Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-26

The prospective calendar revision con-
gress Of the civilized nations to be held
at Geneva, Switzerland, next summer.
coupled with the fact that this is q leap
year, and that tho intercalary day Will
come next Thursday. makes the move
ment for the revision Of the calendar OF
unusual interest at this time. It II gen
orally agreed by thinking men Of al ma
tioualities that there Il much room for
Improvement In our system Of reckoning
time While tho calendar reforms OF
julius Caesar and Pope Gregory have
served their times well, 1t Is believed IN
scientific circles that there is no longer
any excuse for the continuation OF the
calendar as it exists today.
The one principal difficulty that has
been encountered throughout the CEN
turtles since julius Caesar lent the force
Of Rome to a revision of the system OF
time reckoning has been the fact that
this willful old globe Of ours refuses to
mako its journey around the sun in an
even number OF days. II # could be
speede6 up Just q little bit SO that 1t
could finish ita journey In exactly 364
d0yA the calandar makers would have no
problem at all. since that would be ex-
cuunstances any given date In the year
would always fall on the same day OF
the week. This would leave no occasion
for adjustment through the addition OF
leap years. Again. II it could be made to
quicken its pace so as to complete Its
journey around the sun five hours. forty
eight minutes and forty-six seconds
sooner than 1t now does, the entire prob
lem Of the leap year might be eliminated.
+
Many methods Of reckoning time have
bean proposed as substitute for the
present system. OF course
Substitutes without exception they
p~.-...a recognize the length OF
11VPVseo' the year as the basic
principle. Some Of them would record
Christmas day and tho 10Th Of Feb
ruary as mo day." or dies non, In the
calendar. These two days would not
stand as days Of the week at all. This
would In no way interfere with the Gre
gorian system Of calculating leap year
periods. It would simply permit all days
in the year to fall on the same day OF the
week. Others 60 little farther into the
matter. Since 1t Is found that under our
present system tho four quarters Of the
year are not Of equal length, 1t is pro-
posed that the length Of the months shall
be somewhat changed. At present the
first quarter consists Of ninety days. the
second quarter Of ninety-one days and the
third and fourth quarters Of ninety-two
days each. 1t is proposed so to revamp
the number Of days In each month that
they shall each have thirty days. except
March. June, September and December.
In this proposition for revision New Year
day and leap day. would occur, New
Year day as at present and leap day
between the end of June and the begin
ming Of July. This proposition for the
simplifcation of the calendar was made
in 1907 by Alexander Phillip Of London.
Still others would go farther than this.
They would divide the year into thirteen
months, each month consisting OF ex-
actly four weeks. They would place the
new month In midsummer and call 1t
"So!," in honor Of the sun. They would
make Christmas q mo day in the calen-
dar, and would dispose Of February % In
the same way, calling it leap day or
some similar term. This proposition has
been championed for many years by NJ
b. Cotsworth Of York. England.
Mr.. Cotsworth has proposed that the
new calendar shall go into effect Janu-
airy I, 1916 In that
CanfAnarv of year Christmas will
-,, " fall on Monday. He
would always permit Christmas eve to
fall on Sunday. and that that day could