Evening star. [volume], November 17, 1939, Page A-10, Image 10

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

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W gening ptaf
With Sunday Morning Edition.
THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
FRIDAY..-November 17, 1939
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War Profits
Among the many lopsided, inac
curate and illogical anti-American
isms recently uttered by Soviet Pre
mier-Foreign Commissar Molotoff
before the Supreme Soviet was the
charge that “capitalism” in the
United States is fomenting the Eu
ropean war for the sake of “blood
money” profits to be derived from
the sale of munitions. The accusa
tion is not new. It has found fre
quent utterance, in one form or
another, in this country. It was a
popular argument during the muni
tions investigation, when it was the
fashion to pillory our armament in
dustry as “merchants of death” and
otherwise to stigmatize it. The sug
gestion that American manufactur
ers and other export interests craved
another world war for profiteering
purposes also was heard during the
recent neutrality debates in Congress.
American business authorities are
virtually a unit in denying the
soundness of the allegation that war
is a boon to our commerce and in
dustry. They describe it as quite the
contrary. Experiences after the
World War are cited as proof that
boom volume and boom prices, such
as this country enjoyed on the pre
vious occasion, are a blight rather
than a blessing. That certain
branches of heavy Industry, like
steel, aircraft and munitions, stand
to reap substantial benefits from
war business is unquestionable. But
events of twenty years ago remind
American industry that the advan
tages in question are purely ephem
eral. With the war over, many
key industries found themselves
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hands, the productive capacity of
which was far in excess of America’s
own needs or any requirements
springing from normal, peacetime
export markets. Hardly any branch
of our economic structure escaped
this post-war consequence. Even
the farmers of the wheat and corn
belts found themselves with an over
abundance of cultivated acreage,
planted to meet wartime foodstuffs
needs at home and abroad. The
“surplus” problem that endured
throughout the 1920s was one of the
prices the American farmer paid for
war prosperity.
The Chamber of Commerce of the
United States reports that, as the
lamp of experience is the best guide,
American industry today is watching
its step, and building no air castles
on the strength of anticipated profits
from waf, lest conditions ensue
again, which proved so illusory be
fore. The Chamber points out, more
over, that the current uptrend in
American industry—steel registered
in October the greatest monthly pro
duction in its history—is no “war
baby,” but the normal result of im
provement in the times, due, mainly
to long deferred replenishment of
depleted inventories in many staple
lines.
It is clear, too. that the stalemated
European conflict, which becomes
less and less of a war in the old sense
and more and more a campaign of
attrition, is divesting it of the
profits angle from which so-called
“merchants of death,” belligerents
as well as neutral, may once upon a
time have envisioned it.
rublic Morale
General George C. Marshall, chief
of staff, U. S. A., declared yesterday
that the success of the Community
Chest campaign is “of vast impor
tance in bolstering public morale at
this time.” The statement *Vas as
frank, as direct and as reasonable
fts might be expected from a soldier.
It ought to be comprehended by
every citizen of Washington.
There surely need be no argument
about the relation between the relief
of suffering and democracy. Espe
cially in the Nation’s Capital it must
be clear to every thoughtful person
that poverty is a contradiction of the
principle of fellowship upon which
the American system of society de
pends. It is more than a theory thal
everybody should benefit from s
philosophy of freedom. But libertj
is misunderstood if it be regarded
merely a right to be enjoyed by the
fortunate. It is meaningless when il
is flouted or neglected in practice
Every great apostle of the ideal!
proclaimed in the Declaration ol
Independence and in the Constitu
tion has agreed that the mainte
nance of a balance between th<
privileges and the duties of life ii
Imperative to the safety of th<
republic.
Of course, there are individual
who prefer to avoid their responsi
bilities. But General Marshall has
challenged them to awake. With
half the world in turmoil, no patriot
soul dares to fall to accept his share
of the burden of protecting America
from the contagious dangers of the
hour. The armed forces of the Na
tion are justified in their belief that
“the home front” requires defense.
Civil peace, if nothing else, must be
guarded. The Community Chest is
one of its bulwarks. “Public morale”
cannot be strengthened more effec
tively than by contributing to the
fund which represents democracy in
constructive action.
Pre-Legal Education
The District of Columbia Bar As
sociation, after long and careful
consideration, has voted to request
the United States Court of Appeals
to rescind its strict rule requiring
that after J ly 1, 1944, attorneys ap
plying for practice before that court
must have had two full years of pre
legal study in an accredited college or
university. The association will des
ignate a committee to confer with
the chief justices of the Court of
Appeals and of the District Court
with a view to having them adopt a
common rule governing qualifica
tions for law practice.
As matters now stand, there have
been set up two standards for prac
tice in the District of Columbia—one
for the appellate court and a differ
ent one for District Court. The
Court of Appeals promulgated its
rule on pre-legal collegiate education
last year, after the District Bar As
sociation had recommended a tight
ening of the restrictions on bar ap
plications. The Bar Association had
suggested that the courts require two
years of general academic training
in college, or the equivalent thereof,
but the appellate court eliminated
the alternate requirement. Later the
District Court adopted a rule of its
own, patterned after the recommen
dations of the Bar Association, and
providing two alternatives to aca
demic study in college. One alterna
tive was a certificate from an ac
credited college that the applicant
has the equivalent of two years of
college training and the other was
the passing of a special bar exami
nation on general educational at
tainments.
The two-years-in-college standard
of pre-legal education demanded by
the Court of Appeals has been criti
cized by lawyers, educators and
others, who feel that an inflexible
rule of this kind discriminates un
fairly against lawyers and law stu
dents who are well qualified by ex
perience or home study to practice
law before any high court. More
over, the varying rules could operate
to bar a trial lawyer from arguing
his client’s case on appeal. The best
interests of justice do not appear to
be served by such a situation. It
follows that the Bar Association has
done well to give this whole problem
the serious attention it merits, and
the justices of the two tribunals in
volved undoubtedly will co-operate
readily with the association in seek
ing a satisfactory solution.
"Average Opinion"
President Roosevelt was on solid
philosophic ground when he paid
homage to “the average opinion of
mankind.” Speaking at the laying
of the cornerstone of a national
shrine pledged to the memory of the
third Chief Executive, it was almost
an obligation to assail “the dictates
of the self-chosen.” Thomas Jeffer
son, as his biographer Phillips Rus
sell truly says, “believed in keeping
the power (in the state) out at the
rim, or near it; the one thing to be
avoided was to permit the power to
collect and to be administered wholly
at the hub.” Democracy is nothing
more than this: That “where the
people could attend to and act on
affairs without delegating their
power to any one, they would be
able to ‘crush regularly and peace
ably the usurpations of their un
faithful agents.’ ”
But Mr. Roosevelt perhaps missed
an opportunity to reaffirm the funda
mental Jeffersonian concept of the
social significance of “the moral
sense” which the Sage of Monticello
believed was “as much a part of our
Constitution as that of feeling, seeing
and hearing.” In time to come it
may be the most profoundly solemn
judgment of history that the worst
crimes of modern dictators were
crimes against the private conscience
of the individual. The tyrants whose
greed has filled the world with woe
today have robbed plain m?n and
women, humble and innocent people,
of their spiritual inheritance—the
duty to decide for themselves be
tween right and wrong.
In America, too, unhappily, there
have been concessions to expediency
—a growing tendency on the part of
the individual to surrender personal
obligations to the Government In the
belief greater security is to be found
in that direction. Mr. Roosevelt re
fers to “a greater achievement of
security of the Nation, security of the
individual and national unity,” but
he does not warn, as well he might,
against the paying of too heavy a
price for the safety he desires. Be
nign overlords also are dangerous on
occasion. Likewise, it happens that
idealism sometimes is hazardous, but
ideals should not be abandoned on
that account. Jefferson, in effect,
placed his head in a noose when
he drafted the Declaration of Inde
pendence. Courage was required for
the part which he played with such
magnificent distinction in the revo
lutionary struggle with the British
i crown. He wanted security, of course;
but the goal he sought was not an
objective to be granted unearned,
i * Rather, it was to be won through day
to-day living in harmony with com
manding ideals—a pattern of life in
which every citizen would have priv
ileges balanced by definite obliga
tions. “Average opinion” so con
structed would be a force against
which nothing could stand.
Justice Butler
The death of Associate Justice
Pierce Butler removes from the
Supreme Court a man who followed
the letter of the law as his guiding
star. His philosophy did not permit
of that flexibility of interpretation
which has enabled other jurists from
time to time to discover in our Con
stitution an intent on the part of
its framers that its provisions were
to be shaped to the needs of a grow
ing and changing Nation. In Justice
Butler’s estimation the force of prec
edent was controlling; if the times
required that the fundamental law
as he saw it be altered, that change
should be accomplished by the
amendment process and not through
the medium of judicial interpreta
tion.
In all probability he will not find
a place in history as one of our great
judges. Rather, he will be remem
bered for his unswerving fidelity to
what he conceived to be his duty,
for his forthright and courageous
exposition of the law as he under
stood it at a time when great pres
sure was brought to bear in an effort
to force a modification of his judicial
outlook.
It is natural that the death of
Justice Butler should recall the at
tempt by President Roosevelt to
enlarge the Supreme Court a little
more than two years ago, for, when
his successor is chosen, the President
will have named five justices, a
majority of the court. In that con
nection, two thoughts come to mind.
In the first place, in appraising
the court reorganization plan it is
impossible to escape the conclusion
that the game was not worth the
candle. Mr. Roosevelt has paid
dearly for his impulsive and ill-con
sidered effort to inject “new blood”
into the judiciary by a dubious leg
islative operation. If anything was
gained in the way of more favor
able consideration of the New Deal’s
program, that advantage is more
than offset by the prevailing chaos
within the Democratic party, which
can be traced directly to the fight
over the court bill. Had Mr. Roose
velt been able to retain the prestige
he enjoyed at the beginning of 1937
he, and the country as a whole,
might well have been in a stronger
position today.
The other consideration concerns
the calmness with which the peo
ple today accept the prospect of a
legitimately created "New Deal” Su
preme Court. There is no suggestion
of the storm of protest which swept
the country when the effort was made
to attain the same objective in 1937,
and the lesson to be drawn from
that fact is obvious: namely, that if
any of our vital institutions is to be
changed, the means as well as the
end must be above suspicion.
Pocket Battleships
The German pocket battleships,
which have threatened to develop
Into something of a headache for
the British and French navies, also
may leave their mark upon the
United States Navy.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Edi
son has revealed that the Navy De
partment is holding up the construc
tion of two new cruisers, the Colum
bia and the Cleveland, for which
funds are available, pending a study
to determine whether they should be
redesigned to meet the menace of
the German type of vessel, which is
something of a cross between a
heavy cruiser and a light battleship.
There are only five warships in the
world regarded as suitable for em
ployment in the effort to run down
and destroy the German Deutsch
land and Admiral Scheer, now be
lieved to be at sea as commerce
raiders. These are three British bat
tle cruisers, one of which is the
world’s largest warship, and two
French ships which combine some
of the characteristics of the battle
cruiser and the battleship. *.
The United States has no cruiser
which is a match for a ship of the
Deutschland class and it would be
one of the gravest violations of naval
policy to employ battleships to run
down such a vessel engaged in the
role of a commerce raider.
If the pocket battleship is to be
come a permanent type, it would
seem almost obligatory that the
United States develop a counter type.
Mr. Edison, however, seemed inclined
to the view th. *he pocket battle
ship is merely a t. sitory type, born
of treaty restrictions to which Ger
many was subject at the time they
built. It is regarded as significant
that only three vessels of this type
were built by Germany and that,
with treaty restrictions “off,” she now
is building larger, heavier battleships
of more conventional type.
The matter is one for the careful
study which the Acting Secretary
announced is being made by the
Navy General Board. Its decision as
to the design of our two new cruisers
wil be one of more than national in
terest and importance.
In spite of an ever-increasing num
ber of Government employes, the
President still has more than 5,000
Federal jobs, some of them impor
tant, to fill, The White House gravy
ladle is now so big that it takes the
President and several executive as
sistants /even to lift it.
The curious thing about “Dutch
courage” is that it is really an en
tirely different thing from what one
means when he uses the common old
i phrase.
A
Domestic Problem
Campaign Theme
Writer Repeats Business and
Legal Experience Wanted in
Equipment of New President
To the Editor of The 8t»’.:
The neutrality bill has been passed,
signed by the President, is now in full
force and effect, and it is the ardent
wish of all good Americans that it will
serve its purpose of keeping us out of
the European war. Its proponents say
that it will, while those opposed are in
doubt. The gratifying thing to all is
that it was debated as a nonpartisan ,
matter.
At times during the long, drawn-out
discussion in the Senate and the short
but hotly contested fight in the House,
it appeared to the casual observer that
it might develop into a party fight.
The climax came in the closing hour
in the House, when Representative
James Wadsworth of New York, a
staunch, conservative Republican, took
the floor, and in a forcible and straight
from-the-shoulder extemporaneous talk,
urged unequivocally that everybody get
behind President Roosevelt in the crisis
and support the administration's policy.
Mr. Wadsworth s magnificent display
of genuine statesmanship raising him
self above all party jealousies, was easily
the outstanding high light of the whole
debate, although, in the Senate several
Republican members, including Senator
Robert Taft, an outstanding aspirant
for the presidential nomination in 1940,
and Senator Austin, the assistant minor
ity leader, had spoken in support of
the administration’s bill. When Mr.
Wadsworth completed his speech he was
enthusiastically applauded by both sides
of the House.
T t ic n onr) loci' 4 a rntr 4V>n4 4 f 4U a mam
-----— - “
neutrality bill works as It is intended
and this country is kept out of this
great war, when the conventions are
held next June, both parties will be
found square-toed behind the measure
in their platforms. However, irrespective
of what the status of this country may
be in regard to the war next summer,
the most jittery person may be assured
that the leaders of both parties will be
in accord in taking every precaution
possible to keep us out of war. On the
other hand, if perchance anything hap
pens that makes it impossible for us
to remain out of the trouble, such as
an invasion, etc., you will find again,
both parties in harmony.
In other words, the European war will
not be a factor in the 1940 campaign for
the presidency. This campaign should
be fought out strictly on our own domes
tic problems, and, goodness knows, we
have enough of them to solve. For the
last 10 years the affairs of our country
have been in a sad plight. When Mr.
Hoover seemed unable to cope with the
dilemma, the voters elected Mr. Roose
velt to try his hand, and, although in
1936 Mr. Roosevelt's administration was
still floundering around trying to solve
our great depression, the voters gener
ously voted to give Mr. Roosevelt another
four years’ trial, but, up to the present,
about the only thing that has been ac
complished is to increase our national
debt to a most alarming figure, almost to
a point of straining our national credit;
and there still are out of employment
almost as many people as there were
following the 1929 crash. With so many
out of work, and a constant drain on
our national Treasury, the administra
tion has been hard put to find new
sources of national income. In conse
quence. all types of business have suf
fered. The farmers, even with the help
given them by the Government, are but
little, if any, better off. Investors have
lost confidence.
A recent letter in your columns signed
“Socrates Thompson" takes issue with
one of the undersigned's recent articles,
wherein the importance of selecting a
businessman for the presidency in 1940
was emphasized. Mr. Thompson sug
gests that, if it be advisable to select a
businessman, that such selection be
made from one of a list of great leaders
in the business world: Henry Ford, John
D. Rockefeller, Homer Sibley, Charles
Pew, etc. No one Questions the abilities
of any of these gentlemen, but the im
portant position of President of the
United States needs special attainments.
In former letters, the writer pointed out
the need of our President to have wide
experience as a lawyer, familiarity with
our Federal court practices and decisions
and an intimate knowledge of the in
tricate functions of our various Govern
ment agencies and departments. To sum
marize, the kind of man needed for
President is a successful businessman,
an able, experienced lawyer and one
familiar with the operation of our Gov
ernment machinery.
Mr. Thompson further criticizes some
of the names mentioned by the writer as
possible nominees, but excepts the
name of Representative Wadsworth.
The writer assumes that Mr. Thompson
is also satisfied with Commissioner
Charles H. March of the Federal Trade
Commission. He brands the others as
professional politicians and states that
he believes Mr. Roosevelt should be re
elected.
The writer firmly believes that this
country now would be well over its great
and costly depression, and practically all
of the unemployed would long since have
been put back into gainful employment
if the administration had resorted to
sound and well-established business
methods in the conduct of Government
affairs.
The great masses of voters prefer
their President to be a good, successful,
fair-minded businessman, with legal
training, who is capable of exercising
good judgment on all matters as they
arise, rather than a theorist who is con
stantly wanting to try out new and im
practicable ideas.
AMERICAN PATRIOT.
November 14.
Wants Probe of
District Rents.
To the Editor ol The Star:
The fine work The Star has done in
bringing about a reduction of fees in
the Landlord-Tenant Court merits the
sincere and undivided praise of all
decent and respectable citizens. The
Star is to be congratulated for its inter
est in the welfare of its readers. The
same interest and devotion to duty re
garding another municipal disease,
namely, the exploitation of rent payers,
would prove to be a valuable contribu
tion to the general welfare of our peo
ple. A. L. CORDINGLEY.
November 18.
THIS AND THAT
/
By Charles E. Tracewell.
“BETHESDA, Md.
"Dear Sir:
“Hanging on the back porch we have
a glass feeder which was given us last
Christmas. There is a rudder at the
bottom to keep the entrance from the
weather. For this reason the grain
never gets wet or freezes, nor does it
get covered when it snows.
“The birds are not afraid to go in
side, and so it has become a treasure to
them. Recently, we have had to fill it
at least every other night and as it
holds a considerable quantity of sun
flower seed, we have wondered how it
could possibly be emptied so soon and
have cast suspicions on the chipmunks.
“Today I discovered the reason.
“It appears to be a question of a great
many birds, some small, some larger but
all with pretty big appetites.
* * * *
"I have been sitting here at the table
watching.
“First come two or three chickadees.
One flies to the feeder, picks over the
seed until he finds a good one, and away
he goes to a neighboring tree. The others
follow suit. While they are still here, a
flock of tufted titmice arrives.
“Sometimes there are two or three on
the feeder but they, too, take their seeds
away, hold them between their toes and
hammer them until they reach the meat.
“Now comes a nuthatch. He takes his
seed to the pine tree, where he finds a
piece of rough bark, into which he sticks
his meal, rather than troubling to eat it.
“The nuthatch is one of our favorites.
Acrobat of the bird world, he is always
springing some new stunt for our amuse
ment or to our amusement would be
better.
* * * *
l>XTnn. —U - _1 j _ .
*,v/" "**w ouuuiu appeal uut a puipic
finch!
“He selects his seed, but he does not
fly away. He planks himself in front
of the entrance and there he sits and
munches, takes another seed and
munches.
"He rolls the seed in his beak, letting
the bits of shell fall away, while he eats
the meat. He does not break the shell
open as do the chickadees, titmice and
nuthatches, but crumples it up in his
beak. So he stays, selecting seed after
seed.
“There is an anxious line waiting.
“What a merry-go-round of bird life!
How interesting to watch them and what
a reward for a few pounds of sunflower
seed!
“Sincerely, F. M.”
* * * *
A wire trash basket, turned upside
down on a stump, makes an excellent
feeding device.
This permits the smaller birds to go
in after the food but prevents the en
trance of pigeons and squirrels.
The basket, of course, must be firmly
fastened down.
It is possible to put a cover over the
top, preferably sticking out a few inches
all around, in order to protect the seed
against snow and rain.
This protection is more to ease the
mind of the watchers than anything
else.
Birds do not mind rain and snow in
the least, provided they get plenty-to
eat. In this not minding must be in
cluded the relative dryness or wetness
of the grain or seed or other foodstuffs.
In fact, up to a certain point, wetness
makes the inner heart more easily gotten
at. The only danger lies in the food
getting moldy. This is mainly obviated by
the plain fact that very little seed lies
long uneaten.
* * ¥ W
Scientists have discovered that cer
tain diseases in birds are caused by
moldy grain.
All in all, it is best to afford some
protection to the food put out, but we
do not believe that any kind soul need
worry overmuch if it happens to get
wet.
This will mean that seed sprinkled
on the earth, preferably beneath a
heavy shrub or vine, will be eaten as
enthusiastically by birds as if dispensed
from the fanciest of feeders.
Nor do we mean, 'on the other hand,
that these special creations are to be
shunned. If you have the money to
buy them, or they are given to you, by
all means be glad to use them.
Birds,' we believe, get a special thrill
from eating out of little houselike
structures. They love to perch on
them, and to fly up and down.
Most of the birds at a station will
have to eat from the earth, anyway, as
much o{ the food is spilled out. We
would say kicked out, but the dispers
ing is not done with the claws; mostly
it is achieved by birds dashing in their
bills. Until you have seen how much
they can dish out this way, you would
not believe it. One fairly lively bird
can soon coat the ground beneath a
feeding station inside of an hour. For
tunately, this works out well, because
no feeder can accommodate more than
a dozen birds at a time, whereas there
will be perhaps as many as three or
four dozen—or more—all trying to eat.
The overflow of food on the ground
serves the overflow of songsters.
It is as simple and interesting as
that.
The idea of the feeding station is
twofold—that is, to please the birds and
to please the watchers. There is some
thing definitely pleasing to the human
mind in watching the little fellows get
a good meal out of a houselike affair.
There is also something very pleas
ing in watching them eat from the bare
earth. A space beneath a heavy tangle
of rose vines is most acceptable. Here
the birds feel entirely at home, anfl
can fly up a few feet among the vines
to perch and sing, ready to drop down
at any time for more.
There are many ways, then, to feed
the songsters which winter with us,
and the enthusiast will not be willing
to miss a one of them, in which laudable
ambition and endeavor he will have
the enthusiastic co-operation of the
"feathered hosts of th§ air,” which, in
this instance, turn out to be feathered
guests of the air.
Letters to the Editor
Deplores Growth of
“Decree Mania.”
To the Editor of The Btir:
Lyman W. Landrum says of a college
degree: “A label on a can of tomatoes
Is something like a college degree. If you
are canning tomatoes for your own con
sumption you don’t need any label." I
quote from his interesting article in This
Week, in last Sunday's Star.
And I agree with Mr. Landrum that
reading and voluntary study provide a
liberal education and both are a constant
source of pleasure. But an education so
obtained cannot be authenticated and has
very little market value or official status.
Degrees or no degrees—that is the ques
tion.
Only an educated person, without the
benefit of college degrees, can realize
how serious a handicap the lack of aca
demic training can become. A homemade
education may be superior merchandise,
but try to find a market for it with
the degree mania in full possession of
both business and Government.
Every year the Civil Service Commis
sion increases the number of jobs requir
ing a degree from an accredited college
before a candidate can qualify to take
the examination, much less compete for
appointment. With a huge surplus of
unemployed college graduates these pre
requisites may be justified as generally
improving the quality of Government
personnel, but how about the intelligent,
self-educated persons who have been
kept away from college by force of cir
cumstances? The World War veterans
for instance.
In addition to recommending even
higher educational qualifications and
examining seniors in colleges before they
are graduated, witnesses before the
President's Committee investigating civil
service problems, with Mr. Justice Reed
as chairman, have attacked veterans'
preference, recommending its abolition.
There will be strenuous objection to this
and I am sure public opinion will not
permit it. Thousands of men in the
World War had their college education,
or their preparations to go to college,
interrupted. Military and college age
coincide. This country will not place a
triple penalty on military service by first
preventing men from getting higher
education, then setting up such high
educational qualifications for civil service
appointments that the average veteran
is ineligible to take an examination and
then deny him any preference because of
service to his country in time of emer
gency.
At present true veterans’ preference
has to do with men past 40. The plight
of this group, many dislocated by both
the war and the depression, has been so
serious as to attract the attention of the
President. If many of them turn to the
Government for jobs commensurate with
their age and experience it Is only nat
ural. To find their way blocked by
educational requirements beyond their
schooling and veteran and age discrimi
nation is tragic. They are lucky to
qualify as assistant clerks or messengers.
A Lincoln-type education simply does not
get by this day and age.
Some people are educated beyond their
intelligence; others are educated and
intelligent, and still others are educated
and intelligent far beyond their aca
demic training. The civil service should
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!
recognize and provide for all three
classes. A Ph. D's stratospherical knowl
edge may produce theories worthy of
experiments and he may still be worth
less for routine work. An intelligent
person, regardless of the lack of higher
education, can be much more valuable
in the Government service. Higher edu
cation is a wonderful thing for the coun
try and the individual, but the fact that
It is not always obtained in college should
not be ignored.
Provide for the exceptions, be fair to
the veterans and the composite civil
service picture will be more satisfactory
to the Government and public alike. We
may have another crop of war veterans
and another depression on our hands
in the near future, so it would be poor
policy to tell them in advance the penal
ties for defending their country by
further discrimination against World
War veterans.
PROFESSIONAL LAYMAN.
November 14.
Holds Minton Qualified
For Attorney Generalship.
To the Editor of The Star:
A short time ago the press mentioned
the fact that Mr. Justice Butler was in
failing health and there would shortly
be an opening on the Supreme Court
resulting from his possible resignation.
It was said Attorney General Murphy
was in line for Justice Butler's place. It
was then said that if Mr. Murphy became
a Supreme Court Justice that Senator
Minton of Indiana would be a splendid
successor to Murphy. And they say
“Barkis is willin’.”
The Senator has been mentioned sev
eral times as a possible appointee to the
Supreme Court, but his geographical lo
cation—in view of the present personnel
of the-court—is such that he is at a dis
advantage for such appointment. Those
who know him best say he would prefer
to be Attorney General because he is an
active fighter and debater as well as a
splendid trial lawyer. Many are hopeful
that Sherman Minton will succeed At
torney General Murphy if the latter Is
chosen to succeed Justice Butler.
November 16. C. H. JENNINGS.
Corrects Error in
Star Editorial.
To the Editor of The Star:
In the Sunday Star of November 5
there appeared an excellent editorial un
der the heading of “Woman’s Work.”
The editorial referred to the Women’s
Safety Committee of the Federation of
Women’s Clubs. I believe the writer
really was referring to the Women’s
Safety Committee of the American Auto
mobile Association, of which Mrs. George
W. Thorpe is chairman, and who has
worked very actively and aggressively in
the interest of traffic safety for a good
many years.
The sympathy and support of the
Washington Evening Star helped ma
terially in this activity.
A. J. MONTGOMERY,
Director, Department of Public
Relations.
November 14.
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. Please give the population of Soviet
Russia.—J. K. B.
A. The latest estimate of the population
of the Union of Soviet Socialist Repub
lics is 170,000,000.
Q. What is the oldest newspaper in »
the United States?—J. G. D.
A. Editor and Publisher says that the
oldest newspaper in the United States
in point of continuous publication under
the same name is the Hartford Courant,
which marked its 175th birthday on Oc
tober 29.
Q. How are the new facsimile tele
grams sent?—J. G. H.
A. The material to be sent is written,
typed, or drawn on paper. This is
wrapped around a metal cylinder that
revolves rapidly, passing the entire sheet *
under the scrutiny of an electrical eye.
Behind this is a photo-electric cell with
the power to translate light waves into
an electrical impulse which is trans
mitted over the wire to the receiving end.
Q. What is Edward G. Robinson’s real 1
name?—W. p.
A. According to the Motion Picture
Almanac, the real name of the actor is
Emanuel Goldenberg.
Q. Does adding soda to tomato soup
increase or decrease the food value?—
M. B. H.
A. Soda added to tomato soup destroys
some of its valuable vitamin C and also
detracts from the natural flavor of the
tomatoes.
Q. Please give a list of some subjects
suitable for college debates.—J. D. H. *
A. Among the subjects listed in the
current University Debaters’ Annual are:
Government and Health, Government
and Business and Labor, the Increase
in the National Debt, Anglo-American
Alliance, Government Ownership and
Operation of the Railroads, the Ameri
can Newspaper, Pump-Priming Should
Cease, American Solidarity and Have
the Achievements of Science Brought
Progress?
-■ I
Q. How many people visited the Aqua- -
cade at the New York World's Fair?—
G. C. H.
A. Attendance at the Aquacade is esti
mated at 5,004,504, which was the record
m the amusement area.
Q. What does it cost a Big Ten football
team to go to out-of-town games?— '
E. J. H.
A. According to “What Price College
Football?’’ by John R. Tunis in the
American Mercury, three trips for big
games out of town represent an expendi
ture of $9,000.
Q. How old is the resort city of Nice
in France?—W. K. K.
A. Nice is about 2,000 years old, having
been founded by Greek colonists. The
name is Greek for victory.
Q. What is a shebeen?—T. G. H.
A. In Ireland a shebeen is a place
where liquors are unlawfully sold or a
smuggler's cabin.
Q. Are there two chapters in the Bible
Just alike?—E. SH. T.
A. The two chapters of the Bible which
are nearly alike are II Kings, 19. and
Isaiah, 37. The former is divided into 37,
the latter into 38 verses, verse 15 of the
former constituting verses 15 and 16
of the latter.
Q Has any one ever Introduced a
six-line music staff?—W. J. H.
A. Bernard L. Bonniwell of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania has devised a
6-line music staff which he has had
copyrighted.
Q. What is the largest whale on rec
ord?—W. J. M.
A. The largest species of whale is the
sulphur- bottom or blue whale. The larg
est specimen recorded is one taken in
the Antarctic which measured 106 feet
in length and weighted more than 100
tons.
Q. What is an international reply cou
pon?—E. H.
A. An international reply coupon is a
stamp, bearing a fixed rate of exchange,
which can be purchased in the currency
of one country and used as postage of
certain value in any other country in
the agreement.
Q. What is the name of the place in
Vermont where wool fabrics are made
and sold by native weavers?—K. H. M.
A. It is the Vermont Native Industries
at Bridgewater.
Q. How can I obtain a book of old
fashioned songs?—L. M. S.
A. See Page A-2 of today's Star.
Inspiration
Pigment and oils and canvas and brushes,
These were the tools that the great
Masters knew,
Creating beauty that dazzles, that
hushes,
A transfigured Christ, and a Virgin in
blue.
Raw umber, burnt umber, rose madder,
flake,
Emerald green, cobalt blue, chrome,
crimson lake.
Here in these tubes glow warm walls of
old convents,
Turbulent cities and fields in the sun,
The smile of a baby, the gloom of the
forest,
Workmen at rest when the day’s toil ie
done.
Angels and sirens. Madonnas and Mag
dalens,
Martyrs and saints and landscape and
sea
Are waiting unformed here the hand of
a master,
Waiting—who knows but they're waiting
for me?
Ocher, permalba, sienna, viridlan,
Flemish red, Prussian blue, scarlet ver
milion.
Palette and paints and canvas and
brushes,
Oil and an easel, a stick of charcoal—
Raphael, Rembrandt, Del Sarto. Da
Vinci
Had only these to use—these and k
soul.
NELLIE GRAY BOURDEATHt