The Washington times. [volume], May 14, 1932, Image 12

About The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939

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MOVIES GET G. M. COHAN;
NOW WHAT WILL THEY
' DO WITH HIM?
By GILBERT SELBES—
THE movies have an opportunity now to make one of the
greatest mistakes of their career, and I don’t know how
the betting stands that they will make the most of it.
They have engaged George M. Cohan—persuaded him to
accept a contract is, I believe, the official phrase—and now
GILBERT SEI.DES
aume a little royalty was paid. But a few years ago. Mr.
Cohan wrote and magnificently played in a little master
piece which, so far as I know, has never been made into a
picture, although it is movie material in essence and would
pave slipped easily into the cycle of backstage movies which
Yegan with the “Broadway Melody” and has continued
almost to this day. It was “The Song and Dance Man.”
A Simple Story
The movies of backstage life always had a little comedy
and a little tragedy and “the show must go on.” Mr.
Cohan’s play had the right elements, too, but his talents
as a commander are more skillful. Beginning with an at
tempted holdup, Mr. Cohan brought on a starving and
desperate hoofer (himself) who wanted one thing in life, and
that was a chance for his sweetheart to make her way on
the stage. The heartbreak came when the dancer also got
his chance —and failed.
The American Language
Writing about the play at the time, I was so impressed
that I got a copy of the script and quoted long speeches
as examples of the purest American language. There was
one in particular, in which Cohan, as the hoofer, told the
story of his life. The way the words fell was so melodious,
and yet so simple, they made such a strange poetry in prose,
that, although I cannot remember a single word, I can recall
the exact effect the whole speech gave—an effect no one
else writing in America has ever equalled.
As the play had a perfect movie plot (with picturesque
scenes in the honky tonks for a background) and perfect
language, it has been neglected. Now Mr. Cohan brings his
bright, perky, assured personality to the screen; perhaps he
will be driven to providing his own material, and so give us
some entertaining pictures.
Little Schools
A black mark for radical methods in education was put on
the books the other day by the abandoning of “The Little
Red School House.” This was an experimental school car
ried out within the confines of one of the regular public
schools of New York. Dr. William J. O’Shea, superin
tendent of schools, announced that not only were funds
lacking to continue the experiment, but the students had
been found from 15 to 45 per cent inferior to pupils in the
regular rooms in such subjects as oral and written arith
metic, English and spelling.
2x2—What?
I wouldn’t put modern education down a failure just for
this. It is quite possible that the teachers were not nearly so
anxious to instruct the pupils in spelling and arithmetic as
they were to give them certain habits of work which would
last long after the theory of compound fractions had been
forgotten. There are schools which hardly teach spelling at
all, as we know spelling, and would rather have a child love
to read than know how to tear a word to pieces. And if
arithmetic is what it was when I first studied it I quite under
stand why children who aren’t browbeaten should not know
it well. Mathematics can be made fascinating; but the onp
thing about it which I should have learned as a child (and
could have learned) was never plain to me until I was over 30.
Unfair Standards
Dr. 0 Shea says that “the success of the experimental
group will depend on the degree to which the methods em
ployed with them conform to the methods that have been
found successful in the regular schools, in so far as acquisi
tion of knowledge is concerned.” Reduced to simple terms,
this means that you have a large number of students learning
how to run a motor and a small group learning how to paint
a house: and you test the small group on motors and say that
if they do not do as well as the large group’ they have failed.
It is not only a difference in method, but a difference in
purpose that distinguishes the new methods of education from
the old. And, apart from the children, there is another dif
ference worth noting—that parents who send their children
to modern schools are intensely interested in the process, as
■well as in the progress of their children. That, in itself, is
something worth keeping.
Jews Urged to Help
Brethren in Europe
Rabbi Morris S. Lazaron, of
Baltimore, last night at the Eighth
Street Temple, urged Washington
Jews to do their utmost to relieve
the plight of their brethren in
Eastern Europe.
Telling of the work being ac
complished in providing food and
shelter for destitute Jews abroad,
he said:
"Should this work stop now
the great structure for self-help,
child care and training which
the Jewish populations of these
countries have been able to de
velop with our aid will collapse.”
HIGH SCHOOTpLAY DAY’
Washington High School girls
will be the guests of women stu
dents of the George Washington
University today at a high school
"play day," sponsored by the de
partment of physicial education
for women. Each of the five local
high schools will be represented
by 25 girls whc will participate in
athletta events on the Ellipse.
it remains to be seen what they will
do with him. For Mr. Cohan is one
of the grandeurs of the American
stage, one of its few absolutely first
rate talents; and if Mr. Cohan is
wasted on movie drivel of the usual
sort it will be an appalling shame.
The name of his first vehicle has been
announced and hasn’t exactly inspired
confidence; but good movies have a
habit of growing out of bad stories
(witness “The Birth of a Nation”) —
so there is still hope.
His Own Stuff
Mr. Cohan, of course, has con
tributed to the movies himself; some
of his plays have been screened and
many other pictures have been so
Cohanesque that one could only as-
CARD FETE PLANNED
The ladies auxiliary of the
Washington Retreat House will
stage a card party Monday night,
8:30 p. m., at the Masonic Hall,
Eighth and F Sts. N. E.
By Percy Crosby
5 there'. WHAT DO'l*- ) ( I think IT'S J .
THINK OF ITf / VERT CUTE., $
wismoiWEs
| Office Address, 1317-21 H St. N. W.
D. C. JOBLESS INCREASE, 20,000 SEEK WORK
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ & ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Fate of Car Merger Bill Remains Uncertain In Senate
BLftINE THINKS
PASSAGE NOW
IMPOSSIBLE
Holds Other Measures Stand
In Way of Action; Report on
House Draft Due Today
Uncertainty prevailed today
over the fate of the street car
merger resolution in the Sen
ate, although the ..District
Committee late yesterday took
action intended to expedite
passage at this session.
The committee today will re
port the merger resolution as it
passed the House last Monday in
lieu of the Senate measure which
the committee had previously put
on the Senate calendar.
Blaine’s Warning
Senator Blaine (R.) of Wiscon
sin, opponent of the measure as
it now stands, warned, however,
that there was little prospect of
Senate action before adjourn
ment. He said:
“Os course, you may order a
report on the House bill 'but I
don’t see that that would help
matters much. How are you
going to consider merger legis
lation before adjournment?
“We will have nine appropria
tion bills to pass; and we’ve
got the big tax bill, the bank
ing bill, unemployment relief
and other things that must be
acted upon.”
Nevertheless, on motion of Sena
tor Austin (R.) Vermont, in
charge of the majority report, the
committee substituted the House
measure.
Little Difference Seen
Austin explained there were no
great differences between them.
A Senate amendment retaining in
th Public Utilities Commission
authority to regulate reduced fares
for school children when the
street car companies merge was
inserted in the House resolution.
Chairman Capper and Senator
Blaine dissented on the report,
bu' after the committee had
finally drummed up a quorum the
merger plan was approved 8-to-2.
Auto Meddlers Get
180 Jail Days Each
Accused of attempted unau
thorized use of an automobile,
Joseph E. Funk, 29, and Bernard
A. Glorious, 33, yesterday were sen
tenced to 180 days in jail after
they had been found guilty by
Police Court Judge Gus A.
Schuldt.
Witnesses testified they saw
the men try to move a car be
longing to K. G. Coates, 1741
Lanier Pl. N. W., from its park
ing place on K Street near Thir
teenth Street Northwest, yester
day. The men said they were
drinking and mistook the car for
that of Funk’s brother.
100,000,000 Letters
Due at White House
President Hoover’s mail is to be
increased by a mere 100,000,000
letters if plans launched yester
day by advocates of modification
of the prohibition law have their
way.
A chain letter has been circu
lated in Washington and else
where urging the recipient to
write to the Chief Executive urg
ing modification and then to ask
nine acquaintances to do likewise.
MUSOLIT MEETING ’
"The Outlook of the College
Graduate” will be the topic of the
monthly forum of the Mu-So-Lit
Club meeting tomorrow at 6 p. m.
The speakers will include Miss
Joanna Houston, assistant dean
of women at Howard University,
and John F. Bright, a teacher at
Randall Junior High School.
Bound, Robbed
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—fltaft Photo
CHARLES BEALL
BOUND AND gagged by two
bandits, Charles Beall, night
manager of the S. and H.
gasoline station, Twelfth and
E Streets, Northwest, was rob
bed of $75 early today,
INTBiIDEHS GET
575 LODT -
Bandits early today entered the
S. and H. Gasoline Station, a
part of the Washington Garage,
Twelfth and E Streets Northwest,
bound and gagged Charles Beall,
night manager, and stole $75
from the till.
According to Beall, two young
men entered the station at 3:30
o’clock this morning. One asked
for a phone booth. As they ap
proached the booth, Beall de
clared, one of the men pointed
a gun at him while the second
bound and gagged him.
Beall said that one man stood
over him with a pistol in his
hand while his confederate rob
bed the cash register. Beall es
caped from his bonds soon after
the holdup men left, he said.
7,500 Witness O. E. S.
Washington Pageant
"Washington’s Vision of a Tri
umphant Nation,” a pageant of
Colonial America, was presented
last night at the Washington
Auditorium under the auspices of
the Bicentennial committee of
the Order of the Eastern Star.
More than 7,500 persons attended.
Mrs. Mildred K. Schanoeacher,
most worthy grand matron of
Canada, announced that the
organization will erect an Eastern
Star temple in Washington.
Truck Crashes Door,
Four Boys Injured
Four small boys are today re
covering from minor injuries after
being knocked down yesterday by
a truck that rolled down a run
way at Eleventh and F Streets
southwest, crashed through a
door and struck them as they
were walking by.
Those injured are Leslie Loring,
5; Richard Dobson, 15; John
Barrett, 5, and Edward Barrett, 6,
all of 473 E St. S. W.
SERVICE AT CATHEDRAL
Several hundred members of
the Women’s Auxiliary of the
Episcopal Diocese of Washington
participated in their annual spe
cial service yesterday at the Ca
thedral, including holy com
munion.
SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1932
CHILDREN ROMP
IN FESTIVAL
GF YOUTH
West Potomac Park Jammed
In Carnival Memorial
to Washington
West Potomac Park was one
huge playground today as
Washington children joined
in the Festival of Youth to
pay tribute to the memory of
the father of their country.
The festival, under auspices of
the District of Columbia George
Washington Bicentennial Commis
sion, is a tribute to George Wash
ington.
The sunny weather, which
came as a surprise to rain-soaked
Washington, attracted hundreds
of children from nearby Maryland
and Virginia.
Many Carry Lunches
Parents were seen in all sec
tions cf the park carrying lunch
baskets.
Fearful of casualties, the Dis
trict chapter of the American
Red Cross established first aid
stations at Lincoln Memorial, the
Monument and at Fifteenth Street
and Constitution Avenue.
On the Ellipse diamonds, base
ball games were played between
the various secondary schools of
the city.
Still unplayable because of re
cent rain, 10 tennis courts at the
Monument Grounds were closed
to players by order of Capt. F.
W. Hoover, manager of the Wel
fare and Recreational Association.
Five concrete courts, however,
were available, he said.
Skating was begun at an early
hour on the concrete walks
around the Reflecting Pool, while
just south of the pool the Boys’
Club of Washington presented a
circus, an exhibit of artcraft, ath
letic event: and a concert by the
Harmonica Band.
Track meets between junior
high school teams, golf tourna
ments for junior golfers under 18,
and a variety of games, including
volley ball, basketball, croquet,
and paddle tennis were taken up
at 1 p. m. and played continu
ously through 4 p. m.
High Water Hinders
Continued flood conditions
along the Potomac made it
inadvisable for the sea scout
units to attempt towing five
cutters, which were to be raced
in the Tidal Basin, up the river
from the sea scout base.
Edward Schmidt, chief United
States engineer, refused to open
the Tidal Basin flood gate in view
of an eight-mile current in the
river. The sea scout director,
W. L. Leitch, thereupon shifted
the scene of the sea scout races
to the upper part of Washington
channel, where the current was
found to be negligible.
Regatta of Models
A complete model yacht regatta
was staged in the Reflecting Pool
under the auspices of the Wash
ington Model Yacht Club. The
competition was divided into six
classes of sailing yachts and one
class of power yachts.
A variety of model airplanes
were demonstrated on the north
slope of the Monument Grounds
by members of the District Model
Aircraft League.
At the Sylvan Theater, children
from the various community cen
ters participated in a band con
cert. a series of dances and a glee
club concert.
The concluding event of the
festival will be a procession of
tribute from Fifteenth and E
Streets Northwest, to the Wash
ington Monument.
Telephone District 5260]
WIN PLANE TOURNAMENT
JAMES ROSE
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—Times Staff Photo
VERNA EDWARD
JAMES W. BARRY, 703 A St. N. E., and J. Edward
Reeves, 1534 Massachusetts Ave. S. E., were declared
winners of the model plane tournament at the Smith
sonian Institution yesterday. They are showing their
planes to Rosa Trout, Royersford, Pa., and Verna Adams,
Conshohocken, Pa,
PLANE CONTEST
PRIZE GIVEN
James Barry, 18, of 703 A St.
N. E., yesterday was announced
as winner of the District of Co
lumbia Model Aircraft League
tournament.
The award in the contest,
which was concluded yesterday,
is silver trophy awarded at cere
monies in the National Museum
by Col. C. deF. Chandler, U. S.
A., retired.
Barry’s winning plane was a
reproduction of the United States
Navy Martin flying boat, type
P. M. I. Barry also had second
and third place models in the
senior “baby” class.
Richard Hooper, of the junior
division, received three awards,
and Edward Reeves was awarded
two prizes.
Unequal Wages Hit
By Engineer Group
Wage inequalities are hindering
return to prosperity, the adminis
trative board of the American
Engineering Council, public ser
vice body of the profession, de
clared at a meeting yesterday at
the Washington Hotel. Commend
ing President Hoover’s compro
mise relief plan, the board
adopted a report of its committee
on governmental expenditures,
which asserted that business of
government should be controlled
by the principles which govern
all sound business.
Japanese Ball Team
Visiting in District
Members of the Japanese
baseball team of Tokyo yesterday
placed a wreath on the tomb of
Woodrow Wilson at Washington
Cathedral.
Earlier the team was received
by Ambassador Debuchi at the
Japanese Embassy.
/, x,z z z z z z.z>4>
NEWS OF SUBURBS
‘BRIDE WILL GET
THAT S 3
Frank Campanella, 28, of 107
D St. N. W., went to have his
wedding suit fitted on Friday
the 13th, and thereby hangs a
tale.
Whether Campanella wa s
thinking of his wedding, which
is set for tomorrow, did not de
velope, but he left his automo
bile in a restricted zone on Ninth
Street Northwest, and when he
returned he found Traffic Bu
reau Policeman E. C. Spaulding
writing a parking ticket.
When Campanella came up in
Traffic Court today. Judge Isaac
R. Hitt questioned:
“I understand you are to be
married tomorrow.”
Campanella replied in the af
firmative and Judge Hitt said:
“Well, violating the law just
before your marriage is not a
very good start. However, you
take that $3 collateral you
posted and give it to your wife
to-be. I will take your personal
bond this time.”
Valet Shop Manager
Shoots His Employe
In an argument over money. Ed
ward Green, 27, a colored boot
black, was shot in the right arm
by the manager of a valet shop
at 940 F St. N. W., yesterday.
Anthony Finnell, 30, the manager,
said he fired when the bootblack
picked up a piece of pipe and ad
vanced toward him.
Green was treated at Emergency
Hospital and later removed to Gal
linger. Both men were charged
with assault.
w. prAroOufiNG
Members of the Washington
Passenger Association will hold
a two-day outing to Atlantic City
June 4 and F
JOBLESS IN D.C.
GAIN: 20,000
SEEK WORK
Situation Bad; 5,000 Groups
Aided by Public Money;
485 Business Failures
Washington’s condition with
respect to unemployment,
though by no means as bad as
that of most cities, is such as
to cause apprehension—the
more so because unemploy
ment appears to be increasing
here, and because of the un
certainty over Federal pay
cuts and dismissals.
Information gathered by the
Community Chest indicates that
approximately 20,000 men and
women are now registered as ap
plicants for jobs at the public
employment office here, and that
this must be regarded as a
minimum, because of the numer
ous other employment bureaus in
the city.
Have Own Burdens
Labor unions, it is pointed out,
have their own employment
bureaus; certain fraternal orders
and other organizations have such
aid for their own members, and
there are in addition the commer
cial bureaus.
While no figures are available
as to the number of job appli
cants on these rolls, it would seem
a reasonable estimate that there
might be 5,000 names on them
that are not duplicated at the
public employment offices.
It is pointed out further that
5,000 families were aided by pub
lic funds during the past winter.
Not all these cases of distress were
due to unemployment, but un
doubtedly that was a large factor
in many of them.
Shown by Records
An interesting indication of the
effects of unemployment locally
appears in the records of the su
perintendent of licenses of the
District of Columbia.
The District requires that some
50 types of businesses be licensed.
There are, of course, many other
types that do not require licenses,
but so many are thus supervised
that they afford a fair cross-sec
tion of conditions locally.
From the beginning of the fis
cal year last July to the present
date, 20,101 such licenses were is
sued—a large increase over the
number last year, which was 15,-
952.
On the face of the returns,
that looks like a marked improve
ment in conditions. The facts,
however, show just the opposite.
Increase in Hackers
The increase was due to the
great increase in the number of
hackers’ licenses granted—this
year 7,579, as against 2,945 for
the corresponding period last
year. Hackers’ licenses have been
taken out largely by unemployed
men and women who own or can
drive cars.
The increase in the number of
hackers’ licenses in itself, there
fore, indicates growing unem
ployment, and the same condi
tion is shown conversely by the
fact that all other licenses issued
declined from 13,007 last year to
12,522 this year, meaning that a
number of small businesses—4Bs,
to be exact—have presumably
gone to the wall.
The need of prompt relief
locally is strongly urged by the
Washington Council of Social
Agencies, and the Senate District
Committee will shortly decide
upon the matter of an
aiton of $600,000 for that pur
pose.
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