davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1926-04-30
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
sY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

the present time has the State been
''humiliated' by having two Repub.
licans represent it in the Senate.
Blue grass Democrats are confident
that Barkley is the man to redeem
ii from the ''ignominy" under which
it now suffers.
Two great national orga nizations
claim that President Coolidge is
stealing their stuff" They are the
National League Of Women Voters
and the National Civic Federation.
The glory OF which they have been
despoiled is the wake-up campaign
initiated by the President before the
recent ID. A. r congress in Washing
ton on the subject Of vote Stacking.
For several wears past both the League
Of Women Voters and the Civic Fed
Grafton have been hammering away
on that uninspiring issue. The league
during the 1924 campaign conducted
an intensive drive to bring out the
vote. On the negative results of that
effort the Civic Federation in 1928
based nationwide publicity crusade
aimed at pointing out the stay.at home
evil. Last year the San Francisco au-
thorities ordered the local golf courses
closed as a means OF promoting big
vote on primary day. Men and women
are about on par AS vote Slackers.
Some politicians advocate a money
penalty for people who don't do their
duty at the polls. Australia has such
a system.
Farmers and la Dor have locked arms
in Iowa to elect Smith w. BrOokhart
to his old place in the United
States Senate. Maj. Frank J.
Lund--like Brookhart. soldier.
farmer. lawyer and progressive Re
publica n-will manage his campaign,
and j. G.. Lewis. leader of the Iowa
miners and president of the State
Federation Of Labor. will be chairman
Of the Brookhart finance committee
and campaign treasurer. Maj. I.und
was long associated with former Sen
ator William $. Kenyon in the Iowa
progressive movement. Lewis sends
word TO Labor, the railroad mems
scra ppy official organ at Washington.
that "Brookhart Is making winning
fight. but needs funds for necessary
campaign expenses"
One of these days, II Representative
Edgar Howard Of Nebraska can have
his way. all of the speeches of William
Jennings BRYAN will be immortalized
In the Congressional Record. On every
any, Judge Howard. who still burns
incense at the Bryan shrine. obtains
permission TO insert one of his herO's
oratorical masterpieces In that bot
tomless pit of political exuberance.
Everybody likes Howard. respects his
frank idolatry Of wv. j. B." is amused
by his Rryanesque haircut, and con-
siders his autobiography in the Con
gressional Directory that handy vol
ume's choicest bit. Howard therein
sets forth: "Once member of the Ne.
braska Legislature and lieutenant
governor, holding cotemporan neously
the higher Office Of editor of coun-
try paper, and still In that estate,
married at lawful age to Elizabeth
Paisley Burtch. native Nebraska
girl, still married Started In religion
as q Quaker. but Of late years in the
Episcopal fold"
copyright. 1926.)
Evening star., 1926-04-30
Arms Makers to Fight Crime.

At the concluding meeting of Ma
tional Crime Commission in this city
this week note of good cheer was
sounded when the representative Of
one OF the largest arms manufacture
ing compa MES in the United States
by direct suggestion all the large man
ufa cturers Of firearms and ammuni.
tion. desired 10 cooperate with the
commission to obtain proper uni
form pistol regulation law.
This is a welcome announcement.
Heretofore difficulty has been met In
the effort to secure Il proper law In
regulation OF the sale OF deadly
weapons In the opposition OF the man.
ufacturers. Now 1t Is definitely sta ted
that they are willing and desirous OF
working to the end that in all the
States laws OF similar import may be
enacted nd enforced which will lessen
crime.
Undoubtedly, as the representative
Of the arms company stated. such a
law to be effective must be uniform
and must be In force in all the States.
1t should not be difficult to frame it in
such terms that its honest and full
enforcement will deprive the criminal
of his chief mean ms OF offense and will
not deprive the honest citizen Of
means uf defense.
The ideal law on this subject Is one
that prohibits. under severe penalty.
the sale or gift OF deadly wea pom
or ammunition to any person who does
not present to the vendor or donor a
permit To possess such a wea pom. is-
sued bv competent public official.
Such a law, however, even II en-
aetad ID every stats Ia the Uninn and
Evening star., 1926-04-30

places for chieftains and many Of
their possessions. The best Is one Of
the largest. the famous Gogstad ship.
dug up from an impervious clay
mound in Sweden in 1880. She Is
seventy.nine feet four inches in length
by sixteen and one-half feet in beam.
Amidships her gunwales would be but
a scant three feet above the crested
waves Those who return from Europe
with tales of gales which made them
feel insecure on giant liners might
think that over. She is clinker.built
Of oak planking one and three'fourths
inches thick, calked with cows hair.
She carried sixteen oars on side ana
two small ships boats.
Capt. FoIseroe's ship must be
modelled after one of the smaller craft
found here and there. His Is forty
feet long by thirteen In width.
rather chunkier vessel and one cal
culated to be more seawortoy ana
livabIe than the Gogstad serpent.
No nation has a marine heritage
sul'pas sing that Of the Norweglans.
One envies the long. long thoughts or
Capt. Folgeroe as he stands by the
ha ndle Of the big steer board slant
ing down on one side OF the stern,
watches the Atlantic breeze belly out
his gayly striped sail, and feels his
ship slide up and down the crested
rollers OF what his ancestors stNled
'"rhe Old Grey Widow Maker. His
route is from oslo TO north OF Scot
land, thence TO the Portuguese coast.
the Rermudas a nd Philadelphia. When
his ha wser is safely around post on
some wharf of the City OF BrotherlN
Love a mental cheer will go up wher'
ever Ia this world men love real ships
and real sailors.
Evening star., 1926-04-30
How Gen. Lords Scale of
Annuities Would Work

To the Editor Of The star
Readers of The Star may he inter.
ested to learn how the retirement an
nuity scale proposed by Gen. Lord of
the Budget Bureau would affect the
aunuities of the Government en-
ployes now retired. The following is.
therefore. submitted, based upon the
retirement roll as 1t stood June 50,
1925, the last fiscal year:
There are now on the retirement
roll 1859 retired employees, whose av-
erage basic salary for the 10 years
next preceding retirement was 5000.
These now receive q maximum an
nuity of SEQ. provided they have
served 80 years before retirement
Under the pla n proposed by Gen. Lord
the maximum annuity would be raised
to $3.50. or about s cents q day. Sim
ilariy, the class whose average sal
AIRY at retirement was 81 900 now re-
ceiVe q ma Ximum of $500. Under the
Lord plan they would receive S621. a
little over : cents a day increa Sc.
This class. on the date above men,
toned, numbered 2.07S. The $500 sal
AIRY class receive a maximum annuity
of $540. Under the Lord plan this IS
raised to S662. an increase Of little
less than so cents week. This class
embraces 0Ub pcISOHS. Hc 3S4 ell
pioyes who on retiring had salaries of
$500. who now receive ma ximum an
nuity Of $3.50 have this raised. under
the Lord plan. TO $500. an increase of
a little less tnan & cents day. The
increases Of those whose salaries upon
retirement We're $500 and $500, re.
spectively, are even less. The en-
ployes retired upon salaries OF 81 400
and 81 500. respectively, now receive,
as a maximum, S720 retirement pay.
The maximum for these is raised,
under the Lord plan. by $l55 and
$3.50. respectively. or 43 cents and rs
cents 4 day. respectively. These two
classes. however. represent, in round
numbers, but 35 per cent of retired
Federal employees. Substantially two
thirds of retired Federal employees
were retired upon basic salaries of
81 100 or less. according to the re
tirement roll of June 30, 1925.
Expressed In percentages, the en-
ploye retired upon basic salary OF
$500 (whO now receives a ma aXimum
OF $3.50 a Year, receives. under the
Lord plan, an increase Of per cent.
or $40. while the employe retired upon
a. basic salary of 81 800 (who may now
receive maximum annuity of $72O
receives. under this plan, an increase
of 80 per cent. or $3.50. In the Lord
plan no provision whatever appea RS
to have been made for voluntary re-
tirement. GEORGE A. WARREN.
Evening star., 1926-04-30
DIR. James Craik Was Not
Medical Head of Army

To the Editor of The Star:
In an article concerning the old
cemetery at Alexandra, appearing in
The Sunday Star. statements are
made to the effect that DR.. James
Craik was at the head of the medical
department of the Continental Army.
and that he held position equiva-
lent to that of the surgeon general of
the present Army.
This is an error. 1Dr. James Craik
was an excellent man. one Of that
numerous band of Scotsmen who
gave such great service during the
Revolution: but he was never at the
head of the medical department.
When the medical department ot
the Continental Army was reoresn-
ized October 6. 1880, Washington rec
commended DR.. John Cochran and DR..
James Craik two ScOts) for the high
est places. At that time DIR. William
Shipper was reelected (by COngress)
to be medical director: DR.. Cochran.
chief physician and surgeon. and DIR.
Craik to be one of three thrst1 chief
hospital surgeons.
Early i'm January. 1881. DR.. Shippen
resigned; DIR. Cochran then became
medical director. and DIR. Craik be.
came chief physician and surgeon
Tbis status obtained until the end G.
the war. 1t afterward developed that
DR.. Cochran himself had recommena-
ed to the Congress that DR.. Craik he
given first place.
When war with France seemed i'm.
minent in 1898 DIR. Craik was made
physician general of the Army, and.
as is generally known. he was called
In WashingtOn'S last Illness.
do not desire to detract from The
honor justly due DR.. James Cralk.
but only to set the facts down right.
trust his last resting place may he
more properly preserved. es
LOUIS c. DUNCAN, NJ. D.
Evening star., 1926-04-30
A Children's Constitution.

To-day is "Old Ironsides day In the
schools of Washington. Through
speciai permission accorded by Dr.
Ra llou. superlntende of schools Of
hcers and teachers are empowered
tn hold exercises at which the Siorl-
ous history OF this old frisate is toio
and the campaign OF the Save old
Honsides fund" outlined.
"A is we'll known. Congress an'
thnrized the sadly needed reconstruc'
tion and reconditionins of the Ola
fighter named in honor of the lns'ru'
mon, Of this Government. NO money
was provided. however, for the very
considera BILE expense involved, ana
national campaisu was undertaken to
raise the funds by means OF sma IL
contributions from school chiidreh'
Hesdouarters of this campaign is al
the Charleston Navy Yard. where the
vessel is tied up. and Rear Admiral
rbi,in Andrews. the comma nda Mt, Is
chairman Of the executive committee
pitticultv was found AT first in en-
hStinc the sympathies Of the chiidren
attending the public schools of the
t-anital. due to an excellent rule OF
long standing forbiddinS solicitation
Tpon the appeal of Secretary VII
bur. however, this han was iifted Tor
this special occa sion. The campaign
Nss formally launched here al meet
DO trin
held this month.
The opening gun of the local cam
pai.n-if any such movement In the
Capital Of the Nation may be said TO
he locai--was fred last night, when
Cant W. II. Cluverius, aide to the
Secretary Of the Navy, appealed to
the student body of George Washing
ton University urging them to con-
tribute on a one hundred per cent
hs sis. t'ndouht edly other higher in
stItutions of learning. and private
secondary and primary schools will
participate.
The sum actually needed is half
million dollars. From the response
made by the first 5000 .0GO youngsters
il was evident that if as many as
- 900 900 could be rea ched complete
success was assured. This does not
include gifts by oldsters, who, as boys
and girls. thrilled over the recital Of
the battles Of the old sailing ship.
Such gifts have already been hea ded
ny generous checks from President
Coolidge and Vice President Dawes.
Subscriptions already total over $2O0,-
600. Next Monday. May 8. is the date
Npecifed on which the contributions
cf Washington pupils are to be
brought in to their teachers That
the National Capital will perform it's
full share and more in the task is
not only desira hle: it is certain.
Evening star., 1926-04-30
May Leif's Luck Follow Folgeroe |!

Capt. Folseroe OF Sandnessjoen, Nor.
way, has built himself reproduction
NJ Viking ship and, in order most
appropriately to f1y the colors OF Nor
way at the approa ching Philadelphia
3esauicentennial, has started to sail
across the Atlantic. 1t is hoped he
has plea SAINT voya ge and A safe ar.
rival Too great efforts cannot be
made to keep alive interest in one Of
the most beautiful things man has
ever invented, the ship with sails, now
fast disa ppearing, except in so far as
pleasure craft are concerned. That
The ship OF this descenda mt Of the sea
kings will arouse interest al the ex-
position goes without saying.
Capt. Folgeroe is not the first to do
this. A modern Viking ship sailed
across the Allan in time to be dis
PLAYED at the Chicago Worlds Fair Of
1923. The craft at present vOyaging
westward is considera bly, sma Her. but
will proba bly, have the benefit OF aids
to navigation which did not exist
thirty-three years ago, not TO neil
tion the year 1909. These include the
consts mt presence OF nearby ships, the
radio, the thermos bottle, the pocket
hashlight and few dozen other
things that will come readily to mind.
A thousa nd years ago Sea ndinavian
seafarers got aboard ships like this
and visited (SermanV Russia the
British Isles. the Mediterranean coun-
tries, Greenls nd, Iceland and many
other distant places. Sometimes they
did not even know where they were
going. 8 in the cas- Of the practical
ly certain trip to the shores of this
New World by Left Ericsson. There
was no preliminary newspaper "bally-
hoo" They had no compa sses. They
could not tack because their craft had
keelsons rather thar keels. and a sin
gle square sail without boom. The
crew, however, were very classy at
the long ashen oars and it was an un-
usual combination Of adverse winds
and beclouded stars that kept them
from getting where they were going.
Moderns are fortunate in that sew
ersl pretty well preserved specimens
Of these Viking ships have hsen un.
earthae. fer they were used - burial
Evening star., 1926-04-30
A Woman Protests a Bill
to Stop Military Training

To the Editor of The Star:
There now comes before Congress
bill known as the Welsh bill. designed
to abolish all military training In the
schools and colleges OF this country
Now, IL is commonly understood that
bills OF this kind have the unqualined
support Of the women or the country.
In view of this, l wish to correct an
error by making known that there Is
at least one female citizen OF these
United States who In unalterably op-
posed to this measure.
In the early days OF 1917, when
every one knew that we were about
to become involved in the World war
and the citizens who realized whal
that would mean to our tiny Army
were urging the passage by Congress
of a universal draft bill. I volunteered
to do what ! could to aid the cause or
preparedness.
NV first job. under the auspices or
the National Security League. was q
canvass of New Jersey town in an
effort to obtain signatures TO peti'
tiOn urging upon Congress the pas
sage Of such a bill. During that ca n
vass | learned great deal about the
why's of the anti.prepsredness, anti
Army, anti.Navy, anti-Nstional De
fense people. No matter how high
sounding. how holy. how pure. how
peace loving. how sltruistic their mo
tives seem, the noise they really make
is of quite a different timbre. With.
out one exception those who refused
to sign my petition did so with Ger
man accent or with the admission that
they did not consider the United
States sufficiently important to go to
war for. or because they had sons
who would. in case OF the draft. De
taken for soldiers. The frst was the
noise of traitor; the second, ditto.
and the third, coward.
And when j demonstrated they in
variably asked me these questions:
Have you seen with your own eyes
what war is?" Have you q SOM
TO both of these / had to answer In
the negative, whereupon | was very
rudelv ordered to cease pOlluting the
premises with my vile suggestions.
Nine years have gone by and once
more i raise my voice on behalf OF the
youth OF our land. on behalf OF my
country's security. This time l can
answer the questions OF traitors and
towards in the affirmative. i "a W
war with my own eyes. saw the
laughter. the horror, the ruin. and
for that reason l urge that we train
our youth IN tNe H1ItltdIN dIte tHo ~
there may never be a recurrence of
such a calamity.
have two sons and for that reason
desire military training in their
school curriculum. I desire 1t beca use
know that there is no other training
that so quickly or so thoroughly
teaches obedience, respect self.reli
a nee, self.restraint. precision. loyalty,
democracy-ma nhood, to say nothing
of the physical development it accom-
plishes.
My own two sons, OF course. are
safe Whether the pernicious inf1u.
ences succeed or not. my own two
shall have their military training. But
am speaking for the sons of others.
OF those who have not had the oppor.
| tunities for going to the bottom OF this
matter as have had them. who ma y
not be aroused in time to prevent a
| thing, which. if 1t does take place will
result in cata strOphe.
DOROTHY POTTER BENEDICT.
Evening star., 1926-04-30
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

plateau. The elevation was 100 feet
above the level Of the Nile ana
stretched north and south for many
miles between the verdant valley and
the Libyan Desert. 1t was on this
plateau that the pyramids were Quilt.
O. Who were the Sabines?-G. o.
A. The Sabines were ancient and
importa mt people who lived In the
mountains northeast OF Rome, from
the Mons Fiscellus and borders OF
Ptcenum south to the AniO and FL
denae on the Tiber. They were OF
Umbro-Sabellian stock, allied to the
Oscans. and the Samnites were their
descendants. Reste RietD was their
chief town. The rape of the Sabine
women" in the legendary history ot
Rome is famous. The Sabini were
finally subjugated by the Romans un-
der M. Cirrus Dentatus tcir 290 r. ca.
They received the Roman ranchise In
2GS. and after the Social War Of 80 he
came anna lga ma ed with the Romans.
Q. What was the largest silver mug
get ever found?-M. r. r..
"A. A mass or nugget OF almost pure
silver weighing 500 pounds was found
in Peru. and 1t is claimed that one NJ
200 pounds was extracted from
mine in Mexico.
0. What is the most valua able 'owl
to farmers?-A. NJ. y.
A. The barn owl Is generally so re
ga rded because it lives almost entire
ly upon the small rodents so injurious
to crops. This Is said to be especially
true in the South. where it suosists
on the cotton rat and the manv
harmful mice. and in the West. where
and rabbits.
@. Who composed the song Come
Back to Erin Il o.
A. Mrs. Cha arlotte Abingdon Barn
ard, an English composer Of songs
and ballads under the pseudonym
ola ribel" who was born in 1880 and
died in 1859.
O. What makes a person
"stretch"?-T. 7. !.
4. The necessity or desire u"
stretch comes because certain parts
of the body are moi receiving the
proper amount of blood circulation
| nd stretching is an instructive actinn
to accelerate the circulation.
o. Does thunder cause milk ="
sonr?-T. c. y.
A. IN does not However. milk will
sour in any kind Of warm and moist
temperature. and because just be
| fore and during thunderstorm the
air is generally quite warm and
moist milk VIII sour more quickly
than under normal conditions.
Government statistics bring ont the
fact that the nneducdted man has
only chance in 500 to attain dis
! tincti0n There is no reason 4chp any
one should lire under such hdndi-
cap in these days Of tree schools mud
free information. This paper sup
ports in Washington. u. C.. the
| largest free information bureau IN
| eristence. IT ,rW procure for you the
0nswer to any question Yon mog ask.
/ At-dl yourself Of its facilities for your
selt-im proremrnt IncloSe e-cent
| stamp for return postage. Address
! The E1.euiuo Star Information BU-
| redu. E'rederic j. Hdskjn, director,
; Washington. ID. g.
Evening star., 1926-04-30

Q. What is the hungarian none
tary unit?--C. j. r.
A. The new unit in Hungary is the
pengo, worth about II cents In Amer
lean money. The use of the new cur
rency in accounting. etc, will be
obligatory after January 1, 1927. The
National Bank Of Hungary has pub
lished its statements in pengos since
January ], 1925, and the budget sp-
propriations OF the government are
likewise drawn up in pengos for the
year 1S26.1927. Postal stamps based
on the new currency are to be issued
on May J., 1926. and the currency
hitherto In use Hungarian crownS
Will gradually be- exchanged against
pengOs at the ratio of IL 500 paper
crowns to pengo. hungarian
finances are placed on gold basis
since the PRONUNCIATION Of the above
law. an the ratio Of l2.500:l Is not
subject TO fluctuations of the market
The national bank IL empowered by
law to issue bank notes IN crowns even
after January !, 1927. pending com
pletion Of the issua nee Of the new
bank notes
q. have heard hat the India MS
method of shaving was to burn of
the hair. Is this true?-L. =. r.
A. The Bureau Of American Ethnol-
oey says that before the Introduction
Of shears, creased stick was lighted
In fire and used to burn off the hair
of an Indian.
Q. How much room must he allowed
for each sheep in pasturage S. T..
A. The Bureau of Animal Industry
says that the average upon which one
hol n
one.sixth an acre to a sheep TO ten
acres, dependent upon the location Of
the land and particularly the kind Of
azins in the vicinity.
q. What denomination is the Little
Church Around the Corner?-T. w. p.
A. This is an Episcopal Church.
The real name of which Is the Church
Of the Ira nsfiguration.
O. Can Government clerks salary
he garnisheed?-J. j. r.
A. The Civil Service Commission
says the "a larry of civil service EN-
pIoye csnnot he sarnisheed.
Q. Why the name mah-jong? Fl.
NJ. G.
A. One expIa na ton is that Nah was
military commander who lived cen
turies ago. The jong merely mea ms
general. Gen. Nah comma nded
troops guarding the remote frontiers
Of the empire. He invented the game
TO give his idle soldiers something to
do to keep them out of mischief. Since
his time it has been elaborated some
what. notably by a Chinese lawyer
of Ningpo. who added more pieces,
making the present total of 1856.
Q. Why Is air saturated with Vapor
lighter than dry air?-E. NJ. O.
A. Water vapor is lighter than dry
air. Water vapor in the air displaces
some Of the oxygen and nitrogen. and
therefore makes the air lighter.
Q. Al the time the Pyramids were
built were the Egyptian plains desert
or under cultivation?-L. r. r.
A. At the time the Pyramids were
bull west of Memphis. running
parallel with the river vas barren
Evening star., 1926-04-30

TO the Editor of The Star:
Doubtless you have often heard the
sweeping assertion that "One cannot
get the truth concerning prohibition
from the papers. they are all with the
VETS,
1 have been a shut-in for all the
weeks of the hearing before Congress,
or a committee thereof. on the Vol
stead law. My only information on
the subject came from 'i'he Star--a nd
| failed to read bet tween the lines Of
It's report any sympathy for The law
defying vets. l have every reason 10
believe that The Star reports were
correct, and I believe that ,his paper
believes it the duty Of every Amer
lean citizen to obey the law. whether
personally convenient or not.
My belief Is confirmed by the edi-
torial In The Sunday Star under the
heading, "A Reign of Terror" AS a
long time reader of The Star, as a
loyal law-abiding citizen, as a lover of
obedience, as a thorough prohibition
list and a member nf the Woman 8
Christian Tempera nee Union. l want
to thank you for that editorial, and
for many evidences that you stand
for good citizenship and law observ-
ance and fair dealing.
LOUISA 8. WEIGHTMAN.