Evening star. [volume], May 24, 1940, Page A-10, Image 10

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

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THEODORE W. NOYES, Editor.
WASHINGTON. D. C.
FRIDAY..May 24, 1940
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Co-ordination Needed
As Congress continues its extraordi
nary drive to complete legislative
approval of the President’s emer
gency defense program, it becomes
more urgent than ever that no time
be lost in preparing the Nation’s
production machinery for the job
of converting the appropriated bil
lions into planes and tanks and guns.
The unprecedented size of the rush
order about to be placed by the Gov
ernment will impose an enormous
strain on the wheels of the executive
departments and of private industry.
Before the “full speed ahead signal”
can meet with an effective response,
the stresses must be distributed by a
careful co-ordination of component
parts of the governmental-industrial
setup. There must be an expansion
and a regearing of administrative
machinery as well as of manufactur
ing plants, shipyards and arsenals.
An overhauling of high officialdom
probably will be the first step. A new
Secretary of the Navy will have to be
appointed to replace Charles Edison,
if he resigns to seek the governor
ship of New Jersey. The critical sit
uation confronting the Navy calls
for selection of a strong and ener
getic mdn as civilian head of our sea
forces. His politics should not be a
consideration. There have been ru
mors of impending changes at the
War Department, too. Certainly
there is imperative need for virile
leadership in that important branch
at this time—and there is no room
for bickering among any officials.
Perhaps Mr. Roosevelt will have
something to say about his plans for
an emergency setup in his “fireside
chat" over the radio next Sunday
night. He could dispel some of the
fears that are being entertained in
certain quarters about possible de
lays and extravagance and waste in
the defense program if he were to
announce creation of a supplemental
group of distinguished advisers and
assistants from private life, picked
for special supervisory and liaison
work. It would be the mission of
these men to co-ordinate Govern
ment and industry, to guard against
“bottlenecks” in production, to effect
complete co-operation among de
partmental officials, manufacturers
and labor—in short, to serve as
“trouble-shooters” during the diffi
cult days that lie ahead.
The White House has indicated
that no super-agencies or bureaus
are planned. Undoubtedly the emer
gency activities can be handled for
the time being within the existing
framework of Government. But ex
perts of the “dollar-a-year” cate
gory should be "drafted” from indus
try as needed. Differences between
the administration and business
must be forgotten. All factions now
have a common stake and a common
purpose in the grave task that faces
this Nation. Unity today may mean
the preservation of all that America
has stood for since the days of the
founding fathers.
Alien Control
President Roosevelt’s plan to
transfer the Immigration and Nat
uralization Service to the Depart
ment of Justice from the Labor
Department appears to be clearly
In the interest of good admin
istration.
At a time when the Nation stands
aghast at the revelation of “fifth
column” activities abroad, it be
comes of the utmost importance, as
the President points out, that the
Government be equipped “to deal
quickly” with undesirable aliens.
The duty of prosecuting cases that
might arise in this connection would
devolve upon the Justice Depart
ment in any event, so it is entirely
logical, in order to simplify the
whole process of alien control as
far as possible, that it be brought
under one directing head instead
of being divided between two
departments.
Attorney General Jackson has
undertaken administration of the
new setup on a basis that should
be productive of efficiency. While
making only general plans prior to
approval by Congress of the transfer,
the Attorney General proposes to
maintain the Immigration and Nat
uralization Service in unchanged
form. The task then will be to
integrate its work with that of the
other units of the Justice Depart
ment, and this function has been
delegated to Solicitor General Biddle.
As the first step in Improved
procedure, the Attorney General will
consolidate here the alien-registra
tion records now scattered at ports
of entry in twenty-two districts. He
t
Intends also to require aliens bound
for the United States to be finger
printed at their point of origin
before visas are granted, so a check
may be made to determine if they
have records which should bar
admission.
In sending the reorganization mes
sage to Congress, President Roose
velt emphasized that the tightening
up process does not mean that the
civil liberties enjoyed by aliens are
to be curtailed, and the same point
was stressed by the Attorney General.
It is natural perhaps that this ques
tion should have presented itself in
view of the circumstances surround
ing the transfer, but the assurances
of the President and .Attorney Gen
eral should be sufficient to allay any
apprehension in this regard.
Full Speed Ahead!
The Senate, by passing a $3,297,
009,452 defense program In twenty
four hours, gave reassuring evidence
that democracy can function as
swiftly as dictatorship when na
tional security demands it.
The fact that both the Army and
the Navy bills were approved unani
mously also is gratifying proof that
the Senate, on an issue of national
defense, can rise above politics. It
means that Senators voted, not as
Democrats or Republicans^ but as
Americans.
It is safe to assume that the House
will demonstrate with equal prompt
ness the determination of this coun
try not to be caught unprepared, or
to be lulled into a false sense of
security by oceans that are not as
wide as they were before the days of
modern mechanized warfare.
Both bills previously had passed
the House, but must go back now for
action on the new emergency funds
included by the Senate in response
to the appeal of President Roosevelt,
after the situation in Europe became
more critical.
The Senate approved substantially
all the President recommended in
his recent message, and more. The
story of how the entire defense pro
gram has been expanded to meet
any possible future threat to this
country can be seen at a glance by
comparing these figures:
When the Navy bill passed the
House three months ago it carried
$965,779,438. Today it contains
$1,302,265,038 in cash, plus authority
to make contracts for an additional
$171,491,690, or a total of $1,473,
756,728.
When the Army bill went through
the House nearly two months ago it
called for only $784,999,094. Today
it carries $1,500,023,088 in cash, plus
authority to make contracts for
$323,229,636, or a total of $1,823 -
252,724.
Profiting by the lesson the democ
racies of Europe are learning today,
both bills stress the development of
strong air forces for both the Army
and Navy as quickly as American
industry can produce them, with en
larged facilities to train pilots. 1
In his address to Congress the
President said he would like to see
this Nation geared up to a produc
tion capacity of 50,000 planes a year.
While the pending appropriations do
not seek to reach that goal in one
Jump, the general objective of all the
pending legislation is to provide the
Army and Navy with approximately
10,000 planes each in the not distant
future. This will give the United
States a formidable air force.
Under the 1938 law authorizing
not less than 3,000 planes, the Navy
now has 1,800, with 933 sched
uled for delivery In the coming fiscal
year. The bill which passed yester
day contains authority to order 2,970
more. Before the session ends Con
gress is expected to pass a separate
enabling act, under which the Navy’s
air force could be boosted to the
10,000 total, together with authority
to build twenty shore air bases along
both coast lines and at strategic in
sular possessions. The same measure
will authorize the training of 16,000
pilots. Some of the money in the
pending appropriation bill is in
tended to start this general author
ization.
There is also in the new part of
the Navy bill $100,000,000 to hasten
completion of sixty-eight warships of
various types already under con
struction and for possible use in
starting twenty-four more. Senator
Byrnes of South Carolina, in charge
of the bill, told the Senate he would
prefer to concentrate on launching
as soon as possible the vessels near
est to completion. In addition, the
Senate has voted the President an
un-earmarked fund of $68,000,000 for
emergency naval use, some of which
could be used to commission inactive
destroyers and submarines.
The Senate went beyond the
budget to provide funds to bring the
enlisted strength of the Navy up
from 145,000 to 170,000 men, and of
the Marine Corps, from 25,000 to
34,000.
For the Army Air Corps the old
program called for a fleet of 5,500
planes. The War Department bill
as it now stands makes provision for
2,566 more, bringing the total to
8,066. As in the case of the Navy, it
is expected that in the near future
this limit also will be raised to 10,000.
The Army bill also will enable the
War Department to begin increasing
the present wholly inadequate num
ber of anti-aircraft guns, tanks and
other mechanized units that have
figured so prominently in the present
European war.
As in the case of the Navy, the
Senate went above the budget fig
ures by adding $50,000,000 to raise
the enlisted personnel of the Army
from 255,000 to full peace-time
strength of 280,000 men.
Corresponding again to the naval
measure, the President was given a
lump sum emergency fund of $132,
A *
000,000, part cash and part contract
authorisation, to speed up land de
fenses where he deems the need
most essential.
Congress still has confronting it
the problem of financing these ex
penditures that were unforseen a few
months ago, before the democracies
of Europe began to fall one by one
under the heel of aggression. But
no thoughtful citizen will quibble
over meeting these outlays—whether
the revenue legislation comes now or
in January—in the light of what is
happening to democratic nations in
Europe today.
Holmes Memorial
Introduction of a bill to establish a
small garden park in memory of the
late Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
and the accompanying publication of
a report of the special commission
established shortly after his death
recommending suitable means of
using the estate he bequeathed to
the United States, is of special inter
est and value to the National Capital.
It formulates in a specific man
ner the desires of far-seeing citizens
for the eventual use of the East
Capitol street area nearest the
Capitol as a zone of necessary
monumental Government edifices.
As outlined in the bill, part of the
square immediately east of the Su
preme Court Building would be pur
chased at this time and used as a
dignified garden, which later would
form part of the landscaping of the
various other court and library
edifices to be erected in that section.
When President Roosevelt many
months ago made the suggestion that
East Capitol street be rehabilitated
as one of the city’s fine aveaues by
utilizing it as a center for various
specialized libraries and museums
which now are spread inconveniently
in inadequate buildings throughout
the city, planners and residents
greeted the plan with enthusiasm.
Already the Folger Shakespeare
Library had become a landmark
there, and the Holmes memorial bill
is a governmental step to carry
forward this idea.
Since the cost already has been
provided for by the terms of Justice
Holmes’ will, certainly no finer nor
more appropriate memorial could be
provided than this park, along with
the other provisions of the bill, which
include publications of the writings of
a man who devoted a long life intel
ligently and effectively to carrying
out in a high degree his responsibili
ties as an American citizen.
How Many Planes?
Considerable confusion has arisen
concerning the number of planes
mentioned by President Roosevelt In
his defense message of last week as
being desirable for the protection of
this country’s vital Interests.
His thought on this point was
expressed in two sentences. The first
was clear and unambiguous. “I
should like," he said, “to see this
Nation geared up to the ability to
turn out at least 50,000 planes a
year.” Clearly, that relates to our
ultimate production capacity and has
no connection with the number of
planes he may consider presently
desirable.
The phraseology of his second
sentence was less explicit. “Further
more,” added the President, “I believe
that this Nation should plan at this
time a program that would provide
us with 50,000 military and naval
planes.”
If we are to plan a program that
“would” provide us with 50,000 planes
it may be reasonable to infer that
Mr. Roosevelt wants that many
planes actually on hand at some
time in the future or upon the devel
opment of some given emergency.
But certainly there is nothing in his
language to suggest that he was
advocating the building of 50,000
planes for our own use at this time,
and statements to the contrary
simply reflect a misunderstanding of
what was said in the message. •
Empty Honor
It will come as a surprise to most
of us that the common doughnut is
in any way regarded as a triumph
of engineering skill, but such seems
to be the case. The State of Maine
proposes to erect a monument on
Mount Battle to the memory of the
late Captain Hanson Gregory of
Camden—the Inventor of the hole
in the doughnut.
Prior to the captain’s time a sort
of prehistoric crude forerunner of
the doughnut existed—an unattrac
tive blob of shapeless dough, with no
possibilities apparent for its develop
ment either commercially or esthet
ically. It took true vision to see
anything in it, but Gregory had that
vision. Undismayed by the derision
of his neighbors—the reward of most
pioneers—he kept cool and thought
clearly, trying this and that until
finally he-achieved his life ambition
and produced the first doughnut
with a hole in it. Even then it was
accepted with skepticism, but soon
tests were made showing that the
hole was not only durable but also
even more digestible than the rest
of the doughnut, and from then on
most of the captain’s troubles were
over. Taking up the task at the
point where the old maestro laid it
down after a well-earned rest, others
have carried on, and brought it to
virtual perfection with the incorpo
ration of such features as stream
lining and dunking.
Florida has a “drive-in” church
where occupants of hundreds of
parked cars may listen to the service
through loudspeakers. They prob
ably take up the collection with
sidecar motorcycles. '
i
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
By Thomas R. Henry.
The million-dollar drive gets an early
start among American boys.
Its beginnings are shown in a report
on the wishes of children 7 to 15 years
old Just made to the child development
section of the National Research Coun
cil by George S. Spefer, a psychologist of
the Springfield (111.) school system.
The teachers tabulated the wishes ex
pressed by the children in order to get a
picture of their outlooks on life. An un
looked for difference was shown between
boys and girls.
“As was to be expected,” Dr. Speer
reports, “a number of wishes for money
were expressed. Although girls ex
pressed more wishes to have things,
boys expressed twice as many wishes for
money. They were specific in the
amounts of money desired. The girls
tended to be general in their expression,
desiring only ‘to be rich.’
"Boys also wished for a great deal
more money. When specific amounts
were mentioned the median wish of the
girls was for $50, with a range from $1
to $2,000,000. The median request of the
boys was for $1,000,000, with a range
from one cent to $100,000,000,000.
“A number of girls expressed wishes
for love, two of them qualifying this by
adding ‘in the right way.’ No boy wished
for love. On the other hand, a number
of boys expressed wishes for wives, vari
ously requiring them to be the most
beautiful, good cooks, the nicest, etc. No
girl expressed a wish for a husband.
“Girls expressed more wishes for
things, personal wishes, wishes about
other people and more immediate wishes
than boys. Boys expressed more ‘to be
come’ wishes. Older children expressed
more personal and ‘to become’ wishes
while younger ones expressed more im
mediate wishes and more wishes for
things.”
The experiment was carried out with
approximately 200 children in both city
and rural schools. The number of boys
and girls was essentially equal.
A wish which was not antfcipated
among children of this age range, Dr.
Speer says, was that for world peace.
The subjects were at the most warlike
age, supposedly filled with daydreams of
military glory. The frequent voluntary
expression of this wish may indicate a
decided change in the psychology of
American youth, it is pointed out, or may
be the result of hearing so much peace
talk from the parents.
The order in which wishes for peace
were expressed, the psychologist reports,
shows both age and sex differences. The
closer the age group comes to possibility
of contact with war, the greater is the
expression of desire for peace. The wish
appeared strongest in the older boys,
followed in turn by the younger boys,
older girls and younger girls.
A considerable difference in outlook
was shown between the country and city
children. The rural child, the psychol
ogist believes, is exposed to fewer things
which it might desire than is the city
child. Also, he believes, the range of
possible vocations is smaller, so that the
rural child is less likely to be swayed in
its choice of occupations by the intro
duction of alternate types of livelihood.
T T T »
The vemon of the dreaded black
widow spider is approximately 15 times
more potent than that of the rattle
snake, according to a report of experi
ments by Fred E. D’Armour, Frances E.
Becker and Walker van Riper pub
lished in the annual report of the Smith
sonian Institution.
The comparison was established by
determining the relative amounts of
rattlesnake and spider vemon neces
sary to kill rats of the same weight.
The extreme toxicity of the insect be
comes of considerable significance, it
is pointed out, since the creature has
been reported from practically every
State in the Union and is allegedly on
the increase in the neighborhood of
cities and towns.
The probability of being bitten, they
decided from a study of the spiders
habits, is ordinarily very slight. The
black widow is a timid creature, except
towards her natural prey. At the first
molestation of her web she retreats
. quickly to her central nest and does
not venture out again for hours. She
makes no attempt at defense, to say
nothing of aggression.
There can be little question that the
spider is increasing in numbers, they
say. They are such strikingly marked
creatures that they are almost certain
to be noticed wherever they exist in
any considerable numbers. They are
constantly being reported from new
localities. Moreover, farmers and fruit
growers usually are quite observant of
the kind of insects found on their crops.
Only a few years ago, however, did the
first reports come out of infestation of
Colorado tomato fields so bad that har
vesters were advised to wear gloves. In
some places they have become so numer
ous in vineyards that pickers have
refused to work and the fruit has rotted
on the vines. Peach growers notice
many of them in their orchards.
The conclusion that they are increas
ing in thickly settled communities, they
say, is a corrallary of the increase in
numbers. If the spider population in a
given region increases greatly, the
biologists point out, their manner of
dispersal by win'd and their utilization
of such means of transporatlon as box
cars make it inevitable that^some should
find themselves within urban limits.
Once established in a thickly settled
section, their chances for survival and
increase are favored. They find warm
shelters in basements, garages and
similar places. There they are protected
against the cold to a much greater ex
tent than would be the case in the
open. Severe cold to which they are
exposed in nature is one factor which
has served to prevent their rapid in
crease.
Unless drastic methods of eradication
are used, the biologists say, there will
probably be an increasing number of
these unwelcome guests. They are very
difficult to eradicate. About all that
can be done by the householder is to
locate Individuals and Ull them.
A
THIS AND THAT
By Charlet E. Tracewell.
—
"EAST FALLS CHURCH, VA.
"Dear sir:
“Having Just returned to my desk after
spending several days at my dogwooded
country home, I should like to report
the return of all the migrating birds and
their reception by the permanent resi
dents.
“The wood thrush completed her nest
about a week ago, which she fashioned
underneath the honeysuckle vines which
trail over the chicken yard fence, Just 10
Inches from last year’s nest, leading me
to believe that she, like the wren, re
turns each year to the same location. I
believe this is also true of the chickadee
and bluebird.
“Several catbirds, goldfinches, oven
birds, who walk along the leafy borders
of the garden in search of food; warb
lers, towhees, with their colorful coats
and calls resembling their name, and the
scarlet tanageR more brilliant than ever
with his black wings against his gay
coat, reminding me of the oriental poppy
in bloom—all have returned during the
past week.
“The catbird has fashioned her nest
of twigs, leaves and grasses under the
eaves where the ivy and Paul’s Scarlet
rose meet; the wren has taken over the
coconut shell now deserted by the chicka
dee; the brilliant tanager, usually so shy,
is apparently house hunting.
“There has been but one instance of
discord at the feeder, when the catbird
arrived, and not knowing the sunflower
seeds were intended for the cardinal
alone, was met with a dirty look from
the latter, plus an exchange of scolding.
There can be no doubt that the catbird
is not welcome, since he has kept his
distance and gleans his food from the
ground.
“A colorful picture was presented when
the blue jay, cardinals, chipmunk and
towhee were seen feeding yesterday from
the same shelf. .
“Sincerely, O. C.”
* * * *
We have never seen the towhee re
main on the feeding shelf with any other
bird, let alone the jay.
Few birds like to eat with the blue
Jays, the latter scaring them away, al
though the jays seldom if ever attack
them.
There is something so blustering about
the jays that most birds give them plenty
of room.
Cardinals sometimes will eat with the
Jays, but mostly give ground before
them. It should be pointed out that the
different species do not react to each
other at all times and places in exactly
the same way.
Birds, as people, differ.
Most scarlet tanagers are shy, but now
and then the observer will run onto one
which is as friendly as a chipmunk, as
the old saying had it.
* * * *
Smaller birds are more inclined to cat
with each other than larger ones.
Chickadees will coma where there are
sparrows, but towhees will not often re
main on the shelf when cardinals arrive.
One not experienced in bird feeding
might imagine that this would deprive
the birds of their food, but it does not
work out that way.
All birds are intensely active. They
are forever on the go, flying, hopping,
darting around.
A bird is here one minute, off there
another.
If a larger bird flies in, scaring others
away, it will not stay very long, but in
its turn will be frightened away by an
other and still larger bird, or by a
squirrel.
Thus, all get a chance at the grain
and seed.
* * * *
Words such as “frighten” and “scare”
must not be taken in an extreme sense.
A bird may be frightened away, and
still not be scared to death, as it were.
All these creatures find that flight is
better than fighting, because it is per
fectly easy to fly back again shortly!
While birds do fight, the act is not
indulged in often, and is mostly between
birds of the same species. Robins fight
robins, and cardinals fight cardinals,
but seldom, indeed, will a robin attack
a cardinal, or cardinal a robin.
* * * *
Most bird fights amount to very little.
They are mostly affairs of fluttering
wings and rasping bills, with very little
damage done, if any.
Occasionally, some one bird will be
set upon by several birds. In such
cases, the poor creature may be pecked
to death, since it cannot get away from
so many. This sort of bird warfare
is not often seen, however.
Human friends of birds should keep
an eye open for it, though, and act im
mediately to chase the birds away, so
that the pursued creature may have
time to make its escape.
* * * *
Ddves, emblem of peace, can stand
their ground before most birds.
Doves often drive blue jays away
from feeders.
The first time one happens to see
this, it is almost impossible to believe
one’s eyes, so firmly has the idea been
implanted that the dove is a peaceful
bird.
It is, of course, quiet, but perfectly
able to cope with most situations which
may arisa in its life.
Our dove is the turtle dove, so called,
also the mourning, or Carolina dove.
Persons new to bird feeding some
times think it is a pigeon. This dove is
a nice bird, good to have around. Usu
ally it nests near to its feeding ground.
Its song, if such it may be called, is not
in the least mournful.
Whatever suggestion of the lament
it may have is due to the fact that it
is a contralto, not a soprano, as are
most birds. The mournful quality of
the contralto voice is well known.
Letters to the Editor
Says CoL Lindbergh
Is Shortsighted.
To the Editor of The Star:
The Star is to be commended on its
editorials relative to the European con
flict. They have shown a vision alto
gether too lacking here in general.
It is a very, very sad state of affairs
when our Representatives and Senators
see more in Col. Lindbergh’s speeches
than in those of Secretary Hull. We
expect our Representatives and Senators
to lead us, not to be led. We expect
them to be statesmen and to live up to
the office they have chosen.
If Col. Lindbergh knows (like the late
Senator Borah) more about this Euro
pean affair than the Secretary or the
Senators who are so willing to follow
rather than to lead, let us get these facts
now. To most of us, however, Austria,
Czecho-Slovakia, Poland, Denmark, Nor
way and Holland are more than geo
graphical terms. They represent dead
voices, voices that America can help bring
back to life by whatever means at present
short of war she may see fit to adopt.
We believe Col. Lindbergh is a great
aviator and Should stick to that task.
So far neither Mr. Hull nor the Presi
dent has been wrong in this matter. It
has been difficult to arouse us. Now, let
us hope it is yet day and that we may
yet work before the night comes.
May 21. LOOKING AHEAD.
Internal Menace Held
Our Greatest Danger.
To the Editor of TWe Star:
May I state my inability to find any
thing inconsistent or contradictory in
Col. Lindbergh's address? He frankly
stated:
“We need a greater air force, a greater
Army and a greater Navy; they have
been inadequate for many years.”
He had told a congressional committee
the same thing a year previously.
When stating, in his address, his
belief or view that “No one wishes to
attack us, and no one is in a position to
do so,” he was obviously referring merely
to external attack by European nations,
because he pointed out, in the same con
nection, that “A foreign power could not
conquer us by dropping bombs in this
country unless the bombing were accom
panied by an invading aflny.”
He was careful also to explain that
“Our danger in America is an internal
danger.”
If time had permitted, he would
doubtless have expanded this explana
tion by pointing out the penetration of
this Nation, including important public
offices, by large numbers of persons
friendly to the Communists, a situation
greatly aggravated by the recently dis
closed harmony between the Communist
and the Nazi high commands. This
serious internal danger is not remedi
able by airplanes, cannon and battle
ships, as our President should well
know. Do they not really constitute
the recently publicized “fifth column”?
Why doesn’t our President remove such
conditions, instead of reprimanding
those who make the effort by charging
them with “sordid procedure”? With
such conditions continuing in our very
midst, will not any further expenditure
of billions right now really constitute
national defense in reverse, by tending
to produce the final state of “practical
bankruptcy” which Lenin and Stalin
both extolled as desirable to make us
"ripe for revolution”? See Stalin’s
"Foundations of Leninism,” p. 83.
May 31. GEOROE E. SULLIVAN.
1
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!
Police Increase No
Answer to Crime Problem.
To the Editor of The Star:
Don't you think it’s about time the
sensible solution for the District’s crime
; problem was applied? Your editonal in
Monday’s paper simply avoids the cause
of the. trouble when it urges a larger
police force. At this late date, there is
no longer any question that criminal be
havior is not to be remedied simply by
indulging in suppressive measures, but
that the lessening of crime depends fore
mast on the solution or alleviation of the
social problems out of which criminal
conduct springs.
Sociology has long found the causal
connection between crime and poverty,
slum housing conditions and denial of
opportunities for employment and in
dividual usefulness. The Star would do
our city a great and permanent service
if it undertook, instead of such an in
effective, falsely "cheap” remedy as in
creasing the number of policemen, a
long-range and broad campaign for the
transformation of the Capital into a city
of health, good housing and employment
for the unemployed, especially for the
young people getting out of the schools
and entering the labor market. Wash
ington is a very prosperous and stable
community: its stores are witness to that.
But there always is this too large number
of people who live in degradation for
lack of income and lack of healthful
environment. The Star would earn the
gratitude of all Washington if it sup
ported such programs as large-scale slum
eradication, a more intensive campaign
to clean up unhealthful conditions, the
opening pf Job opportunities, the raising
of wages for the underpaid, such as do
mestic and cafeteria workers, and ade
quate unemployment relief for those who
cannot be absorbed by private'industry.
Certainly such a program will be sup
ported by all who want Washington to
become a healthful, crime-free Capital
City. SOL FISHER.
May 21.
Calls Attention to
Labor’s Responsibility.
To the Editor of The Star:
We are faced with the necessity of
hastily modernizing our Army and its
component defensive mechanisms. We
are ready to spend hundreds of millions
of dollars to do it. But where are the
toolmakers? Where are the die sinkers?
Where are the machinists and the mold
ers and the stamping press operators?
Ask the labor leaders who have refused
to let any substantial number of appren
tices learn any of the mechanical trades
during recent years. They have a heavy
responsibility. They have hamstrung
their own Government in an endeavor
to create a monopoly of employment for
their own members.
May 16. F. O. CAMPBELL.
Star Editorial
Wins Commendation.
To the Editor of The Star:
Your wise and courageous editorial,
“American Crisis,” in today’s Star de
serves the respectful attention of all true
Americans. I agree completely.
May 14. WILLIAM MANN.
Haskin's Answers
To Readers' Questions.
By Frederic J. Hatkin.
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. How do«« Maggie define charm in
Barrie’s play ‘‘What Every Woman
Knows”?—F. A. S.
A. “It’s a sort of bloom on a woman.
If you have it, you don’t need to have
anything else. If you don’t have it. It
doesn’t much matter what else you
have."
Q Who made the first movie with a
stofy?—R. K. H.
A. The late Alexander Black was one
of the earliest camera enthusiasts. He
conceived the idea of arranging*a s.ries
of posed photograph slides, to fgrm. ,r**h /
oral narmtion, a story. The first of
these, “Miss Jerry," was presented at his
studio on October 9,1894.
Q. How many hymns were composed
by Charles Wesley?—M. E. K.
A. Charles Wesley was the author of
more than 6,000 hymns. More than 50*
hymns of John and Charles Wesley are
in common use today..
Q. Please give the derivation of the
word carnival.—I. H. S.
A. It is from the Latin, carne vale,
which means farewell to flesh.
Q. Has a President of the United
States ever been arrested?—J. J. M.
A. Ulysses S. Grant was the only Presi
dent ever arrested during his term of
office. He loved fast horses, always had
several in the White House stables, and
had taken the highest mark for horse
manship in his class at West Point. H;j
record in the high jumps has never been
equaled. One day he was driving a
spirited team in Washington, exceeded
the speed limit, and was arrested by a
colored policeman. The President put up
a deposit of $20, but never appeared a>
the Police Court, and commended the
colored policeman for doing his duty.
Q. Where is Seablscuit, the famous^
race horse?—G. H.
A. Seabiscuit quit the turf on March
12, 1940, and is now on the Charles S.
Howard Ranch near Ukiah, Calif., where
he will perpetuate his strain. j.
Q. How did Tierra del Fuego derive its
name?—M. B. C.
A. During his entire stay in the Straits,
Magellan never caught a glimpse of anv
of the Fuegan natives. The only sign of
life was the smoke from many camp
fires, so he named the land Tierra del
Fu^go, or the land of fire.
Q. When was the Liberty Bell cracked?
—E. J. H.
A. The Liberty Bell cracked as it tolled
during the funeral procession of Chief
Justice Marshall on July 8, 1835.
Q Where was table damask first
manufactured?—H. B. W.
A. China was no doubt the first coun
try to make the fabric we call damask.
India, Persia, and Syria, then Byzantine
Greece, followed at long intervals. About
the 12th century Damascus so far out-1
stripped all other places in the beauty
of the fabric manufactured there that
the name came to denote all such
fabrics.
Q What do the initials N. O. I. B N.
stand for on a railroad freight bill?-*
H. K. S.
A. The letters are an abbreviation
of ‘‘Not otherwise indexed by name.”
Q. Please give the number of people
employed by the Veterans’ Administra
tion.—J. C. N.
A. The total number of employes of
the Veterans’ Administration, including
field and central office employes, as of
April 30, 1940, was 41.415.
Q. Has there been more than one
vessel in the United States Navy named
Jouett?—C. J. S.
A. The new Jouett is Destroyer No.
396 She was placed in commission in
1939 and assigned to the battle force on
the Pacific Coast. She is a vessel of
1850 tons displacement. The old Jouett
was Destroyer No. 41; authorized, in 1910
and scrapped in 1934.
Q. How many words were there In
Dr. Samuel Johnson's Dictionary?—?.
A. The dictionary contained ap
proximately 50,000 words.
Q. Has any one climbed to the top,
of Mount Everest?—W. R. R.
A. The summit of Mount Everest has
never been reached by climbers. Sev
eral attempts have been made, but each
has had to be abandoned before the
top of the mountain could be attained.
Q. What Is the name of the South
American fish that attacks swimmers?
—E. D.
A. It is the piranha which averages
less than a foot in length but is noted
for its bloodthirstiness. These fish attack
every form of life that ventures into their
vicinity.
Q. How many rooms are available in
New York City to visitors to the New
York World’s Fair?—C. T.
A. Altogether there are 250,000 hotel
rooms available In New York. In addi
tion there are 200,000 rooms in private
homes, residence clubs, apartment build
ings and rooming houses.
Q. How old is the organization P. E.
O.?—W. G. H.
A. The P. E. O. Sisterhood was estab
lished at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, on
January 21, 1869. It now has a mem
bership of 60,000 with 27 State and 1,800
local chapters.
Q. Please give the author of "Give*
me your tired, your poor, your huddled
masses yearning to breathe free."—
H. T. G.
A. This is a line from the poem by
Emma Lazarus, which is inscribed on
the base of the Statue of Liberty.
Q. What is the word applied to a
person who raises honey bees?—E. 8.
A. He is known as an apiarist
Q. How many Negroes were In the
World War?—J. W. C.
A. Over* 400,000 Negro soldiers par
ticipated in the World War with the
American forces. Nearly one-half of
this number went overseas. There were
9,800 Negroes killed during the war.
Q. How long does it take oechlds \d
bear for commercial purposes?_T. J. B.
A. It takes 10 years for an orchid
seedling to become commercially profit
able and the most remunerative slants
are older. y