Evening star. [volume], September 30, 1939, Page A-8, Image 8

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

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U)e getting ^taf
With Sunday Morning Edition.
THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
SATURDAY.September 30, 1939
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Red-Nazi Blackmail
Events in this kaleidoscopic, fast
marching European war advanced
with seven-league boots during the
past twenty-four hours. Once again
Germany and Russia play the major
roles; once again the true inwardness
of their machinations defies imme
diate analysis. Even though the So
viet Union’s dictated bargain with
Estonia and the new Russo-German
agreement are manifestly develop
ments of the first magnitude, their
full significance momentarily re
mains undisclosed and baffles inter
pretation. On their face, both pacts
are distinctly ominous from the
Anglo-French standpoint. They may
seriously and suddenly affect the
whole diplomatic and military situa
tion.
Of paramount importance is the
devious deal at Moscow, whereby
the Reich and the Soviet definitely
pronounce the doom of Poland and
proclaim that “it is in the interest
of all nations to bring to an end the
state of war presently existing be
tween Germany on the one side and
Britain and France on the other.”
Through the “disintegration of the
Polish state,” the high contracting
parties profess to have “established
a secure foundation for permanent
peace in Eastern Europe.” Then fol
lows a treaty passage widely Inter
preted as amounting to a Nazi-Red
military alliance to fight together
henceforth, if the British and French
•‘arib TPcnnnclVilo f
the war.” In that case, “Germany
and the U. S. S. R. will consult each
other as to necessary measures.”
After certifying the revised line of
demarcation which defines that West
Poland and East Poland, respectively,
are now'irrevocably German and Rus
sian territory, and pledging “friendly
relations” between the new neigh
boring Nazi and Communist peoples,
the pact provides for an “economic
program” whereby the Soviet Union
will provide raw materials to Ger
many, For these the latter will com
pensate with industrial products “to
be delivered over an extended period.”
Ttyus, it would appear, Molotoff and
Ribbentrop, in a single undertaking,
have laid wide and deep the founda
tions of Russo-German co-operation
in the military field, as well as in the
supplementary and hardly less vital
economic domain, though Stalin’s
actual ability to supply foodstuffs
and raw material is highly problem
atical.
This latest Stalin-Hitler arrange
ment is a transparent “end the war”
maneuver. It is designed to trick,
cajole or frighten the western powers
into making peace on Russo-German
terms, i.e., unconditional acknowl
edgment of Poland’s destruction and
partition. Allied reaction to the
Moscow-Berlin move is what was to
be expected. The British and French
governments look upon it primarily
as a Russian “veiled threat” to enter
the European war unless the black
mailing peace proposal is accepted.
As acceptance would be tanta
mount to the automatic abdication
of Great Britain and France as first
class powers and to the elevation of
Hitler and Stalin as masters of Eu
rope, it is a foregone conclusion that
the Allies do not remotely dream of
walking into so palpable a trap. Even
in the unthinkable contingency that
their respective governments might
be tempted to listen to the siren song,
the British and French peoples are
in no mood for another Munich.
The Soviet treaty with the little
VUiVlV WVU VV VI UV UVlilU) W Aiivli WU1 o
every appearance of having been
brutally forced upon the Tallinn
government, re-establishes Russia as
a Baltic power and advances the
bear’s tracks another 250 miles Into
Western Europe. Estonia agrees to
grant the U. S. S. R. air and naval
bases on the islands of Oesel and
Dagoe, a naval station at Baltic Port,
and the right to keep a standing Red
Army of 25.000 on Estonian territory.
All this means, of course, that the
northernmost of the three Baltic
republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lith
uania now passes under Moscow’s
domination. It means that Com
munist influence is pushed close to
the shores of Finland and menaces
even those of the Scandinavian
peninsula across the Gulf of Bothnia
—Sweden, in particular.
It may be wondered whether Hitler
views with equanimity the ability,
which now is Stalin’s, to control the
sea lanes-through which Germany’s
all-essential supplies of Swedish iron
ore are borne. And one may also
question whether, if Russo-German
"consultations” over a rejected peace
offer should lead to Nazi-Red mill
tary co-operation, Hitler would wel
come the arrival on Reich soil of a
great Soviet army capable of in
filtrating the German people with
Communist doctrine, while helping
Hitler’s war machine smash the
Maginot Line.
Finally, how keen is Stalin to bring
peace to the warring “capitalist”
powers? It is notoriously the Soviet’s
dream that Western Europe may re
main in perpetual internecine con
flict, against the day when it bleeds
itself white and permits Red Russia
to achieve its all-time goal of world
revolution.
"Fixing the Fix"
For several years Washington has
experienced a series of hopeful but
sporadic campaigns against the “fix
ing” of traffic tickets. At one time
the matter progressed to the point
of a congressional investigation, but
in spite of all past efforts, the prac
tice, so far as officials are able to
estimate, has increased.
The latest step toward stamping
out me -nx gives greater promise
than any in the past. Corporation
Counsel Elwood Seal, around whose
office the whole problem revolves,
has issued strict orders against the
practice, with a warning that in the
future the names of all persons in
volved and the reasons advanced for
invalidating traffic summonses will
be made public. This penalty, the
severest possible, promises to put an
end to most of the “fixing” which
is justified only by reason of "pull”
or position.
There are circumstances in which
adjusting tickets—a term more accu
rate and charitable—is justified.
And in such cases the principals
would have no reason to fear any
publicity attending the act. It is
the dangerous practice of preventing
the prosecution of serious charges
merely because the accused driver
knows the right people or works in
the right place that will suffer
under Mr. Seal’s plan.
In recent years, Washington has
made progress, in spite of the growth
of the practice. When the system of
making out tickets in triplicate was
inaugurated, it closed many loop
holes. Later “fixing” prior to action
by the prosecutor’s office was lim
ited to captains of the police pre
cincts. These two steps, to the credit
of the police department, greatly
curtailed the quashing of charges
involvine the more serious offenses
such as speeding. Today, the great
bulk of “fixes” involve nothing more
serious than overtime parking, and
even escape from charges of parking
in restricted zones is more difficult
than formerly.
There is more involved in the
question than the mere matter of
abuse of privilege and the natural
resentment of the ordinary driver
against those in a position to “get
away with it.” Cities which have
clamped down on “fixing” have
shown an immediate improvement
in their traffic records. This was one
of the Important phases of Kansas
City’s safety campaign of the past
year, and was one of the central
pivots of the famous Evanston and
Milwaukee safety drives a few years
ago. Other cities, too, have benefited
by eliminating politics from traffic
prosecutions.
If Mr. Seal is able to carry out his
plan without molestation, he will
have made an important contribu
tion to the safety of -Washing
ton’s streets.
Army Sesquicentennial
The United States Army is one
hundred and fifty years old—and
still growing. It was just a century
and a half ago that Congress, acting
on the recommendation of President
Washington, formally created an
“establishment for the troops in the
service of the United States” and
blanketed into that establishment
about six hundred riflemen and
officers of the militia. Prior to that
there had been temporary regular
armies of small strength, augmented
by State militiamen. The first of
these short-lived armies was author
ized by the Continental Congress in
June, 1775. It consisted of ten com
panies of riflemen to serve one year.
With General Washington as com
mander in chief, this army .formed
the nucleus of the Revolutionary
forces, which, with militia and volun
teers, numbered nearly 400,000 men.
The Continental Army was quickly
disbanded after the war, however,
with only two regular detachments
totaling one hundred men remaining
under arms.
It has never been the policy of the
American Government, to maintain
a large standing army. Emergencies
have been met by quickly expanding
the military establishment with the
help of the State militia and volun
teers. The first expansion after the
Revolution was in 1784, when Con
gress organized a regiment of seven
hundred men to fight the Indians.
This regiment was continued in
service from year to year until Con
gress transformed it into the coun
try’s -first standing Army on Septem
ber 29, 1789. From that time on the
Army has fluctuated in strength as
national emergencies have come and
gone—all the while gaining in basic
stature. In 1812, when the British
captured Washington, there were
56.000 regulars, in contrast to nearly
half a million militiamen and volun
teers. During the Indian wars that
followed, the regular force varied
from 600 jo 12,500 and it jumped to
31.000 men in the Mexican War. Of
the more than two and a half mil
lion Union soldiers in the Civil War,
only 67,000 were regulars. When the
Spanish-American War began, the
Regular Army consisted of only 25,000
men, but this regular force was more
than doubled for that conflict and
supplemented by 223,000 volunteers
\
and militiamen. By 1918 the number
of officers and men in the standing
Army had reached about 100,000, but
this force was ordered doubled by
authority of the National Defense
Act of that year. When the United
States entered the World War, the
establishment totaled about 190,000
men. The Army mushroomed to
more than 3,000,000 before the great
war ended, but returned to peace
time strength of less than 200,000
men in 1920.
The Regular Army today numbers
slightly more than 200,000 enlisted
men, officers, cadets, nurses and
Philippine Scouts. A recruiting cam
paign for 17,000 additional men is
under way. Huge sums are being
spent on war planes, guns and am
munition. In short, another in a
long series of national emergencies
is causing the Army to expand again.
This time, however, the improve
ments are being made not under the
stress of actual conflict, but well in
advance of any threat to our national
security. After a century and a half
of experimentation, America is
learning that adequate military pre
paredness by lovers of peace is abso
lutely essential in a world too fre
quently disrupted by followers of the
owuiu. it is wen mai me Army 8
sesquicentennial finds it not a de
crepit skeleton with creaking joints,
but an up and coming, rejuvenated,
stream-lined organization—intent on
affording maximum protection to the
people of the United States in a time
of cataclysmic world events.
Commercial Credits
The section of the proposed neu
trality law authorizing the President
in his discretion to permit the exten
sion of ordinary ninety-day com
mercial credits to belligerents does
not appear to be in conflict with the
terms of the Johnson Act, nor is
there any reason to believe that the
exercise of such discretion by Mr.
Roosevelt would have the slightest
tendency to involve the United States
in the European war.
There is nothing in the Johnson
Act which, if reasonably construed,
can be held to interfere with the
customary manner of conducting
international business transactions.
That statute was aimed at the for
eign nations which had defaulted on
their wartime debts to this Govern
ment, and was designed to prevent
them, while in default, from floating
any new loans in this country.
Support for this belief is found
in an official interpretation of the
Johnson Act by Attorney General
Cummings on May 4,1934, some three
weeks after the statute had been
enacted. The Attorney General said
that Congress obviously intended the
law to be applicable to any attempt
by a defaulting government to float
honri i SSI IPS nr si ml la r fiAPiirit.ipe in
this country, but that in his judg
ment it was not contemplated that
the prohibitions of the act should
apply to foreign currency, drafts,
checks “and other ordinary aids to
banking and commercial transac
tions.” It is obviously not the pur
pose of the Congress, Mr. Cummings
said, "to discontinue all relations
with the defaulting countries.”
Since the extension of ninety-day
credits to purchasers is one of the
“ordinary aids” to commercial trans
actions, it is difficult, in the light of
the Attorney General’s ruling, to see
how the Johnson Act can have any
reasonable or logical application to
the section of the proposed Neutral
ity Act now in question.
On the contrary, it would seem
that such an interpretation would be
an unnecessary and harmful inter
ference with the conduct of our
foreign trade. The fundamental pur
pose of the proposed change in our
neutrality legislation is to keep the
United States out of war. It is sub
mitted that the extension of ninety
day credits to foreign purchasers—
credits which, if unsettled, may not
be renewed—is not a factor cal
culated to lead us into war, and in
the absence of a convincing showing
to the contrary there can be no jus
tification for permitting a strained
construction of the Johnson Act to
hamper the conduct of our legitimate
and desirable export trade.
Congress, while refusing to accept
unreasonable amendments to the
proposed neutrality law, should also
examine the tentative draft with
care to be certain that it does not
contain provisions which may prove
harmful to our commerce with
out contributing proportionately to
greater national security. Defects
already disclosed have been rectified
and, since the proposed statute is
being offered as permanent legisla
tion, it is important that any ad
ditional flaws be discovered and cor
rected while the subject is under
debate rather than after the law
becomes effective.
An eye expert declares that an
average of at least eighty per cent
of vision is essential for motorists if
we wish to cut our traffic toll. Surely,
aim Mic same pcicciiLage ui cumnion
sense and good manners will not hurt
any, either.
Wars were once won by a combi
nation of strategy and bravery. Now
they are won largely by starving out
Innocent and often immature by
standers.
Some photographic films get fogged
or jammed. Others are wasted in
talcing pictures of feminine movie
stars wearing slacks or overalls.
Hitler swears he will not bomb un
fortified cities “if the enemy does
not.” We all know the answer to that
one—a “chestnut” since 1914.
Scientists declare that at least one
half of all creation is dust. It surely
seems so to the housewife each spring
apd autumn.
Embargo Repeal Held
Step Toward War
Believes U. S. Must
Retain Ban on Arms
And Munitions
To tht Editor of Th» Star:
I have noted that you, together with
various other persons and Interests who
desire the United States to lend aid and
assistance to the cause of England and
her allies in the present war. have cen
tered your attack upon what you have
termed the "so-called Neutrality Act.”
You have chosen to base your argument
for the repeal of that act upon the oft
repeated contention that it does not
effect neutrality for the reason that Eng
land is in need of munitions, the export
of which is prohibited, while Germany
has an ample supply, and, consequently,
that the embargo is unfavorable to Eng
land and favorable in that respect to her
better-situated enemy. You would re
peal the act and apparently substitute
therefore a compromise plan known as
"cash-and-carry” whereby any belliger
ant mifvkt niivokae* mnnl Mnn.
from us if it paid "cash on the barrel
head” and carried the goods away in its
own ships. To those who wish to ally
this Nation with the cause of Great
Britain the desirability of "cash-and
carry” over the present law lies in the
fact that it would permit England, who
has complete command of the teas, to
obtain all munitions it desires, while at
the same time denying that privilege to
Germany, whose ships are safely bottled
up by the British fleet.
On the basis of these facts, the high
degree of inconsistency in the contention
that the embargo should be lifted be
cause it is “unneutral” casts doubt upon
the sincerity of those who make that
contention. While it is true that the
embargo does prevent Great Britain from
obtaining from us the materials of war
which she desires, it imposes a like re
striction upon Germany and all other
belligerent nations. The act is in itself
absolutely indiscriminatory in its appli
cation, applying with equal effect to all
nations in a state of war. If because of
circumstances over which we have no
control, the embargo may in a purely
negative way prevent the powers with
which we are in sympathy from using us
as a source of supply, that is perhaps
unfortunate, but that fact must not
blind us to the more vital interest of
the American people which the embargo
was designed to protect, namely, that of
keeping out of European wars. Cer
tainly, it can by no stretch of the imagi
nation and by no strained interpretation
of the rules of international law be
deemed unneutral for one sovereign na
tion to refuse to contribute the weapons
of destruction to other nations who are
bent upon destroying themselves. On
the contrary, it might be argued with at
least equal weight that to repeal the
embargo under the circumstances which
now exist would constitute a positive
unneutral act against certain of the bel
ligerent powers. Since Germany cannot
hope to trade with us under any condi
tion because of the presence of the Brit
ish Navy, the repeal of the embargo for
the obvious purpose of permitting Eng
land to purchase the munitions she de
sires would undoubtedly be a positive
step toward taking sides in the conflict
between those countries, a step which we
iciwuimmy Expect may provoke re
taliation. Under such circumstances, I
am convinced that the repeal of the
embargo will render more difficult our
task of keeping out of the war, and this
task rather than that of rendering aid to
one or more of the warring nations
should be our chief concern.
That the repeal of the embargo will
definitely and irrevocably place us on
the side of the allies and thus greatly
enhance the probability of our entering
into a destructive and demoralizing war
cannot seriously be denied. It will be
the first great step toward making the
cause of the allies our cause, which in the
normal course of events will inevitably
result in making their battles our battles.
For that compelling reason, although I
am not blind to the emotional appeal in
the allied cause, the frightful danger
that the repeal of the embargo will push
us farther along the road toward war
must deter us from permitting our sym
pathies to sabotage the legislation which
we, at a time when our heads were cooler,
felt was an essential safeguard to our
neutrality. GUY O. FARMER.
Arlington, Va.
September 15.
Comments on Use of
False Passports.
To the Editor ot The Star:
One of your contemporaries (the New
York Herald Tribune) yesterday con
tained a long article on its editorial page
commenting on the admission, by a one
time candidate for the presidency of
the United States on the Communist
ticket, before the Dies Committee, that
“he had traveled abroad in the last two
years on a false passport,” although on
“constitutional grounds” he declined to
reveal the name under which he had
traveled.
Do not a political platform and the
promises made by a candidate in order
to attain “representative” office become
his “passport” once he has been elected?
Should we concern ourselves primarily
with whether Mr. Browder used a false
name on an American passport or
whether an elected person remains true
to his passport after he has attained
office? HARRISON TILGHMAN.
Easton, Md.
September 26.
Dr. Bronson Commended
By Traffic Council.
ao inc wmur oi ine star;
The object of this letter is to express
appreciation of the Traffic Advisory
Council for having Dr. George E. Brun
son appear at our last meeting and ad
dress the same with respect to the kind
of safety program which is now in
progress under the auspices of your pub
lication. We are very grateful for the
fine co-operation The Star has always
given in matters relating to public
safety.
We are hoping that the work of Dr.
Brunson will render a great service to
the city of Washington, and more espe
cially the children who are now attend
ing the schools.
We also wish to say that this subject
has been referred to the Committee on
Safety Promotion, as such committee is
very much interested in all matters of
this kind. WHITNEY LEARY,
Chairman, Traffic Advisory Council.
September 26.
t
THIS AND THAT
By Charles B. Tracewell:
Some dtT we hone to lnveiel* Temnle. Rimvle mictVi orallrino Has* nnf
ton Jones Into giving the details of his
reducing procedure, on which in four
months he reduced his weight from 174
to 135 pounds, with vastly increased
health and happiness.
He says the reason that he does not
like to talk about it is that he plans to
write a book about his experiences.
First, he reduced; then he started
reading books about reducing, and dis
covered that not a one of them suited
him.
So he is going to write a book of his
own on one of America’s most popular
subjects.
* a * *
In the meantime, he lets us in on his
newly discovered single-push method of
walking.
Too much fat around the waist, ac
cording to Jones, reduces the speed in
walking.
And walking without speed is neither
fun nor profit.
Once the pedestrian gets the fat off
around his midriff, he finds himself
stepping out naturally.
He notices it, and those who walk with
him note it, too.
They find it hard to keep up with him.
* * * *
Without thinking about it, our hero
found himself evolving a more pleasant
way of walking.
All his life he had Just stuck one foot
out after the other, with resulting Jog
to his spinal cord each step he took.
Now he discovered that he was drift
ing along at an increased gait without
the slightest Jarring.
Drifting down the road!
You have to live out Jones’ way to
understand about the road.
The road is winding, tree lined, with
out sidewalks, a real road of the type
not common nowadays.
Despite the Increased traffic, It is still
a pleasure to walk down it, a never-end
ing source of amusement to the people
of the neighborhood.
Here are the fresh scents of the coun
try’, practically right in the city, a com
bination not often found any more.
* .* * *
Jones now drifts down this road by
use of his own exclusive single-push
method of walking.
Here is the how of it:
First, adopt one or the other foot as
the pusher.
Suppose left push is decided upon.
The body—while walking—is turned
slightly to the right, in crab fashion.
Ever see a fiddler crab running over
the sand?
It can and does go in any direction.
any such decided turning.
If the left foot is selected, remember,
the right side of the body is turned very
slightly. This is done mostly by hunch
ing the right shoulder a little forward.
The face is kept straight ahead. No
body else could detect the slightly ad
vanced right side.
Now comes the single push.
The position makes it very easy to
give a decided push with the left foot,
while holding the right foot in the air
Just a little longer than would be pos
sible if the sideways position were not
adopted.
* v * *
"Just try it and see,” says Templeton
Jones. '
He llnds it advantageous to change
from left push to right push every few
blocks.
Of course, double push would be pos
sible, and is exactly what is known as
heel-and-toe walking, but such walking
is a genuine athletic feat.
The Templeton Jones single - push
method of walking is easy, pleasant and
offers no hardships whatever.
What is the use making walking dif
ficult?
After you get the layers of fat off your
middle-aged stomach, walking is sheer
fun and Jones believes his method makes
it more pleasant still.
* * * *
Those who advocate schemes ought to
know the difficulties better than any one
else.
Accordingly. Templeton Jones offers
the following warning, in connection with
his single-push method of walking.
If this type of walking makes you
nervous, he says, give it up at once.
Walking ought to be pleasant in every
way, and if concentrating on giving a
slight extra push with one foot tends to
worry you, don’t do it!
Don’t push, then; don’t make yourself
nervous.
Just forget about your feet and walk.
But if a little thought on the subject
doesn't make you nervous, he adds, you
will find that his way of walking is a
real gain.
Lean slightly forward and push out
with the other foot, keeping the foot on
the leaning side in the air just a little
longer than usual. This is all there
is to it.
After one has walked a half block in
this way, it becomes more or less auto
matic, until the pedestrian decides to
change to a decided push with the other
foot.
Walking speed is increased, and with
it a really floating carriage achieved,
which makes pedestrianism something
altogether different and better than old
fashioned clump-clump walking.
Letters to the Editor
Adri If T> - -
Real Democracy.
To the Editor of The 8t»r:
Constant references In the ‘press of
the United States to "democracies” raise
certain questions. Taking, for example.
The Washington Star as representative
of the American press, and as pointing
with pride to such so-called "democracy,’*
may I inquire:
1. If this is indeed a democracy, why
are more than a score of pages of ex
pensive newsprint devoted each week to
“society”—to the solemn recording of
the activities of a group, small in num
bers, considered important because of
wealth or ancestry?
2. If this is indeed a “democracy”—if
indeed all men are created free and
equal—how does the American press
Justify the disenfranchisement of mil
lions of free born native Negroes, of free
/bom white persons who are denied the
ballot because of inability to pay a
poll tax, and the disenfranchised Dis
trict of Columbia?
3. If this be indeed a “democracy,”
with the freedom of speech and assem
bly of which we hear so much, how
about recent occurrences in San An
tonio, Tex.; Harlan County, Ky.; even
here in Washington in the Marion An
derson case? BEWILDERED.
September 25.
Would Retain Ban on
Sale of Arms.
To thi Editor of Thi Stir:
We, an average American family, im
bued with sincerity and high purpose,
a deep patriotism for our beloved coun
try and its people, and a strong desire
to promote and protect true democracy,
desire you to know our opinions on the
pending neutrality legislation:
Neutrality can only have one meaning.
We can sell to no warring nation and
lay claim to neutrality. If we, as a
country, are sincere and wish to dis
courage war, we must be firm in our pur
pose of not supplying implements of
war to any nation. England’s present
plight is a flagrant example of the lack
of sincerity of purpose of that nation.
Already too many dollars stained with
the blood of Innocent Chinese women
and children repose in this country, due
to our materialistic viewpoint and the
result of our selling scrap iron to Japan,
knowing it would be used to make im
plements of war to be used against those
innocent ones. We can rise to great
heights amid a war-mad world, if a true
love of humanity and a Arm desire to
help its progress rather than to deter it,
for our own material gains, inspires us
to maintain a true neutrality.
FRANCES H. JENKINS.
September 24.
Deplores “Indiscriminate” Admission
Of Aliens to CiUsenahip.
To ths Editor ot Th« star:
Our Government has permitted hun
dreds of thousands of foreigners to enter
this country and at the same time remain
loyal to their native lands, and to send
American-earned money back home not
only to families left behind but even as
contributions to their government. Now
they fear that they may be called upon
to fight for the mad dictators, and to
avoid it, thousands upon thousands are
beating on the doors of naturalization
offices and pleading for citizenship. Many
of them have spent half a lifetime en
joying America’s freedom and yet have
never by attitude or action contributed
one mite toward making America a bet
ter country. On the contrary many of
them have been connected with organi
zations in this country in harmony with
their native homeland, subversive to the
very nature and structure of our Con
stitution. Thoee now applying for ad
b
Letters to the Editor must
bear the name and address of
the writer, although the use of
a pseudonym for publication is
permissible. Please be brief!
mission to citizenship should not be so
quickly accepted, but should first be
given an opportunity to prove, and, in
fact, made to prove, their worthiness and
loyalty. MRS. A. L. BATTLE.
September 24.
Calls Attention to
Incorrect Report.
To the Editor of The Star:
The attention of our entire associa
tion has been drawn to an article appear
ing on the sport page of your paper on
Sunday. September 17, to the efTect that
a baseball game played between Detroit
amd Birmingham in the amateur tourna
ment was umpired by American League
umpires and for the first time during
the tournament bickering was kept at a
minimum.
In this connection and for your infor
mation you are informed that the above
mentioned article was not correct. Dur
ing the course of the tournament just
concluded our umpires worked 48 games,
no game was protested, nor was it found
necessary to eject any player from a
single game. A majority of the man
agers and players informed me person
ally that the umpiring in the tourna
ment had been better than any they had
encountered in any of the various cities
represented by those teams.
Our members did not resent in any
way the use of the major league umpires
who were furnished through the courtesy
of Mr. Harridge, president of the Amer
ican League. It was felt that such a
gesture would add prestige to the Ama
teur Baseball Federation and we were
happy to co-operate to that end.
We do, however, feel that it was un
necessary. Unfair anri a-ithnir
tion to leave the impression that our
association had not lived up to the repu
tation it has been building during the
last 19 years as one of the best organiza
tions of its kind to be found in this
country. GEORGE B. WATT,
President, District of Columbia
Umpires’ Association.
September 19.
(Editor’s note—The Star’s article was
not intended in any way as a reflection
on the members of the District of Colum
bia Umpires:’ Association, but sought to
point out that the presence of the "big
league” umpires had a subduing effect
on some players.)
Joins Protest Agasnst
School Practices.
To the Editor ol The Star:
I want to join the "Parent” who wrote
in your paper of September 25 about
politics in public schools. My son, who
is 9 years old, came home from school
one day very excited. When I asked
him what had happened he said that it
was all about the Communists. The
teacher told the children that the King
and Queen of England had jogt arrived,
and that the United States Government
has assigned special G-men to protect
them. One of the children asked her:
“To protect them from whom?” She
said so that the Communists would not
kill them. It would take too much space
to discuss the accuracy of this statement
and It is not my purpose to do so.
What I can’t see is how any supposedly
Intelligent person can take advantage of
9-year-old children by telling them
something they have not enough knowl
edge to deny.
Surely a public school should be the
last place to misinform or antagonize
children. BESSIE PLOTNICK.
September 38.
I
I" ■ ■■■ ■■■——J
Haskin's Answers
To Readers' Questions
By Frederic J. Haskin.
A reader can get the answer to any
question of fact by writing The Eve
ning Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Haskin, director, Washington,
D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply.
Q. During the World War how many
men volunteered and how many were
drafted?—R. c. J.
A. The number of voluntary enlist
ments In the Army during the World
War was about 1,135,713. The number
of men drafted was about 3,679,848.
Q. How far is it from the exit of the
Perisphere at the New York World’s Pair
to the ground?—C. B. W.
A. Prom the exit of the Perisphere
down the ramp to the ground, the dis
tance is approximately 1,000 feet.
Q. Please give the vote for and against
Hitler In the last general election In Ger
many.—J. s. M.
A. In the last general election held In
August, 1934, there were 38.362,763 votes
cast for Hitler and 4,294,654 against him.
Q. Which Is correct, different from or
amerenc man?—i. p.
A. Different from.
Q. What is the name of the waterfall
where a moonbow is visible?—T. M. J.
A. Cumberland Falls, 18 miles south
we»t of Corbin, Ky., is one of the two
kiw-wn falls in the world having a moon
bov, the other being in South Africa.
<of. When was the Liberty Bell cracked?
—H. J.
A. The Liberty Bell was cracked on
July 8, 1835, while tolling during the
funeral of John Marshall, Chief Justice
of the United States, who died in Phila
delphia.
Q. How many radio stations are owned
by newspaper publishers?—C. J. H.
A. There are 246 broadcasting stations
on the air or authorized for construction
which are owned in whole or part by
publishing interests.
Q. What baseball players in the Amer
ican and National Leagues have made
unassisted triple plays in the last 15
years?—I. c. L.
A. Forest Glen Wright, Pittsburgh,
National League, May 7, 1925; James C.
Cooney, Chicago, National League, May
30, 1927, and John Neun, Detroit, Amer- i
ican League, May 31, 1927.
Q. How many miles of railways were
there in the United States in 1870?—
C. H. B.
A. The total railway mileage in 1870
was 52.922.
Q. What are the largest planets?—
O. Y. P.
A. The three largest planets in their
order are: Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.
Q. How many Bibles are distributed by
the American Bible Society?—S. R. F.
A. In 1938 the society distributed
6.970.757 volumes of Scripture in 63 lan
guages and dialects in the United States
and 135 foreign countries.
O WVl Q t 1C fha mnrt rlancr>lit
country in Europe?—E. D. H.
A. Belgium, with an area of 11,775
square miles and a population of
8,330,959.
Q. Please give an account of the Mary
Celeste mystery.—E. J. R.
A. The Mary Celeste was a sailboat
which left New York Harbor on Novem
ber 7, 1872, under Capt. Benjamin S.
Briggs. She was laden with alcohol and
bound for Genoa. Five weeks later the
ship was found abandoned in the Atlan
tic 300 miles west of Gibraltar. The crew ‘
has never been heard from.
Q. What famous hospital was founded
by a sailor?—T. J. D.
A. In 1739 Charity Hospital was estab
lished in New Orleans through a bequest
left by a French sailor Jean Louis, who
wished his savings to be spent in found
ing a center of medical attention for the
poor. It is one of the largest institu
tions of its kind in the world and is
owned and administered by the State.
Q. What is the battle of the flowers?
—M. T. R.
A. This is a feature of carnival cele
brations which originated at Nice. Ve
hicles are adorned with flowers and as
they are driven through the streets the
occupants salute their friends by throw
ing flowers at them. The greeting is re
turned in kind and the battle continues
for many hours. In many continental
cities the battles take place at other
times.
Q. Who originated six-man football
teams?—L. E. F.
A. Stephen E. Elper of Hebron, Nebr.,
who played end at Cotner College in
1932, originated six-man football teams
in 1933. He abbreviated the squad in
order to lessen danger of injuries in
pileups, and designed the game for jun
ior colleges and high schools.
Q. How many collective farms are
there in Soviet Russia?—J. c. H.
A. On January 1, 1938. there were 244,- .
000 collective farms averaging about
1,200 acres and operated by 19,100.000
peasant families, constituting 93 per cent
of all peasant households.
Q. How many different industries are
involved in making a motion picture’»
—-J. S. H.
A. Approximatelv 27fi rtiffprpnt
tries, arts and crafts are involved in the
making of a single feature picture.
Q. What is the origin of the word
'‘livery”?—M. J. H.
A. The word is an adaptation of the
Anglo-French livree, from llvrer, to de
liver, in the special sense of distributing.
Larkspur Glimmers in the Dusk
From her heart’s blown chalice slips
All the magic of her lips.
An Elysian chant of loveliness,
Silver, clear, she sings.
Whortleberries hung with dew,
Alder, clematis and rue.
In labyrinth of misty bloom,
Enshrine her song.
Larkspur glimmers in the dusk
Like candles of the moon. The musk
Of heliotrope and white moss rose
Makes incense there.
And notes still fall, a peal of bells
On night-hushed pools. Love tell*
His beads beside that ruined gate.
No football aoundt.
MART D. CASTLES.
A