davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02
THINK 1T OVER
A Neglected Asset
By William Mother Le,Uis,
President George Washington University

Our young people should have as
part of their standard equipment
speaking knowledge Of at least one
foreign language. AS we become
more and more a manufacturing
nation, the desirability of having
foreign outlets for our products be-
comes increasingly evident. Goods do
not sell themselves, nor do exactly
the same type of goods appeal to all
people. Our foreign trade representa-
tives must have the ability to speak
directly to a prospective customer, and
versatility enough to offer him the
kind of goods which he wants.
1t Is a. false assumption that Eng
lish Is now generally spoken through
out the world. One does not have to
travel far to discover that each addt-
tional language of which he is master
Is an asset of inestimable value.
The weakness of the American
method of teaching languages lies In
the fact that we stress grammatical
and reading knowledge Of a tongue to
the entire neglect Of the speaking
knowledge. 1t is the speaking knowl-
edge which gives a language voca-
tional and cultural value as well.
And, by the way, if we are ever In
volved in another war let us not dis
continue teaching the language of the
enemy country. That nation which
has a large number of people who
speak fuently the language of the
opponent scores heavy in propaganda.
in secret service and in many other
ways. In peace and in war, linguistic
knowledge Is a national and per-
sonal asset.
(copyright. 1880
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02
Ponzi as Clever as Ever.

Charles Ponzi, wanted in Boston to
serve out his term of Imprisonment
for fraud interrupted by an appeal
which has just been denied, and want
ed also in Florida for trial on a some
what similar charge, has been ar
rested in New Orleans as he was
trying to flee the country in the guise
of a sailor. He was taken back to
Texas and held there for extradition.
He is now engaged in extraordinary
in Massachusetts,. He has cabled to
Mussolini, the dictator of Italy, a
request that the Italian Ambassador
TO the United States be instructed to
intercede for him on the ground that
he was on his way to Italy with
important communications for the
state" when he was arrested. He has
at the same time appealed to the Gov
ernor Of Texas to deny extradition
But Mrs. Ferguson has appointed a
date for a hearing. Pending the hear
ing Ponzi has asked the Governor Of
Massachusetts to grant executive
clemency on the stipulation that the
fugitive leave the United States at
once and forever. Governor Fuller
has refused to make this bargain.
Perhaps it might be just as well
to let Ponzi go to Italy. He is alto.
gether too clever for this country
when at large. When he was admitted
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02
Now Enforce the Order!

Suggestion is made in the report of
the Interstate Commerce Commission
on the collision on the Pennsylvania
Railroad near Gray, Pa, on the 10th
Of June that Engineman Gordon Of
the forward of the two locomotives
hauling the following train, which
crashed into the rear of a train STALL
ed ahead, was either dead or incapaci-
tated when he ignored the signals set
by the trainman of the forward train.
An autopsy has been performed to
determine whether the engineman
was alive just before the collision, but
without conclusive results.
Whether the engineman was alive
or dead, or fully competent or inca
pacitated, the fact remains that the
lack Of an automatic train-stop sys-
tenn caused the collision. The COM
mission so declares in the plainest
terms. 1t says: Had an adequate
automatic train stop or train control
system been in use on this line this
accident would have been prevented"
Eleven passengers and four en-
ployes were killed in this wreck and
eighty-two passengers were injured.
The monetary damages from the col
lision are certain to be heavy. They
may run to a quarter of million dol
lars. They would certainly run higher
if the cases were all taken to court
and the judgments rendered were in
accord with the proper scale of COM
pensations.
Equipment Of the railroads Of the
country, the main trunk lines GER
tainly as a starter. with automatic
train-control systems will cost an
enormous sum of money. But 1T will
be a profitable investment. No rail-
road that relies upon the block sys-
tenn, the test Of which after all is the
human element Of engineman's vision
and judgment and precision of action,
is safe from disaster. BY good luck
railroad may escape from disastrous
COLLISIONS IOI StNCLd1 S1L AiViA' Ga
most with the certainty of a mathe-
NAUTICAL formula, will come wreck
that will cost it heavily.
Automatic train control. however
expensive, will be a positive insurance
against collisions and therefore
against losses. Viewed solely from
the financial standpoint, it is the
worst Of bad business to continue to
trust to a system that fails repeat
eddy. that is bound to fail eventually,
and that Is costing in the long run
more heavily in its failures than would
dependable security installation.
Now that the Interstate Commerce
Commission has found another, and a
most positive case in point in this
collision, will it not proceed without
further delays or tolerations to COM
pei the railroads of this country to
obey it's mandate and equip them
selves with automatic stop systems?
The travelling public. which cannot be
compensated for losses, however
heavy in terms of dollars, demands
that this be done.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02

What some people need Is series
of lessons in elementary civilization.
A gentleman. distinguished in his
profession, rushed up to us the other
morning and pointed to a large car
parked in space enough for three au-
tomobiles. but so placed that only the
one could get in or out.
"See that fellow" inquired our
friend, somewhat heatedly.
YES"
HE saw me trying to park my car
there, too, and he deliberately ran his
car in SO that no one else can get In
edgewise. This world is too full of
hogs"
"BounderS," we amended. Eel
lows in striped bow ties, as the Eng
fish phrase it. who never had any
thing before and simply do not know
how to act"
II thought of going out and telling
him few things, but what would be
the use?'
None at all, because he would not
be able to comprehend you and would
only regard you as fool"
We parted on this note and fell to
musing on the need for set of per-
fectly simple lessons in primary civil
liZation.
They stalk through the streets of
every great city. They dress we'll
often too well-they go in great cars,
they are gentlemen on the surface.
X X
This is one case, however where
saving the surface does not save ALL
Scratch one of the Founders at any
point and he bleeds freely, staining
himself for what he Is, loudly pro-
CT n IS in
You can't make Il silk purse out of
a sows ear" says the homely old
maxim; and the year 1926 perhaps
shows it as we'll as any.
The economic causes of this phe-
nomenon are beside this paper. What
we choose to deal with here Is simply
the manifestation in its various forms.
one of which has been given, and
some of the ideas to be derived from
this consideration.
A great deal of the so-called traffic
problem" for instance, is caused by
Inbred persons, although much learn
ed discussion has been INDUCED in as
to thousand and one other factors,
all of which exist, but none Of which
is the primary trouble.
Civilization, need 1t be said, is not
natural. The natural man takes what
he wants. wherever he finds it. He
does as ne pleaSeS, as the animals DO
who know no better. The natural
man, however, has no excuse in ma
ture, as the creatures have.
Man has been given a brain, and
thousands of years use in it, trickling
down to even the most benighted, has
given every one except the plain idiots
some need of rational faculty.
Yet the primitive desires overpower
reasoning in millions Of living beings,
hence our long procession Of traffic
hogs.
From this cause flow endless sue
cessions of we'll dressed male beings
who never think OF removing their
hats in the presence of women. These
veritable armies Of the illbred have.
in turn, infected other brigades of
men, in whom Nature and Civilization
have better wrought. so that today
practically no one gets up in q street
car or other public vehicle to give a
woman q seat.
X X
Those who have never read books
will mistreat the books Of others.
Those who have no flowers in their
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02

to bail on appeal after spending some
time in the Massachusetts peniten-
tiary he went straight back to the old
game of selling nothing for some
thing" in Florida. In Italy he might
be able to run straight. A new pro-
gram Of intensive industry has just
been adopted there and perhaps there
is field there for his unmistakable
talents. But Mussolini has no use
for crooks. and perhaps he will de-
cline to take a chance on this slip
perry customer. In any case. it Is very
doubtful whether he would ask the
United States to let up on Ponzi, and
it is quite as doubtful whether this
country would let up on him even If
Mussolini requested.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02
No Hatred in The Song.

At a patriotic meeting in New York
last night trouble developed from the
attempt of a woman in charge of the
| arrangements to prevent the singing
of the second and third verses of The
Star Spangled Banner" on the ground
that they showed hatred toward the
British. Indeed, she had sought to
confine the rendition of the national
anthem to music alone. Members of
the audience. however. resented this
effort and insisted upon singing the
anthem throughout. One man, speak
ing right out in meeting, challenged
the program manager to show that
there was any hatred for England in
the song. The incident closed with a
general feeling that the victory had
been won against the would-be
1t has been often said that very
few Americans know more than the
first verse of 1.-The Star Spangled Ban
ner." Indeed, the song is so difficult
for the average voice that few people
can sing it at all. Now. however, that
the matter of the second and third
verses have been squarely brought to
the point Of public notice, there will
probably be q general overhauling of
the song books and an analysis Of
those two stanZas. There Is really
| in 10 oh
objection could be raised. There is
a reference to the foes naughty
host" but that is all. In the third
verse, howe, err is an alluson to the
band who so vauntingly swore. mid
the havoc of war and the battles con.
fusion, home and Il country they'd
leave us no more" Where was that
band. asks the song? Comes the an
swer. Their blood has washed out
their foul footsteps pollution" Then
comes reference to the mercenaries
of the British forces, who are de-
scribed as ''the hirelings and slaves"
There Is history in these two verses,
and, regardless of the events of one
hundred and twelve years which have
healed the wounds of war and have
brought the British and American
people into close sympathy and un-
derstanding and mutual regard, it is
absurd to think to unwrite that his
tory by merely emitting the singing
of these two stanzas of the national
anthem. Nobody wants to arouse
any hatred. Nobody wants to renew
the animosities that We're engendered
by the war of 1872. Amy attempt to
prohibit or bar the full rendering of
| the song is certain to evoke resent
ment, not because of any desire TO
revive the belligerence of that deplor.
for the man who, in the dark hour of
able conflict, but because of regard
Americas struggle. sounded a clarion
call to restore the spirits of the people.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02
Mellon Stirs Tariff Talk
With Attack ON Haugen Bill

disrepute among nations" The Kan
sas City Journal tRepublican) agrees
10 this with the conclusion that the
Mellon plan for the farmers leaves
much to be desired in the way of con-
structiveness. but so sound a financier
as Andrew Mellon should be needed"
Secretary Mellon has no AK to
grind. declares the Pittsburgh Chron-
icle,Telegraph Republican,. with the
further statement that his view as
an impartial financial expert, who has
made a thorough study OF the bill and
its probable effects, should command
much weight That the Secretary
presented convincing argument is
maintained by the Rochester Times
Union independently. and this is also
the opinion of the Manchester Union
independent Republican,. The Wich-
ita Beacon independent Republican,
asserts that for the most part the
hackers have not met dispassionate
objections to the bill, but have filled
the air with irrelevant generdlities
about East versus West, apply the
protective tariff principle the extent
of farm mortgages and the high price
of implements.
Republicans who voted against the
cNary-Haugen bill, it is pointed out
by the Lynchburg News Oemocratic,.
may claim with justice that even
though the measure is almost identical
in principle with the protective tariff
system, they We're justified in opposing
it because it went too far. Neverthe.
less, some of them so far forgot them
selves as to use arguments that apply
with equal force to the protective SyS-
tenn. Secretary Mellon, notably. de-
clared that it provides higher agri-
cultural prices at the expense of the
rest of the people, which is just what
a protective tariff does" The Charles
ton Evening Post independent Demo
cratic) suggests that Mr.. Mellon has
made an arbitrary distinction between
agricultural and manufacturing indus
try" and that he may have over
played his hand" The Newark News
independently asks if Mr.. Mellon lis
polite in stresSing the benefits ac-
cruing to the foreign buyer from sur
pluses dumped abroad and paid for in
part at home"
1T is question of power" AYERS
the Topeka Daily Capital (Republican).
with the comment: IF the industrial
interests have the power. they will re-
tain their privileged position and keep
everybody else out; but the West.
when thoroughly united. has power.
and will make use of it." The Sioux
City Daily Tribune independently also
concludes that ''if it is fair to make
United States farmers market their
wares on the basis of world prices IL
is fair to establish the same rules for
manufactured products"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

Q Will cake Of ice kept uncovered
in a room at freezing temperature
eventually become Smaller?-H. i. ID.
A. Evaporation takes place even
at very low temperatures. A block
of ice left in place where the tenn
perature is zero or below will lose a
considerable amount by evaporation.
@. What music was played during
THE Big Parade"?-J. II.
A. The musical score was adapted
and arranged by David Mendoza and
William AXt of the Capitol Tkeater
New York City staff. The score con-
tains many of the we'll known Army
songs, which were SO popular during
the war and which are used in the
original form and later on adapted
in q symphonic style to the emotional
or dramatic requirements OF the
screen. There are, also, quite few
original compositions in the score by
William Axt, including a march en-
titled THE Big Parade"
@. Can woodchucks be kept for
A. The Biological Survey says
woodchucks make very interesting
pets, and are easily cared for. They
should be given roomy quarters with
a den and material for a nest in which
they can retire in the Fall for hiber-
nation. They eat great variety of
green food.
@. What became of the Lincoln
funeral cart. II. c.
A. The Lincoln funeral car was
preserved for many years and then
broken up by the Pullman Company.
One of the marked features of the car
was a series of landscapes painted on
wooden panels between the car win
dows. Mr.. Pullman preserved some
Of the best of them, and presented
them to his friends. SO far as is
known, no other parts Of the car re-
main.
@. Does the word Zend in connec-
ton with the Avesta, or sacred books
Of the Parsees, mean the language
in which the books are written?-
H. S. NJ.
A The word Zend actually in the
opinion of scholars means translation
or commentary, but is commonly used
to define the language. which is akin
to Sanskrit and the Afghan tongue.
Q. What queen was crowned with
a ceremony after her death?-L. K.
A. The queen who was enthroned
after her death was IneZ de Castro,
who was married to Pedro / Of Portu-
gal. The marriage was performed
clandestinely on January /. 1347, be-
fore his accession to the throne. His
father objected to the union and three
years later, at his instigation, IneZ was
murdered. When Pedro became King
he had the body of Inez taken from
the grave. placed on a magnificent
throne, arrayed in all the royal robes
and crowned Queen of Portugal.
Q. If both parents have blue eyes,
what percentage of their children
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

squirming under the Missourian's
merciless cross examination think
Charley'S arithmetic was wrong by so
per cent. He puts in his time at the
committee table drawing pictures, and
gives promise of becoming a cartoonist
some day. Mrs. Longworth numbers
Charley among her pets.
x
Nominations and elections cost a
lot less in Abraham Lincoln's day
than nowadays. Carl Sandburg's re-
cent life of the great emancipation
quotes Judge David Davis as replying
when asked to name the amount Of
money expended to make Honest
Abe" the Republican candidate for
President in 1860, THE entire expense
Of Lincoln's nomination, including
headquarters. telegraphing, music.
fare of delegations and other Incl
dentals, was less than $780,"
Senator Charles L. McNary. Repub-
lican, of Oregon, hero of the late farm
relief unpleasa ntness, will hurry back
to the coast after the adjournment to
perform q filial duty. He's about to
lay the foundations of a home on an
cestral heath outside of Salem, near
the spot where both his paternal and
maternal grandfathers landed" in
Oregon on the occasions of the great
"migrations" from the East and Mid
die West, respectively, in 1S45 and
1852. McNary's progenitors came from
Tennessee. His mother was a Claggett.
He himself was born on the Oregon
farm where he now is going to build
an ancestral establishment of his own.
The senior Senator from the Column
bia River country thinks there was
something in that slogan: Mary
McHaugen billn'
The frigid question Of sovereignty
over the North Pole recently threaten.
ed to plunge the best legal minds of
the Treasury Department into deep
brown quandary. 1t concerned the
question of duty on Comdr Richard
E. Byrd's photographs of his flight
across the top Of the world. 1t was
finally decided the pictures were ad-
MISSILE, dutyfree, because the expo
sures were made ION the high seas"
The movie company which owns the
picture rights in Byrd's flight main
tanned that, inasmuch as Admiral
Peary had laid claim to the polar re-
gion in the name of the United States,
the negatives could not be classed as
imports, as is done when exposures
are made abroad.
Commissioner Blair's law experts
made their decision irrespective Of the
question as to whether Uncle Sam
does, or does not. own the North
Pole.
X X
Muscle Shoals gives every indica.
ton of becoming the permanently un-
finished business Of Congress. Once
again it goes over to another session.
It's been doing that for the past eight
years. The speeches made about
Muscle Shoals in both Houses, if the
jaw and lung power they represent
could be harnessed, would compare
very favorably with anything in the
way of energy ever developed by
Uncle Sans white elephant. If only
the ebullitions Of tom Heflin and
George Norris could be retrieved from
the Congressional Record, they of
themselves would constitute no mean
voltage.
tCopyrisht. 1926.l
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02
Park Police Praised
By Band Director

To the Editor of The Star:
/ heartily congratulate Maj. Hesse
on the attitude that he has taken
against the unwarranted brutality of
the Metropolitan Police.
During my experience for the past
six years as director of the Community
Centers Band playing in the public
parks of Washington, D. c.. I have
come in contact with practically all of
the park police and have found them
to be men of the very highest type of
character in handling thousands of
people. I can proudly say that have
not seen single arrest or a person
by any of the United States
police. JAMES e. MILLER.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02

might be expected to have brown
eyes?-O. n.
A. The Carnegie Institution says
that If the parents have clear blue
expected TO have clear brown eyes,
regardless of the possibility that some
of the grandparents had brown eyes.
Q. Which States in the United
States of America do not have laws
regulating the number OF hours
women shall work?-H. T l..
A. Alabama, Florida, Iowa and
West Virginia do not have such laws.
O. Is the radio being used. In
schools for the deaf?-G. X.
A. The use of the radio for teach
ing the deaf has been especially de-
veloped under DIR. Max Goldstein.
founder of the ST. Louis Institution.
and Miss Connery, it's principal. BY
a radio amplifier remnants of hearing
are stimulated so that the capacity
for receiving sound IS widened in pu-
pills not entirely deaf. It's service here
promises immeasurable benefit. for
only a small percentage of congenital-
ly deaf children can be proved pro-
foundry and totally deaf.
Q. Why are Quakers so called?-
G. E.
A This nickname was originally
applied to the Friends by Justice
Bennett, Derby England magistrate.
in derision of George Fox. the
founder, because he admonished the
magistrate TO quake at the word Of
the Lord"
T. + r. " nat was Ne"Sse'Aef"SeN n
A. This name was given TO a tract
of land "a miles long and 4S miles
broad near Fort Orange. Agents Of
Kilian Van Rensselaer, purchased the
property and named it Rensselaer,
Wyck."
Q. Has the sesquicentennial
midway? -F. A. w.
A. The Gladway is the recreation
and amusement center of the exposi-
ton.
Q. How is the word humble" pro-
nounced? Is the "h" sounded?-C. J.
A. Dictionaries give the proper pro-
nunciation as humble with 'hf sound
ed adding that the form tumble" was
formerly used, but rarely heard now.
Find out 1Chdterer yOu 1D1nt to
knOlc. There is no room for igno-
rance in this busy 1corld. The per-
son 1Ch0 loses out is the one 1Cho
0ueSses. The person 1chO gets on IS
QlucdDS the one tchO acts upon re-
liable Information. This paper en-
ployS Frederic j. Hdskin to conduct
an Information bureau in Washing
ton for the free use Of the public.
There is no charge ercept 2 cents
in stamps for return postage. Write
TO him today for any facts you de-
sire. Address your letter to The
Evening Star Inforr alton Bureau.
Frederic J. HdSkin, director, Wash
iROtOn, ID. c.