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fining ptaf With Sunday Morning Edition. THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY...__October 16, 1939 The Evening Star Newspaper Company. Main Office- 11th St. and Pennsylvania ATS New York Office: 110 East 42nd St. Chicago Office: 435 North Michigan Ava Delivered by Carrier—City and Snborba'a. Regular Edition. Evening and Sunday 05c per mo. or 16c per weak The Evening Star. 45c per mo. or 10c per week The Sunday Star_ _ .. 6c Par copy Night Final Edition. Night Final and Sunday Star_75e Per month Night Final Star .. .80c per month Collection made at the end of each month or each week Orders may be sent by mail or tela phone National 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable In Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday...1 yr.. #10.00; 1 mo.. 85e Daily only, -1 yr„ *8.00: 1 mo- 60o Sunday only-1 yr- #4.00: 1 mo- 40« All Other Itatea and Canada. Daily and Sunday..1 yr- #12.00: 1 mo.. #1.00 Dally only -1 yr- *8.00: 1 mo- 7»e Sunday only-1 yr., *5 00: 1 mo- 60e Entered as second-class matter oost office* Washington. D. C. Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of ail news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited In this Paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of Dubllcatlon of special dlspatchaa herein also are reserved. Industrializing Canada British plans for the development In Canada of a great industrial em pire for the production of war ma teriel have aroused interest of busi ness and financial circles on this side of the Canadian border. According to reports circulating in Wall Street, Great Britain is preparing to spend as much as three billions of dollars on a plant and production program designed particularly to turn out war planes, munitions and other military and naval equipment, but capable of being adapted later to non-military needs of peaceful purpose. At least half a billion dollars is immediately available for launching the huge en terprise, it is said. Under the tentative program use would be made eventually of from six to fifteen billions of dollars of re sources, including commercial credits, which England and France have in the United States. Apparently the Canadian plants would look to the United States for much of the raw materials and machinery required to start manufacture and to carry it on. Negotiations with American motor and plane firms toward this end al ready have begun, it is rumored. Neither the present neutrality law nor the one proposed by the adminis tration would prevent participation, within certain limits, of United States business and financial inter ests in such an undertaking, despite the listing of Canada as a belligerent in President Roosevelt’s neutrality proclamation. The existing embargo on “arms, ammunition and imple ments of war,” as has been pointed out in these columns repeatedly, does not cover the metals and many other materials needed to make planes, guns and shells; nor the chemicals and cotton needed to produce gun cotton. cancellation under the President’s proclamation of orders which France and Britain had placed in this country for planes and other “implements of war’’ left cred its which conceivably could be used to finance parts of the Canadian in dustrial establishment. The “title and-carry” plan embodied in the pending Hull peace bill would not seriously interfere with the trans portation to Canada of any supplies needed for the war factories. The creation by our next-door neighbor of a great allied war supply base would be certain to draw special attention from the German high command. Canada, being a belliger ent, would be fair game for Nazi sabotage agents and even for bomb ing planes—if they had ways of striking so far from base. Before American interests lend a hand, the whole project should be given careful scrutiny by executive and legislative branches of the Government, with a view to safeguarding the neutrality and the security of the United States. County Service Building Another milestone in the growth of Prince Georges County has been passed with the dedication of the new $125,000 county service building at Hyattsville, Md. The significance of the event was attested by the pres ence of the Governor and a United States Senator and Representative at the exercises. The latter was so op timistic as to prophesy that Greater Washington, stretching far out into Maryland, some day may outgrow New York and Chicago and become the largest city in the country. Regardless of whether this vision materializes, it is clear that the coun ty’s growth to date and its prospects for the immediate future require such a building. The problem of admin istering Prince Georges, with its vast suburban development, from the rural county seat at Upper Marlboro is similar to the problem of admin istering Montgomery County from Rockville. Montgomery long has had suburban buildings at Bethesda and Silver Spring. Necessity also required the estab lishment of certain county offices in suburban Prince Georges several years ago. All have been housed in rented quarters, many in a converted bank building. . The new county building, erected with the aid of P. W. A. funds, will therefore not only be a distinct asset to the Hyattsville area but also will meet a long-stand ing need for uniting the suburban county offices under one roof. Symbolic as it is of the county’s growth, the new building will raise In many minds questions concerning various methods of governing a A county such as Prince Georges, which is part suburban and part rural. The question of whether there should be provision for a county manager, such as Arlington has found satisfactory, naturally comes to mind. The build ing also suggests the recurring pro posal to transfer the county seat to the populous suburban area, the ques tion of dividing the county into two units, one rural, one suburban, and the often-studied plan to merge sev eral of the nearby Maryland count ies. It is clear, however, that Prince Georges authorities have no inten tion of moving the county seat, for even as the suburban building was dedicated, the Marlboro courthouse was being enlarged. And the other questions also can safely be left to the future while county residents en joy the welcome facilities which the new structure affords. H. M. S. Royal Oak “War cannot be made without running risks,” wrote Admiral Mahan in one of the last articles penned prior to his death on December 1, 1914, and in which the famed author of “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History” discussed the probable course of the then barely four-month old World War. It was in the same philosophical vein that Mahan re affirmed the doctrine so deeply im bedded in him that “it is the unre mitting daily silent pressure of naval force, * * * which has made sea power so decisive an element in the history of the world.” Then venturing into the realm of prophecy, Mahan wrote: “In any case, the British fleet holds the decision in its hands, as in the days of Napoleon, if the allies per sist to the end.” Mahan made that forecast in the middle of October, 1914, on an occa sion not unlike Britain’s crown ing naval reverse to date in the pres ent European war—the submarining of H. M. S. Royal Oak, 29,150-ton battleship, on Saturday. A German U-boat had accomplished in 1914 the amazing feat of torpedoing in one day three British cruisers—Cressy, Hogue and Abouftir. Asked by a Brit ish friend to comment on that disaster, Mahan expressed surprise that more such attempts had not been made, conveying the idea that a supreme navy, with an immense preponderance of fleet units of all categories, naturally offers the enemy a wide choice of targets. Britain, in that realization, is undoubtedly sitting tight today, even in presence of the Royal Oak’s fate, so soon after that last month of the Courageous, aircraft carrier, for com mand of the sea is still hers. His majesty’s fleet remains in possession of fourteen capital ships, of which eleven are battleships as powerful as, or more powerful than, the Royal Oak, while three are far more effec tive battle cruisers. The Germans have three “pocket” (10.000-ton) battleships, two battle cruisers, two average battleships and two capital ships under construction. British warcrart tonnage now on the stocks includes nine battleships, five of them of the King George 35,000-ton class and four of the Lion 40,000-ton type carrying sixteen-inch guns. These new vessels will be commis sioned progressively in 1940, 1941 and 1942. Losses sustained by the British fleet thus far are strategically unim portant, because of the rough four to-one superiority in global tonnage which it retains over the German Navy. But it is, of course, obvious that even the presently “supreme” sea power cannot indefinitely main tain its advantage if it is subjected to a succession of losses like those of the Courageous and the Royal Oak. That contingency gives point to the arresting suggestions contributed to The Sunday Star by Major George Fielding Eliot. The author of “Ram parts We Watch” points out that “either the anti-submarine measures and dispositions now being used by the Royal Navy are seriously inade quate, or the Germans have developed a new technique for the employment of their U-boats; perhaps both.” It seems at least possible that the method invoked by the Germans to penetrate the special anti-submarine armored hull with which the Royal Oak was equipped—visible in the bulge or “blister” shown in recent pictures of the battleship—is the mystery weapon at which Hitler hinted when he boasted the other day of Nazi ability to thwart the blockade. But, just as it takes more than one swallow to make a summer, it takes more than the loss of one battleship to doom the British Navy either to despair or de feat. In the World War Britain lost sixteen capital ships—thirteen bat tleships and three cruisers. Yet the day came when the proud German high seas fleet, despite its gallant performance at Jutland, was to sur render at Scapa Flow, and later, in a grandiose suicide gesture, to scuttle itself in those waters. The Postmasters Resolve The National Association of Post masters is manifesting extremely poor judgment in proposing to amend the civil service law for post masters to “freeze” in office all in cumbents. When the Ramspeck - O’Mahoney bill to put postmasters of the first, second and third class under civil service became law on June 25, 1938, it provided life tenure for those “hereafter” appointed. Because the postmasters were serving four-year terms, on a staggered basis, it was evident that about half of the 14,000 positions affected would be filled by permanent appointees of this ad ministration, while the rest would extend over to the next to be acted upon. That was fair and was de 1 signed to defeat the charge that the law was intended to perpetuate Dem ocrats in office. It favored the administration in power to a cer tain extent, because the terms of the larger offices are expiring in its life time, as is evidenced by permanent appointments already made at such points as New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Pittsburgh. From a nu merical standpoint, however, it pro vided approximately for an equal division. For example, the first ses sion of the Seventy-sixth Congress confirmed 3,864 postmasters for life, and presumably the figure for the second session will be similar. The others, under ordinary circumstances, will be subject to the approval of the Seventy-seventh Congress, to be elected next year. But if the resolu tion adopted at the recent convention here of the National Association of Postmasters is carried out, the law will be changed to confer life status now on all in contravention of the original intent to have incumbents complete the four-year terms before being reappointed permanently. That not only would be violative of the spirit of the new law, but it woum constitute a form of manipu lation that could not be defended on any grounds. Further, it would en courage tinkering with the act by succeeding administrations, for if it is to become a political football, everybody will feel entitled to a kick. In the end, of course, there would be no law, and that would be re grettable, for while the present statute is not perfect, it is a tremendous improvement over the former system under which postmas terships were legal tender for party service every four years. The National Association of Post- ' masters would do well to forget this particular resolution. Democratic Discipline Secretary Ickes, in formulating a new set of rules to govern the issuing of permits for the use of Washing ton's parks as public forums, ap proaches an old problem from a new angle. In the past the public squares have been used as a means of reaching a wider audience by individuals of va rious beliefs and varied ambitions. Some have been earnest persons of missionary spirit, bent upon spread ing their message to as large a seg ment of the community as they could reach. Some, driven by forces which they could never know, have striven to give meaning to an ethics they could never understand. Still others, presumably acting upon the guidance of conscience, have taken the op portunity granted by democratic principles to preach doctrines con trary to the beliefs which constitute the accepted standard of the Nation. Regardless of their mission, all have the liberty to speak openly what is in their minds. Short of protec tion against incitation of riot or dis turbance of the peace, no legal lim VHW wv »»** vn liVUVL. AW is conceivable that liberty itself can, with little stretch'of the imagination, become its own enemy. The regulations announced by the Office of National Capital Parks, however, offer an interesting solu tion. Hereafter all persons or groups seeking permits to hold meetings in the parks must apply for them in time to allow any citizens with con flicting views an opportunity to pre pare an answer. Those interested in replying will be given first preference in the issuing of subsequent permits. In the words of the Secretary of Interior, speakers who use public grounds henceforth for promulgating their beliefs must “submit to the democratic discipline of open de bate.” Aside from the possible psychologi cal effects of the order as a damper on overardent partisan claims, in view of a prepared challenge, the plan is an excellent one from the standpoint of practical, living de mocracy. By giving the opposition an opportunity to prepare an answer, and a pertinent time to speak, the new rule actually enhances the cause of free speech. School War With the opening of school In Sep tember the annual assault on the liberty and happiness of the down trodden minors is well under way, and as usual the resistance is feeble and badly organized. The activities truant officers cause heavy cas ualties, and what little success the boys have is due to no efforts of their own. Occasionally the enemy suffers a financial breakdown at weak spots on the economic front, when a school s»lrtcoc from loolr of fnr»Hc with whi/*h to pay the teachers or buy. fuel. Every now and then a gleam of hope enlightens the besieged when a promising epidemic of measles be gins, but the board of health almost Invariably opens up a ruthless bar rage, isolates the resistance by quarantine and destroys it. Still, amazingly enough, the spirit of youth cannot be completely crushed. For instance, a bulletin from the Newark (N. J.) sector re ports a chiseling attack on a strong hold of oppression known as Public School Number Three. A number of bricks have been pried from the walls, with the obvious idea of: ren dering it untenable by the enemy. However, the School Board of Strat egy promptly met the crisis. They detailed their allies, the police, to watch out for the snipers, and then grimly ordered the janitor to hold the building and repair the damage at all costs. It is thus obvious that even guer rilla tactics are doomed to failure and that the boys had better make peace on what terms they can. i A America Held Safe From Hitler Attack Our Naval and Air Forces Declared Adequate to Repel Invaders To the Editor of The Star: During the first World War we were told that the allies were fighting our battles by holding back the Germans and preventing them from reaching our own shores. Lately this talk has been revived, but how much truth is there in it? Germany wants colonies, but the cost of obtaining and holding them in the Western Hemisphere would make it a poor investment. In the first place it wouldn’t be possible for Germany to overcome us over here. Naval strategists say that a foreign navy 3,000 miles from its base would have an effectiveness of about 40 per cent. Thus a foreign at tacking navy would have to be two and one-half times as powerful as our own, which would require a combination of ■ Siwuv V»*V pw II v» a u< ttuisvo V/* kilV nl/iiUi The Germans then would have to ob tain control of the British and French navies and get Italy and Japan as a’llies. At that, we would have the added ad vantages of home waters, nearby bases and land planes. Of all military or na val operations, none Is as difficult as ef fecting a landing on hostile soil. The only way for Germany to obtain the British and French navies would be by raising them from the bottom of the ocean, since their crews would scuttle them. The other day a British subma rine was on the point of being blown up by its own crew before allowing her to fall into German hands. It is not within the realm of possibility that the British Empire, which was built up by sea power andtis so dependent upon sea power for its existence, would meekly turn un damaged fighting ships over to Germany or any one else. Any one who thinks otherwise doesn't know British pride. Thus the premise that Germany could obtain other navies in order to launch an attack against us is preposterous. As to Germany outbuilding us, that is equally preposterous. It is difficult to conceal the construction of a ship of any size, which requires several years to com plete. For every ship that Germany could. build we could turn out two or three to add to the reception committee. Against an aerial attack from Europe we face no threat, since all of Europe and Japan combined lack sufficient air craft carriers. Our Navy and Army planes would outnumber them many times over and give them a welcome of hot lead. Launching an aerial attack from European shores is also impossible, because the prevailing windsjiorth of the Equator are from west to east. West bound planes from Europe would face head winds and would not be able to carry enough gasoline for the round trip. If they carried any bombs, then to attempt a return to Europe would be suicide, since there would be very little gasoline left in the tanks. Our fast fighters could easily outmaneuver the attacking planes. In addition, our men would be fresh, while those in attacking planes would have a long, tedious trans oceanic flight behind them. Trans polar flights to the United States would fare no better. Persons who ought to know better shouldn’t try scaring others with talk of German invasions of this country. C. N. TRACT. October 12. rcrians national neroes Not Native to Soil. To the Editor of The Star: Hitler, who, no doubt, for the time being rules the most powerful single country in the world (in a military sense) is frequently referred to as “a mere Austrian,” not a German at all. What of it? Napoleon who is still the idol of a warlike Prance was not a Frenchman. He was a Corsican (Italian). Alexander the Great, the foremost champion of “the Greek idea” was not a Greek. He was a Macedonian. Hannibal, the Car thaginian, whom some of our colored fellow citizens claim as Africa's protag onist was not of the African race, not a Hamite. He was a Phoenician Semite. Wallenstein, Duke of Friedland, who for some years (Thirty Years War, 1618 1648) dominated the German military scene was not a German. He was a Czech. Prince Eugene of Savoy, ever victorious commander of the Austrian Armies (about 1700) was not an Austrian by birth. He was part French and part Italian. John Sobieski, although a “mere Pole,” saved the empire at Vienna (1683). The “drillmaster of Washington's Army” was not a native American. He was Baron von Steuben, a Prussian. The leader who, with the exception of Daniel O’Connell, did more for Ireland than any two of the others, was not a Catholic Celt, he was Charles Stewart Parnell—a Protestant Sassenach. It is not wrhere or how you were bom, it is what service you perform for the country that you live in. Hitler cer tainly has done much for the Germans. After a while, maybe, if things go wrong, the Germans may scratch their heads and say, "But look what he has done to US.” FRED VETTER. bays Americas Should Aid Democracies. To the Editor of The Star: Why is there so much furor in Con gress over the questions of neutrality and embargo? Why should we mildly remark “It’s just too bad,” when Jews and Catholics are persecuted, churches are destroyed, and children taken from their mothers to be brought up by the State? Why do we allow warplanes to destroy half-civilized Ethiopians? Why should Austria have its government de stroyed and Czecho-Slovakia be torn apart? Why should a mechanized army march into Poland and slaughter its in nocents? Why can’t the United States and all the Americas mobilize a great army, not to cross the seas, but to furnish food, clothing, medical supplies and means of defense to the victims of dictators? Also an army to guard our coasts, and a greater army of peace to raise all food possible and store the excess? To go into mines, mills and factories to manu facture needed articles; into shipyards to build the boats to carry these goods, and then with arms and convoy take them to our allies? E. M. HUSSEY. Silver Spring, Md. I October 10. i THIS AND THAT I By Charles E. Tracevoell. •TALLS CHURCH, VA. “Dear Sir: Birds have not been men tioned lately in your column, but we certainly have had them in our yard and field. “First, let me mention our mockers. And they are good little mockingbirds, without a lot of belligerentness. “One sings a good part of the day, and the rest of them play tag, bathe and drink in the bird bath, search for bugs and generally enjoy their own company. “Believe it or not, I actually counted 11 mockers in our barberry bush as they flew out, one by one. “How they love to perch in that bush I Don’t you think we have more mocking birds than is usual for one yard? ' * * * * “Next come the towhees. "How beautiful is the male towhee. The female is almost as pretty but looks more like a small robin to an amateur bird watcher. We have a number of these sociable birds. They—-with the cardinals, song sparrows, and, yes, the English sparrows—enjoy the seeds and grain I sprinkle for them on the ground. une rone aove joins tnem occasion ally. The dove is not as shy as many people believe. “Lastly come the fat bobwhites. I don’t know whether my grain attracted them, but there they were one evening, 15 of them, feeding right within a few yards of our back door. “They stayed around, not in the least nervous, and played tag with one an other, calling to the others if they would linger too far away. "Next morning they came early and played around for some time, ate under the trees, then gathered under the bar berry bush to preen themselves. They seemed more like chickens than wild birds. I feel that we have a miniature bird sanctuary. “Sincerely, G. B. S.” * * * * This column has had no bird reviews recently because the station beneath the maple has been practically deserted for several weeks. This is due, we believe, to the fact that we permitted a band of grackles to drive away all the songsters, with the excep tion of the cardinals, without our real izing it. Let this be a warning to all bird lovers not to tolerate for a second such mur derers as purple grackles. They are interesting to watch. The observer may simply count them as more material at first. He will not realize that they will suc ceed, if permitted, in rtinning away most of the other birds, then leave them selves. Then the bird watcher will have on his hands one nice feeding station, well stocked, totally without customers. Do not say this can’t happen. It can. You may not believe it, however, until it occourr, in your own yard. Probably the grackles will be to blame. This is the first time in four years that we have not had scores, and even hundreds of birds, at a feeding station. We can thank the purple grackles. * * * * We believe that If other friends of birds are Informed of what happens when grackles are permitted to be guests at a feeding station, they may be on the watch for them, and not tolerate them on the mistaken assumption that they will do no ultimate harm. Even after they had pecked two spar rows to death, the grackles did not seem to be doing any particular harm. The crowd of sparrows and others at the station was as large as ever. But so gradually that we did not miss them, they began to thin out, and one morning we realized that our feeding station simply had no guests, In com parison with old times. Eight or nine cardinals, it is true, were seen every evening, end half a dozen pigeons from time to time through the day, but the hurry and bustle of old times was lacking. Most of those missing, of course, were English sparrows. Some “bird lovers” might think this a blessing in disguise, to get rid of the sparrows, but we have never felt that way about these birds, as most readers here realize. English sparrows have been welcomed, in the belief that they form the back ground chorus of the bird feeding sta tion. * * * * Now they have flown away. We saw the band down the block the other morning, but the members would not fly back to the old stand. When will they get over their fright? As far as we, can see, the purple grackles, with their powerful necks, long bills and mean, yellow eyes, have gone to parts unknown. But the sparrows, evidently, are not sure. They can find food anywhere at this season of year, when grass seed is easily found in every lawn. Do not tolerate the presence of grackles at a feeding station. Drive them away at once, and keep after them until they are discouraged and leave for good. The smaller birds will come back, if the grackles have not injured them, but it remains to be seen whether they will do so, once they are frightened by the pow erful and cruel “blackbirds ” t Letters to the Editor star neutrality Editorials Commended by Congressman. To the Editor of The Star: As chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representa tives and one who has studied this ques tion for the past 16 years in the Con gress, I was very pleased to receive the pamphlet issued by The Washington Evening and Sunday Star containing a compendium of recent editorials on the subjects of neutrality, the embargo and peace. I have read the editorials from time to time as they appeared in The Eve ning and Sunday Star and I have thought so much of them because of their unbiased presentation of the true facts concerning the neutrality situation that I have inserted many of them in the Congressional Record so that they will be read throughout the entire United States and preserved as part of the offi cial records in the Government archives. I want to congratulate The Evening and Sunday Star on publishing these editorials in such a handy pamphlet, for I know they will be of the greatest bene fit and assistance to people studying the neutrality problem. SOL BLOOM. September 27. England and France Held Slow to Understand Hitler. To the Editor of The Star: Hitler has tricked the allies again into rejecting moderate peace terms. He asked only that Eastern Europe be al lowed to stabilize itself without western interference, the smaller states allying themselves with Germany or Russia, a natural condition that should have come into being along ago. There would be no war, and Poland would be alive yet if she had accepted her natural status as a minor ally of Germany or Russia, instead of standing between them and preposterously defying both. That they’d both attack her was inevitable. The allies, who caused Poland to in vite her own destruction, continue in their error. They insist on interfering in Eastern Europe. When will they understand Hitler’s technic and cope with it? They seemed to understand at Munich. They granted his demand for the Sudetenland, com nellino' him tn oviviifo htc Tool rfocifrn Vntt I force, the taking of all Czecho-Slovakia, turning neutral opinion against him. The allies made a long stride at Munich toward waging a successful war on Hit lerism, but their next step showed that they had not really understood, that they had yielded at Munich out of weakness and not policy. Instead of making an ally of Russia at all costs, they made an ally of Russia’s enemy, Poland. Hitler then, secretly meditating the partition of Poland, offered most mod erate terms for peace, hoping they’d be rejected. He asked only for an old Ger man city and a road to it. This fair and reasonable demand being rejected, he went joyfully to the attack. His military position now would seem impregnable. He need only sit tight be hind his west wall and hammer the British fleet, while Russia eats up the British and French Empires in the East. And Italy wrings territorial concessions in Africa from the allies as the price of her phony neutrality. Hitler and Stalin are so sure of success that they are not letting Japan in on the loot; Stalin is still supporting China, as recent Chinese victories show. If we were bandits, too, we’d join Hitler and Stalin at once and seize all British and French possessions in the Western Hemisphere. We are not bandits, but we can be long-headed and not delude ourselves as to the military position abroad. We can sit tight, keep neutral, arm to the teeth and tell the bandits J Letters to the Editor must bear the name and address of the writer although the use of a pseudonym lor publication is permissible. Please be brief! what disposition shall be made oj their victims' possessions on this side of the Atlantic. As a first step to expanding our munition factories, let us repeal the ! arms embargo. SAMUEL J. JONES. October 13. Two Terms as President Declared Enough. To the Editor of The Star: It is never too early or too late to make precedents. In 1940 the American peo ple will have the first clear-cut oppor tunity to solve this third-term issue once and for all. If the President runs a third time (and I don't believe he wants to!) it will not be a case of anything ex cept a grab at glory. And -so, let us American people say definitely once and for all that it is our will, our democratic will, that two terms in the White House are enough for any man. October 12. HENRY STONER. Believes Embargo Repeal Will Stimulate War. To the Editor of The Star: At the present time we seem to be holding back the war in Europe, with all belligerents waiting to see what move we will make on the arms embargo question. If we repeal it, we may turn loose the dogs of war; if we retain it, we may save the world untold suffering. It seems to me that Congress is trying to have us believe we are neutral, while proposing to help one nation at the ex pense of another. We will have to choose between the two. I feel sure that 95 per cent of Ameri cans do not want war, but are trusting in Congress to keep us out. At least let them not repeal the embargo without a provision that the allies pay cash. When we entered the last war it was supposedly to protect our interests and save democ racy; in reality it was because we had credited the allies to such an extent that we could not see them lose. The popular belief here is that if England and Prance are defeated Germany would not hesi tate to attack this country. I disagree completely. Let us not stand idly by and see ourselves turned into soldiers of for tune by practically the same events that dragged us into the last war. In Con gress now, as then, are two classes of men—politicians and statesmen. One looks out for his own welfare while the other looks out for the welfare of the people. May the statesmen prevail, and keep the arms embargo as it now is. October 6. MONROE DOCTRINE. Says Hitler Can Be Forced To Listen to Reason. To the Rdltor of The Star: This war should be stopped—now. I do not blame England and France for doubting Hitler’s sincerity, as his past promises have all been worthless and his views are mostly inconsistent, but his recent talk had much common sense in it and he could be reasonable if he really wanted to be. He knows that in a long war he is likely to lose what power he has; therefore, I think he should be practical, grant Poland and Czecho-Slo vakia independence, and stop his con quest of weaker nations. The world can by united action force this upon him, and work together for the common good of all humanity. Let the people of this Nation take a vigorous stand for peace and freedom, and we will find most of the world with us, and our selves strong enough to win. October 12. CLYDE SMITH. I 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. Was there a moratorium on the debts of men who enlisted in the Army in the World War?—C. T. C. A. During the World War a mora*» torium was declared on the debts of men drafted into military service for the length of their service. Q» When was the big flood in Topeka, Kans.?—L. 8. F. A. Floods on May 31, 1903, destroyed $4,000,000 worth of property, rendered 8,000 homeless and caused the death of 200 persons by drowning. Q. What is the meaning of the name * Solomon?—E. M. J. A. The name means peaceful and was given Solomon because of a prophecy which foretold his birth: “For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days’’ (I Chronicles xxii.9). Q. How many souvenir postcards are v sold annually?—K. M. N. A. It is estimated that annual sales are in excess of 50,000,000 in the United States. w. is mere any college which offers courses in Indian languages?—K. G. M. A. The University of Oklahoma at Norman is planning to offer a course in Indian languages. It is said to be the first university in the world to include this language in the curriculum. Q. How does the number of women employed in the executive branch of the United States Government compare with* the number of men?—L. V. A. On June 30 of this year there were 920,310 civil employes in the executive branch of the Government, of whom 747,577 were men and 172,733 were women. Q. In what year did Buffalo Bill kill the most buffaloes while furnishing meat to a railroad?—L. G. S. A. The record kill of buffaloes by Buf- » falo Bill for the Kansas Pacific R. R. W’as made during the 1867-8 season, when he killed 4,280. Q. What kind of a beverage is raki?— H. M. G. A. It is one of Turkey's most popular drinks and is a clear, colorless liquid made from raisins grown in Smyrna and flavored with anise seeds. It is distilled *■ three times, twice with the raisins and once after the anise has been added. Q. How much will the British govern ment spend in combating Hitlerism?— J. K. j A. In the first year of the war the government expects to spend 2.000,000.000 pounds, or about *8,000,000,000 at cur rent exchange rates. Q. When was the practice abolished in India of a woman cremating herself on the funeral pyre of her husband?—K J. H. A. The custom of suttee was made il legal by the British government in 1829. Q. Is there an instance of an author or poet's having dreamed of a master piece?—L. B. H. A. Coleridge is said to have composed the poem “Kubla Khan1’ in a dream im mediately after reading a description of Cublai Can's palace in "Purchas’ Pil grimage.’* ! Q. For whom is Greensboro, N. C, named?—J. s. L. A. The city is named for Gen. Na thaniel Greene, the hero of the battle of Guilford Court House. • * Q. Why are there 36 columns in stead of 48 in the colonnade of the Lin coln Memorial at Washington, D C ’_ E. B. H. A. They represent the number of States in the Union when Lincoln died. The Memorial has two additional col umns, which stand in the entrance. v Q. Please give the date of Lady Astor’s first marriage?—C. B. D. A. In 1897 she married Robert Gould Shaw, obaining a divorce from him in 1903. Q. How many copies of John Stein beck's “The Grapes of Wrath” have been sold?—C. J. D. A. The book has sold over 255.000 copies. Q. What kind of bamboo is best for rod making?—E. D. H. A. Tonkin bamboo is ideally suitable for fishing rods because of its elasticity, light weight and strength. Q. How many years has linen been known to last?—S. T. A. Well-preserved linen cloths have been found in Egyptian mummy cases which were more than 4,000 years old. Q. Where is the oldest farm in the United States?—W. B. S. A. Texas claims it. This farm, near Ysleta, hasi been worked continuously since 1540, when it was established by the Franciscan Fathers who came to this country with Coronado. Conversation With a Sauirrel Will you have some nuts from my walnut * tree? There are acorns, too. Take some. They’re free. Don’t just flick that plumy tail and jeer When I offer food stores. Autumn’s here. Don’t you see her signs In bronze and brass On the maple tree and frost-touched grass? Can’t you hear heralding wild geese say, ♦ “The Ice King is coming! He’s on his way”? Where’s your hoarding Instinct? Where is your thrift? The least you can do is to store my gift, 3fet all day you’ve raced or sprawled at ease On taut light wires or the poplar trees. Npw you’re edging closer, poised for flight. Dny paws mincing, greedy eyes bright. Oh, you’ll take this nut that I’ve shelled, you say? Pampered city squirrel! All right. You may. NELLIE GRAY BOURDEAUX. /