davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1923-01-12
The Districts Surplus a Fact.


AS a result of the auditing Of Dis
trict-federal finances just completed
by the accountants engaged by the
joint select committee under the act
of June 20, 1922, charged with de-
termination Of the amount, if any, of
surplus District tax revenues lying in
the Treasury, they report, as a neces-
sary deduction from their tabular Ex-
hibit A. that there is without any
question a sum Of at least $4,671 1861
Of District money in the custody of
the United States not subject to imme
diate appropriation. At the same time,
the accountants state, the Treasury
UNITED States general accounting Of
f1ce) has shown a balance or surplus
Of District tax revenues lying unex-
pended there of s4,676,457.65. The Dis
trict auditors report shows free sur
plus Of District money amounting to
S4,677. .347.90. These three statements
Of the account are to all practical pur
poses identical, there being a differ
ence of only S6,15093 between the
highest that of the District auditor,
and the lowest that of the joint COM
mittee's accountants.
Whatever the amount. whether that
stated by the accountants, or that
stated by the Treasury, or that stated
by the District auditor. the widest pos
Sible difference being $6,150.93, this re-
port establishes the fact that there is
a specific concrete free surplus of Dis
trict tax revenues in the Treasury
consisting of unappropriated District
money. Thus the surplus is proved to
be no myth. as has been urged in Con-
gresS, but a definite credit balance,
subject TO any deductions or any in
creases which Congress may make
based upon inquiry into the compare
tive equities.
AS to the merits of possible offsets
in favor of the United States which
the accountants, as directed by the
committee. suggest for consideration,
they express no opinion. Though they
do not point to them in their report.
the District has certain offsets or
claims Of its own TO suggest and to
urge. These claims will be stated to
the joint select committee, which will
then determine whether it will now re-
open the whole accounting back to
1874 and balance the proved equitable
credits of District and United States,
respectively, or will rest content at
this time with recognizing the present
actual credit of the District of at least
$4,671 1867, on the Treasury books,
and leave to the future the increase or
decrease of this surplus by deliberate
adjudication of the opposing claims to
equitable credits by the DISTRICT and
the United States, respectively.
Evening star., 1923-01-12
Claims Washington
Ignorantly Lighted

To the Editor of The Star:
I have been reading your articles
on street lighting in The Star.
I have been in the lighting game
for the past thirty years, and have
always wondered why Washington
was the worst lighted city in the
United States. I made this remark to
an official of the Potomac Electric
Power Company. and he answered my
remark by saying Absolutely"
I asked him why they used the opal
glass in city lights. His answer was,
"Governnent specifications" Said I,
Don't you know this glass destroys
60 per cent Of the light?" He answer
ed by saying, Seventy per cent when
they are dirty, which they are most
of the time"
For the amount of money paid
Washington gets less light than any
city in the United States.
The answer is Ignorance"
A. M. McALLISTER.
Evening star., 1923-01-12
Ruling Evokes Protest
Writer Would Have Those Now
on Retired List Get Increase.

To the Editor of The Star:
The recommendation of the board of
actuaries Gas reported in your valu-
able columns on Tuesday, in regard
to an increase in the amount now
paid as an annuity to civil retired en-
ployes) exempting from the benefits
OF the proposed increase those now
on the retired list has already caused
much discussion and amaZement
among those who have been unfortu-
nately compelled involuntarily, be-
cause of age, to leave the government
service during the past two years.
Upon what grounds is this grossly
unjust discrimination based? Why
should not the comparatively few now
in enforced retirement, after a faith
full service of thirty or more years,
and still physically and mentally fit
to perform the duties required OF
them, be entitled to share in the much
needed additional pittance to be doled
out In future from their own monthly
contribution?
The proposition is simply incom-
prehensible and il is unbelievable that
the sense of justice and generosity
among our national lawmakers will
sanction II. To do So, in view of the
utter inadequacy of the amount now
paid to eke out hardly a decent, not
to say comfortable. living, particularly
by those who have dependents, would
be an almost objectionable cruelty. 1t
has been clearly established over and
over again that in this era Of the
high cost of living from $50 to
$50 a month is not sufficient to obtain
the necessaries of life. 1t must be
remembered, too, that the increase
that is now asked and that Is so
eagerly and anxiously awaited by all
concerned does not come out of the
government exchequer, but out of the
contribution of 219 per cent OF the
employees salaries.
In view of these facts it is the
sense of the many interested that
vigorous protest be made against the
denial of those now on the retired
list from participation in the pro-
posed increase.
CHARLES F. KREH.
Evening star., 1923-01-12
Comes to Defense
of French Attitude

To the Editor Of The Star:
1t was refreshing to read the article
in The Star OF January 8, by E. NJ.
Cushing, showing that there is one
individual in the United States who
has real sympathy for France. one
who can envisage her point Of view
sufficiently to realize what France has
suffered, what she has been deprived
of and her needs of today in order
to regain normalcy; one who upholds
her in taking supreme measures ito
enforce the collection of reparations
to which she is entitled, and which
Germany, under the treaty, agreed
to pay"
Since the war we have all become
Shylocks. interested chiefly In. de-
manding her last penny of principal
and interest on our debt.
What has become of the. lofty
sentiments and ideals which prompt
ed our entrance into the war? They
seem to have been cast aside and been
transformed into an unsympathetfc
sordid condition which reflects no credit
supon us or our nation: 60
49, - NARTk W CARTER.
Evening star., 1923-01-12
Youth Played Chivalrous Role
In Mountain Battle for Girl

valley and rented some land from
Tilson's father. His name may have
been Hensley, but that makes no
never mind, because he is merely
serving here as a John Doe to
bring the case into court. This man
grew corn crop and then arranged
for corn shockin'" (mark you, il
wasn't a husking bee, as they would
say in New England, where Tilson
has spent his maturer :vearsl. To this
corn shockin' &" he invited his old
pals from Sodom as we'll as his new
friends, the educated young men Of
Central valley. With the Sodomites
came his sister Mary. who, like Eve
started all the trouble.
Having a brother in school in Cen
trail valley, Mary's allegiance was di
vided. During the shockin' such q di
vergence of opinion sprang up be
tween the Central valleyites. proud
of their scholastic attainments, and
the Sodomites, equal! proud of the
fact that they were getting along
without book larnin' that the former
decided to withdraw their culture and
finish the party at the home of Til
sons father. The Sodom visitors had
| no objection at all to this-in fact.
encouraged it-until they learned
that it was part of the plan to take
| Mary along. Then they issued an
ultimatum.
In view of the fact that they Were
going to the log cabin domicile of
Tilson's father, this strapping youth
| was picked to be Mary's escort, while
| the others were to deploy as rear
guard. 1t was a pitch black night.
with no electric street lights to aid
! the gunmen. for in those days ~
| the primitive country these young
men all carried revolvers, and most
| Of the Sodomites also carried squir-
rel rifles.
with Tilson making a strategic re
| treat with the girl, the maddened
Sodom swains opened fire from secu-
rity behind stumps and trees and out,
| buildings and corncribs. The learned
young men from Central valley were
| not too proud to fight. Far from II
They fired back valiantly from behind
worm fences and shocks of corn.
| Looking back today Tilson. from
his military experience, says that the
proper tactics would have been a rear
guard action until he and the girl got
out of range, but there were two
principal obstacles to this. First, the
girl herself was unwilling to leave the
light which she rather enjoyed. since
she was the admired cause of the fra :
cas-; and, second, Tilson himself want
ed to stay with his schoolmates and
| fight 1t out.
Under this policy the battle contin-
ued for some time. until several nun
dred shots had been exchanged. Torn
| 'twIxt love of the fight and duty TO
get the girl to place of safety, TIL
son finally tore himser away and hus-
! tied the damseI to his fathers home
| a log cabin fortress. When their am
munition was exhausted the gunme'l
of the rival valleys stopped fighting
| for good and sufficient reason.
| Mary had come to Central valley tn
stay, and Tilson knew her well for
many years-until he journeyed to
Yale In quest of more advanced hook
| ilarnin' and Mary gave her heart 10
a boy from Sodom.
|. Yes. there's still much reminiscent
! romance in Congress.
Evening star., 1923-01-12
Entente Break Causes Gloomy
Forebodings.

The break at Paris, when the Brit
ish premier withdrew after refusing
to accept the program Of France for
dealing with Germany. has caused a
general feeling of pessimism In edi-
torfal circles. Failure to agree nat
urally endangers the future rela-
tions of England and France, but
| there is voiced hope that the good
sense of the chiefs of both countries
will vet find a way whereby a new
European lineup will not become
conceded to remain most dangerous,
and a single false step might spell
ruin to the world.
Dissolution of the entente compels
the observation from the Baltimore
News that "it is a sign that 1t is
not practicable. 1t has not always
worked for good by any means, but
its disappearance would work very
definite evil. The entente could be
led to rash common adventure, but
there can be no unity FOR correction
| of mistakes made in common" The
Springfield Union inclines to the opin-
ion that the break may clear the
tions involved to the front in such
way that the influence Of the
United States may be brought to bear
upon the situation" 1t is the YER
dict OF the Springfield Republican,
however, that unless the United
States were to assure France that
it would put all of its power back of
q new reparations settlement, re-
vised downward drastically in ac-
cordance with Germany's capacity to
pay without being ruined" the crisis
cannot be ended. and it Is convinced
no such solution is to be had. Yet,
while the collapse naturally threat
ems a crisis" the York Post points
out, It has not precipitated a crisis"
SO that "the opportunity lies open
for the mobilization of our good serv-
Ices, II only we have the will"
Likewise there is no occasion for
alarm at the moment, as the Roanoke
World News sees 1t, and, after re-
viewing the developments in great
detail, 1t suggests that 'there never
has been a situation to which the say
ing, Time will tell,' was more appli-
cable than now existing" The Rich
mond Times-Dispatch holds that sit
is reasonably clear that France is
drifting toward step the nature of
which fully justif1es all Of M. Poin-
cares great anxieties'" OCCUPATION
of Che Ruhr. the Boston Globe is con-
vinced. spells danger mot to Ger
many alone, but France: and not to
France and Germany alone, but all
Europe and America For the finan-
cial and economic solidarity of the
world affairs rest upon delicate ad-
justments of credit; and to add Ger.
many and France to the list now COM
prising Russia and Austria would
quickly upset the whole"
There fought not to be any mistake
about what the decision means" in
the opinion of the New York World.
because Great Britain and America
now are neutral as between France
and Germany. Its means that any
German disorder that may be provok-
ed Is Frances affair, with such as
sistance as she can obtain from Bel
gium and the redoubtable Mussolini.
1t may mean the end of all repara-
tions out of Germany IL German eco
nomic life is paralyzed and then de-
stroyed. IL this 10 the result the re-
sponsibility will lie at the door OF
Evening star., 1923-01-12
Washington Observations
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Quite apart from his official status,
deeper personal interest in events of
the moment than DR.. Otto Wiedfeldt,
the German ambassador at Washing
ton. Previous to his entry into the
diplomatic service DR.. Wiedfeldt was
q director OF the Krupp works and
resided at Essen, the center of the
new French occupational movement
in the Ruhr. Probably by this time
tho former Wiedfeldt mansion is serv-
ing as billet for officers of the
French mission of control" 1t will
be particularly interesting to learn
whether Villa Hugel, the Krupp an
cestral castle on the outskirts of Es-
sen, has been commandeered by the
French for residential purposes. 1t is
the home of Frau Bertha Krupp Won
Bohlen, the cannon queen" after
whom the big Bertha" that rained
ruin on Paris from a range of seven
ty-five miles was named. Frau Krupp
Won Bohlen s'marrfed at Villa HUI
gel in the presence Of the kaiser in
October, 1906.
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes received their latest authentic
reports of German economic condi-
tions from Jeremiah w. Jenks. For
merly professor of political economy
at Cornell and now director of the
division of oriental commerce and
politics at New York University, DR..
jerks is probably Americas most ver-
satile authority on world economies
He returned from Europe in Decem-
ber. after serving on a commission of
international experts invited by Ger
many to study her financial situation
and recommend a way out Of the tam
gle. John Maynard Keynes was the
British member of the commission.
DR.. Jenks was in Washington recent
ly and communicated unofficially with
government authorities interested in
the reparations crisis. The commits
sion report, in which the American
economist concurred, advocated a
German moratorium of two years,
both for cash payments and deliver
les in kind. Upon the granting OF
such moratorium, the commission
thought. 1t would be feasible to sta
btlize the German mark on the basis
of about $500 marks to the dollar,
through the use Of the Reichsbank's s
gold reserve.
One OF the most distinguished Brit
ishers ever to set foot on the soil of
Washington tarried there incognito a
fortnight ago under the auspices of
Andrew w. Mellon, Secretary Of the
Treasury. He was none other than
Thomas Gainsborough's celebrated
Blue Boy" who recently passed into
the possession OF the California COL
lector, Henry E. Huntington. at a
price approximating $1,000, 900. En-
route from its recent owner, the Duke
OF Westminster, to its future domicile
at the Golden Gate. the painting was
loaned to Secretary Mellon, a pas
sionate art connoisseur, for a week
end. THE Blue Boy" ensconced in
the drawing room Of the beautiful
Mellon apartment in Massachusetts
avenue, received the homage of a Sc
lect and privileged company of Wash
lngton picture lovers. Mr. Mellon
himself sat before the celebrated
Gainsborough for hours in transfxed
admiration.
There is sadness in the Washing
ton diplomatic corps over the sudden
death in Greece OF Jonkheer William
H X. de Beaufort, until March, 1922.
a popular Official OF the Dutch Iega-
Evening star., 1923-01-12

tfon in the United States. Jonkheer
de Beaufort ended a fine career al
Washington. extending over ten years
by serving as one OF the Netherlands
delegates at the conference on far
eastern problems. No foreigner ever
with American life and customs. SO.
ciety man. athlete and all-around
good fellow, de Beaufort's statuesque
figure was long familiar in the cap
ttal. He was raised TO the rank OF
minister to Athens while still on the
sunny side of forty. and looked for
ward TO distinguished career In
Dutch politics. The jonkheer was
cousin OF the Washington confer
ence beauty, Nine. de With.
X X x n
King Constantine of Greece, who
has just died in exile, shrank from
publicity with the coyness of ar
American politician. He had a spe-
cial fondness for American news
paper men, and Cultivated" them as
sidiously during the period of his first
banishment in Switzerland. two OIL
three years ago. When "Tino' re.
turned TO Athens, rehabilitated
aboard a Greek battIeship from
Brindisi he insisted upon taking with
him all the American and European
correspondents he could drum up, In
order that they might adequately
broadcast to the universe the story
of his back from Elba" expedition
Constantine was SO delighted with
the services of one American scribe
in particular, Paxton Hibben. kins-
man of the president of Princeton
that "Tino" named a street after him
in Athens.
The President and Mrs. Harding
are planning upon spending at least
three weeks at the Mclean villa ir
Palm Beach in March. All depends
upon Mrs. Harding's recuperative
progress in the meantime. She still
lives for the most part the life OF
a wheel-chair invalid. but it is no'
an inactive life, for she insists upor
motoring" about the White House
with considerable vigor in order per.
sonally to superintend affairs. Wher
| some particularly favored guest is a
the executive mansion he is accord
ed the privilege of relieving the frs
lady's regular attendant and pilotinl
the boardwalk car"
One of the features of the new
Hotel President, adjacent to the House
Office building. will be automatic belll
connected with Senate and House fol
summoning members to roll calls
There also will be a subteranean tun.
| mel leading to the Capitol and t.
the Senate and House office buildings
AS an up-to-date touch, the hote
Will contain a movie theater for the
exclusive projection of films of "legis
lative interest"
x x X
Ernest Abbott. editor of The Out.
look, is giving the Washington poll.
tical situation a microscopic inspec.
ton. He says the one regret Of hi:
life is that he didn't follow in the
footsteps of his celebrated father, the
late Lyman Abbott, and learn law
before practicing journalism. Fol.
lowing the civil war both Lyman Alb.
bott and his brother were active at.
torneys in New York city. The for.
mer always attributed his knowl.
edge of life" to the experiences he
encountered while pursuing evidence
In defense of libel actions brought
against a famous New York news.
paper.
Copyright, 1927
Evening star., 1923-01-12
Key Mansion Remains
Report Of 'Razing" Historic
Georgetown Home Is Denied.
70 the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
There seems to be a wrong impress
sion gaining ground now that the re-
naming Of the new bridge across the
Potomac at Georgetown is being
agitated-to the effect that the old
home of my grandfather, Francis
Scott Key, located at the Georgetown
end of the new bridge, has been de-
molished. Now razed" and site of
Key mansion" is the way my grand
fathers home is alluded to in a re-
Gently published District of Columbia
d. A. r. historical directory. These
terms are entirely wrong and mis-
leading. My grandfather lived in this
old house for thirty years of his mar
ried life; 1t was his home at the time
of the writing of THE Star Spangled
Banner; all of his children (eleven
in number, including my own father,
who was the youngest son), were
born in the Key mansion" Living in
Washington, 1 have, of course, been
familiar with the condition of the old
family home. and was deeply inter
ested In the efforts made by patri-
otic committee headed by Admiral
George Dewey to save the house for
the American people. This project
failed, for lack of funds, and the
house was remodeled in 1912 for busi-
ness purposes. The contractor who
did the work has recently given a
signed statement to this effect-that
the house is still standing, that only
the front wall was removed and the
attic leveled to q fat roof for the sec
ond story. The law office adjoining,
hU faf !,
was built up an additional story and
also changed into business property.
Much of the home remains, however.
floors. partitions, windows and the
basement, where the dining room was
located. The condition, therefore, Of
the "old Key home is that described
in the short but simple annals" of
many historic homes of Washington,
'remodeled for business purposes"
MARY TAYLOE KEY McBLAIR.
Evening star., 1923-01-12
Jackson Day and November.

The response to the appeal of Chair
man Hull of the democratic national
committee for a Jackson day celebra-
tion of the signs of the times as con-
tanned in the November elections was
not general. At any rate, the dis.
patches have carried little on the sub
ject.
Jackson is still revered. and Jackson
day still great anniversary. But the
public is busy with live and throbbing g
topics. World conditions are again
tense. All eyes are on Europe, and all
interest centers, in what is taking
place there. A fear prevails that war
Is again In the air.
There was a response at Springfield,
ILL.,, and some vigorous party talk in.
duIged in. The principal speaker was
Senator-elect Ralston Of Indiana, a
next door neighbor, and by his own
people as well as by some others re.
garded as of presidential size. He in.
weighed against what he called "the
republican policy Of international iso.
lation."
The tone Of the occasion was jubi.
liant. The. democracy was hailed as
coming back, and as certain to arrive
next year. The shibboleth of the even.
ing-though Mr. Ralston himself did
not use twas Treat 'em roughr'
meaning, Of course, the republicans.
Something softer and more argu.
mentative might have been better.
The democracy, though with an i'm.
proved outlook. is far from being out
of the woods yet, and is scheduled for
some rough going before the time ar.
rives for nominating its next national
ticket and constructing it's next ma.
tiOnaI platfOrm
Evening star., 1923-01-12

Ill OUc W dE diIO
a near-war. During the war with
Spain he was second lieutenant in
the 9Th United States Volunteer In
fantry. From the end of the Spanish
war to November s, 1915, he served
in the I'd Connecticut Infantry. He
responded to the call of the Presi-
dent on June 20, 1876 and was
lieutenant colonel in command Of his
regiment on the Mexican border.
Each time he expected to see actual
lighting, but though double a vet
eran he was never under fire except
as noted above.
There is "wart" sticking out on
the boundary line of Tennessee, pro-
truding over into North Carolina.
That "wart" is mountainous region
out by five parallel valleys-and it is
historic entirely aside from the fact that
TiIson was born there in log cabin,
when moonshine was really made
from good corn. The neck of this
"wart" was like the pass of Their
mopylae, when, during the civil war
the northern troops, under Burn
side came up the valley from Knox
Vile and were spreading into North
Carolina They found this pass
blocked by barricade of southrons
So much for background, and now to
Tilson's tale:
He dwelt in Central valley. where
for several years they had had
schools, and where the, boys and girls
were beginning to consider them
selves in the highbrow class because
they were mastering the elements of
primary arithmetic, and some of them
were in the fifth grade. In a neigh
boring valley, called "sodom," it was
the boast of the cotemporary youth
that they hid no book larnin,"
Al man from sodom came to Central
Evening star., 1923-01-12
SHOOTING STARS.
BIZ PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Current Literature.

Current Literature.
Granddad says that long ago.
When he was studious kid,
It was rather nice to know
What the great world said and did
Now and then the papers brought
Various items touching crime,
But they did not turn your thought
To such doings all the time.
Had yacht race now and then,
Or a celebration grand;
Great orations by big men
And sweet music by the band.
Then the underworld obscure
Did not spoil light-hearted glee-
Granddad says that literature
Is not what 1t used to be.