IPje getting ^faf
with ludii Morning EdltloB.
THEODORE W. NOTES, Editor.
— ' ■ ■ — — ■■—— .■■'I—0
WASHINGTON, D. C.
WEDNESDAY..M»y 22, 1940
T ' —■ ■ ——- ...- ]
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Nazi Forest Fire
The situation on the battlefields of
France and Belgium is like that
presented by a wind-driven forest
fire, roaring with searing intensity
through dry timber and reaching far
ahead with crowning tongues of
flame that start new blazes in many
directions. Fighting such a fire with
inadequate equipment is a herculean
task. Confusion, disorganization and
“inconceivable faults” in the fire
fighting are almost inevitable while
the conflagration is at its height.
But forest fires often quit their
advance almost as suddenly as they
get under way. They depend on the
impelling forces behind them. When
the driving energy lags or is expend
ed the fire fighters have their oppor
tunity to reorganize their forces and
to counterattack.
So far the mighty German thrust
at Paris and the Channel coast has
shown no appreciable letup. The
“crown fires” of fast-moving, hard
hitting Nazi motorcycle and mech
anized columns have spread sporad
ically southward and westward
toward the Channel with amazing
rapidity. There have been, as Pre
mier Reynaud yesterday told the
French Senate, confusion, disorgan
ization and blundering among allied
forces. Any attempt to evaluate the
situation in more than generally
speculative terms would be foolish
at this stage of the holocaust. There
are certain hopeful signs for the
allies in today’s censored dispatches
from the front, however. It now
becomes apparent that the advance
to Abbeville,, on the Somme estuary,
only a few miles from the English
Channel, was a tenuous thrust at
best—by motorcycle detachments.
The position of these advance guards
must be precarious, indeed, unless
strong reinforcements follow up the
gains made. Meanwhile, the French
claim to have retaken Arras, some
fifty miles inland from Abbeville.
This would indicate that the French
are far from routed in the Lille
Valenciennes-Arras sector, protecting
the strategic ports of Boulogne and
Calais, and, perhaps, it presages an
effort to cut off the motorized arm
that Hitler’s legions have extended
along the Somme almost to the coast.
The leaping flames of the German
blitzkrieg, in other words, may have
overreached themselves. To keep the
flames alive the driving energy of
fuel and munitions, supplies and of
fresh man power must be uninter
rupted. With that thought in mind,
the Royal Air Force has been bomb
ing with incessant fury the main
supply routes and depots of the
German armies. Successful cutting
off of these driving forces could
quickly change the whole aspect of
the present dire picture. The next
few days—or hours—may tell the
story.
Speedy Response
As almost unbelievable horrors of
Europe’s total war continue to chill
the blood of civilized persons—hor
rors sufficiently confirmed to prompt
a verbal protest by President Roose
velt—it gives the American people a
considerable measure of reassurance
to witness the concerted—albeit
belated—drive to throw up an emer
gency bulwark against the threat
ened spread to this hemisphere of
twentieth century barbarism. In
describing the machine-gunning of
helpless refugees in France, the Pres
ident yesterday expressed confidence
that the implications of this type of
warfare would not be lost on citizens
of.the United States.
That the implications are being
fully realized in Congress is evident.
Even as Mr. Roosevelt addressed
his press conference, the machinery
of legislation was humming. The
House Military Affairs Committee
vdtfed unanimously to discard com
plexly all limitations on the number
of Army planes that might be pur
chased during the next fiscal year.
Under this “sky-is-the-limit” policy,
if Qongress finally approves, the Army
will be restricted as to plane numbers
only by capacity of the aviation
industry’s production facilities. In
addition, bills were introduced in the
House and Senate for a great expan
sion of naval air strength. The pro
posed legislation calls for a minimum
of, jO,000 naval planes and of 16,000
pilots, to be based at strategic old
and' new air stations along the
Atlantic and the Pacific coasts and
in our ocean outposts. Thus, in addi
tion to their traditional mission of
serving as the “eyes of the fleet,”
naval planes hereafter would serve
alio as eyes of our coastal and Insular
defenses. They would not merely see,
*
however. They would fight to pro
tect America from Invasion from any
quarter.
Stupendous sums must be spent to
provide such defenses against the
surging tide of totalitarian war. The
President very wisely acted to pre
vent one unnecessary drain on Fed
eral funds when he vetoed yesterday
the $110,000,000 rivers and harbors
bill. It would be improvident and
dangerous indeed to spend money
now for pork, pensions or patronage
when dollars are vitally needed to
safeguard the future existence of a
free America
Off the Course
This Nation must not be confused
by Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh’s
careless talk about what he termed
“meddling in affairs abroad.” It
would be as dangerous to accept the
famous fly'er’s dictates on foreign
policy as it would be to intrust the
navigation of a trans-Atlantic air
plane flight to Secretary of State
Hull.
Particularly misleading were
Colonel Lindbergh’s assertions that
“we are in danger of war today * * •
because American people have at
tempted to interfere with the inter
nal affairs of Europe”; that “we need
not fear a foreign invasion unless
American peoples bring it on through
their own quarreling and meddling
with affairs abroad,” and that “re
gardless of which side wins this war
there is no reason aside from our
own actions to prevent a contin
uation of peaceful relationships
between America and the countries
of Europe.”
The United States Government has
taken no steps—nor contemplates any
—that might be termed “meddling”
in European affairs if by “meddling”
one means action that is not in line
with our own vital national interests.
Our sole concern in European affairs
has been to try to help preserve a
basis for peace and liberal trade
relations under principles of inter
national law and justice, without
which we could not be secure against
the menace of international anarchy
ourselves.
What Colonel Lindbergh appar
ently considers "quarreling" with
affairs in Europe really has been
consistent effort by President Roose
velt and Secretary Hull to make this
Nation’s moral influence count for
the cause of peace. The Secretary
explained two years ago that this
Government then, as it had through
out its history, was seeking to “co
operate in every practicable way
with all peace-loving nations in sup
port of those basic principles which
are indispensable to the promotion
and maintenance of stable condi
tions of peace.”
Thoroughly proper and justifiable
concern for our interests led the
President to urge Hitler and Musso
lini more than a year ago to guaran
tee that they would not attack such
independent nations as Poland,
Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands
and Belgium. Again, just before
Germany’s invasion of Poland set off
the European war last September,
Mr. Roosevelt appealed directly to
Hitler for peaceful solution of the
dispute. This Government also tried
to stave off Russia’s attack on Fin
land, announcing last November its
willingness to “extend its good
offices” for settlement of the Russo
Finnish differences. When peace ef
forts failed and one nation after
another was overrun by brutal inva
sion, this country’s condemnation of
the lawless aggression was expressed
consistently by the President and the
Secretary of State. Such expressions,
giving encouragement to other
peace-loving peoples everywhere,
were not “meddling” In something
of no concern to us because, as Mr.
Roosevelt said recently, “continu
ance of these processes of arms pre
sents a definite challenge” to our
civilization.
Since the war engulfed Europe,
our Government has been looking
ahead to what the world will be like
when the fighting is over, with a
view toward doing all that we can
to help make it one in which our
democracy can continue to exist.
Mr. Roosevelt sent Undersecretary of
State Sumner Welles to Europe to
gather information essential for
intelligent policy-making. Secretary
Hull has launched efforts to line up
all nations behind a program of dis
armament and liberal trade policies
as the foundation of any future sta
ble peace, asserting the right of neu
trals to a voice in the peace con
ference. %
Of more immediate importance,
the President has been in constant
communication with Premier Mus
solini for the past month, striving to
prevent further spread of the war.
He is directing help to the allies by
means “short of war” because of the
realization that our safety lies in
defeat of Nazi aims for world dom
inance, meantime building up our
national defense to be prepared for
the worst.
Wisdom of the administration’s
policy cannot be disputed on the
basis of any Intelligent appraisal of
the facts. It would be folly to delude
ourselves with the false hope that
we might escape danger by shutting
our eyes to it and taking no positive
action to avert it. Colonel Lindbergh
is far off the course when he calls
such action “meddling.”
Coalition Cabinet
If President Roosevelt has been
hoping to form a "coalition” cabi
net—there has been no public word
from him on the matter—those hopes
must have been abandoned In view
of the vigorous expressions of oppo
sition from most of the influential
Republican leaders.
From the O. O. F. point of view
A
the proposal Is simply another device
to strengthen the third-term move
ment and keep the New Dealers in
office. In the judgment of the mi
nority spokesmen there is nothing in
the international picture today to
Justify the submergence of the Re
publicans and the adoption of what
they call a one-party Government
with Mr. Roosevelt holding the reins.
It must be recognized, however,
that this attitude imputes to the
President a desire to make domestic
political capital out of the crisis in
Europe—a crisis which intimately
affects our own welfare—and there
is no reason to believe that such an
imputation is warranted. Mr. Roose
velt is no stranger to political strata
gems, but, in The Star’s opinion, he
is not a man to put his own political
fortunes ahead of the national wel
fare at this crucial time.
According to most versions, the
President has asked Colonel Frank
Knox to take over the Navy Depart
ment if Secretary Edison should
resign to run for Governor of New
Jersey, and has at least considered
offering the post of Secretary of War
to Alfred M. Landon, who, inciden
tally, has said he would decline any
such offer. Should such offers be
made and accepted, however, Mr.
Roosevelt would have In his official
family the Republican standard
bearers during the 1936 campaign,
and their presence In the cabinet,
if supported by other Republicans,
might be expected to silence partisan
attacks during the approaching cam
paign on the administration’s foreign
policy and its defense program. In
view of Mr. Roosevelt’s apprehen
sions concerning the world outlook,
it is certainly reasonable to believe
that he may have had this objective
in mind.
There is no hope for harmony
from a coalition government, how
ever, unless it enjoys full support
from the minority, and since that
support obviously will not be forth
coming the reported plan to form
such a cabinet has met huge ob
stacles. This, however, does not
necessarily apply to the possible ap
pointment of Colonel Knox, whose
qualifications are of a high order.
But this does not mean that the
President should not turn to the
ablest men in the country, regardless
of their politics, for advice and
assistance in the critical task this
Nation is facing. And it is distinctly
encouraging that Mr. Roosevelt has
reiterated his intention of doing
just that.
Labor and Defense
The House Naval Committee took
a step In the right direction in ap
proving the Vinson bill to authorize
more flexible working hours in navy
yards and private yards holding
naval contracts as one means of
speeding up the defense program.
Labor is not injured by this limited
change in existing law, since the
measure requires time and a half
for all work above the forty-hour
basic week. And this very provision
should have a tendency to confine
this discretionary use of longer
hours to cases where skilled me
chanics are not immediately avail
able among the ranks of the unem
ployed to form extra shifts.
In his defense message last week
President Roosevelt spoke of speed
ing up to a twenty-four-hour basis
all existing or new Army and Navy
contracts. Obviously, if qualified
men are available, it will be sounder
economics to put on another shift at
normal wages and lighten the relief
problem at the same time than to
pay time and a half for longer hours
by existing forces.
It remains to be seen, however,
whether war industries will be able
to find without delay enough experi
enced men to step up production to
three eight-hour crews a day, and
if they cannot it is well that Con
gress should permit leeway in hour
standards, at least on the naval
program.
The bill originally authorized the
President also t6 suspend with re
spect to naval contracts the Walsh
Healy Act, regulating wages and
hours of contractors dealing with
t^e Government. This was merely
permissive. Its elimination, there
fore, makes little difference, since
the Secretary of Labor already has
discretion to raise hour standards
under that law in unusual cases,
provided time and a half is paid.
This bill applies only to .the naval
end of the big defense program, and
there are no Indications that con
gressional leaders or the administra
tion are planning any general revi
sion of the wage-hour or similar acts
at this session to expedite the vast
amount of work that must be done
to enable the United States to pro
tect this hemisphere.
It is not likely that the thirty
cent minimum per hour on the wage
end of the present law will hamper
the defense program, but strict
adherence to a time standard of
forty-two or forty hours a week
could easily slow down the building
of urgently needed ships, planes and
other mechanized implements.
On the other hand, if hours of
work are to be lengthened during
the emergency only on the basis of
time and a half for the added hours,
this condition in Itself would lessen
the amount, of defense the Nation
could obtain from the funds ap
propriated.
It seems now that both industry
and labor will have to work out the
problem for the immediate future
in a spirit of voluntary co-operation.
President Roosevelt sounded the
proper keynote for such an effort
when he suggested yesterday that
the carrying out of the defense pro
gram should not create millionaires,
nor did he believe labor should take
advantage of the crisis.
h a
Points to Failures
Of Our Democracy
Activity of Pressure Groups
Held Menace to
Any Republic
To the Editor of The Stir:
During nearly a decade the public ear
has been assailed with the phrase
“make democracy work.” Under the
guise of these inoffensive words many
things have been done. An encyclopedia
of new statutes has been enacted. Our
revamped Judiciary has given new con
struction to our old laws. A whole al
phabet of boards, commissions and
bureaus has been created. Treasure ,al
most beyond imagination, upward Ot <0
billion dollars, has been spent for relief,
subsidies, salaries, pensions and hand
outs. All of these things, so it was said,
were done to make democracy work.
At this critical time is it not fitting
that we seriously and honestly aftardh
our souls and Inquire whether any ot
these things, or all of them together,
have made any substantial contribution
toward making democracy work! If
they have, the price, although high, is
not prohibitive.
Unless history and reason lie, the pri
mary purpose of government is to pro
vide, as a minimum, security in person
and property. Security of worship, of
thought, and of expression are but re
finements and extensions of the primary
security. Always important, these lat
ter rights, recently spoken of as "civil
liberties,” have received a plethora of
attention and publicity. It might be
truly said that the public is "civil lib
erty” conscious. This is not an unhap
py circumstance, unless our attention
has been distracted from the founda
tion of all of our rights, security of
person and property; for what shall it
profit us to attain a full measure of
civil liberty at the expense of national
unity and national security?
The Frenchman could give us some
excellent advice on this subject. It was
he who invented the sit-down strike,
and, of all places, in the aviation in
dustry. It was the Frenchman who in
vented the week with two Sundays and
the vacation with pay. The Norwegian
could also give us some advice on na
tional unity and security. Liberality
and collective effort were their shib
boleths. In fact, their liberality was so
genuine that its legislative body until
1935 was a member of the Third Inter
national. Its liberality filled its country
with spies and saboteurs, destroyed the
unity of its people and Invited national
calamity and disgrace from which it will
never recover.
But what of our national unity and
security? Is democracy working in this
respect? Although threatened on both
the Atlantic and the Pacific, little of the
60 billion dollars has been spent to
strengthen our Navy, our first line of
defense. Our Army, with one mechan
ized division, is literally contemptible
wljen compared with the world of today.
We have not enough anti-aircraft guns
adequately to defend the City of Wash
ington. Although cnarged with the de
fense of the Panama CRnal, our air
force in planes and personnel is not
sufficient for this one mission, not to
mention our unprotected Atlantic and
Pacific Coasts and other strategic
points. Plants for production of fight
ing planes are gradually being built up,
thanks to foreign purchases and not our
own foresight. The Government has
taxed and taxed, and spent and spent
to make democracy work, but we have
no Army or air force and but an inade
quate Navy.
Among the numerous new enactments
to make democracy work, one was de
signed to provide “social security.” Un
der this enactment vast sums have been
collected, but only a small moiety re
'mains in the Treasury for the purpose
for which it was collected. If our econ
omy is adversely effected by our national
weakness, our social security cannot be
very secure.
While under the sway of foreign
agente—the Frenchman invented the
sit-down strike, the week with two Sun
days and vacation with pay—to make
democracy work, we provided pay for
work not done and a bounty to farmers
for not producing, all for the purpose of
creating prosperity through scarcity.
Notwithstanding the use of public funds
to organize and protect the working
man, an army of racketeers, padrones
and others of such ilk gained lucre and
high place. With all of our statutes, all
of our good will, and all 'of our liberal
ism, the crackpot, the inept, the vis
ionary, the left winger, and the agents
of foreign governments clog and dis
tract the functioning of the Government
service and of the many laws passed to
make democracy work.
In spite of all of our liberal laws and
liberal interpretations by a truculent
judiciary, and the never-ending stream
of treasure poured out by a liberal hand,
there came into being a class of or
ganized mendicants, and class unrest
with constant warfare between capital
and labor, resulting often In the de
struction of private property. To make
democracy work, only those able to pay
were taxed. Unhappily, these taxes
were regarded by those paying them as
confiscatory, rendering insecure all
manner of property from the widow’s
mite to the millionaire’s yacht, and
driving capital from industry. To make
democracy work, sharp distinctions
were drawn between human rights and
property rights; between corporate prop
erty and individual property. All too
tnany persons refused to acquiesce in
these subtle distinctions and have bit- 1
terly maintained that human rights and
property rights are inseparable and
that the widow’s mite Is oft Invested in
corporate enterprise; that laws come
with property and leave with It.
Besides the fifth column of foreign
and domestic origin whose entry Into
strategic positions has been so rapid,
we have with us an organized host whose
primary idea is to get something for
nothing; to live on the fruits of the
labor and thrift of others; and the
iron in whose blood- has been distilled
away, leaving a softer but much less
useful substance. *
Considering our potentiality as a go
ing concern, the new laws and the stag
gering sums laid out in that behalf, it
cannot be said that democracy has not
had a chance to work. The plain evi
dence is that if it has worked, it has
wor'e-d poorly or in reverse.
That democracy will not work is a
fact as old and as large as civilization
Itself. It should be the common knowl
edge of ovary grads pupil that an at
I,
~ THIS AND THAT I
By Charlet t. Tracewell.
Dogwoods have dona exceptionally
well this year.
Not in • long time have there been so
many blossoms on them.
Many other shrubs did nobly. These
included the true bridal-wreath and
allied shrubs. The flowering almonds
and Japanese quince fairly outdid them
selves, as the phrase has It.
On the other hand, the famous
forysthia failed to bloom up to normal,
owing to a bad spell of weather at the
exact time of blossoming, which Is be
fore the leaves, of course.
* • e *
Home gardeners will wonder how
much the weather had to do with the
good and bad blooming.
A dry fall and early winter Is said
to be good for most shrubs.
Heavy and continued snowfalls, lying
on the ground for weeks, are reputed
to be good for peonies and the like.
Whether this Is true remains to be
seen. To date the peonies do not look
as If they are going to be great bloom
ers this season.
At the time of this writing a small
but severe drought had existed, causing
much dry and yellow looking grass.
* * * *
Since the lawn is the apple of every
home owner’s eye, It no doubt has re
ceived unusual attention everywhere.
Persons who took the well-known
time by the equally famous forelock,
and put In seed in March and early
April, are now reaping their reward.
Those who sowed grass seed last
autumn also have the pleasure of wel
coming many thousands of new grass
blades.
Dry weather for even a two-week
period in the spring is particular hos
tile to fresh-sprouted grass. The new
blades are so delicate that too much
dryness at the time they begin to show
above ground makes certain that more
than 50 per cent of them will die out.
Since there are many, however, to
help augment the lawn, the chances
are that the sward will be better than
ever after a good rain.
• * * •
Spacing of rainfalls by nature often
seems to be pretty poor.
At least this is the way the home
gardener will look at it.
A rain about once a week, he feels,
would be Just about right, but more
often than not, it seems, It falls to
materialize.
When to this lack Is added unusual
warmth, drastic measures are neces
sary if the existing lawn, plus it* new
plantlets, is to live up to expectations.
The chief of these measures consists
of watering by hose.
* * * a
Watering the lawn is essentially a
juvenile occupation.
It is safe to say that no adult enjoys
this job, at least after he has Indulged
in it for several seasons. That Is why
those who can afford it go in for gar
deners, hired men, and yard boys, as
they are sometimes called.
Standing with horn In hand In time
comes to strike one as an essentially
silly occupation, only made good by the
fact of the great good which It does.
It does not follow, unfortunately,
that a .good deed Is never boresome.
To the contrary, goodness often seems
to have a way of being deadly.
* * * *
The person afflicted with this com
mon spring complaint of excessive
boredom, when confronted with the
necessity for some chore, should see to
It that everything is made as easy as
possible.
It is the same with mowing.
How many persons Insist on using
some old machine which has done serv
ice for so long that it barely runs I
A great old machine, undoubtedly, but
It is about ready to break down. While
it is doing this, though, It is creaking
and sticking and in many other ways
protesting against the added service It
must give.
What Is more aggravating than a
lawn mower which creaks? This la a
test of nerves perhaps. Some persons
do not seem to mind. Others will find
the persistent creak of a none too well
oiled mower gets on their nerves, wheth
er from close at hand—very—or from
afar.
* * * *
When It comes to making the duty of
watering the lawn as painless as pos
sible, there can be little doubt that
where most householders fall down is
in failure to keep the hose as a unit.
Mostly they have four or more 29
foot lengths, which ordinarily they do
not even keep hitched up.
Every time the lawn is watered these
separate units must be hauled out of
the garage or cellar, fitted together,
sometimes with fittings which leak, and
then the entire length dragged out into
the yard, after being hitched to a
faucet.
Some old-fashioned persons must con
nect the hose inside, and permit the re
mainder of it to dangle out the window.
No wonder some of us fail to show
much enthusiasm for the necessary task
of watering the lawn.
Hence our grass is yellow or semi
yellow, when it ought to be green or
demi-green, shall we say?
A hose reel ought to be about the
finest sort of appliance, but how many
householders own one?
With this gadget the hose would be
all coiled, ready to go.
Or would it?
We suspect that in most cases it
wouldn't. After you have the reel, you
have to be sure to put the hose on it,
all wound up, at the end of every day's
watering. And since this terminus
usually comes at dark, there is every
reason for failure to do the right thing
at the right moment, as usual. From
yards to nations, failure to do the j-ight
thing at the right time is a terrible
thing.
Letters to the Editor
Lindbergh's Speech
Condemned end Praised.
To the Editor ol The SUr:
Col. Lindbergh’s speech was very re
vealing. He knows much about aviation,
but apparently not much about politics
or the anguish that at this moment is
engulfing the world. The present war
in Europe has no locale, no real battle
fronts. It is being waged in the hearts
of real men and women everywhere.
Who amongst us can any longer pursue
a certain way of life in security and
happiness? Can we eat, drink and be
merry while men, women and (Children
everywhere are dying in agony? The
body is but a cloak for the soul and
human nature cannot long endure soul
sickness. A world in which the British
and French go down to defeat will not
be a pleasant nor a safe world in which
to live. As a Nation let us put aside
selfishness in all of its forms and rise
above stupidity. Let us face facts and
let us help in every way possible short
of war our spiritual allies who are dying
to preserve the things we too cherish.
Let us act before it Is too late, else we
may live to face the same terrors alone
that Europe faces today and spend our
lives regretting our apathy and selfish
ness. Events have moved so swiftly In
the past week It looks as If twilight has
settled over the earth. The courage of
the French has become immortal. Let us
help to hold the torch high.
May 20. FRIEND OF FRANCE.
To the Editor of The Star:
Col. Lindbergh’s warning against hys
terical fear of invasion and useless
spending of billions on armaments is in
deed timely. Col. Lindbergh does not
think invasion of the United States by
air is possible at this stage of airplane
development and certainly the European
war would bear him out—Germany goes
into Holland in order to have an air base
100 miles from Southern England. Alarm
ists tell us a bombing plane may soon be
invented which could come over here. If
so, what could be more foolish than to
build a vast air armada which will be
obsolete in a few years when the real
danger comes?
If we need to strengthen our defenses,
let us have some study and some dis
cussion in order that we may have what
we want when we finish. In the past
seven years we have spent six billion for
defense and now Gen. Marshall says we
have no Army capable of defending us.
But we can’t place all the blame on our
military men. There has never been any
clear discussion in Congress nor among
the people about what our armed forces
are to defend. Is it our shores, our hemis
phere or the balance of power in the
Western Pacific as indicated by the sud
den approval by a congressional com
mittee of the fortification of Guam in the
tempt to make democracy work li an
attempt to change our republican form
of Government and revert to a form of
government which Is bound to destroy
itself.
Much of our confusion of thought
and lack of national unity arises from
the belief, all too general, that our Con*
stitutlon set up a democracy providing
for direct action through organised
pressure group, Impulse and emotion.
Actually our form of government was
carefully designed to prevent this sort
of thing. J. B. BILBRSY.
Mag U.
Letters to the Editor must
hear the name and address of
the writer, although the use of
a pseudonym for publication is
permissible. Please be brief!
center of the Japanese mandated islands?
This rush to pour billions into any form
of armaments seems more an angry re
action to Nazi behavior in Europe than
it is a well-thought-through program of
American defense.
May 20. ALICE H. MORGAN.
suggests cnecsup
On Refugees.
To the Editor of The Ster:
It was shocking to this American to
see in a recent issue of The Star an illus
trated article pleading for help in order
to prevent the deportation on August 1
of an unnaturalized German artist.
In view of the dispatches from Nor
way and Holland, which you, as members
of the Associated Press, have heretofore
printed, it is now known that resident
Nazis in those neutral countries as well
as German refugees to Holland after the
first World War contributed their despic
able part in the capitulation of troops in
parts of Holland and in the successful
invasion of Norway. Unnaturalized
"Aryan” Germans are potential Nazis
who may develop into active enemies
against the country to give them refuge.
They are not to be treated cruelly by our
Government as possible enemies are
treated by the German "Fury”—not ar
rested—not put in concentration camps
—but should be returned firmly and
gently to the country in which they and
their parents were born.
Because of the immensity of the United
States the danger to its security is
greater from within than from without
and it would be well for us before it is
too late to take precautionary and
severe measures so that the tragic ex
periences of other neutral nations will
not be our fate as well.
May 15. FRANCIS L. CAVERLY.
Urges Pan-American
Preparedness Conference.
To the Editor of The Star:
With world conditions in their present
state it occurs to me that it would be
quite fitting for President Roosevelt to
call an immediate conference in Wash
ington of the chiefs of the armies and
industrial leaders of the Pan-American
countries for the purpose of working out
a plan of co-ordinating the man power
and Industrial resources of the 21 repub
lics of the Western Hemisphere in a
general preparedness program.
I believe that if such a plan could be
worked out it would not only strengthen
the national defense of the countries of
the western Hemisphere, but also help in
extending the policy of the good neighbor.
W. EARL HOPPER.
Weehawken, N. J.
May 18.
Would Give Gold '
To the Allies.
To tho Editor of Tho Stor:
If gold can give triumph to democracy
in Europe, and forever hold In subjection
Germany, a state whose bad principles
have shocked the intelligence of this
world, why do we delay giving it, when
each war communique of the impending
ruin to France and England makes us
tremble over the fate of these democ
racies? HARRY DANIELS,
Mag M. .
A
Haskin's Answers
To Readers' Questions '
By Frederic J. Hasktn.
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. What were the flrst words used on
a phonograph?—E. F.
A. When the phonograph was In
vented by Thomas A. Edison, the first
verse spoken into the new Instrument
was "Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
Q. When was shaving introduced?—
A. M.F.
A. The custom of shaving can be
traced back to antiquity. The Egyptians
commonly shaved except when in mourn
ing. In Greece, Alexander the Great
ordered his soldiers to shave off their *■
beards so that their enemies might not
seize them by them. The custom was
introduced Into Rome about the same
time. In Europe razors were used in
France, Spain and in England before the
18th century.
■
Q. What air passenger travels the
greatest number of miles?—R. P.
A. During the past year Mrs. Franklin
D. Roosevelt, Orson Welles and Andre
Kostelanetz each has traveled over 100,
000 miles by airplane. In 1939 Mrs. Clara
Adams went around the world by com
mercial airline; a distance of 28,000 miles
in 16 days 19 hours 4 minutes.
Q. Please give the age, value and
size of the Steel Pier at Atlantic City.—
C. L. H.
A. The pier was built in 1897 and
opened to the public in 1898. Its present
value has been estimated at over 82,000,
000. The length is slightly over 2,000
feet and it is 175 feet wide.
Q. What was the sarcastic remark
made by Woodrow Wilson about the in
decisiveness of William Jennings Bryan?
-C. P. D.
A. Mr. Wilson said that Mr. Bryan
came out hurriedly, mounted his horse, -
and immediately rode off in five different
directions.
Q. Is a passport required to enter •
Mexico and Canada from the United
States?—H. B.
A. It is not necessary to have a pass
port to enter either Canada or Mexico,
but some certified identification should
be carried.
Q. Who originated the Children’s
Crusade?—M. J. D.
A. The idea of having school children
help the refugee children of war-stricken
countries was conceived by Dorothy Can
field Fisher, the author.
Q. What is a Jalap?—E. G. D.
A. It is a twining plant belonging to
the morning-glory family, whose root
is the source of a well-known laxative
drug of the same name. It is found
chiefly around Jalapa, a town in Mexico.
a __
Q. Is Mussolini religious?—J. K.
A. "Inside Europe,” by John Gunther,
says: "The Duce is the only modem dic
tator who has come to terms with
religion. In 1929 the La ter an treaty
adjusted the relations of church and
state in Italy. Shortly thereafter Mus- ’1 %
sol ini and the Pope, strong characters
both, clashed over the education of
Fascist youth; in 1932 the Duce went to
the Vatican, knelt in prayer, and, it is .
believed, took holy communion. He was
an avowed atheist like his father, in
youth; latterly he has become very
religious. He prays daily. His wedding
gift to Edda was a golden rosary; his
youngest child, Anna Maria, waa his
flrst to be given a religious name.”
Q. When is Father’s Day?—G. O.
A. Father’s Day will be observed on
Sunday, June 16.
Q. Please give the origin of the term
Jim Crow.—F. R. c.
A. The book "Phrase Origins’* says:
"This name, as applied to street or rail
road cars reserved exculsively for Negroes,
was that of a dusky dancer of about
1830, whose routine included a peculiar
Jump still known to school children as
part of the “wheel about and turn about
’ and Jump Jim Crow’ dance. The early
song and dance won wide popularity as
a minstrel number, and Jim Crow became
the generic name for a Negro. By 1881 It
was in print as designating their spe
cial car.”
Q. Where is the statue of Joan of
Arc whloh contains stone brought from
the dungeon at Rouen?—S. D.
A. The statue is on Riverside Drive in
New York City. Erected in 1818, the
pedestal was made in part from 18
tons of stone from the dungeon at Rouen,
France. The statue of Joan of Arc on
horseback is of bronze and is the work
of Anna Vaughn Hyatt. Her niece,
Clara Hunter Hyatt, posed in armor for
the figure.
Q. Is it true that during the World
War more Negroes than white men were
drafted from South Carolina?—A. L. J.
A. At the time of the World War the
number of white men inducted into the
Army from South Carolina was 18,261;
Negroes, 25,788.
Q. How many new designs of postage
stamps have been Issued during the
Roosevelt administration?—E. D. K.
A. The Post Office Department says
that 138 postage stamps, including ordi
nary, airmail and commemorative Issues,
have been made available to date since
March 4, 1833.
Homeward Flight .
Life itin fai branches that have; Vug
been bare;
The winding sheet, ones feather-soft
and white,
That tenderly hid earth's eoM form from
sight
Is sullied new, and tattered hare and
there.
A hint of restlessness Is in the air
Aa birds, with age-old instinct, poise for
flight
Imprisoned streams are loosed upon tha
height
As Phoebus dally mounts his flew stair.
When these dry boughs burst into living
flame
And green leaves make a roof for each
small nest
Tour heart will surely seek Its own home
tree.
Whose fiber still is shaken by a
That ? long ago found lodgment at its
breast—
Wayfaring wings will bear you back to
»*. ANNA 1C. PRIESTLEY.
t> - At