Evening star. [volume], June 06, 1940, Page A-12, Image 12

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^P)e getting ptaf
With flundav Morning Edition.
THEODORE XV. NOYES, Editor.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
THURSDAY_June 6. 1940
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Hitler's Supreme Stroke
The German scythe has started to
Swing again. It is the second stroke
of a Hitlerized Von SchliefTen plan
for cutting a deadly swath through
Belgium and thence through North
ern France to Paris. The first stroke,
delivered with a ferocity that slashed
irresistibly through the inadequately
prepared Belgium, French and Brit
ish armies in Flanders, met with
astounding success. Most military
experts had supposed that the sec
ond blow would be aimed across the
Channel at England, and that the
southward drive toward Paris would
be resumed later. If that was the
original Nazi plan, perhaps it was
altered in the light of difficulties
which the Germans encountered in
carrying their blitzkrieg to the
shores of the English Channel. They
learned at Calais and Dunkerque
how effective an inspired, co-ordi
nated British defensive operation
can be; how formidable is a combi
nation of British sea power and air
power.
Eso me scytne. after a brief pause,
has struck swiftly along the Somme
and Aisne Rivers, where General
Maxime Weygand has been concen
trating in hastily fortified positions
the best fighting divisions of the
well-trained armies of France. Hit
ler has indicated that this is to be
the supreme stroke, the coup de
grace to the Allied cause. He is
throwing all the energy and all the
resources of his ruthless war ma
chine into the effort. Apparently he
Is gambling everything on a quick
and decisive blow that will slice
through the French Armies and
around Paris, bringing him into posi
tion for an attack on the Maginot
Line from the rear. With France
fallen. Britain would be In desperate
straits, with the whole fury of the
German assault then loosed upon
England.
But the trend of the first day’s
stroke against the “Weygand Line”
could have given small comfort to
Hitler and his generals. Either the
blitzkrieg scythe has been dulled by
the obstacles it met in Flanders, or
It has come up against a new kind
of resistance. Meager dispatches
from the Somme-Aisne front seem
to support the latter theory. An As
sociated Press war correspondent
tells of a new anti-tank defense
that stopped the onrushing mech
anized columns in their tracks. The
hovel technique involved setting up
of a maze of hidden machine gun
nests and anti-tank batteries which
opened fire with deadly effect on the
advancing German tanks. The bat
teries were screened by buildings or
trees from enemy bombers. A few
light tank units broke through the
line in “unimportant” places, the
French said, but none got through
In the vital spots protected by the
new defense system. Meanwhile,
French troops and French artillery
held their positions stoutly as they
Inflicted terrible punishment on the
Invaders.
If the French and their Allies can
continue to hold their line with as
much success as they held it during
the first day of the new assault, the
German scythe perforce will lose
much of its cutting power and the
"supreme stroke” may be arrested
long enough to enable the British to
send essential reserves of men and
equipment. A prolonged stalemate
in France would be most disastrous
for the German Army, dependent as
it must be upon rapidly diminishing
supplies from home. And every day's
delay in fulfillment of Hitler's care
fully planned march increases the
opportunities for America tp render
tangible and effective aid to the em
battled forces of democracy. In
these prospects, dim though they
may seem to be, lie the chief hopes
of the Allied cause today.
Still Going Strong
George O’Connor has been singing
his way into the hearts and affec
tions of Washingtonians for so many
years that he was beginning to face
the prospect of being taken for
granted as an institution. This
dismal possibility was averted last
evening when George O’Connor was
the sole guest of honor at a distin
guished gathering called together by
Mr. Malcolm Gibbs and many scores
of well-wishers within and without
the ranks of the Friendly Sons of St.
Patrick. The only purpose of the
gathering was to tell George O’Con
nor how high a place he has won in
the community by bribing happi
ness into the lives of others. With so
many eloquent Irish to pay him
tribute, It goes without saying that
they performed meritoriously this
labor of love.
To many, who have watched a new
generation of Washingtonians grow
up to appreciate George O’Connor,
the most gratifying thing about this
gathering was that the guest of
honor was there in all his earthly
glory to share, with the audience,
the pleasure of hearing these words
of praise. And that was coupled
with the equally gratifying demon
stration by Mr. O’Connor, in his
response, that hundreds of Wash
ingtonians now in rompers will
reach the maturity in years and mel
low appreciation that will enable
them some day to join the chorus
in the always appropriate rendition
of "Sal-oon,” ’’Hooligan’s Fancy
Dress Ball” and “Little Tommy
Murphy.”
Help—With Reservations
The disclosure that the way has
been cleared for the sale to the Allies
of a large number of surplus rifles
and field guns now in the possession
of this Government will be most
heartily welcomed by those who have
watched with dismay the efforts of
some American officials to raise every
conceivable legalistic objection to the
granting of effective assistance to
France and Britain.
For some weeks the Allied Pur
chasing Commission has been trying
to buy these old rifles and field
pieces, which are in storage in va
rious parts of the country. But its
efforts have been effectively blocked,
first by a mysterious War Depart
ment order forbidding the sale of this
material to any nation at war, and,
second, by the argument that such
a sale on our part would be a viola
tion of international law.
Attorney General Jackson has dis
posed of the international law
question by ruling that military
supplies owned by this Government
in 1919 can be turned over to Ameri
can manufacturers in payment for
new equipment to be produced, and
that these manufacturers, without
violating either international law
or our own Neutrality Act, can sell
the rifles and field guns to belligerent
governments. The Attorney General
did not pass on the War Department
order, which would prevent the resale
of the equipment to the Allies, but it
may be assumed, in view of his ruling,
that the order will be revoked.
It is evident that Mr. Jackson's
ruling seeks to accomplish by indi
rection what this Government for
some incomprehensible reason has
not yet made up its official mind to
do directly and forthrightly. Nor
does this imply any criticism of the
Attorney General, for. in the issuance
of this ruling, he has done everything
within his power to clear the way for
attainment of an end which is clearly
in our national interest.
But it is high time that this Gov
ernment—meaning the President and
Congress—stop resorting to such
devious devices as this latest preten
sion of neutrality, a pretext which
deceives no one, and let it be known
in unmistakable terms that the wel
fare and future security of the United
States hinge upon the outcome of
this war: that defeat for the Allies
could spell disaster for us and that
we are determined to do everything
in our power to bolster their fighting
strength.
This is no time for us to be quib
bling about rules of international law
which were laid down more than
thirty years ago. Germany, Italy,
Russia and Japan, when it has served
their interest to do so, have violated
these rules in the most flagrant
fashion. At this very moment the
Old World is being governed by the
law of the jungle, not by interna
tional law\ and for us to attempt to
cling to standards of conduct pre
scribed by the latter is simply to
contribute to the ultimate triumph
of nations which recognize no law
except that which can be imposed
by superior force. When is this
Government going to deal realist
ically with a realistic situation?
Zeebrugge Again
History repeats, and Zeebrugge
once more is in the news. Dispatches
from London tell how. on the night
of May 25. the British Navy did again,
without losses, the heroic work which
during the first World War blocked
the seaport of Bruges, on the coast
of Belgium. The Germans had been
using the maritime canal as a
submarine base. From the shelter
which it afforded U-boats raided
British shipping in the Channel.
To abate this nuisance, Vice Admiral
Roger Keyes, commander of the
Dover Patrol, planned "a corking
operation” similar to that which
Lieutenant Richmond Pearson Hob
son had executed when he sank the
collier Merrimac in the entrance to
Santiago Harbor June 3, 1898.
Every detail of the enterprise was
planned, so far as it might be antici
pated, well in advance. On the night
of April 22-23, 1918, the attack was
duly launched. After bombardment
by monitors, the warship Vindictive,
with auxiliaries, ran alongside the
Zeebrugge mole, or Jetty, and at
tacked the Germans stationed there.
Three blockships, the Iphigenia, the
Intrepid and the Thais, loaded with
concrete, then were headed into the
narrow mouth of the canal, exploded
and sunk. Photographs made within
a few days showed the wreckage as
an impassable barrier to navigation.
A neutral observer says that for a
month the harbor was out of com
mission.
But a much more important vic
tory was won at Zeebrugge than that
which “pushed back the U-boat base
of operations three hundred miles
from the British coast.” The prestige
of England was tremendously en
hanced. In France the naval aspect
of the adventure was hailed as "the I
i
finest feat of arms • • • of all times
, and all countries.” Allowing for
pardonable exaggeration, the raid, as
Geoffrey Callender declares, “de
serves to rank for its daring beside
the wonder-defds of Drake and for
the completeness of its success beside
the lightning strokes 'of Nelson.”
Many brave men died for the victory,
but they did not perish in vain.
The fact that their effort has been
imitated serves to show that it was
worth its cost—as a practical de
fensive proceeding as well as an
example of that intrepid idealism for
which England merits universal
credit.
Broader Tax Base
The urgent need to strengthen
America’s defenses has given Con
gress the opportunity and the ap
parent willingness to inaugurate a
tax reform that should have been
introduced long ago—a broadening
of the base on which the Income tax
rests.
Broadening the base is just another
definition for bringing into the tax
paying class thousands of citizens
whose incomes are steady, but are
annually offset by the present per
sonal exemptions of $2,500 for mar
ried persons, $1,000 for single persons
and $400 for dependents.
Families or individuals of this in
come level should not be taxed heav
ily, but it would make for better
Government if, through the payment
of a moderate tax, this large army of
Americans became more conscious of
the Nation’s fiscal problems.
In this hour of emergency, when
dictators are grinding an iron heel
on weaker or unprepared nations, no
American who has a job will resent
taxation based on ability to pay, to
fortify his country against a similar
fate.
The House Subcommittee on tax
ation is to be commended, therefore,
for its tentative decision yesterday to
create 2.000,000 new taxpayers by
lowering the personal exemptions to
$2,000 for married and $800 for un
married persons. The total of
$82,500,000 this will raise from all
taxpayers toward a net $1,000,000,000
of new revenue, to amortize a
$5,000,000,000 defense program, is not
nearly so important as the value of
the principle being established.
Nothing short of a national emer
gency would induce Congress to take
this step in an election year, for
there can be no doubt that fear of
its political effect has prevented its
Inclusion in previous tax bills in
recent years.
Nevertheless it would be a wise
step today, even if the need for pre
paredness had not arisen. For this
Government, after nearly a decade
of deficit spending, had nearly
reached the debt limit before de
fense plans were expanded.
And the next Congress, in any
event, would have faced the neces
sity of raising taxes to keep the
peacetime deficit from soaring to new
heights. Now that provision has been
made for broadening the base, the
subcommittee drafting the new tax
bill will turn to changes in the rate
schedules, which, no doubt, will
increase the levies on large incomes
also, since several hundred million
will have to be added to the original
$656,000,000 measure to reach the
billion-dollar goal.
It would be futile for Congress,
through political expediency, to go
on trying to meet accumulated obli
gations by pyramiding rates on a
narrow base. Such a tax structure
would not yield the substantial rev
enue required. If the broadened base
is retained it will have another bene
ficial effect in the years to come.
Large appropriations usually spring
from popular appeal, but when the
millions who comprise the moderate
income groups realize that they have
a direct share in meeting Govern
ment obligations, they will want their
representatives in Washington to be
as cautious in spending as they are
in raising Government funds.
It looks as though a recent United
States Minister to Canada will go
down in history as “One Speech
Cromwell,’’ along with “One Play Ken
nard” and “Wrong Way Riegels.”
Tall Story
One of the first requisite! of a tall
story is plenty of mileage between
the point of its telling and the point
of its origin. If, for example, a
Washingtonian disciple of Ananias
proposes to pull some such whopper
as the case of a politician who voted
to reduce his own salary, it is unwise
to place the phenomenon in Alex
andria, as the recipient of the tale
might be mean enough to drive over
and check it.
With the all-essential feature of
distance established, the raconteur
may cut loose with whatever he has,
after the fashion of a certain Mr.
Anderson, who claims that in Har
rismith, South Africa, there is a
rooster which lays eggs, thus chiseling
in on the prerogative of the hen and
the radio comedian. But that is not
all. The eggs are said to be cube
shaped, thereby introducing a novel
non-skid feature highly desirable for
table use, even if somewhat of a
drawback for their employment at
Easter on the White House lawn. It
is thought, however, that Mr. Ander
son has not put all his strength into
this story, and that he has something
up his sleeve in reserve. If he finds
his public staggering sufficiently
under the impact of his tale, he is
expected to finish off with the further
announcement that the eggs have
spots on their sides ranging from one
to six, and have not only dietetic
but financial possibilities.
Secretary Ickes says that, no mat
ter what his chief may decide, there
will be no third tern for him. Just
"Thanks tor the buggy ride."
r
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
By Thomas R. Henry.
Despite the shattering impact of the
war in Europe on the mind of the world
no great increase in mental disease need
be expected in the United States, be
lieves Dr. Winfred Overholser, superin
tendent of St. Elisabeth's Hospital, the
great Federal Institution for mental
diseases.
“What surprises me is that the hum-vn
mind is so tough,” Dr. Overholser says.
The last war did bring about a notice
able but not very striking Increase of
admissions to psychiatric hospitals, he
points out, but it was only in certain
categories of mental disease—dementia
precox, epilepsy, general paresis, senile
psychosis, and mental diseases due to
alcohol. For most other forms there
was actually a decrease, the statistics
show.
Close to 28,000 World War veterans,
Dr. Overholser says, now are under
treatment in mental hospitals and the
number is increasing but the connection
of the more recent cases with the actual
stresses of war is at best very tenuous.
Many of these men have functioned
fairly well until the present when they
have reached the age when the most
rapidly increasing of all mental diseases
takes its toll. This is arteriosclerotic
mental disease which begins to appear
in the sixth decade of life. There is no
evidence that it is more frequent among
veterans than in the general population,
Dr. Overholser says, and the increasing
incidence is due in large part to the in
creasing age level of the population.
As a practical concern, he stressed,
the demonstrated increase in these
maladies and the closely related senile
psychoses which begin to appear in the
sixties is more significant than the
possibility of some hitherto unobserved
reaction as a result of war excitement
and confusion.
oheu shock, says Dr. Overholser, nev“r
has been recognized as a disease entity
in the United States Army.
During the last war •'shell shock" 1
cases developed among soldiers in the
United States and in the service sup
plies as well as in combat divisions, j
The term was applied to about every
thing that went wrong with a soldier's
nerves or mind. Among 4.000.000 men
a certain number could have been ex
pected to develop mental disorder any
way, even if they had never been in
uniform.
But the term was more specifically
applied. Dr. Overholser says, to cases
of hysteria suddehly developed by sol
diers. All of a sudden a man would be
stricken dumb, or a leg or an arm would
be paralyzed. Other men would lose
completely their memories. Some might
develop violent and uncontrollable
tremors.
The symptoms themselves were not
new to mind specialists but, says Dr.
Overholser. "our experience in the field
hospitals modified a conception which
hitherto had been generally accepted !
in psychiatry. Since the days of the !
Greeks hysteria had been considered a
disease essentially confined to women; i
the very name indicates this. We found, 1
however, that men were far from im
mune to neurosis.
“Usually treatment was fairly success
ful. Only 20 per cent of ‘shell-shock j
cases' were invalided back to the United
States. Another 20 per cent responded
so well that they could be sent back to
the lines. Others were given less nerve
straining work behind the lines.
“One of the most curious observations
was that while many of the cases cleared
up with the Armistice, some actually
became worse. I think this- can be
understood if we consider the genesis
of these neuroses as escape phenomena.
A man is put in a position where his
very existence is threatened. If he
stays where he is, he thinks, he is going
to be shot. If he runs away he knows he
is going to be shot. So he develops a con
dition that makes him worthless in serv
ice. He has to be removed from the dan
ger zone. Thus he saves his life and, so
far as the world is concerned, his honor
at the same time.
“I don't mean to say, of course, that
anybody did this consciously. For one
thing, it would be impossible to develop
such a realistic dumbness or paralysis
with conscious intent. Everything has
to take place unconsciously. It might
happen to a person whose ideal was to
be a perfect soldier. The Armistice
blasted the last hope of ever real
izing this ideal—of proving to himself
his own courage. This created another
unbearable situation from which escape
was sometimes found, still unconsciously,
in an aggravation of the neurosis.”
The original conception of shell shock,
Dr. Overholser points out, came from
British neurologists who found evidence
of tiny hemorrhages in the brains of
men killed in battle who had been sub
jected to heavy cannonading. Further
studies, however, showed that this or
ganic condition was not demonstrably
related to the actual symptoms of neu
rosis displayed by soldiers.
Prayers and Material Aid
For Allies Urged.
To the Editor o 1 The Star:
The statesmen and politicians from
the highest to the lowest seek our ap
probation by telling us, "We are praying
for peace.”
But they don’t tell us what sort of
peace they are praying for. If any
thing demands frankness it is prayer.
Are we, or our statesmen and poli
ticians, praying for peace at any price?
No, a thousand times no.
Are we, or our statesmen and poli
ticians, praying for the kind of peace
that Hitler will give America and the
world if victorious—the kind of peace
that the world will have with Holland,
Belgium, England and France under
his heel, and his arms stretched out
to grasp what he wants in America?
No, America does not want that kind
of peace.
Then pray God for the kind of peace
America does want. Work, pray and
fight for it with the British and French,
who are still fighting between us and
the Germans. Sustain them with all
of our resources, with our man power
If necessary. For Hitler will never give
the world or America endurable peace
until defeated. HENRY E. COLTON.
Naahvilla, Tenn.
Map r.
▲
THIS AND THAT I
By Charles E. Tracewell.
"FAIRFAX, Va.
"Dear Sir:
"From the inclosed leg band can you
identify the owner of the pigeon which
wore it?
“If so I should appreciate the courtesy
of forwarding it to him with the follow
ing information:
“I found the pigeon dead in my
chicken run this evening. It first put
in appearance one Saturday about a
month ago and remained until the fol
lowing Tuesday.
"It then disappeared to return about
10 days later. I have seen it almost
daily ever since, spending most of the
time in the chicken run and eating with
the hens.
"Last evening I noticed that it had
been hurt and tried to pick it up, but it
managed to get so far under the hen
house that I could not see it.
“The left leg was badly crushed. Un
til last evening the pigeon appeared to
have full use of legs and wings.
"Very truly yours, V. G. P.”
* * * *
Pigeons are among the most interest
ing birds, but great nuisances at the
feeding station designed primarily for
wild birds.
Half a dozen roaming pigeons can eat
more grain and seed than scores of
cardinals, jays, titmice, chickadees, etc.
It is not that any one begrudges them,
but they eat so steadily and so long that
they seem to be taking it away from
the more desirable birds.
A few steady pigeon visitors will run
up the feed bill considerably. This is
of no moment, of course, if the house
holder does not feed consistently. But
if he puts out pounds of food every day,
his feed bills for the birds will run into
real money in a year's time.
Then it does not seem quite right to
be feeding some one rise's pet pigeons.
He will remember that not all pigeons
are banded, or even "belong" to any
one; many of them have reverted, and
are really as much “wild birds” as any,
indeed, much wilder in every Way than
our robins and wood thrushes.
* * * *
Nothing shows the sagacity of the
pigeons more than their ability at de
tecting food in a neighborhood.
Usually they go in small bands, of
four, five or half a dozen. The .same
ones stick together day after day. espe
cially after locating a good feeding
ground.
They come early, and stay late. Th»v
never miss a grain or a seed, but eat
away constantly, like feathered ma
chines. Between them and the squirrels,
the stocks of food at garden feeding sta
tions disappear perhaps five or ten times
as quickly as they would if these un
wanted feeders were absent.
Those who feed the birds will not be
grudge the other creatures, in any
sense. They only wish that they would
not stick around so perpetually.
Pigeons have an unerring "nose" for
food.
Their eyesight, too, Is extremely keen,
and thus they are able to locate con
tinuing food supplies.
Cracked corn, which is not supposed
to be good for them, is exactly what
they like.
Our correspondent’s guest went to the
chicken run right away on "landing.”
(Her bird belonged to a Long Island
fancier.)
Pigeons are cautious birds, when de
scending upon a feeding place.
They seldom if ever fly straight down,
but come down in circles, landing first
on some nearby roof.
We have watched our six pigeon guests
for the past four years and have never
seen them vary the practice.
Day after day they come down in the
same way, first alighting on the roof,
then on the garage, then on the ground
at the feeder beneath the maple.
* * * *
On the ground they seem to be heavy
and clumsy, but once in the air they
are the very "poetry of motion.”
Their wide circles, as they come down,
are beautifully executed. Not even the
starlings, wonderful flyers, could do
better.
They are just a little better flyers tnan
doves, their relatives. Their work seems
all the better, in contrast to their heavi
ness and lumbering walk while on the
ground. The turtle doves, on the other
wing, glide across the grass. Their take
off is heavy, too, with the peculiar
whistling sound of the wings which
distinguishes them.
Pigeons have a disagreeable habit of
cooing in the early morning on the
eaves of houses, waking up the sleepers
within.
"Cooing” is scarcely the word for it,
either, since this term is reserved for the
doves, which really coo.
The noises pigeons make are really
disgusting, after the refined and musical
notes of the doves.
We suppose pigeon fanciers enjoy the
notes of their pets, but to the rest of
the world those gurgling sounds are any
thing but enjoyable.
* * * *
All you have to do to attract passing
pigeons, in case you want some, is to
have a few neat ledges around the
house.
Anything in the ledge line seems to
have a mighty appeal for them.
A slightly wider window sill—and vou
are likely to have a pigeon family on it
the year around.
One way of keeping pigeons away
from seeds and grain at bird feeding
stations is to fix a piece of chicken wire
over the feeder. This is supposed to
keep the pigeons out. as well as the
squirrels, but usually the latter manage
to get around it some way. It is hard
to ke^p a squirrel out, once he is de
termined to get in.
Letters to the Editor
Doubts That Halliburton
Followed Route of Cortez.
Tn th» Editor of Thr S'»r:
Referring to Haskins column for June
1, in which it is stated that Richard
Halliburton had “followed the path of
Cortez through Mexico," I presume that
this statement is based on Halliburton's
book, “New Worlds to Conquer." pub
lished in 1929 by Bobbs-Merrill Co.
With all due respect to the memory
of an intrepid young romanticist twho
undoubtedly w-ent down with his colors
flying i there is no warrant for the state
ment on page 10 of Halliburton's book
that he went inland “ignoring all modern
roads and following only the route, no
matter how rough, indicated by an au
thentic conquest map."
The establishment of the route fol
lowed by the conquerors from what is
now Veracruz to what is now Mexico
City and which resulted in the conquest
of Mexico affords as interesting a prob
lem as any student of historical geog
raphy would care to undertake. Halli
burton was hardly equipped for this
sort of research. I have made a specialty
of this somewhat recherche job and have
yet to see a map of "the route of the
conquerors" which was not demonstrably
incorrect in at least 20 per cent of its
length. The first map of the route which,
in my opinion is 95 per cent correct, was
drafted by me in 1935, after exhaustive
research in the literature of the con
quest, followed by field exploration. So
far as I know, no man has succeeded
in “buttoning up" one small geographic
detail, resulting from a misquotation of
an error committed by Cortez himself.
Until this mystery is solved, one detail,
involving 20 per cent of the route of
Cortez, will remain obscure.
E. E. VALENTINI,
June 3. Lt. Colonel, O. R. C.
Pleads for American Aid
For Allies Now.
To the Editor of The Star:
It is scarcely an overstatement of fact
to say that Gen. Weygand Is protecting
on the Somme at this very moment (un
less it has been lost since this was writ
ten) the future international trade, the
economic freedom, the political, religious
and social liberties not only of America,
but of the world! He is holding back
the common enemy of civilization and
protecting the common rights of man
kind.
We have the airplanes, the guns, the
munitions and the ships that might
turn the tide If made available now—
but time Is the important factor. By
using our military resources now we
may prevent the worst catastrophic with
which civilized humanity has ever been
faced. By making available to the Allies
now airplanes, guns, ships and food we
will save the lives of thousands of Amer
ican boys later.
Why should we husband our military
resources against a danger that does not
exist on this continent when they are
so desperately needed to protect Amer
ica, along with other nations, from a
world dictatorship menacing to every
thing we hold dear? Should Gen.
Weygand lose the present battle of the
Somme, all of the achievements of our
democracy will be lost.
This is a situation where a bucket of
water right now will prove more helpful
in quenching a fire than a whole river
of water after the house has burned to
the ground.
With America's tremendous Industrial
resources we could build up our own
military stores tad equipment again la
a* Incndlbir short ttma, oooo ws got,
a
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!
set in that direction. Henry Ford says
his plant alone can produce 1.000 air
planes a day. Our present supply of
planes will help tremendously now, but
in six months they would be outmoded
and worthless to us.
Congress immediately should repeal the
Johnson law and grant to the Allies
unlimited credits and whatever military
supplies they need that we can make
quickly available.
This is no time to pay heed to the
dupes, political demagogues or the
treacherous agents of the modern Attila
who are trying to delay or prevent im
mediate and effective aid to those who
are struggling to hold back the over
whelming flood of blood and iron. ThlS
is no mere war between nations! The
house of Christian civilization is on fire.
Let us immediately do something he
roically effective before the house Is
burned down and every sacred right and
privilege of our own lives be consumed
with it! J. H. LACKEY.
Chicago, June 2.
condemns Aggressors
As Gangsters.
To the Editor of The Star:
There is no Garibaldi in Italy today.
The fact is, since that gallant fighter
passed, Italy has not known nor had a
man like him.
II Duce is waiting, poised to strike at
the moment his mad superior in Berlin
gives the signal. With his legions he
stands ready to help Germany.
The Department of Justice here never
fought gangsters with velvet gloves.
Why should the Allies be gentlemen when
they are dealing with groups having less
scruples than Dillinger, Dutch Schultz,
Nelson, etc.? CHARLES A. GREFE.
June 1.
Suggests Prayer
In Emergency.
To the Editor of The Star:
Instead of writing always about the
terrible conditions existing in the world
today, why not be a real believer in
Christ's teaching as well as a good psy
chologist and at least suggest that He
meant it when he said “All things what
soever, ye pray and ask for, believe that
ye have received them, and ye shall have
them’?
Why not try a little praying and grati
tude, believing that His admonition
“Prove me now’’ could never be under
taken at a more propitious time?
E. ELIZABETH BATEMAN.
June 3.
Protests Change in
Streetcar Stop.
To the Editor of The Slur:
The widening of Florida avenue N.E.
has greatly relieved motor congestion
but has created a difficulty for the man
or woman who has no car and who has
to depend on a streetcar for transporta
tion. Fifth street is the main entry to
the Florida avenue market, and the
majority of people east or west bound
used to board streetcars at this stop, but
it has been discontinued. I think some
consideration should be given people
who ride the streetcars every day.
Landover, Md. W. C. JASPER.
i UvUi
A
Answers
To Questions
By Frederic J. Haskln.
A reader can get the answer to any
question of fact by wrtting The Eve
ning Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Haskin, director, Washington,
D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply.
Q. How many miles by air 1* Bermuda
from the United States?—T. M.
A. The air distance between the two
countries is 690 miles.
Q. Is there any plant that grows as
much as a foot In one day?—T. J. K.
A. Young bamboo sprouts grow as. fast
as a foot and a half daily.
Q. Did Roger Bacon forecast flvlng?—
D. S.
A. As early as 1252. the English
scholar and scientist, wrote to a friend:
“It Is possible that a device for flying
shall be made such that a man sitting
in the middle of it and turning a crank
shall cause artificial wings to beat the
air after the manner of a bird's flight.''
Q. Is Walter C. Kelly, wrho was known
in vaudeville as “the Virginia Judge,”
living?—E. D.
A. Mr. Kelly died in Philadelphia on
January 6, 1939.
Q. when was the printed Bible made
official in England?—E. E. T.
A. The Royal Proclamation of 1538,
which made the printed Bible official,
read as follows: “That ye shall provvde
. . . one boke of the holy byble of the
largyest volume in Englyshe and the
same set up in sum convenient place
wythin the said church that ye have the
cure of, where as your parishioners may
moste commodiously resorte to the same
and reade it . . . That ye shall discorage
no man prively or apertly from the
readvnge or hervnge of the sayde byble.”
Q What is a Portuguese man-of-war?
—D. S. R.
A. This is a jellyfish-like animal com
mon in the warm waters of the ocean.
It is provided with numerous tentacles
that float in the water. Small fish that
come in contact with these tentacles
are paralyzed by poisonous darts.
Q How long have combs been used?—
P. G. H.
A. Hair combs are of great antiquity’,
and specimens made of wood. bone, and
horn have been found in Swiss lake
dwellings. Among the early Greeks and
Romans they were made of boxwood, and
in Egypt of Ivory.
Q. What is meant by pump-priming?
—S. L.
A. The term pump priming means
putting money into productive employ
ment so that through the salaries gained
by the wage earners there will be a
demand for other goods which will in
turn stimulate production.
Q. Please give the height and weight
of Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt —E. V. G.
A. Mrs. Roosevelt is 5 feet 10 inches
tall and weighs between 145 and 150
pounds.
Q. What are the largest star sapphires
in the world?—M. D.
A. The largest star of all is the Star
of India, a giant of 563 carats, which is
part of the Morgan collection of gems
at the American Museum of Natural
History in New York. The second larg
est star sapphire is the King sapphire,
which was owned by the late William
G. Willmann. This gem weighs 392
carats and 75 points, and is about the
size of a small egg. The Star of Arta
ban, owned by the W'illiam V. Schmidt
Co., Inc., of New York, weighs 316.85
carats. It was named after the charac
ter in Henry Van Dyke's "Other Wise
Man,” who sold all that he had to buy
three jewels for the Christ Child.
Q. How did Fanny Crosby, the famous
hymn writer, become blind?—H. G.
A. She lost her sight in infancy, due
to the ignorance of a country physician
who applied hot poultices to her inflamed
eyes.
Q What bird is named after a saint?—
R. T. B.
A. The martin is named after St.
Martin.
Q. Why was Mme. Schumann-Heink
I given a military funeral?—M. F.
A. The famous singer was given a
funeral with full military honors by
the American Legion Post. No. 43, at
Hollywood and the Hollywood Post of
Disabled Veterans of the World War
because of her great generosity to the
soldiers during the World War.
Q. Who is given credit for establishing
the Civilian Conservation Corps?—C.
F. H.
A. President Roosevelt is credited with
the establishment of the Civilian Con
servation Corps in April, 1933. Prof.
William James of Harvard described the
idea of such an organization many years
ago in his book, “The Moral Equivalent
of War.”
Q. When were the Stars and Stripes
first carried in the World War?—S. T. E.
A. At Vimy Ridge on April 9. 1917, by
Pvt. William Clancy, a member of the
Canadian forces.
Q. What is a koto?—E. D. S.
A. It is a Japanese harp made in the
form of a zither and consisting of 13
silk strings stretched over an oblong
sounding board. Each string has a
separate bridge, by adjusting which the
string is tuned. The koto is played with
both hands and has a range of two and
a half octaves.
Q. What was Ty Cobb’s highest salary
as a baseball player?—R. G. K.
A. The highest salary Ty Cobb ever
received was $60,000 in 1927.
Q. What percentage of the gasoline
supply in the United States is used in
automobiles?—E. T. R.
A. It is estimated that 90 per cent is
consumed by motor vehicles.
A Hill Song
A hill is like an altar built
Where prayers come unaware
To those who stand at morning's gate
And wait the glory there.
With altar-cloth of Queen Anne’s lace
A hill is fair to see—
It was on a hill that Moses watched
The bush flame wondrously.
Burned bronze beneath sun and moon
and stars,
Tapered with goldenrod,
A hill bears beauty on her breast
And offers It to God.
MART ft ftd—■
i a