Evening star. [volume], January 02, 1939, Page A-8, Image 8

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

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With Sunday Morning Edition.
THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor.
WASHINGTON. D. C.
MONDAY... .January 2, 1939
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Last Note to Japan?
Since Japan exactly eighteen
months ago this week embarked
upon the still far from finished task
of conquering China, the United
States has had occasion almost lit
erally to deluge the Tokio govern
ment with protests. These have
remonstrated against either arbitrary
infringement of our treaty rights or
against wanton affronts to our flag,
like the bombing of the Panay.
There must be filing cabinets or
wastebaskets in the Foreign Office at
Tokio fairly crammed with com
munications voicing this country's
indignation with Japanese defiance
of international law.
During the New Year week end
Ambassador Grew presented to For
eign Minister Arita the latest state
ment of American objections to
Japanese procedure in China. It is
couched in firm, if familiar, terms,
but reflects disinclination on the part
of the United States to continue dip
lomatic exchanges which get no
where. There is vigorous reassertion
of our determination in no circum
stances to recognize that “new order
in Asia,” which the Japanese have
promulgated as signifying that the
open door in -China has become a
thing of the past.
Tokio is now on notice, apparently
with finality, that this Government
craves no more palaver with the
Japanese over our established rights
in China. These are described as
Inalienable unless and until they are
modified or relinquished, not uni
laterally. as Japan is now attempting
to do, but under the bilateral or
multilateral conditions which ac
companied the granting of those
rights. Japan cannot abrogate them
at her own whim. The new note
leaves the door open for appropriate
negotiations if Japan decides to alter
her stand by abandoning the “new
order in Asia” idea and other tactics
conceived and practiced in the spirit
of the undisputed master of the Far
East's destinies. We reject that
theory unreservedly.
Many Americans are beginning to
wonder if the time has not come to
choose other means of impressing
the Japanese with our impatience
with her evasions, pretensions and
procrastinations. As Senator Pitt
man said the other day, this country
possesses other means than force to
protect our rights against totalitarian
invasion. The economic weapon is,
of course, the strongest arrow in our
quiver, especially in Japan's case.
Were the United States to be goaded
against its will into placing an em
bargo either on Japanese imports
into this country or upon American
exports to Japan, especially materials
of war like scrap iron, the invocation
of such a policy wrould speak a lan
guage far more eloquent than even
the most forceful note which our
State Department experts are capable
of formulating. Measures like the
extension of $25,000,000 of commer
cial credits to China suggest another
form of American action that would
not fall upon Tokio ears as deaf as
those into which our diplomatic com
plaints during the past year have
been poured.
Prince Georges Prosecutor
An attorney as well known in
Washington as in Maryland next
week will be sworn in as State’s At
torney of Prince Georges County.
He is H. Winship Wheatley, jr.,
thirty-year-old son of a former presi
dent of the District of Columbia Bar
Association. He appears to be well
qualified for the post. Although a
• native of Washington, he has lived
In Prince Georges since childhood.
Ever since he has been of age he has
taken an active part in politics and
in recent years he also has been
active in the practice of law.
Soon after he was admitted to the
District and Maryland bars he be
came corporation counsel of his home
town, Hyattsville, and held that post
continuously until elected State’s At
torney. His ability and enterprise
attracted the attention of party lead
ers and State Senate President
Lansdale G. Sasscer selected him as
his executive secretary in 1935. As a
result he has had a first-hand view
of lawmaking at Annapolis for the
past four years.
He also has served as president of
the County Democratic Club, the
county N. R. A. Committee, the county
Red Cross roll call and as a member
of the county welfare board.
Mr. Wheatley has long cherished
an ambition to be a prosecutor, and
says he regards his new position as
an opportunity to serve the public
in his chosen profession. Because
he comes from an outstanding fam
ily and has made an outstanding rec
ord in all the previous jobs he has
undertaken,.much will be expected of
him. It may not be too mtich to
hope that he will succeed where all
his predecessors have failed and
stamp out organized gambling in
Prince Georges.
Peace in Labor
In her warning 'to the leaders of
American labor that they must cease
intruding their standing differences
into the picture of employer-em
ploye relationships, Secretary Perkins
points out with truthfulness and
effect that such conduct not only
places employers in an unjustifiable
position but seriously endangers the
good will of the public toward labor.
While there are many and cogent
p reasons why labor should be sin
cerely concerned over such embar
rassment to employers, there are
even more far-reaching causes for
them to be concerned over the good
will of the general public.
For this public, while removed in
large part from direct participation
in the differences between labor and
management, does not long remain
outside the effects of protracted
deadlocks in industry. And though
its very size and lack of self-organiza
tion leaves it slow to make its deeper
feelings known, this public does rep
resent the balance of power, locally
or nationally, politically or otherwise.
Battling within itself to the com
parative exclusion of other inter
ests, labor created a condition in
Oregon, for instance, which precipi
tated a positive loss of public good
will and an attendant curtailment of
labor’s rights. It is not necessary to
look with approval upon the action
of the Oregon voters in order to un
derstand it and point out to the
battling leaders of labor what they
must already know, that the blame is
largely their own.
Let them, therefore, not dismiss
lightly this portent and the counsel
of Secretary Perkins that labor lead
ership should apply its will toward
internal peace rather than perpetua
tion of destructive differences.
Muzzling the Microphone
Pity the poor radio broadcaster.
He is criticized if he unlooses on a
jittery public the war whoops of fire
breathing inhabitants of Mars or the
equally incendiary utterances of a
certain radio priest, and he is just
as roundly criticized if he cuts them
off the air. If he opens his station
to inflammatory or hysteria-inducing
broadcasts, he may be accused of
abusing his license and may have to
answer to the all-powerful Federal
Communications Commission. If he
exercises discrimination, on the other
hand, he is subject to charges of dic
tatorial censorship and abridgment
of free speech.
The dilemma in which the broad
casters find themselves more often
than not is well exemplified in the
controversy which has developed be
tween Neville Miller, president of the
National Association of Broadcasters,
and Senator Burton K. Wheeler,
Democrat, of Montana, over Mr. Mil
ler's recent declaration that broad
casters should not tolerate programs
“inciting racial and religious hatred.”
Mr. Miller placed the responsibility
for this type of censorship “on the
shoulders of the American broad
caster.”
Senator Wheeler, ever alert to de
fend the constitutional guaranties of
free speech, detected in Mr. Millers
pronouncement what the Senator be
lieved was a threat to these guaran
ties via radio. “Who is Mr. Miller
that he should set himself up to say
when free speech should be denied to
any citizens of the United States?”
asked the Montana Senator. “What
special knowledge does he possess
that he can judge when I or any one
else abuses free speech?” These are
rather harsh questions. They might
quite properly be referred by Mr.
Miller to the F. C. C., which, through
its power to issue or revoke broad
casting licenses, holds radio stations
strictly accountable for any abuses
which occur. And the F. C. C., in
turn, well might pass the question
back to Senator Wheeler and his col
leagues at the Capitol, who created
the commission and the laws under
which its licensing powers are ex
ercised.
The fact remains that the issuance
to a radio station of a license to
broadcast programs to the public at
large necessarily carries with it a
serious responsibility which the
broadcaster cannot in good con
science evade. Programs likely to
offend good taste, to corrupt morals
or to conflict with what is broadly
termed the public interest have no
right of free speech, on the air or
elsewhere. The broadcaster knows
he may forfeit his right to a license
unless he uses discretion in what he
broadcasts. He knows, moreover, he
will be in peril of losing his license
If he abuses this exercise of discrimi
nation. This check, after all, is
probably the best possible insurance
against offensive programs on the
one hand and unreasonable censor
ship on the other.
Jan Masaryk's Trip
It is a sorrowful Journey Jan
Masaryk is making to the United
States before he settles down to life
as a private citizen in England
The son of the founder of the
Czecho-Slovakia which succumbed
before the onrush of Chancellor Hit
ler’s passion for power is coming to
America to lecture on behalf of de
mocracy and decency In interna
tional affairs, principles he saw so
ruthlessly sabotaged In the last
half year.
His parting from England and the
post which he had held for fourteen
years as the envoy of the Central
European republic was touched with
pathos. In his farewell message to
the British people, who had come to
esteem him highly, he said:
“If what we have done at Munich
and are doing since is a real prepara
tion for permanent peace, I am glad
and proud that my country was the
first one to make the great sacrifice.
If not—may God have mercy on our
souls.”
Like his father, whose memory was
revered by his countrymen until the
shadow of the swastika fell athwart
their land, Jan Masaryk is an
apostle of democracy, and it was a
cruel fate which put him in the key
diplomatic post during events which
culminated in the sacrifice of his
homeland.
His lectures in this country will
be heard with real sympathy for
that reason. It is possible he will be
able to shed a little more light on
the behind-the-scenes maneuvering
which led to the Munich peace. In
that way he may serve democracy
by stiffening the backs of people who
still believe it is the only just form of
government.
A New Drug
Among other things, the science
convention at Richmond reports in
teresting data about the social life
of hens. In the average hennery,
there is one who Is queen of the
roost, and it is her royal prerogative
to peck at all others. Next comes
the number two hen, who can pick
on all but the queen, and so on down
to the nth. and last fowl, who takes
the place of a buck private in the
Army, and can peck only at worms.
With almost European intelligence
each hen accepts her status com
placently, hen number eleven, for in
stance, taking great delight in kick
ing the stuffing out of all numbers
twelve or more.
Then scientists invented a sub
stance called testosterone, and fed
some of It to the Cinderella hen.
Starting from scratch, she upset the
status quo by walloping the daylights
out of her immediate superior. Upon
being fed more of the drug, she
steadily climbed the social scale until
in time she had the former queen on
the pay roll as a personal worm scout.
With becoming modesty, she attrib
utes her success to testosterone, and
will indorse it over the air as soon
as a sponsor is available.
The new drug is apparently just
the stuff for henpecked husbands,
but it doubtless has other applica
tions. It should be a sensation in
the halls of Congress.
A San Francisco couple have
asked an income tax exemption for
an unborn child. Why not? Our liv
ing children are already suffering,
although they may not realize it,
from unborn taxes.
Washington is a pretty good town
at welcoming returning Nationals,
Redskins, etc. How about a rousing
turnout when the boys come back
from Lima? They deserve it, if ever
a team did.
The American Mathematical Soci
ety announces discovery of a formula
for finding all the possible ways in
which a number can be divided. This
might prove useful in connection
with father’s pay check.
Shooting Stars
By PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Rich Man’s Reward.
He longed to be a billionaire
And have a private car.
To dine from choicest bills of fare
And smoke a big cigar.
To hear the people gaily shout,
With smiles so free and fair:
"Just clear the route and all turn out;
Here comes the billionaire.”
He gained the wealth, but men, alas!
Ne’er followed out his plan.
They whispered, "predatory class,”
Or "swollen fortune clan.”
The only time they ceased to frown,
And spoke of him as “great,”
Was when he took his check book down
And offered to donate.
Studied Effect.
"Have you ever made any effort to
popularize yourself with the masses?”
"No,” answered Senator Sorghum, "I
let them caricature me and libel me until
they get tired of it. Now they are re
lieved to find I am not as black as I was
painted.”
“A prominent citizen,” said Hi Ho, the
sage of Chinatown, “is a man who always
has time to get up and make a speech on
the slightest provocation.”
Keeping Up Courage.
As Happy New Year comes in sight,
Men strive to wear their cheeriest looks.
We hail the day with hearts so light,
And even lighter pocketbooks.
Expert Opinion.
"What we want to do,” said the moral
ist, “is to strive for the uplifting of our
fellow men.”
“That is easy,” said the airplane man
ufacturer, “the difficulty is to keep him
from dropping back to earth so often.”
The Bard Revised.
The world’s a stage so vastly set,
And every man's a "trooper.”
I long to be a hero, yet
I'm only just a super! ?
The Will to Worry.
“You cannot deny that the airplane Is
here to stay,” said the enthusiast.
“No,” answered Mr. Sirius Barker, "I
don’t deny it, but what I want to know is
whether we will have to train eagles to
haul ’em In same as horses used to do
automobiles.”
“De hoss,” said Uncle Eben, “is man's
bes’ friend, but when he gits to de race
track he's liable to be one o’ dem fool
friends dat makes so much trouble.”
Believes Many Women
Working Needlessly
Urges Government to Set
Example of Employing
Needy Men
To the editor of The Ster:
The civil service setup has been an im
portant factor In our administrative
work—the employes have been compelled
to stand competitive examinations, and
It has not been so easy for many well
qualified men to pass the required test,
and many applicants have taken the sec
ond and third examinations because their
grades were too low, though they passed
by a small margin. These employes
started at a low salary, and many who
have been serving for years have not
been promoted beyond the $1,440 salary.
Consequently, it seems a little unjust
to blanket In the emergency agencies
through non-competitive examinations.
These agencies were created to take
care of emergency needs and it was
thoroughly understood that men and
women seeking these jobs must be quali
fied and also in need of work—these
were supposed to be the first and para
mount requirements, but soon it was an
open and recognized fact that unless one
had strong political backing or had rela
tives or Influential friends it was difficult
to secure a place regardless of qualifica
tions. Thousands were admitted with
little or no previous experience, but they
could learn, since the average work was
not so difficult that a grammar school or
first-year high school pupil could not
master it.
Among the emergency employes are
well-to-do men, women and young girls
who do not need the work; they were
started off with little or no office experi
ence, at salaries beyond the old civil
service employes, who have been in the
service for years. There are, in this
class, men and their wives working in
the same office, making from $3,000 to
$3,500, with no dependents; there are
hundreds of young girls from every State
in the Union holding permanent jobs,
who have left good homes, or have com
fortable homes here in Washington and
whose parents are fully able to care for
them. These young women are paid
from relief money—from $1,540 to $1,800,
and their check usually goes for luxuries,
| night clubs, seal coats. And the money
to pay them comes from the burdened
! taxpayer.
There are married women holding
important posts in these emergency
agencies, not through qualification, but
patronag^ who are drawing from $2,000
to $6,000, and who have husbands em
ployed by some branch of the Govern
ment or connected with private industry,
who are commanding from $2,000 to
$7,000 per year.
My question is, since there are 12.000,
000 unemployed, why not give the quali
fied men, who have families, a chance
to live decently?
ine money appropriated by Congress
was for this class of people, and not
for the undeserving, rich and money-mad
women who only work for more luxuries
at the sacrifice of worthy, capable men
who are losing self-respect and courage.
These well-to-do women will feel safe
and secure after being blanketed in
under non-competitive examinations,
while there will be thousands of men
just as capable and probably more so,
who have dependents, wretched wives
and hopeless children, who can only
nurse their resentment and bitterness
against a government which claims to
be democratic.
Where do these restless, insecure men
seek redress from wrongs inflicted upon
them by a government that should stand
for the protection of the health and hap
piness of its citizens?
I will tell you where they seek any form
of relief from their present unsafe and
hopeless future—in unions and any or all
un-American organizations: and can any
sane thinking man condemn them? It is
too often their last hope.
Will our next Congress allow all these
injustices to continue at the expense of
the taxpayer and to the detriment of
our citizenry? Will Congress vote for
millions of dollars to continue the spend
ing of money to give luxuries to the un
worthy while millions still barely exist
on the crumbs left from the "executive”
setups?
There are among the worthy recipients
of this relief fund a large number who
are honest enough to confess that this
free spending is dangerous ai^d detri
mental to the morale of the individual,
and that when easy money is stopped,
which it must be, the people as a whole
will be less self-reliant and little better
off as a whole than they were in the
beginning. Many feel now that the Gov
ernment owes them a living.
If the millions of women who do not
need work were replaced by men, and
these men paid sufficiently well to main
tain a decent living, there would be no
reason for wives and mothers to seek
work. Prosperity will never return until
the women of our country willingly re
turn to their homes and assume the
role of wife, mother and home builder.
Some honest and well directed relief
work must go on, but its present form
is w’recking our country.
December 30. DEMOCRAT.
Thanks Star for Aiding
Tuberculosis Campaign.
To the Efiltor ol The Star:
What you and your editorial staff as
sociates on The Evening Star have again
contributed to the success of our annual
Christmas seals campaign for the financ
ing of the educational campaign against
tuberculosis in Washington cannot be
measured in dollars. And I am sure
that the valuable space given and intel
ligently used by your newspaper before
and during the campaign was motivated
by your interest in the health of the
whole city.
Nevertheless, speaking for the Tuber
culosis Association, which has i for so
many years carried on the fight against
tuberculosis, I should like to attempt to
express our grateful appreciation of the
highly important part that you have
taken in our fund-raising sale of the
Christmus seals,' for without the co
operation of the press we could not hope
to get far in this work.
Again many many thanks to The Eve
ning Star staff individually and oollec
tively for the wonderfully fine service
rendered our association.
MRS. ERNEST R. GRANT,
Managing Director, District of
Columbia Tuberculosis Association.
December 30.
THIS AND THAT
By Charlet S. Tracewell
The man who can receive direct criti
cism with profit to himself la great, but
he is a greater who can be told some
thing he does not knew along the line
of his own specialty and still be cheer
fully willing to look into it.
Few people relish either direct criticism
or advice. Especially scant is the atten
tion paid to the man who comes along
with unasked-for suggestions. The his
tory of industry is filled with classic ex
amples of the man who insisted on ped
dling a new invention to some flourish
ing concern, only to be rebuffed.
He would try to tell them something,
would he? His reward was an amused
smile. What did he usually do then? He
went away and founded a concern of his
own, and made a big success of it, so that
in the end the people who had rebuffed
him had to pay him millions of dollars
for what they could have gotten for a
few thousands in the beginning. It is
said that the inventor of a new type of
soft collar hawked his idea in vain to a
great manufacturer of stiff collars.
Turned down for his pains, he went to
another firm whose members listened to
him. The firm made such a “hit” with
the product that the collar-wearing hab
its of the Nation were changed. The in
ventor of a new type of breakfast food
took his idea to a manufacturer, who
could not “see” the idea, but today the
product appears on millions of tables
every morning.
* * * *
The question is why did these hard
headed businessmen, naturally keen on
making all the money possible, turn down
such fine ideas—ideas which proved
themselves sound in the hands of others?
It was not because they were not astute
gentlemen, or because they were slow,
in a business sense.
What caused them to shy from a good
thing was simply the dislike of the aver
age person to receive what he regards as
pointers in his own specialty. To receive
them would be to admit to himself that
some one else had struck on something
which he has failed to think of himself.
This factor seems to operate particularly
when man or firm gets to a certain
point of success. Before that, he or it
may be willing to take advice, but after
that it is distinctly another matter.
Success seems to build up a certain
bullheadedness, either group or personal,
which tends to stultify firm or man. The
old motto, "Let well enough alone." has
held back many a man and institution
in the march of progress. Both firm and
man may be forgiven,"surely, for prog
ress is not a plain road, nor are the com
ponents of the parade always set down
in the program of events.
* * * *
Industry can pretty well take care of
itself, at least it used to be able to do
so. It is with the individual that this
matter has its best application. It is
possible for every person to take himself
aside now and then and seriously ask
himself:
“After all, are you hide-hound? Don't
tell me you are getting to be one of these
fellows who refuses to listen to friends
who are trying to tell you something.
"I hope you did not resent it when
Bill Jones came to you in the line of j
duty with stories you had nclf heard, i
You should have expressed the desire to
look into the matter at once, instead
of throwing cold water on it.”
There are a great many phrases which
people use In an attempt to preserve
their atmosphere of Infallibility.
“Yes, I had thought of that already,” is
a favorite, widely used. But watch for
the electric gleam which -flashes for a
second in old Scrooge’s eyes, then you
will know without doubt that it was the
first time he ever heard of it. '
* * * *
It is a good thing not to be too amused
when others try to tell you something.
Has it never occurred to you that they
may be right, and you, astonishingly
enough, wrong? If a man cross-examines
himself in this way, however, he should
keep in mind that possession is still nine
parts of the law.
In the interest of self-protection, the
first law of nature, he should not allow
every Tom, Dick and Harry with an ax
to grind to throw the thing into his ma
chinery. He should not let any one take
the wheel of his own personal merry
go-round. One's elaborately built up
machinery would not long survive, nor
would his own ship of state make land
fall if he changed his route at every
one s suggestion. Here, as everywhere
else, it is essential that one use all the
common sense that he possesses. There
is a fine line between taking all sug
gestions and taking none. It may be the
line isn't any finer than common sense
is fine. Here is where experience plays
its large part, if one really believes in
the advisability of keeping a really open
mind.
* * * w
There are two things an open mind
must be willing to welcome, if it is to be
more than a mere phrase. It must want
to receive, first, criticism, and second,
suggestions. The experienced man will
fight against the feeling that arises al
most instinctively, asking that he reject
advice, and resent criticism.
The young man new in business mostly
is the victim of this inability to profit by
criticism, to look into suggestions, even
when he thinks he knows better than
the one who suggests. Often he resents
mightily such suggestions, no matter how
kindly meant. This resentment is given
to youth by providence in order that he
may plunge ahead, carrying the fort by
assault. Prudence comes with maturity
and puts a brake on all this vim. Let
the brake also be upon resentment. Re
sentment at the other fellow is one of
the little-regarded brakes upon the aver
age man's progress.
It is not an easy thing to do. to take
criticism as it is meant, especially when
one is not quite sure how it is meant,
but the thing to do is to put the best
possible construction upon It and try to
see if some good cannot be found in it.
As for suggestions as to what one
should do and should not do, these should
never be dismissed lightly, unless one
actually has looked into them already.
Even in that case it is just as well to
thank the giver. Sometimes the most
unpromising suggestions turn into some
thing really good. But at any rate the
true open mind is worth cultivating, and
you can't cultivate it without being will
ing to take all that comes, just like a
garden, which Is a thing of flowers, weeds,
sunshine, insects, food, fungi, water, sud
den storms—the garden takes them all,
rejects the bad. and grows beautiful
flowers. That's what may be called a
really open mind, and a model for all
of us.
Letters to The Star
Reader Corrects Error
Concerning Senator Taft.
To the Editor ol The Star:
In The Star of December 26. your
valued columnist and our mutual friend,
Frederic William Wile, attributed to Mr.
H. L. Stallard of Virginia the statement
that “sons of Presidents have served in
the House, but a careful search of White
House biographies reveals that prior to
Taft's election to the Senate last
month, no son of a President had ever
been sent to the upper branch of Con
gress."
That statement, it happens, is not
quite in accord with the facts of his
tory or the annals of Congress. John
Quincy Adams holds a unique place in
the political history of this’country. He
was the one and only son of a President
ever elected to the presidency. He was
the one and only son of a President ever
to be chosen to the Senate prior to the
recent election of Senator Taft of Ohio.
He was the one and only President ever
to serve in the House of Representatives
after having served as President.
John Quincy Adams became a mem
ber of the Senate on March 4, 1803, and
resigned on June 8, 1808. He served in
the House 18 years after retiring from
the White House. His son Charles
Francis Adams was twice elected to the
House of Representatives.
Andrew Johnson was the only Presi
dent to serve in the Senate after retir
ing from the presidency.
The most roving of all Senators was
Gen. James Shields, who served in the
Senate from three different States—
Illinois, Minnesota and Missouri—to say
nothing of the fact that his first elec
tion from Illinois was held void by the
Senate because he had not been a citi
zen of the United States for a period of
nine years.
James A. Garfield is the one and only
man who ever did and perhaps ever will
have the unique distinction of being at
one and the same time a member of the
House of Representatives, a Senator
elect and a President-elect.
T. P. GORE.
December 28.
Letters to the Editor must bear
the name and address of the
writer, although the use of a
pseudonym for publication is per
missible. Please be brief!
—»- ■
some of the countries abroad, there
would be more volunteering than in the
war for democracy. A draft would hard
ly be necessary.
But if we really want peace and a
stronger Western Hemisphere unity for
defense, there is much we can begin to
do right here and now. We could lighten
the undemocratic restrictions that we
place upon our minorities. If Germany
and Italy could not pattern their anti
Semitic laws and practices after Jim
Crow' laws in this country, we would be
in stronger position to protest. If rich
Jews and less rich Jews ceased to dis
criminate against Negroes by condoning
segregation and prohibitive practices
against Negroes in their stores and
places of amusement or hostelries, their
protests against the inhuman treatment
of kinsmen abroad would have greater
force.
Even our churches can but weakly
remonstrate with the un-Christian prac
tices in Germany or Italy. Social re
form meets with a barrier when
churches ignore the practices of Chris
tian brotherhood for fear of alienating
the support of definitely prejudiced
members. Negroes are still unwelcome
in many churches that are supposed to
represent God or Christ on earth.
If here in the Capital of the most
enlightened democratic Nation, we could
only grow a little more tolerant. If Ne
groes of good conduct could go to a
theater as they once did, or find some
place to eat in the shopping district, or
play on some of our playfields from
which they are now barred, America
would find little difficulty in cementing
South American relations or in proving
that we detest the inhumanity of other
lands toward minorities.
E. B. HENDERSON.
Falls Church, Va.,
December 28.
Wants Fair Treatment
For Colored Race.
To the Editor of The Star:
Recently certain editors and politicians
have advocated a hush-hush policy for
men in public places who have been out
spoken in condemnation of the inhuman
anti-Semitic practices of the rulers in
Europe. They fear we will talk ourselves
into war. I doubt that any war will start
that way. Rather, if we are to evince
fear or show a voiceless attitudl in view
of this human re-enslavement policy of
Germany and Italy, we may encourage
martial conflagration by causing the
headstrong dictators to believe we will
remain neutral, no matter how far they
go toward destroying the ideals of civili
zation.
That Americans will always look com
placently upon the enslavement of Jews
Is beyond belief, despite our devoted de
sire for peace. Hundreds of thousands
enlisted to make the Negro free. We
went to war with Spain on a slight pre
text to rid the Cubans of the oppressor.
Were we to be brought into a war with
Hopes President Will
Heed True Friends.
To the Editor of The St or:
Since reading Bruce Barton’s {.rticle
in Reader’s Digest, “What’s Wrong With
Roosevelt,” I feel very apprehensive about
the future and very sad that our once
loved President should lose his friends,
the friends who really loved him. If he
would only listen to his “enemies” instead
of his “advisers,” the men who stick
closely to him for their own selfish pur
poses, it is not too late to win back the
affection to restore confidence in his
ability—to pull us out of a hole. He
may not be able to stop spending, but
he can try. It is too late to talk about
the mistakes he made at the beginning
of his second term. We all make mis
takes and when the bright New Year
dawns, we pray for guidance and pray
for our President, pray the national
debt will not increase and that we may
all have more confidence during the
coming year.
December 28. AN OLD LADY.
Haskin's Answers
To Readers' Questions
By Frederic J. Haikin.
A reader can get the answer to any
Question of fact by writing The Xce
ning Star Information Bureau, Fred•
eric J. Haskin, Director, Washington,
D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply.
Q. Who played with Notre Dame In
the Rose Bowl?—E. M.
A. Notre Dame played Stanford In the
Rose Bowl game In 1925. The score was
Notre Dame, 27; Stanford, 10.
Q. What is the origin of the hymn
"Fairest Lord Jesus”?—W. J. H.
A. Cynthia Pearl Maus says: "Al
! though this hymn is known as the
‘Crusaders Hymn,’ it is doubtful that
the Crusaders ever sang it. The words
were written in 1677, and Richard Storrs
Willis (1819-1900) translated the origi
nal German in which it was written and
published the hymn in America in 1850.
The tune ‘Crusaders Hymn’ was ar
ranged by Prof. Willis from a Silesian
folk song which appeared in a collection
of folk songs in 1842. Richard Willis
was a musician and a newspaperman.”
Q. Did Victor McLaglen and Rosalind
Russell ever appear in a picture to
gether?—H. S.
A. Victor McLaglen and Rosalind Rus
sell were co-starred in the motion pic
ture production “Under Two Flags.”
Q. What kind of award did Margaret
Mitchell receive recently?—E. S. W.
A. The author of "Gone With the
Wind" was awarded a gold medal by the
Southern Society “In recognition of out
standing achievement in perpetuating
the history and traditions of the South
ern States.”
Q. How tall is Primo Camera?—W. C.
A. The fighter is 6 feet 7 inches tall.
Q. Is it true that after a person ia ex
ecuted in New York State, his brain ia
examined?—G. H. W.
A. There is a law in New York State
that requires that after a person haa
been executed the top of the skull must
, be removed and the brain examined.
Q. Who coined the expression “the
white man's burden"?—S. J. D.
A. The phrase was originated by Kip
ling in 1899.
Q. At What temperature will apples,
potatoes and oranges freeze?—S. J. F.
A. Generally speaking the temperature
at which they will freeze is between 28
and 29 degrees F.
Q. Please give the date of the cham
pionship golf tournament at St. Augus
tine, Fla —J. T. K.
A. The 12th annual national cham
pionship of golf champions will be held
at St. Augustine from February 13 to 19.
Q. Who was the "Laird of Skibo"?—
I J. C. H.
I A. Andrew Carnegie was known as the
1 "Laird of Skibo.” deriving this title from
; the place In his native Scotland where
he spent much time in his later year*.
Q. On what date did Ivar Kreuger. the
“match king,” shoot himself?—C. H.
A. On March 12, 1932.
Q. From what show' is the popular
song “Franklin D. Roosevelt Jones"?—
G. H. J.
A. It is from “Sing Out the News," the
musical show by Charles Friedman and
Harold Rome.
Q. Would it be dangerous to use dry
ice in a beverage? What effect would it
have?—C. L.
A. The United States Public Health
Service says that dropping a small piece
i of dry ice, carbon dioxide in solid form,
into any liquid at room temperature,
will cause an effervescence of carbon
dioxide, causing the liquid to bubble.
If put in wine it would be like a sparkling
wine, which might be of the champagne
or sparkling Burgundy type. In pure
dry ice (carbon dioxidet there is noth
ing harmful to the system any more
; than in other sparkling drinks or even
soda water.
Q. Where is the largest cotton plant
ation in the United States?—F. R. C.
A. The 60 square miles owned by the
Delta & Pine Land Co. of Scott, Miss.
Q. Please give some information about
the Folger Library in Washington, D. C.
—F. G. H.
A. The Folger Shakespeare Library
houses the finest collection of Shakes
peare material outside of England.
Eighty-five thousand volumes, ranging
from first folios to the most modern
product of Shakespearean research, are
on its shelves. Of a world supply of 200
first folios, the Folger Library possesses
79. The next largest collection is in the
British Museum, which contains but 6
first folios. The oldest document on dis
play is one written at Rouen. France, in
1435 and signed by the King's treasurer,
John, Bastard of Orleans, which men
tions Sir John Fastolf, who, in name
though not in character, became Shakes
peare's Falstaff. The library building in
cludes a theater which seats 262.
The Right Answer Is in
Uncle Sam's Almanac, 1939
Uncle Sam’s Almanac is packed full of
right answers. It can be kept at hand
and used constantly. It gives full facta
about the seasons, interest rates, presi
dential elections, complete list of all new
Senators and Congressmen, and unusual
facts about taxes. It is a big value for a
little price. Send in your name and ad
dress with 10 cents, and your copy will
prove a constant delight and advantage
to you throughout the entire year.
USE THIS ORDER BLANK
The Washington Evening Star
Information Bureau,
Frederic J. Haskin, Director,
Washington, D. C.
I inclose herewith TEN CENTS In
coin 'carefully wrapped) for a copy
of UNCLE SAM’S ALMANAC, 1939.
Name
Street or Rural Route
City
State . .
Qbe IHB Mr)