Public discussion of the record of
I the Hoover administration has been
widespread as the President again re
ceives the Republican nomination for
the position of Chief Executive. The
estimates are in most instances linked
with the existence of the depression
and are based upon opinions of the
measures with which he has been as
sociated.
Viewing the first three years of his
service as "a baptism of fire," the Sioux
Falls Argus-Leader (independent Re
publican! believes that "a survey made
dispassionately and without prejudice
will reveal that Hoover is not a super
man." but that paper asks: "Are there
other men in public life who would
have operated flawlessly at Washing
ton? Would they have been able to
gaze into the crystal, see what was to
come, know what steps should be taken
to avert difficulties and direct a divided
Congress?" The Dayton Daily News
(Democratic) holds that he "has been
among the mast unfortunate of Presi
dents"; that "he took a 'party of pros
perity' and under him it became, as
one of the seconders of his nomination
said, 'not a fair weather party alone.'
It is very stormy weather through
which the President is now to navigate
his second campaign." Referring to
the party's change on the subject of
prohibition, the Des Moines Tribune
(independent Republican) points to
other features of the platform on which
Hoover and Curtis are to seek re
election. and takes the Impersonal posi
tion: "It is by no means a bad or
unintelligent chart for American na
tional policy, even though some planks
are disappointing."
"Herbert Hoover's position is not to
be envied," thinks the Newark Evening
News (independent) "but it still re
mains to be demonstrated that the
Democrats know how to take advantage
of the opportunity." The Jersey City
Journal (independent Republican) feels
that "it will do Democrats no good to
try to pin upon him the blame for the
trials that have plagued us all." and
maintains that "this time of distress is
so obviously a worldwide condition, in
stead of soltly or even chiefly American,
that fault-finding is only going to react
upon the fault-finder." The Boston
Transcript (independent Republican)
states that the renomination "affirmed
the general belief that the Hoover
policies have been sound, and that the
country will feel safer with Mr. Hoover
at the helm and the veto power in his
hand than with any other Republican
that has p.spired to fill his rather un
comfortable political shoes." The San
Francisco Chronicle (Republican) views
the action of the convention as "only
the Inevitable confirmation of the pilot
whose sure and steady hand on the
wheel through world-shaking storm has
won the faith of men that he must
steer on."
"Durinp 11 this time, up to his lights
within the measure of his powers, he
has been everv inch a President," says ;
the New York Times (independent),
with the conclusion that "the Presi
dent has more and more appeared to
be standing as a tower of strength
amid a chaotic welter at Washington.''
The Topeka Daily Capital (Republi
can) voices the thought that "there is
no man in the country who is his equal
in experience in dealing with problems
and issues, both national and interna
tional. which the Nation will continue
to face in the years immediately
ahee.d." That the pilot should not b"
changed after "heading into the storm"
is the stand taken bv the Lincoln 8U>
Journal (independent Republican)
while the Ann Arbor Dailv News (in
dependent) argues that "he was the
only logical man to succeed himself,
from the party's point of view"; that
"he is entitled to a chance to carrv on
what he has started, and to be in office
when prosperity comes back."
"These renominatious," in the iudg
ment of the Oklahoma City Oklaho
man (independent) "simply mean that
a people low in the valley must remain
quiescent and let well enough alone.
The past has been bad, and the present
t
Is distressing, but nothing better is as
sured or even promised by the renom
ination of the same old ticket." That
paper advises: "There Is a promise of
the same old successes, the same old
failures, the same old triumphs and
trials and evasions and heart breaks."
The Roanoke Times (Democratic)
avers: "Hoover and Curtis it is then.
The Democrats in Congress joined the
Republicans in cheering the announce
ment that the President had been re
nominated at Chicago. And no
! wonder!"
"The Republican prchibition plank,
on which Mr. Hoover seeks re-election,"
contends the Asbury Park Evening Press
(independent Democratic), "is the rank
est and most obvious piece of political
dishonesty ever thrust upon the Ameri
can public. And it is the only effort
that will give the 1932 Republican con
vention a place in history." The Scran
I ton Times (Democratic) asserts:" Public
opinion, even in rock-ribbed Republican
Pennsylvania, is strong in the belief
that Mr. Hoover and his party have
failed, that they have muffed the oppor
tunity given them by the American peo
ple." The Charleston Evening Post
(Democratic) says: "If the ticket is beat
en there will be no cause for walling
and gnashing of teeth. The Republican
party let itself in for Hoover four years
ago. and it must go through with him.
whether to defeat in November or for
four vears mere of him in the White
House."
"Slowly but surely." records the Har
risburg Telegraph ι Republican), "there
has developed in the public mind the
belief that President Hoover is the one
man who has displayed a comprehensive
understanding of the needs of the
emergency." The Pasadena Star-News
(independent Republican ι lauds "the
silent, patient, long-suffering man in
the White House, wearing himself out
in service cf his countrv." The Spokane
Spokesman-Review (Republican» at
tests that "a fair-minded Nation sees
that Hoover 'never has last faith, never
relinquished his soul for the applause of
the moment.' never yielded to demagogy
or tricky opportunism." The Lexington
Leader (independent Republican) ar
gues that "he has furnished the only
leadership which the country has had,
or the world, for that matter."
"The party goes before the countrv
this year," in the opinion of the Spring
field < Mass. ι Union ( Republican), "witn
a ticket tried and tested in the severe
ordeal of renponsibillty in a time of
great and unprecedented national diffi
culties and stress.'* The Indianapolis
News ' independent Republican) declares
that the country "was steadied in its
position and constantly encouraged by
the example of the President." The
Charleston (W Va.) Daily Mail (inde
pendent Republican*, commenting on
the campaign, holds that "the country
will applaud the President's determina
tion to take only a limited and a digni
fied part."
Policemen and Firemen
Better Off Than Clerk:
To the Editor of The SUr:
The other day you published com
parable tables showing an alleged dis
crimination as between the cut» suf
fered by police and firemen and the
Federal employes. The Federal em
ployes pay 3» 2 per cent for retirement
as well as they do and in addition β1
per cent cut As fcr the 30 days' sicl
leave, try and get it. Firemen anc
policemen take as much sick leave as
any one else, for they can get by with
it by saying it was done in line of duty.
The Federal employes have no euch
excuse. There is one big comparison
you left out in your tables, viz: Police
and firemen (third class) receive with
c!cthing allowance and car fare >3.500
a year. Grade 3 stenographers, the
majority of whom are college graduates,
leceive only $1,620 per annum.
Give me the $3,500 per annum and
the Government can have the 15 dan'
annual leave. JAMES E. GORDON,