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%\\z gening pfaf With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. Published by Th# Evening Star Newspaper Company. FRANK B. NOYES, Chairman of the Board. FLEMING NEWBOLP, President. B. M. McKELWAY, Editor. MAIN OFFICE: llth St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NEW VORK OFFICE: 110 East 42d St. CHICAGO OFFICE: 433 North Michigan Ave. Delivered by Carrier—Metropolitan Area. Dally and Sunday Daily Offly Sunday Only Monthly .1.20* Monthly 90c 0c per copy Weekly 30c Weekly 20c 10c per copy •10c additional when 5 oundays are in a month. Also 10c additional for Night Final Edition in those sections where delivery is made. Rates by Mail—Payable in Advance. Anywhere in United States. Evening and Sunday Evening Sui itft, 1 month . 1.50 1 month 90c 1 month 60c 6 months . 7.50 6 months 5.00 6 months 3 00 1 year ...15.00 1 year ...10.00 1 year 6.00 Telephone NAtional 5000. Entered at the Post Office, Washington, D. C., at second-clast mail matter. Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Pres, is entitled exclusively to the use Far republication of all the local new. printed In this newspaper, os well as all A. P. news dispatches._ A_14 T~~ THURSDAY, April 15, 1948 Stassen's Repeat Performance Although it upset the political dopesters for the second time in a week, there is nothing really mysterious about Harold Stassen’s decisive victory in Nebraska’s Republican primary. His formula is as ; old as politics. In Nebraska, as in Wis consin, Mr. Stassen went out and met the voters and sold himself to them. Governor Dewey made a rather good showing in second place, but he waited too long. Apparently he did not realize what the Stassen drive was accomplishing until ten days before the election, and by that time it was all over but the shouting. Too little and too late would be a fitting epitaph for the Dewey hopes in Nebraska. He waited too long and campaigned too little. The only other one of the seven-member Republican candidate team to campaign at all was Senator Taft. Some of the prognosticators were predicting that the Ohioan would win because he had the sup port of Senator Butler’s machine. But it j did not work out that way. The best j guess on this is that Senator Butlei s machine is a personal affair. He built it up by hard campaigning, just as Mr. Stassen has built up his following. The test showed, however, that the members of this organization, while they may be per sonally loyal to Senator Butler, could not be herded into the Taft camp. Mr. Stassen made four tours of NeDrassa In a hard-driving, grass-roots campaign. He went to the small towns and the cross roads, and there he met and shook hands with the farmers. Pictures of the candi date posing with his father in overalls and his mother in an apron were published widely in the rural press with good effect. Mr. Stassen also put into the field upward of fifty "Paul Revere” teams. For ex ample, a team of well-known beauty-shop operators visited every beauty shop in the State, promoting Stassen and leaving Stassen literature. When this is multiplied by fifty, it is easy to believe that the technique would be effective. Another explanation put forward is that old-guard Republicanism is losing ground in Nebraska. The new voters are more progressive in their’ views, and StaSSen appealed to them. Actually, however, there is no evidence that a difference on issues among the three leading candidates figured importantly in the result. Nor is there any indication that foreign policy played a significant part. When the thing is boiled down to its essence, the fair con clusion is that Mr. S'.asren s:mply cam paigned harder than the others and got the best results. It would be hazardous to forecast the effect of the Stassen walkaway in Wis consin and Nebraska on the Republican convention. The MacArthur boom, of course, is dead. Candidates Martin, War ren and Vandenberg remain about as they were. Senator Taft has been dealt a very hard blow, and the Nebraska results cer tainly do nothing to recoup for Governor Dewey the ground he lost in Wisconsin. Whether the victories in the two Mid western States actually have put Stassen In front for the GOP nomination remains doubtful. He still has to make his bid in Ohio and Oregon, and it would be rash to declare him a winner until his strength there can be appraised. But this much is certain: The Republican strategists had better put away once and for all the notion that they can win in November with anybody. More About Antarctica With the return of the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition after more than a year of ship and' aerial exploration in Antarctica, a further revision in maps of the South Polar continent will be in order. For this privately financed expedition re ports that it achieved its primary objective of filling in many of the voids in the recorded geography of Palmer Land, the icy peninsula a thousand miles south of Cape Horn. From his base at Marguerite Bay, Com mander rinn Ronne, leader of the party, sent Army planes on aerial mapping flights that covered some two hundred and fifty thousand square miles of terri tory never before seen by man. With these photographs cartographers will be able to complete a large section of Ant arctica maps heretofore left unmarked. Among the important discoveries was Larry Gould Bay, on the southern coast of the Weddell Sea, to which Commander Ronne hopes to return for further ex ploration. It is of interest to note that although Commander Ronne raised the American flag on portions of Palmer Land never before visited by any explorer, the United States has not laid claim to the discovery. If we did so, we would become a party to the dispute already taking place between Great Britain and Chile over jurisdiction in Palmer Land. But, under present State Department policy, the United States neither makes claim to any American dis coveries nor recognizes the claims of any other nation. Of far more im*r*diate interest are the findings which the Ronne party made in such fleldj^as cosmic radiation, mineralogy and meteorology. The reports on solar radiation studies, mineral resources, cold weather clothing tests and other researches are eagerly awaited by scientific and mili tary authorities. Commander Ronne and his associates, through their diverse ob servations in the face of enormous dis comforts and difficulties, have added ma terially to man’s knowledge of the few remaining parts of the earth which are a mystery._ Courts and Communists A special three-judge Federal Court, dividing two to one, has upheld the con stitutionality of the Communist affidavit provision of the Taft-Hartley Act. As a matter of fact, the court sustained three provisions of the law, including that per taining to publishing of financial state ments, but the judges were in disagreement only as to the Communist phase. This latter is by far the most important, however, and for that reason the dissent is the more disturbing. The majority decision was written by Justice Wilbur K. Miller of the United States Court of Appeals and concurred in by Chief Justice Bolitha Laws of the District Court. Dissenting was Justice Barrett Prettyman of the Court of Appeals. The essential question at issue was whether Congress, having conferred upon unions the privilege of the Wagner Act as amended, including the privilege of using the facilities of the Labor Relations Board, can withdraw or modify that privilege in the case of unions officered by Commupists. The majority held that it was entirely proper for Congress to do this, provided the modification of i the privilege was reasonably related to the objective of promoting free flow of com merce. And on this latter point, the majority concluded that there was ample evidence to support the congressional belief that Communists seek key positions in labor unions, not to promote the free flow of commerce, but to use the power thus acquired to obstruct commerce for political purposes of their own. It seems to The Star that this majority decision is entirely right and reasonable. Justice Prettyman, however, has in jected a constitutional issue into Vie case. Boiled down to layman’s language, it is this: The First Amendment protects a Communist labor leader’s right of free speech, including the right to remain silent. Congress cannot abridge that right unless the presence of Communists in official union posts threatens the national interest, and, in that event, it must be established that there is a clear and present danger to the country. Initially, the question whether Com munist control of labor unions threatens the country is a question of fact, and Jus tice Prettyman thinks that despite the affirmative congressional finding as to the fact, based on exhaustive hearings, the courts should proceed to make their own finding. In the last analysis, however, the question is one of opinion based on facts. And that being so, whose opinion is to prevail? That of the Congress or that of the courts? To deny that communism is a menace to democracy, or to take the position that this is not already a well-established fact, is simply to close one’s eyes to the facts of life. In country after country the world has seen the Communists worm their way into control of labor unions for the pur pose of using the general strike as a polit ical weapon. This is what happened not long ago in Czechoslovakia, and we have seen it attempted in France and Italy. In other lands the problem has been to arouse the executive and legislative branches of government to the threat and the menace of communism. In this coun try, fortunately, the Congress and the President are alive to the danger, and they have taken significant steps to meet the challenge of communism throughout the w-orld before it overwhelms us here. For a democracy, this is a matter of life or death. And it would be a tragic thing if, in our own land, the courts should hold that democratic government lacks the con stitutional power to protect itself against the inroads of totalitarian. Justice Prettyman is well aware of this, for in a decision which he prepared recently in another case, he said: “• • • Unless democratic government * * * can protect itself by means commensurate with danger, it is doomed.” In this instance, however, he is not satisfied that the Communist danger is enough to justify Congress in taking even the mild and limited countermeasures pro vided in the Taft-Hartley Act. But as the majority decision points out, “it will not be often, if ever, that the presence of potential danger, or clear and present danger, can be conclusively demonstrated until the portended harm has been done.” It is a fair conclusion from all of this that the courts should not insist that we lock the stable door only after the Com munists have stolen our freedom. Science and Religion . When Sheffield School, Yale University,' recently celebrated the centenary of its founding, the dean of the faculty, Dr. Edmund W. Stinnott, made use of the opportunity to discuss the alleged conflict between religion and Sfcience which many lay persons suppose to have developed during the past hundred years. “Naive materialism,” he said, is out of date. But there w'ould be little gain in a mere liquidation of an exclusive faith in “mat ter in the old sense.” Something more than broken atoms is wanted. Dr. Stinnott called for “a fuller cultivation of those qualities which are best termed spiritual” and added: “On their strength depends our own survival.” Around the values to which he referred “have grown up the great traditions of the arts, the human ities and the religions, the ideals of free dom and of good will, and of the world of man.” Science, as defined by Thomas Henry Huxley, never did refuse “to admit that 1 there are many aspects of reality with which it can never deal.” The supposed irreconcilable hostility toward revelation of which John W. Draper was the his ! torian was largely an invention of eco nomic determinists. To attribute it to Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer is inaccurate. What Dr. Stinnott accom plished in his centennial speech was a —ffir—t*“r of the basic tolerance of scientific endeavor for “another avenue A to truth” that must be traveled "if our civilization is to live.” The dean had tradition behind him when he insisted that explorers of the universe through telescopes and microscopes are, in effect, kin to the poets and the prophets. His conclusion was that "belief in some thing constant and unchangeable * • • is a necessity” for science and religion alike. The strengthening of this belief, Dr. Sinnott told his hearers, “is the grave mandate of our universities.” Of course, it also is the obligation of thousands of citizens outside academic walls. New War Between the States That was no joke that Lieutenant Gov ernor Coolidge of Massachusetts told the Greater Lawrence (Massachusetts) Cham ber of Commerce the other night abput Dixie inroads on Yankee industry. It is no laughing matter in New England, this new war between the States, however lightly Mr. Coolidge may treat it in public. For, as the Massachusetts official pointed out, Southern promoters (Dixie Claghorns, Mr. Coolidge called them) have succeeded in enticing a number of profitable indus tries away from the North in recent years. The rebel raids have been especially suc cessful in the textile manufacturing field, one which New Englanders have domi nated for many years. It is a carpet bag invasion in reverse, with the Southern strangers bagging the carpet and other factories right and left. Mr. Coolidge was exaggerating things a bit, however, when he blamed “Bilbo-belt banjo strummers” and “kissing Governors” for the industrial trek toward the Mason Dixon Line. The trend is not due to blandishments or trickery. So far as can be learned, none of the industrialists who have been “lured” southward ever danced a hoedown with a Mississippi miss or re ceived a kiss from Big Jim Folsom. These Northern businessmen were not really “kidnaped,” as Mr. Coolidge charged. Ap parently they have no desire to return to Greater Lawrence or wherever it was they pulled up stakes. The fact is that these enlightened Yankees weighed carefully the relative attractions and advantages of the regions above and below the well-known line and they made their choice of their own free will. Cheaper power, lower taxes, efficient labor, good transportation are just a few of the factors which were in volved. Mr. Coolidge may be pardoned if, ruefully albeit jestingly, he is inclined to cast aspersions on what he termed the “Tobacco Road” and “razorback hog” States. At the same time, the Lieutenant Governor should not feel hurt that Memphis’ political leader, Ed Crump, regards him as a “blatherskite.” Mr. Coolidge was asking for it when he cracked wise about crackers and such. How odd, that Montana babies are to be given social security numbers at birth. What’s wfong with the present procedure of branding young stock with a Bar X or Lazy Y? The Communist management in Czecho slovakia lets it be known a parliamentary election will be held in May, thus giving itself a month in which to get up the final returns. • This and That By Charles E. Tracewell If you ever get the rustle and rhythm of the samba in your blood, you will think that fox trots are pretty poor, dated stuff, in compari son. There are some very charming records of these Brazilian tunes, but perhaps the best of them are old Victor discs, including “Juro,” “Alma de Un Povo,” “Ola, Seu Nicolau,” “Abre a Janella,” "Por esta V. passa,” “Sabio lar angeira,” etc. y The beautiful cat-like voices of the women singers, and the fine, full-bodied but soft and smooth voices of the male singers, combine well with the unusual instrumentation, includ ing what seems to be a hollow jug, from time to time. B When tit started to play some of these the other day, an old mockingbird flew to the back porch and registered interest. As the records played, the bird began to sing and for a time it was a question of which was the loudest. All Latin American rhythms, including the rumbas, appeal to the birds. The little song sparrow always comes to the window when the maracas and other typical “south-of-the-border” instruments get to go ing. House cats, in particular, are susceptible to the rhythm of the rumba and other typical Cuban numbers. Probably this is due to the elemental beating of the drums. Haitian music, too, including the voodoo, makes a “hit” with cats. They respond, of course, not by intent listen ing, but by capering, or rapid rushes through tire house, using the davenport to “bank” as they go around. The reaction of animals to man-made music is interesting. Occasionally a cat or dog will seem to listen closely, and even like symphonies. The best instance of this we know was poor old blind Smudgy, the cat, who had a favorite symphony, to which he always paid rapt attention. Beethoven, Brahms, others left him cold, but just let Vaughn Williams’ “London Symphony” be placed on the machine, he settled down to listen, usually not more than 5 or 6 feet away. No doubt the noble opening chords, low, soft and slow, were responsible for some of this, bu4 not all, by any means, since that opening is unique both in this particular sym phony and in any other. We believe that many house cats would like to listen to the recording of Bruckner's Symphony No. 4. especially the opening of the first movement. Aside from chirping and calls, there is not much bird music these days, as yet. So the songsters would like to hear music from the house. Feed them, give them water, also dust baths, but do not forget their love of music. By opening window, now and then, while playing something good, the birds will fly in and listen, and join in, in all probability. These pre-nesting days, the local birds fight over food, mostly. The other day we watched a robin and starl ing having a great set-to over some bread and raisins. They flew at each other repeatedly, bills ex tended, claws up, but nothing much seemed ■to result from such encounters. Not a feather flew. Finally, the starling retired, leaving the robin in full control of the field of honor, raisins and bread. He devoted most of his attention to the raisins. It is not always realized that our robin is a good fighter, and a determined one. When two of them fight, often one of them is literally driven to the ground, after ex tensive flight, which seems to take all his breath away. * One beaten robin sought refuge at the feet of a human, and was so badly out of breath that it was a full five minutes before he could fly. Letters to The Star The Military on the Military To tbs Editor of The Star: In his recent letter, headed “Hamilton on the Military,” Clayton D. Loughran quoted ex tensively from the writings of one of our fore most statesmen. It showed that great intel lects at the very dawn of our national history were warning against the most horrible of all fates, that of having “to look up to the military power for protection. • • •” It just so happens that a very short time after these extremely “modem” views of Ham ilton were advanced, the American people were afforded a unique opportunity to see how they would work. Since we are approaching the problem from a purely intellectual angle, let us move along with history to the year 1815. For the second time in the short space of a generation, the peace-loving American people had fought England. And, for the second time, a country "seldom exposed by its situa tion to internal invasions” had been invaded. At Bladensburg a small force of British regu lars had routed a much larger number of red blooded American patriots who had formed under Gen. Winder (no professional soldier, he, but a true citizen-soldier chosen for the oc casion “to please the Governor of Maryland”). President Monroe and his cabinet had ridden out the short distance from Washington to see the show. “The American loss was 8 killed and 11 wounded," writes W. A. Mitchell, in his “World’s Military History.” “History shows no other instance where the capital of a great nation was delivered to the enemy after such a small loss. The army, Gen. Winder, the President, and cabinet did not pause in their retreat until they were 16 miles from Washington. The British entered Washing ton, burned the Capitol, the White House, and other public buildings, and withdrew.” For a summary of the lessons of this war we must again leave the “great books.” I quote now from Steele's "American Campaigns” (United States Infantry Association, Washing ton, 1935): "The achievements of our Navy during the War of 1812 were such that they will always be a subject of just pride to us; but the man agement and behavior of our land-forces were In many cases so unhappy, so discreditable, so bad, so burlesque, that a contemplation of them arouses in us mingled feelings of disappoint ment. shame, disgust, and amusement. “The war was, nevertheless, full of lessons for the military student, but especially for the American citizen—the man that votes and makes the legislators that make the laws. He is the one primarily responsible; for all the failures of this war, like the failure to end the Civil War in a single month, 50 years later, were due to lack of preparedness—to bad legislation. “George Washington by sad practical ex perience had learned the hopelessness of try ing to conduct war with men who had, been taught nothing about the business of war* * • • But Mr. Jefferson, who never saw a battle, and during whose administration our Regular Army was reduced almost to zero, said, in his last message, while war with England was threat ening: ‘For a people who are free and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security.’ ” If Alexander Hamilton had lived 10 years longer, it would have been interesting to see if he would have revised his theories in view of their miserable failure to work out in prac tice. Will the American people have to lose a war before they learn? PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER. Autry Show Misrepresented? To the Editor of The Star: I wish to call your attention to a feature amusement held for the children of our Na tion’s Capital at Uline Arena, Sunday, April 11. That Idol of hundreds of thousands of youngsters, Gene Autry, was putting on the show. For two weeks I had heard nothing but this forthcoming event: A rodeo, we were led to believe. At least, knowing the type of man our hero is, we thought when we entered the arena something was amiss. Not one speck of tan bark to be seen. As for the bucking broncos, bulls or horses, well, we were told every few minutes that "Champion,” Gene’s horse, would be shown. That was supposed to compensate 90% of the audience, which were children, for having to listen to grown-up songs and off-color jokes that, fortunately for some mothers and fathers, they did not have to explain, due to the extreme youth of their offspring. I was frankly embarrassed and humiliated when told by the management that I could leave if I did not like the type of entertain ment provided by our hero. Did you ever try to drag three youngsters out of a place when told ice cream was coming—much less a horse? Must we be subject to misrepresention be cause of a man’s reputation as a real he-man cowboy? I think It is a disgrace. We hear so much about juvenile delinquency, and we are told what pictures not to take our children to. What about cowDoy shows? I was sure I was safe in taking them to that show. OLIVE DUFFILL. Daylight Time and Rushing To the Editor of The Star: Do you realize that there are only two things that people think about, and that they are what to do and who to do? Now you want to outdo the time of day. How many of you realize that you are here just on a visit? Some will stay longer than others, so why rush I through your visit? W. W. NEAL. Rose Insecticides Discussed To the Editor ofThe Star: A great many Inquiries have been received by mail and telephone with reference to a new chemical for destroying insect pests, reported in the newspapers to have been recommended by me in a talk at the Rose Institute of the Potomac Rose Society on April 1. The news paper account did not report correctly the statement I actually made. There are many chemicals, some old and some new, that will kill insects, but that cannot be recommended for use in gardens because of toxicity to plants or to persons applying them or both. In the course of my talk, ref erence was made to several chemicals' that have been developed recently, originating in wartime research, to control certain insect pests against which the now widely used DDT preparations are ineffective. None of these was recommended for use by gardeners, and none was said to be useful in soil applications. A different chemical, long known in insecticide research, namely sodium selenate, was men tioned as having the property of being taken up by plants, thereby rendering them toxic to Insects. This chemical has been tested in greenhouses devoted to the culture of flower crops, and also has been recommended for the control of red spider mites and aphids on phlox and chrysanthemums in gardens. It is available on the market, but no source for obtaining it was mentioned and a specific caution was given against its use on any crop intended for human consumption, or even in any soil where food crops would subsequently be grown. Selenium compounds are extremely toxic to man and animals. The use of this chemical was not recommended for roses be cause no reports of its successful use to control red spiders and aphids on roses have come to my attention, but in such tests as have been reported It appears to be leas effective to ». A Letters for publication must bear the signature and address of the writer, although it is permissible for a writer known to The Star to use a nom de plume. Please be brief. rendering woody plants than suoculent plants immune from insect attack. The statement was made that in view of the effect of this chemical in making plants sys temically toxic to insects, further research may develop new products that will be similarly effective but much safer to use. The talk concluded with the statement that the Potomac Rose Society, after reviewing the current state of development of new insecti cides, has decided not to make use of any of them this year, but that tests would be con ducted by individual members with some of the new chemicals. In view of the necessity for controlling red spider mites, which in many rose gardens have become a serious pest ap parently because the extensive use of DDT has destroyed the predaceous insects that normally keep them in check, the society would offer its “all-purpose rose dust” in a new form this year. A chemical known as azobenzene, which was developed as an insecticide at Cornell University and Which had not shown any serious human hazards in using it, would be added to the “all-purpose dust” for those who wished to try it. The dust also would be offered in the same form as last year, which had proved quite effective against most dis eases and other pests aside from red spiders. These dusts, it was stated, were offered to members of the Potomac Rose Society on the same basis as other products bought in pooled orders by the society and distributed to members. FREEMAN A. WEISS. Would Laugh at Arabs To the Editor of The Star: As I write this letter the headlines of the press are carrying accounts of the fighting going on in the Holy Land. The British, whose task it would be to maintain law and order, seem to be decided to cow the Jewish popula tion Into submission, to break the power of the Jewish resistance movement and prevent ‘‘il legal” immigration of Jews to Palestine. Ap parently, the men of the Foreign Office delude themselves into thinking that the appeasement of Arab leaders, like the notorious war criminal Haj Amin el Husselni, safeguards British oil interests in the Middle East and strengthens the lifeline of the empire. From Mr. Austin’s speech at Lake Success and remarks made by Secretary Forrestal, I take it that at least some of our policy makers are engaged in an attempt to copy the British example and to bring about a revocation of the position of our Govern ment in the United Nations Assembly. Their excuse is the growing Soviet menace and the fear that Soviet Russia might use the partition of Palestine to intrench itself in the Middle East. For over 15 years—in my writings and lectures — I have warned against the imperialism and Red fascism of the Soviet Union. During the Second World War when our Government sacrificed Mikhailovich of Yugoslavia to the Communist agent Tito, the Polish government in exile to Beirut and his fellow Communists, I raised my voice in protest. When G$n. Mar shall was dispatched to China to bring about a reconciliation between the legitimate govern ment of China and the Chinese Communists and fellow travelers, I protested against this policy, which in the end had to play into the hands of Moscow and which was destined to destroy the national independence of China. I think it is .clear that I would be the last one to support any move that might strengthen the position of the Soviets in the Middle East. I just do not believe—as Mr. Forrestal seems to assume—that the enforcement of the United Nations decision to partition Palestine would endanger the security of the United States. The Arab leaders have no place to go except to us. I would laugh at their threat to ally themselves with the Russians. Let them do it and lose all their feudal estates and priv ileges. As for Ibn Saud’s oil, I would not pay him one cent more than it is worth on the American markets, and I would at last start a mass production of synthetic oil out of coal and shale (we have enough coal for the next 1,000 years). The Jews are entitled to the part of Palestine which they inhabit anyhow and to all those areas in Palestine which the Arabs consistently refused to cultivate. The Arab nations have over 1,000,000 square miles of land at their disposal. Their territories cry for more population. They do not need the 6,000 square miles of the proposed Jewish state. The Jewish DP's of Europe have physically and psychologically no other place to turn to than Palestine. Simple human justice demands that we should abide by the United Nations decision. But apart from the principles of justice— even expediency should tell us that we must carry cut the decision of November 29, 1947. For If we should fail to enforce It, If we should give in to the demands of the Arab leaders, no nation on earth would ever trust us again. By the scores the smaller nations -will begin to appease the most aggressive power of our time —the Soviet Union—and the U. N. will be absolutely dead. JOSEPH DUNNER, Chairman, Political Science Department, Grinnell College. Auchincloss Bill Opposed To the Editor ot The Star: In your editorial of April 12, “This Bill Should Be Passed,” you say that Congress should give Washingtonians an opportunity to vote on the Auchincloss bill by enacting it. Why not reverse the process by putting the popular vote first? Then Congress could bet ter decide whether to enact it. You and the bill might be overlooking some citizens that should be included in the election. Washington does not belong exclusively to its permanent residents. The 150,000,000 other citizens in the 48 States also use the city. Many of them come here for a day, a year, or more, and the condition of the streets, parks, public buildings, police, hospitals, libraries is of interest to them. You say further that the plan will make the local government responsive to the will of the citizens while retaining supreme control by Congress. Supreme control will be the real control. The home-rule bill leaves the con trol exactly where it is now. in the hands of Congress. Why incur the expense of a group of ornamental lawmakers who would have no real power? GEORGE FREDERICK MILLER. The Efficient Fire Laddies To the Editor ot The Stir: About 11 pm., April 5, s Are broke out in a store on Connecticut avenue between R and S streets, running through to Twentieth street N.W. Responding to a first alarm in what seemed a matter of seconds, at least 20 pieces of fire apparatus were expertly manuevered into Twentieth street, between a solid mass of private cars parked on both sides of the street. From my window I saw a marvelous display of handling those big, unwieldy pieces of equip ment in a narrow congested street over miles of fire hose. • I wish to congratulate the City of Washing ton t«i its splendid Fire Department and its splendid, efficient staff. What I saw from my window was truly a magnificent performance. MRS. MINNIE M. LATIMER. / I The Political Mill ! Vigorous Campaigning By Stassen Paid Off Nebraska and Wisconsin Victories Boost Stock of Minnesotan By Gould Lincoln Harold E. Stassen’* vigorous campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination ha* brought results. Two primary victoria*, on* in Wisconsin and another in Nebraska, over Gov. Dewey and Gen. Mac Arthur in the first, and ever Gov. Dewey and Senator Taft and the other prominently mentioned possibilities in the second, have boosted the stock of the former Governor of Minnesota tremendously. It should be remembered, however, that Gov. Dewey of New York won both these primaries in 1940—and he failed to be nominated. It must be remembered also that while Mr. Stas sen was getting 19 delegates in Wisconsin Gov. Dewey was handed 90 in New York, and that on the same day he carried the Nebraska primary 52 delegates were elected in Illinois, all expected to back Gov. Green of that State. There is no blinking the fact, however, that the Minnesotan, who before Wisconsin and Nebraska was considered just a shade stronger than a favorite-son candidate, has made him self a foremost contender for the Republican nomination. He has done it through hard and constant campaigning, through meeting and talking to and with thousands of voters, im pressing them with his personality. He has held no public office since he left the Navy, in which he served with distinction in the South Pa cific. If he should finally land the presiden tial nomination, his judgment will have been justified, a judgment which kept him from running and being elected to the Senate, as he might have done in 1946. Still Faces High Hurdles. Mr. Stassen, however, has still high hurdles to leap. He has boldly challenged Senator Taft in the Ohio primary May 4, entering 22 dis trict delegate candidates and one delegate-at large candidate. Should he win as many as 8 or 10 of these delegate contests, it will be a great feather in his cap. If he wins only four or five, it will be a gain but not a major one. The late Senator Borah of Idaho, campaigning in Ohio in 1936, won four delegates against Senator Taft, who then was a favorite-son candidate. The Minnesotan also must make good in Oregon's primary May 21, where he will meet Gov. Dewey again. In the only primary he has contested in the East, New Hampshire, Mr. Stassen won only two delegates to six for Gov. Dewey. In addition to boosting Mr. Stassen’s chances, th<? Nebraska primary was a wet smack for Gov. Dewey, whose strength as a presidential candidate has lain in his vote getting ability in such States as Nebraska and Wisconsin. What his defeats in these States will mean in the over-all picture remains to b« seen. Gov. Dewey has strong friends In Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, many of whom have already been chosen delegates. When they get their second wind, they may still see the New Yorker as stronger than Mr. Stassen for the long pull. The majority of the delegates to the Re publican National Convention are elected in conventions—not in primaries. How many of these convention-elected delegates Mr. Stassen may garner is still a conundrum. He has cam paigned in States of the South, where both Senator Taft and Gov. Dewey have reported strength. Body Blow for Taft. One thing is certain, both Gov. Dewey and Senator Taft may be expected to exert every effort from now on to win delegate strength. There are many States with large delegations whose delegates Mr. Stassen must gain If he Is to be nominated—among them California, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Michigan. The Nebraska primary was a body blow for Senator Taft, who ran a poor third. It laid emphasis on the old cliche that “Taft would make a fine President but he cannot be elected.” On the other hand, the Nebraska free-for all proved a boon to those who hope In the end to nominate Senator Vandenberg of Mich igan for President. The Michigan Senator denied he was a candidate and asked his friends not to vote for him. Yet he ran fourth—ahead of Gen. MacArthur, Gov. War ren and Speaker Martin. The Nebraska primary was a novel experi ment, since for the first time all the principal candidates for the presidential nomination were entered—with or without their consent. Questions and Answers A reader can get the answer to any question of fact by writing The Evenning Star Information Bureau. 310 Eye street N.B.. Washington 2. D. C. Please inclose three (3) cents for return postage. BY THE HASKIN SERVICE. Q. Is It possible for a sailor to salute with either hand?—W. M. R. A. United States Navy Regulations, Art. 368 (3), say that in executing the official salute the right hand shall be used "when possible.” The Bluejacket’s Manual, Chap. 6, Section F, says that when the right hand is occupied and cannot be disengaged the hand salute is exe cuted with the left hand. Q. Who originated the word "taxicab’ ?— S. R. R. A. Harry N. Allen, who established the first fleet of taxicabs in New York City on October 1, 1907, originated the word. "Taxi” came from a French company that made meters for horse cabs called “taximeters”—meaning a meter that arranges the tax. The “cab” was taken from the horse-drawn vehicles then in use. Q. On what does the panda feed?—B. R. W. A. The panda feeds exclusively on bamboo, which is very plentiful in its habitat. Q. How many race horses are there In the United States?—P. O. F. A. There were 17,601 registered horses at the beginning of the 1946 racing season. Q. How are speeches at United Nations meet ings translated?—N. S. R. A. Expert translators translate simultaneously with the speakers. The translations are sent out over a broadcasting system and the various individuals may hear through their earphones the speech in the languages which they can understand. Q. What Is the ancestry of Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan?—I. M. W. A. Senator Vandenberg is of Dutch descent on both sides of the family. The Wrens Are Nesting The wrens are nesting in the tree today, Their busy bodies darting here and there. Their small weight tries the branch they chose to bear Their handiwork; bright eyes search twigs that may Be woven, with a beak’s instinct and clay, Into a home. They line the nest with hair And woolen strings, and each one does its share To smooth, with urgent breast, the inner way. The wrens are nesting, and I watch with eyes That learn anew a lesson often told: There can be value in the smallest things. The tiny twig, the scrap of wool that lies Discarded can be made, now, as of old, To cradle future song and soaring wings. CATEAU DE LEEUW.