Evening star. [volume], February 12, 1940, Page A-8, Image 8

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

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With Sunday Morning Edition.
THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
MONDAY..February It, 1940
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Lincoln
Each successive anniversary of the
birth of Abraham Lincoln serves to
educate his countrymen to a more
comprehensive appreciation of his
character and personality, yet it may
be wondered if he ever will be per
fectly understood. His biographers
•are unanimous in their belief that
he could not fathom himself; his
contemporaries were puzzled by him;
the heirs of his sacrifice, therefore,
need not apologize for failure to read
a riddle which grows in complexity
with the passing years.
The most obvious paradox involved
In the problem is that of Lincoln’s
disappointments. He is a tragedy
from the start. Obscurely born,
early deprived of his mother, neg
lected by his father, reared in pov
erty, unschooled, abandoned to his
own devices, he knew little in child
hood and youth save struggle and
suffering. His first sweetheart died
unaware of his pathetic love; he mar
ried unwisely; business and profes
sional frustration was his experi
ence through a period when he sorely
needed encouragement to try again.
Election to Congress brought him
only disillusionment, his earnings at
the bar were meager, his domestic
responsibilities increased from day
to day, he toyed with the idea of
suicide. But he could not surrender.
Some power which he could not
name kept him alive for his ultimate
destiny. In agony of snirit he ap
pealed to God for a sign of His in
tention. What answer was received
remains a mystery. The savior of the
Union was chosen to the presidency
on a compromise platform—a mi
nority victor. He came to Washing
ton warned that he would be assas
sinated. Submitting to a fate which
he was persuaded was inevitable, he
took no precaution to protect his life.
Looking back to the events of three
quarters of a century ago, the story
appears to have been finished before
It began. Lincoln, it seems, was se
lected for the performance of one
6ingle service. His immolation was
part of the price he paid for his
patriotism. Other men lived and died
in the conflict he vainly sought to
avoid, but he felt the Nation’s an
guish as though it were exclusively
his own. His melancholy grew upon
him. Even victory brought him no
satisfaction. He was conscious, of
course, that he had prevented seces
sion, but the price staggered him.
His faith in Providence was not
shaken; it could not be so late—it
survived with a desperate intensity
in the second inaugural. Then the
blow which he had anticipated so
long fell upon him, and he was gone
—with his work unfinished.
Yet he did not labor in vain. The
world, however dimly, sees that with
out Lincoln America might have be
come what Europe is today. His
success may be found in the fact
that "government of the people, by
the people, for the people” has not
perished altogether from the earth.
For the rest, nothing can be said
without tears.
Hurdles for Commerce
It is almost a year since Secretary
of Agriculture Wallace, in a long,
critical report, aroused the country
to some concern over the broadening
system of interstate trade barriers,
those discriminatory hurdles which
one State puts in the way of com
merce with other States. The1 evil
still exists. Now, eleven months later,
we get from the Interdepartmental
Committee on Interstate Trade Bar
riers a new picture of how far this
“Balkanizing” of the United States
has gone. The committee presents
650 examples of laws on the statute
books in the nine States whose legis
latures meet this year—Virginia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Nebraska, New Jersey, New York,
Rhode Island and South Carolina.
The hint is plain for the legisla
tures of these States to take action
in eradicating the barriers. Virginia,
along with many others, discrimi
nates against meat packers and cot
ton seed producers, operating in
States outside the Old Dominion, by
putting difficulties in the way of
marketing oleomargarine. A resi
dent of South Carolina pays sixty
dollars for the license to catch
sturgeon, which costs the out-of
8tate fisherman five hundred dollars.
A Kentucky brewer can sell his beer
directly to retailers or consumers,
while non-resident brewers must sell
through Kentucky wholesalers. There
are discriminatory laws on motor
vehicles, nursery stock, livestock,
milk and dairy products, insurance,
chain stores, transient merchants.
Almost all of the other thirty
nine States in the Union have some
form of law providing what in effect
is a customs duty on goods from
neighboring States. But one en
couraging note in the new report is
its presentation of charts showing
the development of reciprocity agree
ments which can serve as agents
for the gradual elimination of many
of the barriers. Each of the nine
States studied has a Commission for
Interstate Co-operation, which in
itself is a long step forward away
from the sort of costly isolationists
jealousy represented by the barrier
laws.
'Neglect of Duty'
It is not likely that the Bureau of
Marine Inspection and Navigation
nor the general public .will get un
duly excited over the curious charges
of “neglect of duty” filed by Joseph
Curran’s National Maritime Union
against Captain Joseph A. Gainard,
master of the now internationally
renowned City of Flint. Everything
seems to happen to Captain Gainard,
and it was not surprising that he
should take quite philosophically the
latest “incident” to project his name
into the headlines. He has been hav
ing these incidents during much of ■
his seafaring career. As a junior
officer in the days of the first World
War he survived the torpedoing and
sinking of the President Lincoln. As
master of the freighter Algic he
quelled an incipient mutiny aboard
his ship in the harbor of Montevideo,
Uruguay, in September of 1937. As
skipper of the City of Flint he helped
rescue survivors of the torpedoed
British liner Athenia last September.
And aboard the same ship he became
tangled in an international contro
versy growing out of the seizure of
his ship by the German pocket bat
tleship Deutschland early last Oc
tober. ,
captain uainara nas emerged irom
all these adventures with added
fame. There is nothing in his record
to show that he ever conducted him
self other than in accord with the
best traditions of the sea. The cap
ture of the City of Flint and the
subsequent voyage to Murmansk,
Russia, under command of a German
prize crew j>osed problems of di
plomacy, neutrality and interna
tional law that tested the temper,
intelligence and fortitude of Captain
Gainard as few other experiences
could have done. By a commendable
exercise of self-control and a typical
display of leadership, he prevented
more impetuous members of his crew
from committing acts which well
might have endangered their own
lives and embroiled their Govern
ment in serious complications with
Germany or Russia .or both. Appar
ently it is because of this restraint
that two members of the crew of
the City of Flint, apparently with
the encouragement of the National
Maritime Union, belatedly have
drawn up the “neglect of duty" accu
sations, based on the captain’s re
fusal to “give the crew an opportu
nity to make good its escape.” It is
difficult to see any logic in the
union’s argument that it was the
“duty” of Captain Gainard to let his
men take international law into their
own hands and attempt by force to
free their ship and themselves from
a seizure claimed by the Germans to
have the sanction of international
laws relating to contraband.
And, speaking of “neglect of duty,”
it is only proper that Mr. Curran and
his National Maritime Union should
be reminded that some members of
that organization demonstrated un
common proficiency in the art of
neglecting duty during the Algic
mutiny, heretofore mentioned. Four
teen N. M. U. seamen were convicted
under Federal mutiny laws of staging
a sit-down strike at Montevideo.
Three others pleaded guilty in court
to “neglect of duty.” It seems to be
more than just a coincidence that
the man against whom the N. M. U.
now prefers its charges was the chief
witness against the indicted members
of the union. Captain Gainard is
entitled to a fair hearing—just as
the Algic strikers had. In view of
the delicate questions of foreign pol
icy and international law involved in
the union’s charges, it may be that
the Bureau of Inspection and Repair
will solicit the help of the State De
partment in passing on Captain
Gainard’s conduct in the City of Flint
affair. ,
Hard-Boiled Turkey
The attitude Turkey is adopting
toward Germany is alien to the
timidity with which some of the Nazi
Reich’s neighbors have faced Hitler’s
threats. Turkey is a small nation,
but she is not easily intimidated.
In line with this policy the Ankara
government seized the Krupp ship
yards on the Golden Horn and
ordered 100 Nazi technicians, assist
ing in Turkey’s military preparations,
to leave the country within 48 hours.
As the sequel to these remarkable
events, for which no explanation was
given at the time, it Is charged in
Istanbul that Germany has been en
gaged in planning sabotage in the
Near East if the war spreads to that
area. According to authoritative
sources in Istanbul, Nazi secret
agents were ready to perpetrate ex
plosions, train wrecks and create
havoc wherever they could at the
proper moment. Other reports in
dicate that some of the German
technicians were preparing to steal
a Turkish U-boat on its test run.
It was considered inadvisable, there
fore, to have Germans In positions
where they could wreak havoc with
Turkey’s Army and Nary.
That there should be plots of
sabotage In Turkey at this critical
moment for the Balkans is not sur
prising, for wherever the German
Ambassador to Turkey, Franz von
Papen, goes, there go also intrigue
and catastrophe. Von Papen as Ger
man military attache in Washington
in the early years of the World War
was linked directly with sabotage
plots in this country, disclosure of
which resulted in American demand
for his recall.
Chancellor Hitler found ready use
for his abilities, and when Anschluss'
with Austria was decided on Von
Papen was sent to Vienna to conspire
with the Austrian Nazis to destroy
the Austrian state. More recently
Hitler sent his ace conspirator to
Turkey to intrigue against the allies.
The present revelations in Istanbul
are not the first which have con
cerned the German Ambassador.
Turkey recently was forced to sup
press propaganda activities of Ger
mans both in Ankara and Istanbul,
activities which were suspected of
emanating from the German Em
bassy.
Turkey’s courage is not to be min
imized by the mere fact of distance
from Germany and the difficulties
of direct German attack upon her'
territory. To the north of Turkey is
Russia, Germany’s partner in aggres
sion, and war could be carried di
rectly to Turkish territory.
Ankara’s boldness reflects her con
fidence in the allies and their ability
to aid her effectively with the half
million men they have stationed in
the Near East, and this evidence that
Turkey stands irrevocably with the
French and the British raises a pow
erful barrier against any designs
Germany may have to carry the war
into the Balkans.
Mr. Lewis Steps Out
At the recent convention of the
United Mine Workers, John L. Lewis
bitterly indicted the Democratic
party for taking labor’s support for
granted on the . assumption that
labor had no place else to go. He
did not tell the Mine Workers what
alternative he had in mind, but he
did make it clear that, for himself
at least, he had no intention of
being the tail to anybody’s kite. Mr.
Lewis has not as yet explained how
he believes the voting strength of
labor can be employed effectively if
not through the machinery of one
of the two major parties, but his re
marks before the American Youth
Congress last week afford some basis
for speculation in this respect.
The breach between the C. I. O.
chieftain and President Roosevelt
was both wide and deep before the
Youth 'Congress address, and now,
even when due allowance is made
for the marriages of convenience
that political necessities can pro
duce, it would seem that the two
men have definitely reached the
parting of the ways.
Mr. Lewis on Saturday did not
confine himself merely to a criticism
of the New Deal for its failure to
bring about the long-sought recov- I
ery; he attacked the President per
sonally and in language which bor
dered on the intemperate. A rap
prochement now between these two.
men would be little short of a po
litical miracle.
In all probability, Mr. Lewis, if
he has definitely decided to break
away from both the Democratic and
Republican parties, is looking beyond
1940* He has already gone on record
against a third term for Mr. Roose
velt and against the candidacies of
Vice President Garner and Paul V.
McNutt. Nor is it conceivable that
he would support any Republican
nominee. Labor’s Non - Partisan
League, of which Mr. Lewis is chair
man, announced last December that
it would enter the Democratic pri
maries with a view to selecting pro
gressive candidates for President and
Vice President, but if that means
fighting both the Roosevelt and Gar
ner wings of the party it holds little
promise of success. It can only be
assumed, therefore, that Mr. Lewis,
if his words mean anything, is look
ing to the future.
in mat connection it is interesting
to note Mr. Lewis’ warm invitation
to the members of the Youth Con
gress to affiliate with the Non-Par
tisan League. “It is time for labor,
it is time for the common people
and it is time for the youth of Amer
ica to gef together,” he declared.
Having previously bid for the sup
port of the needy aged, it now ap
pears that Mr. Lewis is making over
tures to the organized youth of the
country.
Just what he offers them, and how
he proposes to get It, is not clear,
but that he wants to be generous
about it may be inferred from his
assertion that the Non-Partisan
League stands always "for the rights
and principles of free America, for
the support of its meritorious insti
tutions, for the preservation of the
flag, for the protection of the home
land, and for a job and civil liber
ties.” Mr. Lewis, in that platform,
may have overlooked a few of the
traditional glittering generalities
which office-hungry politicians have
dangled before the voters in the past,
but, for a comparative newcomer to
the political arena, his effort is
nothing to be ashamed of.
To the habitual smoker, alas,
there seems to be but two seasons.
In one the cigarette goes like a pow
der fuse, (whereas during the other it
is hardly possible to draw the smoke
through the soggy tobacco. '
"How can one prevent candles from
dripping?" Is a query coming to a
question and answer column. The
best way Is not to light them.
p
Our Task Appraised
By 'American Man'
Discusses Need for Greater
Understanding of Urgent
Problems
To the Editor of The Star:
Over date of January 23 and in your
issue of February 2 there was published,
with the signature "American Woman,”
a communication dealing with the pres
ent economic situation in the United
States that I read with a grgit deal of
interest. Here is a woman who has been
doing a good deal ,of intelligent and
logical thinking about a problem of the
utmost magnitude and immediate im
portance. I agree in substance with
everything she writes.
May I submit a few supplementary
thoughts?
(1) Investment of all our idle billions
with no prospect of immediate returns1
will not take place under present condi
tions.
(2) Government "pump-priming” as
at presenf cannot continue for many
years.
This leaves only the third alternative,
"an economic system wherein goods
would be produced for use and not for
profit”—unless there is a fourth or a
fifth way of dealing with the problem.
Since 1933, when I lost a perfectly
good job with an old-established firm
and had to seek another which I did not
succeed in getting for more than two
long and difficult years, I have given a
great deal of thought to our economic
scene. I am not quite so confused about
it now as I was in 1933, but I still think
the situation is very complicated. Every
avenue of thought I have been able to
discover leads to some sort of nationally
planned economy. It will take con
certed effort, unprejudiced study and
unselfish co-operation to accomplish the
desired results.
Private industry la too unorganized,
the financiers and bankers are too self
interested and (sic!) too ignorant of
economics, and the States are too small
as units of government and too power
less as to our money system to do the
job.
National economic planning? Produc
tion without profit? Horror on the part
of the haves!
But wouldn’t the haves give up some
of their surplus wealth and some of
their temporary power over others in ex
change for some measure of insurance
against the competitive, "dog-eat-dog”
business struggle; some assurance, even
partial, that their business would not be
among the 90 per cent of business
ventures that are doomed to early finan
cial failure in America? And wouldn’t I
give up some of my present liberty of
action in return for some measure of
security in my just moderately paid jab?
And what about that $5,000 annual
income that the Brookings Institution
says is quite possible for every family in
the United States right now, if our pro
duction facilities were operated full time,
but not overtime, and the resulting
goods equitably distributed? Just think
what that would mean! Fancy a society
in which every one had all he really
needed, in which all motives for mean
ness and for crimes of acquisition were
removed! Small need for prisons!
But the masses of our people are poor
in the midst of potential abundance,
and one of the reasons is the high rate
of return sought and demanded by
capital. One can hardly blame capital,
in view of the risks involved in our un
planned, haphazard, competitive system.
Yet statistics show that over a long
period of time our average national
yearly increase in wealth is just about
3 per cent—compounded annually, of
course. Figure that out. It is, after all,
a rapid increase in the Nation’s wealth.
But, whenever capital lakes more than
about 3 per cent return on its invest
ment, it does so at the expense of
other capital. And there is where our
bankruptcies come from. This is how
wealth is continually being concentrated
in the hands of those who already have
wealth. Who in our Congress is capable
of dealing with our basic problem of
banking and currency? Or with taxa
tion as a means of putting unused capi
tal or misused capital back to its proper
work? Remember, money is not wealth.
It is only a ticket to wealth. It is a
man-made device and, when properly
handled, is man’s convenient servant.
But tfie servant has become his maker’s
master because his maker has misused
him.
What a mass of opportunity lies today
at the doors of the United States! And
what a mountain'of disagreement about
how our opportunities should be used!
February 9. AMERICAN MAN.
Driven and Pedestrians Urged
To Get Together. f
To the KSltsr of The Star:
It has been with great interest and
some amusement that J have followed the
letters on the editorial page in which the
drivers and the pedestrians give each
other verbal “face slappings.” Both
groups are certain that they are right.
I am a motorist or a pedestrian as the
occasion demands; consequently, I am
very interested in the solution that this
“quaint" overgrown town will finally
settle upon. Incidentally, I am certain
that both pedestrians and motorists are
right when they say, “The other will have
to obey the rules." To be truthful, I feel
the drivers obey the traffic laws much
more carefully than do the pedestrians.
Once or twice during the six years in
which I have been driving in Washing
ton I have seen an automobile go through
a red light, while other cars have been
waiting for the same light to change.
Many times, however, since the pedes
trian control drive was officially started
have I stood on the curb while waiting
for the correct signal and watched one
impatient person start tq cross against
the light; that one person is the bell
wether—the rest of the flock at the curb
follows him. Of course, in every group
in a like situation there are one or two
civic-minded individualists who wait for
the green light.
There is also the problem of cars mak
ing right or left turns. Here I feel that
both motorists and pedestrians are justi
fied in their complaints. These com
plaints, however, ire misdirected—instead
of calling each other names, both sides
should get together and say to the Traf
fic Department, “Look at this dreadful
situation. We both have the right of
way according to the lights, and yet we
seem to get entangled, We want this
trouble remedied."
ROBERT LORENZ HANSEN.
February 8.
<•
THIS AND THAT
By Charles E. Tracewell.
"EAST FALLS CHURCH, VA.
"Dear Sir: Just outside our living room
window is a large piece of ground where
we have scattered grain and sunflower
seed for the birds.
"Nearby we have a tree which we have
not had planted as yet, which is covered
over with a piece of canvas to protect
it from the weather.
"Under this canvas I am sure there is
a nice rat’s home, for rats like sun
flower seed, and it is placed so conven
iently for them.
j "I have seen the young rat as he
comes out of his abode and snatches a
seed or two.
* * * *
"But I am not the only one that has
seen the rascal.
“Today, as I looked out the window
perchance to see some of the birds, what
did I see but what looked to my startled
eyes to be some one’s stray hen, but upon
closer examination I saw—to my great
delight—a large brown hawk, standing
near the rat’s home.
"This hawk looked larger to my eyes
than A crow, had a long tail, and bars
or streaks on his breast.
“I was too excited to notice the small
details, for in my excitement I screamed,
and ‘ the hawk looked up at me—a bare
6 feet away—and flew away.
* * * *
"So if sunflower seed placed for the
birds will attract rats and mice and
thereby attract such magnificent speci
mens of birds, then let me have a few
of these rodents.
"I know some of your readers will not
agree with me, but if they could have
seen what I saw this morning, I don’t
know how any of them could help but
agree.
“And may I add that although the
song birds were noticeably absent dur
ing this hawk’s presence, we still have
plenty of them about at other times.
“Sincerely, G. B. 8.”
* * * *
This is an unusual attitude toward
hawks, but if it were more common a
great many more people would get more
pleasure out of bird feeding and watch
ing.
Truly, the hawks are magnificent
birds, with only three of them really
harmful.
Much harm has lfeen done bird life
by wholesale destruction of the hawks,
good and bad, without any discrimina
tion.
Even today, when true conservation
has been preached for many years, the
very first idea of nine out of ten men,
when they see a hawk, is to shoot it.
Perhaps we should amend that. Ten
out of ten young men will shoot a hawk
on sight, whether it is a harmful
species, or a good species.
As they grow older, they will leam
more about the hawks, and come to have
some regard for a group which serves
a good purpose in the world.
Still, there will be far too many per
sons whose only idea as to a hawk—any
hawk—is to kill it.
* * * *
Our correspondent’s attitude is a
wholesome corrective.
For truly there are few more hand
some birds than these, as a class.
Ornithologists are agreed today that
only three hawks deserve extermination.
We will not name them here, for our
idea is to call attention to hawks, as a
group, and to point out simply that
they are much persecuted.
We do not believe that the average
person, seeing a hawk, is able to tell it
from any other hawk.
Therefore, the best plan is to look
upon all hawks as interesting, picturesque
hirds.
The best thing is to get into one’s
head the idea that hawks are best
watched, not killed.
In this way, the number of killers will
be reduced. As for the inimical hawks,
there will always be plenty of persons
whose ways of life are rough and ready,
and upon whose ears all pleas for mercy
for aAy smaller living things fall with
out avail. There will always be enough
of such persons to more than make war
upon the hawks. Unfortunately, they
will war against the good hawks, too, but
that cannot be helped.
* * * *
Our point today is that there is no
reason in the world for the average
householder to grow red in the face
and rush for a gun the moment a hawk
heaves into sight.
Even if its coming scares away all the
smaller birds at a feeding station, as it
will, of course, and with almost miracu
lous celerity, this is true.
As our correspondent points out, the
song birds will come back.
They may remain away four or five
hours, but one by one they will return.
As for the hawk, it will remain only
a few minutes.
Those few minutes give the amateur
bird observer a chance to do some real
observing.
If suddenly all the small birds vanish
from your station, run over the list of
possible causes, and try to find which
one it is.
* * * *
Never omit the possibility that a hawk
has arrived.
He probably will be in some nearby
tree, on a branch about 20 feet from the
ground.
There his proud figure will be well
silhouetted, an excellent target for In
quisitive eyes.
The poise of a hawk is marvelous
Pew living things have better posture.
This should appeal to humans, for we
talk a great deal about carriage, and
try to avoid being stoop shouldered, as
we say.
Part of the hawk’s truly magnificent
posture is secured by the firm neck
muscles, which are very powerful.
We may add that our correspondent’s
hawk was not looking for birds, but for
mice or rats, which they prefer.
Letters to the Editor
Urges Unrestricted Aid
To Finland.
"re the Ml tor ol The Star:
Like J. M. M. of Detroit I also believe
that nearly all the American people are
in sympathy with Finland, but I also be
lieve that we should loan them all the
money we can to be used for whatever
purpose they choose. We should realize
that there is much more at stake than
the independence of one nation. After
watching the continued aggression of
Germany we should be doubly concerned
as the problem is now twice as great.
There seem to be no boundaries beyond
which Germany and Russia will not
trespass. We must use every means in
our power, short of war, to see that these
two menaces are checked as soon as pos
sible. It is our problem as well as the
problem of the nations mpre directly con
cerned at present.
As for using the money to help those
in need here we should remember that
there has always been poverty, and 'even
the many millions that have been spent
in the last few years have done little to
alleviate it. The security of the whole
world is the pressing necessity at the
present.
We should also remember that there
is a statute forbidding loans to any na
tion which has not repaid her debts.
This should be an effective check against
loans to any of the other belligerents.
Let us have a more far-sighted policy.
February 7. MILDRED REES.
—
Two Patrons Discuss
Symphony Orchestra Dispute.
To the Editor of The Star:
As an associate of the National Sym
phony Orchestra, I have just received
notice of the decision to call off the
campaign for next year.
May T most sympathetically express
my dismay at what appears to be a
shortsighted-and unnecessary action on
the part of the Musicians’ Protective
Union, by which the career of the Na
tional Symphony Orchestra, it seems,
will,be ended.
The orchestra has been made possible
only as a result of the efforts of hun
dreds of individuals, organizations and
schools, in and about Washington. It
has in the past nine years not only be
come an integral part of the Nation’s
Capital, but has ahso achieved deserved
recognition and praise elsewhere in the
United States and in Canada.
If this enterprise is now really to be
cut short, one wonders what the Mu
sicians’ Union is "protecting” by its
refusal of the co-operative offer, made
on January 21, by the orchestra’s board.
It would here seem that the admissible
protective aims of the union organiza
tion have degenerated into an uncom
promising self-interest at the expense
of artistic Ideals and educational achieve
ment. CALDERON HOWE.
Boston, Mass.
February 8.
m _
To the Editor of The Btari
As a regular attendant of local sym
phony concerts, and as one deeply in
terested in the future of the National
Symphony Orchestra, certain phases of
the present stalemate in the symphony’s
relations with its musicians have came
to my attention that I believe should be
brought before the public to help in the
settlement of the controversy.
Through the newspapers I have gath
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!
ered the impression that the musicians
through their union have requested an
increase of $10 in their base pay, thereby
raising their minimum to $60. State
ments by the management give the im
pression that the union is unwilling to
compromise on this issue, but orchestra
members assure me that they are willing
to entertain any reasonable compromise.
The management, however, has refused
to meet them on the issue.
Sufficient savings might be effected
within the organization that could make
possible the comparatively small increase
requested by the musicians, who, after
all, are the ones who make an orchestra
possible. The broad financial statements
issued by the' symphony management
have not in the past laid any factual
basis for their contention that they can
not afford this Increase without raising
the level of the campaign fund. If some
detailed accounting of expenditures could
be made public showing beyond shadow
of doubt that the symphony cannot
afford to raise salaries under its present
income, I am certain that the musicians,
as public-spirited a body as exists in
this community, would accept the fact
without a murmur. But until this is sub
stantiated by the actual figures, cqr
tkinly they have basis for suspicion that
the management is not extending them
the co-operation to be expected in such
a public enterprise. J. PERRY.
February 7.
Quotes Excerpt From Letter
On German Air Raid.
To th« Editor of The Star:
As showing the inhuman manner, in
attacking defenseless people, in which
the Germans are conducting the present
war, I quote below some extracts from a
letter, just received, from an English lady
residing in Norfolk on the coast of the
North Sea:
“During the past week we" have had
German airplanes over our house and
they attacked our Trinity relief boat,
which was in full view of our house. This
boat is unarmed and takes the men to the
lightships to relieve the men who have
been on duty there for some weeks.
“These Inhuman Huns flew over and
over our defenseless relief men and a
Ashing trawler, which was near, and then
made off aa if it was not going to attack
them. Suddenly it flew back and flying
very close swept the decks of both ships.
• • • The second officer had both legs
blown off and has mercifully since died
in a Yarmouth hospital. Another man
also has died and several are now having
treatment there.
The sound of the explosions was awful
and the celling paper in our dining room
came down. • • * Can you lm*gin» the
horror of the people in this country
when the news became known that an
unarmed relief boat should have been
hit in this brutal manner?
“The wives of the relief men to the
lightship had spent all of the day before
making nice pies and cakes, etc., for their
men folks who would be on duty for
weeks, and these were all destroyed.”
February 8. HENRY CALVER.
Haskin's Answers •
To Readers' Questions
By Frederic J. Baskin.
A reader can get the answer to any
Question of fact by writing The Eve
ning Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Baskin, director, Washington,
D. C. Please inclose stamp )or reply.
Q. What color were the hair and eye*
Of Mrs. Lincoln?—R. L. G.
A. Her hair was rich, dark brown; her
eyes were bluish gray. Dr. W. E. Barton,
in his “Life of Abraham Lincoln,” says
that Mrs. Lincoln was "a brunette with
rosy cheeks.”
Q. Please describe the catacombs of
Rome.—T. H. P.
A. These labyrinthine passages honey
comb the environs of Rome, encircling
the city at a distance of a mile or two
outside the city walls. They are from
30 to 50 feet underground, descent being <
provided by stairways, and are from 3 to
4 feet wide and 12 feet ir. he<ght with a 4
total length exceeding 750 miles. Cham
bers or chapels were constr ucted at in
tervals, their walls being ornamented
with paintings of sacred subjects The
dead were placed in recesses excavated *
in the side walls and were closed In with
slabs sealed with cement. Burial in the
catacombs ceased with the sack of Rome
by the Goths in 410 A.D.
Q. How long ago did Steve Brodie
make his spectacular leap from Brook
lyn Bridge?—N. H.
A. Steve Brodie jumped from Brooklyn
Bridge on July 23, 1886.
Q. What was the first unit of Ameri
can soldiers to go into battle during the
World War?—K. L. G.
A. The War Department says that the
first unit of the United States Army to
engage in a major action during the
World War was the 28th Infantry, 1st
Division, under the command of Col.
Hanson E. Ely at Cantigny on May 28.
1918.
Q. Are there many tabloid newspa
pers?—N. K. B.
A. The 1940 year book of Editor and '
Publisher lists 50 newspapers in the
United States published in tabloid or
small format.
Q. What was the largest attendance
record at the Olympic Games?—W. B. D.
A. The largest attendance was in Ber
lin In 1936, where approximately 4.500.000
tickets of admission were sold for the
various spectacles at a cash return of
about $2,800,000.
Q. Please give a brief history of sim
plified spelling.—C. R.
A. While spelling reform may be traced
back as far as 1554 or earlier, the first
real changes were given by Noah Web
ster’s dictionary of 1828. In 1875 the
American Philological Association ad
vocated a special list of new words.
Later the National Education Associa
tion revived the idea and proposed an
other list. Then in 1906 President
Theodore Roosevelt gave his support to
the movement and Andrew Carnegie
devoted funds to the cause. The Sim
plified Spelling Board has continued to
advocate changes. «
•Q. Of what nationality was Scarlett
O’Hara?—D. M. H. <
A. Her mother was of French descent
and her father was Irish.
Q. Please give the origin of the use of
buttons on men's coat sleeves. -E. E. O. -
A. The theory is that the practice of
having long cuffs of lace was partly re
sponsible. The lace cuffs interfered con
siderably with action and tailors put
buttons on to fasten them hack. An
other theory is that a Certain English
King having equipped his soldiers’ uni
forms with lace cuffs, found the men
were using the latter for handkerchiefs
and ordered buttons to be put on tne A
sleeves so that the soldiers would scratch^
their noses if they attempted to makefl
this improper use of the lace.
Q. What celebrated portrait by Van J
Dyck has been bought by an American "
art gallery?—M. H. L.
A. The Pine Arts Gallery of San Diego
has recently bought a portrait of the
consort of Charles I by Van Dyck. For
merly, it was in the collection of the
Sixth Marquess of Ailesbury.
Q. What is the religious affiliation of
Myron C. Taylor, representative to th^
Vatican?—M. P. |
A. Mr. Taylor is an Episcopalian, of
Quaker ancestry. |
Q. What is the name of the woman in \
New York City who is famous for her \
wedding cakes?—R. P. G.
A. For 30 years Mme. Blanche of that
city has made cakes for weddings, recep
tions and other large functions. Among
her clients have been Presidents, mil
lionaires, statesmen and diplomats. No
two cakes are alike and prices range as
high as $1,000.
Q. Can an enlisted man in the British
Army or Navy become an officer?—I. S.
A. The British Embassy says: Com*
missions as officers in both the royal
navy and army are, ahd have been for
a great number of years, ojfen to en
listed men (called "ratings’! in th
royal navy). Under present condit
at least 90 per cent of officers’ comi Mis
sions granted in the army go to f tose
serving in the ranks.
Q. How many of the feature movies re-. -
leased inathe United States are foreign?
—M. T. H. j
A. In 1939 there were 278 imported J
feature pictures. ■ I
Abraham Lincoln I
We come but to remember. We could ■
bring ■
No fresh, untarnished laurels to al
name ■
Already lifted to a shining fame. ■
No note of glory has been left to sing. M
We bring our own sad hearts for com®
forting; ■
Selfish, distrusting, sick of war antS
shame, M
The warmth of his great tenderness we ■
claim, ■
A moment to his pitying hands we cling. 1
How childishly we seek to penetrate 1
The darkly folded secret of his power, I
Search all his deeds and words and 1
thoughts to find
The hidden attributes that made him !
great,
While clear before us like an open ‘
flower
The simple answer lies: That he
waa kind.
INEZ BARCLAY KIRBY.