davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1926-09-23
Baker on Debt Issue.
Replies to Query Sent Him on
Cancellation Proposal.
Ts the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
One of the daily papers In com
menting editorially on Newton ID.
Bakers letter on cancellation OF the
allies debts to this country suggested
that If the citizens Of the United
States wanted cancellation they
could bring it about by donating
Liberty bonds for that purpose. the
suggestion was evidently made in
sarcastic vein, but 1t struck me as
a good idea, and I wrote to Mr..
Baker telling him of 1t. By return
mail I received an answer to my
letter. from which I quote, in part,
as follows:
"I have not seen the editorials to
which you refer, but, Of course. the
subject was not intended to be
taken seriously.
"I have no doubt there are a NUM-
Der of people in the United States
perhaps a great number OF people
who. like you, would be willing TO
surrender Liberty bonds to see our
country take a more generous and
wiser attitude on international ques-
tions. But, frankly, that would not
accomplish the only result that
seems worth while accomplishing.
which is to get our national mind OH
the false emphasis 1t HAS Pidcou ga
dollars in the last half dozen years.
MY point is that it would not do
the world the good it needs to have
done to prove that there were
enough generous people in the
United States to contribute the
money to relieve the allies of their
obligations. What the world needs
from us is a demonstration that we
as a people, organized and acting
through appointed channels, are wise
enough to see the justice and wisdom
of sacrificing dollars as freely for
a better future as we sacrificed lives
in 1917 and 1918.
Cordially yours,
(Signed) NEWTON D. BAKER.
I hope you will see fit to publish
this high minded letter from Mr..
Baker. It is an important contr1bu'
ton to the subject under discussion.
CALEB S. MILLER.
Evening star., 1926-09-23
II. s. Wars on Insects.

From the Fort Worth Record-Telegram
If DIR. Howard, bureau chief in the
Department of Agriculture, will nnd
some way to put his plan into opera
ton he may be assured OF being the
onlv man ever elected to the presl-
dency by a unanimous popular vote,
and that vote 100 per cent Votlng
strength of the country.
FIe says: "If human beings are TO
continue to exist they must gain
mastery over insects. The world IS
becoming vastly overpopulated, yet
we allow insects to rob us annually or
So. .OOO. 900 900 in agricultural products
Between one-tenth and one-hfth or
everything grown in the silo is an
nually destroyed by insects. Insects
in this country continually nullify the
labor of 1,000,0 men,"
The picture of 100000 men work
Ing for the support of the insectivora
of the world is quite shock until
we come to realize that the insects
would get along quite as We'll II we
didn't do any cultivating and let the
vegetation go back to the original
state. Doubtless there was an insect
with a special appetite for each grow
ing plant and as we humans called
them from their wild and made them
over into eatables the insects pro-
gressed with them-and us-until we
have come to know the boil weeyil
and the chinch bug. Now there is
the cotton hopper. He evidently has
come from an ambitious family of
grasshoppers who found competition
too keen and they began experiment
ing on the farmers highest priced
product.
There lies the greatest aid the Gov
sy{x "a fo
the country Of pests is the Govern
ment's Job. They should be sprayed
and powdered until the last one of
them has gone to join the ichthyosau-
rus and the dodo. That feed crop
that is given to the insects every year
Is that which will decide between the
farmers final independence and his
claim for a subsidy. That wasted one
fifth will feed and clothe him and his
family. Then the balance Of 1t will go
to stock, which, free Of the insects
that have been specializing on stock,
will make stock raising as enjoyable as
farming without cut worms, grass
hoppers and boil weevfls.
Then after the farmers enemies
have all been subdued, just think
what II Is going to mean to live in n
world free of flies, mosquitoes, CHG
gers, ants and gnats. For the first
year or two life will be just one basket
picnic after another. Now that the
Department Of Agriculture has dis
covered this menace ii should go 10
battle with IL instanter. That Is the
only instance possible where the city
people and the farmers Will join forces
a campaign TO rid the earth of insects
will be the most popular platform any
candidate can have in 1928 That ~ n
prohibition that would he unanimous.
Evening star., 1926-09-23

than If the replacement value is esti'
mated in terms OF present labor con.
ditions. Yet it is to be borne in mind
that if all of the stricken communities
in Florida start rebuilding at once
there will be another boom, with high
prices prevailing for labor and ma
terials.
The shrinkage of disasterdamage
estimates is due to the fact that in
the first hours after the blow falls 1t
is impossible to determine just what
has been lost. Everything Is in con-
fusion. Nobody can precisely tell what
property is wholly wrecked and what
partly wrecked, what only slightly
damaged and what intact. The first
thought OF people in q region suffer
ing from such a visitation is for i'm
mediate safety and succor. Their
world has crashed in upon them and
they are bewildered and confused and
desolated Everything looks at its
worst Then the stress Is lightened,
ana AllnOuBH liieIS dcto w puA y
and there are urgent needs to be met,
the case Is not SO bad as 1t seemed
while the hurricane was raging or
the streets were tangled with wreck
age and none knew who had perished
and who had survived.
But whether the loss is fifty or
sixty millions or a hundred millions
or two hundred and fifty millions, 1t
is a terrible blow that has befallen
this region and the survivors are in
need of aid-not capital aid for their
reconstruction. which they must even
tually finance from their own re-
sources. but sustenance aid In this
when acute suffering
threatens, when business is suspend
ed. when incomes are cut off ana
when the actual necessities of life are
lacking Provision Of that aid Is the
task Of the people of the country at
large and they will supply it gener-
ously.
Evening star., 1926-09-23

improvements at lower costs than
will be possible at any time in the
future.
The disadvantage Of the current
payment plan of procedure Is clearly
shown in the present blockade Of the
five-year school building program.
This scheme Of constructions was
adopted by Congress, and IL carried
out It would give Washington an
adequate educational equipment with
in a short period, putting 1t for the
first time in it's history practically on
n basis Of efficiency. But already the
budgetary limitations are operating
to curtail the program, and there is
no assurance that the District will in
the next appropriation act get the
money necessary to carry out the
next stage of the five.year plan of
work
Washington Is peculiar among all
American cities in that it is not per-
mitted to borrow money for large
works. 1t cannot bond itself SO that
posterity may share in the cost of
permanent improvements. 1t is vir-
tually the only community In this
country that Is forced to invest It's
current revenues in capital costs.
1t would be a blessed condition II
Washington could pay out of cur.
rent revenues for all its improve
ments. and not suffer from an un-
duly heavy tax levy. But one of the
most elementary principles OF munich
pal finance is that 1t is Impossible
both to have the cake and to eat
1t at the same time. 1t Is impossible
In short, to maintain the current
needs of n growing city and to pro-
vide for future necessities without
adding heavily to the tax burden. to
a point beyond the normal.
If Washington were starting fresh
with no arrears OF public needs in the
form of buildings. parks and other
equipment 1t could carry on through
current revenues without distress
But there are at present arrears rep
resenting many years of compare
tive neglect on the score of capital
investment, and these arrears must
be overtaken before the Capital is in
that ideal condition where it can keep
abreast Of its necessities and at the
same time hold it's tax burden to a
reasonable and beArable point.
Evening star., 1926-09-23

is a comparatively small percentage
OF the boys, but their influence II
strongly felt and is rapidly being *
tended
O. The flies seem worse right now
than they have been all Summer. Can
you tell me OF any homemade prepa-
ration I can use to get rid Of them3--
F. c. 8.
A. A sticky fly paper may be made
at home by the following methods:
Take two pounds OF rosin and one
pint of castor oil. Heat together until
it looks like molasses. Take an ordi-
nary paint brush and smear hot on
any kind of paper-an old newspaper
will do-and place several about the
room. A dozen OF these may be made
for about cent.
O. Are the men who become off,
GERS of the Government usually col
lege graduates?-M. c. c.
A. 1t has been estimated the per
centags of college graduates among
Government oficials of the United
| States has been as follows: b5 per
cent Of our Presidents, 36 per cent or
members of Congress. 47 per cent OF
| Speakers of the House, 81 per cent
| OF Vice Presidents, 81 per cent OF
| Secretaries OF State, 80 per cent OF
| Secretaries Of the Treasury. 6S
per cent of Attorneys General. and SO
per cent of Supreme Court Justices.
Q. am q Chinese student and have
| been in this country for four years.
wish to be naturalized as a citizen
of the United States. Am l qualified
| to do so?-K. Y.
| A. In the report of the commission
er general OF immigration the follow
| ing statement is made: Included In
! the category of persons ineligible to
citizenship in the United States are
! the Chinese, Japanese, East Indians
and other peoples Indigenous to Ash
attic countries and adjacent islands.
O. Why are nails called "two-penny"
six penny" "eight-penny" and so
| on?-L. T.
A. The term penny" as applied TO
nails denotes a certain arbitrary size.
| The expression originated In the nf-
teenth century, at that time designat-
ing the price of nails per hundred.
O. What book did Abraham Lin
coin regard as the best text book for
an American boy?-A. M. d:
A. D. w, f. Barton says that Lin
coin so regarded Murray's English
Reader.
The keynote Of the time is efficient
serutce In supplying its readers tCtth
q free Information Bureau In Wash
ington The EUenin0 Star is living up
to this principle In deed and fact. We
are paying for this serrtce in order
that it may be free to the public.
| Submit your queries to the std6 OF
erperts 1ChoSe services are put at Vour
| disposal Inclose 2 cents in stamps
to couer the return postage. Address
| The EUeninO Star Information Blu
reGu. Frederic j. HGSkin. Director,
| Washington, ID. G.
Evening star., 1926-09-23
Take the Avenue Site Now.

Discussion of the relative merits or
possible sites for the new Commerce
Department Building Is now In prog
ress, with the choice apparently rest
ing between the Fifteenth street edge
of the Mall-Avenue triangle and the
area now occupied by the retail and
wholesale markets fronting on Penn
syNania avenue. The former is fully
owned by the Government at present
and can be made available in short
time by giving notice to the tenants
who occupy 1t under lease and on
moving to other places the Federal
Government establishments located
therein The latter is partly owned
by the Government. but the taking
of that portion involves the necessity
of the relocation of the market estab-
lshment. The Fifteenth street site
is not as suitable for the style and
size of building that is desired to
house all of the branches Of the de-
partment according to the plan pre-
ferred by the present Secretary. The
Pennsylvania avenue site is better
adapted to such structure and from
the point Of view Of public conven-
ience is more suitably located.
There is no serious problem involved
in the' taking Of the Pennsylvania
avenue site on the score of the dis
placement of the market establish
ments. The solution of the market
location question is not difficult.
Should a midcity site be determined
upon there are now facilities already
available there for the retail market.
AS for the wholesale establishments
which cluster around it, they must in
any case be built by private capital, at
whatever location may be indicated
as most suitable for the public con-
venience. Their removal can be ef-
fected at any time.
The desirablility Of the Pennsyl-
vania avenue site Is so plain from
every point Of view that 1t should not
be prejudiced by the matter Of relo-
eating the market establishment. In
the original plans Of the Public Build
ing Commission provision was made
for the emplacement Of the Commerce
Building on the Mall and the Depart
ments of Justice and Labor on the
Fifteenth street site. The Mali site
has now been practically abandoned.
Substitution of the Commerce Build
ing for the Justice and Labor Build
ings on the Fifteenth street site would
necessitate the finding Of other sites
for the latter. The immediate plan
contemplates the construction of the
Commerce Building as soon as possi.
BILE, with the other departments fol
lowing quickly. 1t would seem to be
most desirable, therefore, to proceed
at once to acquire the Avenue site,
locate the Commerce Building there
and to follow the original plan of the
Public Buildings Commission of plac-
ing the other two structures on the
Fifteenth street site.
Evening star., 1926-09-23
Kipling's Friends Resent Poem
Slurr.ing American War Record

the top of the heap, governing wide
territories for the glory of the empire
and the general good of mankind. To
such a man the present sharp con-
trast between the position of Great
Britain and that Of the United States
must be indeed bitter" The Buffalo
Evening News feels that 'his poem
of 1917, The Choice where In he joy
fully hailed Americas coming into
the war. is much better verse while
the Hartford Times refers to his
works as resembling 1.-THE motion of
pillows upon the ocean: there are
great crests and horrible depressions."
The Lynchburg News recalls that he
was denied the poet laureateship, with
the comment that 'it begins to look
as If the British knew what they were
doing"
We're not angry with him, we're
sorry for him." declares the Fort
Wayne News-Sentinel; mo such
poisonous outpourings can e'er cor
rode the fine gold of his earlier
worth"
"A better sense of values" be
lieves the Waterbury Republican,
would restrain Mr.. Kipling from
such utterances. The Spokane
standard that 1.-The supreme test of
poetry is the expression of truth"
concludes that Kipling's new verses
are not poetry, for they "bristle with
untruths about the United States
participation in the war. The Amer
lean people," the Spokane paper re-
marks, "have long been generous to
Rudyard Kipling; they took him
quickly to their literary heart upon
his emergence from the obscurity OF
India. At that" continues the
Spokesman Review, they would not
object to truthful darts against any
of our national feelings. But these
verses are unfair, untruthful and
ungrateful."
'"The thing that Mr.. Kipling says
about us that hurts our feelings
most" declares the Columbus Ohio
state Journal, lis that we are deaf
to mirth,' which we suppose means
that we have no sense of humor."
The Pittsburgh Gazette-Times Is in
clined to excuse the offending poem
"as an aggravated instance of poetic
license" while 1t holds that 1t lis
much regretted that Kipling has per-
mitted himself to father sentiments
so unjust as he emphasizes In this
poem"
Evening star., 1926-09-23
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

O. What Is the meaning OF the
term nth power"?-B. J.
A. "N' equals an indefinite num-
Der. The Nth power is power In
creased to an indefinite extent.
O. I would like to know where
watermelons were first grown.-R. III.
A. The watermelon Is native
of Africa. 1t was early taken to In
dia, as seems indicated by it's having
n Sanskrit name. 1t reached China
about the tenth century AID. 1t
has no name in the ancient Greek
and Latin languages, and was prob
ably not known to these people much
before the Christian era.
O. Where did Corinne Griffith live
before she went into tho movtes?-
w. c.
A. Miss Griffith was born in Tex
arkana, Tex. She was educated at
the Sacred Heart Convent in New
Orleans, and was a professional
dancer for q year before she began
her screen career.
O. Please tell mo If the radio has
any effect on thunder and lightning.
r. J. S.
A. The Weather Bureau says that
radio waves have no effect on either
of these things.
@. Kindly tell me what win remove
marks on a dining room table maze
by heat going through the pad.--H.
Fl. II.
A. Heat stains may be removed
from a. highly polished table by ap-
plyinr the following in their respec-
tive order, using a separate cloth for
each: Kerosene, alcohol and sweet
or linseed oil. The last should be
we'll rubbed in until the spot no
longer shows. Frequently a cloth
moistened with warm camphorated
oil will remove the stain.
Q. Please tell me how the name
"Vessey" originated, and how 1t should
be pronounced.-L. V.
A The name "VeSsey' Is a local
name, meaning wet or fenny" land
near water. The original word was
"Vesey" and was Cornish-British'
The name may be pronounced with a
long or short "e."
@. Who was the inventor Of the
typewriter and what was the date?-
w. S.
A. In 1714 a patent for the first
typewriter was applied for by Henry
Mill, a London engineer. In 1929, w
A. Burt patented the first American
machine.
O. Can you explain the expression
| "Nigger In the dpile"?-E. c.
A. Riddall's Fact, Fancy and Fa
BILE" says that the expression ''Niggel
in the woodpile" originated In the
South and refers to the thieving pro
pensities of the slaves.
Q. How many Boy Scouts are there
now in the United States?-M. l.. P
A. There are something over 613,
900 Boy Scouts in this country. This
Evening star., 1926-09-23
The Bond Issue Proposal.

Proposal of bond issue OF $780,
600, 900 to raise funds for District
permanent improvements has been
made by the Chamber Of Commerce.
This means of providing funds for
important public works for Wash
ington has been frequently suggested
in the past, but without receiving
congressional approval The obvious
justice of spreading expenditures for
permanent works over a period of
years has not been recognized by the
legislature, which has insisted upon
compelling the National Capital com
munity to pay out OF current cash
all that Is to be expended for such
projects as well as for immediate
maintenance.
The District is today suffering from
the effect of accumulated public neces
stiles. These arrears for important
works in the form OF school build
ings, equipment for the various mu-
nicipal departments and parks have
resulted from the pay as you go"
policy that has been adopted for the
District. Notwithstanding the heavy
Increase In tho annual appropriations
aud the consequent increase In taxes
the District has been able 10 make
but MA. h"adway against this acCu
mutation %. requirement. For this
community has grown rapidly md
lts current needs hav" increased pro
port iuuatol'
.ru make pro, lsiuu nf pn'" Tor thes"
'a..r.I.l constructions 'ud develop
pnruI.u method a. would mako pus
hlbls ths Vseoutlan Of a pfa9Tam of
Evening star., 1926-09-23

II am fashioned enough" he
said with a smile, Ito believe that
decent folk oughs to go to bed at
night.
The curfew met a real need in
human relationships might not be
bad thing to re-establish 1t today,
or, rather, tonight,
What Is there one can do after
midnight that he cannot do before?
What charm is there in talking and
laughing loudly between 10 o'clock
and or am. that cannot be found
In conversation and laughter between
10 o'clock and midnight?
"As for me, when l see and hear a
merry party in action, after every
other home in a neighborhood is abed,
instinctively feel inclined to believe
that liquor is the cause Of the merri-
ment.
1T is neither natural nor normal
for human beings to meet the milk
man on his rounds without good
cause, for the constitution of man is
so made that his system needs rest
and repose.
There is no use branding this as
an old-fogy notion. The human body
has been in operation too long and
been studied over tooemany centuries
for there to be any mistake about this
matter.
The person who does not climb
into his little bed until 3 or 4 am.
needs from to hours of sleep the
same as the rest of us, at a minimum.
and ought to sleep until 10 o'clock
or noon.
yet hundreds of the merrymakers
HE themselves out to work for $50
or o'clock reporting time. just the
same as their more sedate associates
X X X
II have attended a number Of late
parties as an invisible guest" he
went on, with another smile II have
been awakened by the clamor, and
have been forced to lie awake and
listen to them until they decided to
quit.
Every party seems to have al
least one loud-talking gentleman. and
one loud-laughing lady. The combina.
tion seems inseparable. AS far as
can make out, the lady laughs at the
bright sallies of the gentleman.
There will be an outburst on the
part Of the male member of the team
then the woman will laugh uproari
ously. There is something about the
night that puts every one in good
spirits. We wonder what it Is?
THE gentleman Is easily understood
a half block away but we, being bit
more than that, cannot catch his ex
act words. Maybe we might, If we
listened, but we are too sleepy tc
listen.
Try to fall asleep, If you can-but
the chances are 10 to that the bright
chap will make some gorgeous sally
just as you are dropping off to sleep
and the beautiful lady will respond
with tremendous cackle.
do you suppose they would mind
a bit If they knew our opinion oil
them? 1t is hardly to be supposed
that they would, for certainly they
must know what all the neighbors
think of them, If they stop to con
slider the matter at all.
Here we are, so families on the
huge court formed by the alleys; here
we are, ~ families with darkenet
And there they are. l against 49
windows aglow with light, belchine
noise into the darkness. The mid
night bell has struck, and surely they
will quit soon.
Quit soon? Why. they have but be.
gun. The hour Of l strikes, and the
crickets in the grass hum with the
peculiar sound of early morning. YOU
know there is a different timbre tc
the noise of the crickets after mid
night.
Evening star., 1926-09-23

The Hall-Mills case has put the old
fashioned detective story out of coun-
tenance. 1t has run for years and the
mystery Is still unsolved. Truth is
longer.
Evening star., 1926-09-23

The former German Kaiser has
shown considerable patriotism in
keeping out of the international pic
ture at a time when he might have
grabbed the spotlight merely by
throwing a monkey wrench into the
machinery.
Evening star., 1926-09-23

1t Is feared by Secretary Hoover
that radio may yet have to advertise
a commercial product in connection
with a presidential Inauguration. Such
q necessity would be the means of
proving utilitarian adaptability. Even
SO important an event as an inaugu-
ration cannot obliterate the value of
toothpaste. baking powder and cod
liver oil.
Evening star., 1926-09-23

A Maryland town has a curfew law
which requires all persons under six
teen years of ago to be home after
a certain hour unless accompanied
by parents. This is likely to compel
some of the youth-controlled parents
to stay up rather late o. night.
Evening star., 1926-09-23

At Paul Smiths boys can now catch
many a pike without being subjected
to the attentions of photographers and
journalistic interviewers. The fame
of the fish depends on the fisherman.
Evening star., 1926-09-23

When a catastrophe of nature takes
place the insurance companies take a
valuable share of publicity, building
fs soon done and affairs go forward
% a better basis than before.