Evening star., 1925-05-31
History.

by a grand jury for violation of the
State law which prohibits the teach
ing of evolution in the public schools
of Tennessee. His trial will be in
July, and already the little town OF
Dayton, Tenn, is making prepara-
tions to receive what probably will
be its greatest bid for fame. News
paper men alone-who are sent to
cover" the trial-probably will take
up all available space in the court
house, and suggestion has been made
that the trial be held in the local
ball park, to make sure of a seat for
everyone The merchants of Dayton
anticipate Il profitable Summer.
Newspapers which published lists
of income taxpayers with the
amounts paid-taking such informa-
ton from records made available by
the Internal Revenue Bureau of the
Treasury Department-were within
their rights and violated no law, the
United States Supreme Court decided
last week. The cases before it were
brought by newspapers indicted by
he Government in suits to test the
meaning of a law passed by Congress,
which compelled the Treasury TO
throw open for public inspection lists
of income tax payments. The Gov
ernment contended the law did not
contemplate the publication of such
lists, a previous law forbidding pub
ication. As the Treasury must open
The last income tax payment lists TO
the public soon. and as newspapers
again will print the lists, it is be-
ieved the Treasury will seek to have
The present law revised.
At the suggestion Of the President
the War Department has abandoned
plans for holding it's next defense
day test" on ArmiStice Day, and has
moved the date up to July 1. The
defense day was attacked last year
as a gesture toward war by paciticists
who for time threatened to make it
campaign issue.
Two hundred and seventy-eight per-
sons were killed, more than 500 in
jured and more than 1000 houses de-
stroyed in an earthquake last week
which shook the towns of Toyo-Oka,
kinosaki and Minato village. Japan.
Japan has declined offers OF assist
ance from the American Red Cross.
Rebuilding the destroyed areas is al
ready under way.
President Coolidge believes that the
question of a security treaty, such as
is now being discussed in Europe in
connection with disarmament, is
problem for European solution. and
he sees no reason for the United States
to participate. He believes the security
treaty, which would bind the nations
signing ii in a pact of mutual protec-
ton against aggression by an enemy,
is good thing, and thinks the United
States would be glad to help in bring
ing it about if a practical form of aid
could be suggested
Two cases bearing on phases of the
Chinese exclusion laws were decided
by the United States Supreme Court
last week. In one the Supreme Court
held that laws granting citizenship to
aliens who served in the Army, Navy
or Coast Guard during the World
War do not apply to Japanese or
Chinese. In the other it was decided
that while Chinese not eligible to
citizenship might bring their wives
into this country, American citizens of
Chinese parentage could not bring
into this country their wives, who are
ineligible.
The oil scandals figured prominently
in the news last week from two diff
ferent angles.
In the District of Columbia a spe-
cial grand jury reported indictments
against Albert B. Fall, former Secre-
tary of the Interior; Harry F. Sinclair
and Edward l.. Doheny for conspiracy.
The same men, with the exception of
Doheny's son, were indicted last June,
but the indictments were quashed.
The Government, through its spe-
cial counsel, won victory in the
courts of California last week, when
the leases entered into between the
and T. lnG fNy Ill
lands were declared to have been
secured through fraud" The con-
tracts, therefore, and the leases would
be void. Counsel for Mr.. Doheny,
however, will note an appeal, and the
case will eventually reach the United
States Supreme Court. The Govern
ment has been seeking to invalidate
the leases secured by the Doheny
interests.
Forty-fve miners, trapped more than
1000 feet below the surface Of
the earth in the Carolina Coal Com
perished from an explosion last week.
Rescuers found only dead bodies.
Premier Painleve and the French
cabinet received an overwhelming
vote of confidence last week from the
Chamber of Deputies on the govern
ment's Moroccan policy. The vote
was unanimous, except for the com
munist members, who voted against
the policy. The government asked for
an appropriation of 81, 700, 900 francs
until the end of June to conduct the
campaign against the RiffianS For
eign Minister BRAND told the Chamber
that Frances campaign was one
merely of defense, that no acquisition
of territory was contemplated, and
that peace negotiations would be
opened with the enemy whenever they
became possible.
While an anxious world awaits
definite word of the fate of Roald
Amundsen and the gallant explorers
with whom he left Kings Bay, Spitz-
bergen, eight days ago, those who
know the ways of the North and the
character of Amundsen refuse to
give up hope or relinquish the opti-
mism which has marked their atti-
tude on this historical attempt to
reach the pole by plane.
Such men as Donald B. MacMil-
Ian, soon to attempt great Arctic
exploration himself, and DIR. Fridt-
jof Nansen believe that An1undsen
landed near the pole and has since
been taking observations. They be-
lieVe he will return safe and sound.
Other possibilities concerning the
whereabouts of Amundsen have been
outlined as follows: () He may have
landed in rough ice, and if the land
ing was safely made, it would re-
quire several days for the explorers
TO cut a smooth passage through the
ice to permit a take-off. (2) He may
have landed in the northern part of