Evening star. [volume], December 05, 1939, Page A-10, Image 10

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

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Veiling ptaf
With Sunday Mornlni Edition.
THEODORE W. NOTES, Editor.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
TUESDAY_December 5, 1939
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Why the Camouflage?
Senator Norris of Nebraska has
issued a plea to President Roosevelt
not to tell the politicians in the
Democratic and Republican parties
whether he will be a candidate for a
third term. It may not be material
in Mr. Norris’ opinion, but as long as
the President fails to let the poli
ticians know what his purpose is,
Just so long are the American people
also kept in the dark.
Underlying Mr. Norris’ plea for
silence on the part of Mr. Roosevelt
lies the desire of the Nebraska Sena
tor that the President shall run
again. He cloaks it with assertions
that “no man can tell what may
happen in the next several months,”
apparently referring to the war sit
uation in Europe and the possibility
of the United States being drawn
into the conflict. He suggests that if
Mr. Roosevelt should remove him
self from the picture as a potential
candidate, the liberals, the New Deal
ers and even the Democratic party
might be split even further into con
flicting groups—and that in the end
it would be impossible for a real New
Dealer to be nominated by the Dem
ocratic party, of which, incidentally,
Mr. Norris has never been a member.
Senator Norris reveals in his state
ment, however, that he regards
President Roosevelt as the only man
in the country who can carry on the
New Deal. He says the President
“must remember” that he cannot
surrender his leadership, while the
battle is still on, against the wishes
of millions of progressives who “look
upon him as the only man who can
lead them to victory.” That is the
real milk in the Norris coconut.
It is not! surprising that Senator
Norris should favor a third term for
President Roosevelt—any more than
that Secretary Ickes, Secretary Wal
lace and Senator Guffey of Pennsyl
vania should do so. He has expressed
similar sentiments at various times
in the past. In 1932 and in 1936,
Senator Norris supported the Presi
dent and the President reciprocated
when Senator Norris was up for re
election in 1936 and running, not as
the Democratic nominee for the Sen
ate, but as an "independent.” Presi
dent Roosevelt took up Senator Nor
ris’ long fight against the public
utilities, and set up the T. V. A. with
Congress’ aid.
Mr. Norris assumes that it is only
President Roosevelt’s enemies who
now desire to know whether he is to
run again, at least, that it is only the
President’s enemies who wish him to
make an open statement. It would
almost seem that Mr. Norris does
not believe in the strength of
the New Deal—as such. It is the
personal leadership of the President
which is needed to keep it alive and
to prevent a return of more conserv
ative government. For Senator Nor
ris warns that, unless Mr. Roosevelt
leads, the united opposition might in
convention—supposedly the Demo
cratic National Convention—succeed
in “nominating a reactionary, or, at
least a candidate who was progres
sive only ‘in spots.’ ”
It is possible to read into Mr. Nor
ris’ statement a belief that this has
become a one-man country—that no
one except Mr. Roosevelt at this
time is capable of leading it. If that
were admitted today, it might easily
be admitted at the close of another
four years of Mr. Roosevelt in the
White House. What then becomes
of tfie democratic principle?
A Red Goes to College
Yale’s student body, turning out
with undergraduate enthusiasm for
Earl Browder’s speaking engagement,
should serve as a guide to future
policy for other institutions and
organizations facing the question of
reconciling the dictates of good
taste, citizenship and pedagogic re
sponsibility with the rights of free
speech.
Barred from platforms at Harvard,
Princeton and Dartmouth, the
American Communist leader scored
a moral victory in obtaining the floor
at New Haven. But the fruits of
that victory must be classed as
doubtful. Shouts and firecrackers,
cries of “Viva Browder” and “Down
with everything” hardly could be
Interpreted by the most vivid prop
agandist as a collegiate swing to the
left. And Moscow’s reply within
forty-eight hours to Mr. Browder’s
plea that America “might profitably
co-operate with the powerful Soviet
Union in international affairs” was a
more eloquent one than even a
student editor could devise.
Popular misconceptions have
grown up concerning the outlook of
the American undergraduate during
the passing decade. It is true he no
longer affects pegtop trousers and
bulldog pipes. But fraternities still
conduct initiations. Today’s student
may absorb a more complete under
standing of modern social and eco
nomic trends through the advance
in the related sciences in recent
years. His reaction may be notice
able for the enthusiasm which his
youth dictates. But his balance re
mains the same. Like his predeces
sors, he is basically a skeptic who
refuses to accept either production
line jackets or slogans.
With the current de-emphasis of
football, and particularly the "Ivy
League’s’’ ban on intersectional
games, events like Mr. Browder’s
visit to Yale offer an excellent mid
term outlet for a pent-up enthus
iasm for shouting and laughter.
What Price Efficiency?
District officials are reported to
have reached the conclusion that
pending reorganization plans would
increase, rather than reduce, mu
nicipal expenditures, leaving the
prospect of greater efficiency as the
only tangible benefit to be expected
from the regrouping.
If there is even debatable ground
for this belief it becomes imperative
that the Commissioners and Con
gress weigh carefully the financial
effect of each detail of any reorgani
zation plan before it is adopted.
Improved efficiency, of course, is
to be desired and would be suffi
cient reason for reshuffling munici
pal agencies even if it did not cut ex
isting appropriations substantially.
But if it is to cost more, District tax
payers are entitled to have the po
tential benefits placed on one side
of the scales and the estimated cost
on the other, so that they may de
termine whether they believe this or
that specific reorganization plan is
worth the price.
Bank Loans
The charge that the Nation’s banks
have not been meeting the demands
for loans, and thus have been holding
up business recovery, is contradicted
by a report from the American Bank
ers Association which shows that the
banks are extending loans in great
numbers and in large amounts. The
survey covers the first half of the
present year.
In its report the A. B. A. estimates
that District of Columbia banks
granted 36,000 new loans amounting
to $37,000,000 in the six-month pe
riod, allowed 44,000 renewals totaling
$41,000,000 and in addition made 900
new mortgage loans in the sum of
$4,000,000. Maryland banks put out
50,000 new loans involving $60,000,000,
and Virginia institutions acted favor
ably on 250,000 new loans aggregat
ing $240,000,000. New loans in the
throe arpa.c nnmhered 336.000 and
totaled $337,000,000.
The survey also showed that com
mercial banks in New York State
made more than 1,000,000 new loans
totaling in excess of $4,500,000,000 to
business firms and individuals dur
ing the half year, and renewed more !
than 1,000,000 loans in the same pe
riod. Banks in other States an
nounced new loans extended in about
the same proportion.
Furthermore, the banks report
large “open lines of credit” available
to regular business borrowers at all
times, only about a third of these
facilities being used. Seven Wash
ington banks maintained $17,189,000
of this kind of credit during the six
months, reporting that only $5,813,147
was used, or thirty-three per cent.
Maryland banks reported only twen
ty-seven per cent of their “open
credit” as active, and Virginia banks
thirty-three per cent. Equally im
pressive are the open-loan figures
from other States.
No doubt this array of figures will
be trotted out when the Mead bill,
authorizing a broadening of the
scope of Federal Reserve loans, again
comes up for hearings in Congress.
It must be kept in mind that there
are hosts of other institutions in
addition to banks which are con
stantly making loans. But the A. B.
A. banking study makes it very diffi
cult to see where any new lending
agencies are really needed to meet
the requirements of big or little busi
nss, either in the territory surround
ing Washington or elsewhere.
Prince Georges Housing
It Is only natural that the creation
of a Rural Housing Authority in
Montgomery County, Maryland,
should awaken interest in the possi
bilities of setting up a similar agency
in Prince Georges. Evidence of the
latter county’s interest has been
manifest through an invitation to
the chairman of the Montgomery
authority to discuss his plans before
the Prince Georges County Commu
nity Council. A small group of the
county’s leading citizens also has
been studying the problem thor
oughly and conducting an informal
survey of the county’s need for a
rural housing project.
The unofficial view has been ex
pressed by some citizens that Prince
Georges has even more need for
better housing than Montgomery.
The counties are similar enough to
expect like conditions to exist in
such basic factors as housing.
Likewise the arguments in favor
of rural housing in Montgomery will
apply with equal force in Prince
Georges. It will afford better living
and sanitary conditions for the fami
lies of low-income groups. It prob
£
ably will lead to better health
and less crime. It will tend to gather
the families affected In small
communities, thus facilitating the
transportation of children to school
and promote community enterprises.
The arguments against the Mont
gomery project also can be advanced
In Prince Georges. It is claimed the
new rural homes will increase rather
than diminish the .farm-labor prob
lem, that they may Increase taxa
tion and not permanently better the
lives of the families Involved. The
tenants, It Is claimed, will be living
in small communities Instead of on
the farms where they work, and will
be inclined to group together to
obtain employment in the city
rather than remain on the farms.
Any survey which Prince Georges
makes before deciding to emulate
Montgomery In regard to rural hous
ing should therefore Include not only
a study of farm housing needs but
also a canvass of public sentiment.
For In the last analysis such proj
ects may Include subsidization and
the taxpayers are the ones that have
to foot the bill.
The Milk Decision
The unanimous decision by which
the Supreme Court held that milk
handlers in the Chicago marketing
area are amenable to prosecution
under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act
is looked upon by the Department of
Justice as a powerful weapon in the
fight on illegal restraints in the
agricultural industry, and unques
tionably it is.
Brushing aside the plea for im
munity from criminal proceedings
advanced by producers, distributors
and others of the half-hundred de
fendants on the ground that power
to regulate the marketing of milk
and other agricultural commodities
had passed to the Secretary of Agri
culture by virtue of farm legislation,
the court, emphasizing that this
regulatory program must follow a
specific pattern, in one brief sentence
set forth the principle underlying its
decision:
“Farmers and others are not per
mitted to resort to their own devices
and to make any agreements and
arrangements they desire, regardless
of the restraints which may be in
flicted upon commerce.”
The indictment voided by the
lower court charged the defendants
with conspiracy to fix the prices paid
to producers and consumers, and to
control the distribution and supply
of milk in Chicago. The District
Court ruled that the Secretary of
Agriculture was empowered to pre
vent or regulate these acts, but ob
viously, as the Supreme Court said,
in the absence of the controls pro
vided by the Agricultural Marketing
Agreement Act, the commerce in ag
ricultural commodities is not stripped
of the safeguards of the Anti-Trust
Act, and “left open to the restraints,
however unreasonable, w^iich con
spiring producers, distributors and
their allies may see fit to impose.”
The immediate effect of the Su
preme Court decision is to reinstate
the case in the lower court, and un
doubtedly, many months will elapse
before the success or failure of the
prosecution is determined. This does
not, however, serve to detract from
its importance to the Government,
which now is given certain unques
tionable rights in combatting mo
nopoly, and will be able to shape its
course accordingly.
The case failed to throw any light
on the question of whether labor is
exempt from anti-trust law prose
cution, as this point was not raised in
the appeal, although union members
are among the defendants. How
ever, the court made it plain that
no organization may set up as a de
fense for plainly illegal acts the plea
that it was striving for a legitimate
objective.
Counterattack
Minnesota has long been known as
the adopted home of powerful Scan
dinavian Vikings—blond giants whose
ancestors made history with the
mighty Paul Bunyan. When Paul
and the big blue ox, Babe, mys
teriously vanished after the forests
were logged off, they and their de
scendants transferred their strength
to *he field of farming, where they
got plenty of exercise trying to lift
mortgages. It is from such a stock,
if names mean anything, that Carl
Lucken, superman, who tames wild
aUVUlliUWUVU vw—w
While cranking his automobile,
Carl inadvertently left it in gear.
The car, springing into activity with
a snort, and perhaps suffering from
auto-intoxication, charged its owner
viciously, thinking it was a good
time to escape. The poor thing
never had a chance. Carl, recover
ing from his surprise, and scorning
interference, tackled it part way up
the radiator and stopped it in its
tracks, after a gain of less than two
yards from the line of scrimmage.
Carefully removing his head and
shoulders from a gaping hole in the
radiator, Carl tenderly conveyed the
victim of his violence to a garage and
summoned specialists to work on
the case. A tentative diagnosis
showed that it was suffering from a
compound fracture of the cooling
system, complicated by a severe'
nervous shock in every organ from
bumper to differential. It has a
trained mechanic in attendance day
and night, and is expected to recover
eventually. Mr. Lucken expresses
regret over the Incident, especially
over his reparations bill for twelve
dollars, and says he is willing to
leave it to the League Of Nations to
determine the aggressor.
i
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
By Thomas R. Henry.
Experiments with a human 'volunteer
to determine the relative "burning effi
ciency” of the sugar and starches in
various types of foods, in which hitherto
unexpected differences were detected by
delicate metabolism measurements, are
reported by the Carnegie Institution of
Washington.
The results will form part of the an
nual exhibit of scientific accomplish
ments during the year, which will follow
the annual meeting of the trustees De
cember 15.
Sugar and starches are the “coal” of
life. They are seldom eaten in pure
form, however, and the body Itself must
extract them from the chemical complex
of the various foods eaten
Weights required to get the same
amount of life’s Are from different com
mon foods, the experiments show, differed
greatly. The man had to eat only about
five ounces of boiled sweet potato, for
example, to get an ounce of burnable
sugars and starches, whereas he had to
eat 21 ounces of boiled carrots and 24
ounces of boiled beets. The required
weights of raw white potato and raw
carrot were somewhat less than those
of the same vegetables when cooked.
This may have been because soluble
sugars and starches leached from the
vegetables while they were cooking, or
because the vegetables themselves took
up water while they were boiling. On
the other hand, the required weights of
dried datel and figs were but little more
than those of cane sugar and dextrose.
Hitherto, it is pointed out In the
Carnegie report, most knowledge of the
processes of combustion within the body
has come from studies made with pure
sugars, while little has actually been
known regarding the burning of the
more complex hydrocarbons.
The amount of carbohydrates burned
In.the body before the man ate any food—
that is, about 16 hours after his supper
—averaged four-hundredths of an ounce
every 15 minutes. In the successive 15
minute periods after eating the increases
in carbohydrate combustion above this
baseline came most quickly and were
greatest with cane sugar and dates. After
eating such foods as white potato, rice
and macaroni, the increases per 15 min
utes were not so great and did not occur
so soon, but persisted for a long time.
With nuts the increases were small but
continuous.
The initial increase in carbohydrate
combustion was greater after raw carrots
than after boiled carrots, but in both
instances it was at about the same level
in the last hour of the three-hour period.
With boiled white potatoes, the increase
was at a higher level than with raw
white potatoes throughout the entire
fimo
In the experiments with parsnips there
was a delay in the digestion. The maxi
mum increase in carbohydrate combus
tion did not occur until the third hour
after eating, although there was a
marked increase during the first hour.
The rise in the first hour, the Carnegie
experts believe, probably can be ascribed
to the easily soluble materials in the
parsnips, and the further rise in the
third hour to the subsequent absorption
of digestible carbohydrates.
The total amounts of carbohydrates
burned during the first three hours were
greatest in the case of sweet vegetables
—beets, carrots and parsnips. They were
smallest with rice, macaroni, raw white
potatoes and nuts. For dates, cane
sugar and dextrose the total amounts
were only about two-thirds those ob
served for beets and carrots.
With raw carrots the total amount
was slightly greater than with boiled
carrots, but with raw white potatoes the
amount was only about two-thirds that
with boiled potatoes. It is generally be
lieved that the cooking of vegetables in
creases their digestibility. The differ
ence between the two raw foods, the
Carnegie experimenters believe, is prob
ably ascribable to the difference in the
nature of the carbohydrate content, car
rots having more soluble carbohydrates
than starch and white potatoes being
composed predominantly of starch.
With nuts the total carbohydrate com
bustion was greatest with cashew nuts,
probably because this nut contains a
somewhat larger proportion of sugars
and a smaller proportion of fat than do
the others. In general when the food
carbohydrates ar»> soluble sugars they
are most quickly available to the body,
but the increased carbohydrate com
bustion lasts a short time. When the
food carbohydrates are chiefly starch,
they are more slowly available, but the
increased combustion lasts a longer
time. When the food consists predom
inantly of fat, as with nuts, the fat
seems to hinder the absorption and
burning of carbohydrates in the food.
Commends Inquiry Into
Collection Agencies,
ro the Editor of The Star:
It is refreshing to note, through the
columns of your paper, that a commit
tee has been appointed by the Bar
Association to investigate the methods
employed by the various collection
agencies in their endeavor to collect out
standing debts for their clients.
This bit of news should be particu
larly pleasing to Government workers
who are dally being harassed to death
by these people. I will venture to -state
that not one person in a hundred
actually Intends to dodge paying just
debts. But many, due to unforeseen
circumstances, such as Illness, death in
the family, losses in an investment, etc.,
are compelled to fall behind in the pay
ment of their obligations.
Then follows the grief. Dunning let
ters containing threats to report the
indebtedness to the unfortunate per
son’s department head; ofttimes im
mediately followed by a letter to that
particular department head in an at
tempt to make the Government a col
lection agency.
A prominent Congressman is, at the
present time, seriously considering in
troducing a bill at the next session
which will serve notice on depart
ment heads to disregard all such com
munications from collection agencies.
They are being paid nice salaries by
the taxpayers to assist in running the
Government and not to assist collec
tion agencies.
ALFRED J. HERRING.
November 28.
i
THIS AND THAT
By Charles t. TraceweU. /
Specialization In phonograph record
collection is one of lta most Interesting
features.
It is almost as limitless as music, itself,
but not quite—that is what makes it
interesting.
It is possible to gather together, for
Instance, all the recordings of such a
composer as England’s Vaughan Wil
liams, without breaking one’s purse.
William Walton, a much younger Brit
ish musician, has not had much of his
work recorded, despite his growing fame.
He is a young man, whereas Williams
is getting old, but neither man’s works
have been put on the discs to the extent
they deserve.
Both, however, have written extreme
“modem” symphonies. These may be
had on the records, and are guaranteed
to make any hearer wince at first.
Repeated hearings, the phonograph’s
great boon, makes an honest listener
change his first appraisal to one, if not
of genuine liking, of real interest.
The strange works really "have some
thing,” after all, he decides.
Vaughan Williams has other sym
phonies, one of which, the "London,”
has been recorded, and played here by
our symphony orchestra. His “Pastoral”
symphony awaits recording. These two
works are in the classical vein set by
Beethoven.
* * * *
It is pleasant lor me recora collector
to feel that he has, in his own cases,
positively all the records of a man which
have been issued by all the companies.
It is a feeling which cannot be had
very often, any more, as the revived in
terest in the records induces the com
panies to issue more and more records
all the time.
Today the scope of the recorded
library is so vast that only a millionaire
could hope to have them all.
This is all the more remarkable, when
it is remembered that the modern elec
trical recordings did not begin until
about 1924.
The great catalogues of the past were
Junked and the work began over again,
with this vital change, that whole works
were recoided, and placed in albums, '
like books, instead of just snippets, prin
cipally from operas, as in the past. ,
Today the library or recorded music
is a credit both to music and to the
artistic senses of the nations, as well as
to scientific and merchandising genius.
# * * *
While there will be few musicians, all
of whose records can be had by the in
dividual collector, there are many
smaller collections which may be at
tempted,
A young man may specialize on sym
phonic works.
In a few years he will have a very fine
collection of the master works, if he
sticks to it, and is not lured aside by the
charm of other types of music.
Or he might collect string quartets.
or piano recordings. Recording has
shown no greater advance, perhaps,
thanks to the microphone, than that of
the piano.
This king of instruments Is really put
on discs now so that It sounds as it
should.
The collection of all, or nearly all, of
these piano recordings should not be
beyond either the powers of endurance
or purse of the real lover of keyboard
music.
* * * a .
One might specialize on the music of
one great man such as Beethoven or
Mozart, or go in for the works of the
great Russians. The great Russians
have a way of claiming their own lovers,
and modem recording gives the hearer
their values to a fine degree.
The rabid Beethoven “fan” would find
he would not have an easy time collect
ing all the recordings of the master. In
deed, his purse probably would run out
long before his interest.
The same might be said of the collec
tor who set as his goal the ownership
of all the recordings of Moeart or Bach,
to name but two. *
* * * t
We would not wish any reader to
think that this type of collection must
be confined solely to classical music.
Those who cherish this belief miss one
of the finest features, we believe, of the
modem electrical gramophone.
A really nice collection may be made
of polkas, which, in recent months, have
come to the fore again.
All, positively all, the recordings of
Hawaiian music might be collected by
any ardent devotee, without giving up
his meals to do it.
Hot jazz, as it is called, is now a cult
all to Itself, with its friends writing
great books upon the subject. This is
genuine music, no matter what some
say to the contrary; it expresses the
spirit of youth, the world around, often
with youth’s intolerance.
Record lovers might do far worse than
gather in all the examples of that busy,
rustling dance, the rhumba, or rumba.
Spanish gypsy, or flamenco, numbers
make an interesting research. Here Is
a field utterly unknown to many per
sons who think they "know it all” about
music.
This column knows a record enthusiast
who, right alongside his Beethoven shelf,
has a collection of all the records he
can find of Hoagy Carmichael's "Star
Dust,” or "Stardust,” as It is variously
written.
This classic of popular music may be
had in some two dozen recordings, and
the end is not yet.
The owner, playing these records one
after the other, has a form of musical
comparison and enjoyment unknown to
those mistaken wights who seem to be
lieve that music is a very narrow affair,
of which they are somehow the cus
todian.
Letters to the Editor
w
Financial Link in National
Chain Declared Weak.
•*0 the Editor of The Starr
It is generally admitted that a chain
is no stronger than its weakest link.
Who can deny that the one most liable
to snap in the national chain is the
financial link which has been so woe
fully weakened in the past decade by
political theorists who have tenaciously
clung to the abnormal idea that our
Nation can borrow its way out of
bankruptcy?
The war has temporarily diverted
the minds of the people from the bloated
national debt but not so with American
industry which stands aghast at our
ever-mounting deficit, which in turn
creates a demand for still higher taxes.
Naturally, the greater the taxes the
fewer the dividends for millions of
shareholders; the purchasing power of
multitudes is crippled and, in many
Instances, paralyzed when the great bulk
of industry’s profits are confiscated by
a wasteful administration.
We are being told by New Dealers
that an economy program will be
adopted "next year.” (It is always next
year!) Who remembers the slogan,
“Actions speak louder than words”?
EDMUND K. GOLDSBOROUGH.
November 28.
vaiveri sutirments av
Hearing Challenged.
To the Ifitnr nt The St or:
The statements of Alfred D. Calvert
at the hearings on the Commissioners’
plan to reorganize the District govern
ment emphasize the paucity of argu
ments advanced by the opponents of
local suffrage.
Mr. Calvert’s statement that Com
munists are responsible for an “organized
stampede” to induce the Commissioners
to recommend local self-government
would not be worthy of comment were
it not for the fact that it reflects the
whispering campaign conducted by oth
ers who, because of ignorance, prejudice
or special interest, seek to discredit the
advocates of the establishment of an
American form of local government in
the Capital City of the United States.
If Communists are the power behind
the local suffrage movement then 90
per cent of the civic leaders are “fellow
travelers.” All the officers of the Fed
eration of Citizens’ Associations and at
least 8 of the other 10 members of the
Executive Board of that organization
are ardent champions of suffrage. That
they correctly express the views of their
constituents is evident from the fact
that in the unofficial referendum of
April 30, 1938, 90 per cent of the voters
expressed themselves in fayor of popu
lar election of the officials of the local
government.
Mr. Calvert’s reference to the District
of Columbia as a “Federal reservation”
is laughable. There are Army reserva
tions and Indian reservations. The in
habitants of the first named are all
Government employes who retain their
voting rights, while those Of the sec-*
ond, though they have no vote, do have
a measure of autonomy and pay no
taxes. Perhaps Mr. Calvert had in mind
prison reservations or insane hospitals.
The denizens of such places furnish the
closest analogy to the residents of the
District of Columbia.
Whom does Mr. Calvert represent? He
is president of the Lincoln Park Citizens’
Association and a delegate from that
body to the Federation of Citizens’ Asso
ciations. The Lincoln Park association
h
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!
has somewhat indefinite boundaries, but
it is certainly included within the area
bounded by First street N.E., H street,
Benning road, the Anacostia River,
Pennsylvania avenue S.E. and Second
street S.E. There were five voting pre
cincts in that area in last year's refer
endum. The total vote cast in those
precincts was 9,977. of which 8.284. or
83 per cent, were in favor of local suf
frage. That should be sufficient answer
to Mr. Calvert's contention that his
personal views are representative of the
community he serves.
KENNETH P. ARMSTRONG,
Treasurer, Federation of
December 3. Citizens’ Associations.
Corrects Haskin on Mystery
Of Cinderella's Slipper.
To the Editor of The Star:
In Mr. Haskin s column in The Star
of November 28 it was claimed that
Cinderella’s slipper was (as the inquirer
had suggested) originally of fur, the
English translator of Perrault's tales
having merely mistaken “vair” (fur) for
“verre” (glass).
This explanation, though often re
peated, seems to raise more questions
than it answers. While “vair” (a par
ticular type of fur rather than fur in
general, which is “fourrure”) and "verre”
(glass) are pronounced alike, they are
not spelled alike, and should not, there
fore, have confused a translator. It is
even less clear why an English trans
lator's error should have had any re
percussion in France. Yet Larousse’s
dictionary (an authority in that coun
try) refers to the famous slipper as being
either of “vair” or “verre,” though
without indicating any reason for the
uncertainty. Furthermore, in a French
edition of Perrault’s tales that I once
read, the story is actually entitled “Cen
drillon et la Pantoufle de Verre” (Cin
derella and the Glass Slipper). There
fore, if this famous pedal adornment was
originally of fur, the French themselves
must have vitrified it.
It is an accepted principle of textual
criticism that in the case of variant
readings the least plausible is usually
the true one. For, had the original
reading appeared entirely logical, there
would have been no temptation to
change it. As Perrault wrote the story
Cinderella* slipper must, therefore, have
been of glass. For while some chivalrous
editor might easily have been tempted to
substitute a fur slipper for a glass one,
no editor, even in that day, could have
been so cruel as to remove Cinderella's
dainty foot from a comfortable fur slip
per and then thrust it into something as
barbarous as a glass slipper would seem
to be.
But the mystery of Cinderella’s slipper
is really quite easily explained. Accord
ing to a French authority, it was of
cloth woven from Venetian spun glass,
a material highly esteemed during the
reign of Louis XIV, when this most
charming of fairy tales was written.
This theory, however, could be very
disconcerting to those who have been
trying to convince us that the art of
spinning and weaving glass is one they
have just developed.
CHARLES H. PROBERT.
December L
A
Answers
To Questions
By Frederic J. Raskin.
A reader can get the answer to any
question of fact by writing The Eve
ning Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Raskin, director, Washington,
D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply.
Q. Is It true that propagandists have
to be registered by the Government?—
B. G.
A. In June, 1938, Congress passed an
act requiring the registration of persons
"employed by agencies to disseminate
propaganda in the United States.”
Q. Has Washington, D. C., a larger
area than Baltimore, Md?—J. ^N. D.
A. The area of Washington is 62
square miles and that of Baltimore Is
78.72 square miles.
Q. Where is the little church in Iowa
that seats only six or eight people?—
C. A. B.
A. St. Anthony’s Chapel, 8 miles
from Festina, accommodates only eight
worshipers.
Q. How many pieces of wood are there
in a violin?—E. K. H.
A. Approximately 70 pieces of wood
are required in the making of a violin.
Q. What aviator has attained the
highest altitude record?—M. M.
A. The world's altitude record for air- *
planes was established by Col. Mario
Fezzl of Italy on October 22, 1938, at
which time he attained an altitude of
56,046 feet.
Q. When was the first Florence Crit
tenton Home for Girls opened?—L. G. R.
A. On April 19, 1^83, the first Flor
ence Crittenton Mission was opened at
No. 29 Bleecker street, New York City,
Q. How old Is the song “O Little Town
of Bethlehem”?—J. B. D.
A. The famous soijg was first printed
in a Sunday school program of the Holy
Trinity Church at Philadelphia In 1868.
Q. Is Anthony Abbot the real name of
the writer of mystery stories?—J. M. G.
A. Anthony Abbot is the nom de
plume of Fulton Oursler.
Q. When did New York Inaugurate
compulsory birth registration?—C. W. W.
A. In New York State the first com
pulsory birth registration lav; was passed
in 1847, and the State was admitted to
the United States birth registration
area in 1915.
Q. What is the origin of the simile,
‘‘White as driven snow"?—R. C. B.
A. It is found in the song of Autolycus,
the peddler in Shakespeare's “Winter'*
Tale.”
Q. How much bad money was taken in
at the New York World's Fair?—T. J. S.
A. Out of the $93,772,195 spent by
visitors at the f%ir only $1,376.20 wa*
found to be counterfeit or bad money.
Q. When were the first soda cracker*
put on the market in packages?—M.
T. B.
A. In 1898 the first trade-marked and
packaged soda cracker was put on the *
market.
Q. What country is said to be at the
top of the world?—C. M. S.
A. Tibet has been described as such
because no other part of the earth is so
crowded with massive and lofty moun
tains. The mean altitude of the entire
tableland is 15,600 feet.
Q. Is Vice President Gamer a member
of the United States Senate?—C. S.
A. He presides over the Senate, but is
not a member and has no precedence or
patronage as such.
_
Q. On what date does winter begin?—
M. J. S.
A. This year winter will begin on De
cember 22.
Maternal Beech
This beech it seemed was made for i
brooding boys.
It chose a certain hillside in "the sun.
A southern hill, the first one warmed in
springs.
A resting place where birds would often
pause
And make the bareness blossom with
their wings.
I have seen finches there in April dawn
Turning the beech into a mystery.
But getting back to boys again. That tree
Spread generous branches, and always
kept some low »
Enough for boys to re^ch and swing
themselves
Like squirrels up the side. And high
above
There were great sturdy forks just asking
floors
Of those who know the beauty of a house
Among the tops of trees.
So certain boughs
Held sure retreat that never closed its
doors
Among the leaves and heaven. Sorrow
-came there, , ^
Joy, experiment. The tree would under
stand.
It never minded either dirt or noise.
And seemed the happiest always when
the boys
Were clambering through. Initials
marked that trunk ;
Prom top to bottom and symbols strangely
wrought.
There were some parents In the neigh
borhood
Who thought they knew their sons. The
tree, I think.
Knew them far better. It grew to have a
look
Strangely maternal, suited well to one
Whose fruit was really boys. Its boughs
held swings.
Its leaves were singed with fires the boys
had built, •
Its very heart was often scarred with
knives. A
And when the lightning took it—it was
missed.
One youngster said, “Different—without
the Tree!”
And I agreed, knowing it held for him
The same attraction it had held for me.
I tried to add I thought there was no
ending,
The beech would live on still in all our
‘ minds ...
And he shrugged, “Yeah," and hitching
up his breeches
Went for a walk alone. I sort of knew
How he was grieving for that beat of
beeches,
Z felt that way myself....
O. 0. COBLENTZ.
i A