Evening star. [volume], December 21, 1936, Page A-10, Image 10

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

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THE EVENING STAR
With Sunday Morning Edition.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
MONDAY...December 21, 193«
THEODORE W. NOYES--Editor
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paper and also the local newa published herein.
All rights of publication of special dispatches
herein are also reserved.
Buenos Aires Agreements.
Within a period of barely three weeks,
the Inter-American Conference for the
Maintenance of Peace has virtually con
cluded Its labors and is preparing to
adjourn on Wednesday with major
objectives achieved. The sister Americas
have written a worthy record of accom
plishment. By the harmony and speed
which characterized their deliberations
they have given the world a significant
demonstration of the solidarity with
which the democracies of the Western
Hemisphere face common problems and
of their determination to pool their in
fluence and resources for preservation of
international peace.
The high hopes pinned on the Buenos
Aires conclave, when President Roose
velt took the initiative in convening it,
have thus been amply Justified. The
results are none the less tangible be
cause the commitments entered into do
not impinge unduly upon the sovereign
authority of the respective American
nations. They are left with wide free
dom of action in all the fields of agree
ment, but the consultative arrangements
provided for afford fair assurance that in
the "good neighbor” spirit, which per
meated the conference from start to
finish, unified action is to be expected on
emergency occasions.
The peace machinery projected at
Buenos Aires comprehends three prin
cipal categories: (1) Collective security,
whereby the American republics will
consult together for common defense, in
the event of war between any two of
them or war between any of them and
some non-American country, or in case
of war anywhere that might menace
American peace; (2) non-intervention,
whereby an unfriendly act by any Amer
ican state against another, tending to
disturb peace, shall be considered as
affecting each and all of them, and shall
be the basis for initiation of consultative
procedure, and (3) neutrality, whereby
the five treaties now in existence among
American nations are reaffirmed, pledg
ing consultation on all matters affect
ing peace in the Western Hemisphere.
Each nation Is left free to decide, as a
matter of domestic policy, its attitude
respecting embargoes on arms or loans
to Belligerents. Exemption is made or
any action that concerns the obligations
of the sixteen American states which
are members of the League of Nations.
The underlying theory of the neutrality
convention, of course, is that the Amer
ican republics will exhaust every con
sultative possibility to adopt a Joint
program with reference to supplying war
essentials to non-American belligerents.
There will be those who may feel that
the conference should have gone further
In the direction of formally binding com
pacts. To attain even the accords that
were reached required patient and pro
tracted discussion and compromise on
vital points. But there is a unanimity of
view that the cornerstones of permanent
peace In the Americas have been well
and truly laid, and that Ideals not yet
realized may now be safely left to future
Pan-American conferences.
An ancient East Aslan impression was
to the effect that there were no nations
worthy of consideration outside of China
and Japan. Correcting an ancient but
* mistaken impression Is one of the hardest
Jobs civilization has to tackle.
Reds are accused of agitating for war
In China in spite of numerous demon
strations of how much easier it is to start
* war than It is to finish It.
Anti-trust laws are revived in discus
sion. Even a movement toward anti
braintrust laws seems possible.
International Party.
This afternoon the facilities of the
National Broadcasting Company's net
work are to be employed for a pur
pose and in a manner deserving of par
ticular attention and especial praise.
The fifth International children’s Christ
mas party will be on the air. Prom
the gold room of the Shoreham Hotel
the greetings of the junior contingent
of the diplomatic corps are to be broad
cast around the planet. Each youngster
will speak in his native tongue. The
result will be an inspiring demonstration
of the essentially cosmopolitan character
of the annual celebration of the birth
of the Saviour of mankind. Appropri
ately enough, it will be the privilege of
the men and women of the next genera
tion to express the good will which
their parents have felt, but somehow
failed to make heard above the con
fusion of the strife-torn earth during
these past two decades.
For Washington the occasion has a
keen personal interest to every family.
The children participating in the pro
gram are the neighbors and school
fellows of young America In the Dis
trict of Columbia. N^other —
can claim so representative an example
of the melting pot In which all races,
all nations, all classes are metaphorically
intermixed, to the end that one single
providential objective—the Brotherhood
of Man—may be served. Here, if any
where, then, the lessons of peace and
harmony might be learned. And In the
vision of the Scriptures it is anticipated
that in the hour when the lion and the
lamb shall rest together “a little child
shall lead them.” The infant guide, in
the poetry of the Word, may be the spirit
of Christ, bom again in every humble
heart.
Without apology. The Star advises its
family of readers to "listen in." The
Greater National' Capital Committee of
the Washington Board of Trade will
appreciate such co-operation for the suc
cess of an effort which it sponsors an
nually at the Yuletlde season, and the
children themselves merit the unheard
but nevertheless sincere applause of an
audience both numerous and universal.
Disaster in El Salvador.
This uneasy earth is again In tremor.
Down on the isthmus between the
American continents a quake has oc
curred, causing the death of many hun
dreds of people, the total of casualties
not yet being determined. Suddenly,
in the night, came the convulsion, rend
ing the stone walls of dwellings and
other buildings, crashing them in ruins
as though they were made of frail mate
rials. Slowly the reports are coming,
adding steadily to the horror of the
tragedy. There may be further shocks,
or again that which caused the first dis
aster may have been the major and
actually the final dislodgment of the
unstable crust.
The Isthmus la peculiarly subject to
these disorders. Some have held that
the tendency toward repeated adjust
ments of stirface stresses, which are the
cause of what are knawn as earthquakes,
is due to tbe pressure of the two great
seas upon the narrow strip of‘land that
separates them. Others discard this
theory. It is, however, undeniable that
the narrower area of the land connec
tion between the continents has been
historically unstable, whether for the
reason of concentrated sea pressure or
for another cause.
Mention is made in the dispatches of
fears that the disruption of the surface
in these quakes may lead to revival of
activity in a volcano situated near the
immediate center of disturbance. It is
quite possible that a dormant vent may
be stimulated Into eruption, perhaps
through the loosening or dislodgment of
a "plug'’ within the volcanic shaft. The
phenomena of quakes and eruptions are
closely associated. Usually the quakes,
in such relationship, follow eruptions. It
is quite possible, however, for a sub
sidence to occur in the adjustment of
surface strains—which is called an
earthquake—and for the vent of a vol
canic mountain to be freed thereby of
its impeding material at a time when
the forces within are at the “boiling
point,” or the stage of eruption.
Whether quakes cause eruptions, or
are the result of the venting of molten
matter through the chimneys of the
earth, the results are always disastrous
to humanity, save in the rare cases where
the surrounding area is uninhabited.
Man has never been deterred by these
dangers from occupying the slopes of
volcanic mountains and the plains be
. yond, nor has the prevalence of earth
quakes caused the desertion of otherwise
habitable spaces. There Is always the
chance of disaster, and the greater
chance of escape.
The “next war” can only be averted
by a new system of philosophy which
can show that moral failure means po
litical defeat and that a doctor, reckless
In announcing cures, must sometimes
take his own medicine.
Capital Gains.
After the White House conference last
Thursday Senator Harrison dropped a
few hints about possible revisions of the
revenue act. These might include elimi
nation of those nuisance taxes “which
yield too little to warrant the cost of
collection" and amendments to the sur
plus profits tax designed to ease the
burden imposed on debt-ridden corpora
tions. But conspicuous by its absence
was any mention of revising the tax on
capital gains, a proposal that has gained
increasing favor because of the boomlike
gyrations of the stock market.
For many years now the capital gains
tax, which seems to be distinctly an
American form of taxation, has been
credited with encouraging both the
acceleration and the decline of prices
of securities. After the first warnings
of a coming debacle in the stock market
in 1929, the National City Bank attrib
uted conditions in the market in part
to the tax on capital gains, pointing out
that investors were discouraged in sell
ing and taking their profits because of
the high tax put on such profits. And
after the bubble burst and stocks were
rapidly sinking to new lows, the same
institution pointed out that the tax was
contributing to the heavy sales, for
holders of securities were selling in
order to register losses which could be
used to offset Income and wipe out tax
liability. Long before the crash, in 1921,
Secretary Mellon had argued against
the tax as hindering transactions that
otherwise might take place.
The part that the capital gains tax is
playing in the boomlike tendencies of
today’s market is debatable. But that
the tax as revised in the 1934 act is
a hindrance on profit-taking can hardly
be denied. Many security holders would
doubtless be glad to take advantage of
the profits available by selling now, but
will not sell because of the high tax on
such profits. Refusal to seU in an active
market, of course, tends to send prices
still higher.
The continuing need for revenue at
the next Congress diminishes the pros
pect of any tax reduction and, as far
as the capital gains tax Is concerned, re
duction of the tax burden borne by large
holdsn at securities would set be popu
J.
lar. Arguing for a revision of this tax,
however, la the adminlatratlon’a mani
fest desire to prevent a run-sway mar
ket. If the tax eould be revised in a
manner to encourage sales of assets
where the value has Increased and
thereby produce as much or more reve
nue than the present tax. which dis
courages such sales, some change might
be approved.
As far as the theory of the tax is
concerned, there are many who argue
that capital gains and losses are dis
tinctly different from ordinary Income
and, If taxed at all, should be treated
differently. In Great Britain capital
gains are not regarded as Income at
all, but as capital. If capital gains are
to be treated as income, the rates should
be so adjusted as to place no undue
handicap on profit taking and the nor
mal operation of a free market.
w n • W
Vvenerai nramara,
His country today does homage to
Brigadier General David L. Brainard,
and the occasion is worthy of more than
passing notice. Eighty years of age and
the last survivor of General Adolphus
W. Greely’s Arctic expedition of 1881
1884, the veteran soldier and polar ex
plorer has asked no recognition for his
lifetime of service. Instead, it has been
his preference to direct attention to the
achievements of others. For himself,
he has chosen the role of a promoter
of the fame of such of his contempo
raries as he has believed deserving of
public applause. It is principally to his
efforts that the world owes its acquaint
ance with the heroic group of pioneers
to which he belonged. He established
their place in history.
But, with characteristic modesty, he
omitted his own name from the appeal
to Immortality which he filed for his
comrades. In his diary, published in
1929 under the title, “Outpost of the
Lost,” he tells the tale of the Greely
party’s sufferings with a fine disregard
for his share in them, yet, as General
Greely delighted to declare, “he was the
most remarkable of a number of re
markable men on that expedition.”
Sense of duty, self-sacrifice and the in
terest of his fellows, the same authority
testified, distinguished him in the crisis.
And those qualities are equally manifest
in the record of his career during the
decades that have passed since his re
turn from the frozen zone.
The American Polar Society is well
advised when it Insists upon a bal
ancing of the account in which General
Brainard has neglected to Include his
personal deserts. Today's acclaim crowns
a brave, a good and a useful vocation for
which humanity at large should be
grateful. Mankind, as it happens, stands
in constant need of the inspiration of
such examples of devotion and accom
plishment.
A simple inauguration is planned, but
not quite as simple, perhaps, as the proc
ess of tabulating the election returns.
Shooting Stars.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
A Role Open to Every One.
I know a man so obstinate he will not
change his mind.
In most of his opinions he is flexibly
inclined.
But ever since his boyhood hours he
banishes his grief
By cherishing a very old and comforting
belief.
When snowflakes flash and melt along
as holidays draw near,
He says, “It's time to tliink about the
sleigh bells and the deer.
I haven’t changed my mind regarding
Christmas time, because
I’m as much convinced as ever that
there IS a Santa Claus."
He says, "I love the glitter of the tinsel
and the toys.
There is music in the laughter of the
girls and of the boys.
And the generous Christmas spirit that
inspires us once again
Demands sincere expression unto all
my fellowmen.
I shall not hesitate to travel In the
slush and snow.
If necessary, I will let some long white
whiskers grow.
I believe In the existence of that ancient
jovial elf,
And if I have to prove it—I’ll be Santa
Claus myself!"
un rnai.
“Did you convince your audience that
your ideas were correct?”
“It wasn’t a case of convincing that
audience,” replied Senator Sorghum.
“The people had their minds made up
and came around to get a line on
whether I agreed with them or not.”
Cultivation.
'1 suppose you hope to make a very
cultivated young man of your boy Josh.”
“Yes,” answered Farmef Comtoesel.
“We’re cultivatin’ him the best we can.
Every now and then mother and me gives
him a rakin’ over."
A Holiday Misfit.
Ol’ man Grouch, he come along.
He hear de chillun sing a song.
He see de turkey bangin' high
An’ smell de pork chops as dey fry.
He do his very bes’ to frown
An’ be the terror of de town.
But everybody smile so kind
He’s llble foh to change his mind.
His feelin’s shift so mighty fast,
His face gets tired. It jes' can't last.
He packs his grip an’ hollers “Ouch!
Dis ain’ no place foh ol’ man Grouch I”
Practical Advice,
“Your overshoes!” the doctor cried;
Do not forget the same;
For he who gets cold feet is like
To quit life’s busy game.
“We’s all waitin’ foh Christmas,” said
Uncle Eben. “Us grown folks has to
work harder dan ever to cheer de chillun
up foh fkndin’ out dar ain’ no Banty
, \
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Actions speak louder than words. A
tremendous roar Is going up from many
Republican throats to "liberalise" the
O. 0. P. The party, It la said now, has
lost touch with the people, lost their
confidence. The way to be liberal—Is to
be liberal. But first It Is necessary to
define liberalism. It is a word loosely
used. More loosely used in recent years
than ever before. It has been applied
to many plans for Government, some of
them wise and others not so wise. The
New Dealers have made wide use of the
term. No one has yet clearly defined
what a liberal Republican party should
be or should do.
* * * *
The Republican members of Congress
are in a position to set the pace toward
liberalism—provided they have a clear
understanding of the elements. But
they are not alone In a position to do
something about diving the party a
new—or an old—flavor. There are the
Republican members of the State Leg
islatures, which meet the first of the
year. There are a few, very few, Repub
lican Governors who also are so situated
as to be able to take the lead toward
liberalism.
The members of Congress have per
haps the best sounding board. What
they do will be watched with the keenest
interest. They are scarcely In sufficient
number to leave much of an Impress
upon the legislation of the coming ses
sion—with only 17 Senators and 88
members of the House. However, many
Important measures are expected to
make their appearance in the two houses
and they will have opportunity to speak
and to vote upon them. I have talked
with a number of the members, but
so far have been unable to obtain any
Idea as to what their attitude will be,
except on isolated bills which may be
presented.
* * * *
Take, for example, the proposed 30
hour work week, which is sponsored by
the American Federation of Labor and
other labor organizations. That is gen
erally rated a liberal measure. One Re
publican 8enator, who wished not to be
quoted at this time, Insisted that such
a measure would have the result of in
creasing the cost of living to the people
by 33' a per cent. He was doubtful about
the liberality of any measure which
would have such a result. Furthermore,
he insisted, it is impossible now to get all
the skilled labor needed In his State
under existing conditions.
What is to be the attitude of the Re
publicans when the question of extend
ing the power of the President to deal
with the devaluation of the dollar arises?
And what, about the continuance of
the so-called $2,000,000,000 stabilization
fund? There are signs that a demand
will be made for some report from the
President regarding the use to which this
stabilization fund has been put.
The Republicans in Congress say they
will have to wait until President Roose
velt discloses his program and until the
Democratic measures are actually pre
sented before they can outline their atti
tude toward them. That seems reason
able enough. On the other hand, some
of the Republicans are bent upon stirring
legislation of their own devising. One of
these measures will be. they say, an anti
lynching bill. Another may be some
kind of a measure to Insure the Negroes
in the Southern States not only the •
right but also the practice of voting in
political elections. The Republicans have
seen the Negro vote in the Northern and
Western States shift from the O. O. P.
to the Democratic party in the last three
elections. They are anxious to put the
Democrats in Congress, and particularly
those from the “Solid South’’ on record
in these matters. This may have a dis
tinctly political flavor, but the Repub
licans believe they are entirely within
their rights in aggitatlng such measures.
* * * *
In the old days, the great Issue between
the Democrats and the Republicans was
the protective tariff. It was only a little
more than four years ago that the Demo
crats were denouncing the iniquities of
the last Republican trail! law—the
Smoot-Hawley act. put through in the
first part of the Hoover administration.
The Democrats have been in power for
four years, however, and not a rate in
that tariff act has been changed by law.
The Roosevelt administration, it is true,
has been trying out its new plan of
reciprocal trade agreements, with the
effect of lowering tariff duties on Imports
from a lot of countries. But beyond
that it has not gone. The tariff issue,
for the time being, seems as dead as a
door nail. If the reciprocal trade agree
ments become wider and wider, the issue
may revive. That is a matter for the
future to disclose. There has been no
indication so far that the administration
intends to propose a general revision of
the tariff laws.
* a * *
The Republicans are watchfully wait
ing to see if the administration comes
forward with a new kind of N. R. A.,
designed to place control on business.
They still insist that the old N. R. A.
put a damper on recovery which was
only removed when the Supreme Court
declared the act unconstitutional. They
are waiting to see if the administration
sponsors any measure seeking to limit
the powers of the Supreme Court in the
matter of declaring acts of Congress un
constitutional. If an assault is made on
the court, it may be expected that many
of the Republicans will rise in opposi
tion.
* * * *
Chairman John Hamilton of the Re
publican National Committee, with a
vote of confidence given him by the
committee, has returned to Washington
ready to go ahead with plans for resusci
tation of the G. O. P. His principle Job
will be to strengthen the organization of
the party in all the 8tatea, so that it will
be in fighting trim for the 1938 con
gressional elections. He plans to give
all his time to building up the organiza
tion, with a year-round campaign con
ducted by himself and his assistants.
This has never been done before.
One of the constantly reiterated com
plaints by Republicans who wish to lib
eralize the party is that too many of the
keymen and women in the party organ
ization, men and women who dominate
the policies of the national organization,
have come to be regarded as the enemies
of liberal policies. They Insist that new
blood must be injected into the national
committee and into the State commit
tees. This is a matter, however, which
must be dealt with by the Republicans,
the voters in the various States. It
cannot be done from Washington nor
from the headquarters of the national
committee Itself.
Or a Lot of In-Laws.
from the Satlntw Newt.
Flirting is dangerous. A man never
can be sure a girl won’t turn him over
to a policeman—or a minister.
Competition Plus.
from the Saclntw Newt.
An aviator has crossed the Atlantic in
a dinner Jacket, probably the first time
this has been accomplished by anything
but a moth.
/
, THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.
Fritz war 6 months old, which was get
ting along for a dachshund.
He had gone out to play that afternoon,
Just a tew minutes before his small mis
tresses came home from school.
They always greeted him with pleasure.
Frits Invariably repUed by wagging hi*
tall, and standing up on his stubby hind
legs. He seldom barked.
This afternoon, although It waa De
cember, the smcil of Spring was in the
air. There was haze everywhere, and
humans could almost Imagine the white
blossoms were going to burst through on
the bare bridal-wreath bushes. Some
times they do.
Frits ran down the steps, and out Into
the yard, as fast as his short legs would
take him.
First he went over to the hole he had
been digging beneath the drioeway, for
Fritz waa a digger of the ancient and
honorable order of badger doge.
* * * *
Some one had filled In his nice hole,
with earth firmly packed down, and a
wire mesh to discourage further activities.
Fritz looked at his broad, powerful
front paws and legs. Yes, he could do
It, If he wanted to, but somehow he efidn’t
want to.
Instead, he sniffed the air.
What was that wonderful smell?
He sniffed, and sniffed, and sniffed
again.
He raised his head high, and stepped
out. Of course, a dachshund cannot
raise his nose very far from the earth,
at any time. This is appropriate for a
digger.
But he raised it high enough, and then
a flood of memories smote him, by way
of his nostrils.
* * * *
Along the sidewalk he ran. keeping
sharp lookout for great things which
roared by at speeds unknown to his tribe.
It was Just good dog sense to watch
out for these things. They had their
uses. Sometimes, with Selma and Doris,
his little friends, he would get In one,
and then the wind would blow across his
nose, and he would see everything fly
ing by.
Mostly, however, these things which
went along the streets were just a pain
In the neck.
He came to the comer.
Down this way he had never been be
fore. It looked strange, forbidding—and
entrancing In a way.
There was still that old delicious
fragrance of memories, dimly stirring in
his funny head. I
* * * *
Well, here goes!
He trotted along at a clean, cool gait,
and the things in the street kept swim
ming past him, but he paid no attention
to them. He kept right on. and came
at last to a fork in the road.
Lifting his head, he scented for home.
Yes, it was there. He could smell it
easily. He had a wonderful nose, a nose
which was always ready to help a fel
low out.
Great currents of odors swept across
his paths.
There were hundreds of them, thou
sands of them, mixed with the terribly
rank smell of the great things in the
street.
How a dog hated that smell!
But here were new fragrances, keen,
delicious, worth walking out to find.
The earth along the wayside was soft
and fresh. It sank beneath a fellow's
feet
Watch out! Watch out!
It fu a rabbit, sure enough. Fritz
put hla head down In pursuit.
Away acroaa a field they ran, the bunny
the victor by hundreds of yards. Fritz s
legs were short, though powerful, and he
could not keep up the pace.
It was a glorious dash, however.
The great light across the road seemed
to be growing less.
The dog sniffed for home—and found
It gone.
Home waa gone.
Panic came over him. Home was gone!
He sniffed and sniffed, ran a few paces,
almost got run over, darted to the side
walk again, breathed heavily, came to a
stop.
“Look at the funny little dog,” said
some one.
There was a store there. The grocery
woman was standing In the door. She
caUed him a funny little dog.
Fritz came up.
A little dinner, he Indicated, might
not go amiss.
Chasing rabbits was fun, but it made
one terribly hungry. The big light was
growing less, and blackness would come
shortly. Fritz had never encountered
that, except through a window.
“Go away, Uttle dog,” said the grocery
woman.
Fritz went, but by and by he came
back.
A little food, he Indicated
"Here is that dog again,” called the
woman. “Come drive him away.”
* * * *
Fritz was growing tired.
He sniffed and sniffed the darkening
air. At last he caught a faint answer.
Turning his tail, he went in the opposite
direction to that which he had come.
He trotted dogfully for a long time.
Great lights passed him with roars.
"You fool dog!” howled some one, as
brakes screamed In the night.
Fritz kept on going.
At times he thought he got the direc
tion. but then things faded out.
He came at last to a house, and a lady
saw him, and invited him in to dinner.
It was a nice house, a good lady, and a
fine dinner, to which he did Justice, but
It wasn't his house, nor his lady.
“He belongs around here some place.’*
declared the lady. "I will Just put him
out, and he will find his way back home.”
A A A A
He wax beginning to grow tired now.
He lay down in the middle of the
street, and curled up for a nap, which
almost became his last.
There wax a screech of brakes. A man
got out, and picked him up.
"You came mighty near getting it
that time,” said the man
He took Fritz to a house nearby, rang
the bell, and handed him over to the
woman.
"You have these dogs.” he said.
"But this one doesn't belong to me. I
never saw it before.”
But the man was gone.
The woman called up on the telephone.
She couldn't keep him. she said. Soon a
wagon came. Fritz was bundled in. At
last he was taken out, and put in a pen.
He spent a miserable night. But by dawn
great things had happened Newspapers
were searching for him, radio stations
were talking about him.
The hours ■went by. Then a little dog
and his mistresses were reunited at last.
When he got home, he went into the liv
ing room, straight to his favorite corner
of the sofa, usually forbidden him. But
nobody said a word this time!
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE.
Whatever Is thought here or abroad
about that Inevitable "next war,-’ Uncle
Sam evidently expects the world to be
at peace in 1939. At any rate, the State
Department, in President Roosevelt's
name, has just Invited 59 different coun
tries to participate in New York City's
World Fair three years hence. Already
27 governments have responded, indicat
ing acceptance. The others, with few
exceptions, are expected to follow suit.
The fair authorities, heaped by Presi
dent Grover Whalen, quote Mr. Roose
velt as seeing in the success of the exhi
bition a practical means of preserving
peace and of strengthening America's
political and trade ties with the world.
Whalen estimates the big show will cost
about $125,000,000, but predicts it will put
billions of dollars in circulation, not only
in Gotham, but throughout the country,
and thus prolong prosperity.
* * * *
No one remotely suspects President
Roosevelt of any desire to- turn the in
augural procession on January 20 into
a warlike demonstration of any sort,
particularly as his address at the Capitol
that day is expected to emphasize
America's devotion to world peace and
may possibly foreshadow some dramatic
plan of his own to promote it. Neverthe
less the military and naval cavalcade will
faithfully portray F. D. R.’s unquench
able belief in the virtues of national
defense. It will exemplify his creed of
peace by preparedness. The White
House has known no Incumbent since the
other Roosevelt who so warmly espoused
an adequate defensive establishment.
Since advancing at Buenos Aires the
theory that the sister Americas must
"stand shoulder to shoulder" to resist
aggression in the Western Hemisphere
"from any quarter,” Mr. Roosevelt is
probably more preparedness-conscious
than ever. That would be a normal re
action, because In the emergency of
united inter-American war measures, the
brunt of resistance to the foe would rest
on the broad shoulders of the Colossus of
the North,
* * * *
Walter A. Jones, who achieves the dis
tinction of being the biggest individual
"angel” of the 1936 campaign, outstrip
ping even the munificence of any of the
du Ponts, is a Columbus, Ohio, capitalist
whose varied business interests center at
Pittsburgh and consist mainly of in
vestments in oil. Mr. Jones gave more
than $100,000 to the Democratic Nation
al and Pennsylvania State Committees,
in. addition to loaning $52,000 to the
Democratic organization. He’s an inti
mate friend of Senator Joe Guffey, but is
chiefly concerned in Democratic fortunes
because of enthusiastic personal admira
tion of President Roosevelt, and of New
Deal achievements—an Interest said to
date from 1932. Mr. Jones has never
held office and is not known to cherish
any aspirations in that direction.
* * a *
When Joseph P. Tumulty was the
eagle-eyed secretarial right-hand of
President Wilson at the White House he
used to get some of his most valuable
political hunches from reading Wash
ington society news. By observing whom
Mrs. Senator So-snd-8o bad at lunch or
dinner the day before, etc., Joe found he
could often divine how certain winds
were blowing on Capitol Hill. Political
observers are making some such deduc
tions from Mrs. Roosevelt’s recent lunch
eon for cabinet hostesses, when plans
were disomsedfesettofaUentertalning
T
impression was promptly derived that
the President's wife, who ought to know,
is looking for no changes in the Roose
velt official household, at least in the
immediate future.
* * * *
David 8chenker. who is conducting the
searching investigation of Investment
trusts now under way in the Securities
and Exchange Commission, developed his
hard-hitting tactics under the tutelage
of Ferdinand Pecora. He was invited to
join Judge Pecora's staff as associate
counsel to the Senate Banking and Cur
rency Committee during its famous 1933
probe of Stock Exchange practices.
Schenker is a 37-year-old native New
Yorker, graduate of Columbia Law
School, a former editor of its review, and
member of the Manhattan bar. After
assembling the stock trading data on
which the Senate investigation was
based, Mr. Schenker Joined the legal
stall of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, and had a large part in
drafting the rules governing exchange
dealings. Affable, vigorous and unmar
ried, Schenker was brought up in thfe
school of hard knocks, and is fast on his
feet, both in the court room and on the
hand ball court. He plays hand ball reg
ularly for relaxation, likes to dine well,
and nr kes a practice of long hours of
intensive work.
* * * *
What is probably the first extensive
foreign review of American political and
economic history during the past four
years is about to be published. It will
appear in New York under the title of
"The New Deal: An Analysis and Ap
praisal.-’ The authors are the editors of
the London Economist, famous financial
weekly.
• * * *
Nelson Macy, national chairman of the
United States Navy League, has launched
a program in favor of adequately forti
fied naval bases, especially in the Pacific
and in the waters which form the ap
proaches to the Panama Canal. He par
ticularly advocates a miniature Gibral
tar on the mid-Pacific island of Guam,
estimating it would not cost more than
the two new battleship* which Presi
dent Roosevelt is shortly expected, to
approve—abefit $35,000,000 apiece, ac
cording to Mr. Macy. The Navy League
chief argues that defense of the Pacific
Coast depends less upon fleet expansion
than upon effective naval bases, which in
wartime would serve not only the battle
fleet, but also the merchant marine.
Macy evidently thinks it’s a mistake to
concentrate emphasis and expenditure
on new ships without commensurate
provision of bases.
* * * *
Charles Warren of the District of Co
lumbia bar and one of the country’s most
authoritative exponents of the Consti
tution and the Supreme Court, has Just
been appointed as the American member
of an arbitral tribunal to deal with dif
ferences between British Columbia and
the State of Washington. Mr. Warren
received the Pulitzer prize for the best
book on American history published in
1922—a three-volume work entitled "The
Supreme Court in United States His
tory.” In 1924 he was appointed special
master by the Supreme Court in the case
of New Mexico vs. Texas, and in 1929
served in a similar capacity in United
States vs. Utah. After graduation from
Harvard Law School in 1892, Warren
became private secretary to Gov. “Billy"
Russell of Massachusetts and later be
came that brilliant young Democratic
atateman’s. law partner In Boston.
|«M».issej
»
I ANSWERS TO -
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HA SKIN.
A reader can get the answer to any
question of /act by writing The Eve
ning Star Information Bureau, Frederic
J. Hasktn, director, Washington, D. C.
Please inclose stamp for reply.
Q. How many women are being trained
as domestics through the W. P. A.—
M. H.
A. At present approximately 2,340
young women are training for jobs as
household workers at 99 centers In the
District of Columbia and 17 States.
Q. Is there a light like the Aurora
Borealis In the Southern Hemisphere?—
R. C. D.
A. There is a light visible in southern
latitudes called the Aurora Australis.
Q. How is brandy added to fruit
cake?—R. S. M.
A. After the cake Is baked and cooled,
pour about one-fourth cup of brandy
over it, wrap in a piece of muslin, then
in waxed paper or keep in cake tin.
Q. What is Coldstream’s racing rec
ord?—H. W.
A. His complete record is 17 starts, 6
wins, 1 second, 2 thirds, $17,650 won.
Q. What is the highest city in Eu
rope?—W. J.
A. Saint Gallen. Switzerland, with an
elevation of 2,196 feet above sea level.
Q. How many States require that sil
ver nitrate drops be used in babies eyes
•t birth?—J. W.
A. Forty-three States require doctors -
and midwives to use the drops.
Q. What is collectivism?—J. O.
A. This Is a theory of economic and
social organization in which all produc
tive capital would belong to the com
munity, and the share of each individual
would be determined by the value or
social utility of his contribution to the
social income. Collectivism Is practically
synonymous with the generally accepted
concept of socialism.
Q. Was there a tribe of Indians called
the Modocs?—J. H.
A. This was an Indian tribe formerly
ranging about North Carolina. In 1872,
after firing on the United States forces,
they retreated to the neighboring lava
beds, and there defended themselves till
June. 1873. Their chief. Captain Jack, <
and three others were hanged.
Q. Is ‘‘The Fudge Family in Paris” a
story of Americans abroad?—N. B.
A. This satire written by Thoms a
Moore in 1818 has a family of underbred
English as its subject.
Q. Seventy-five drachmas are men
tioned In "Julius Caesar.” What amount
is this?—T. O
A. About $15.
Q. Please give some information about
the Ford mansion at Morristown, N.
W. H.
A. The Ford mansion was one of the
show places of Morristown, when, in
1779, five years after It was built, the
widow of Col. Jacob Ford, powder manu
facturer. lent It to Gen. George Wash
ington for his headquarters. For some
years It has been a museum. Now-, as a
part of New Jersey's new national park,
its interior is to be refurnished as it was
when Washington occupied it.
Q. When were looking glasses brought
to this country?—B. C.
A. The first record is in an inventory
in Maryland in 1639. They were rare
even In England at this time.
Q. Please give a list of Lillian Rus
sell's husbands.—H. J.
A. At 18 the actress married Harry
Braham. a musical director; at 23 she
was married to Edward Solomon, a com
poser; at 33 she contracted a brief maiv
riage with Signor Perugini (John Chat
terton). Her final union at 51 was with
Alexander P. Moore. Pittsburgh publish
er, who became Ambassador to Spain.
Q. How long has linen been known to
last?—W. G.
A. Well-preserved linen cloths have
been found in Egyptian mummy cases
which were more than 4.000 years old.
Q. Is there a place in New York City
where stamps are traded in like stocks?—
H. J.
A. The Philatelic Exchange. 119 Nassau
street. New York, follows in many de
tails the methods used in Wall Street
stock and bond operations. It has con
ference tables and other trading facili
ties, Including a quotation board on which
bid and asked prices are listed.
Q. Did Henry W. Longfellow have a
son?—V. P.
A. He had two sons. Charles Appleton
Longfellow served with credit for two
years in the First Massachusetts Cavalry.
He traveled extensively and won distinc
tion as a great yachtsman. The second
son, Ernest, was an artist.
Q How many names are in the Social
Register?—E. W.
A. The 1937 edition contains 25,000
names.
Q. What is epidote?.—E. H.
A. It is a native orthosilicate of cal
cium, aluminum and iron. Occurring in
granular masses in fibrous forms and as
monoclinic crystals, the color may be red,
white, black, or pistachto green. Fine
epidote crystals used in jewelry are found
In France, Switzerland, Austria, Norway
and many parts of America.
Q. How many miles of book shelves
are there In the Library of Congress at
Washington, D. C.?—J. W.
A. The books fill 185 miles of shelving.
Q. Is dental attention given in C. C. C.
camps?—A. H.
A. Up to the present, only emergency
attention has been given. Provision has
now been made for a dental team to
spend two weeks in each camp every six
months.
A Rhyme at Twilight
By
Gertrude Brooke Hamilton
Holly.
The tree* are leafless, brown and bare,
The snow on many roads lies deep.
Frost-bitten Is the wintry air.
And all the flowers have gone to sleep;
Yet ruddy in the sunset glows
A gleam it cheers the heart to see—
More brilliant than fair Summer's rose.
The berry-laden holly tree.
The Summer songsters all have flown.
In forest depths no thrush is heard,
On twilight's vesper breeze is blown
No liquid note from any bird:
And yet from a courageous throat
There sounds a chirping full of glee—
We raise delighted eyes to not*
A iuneo 1n the holly tree.
A K