davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1927-04-14
Mr.. Fess Declines.

Senator Simeon d. Fess of Ohio was
clined appointment rendered him by
Vice President Dawes to the Reed
slush fund committee. The Ohio Sen
ator opposed the continuance of the
Reed committee with rowing com
mission" as he said in the announce
ment of his declination. Furthermore,
Mr.. Fess has in the past declared that
he considered the Reed committee
dead" Holding his views of the mat
ter, the Ohio Senator felt that he
would stultify himself if he consented
to become a member Of the committee
| But aside from all that, Mr.. Fess. like
every other Senator, has the personal
right to refuse appointment to a Sen
ate committee if he desires.
Vice President Dawes doubtless viii
appoint another regular Republican tc
| be a member of the committee to fl
the vacancy caused by the resignation
of Senator Goff of West Virginia. Hav
ing decided that the Reed committee
| continues to live, Notwithstanding the
contention advanced by some member:
of his party that the committee dice
with the close of the SiXty-ninth Con
gress, the Vice President is not lil<el,
to change his opinion at the first re
buff. Members of the Republican
party in the Senate are divided owe
the right Of the Reed committee t
continue to function after the end o
the Sixty.ninth Congress, during whicl
it was created.
1t would be unfortunate for the RE
publicans If the opinion should becom
general that they are seeking to con
ceal or cover up anything in connection
/ with the senatorial elections of 1926
Evening star., 1927-04-14
Denies Table Was One
Used by Grant and Lee

To the Editor of The Star:
The table alleged in your issue of
Sunday, April 10, to be the one on
which Grant and Lee signed the terms
of surrender at Appomattox cannot
possibly be authenticated. Gen. Horace
Porter, witness of the scene, has
given the whole subject, in his Cam
paigning With Grant" Q89O, final
and authoritative treatment. There
were two tables in the room of the
Mclean house where the articles We're
written and signed. On the smaller
one. an oval wooden table, Grant
wrote out the preliminary draft Of
the terms. He then passed the paper
to Lee, who suggested certain minor
changes, and on Grants acceptance
of them a new draft was written on
the same table by Col. Ely Parker.
Lee, sitting at a square, handicapped,
single-legged table and facing Grant,
then signed the amended draft. Por-
ter gives pictures Of both tables.
Neither table bears any likeness to
the one photographed for your article.
The disposal of both tables Is fully
accounted for. When Grant and Lee
left the room the other officers be.
gan TO bargain for the furniture.
Sheridan paid Mclean $40 in gold for
the small table. gave it to Custer and
told him to take it to his wife. Custer
picked it up, placed it on his shoulder.
walked out, mounted his horse and
galloped off to camp. For the other
table Ord paid $40 and subsequently
presented it to Mrs. Grant, who de-
clined it in favor Of Mrs. Ord.
w. j. GHENT.
Evening star., 1927-04-14
Cites Mission Gains
In China Last Year

To the Editor of The Star:
At a time when many good people
are thinking that all the Christian
missionary work in China is going to
smash, it is worth while TO call atten-
ton to some figures which have just
reached me from Shanghai. They
summarize the work in the Episcopal
Missionary District of Shanghai for
the year 1926 under the administration
Of Bishop Frederick Rogers Graves,
and show that the church there went
decidedly ahead in that year.
For illustration, at the close of 1926,
there were a total of 6,981 baptized
Christians in the Shanghai district as
compared with 6,S46 in 1925, and 1854
communicates as compared with 3,627
at the close Of the preceding year. In
1926 there were 2S,057 services con-
Quoted throughout the district as COM
pared with 27,888 in 1925. In the mat
ter of schools there We're "a day
schools for boys and II for girls in
operation in 1926, as against % and
16 in 1925, with 130 teachers and 2,1SO
pupils in 1896 as gainst 123 teachers
and 2,098 pupils in the preceding year.
Similar increase Of growth was shown
in boarding schools. AS to Sunday
schools, there was an increase of 10 in
1926. with propOrtionate increase of
pupils attending.
In the matter of native contributions
for the support of the Christian
Church in the district. the total for
1926 was SGT ,63626, for 1925, $24, ,078.2S,
and for 1924, $22. .075.34, Mexican.
1t seems to me that such facts as
these ought to be sheet anchors for
the faith of people who foresee the
end of all missionary work in China
JOHN w. WOOD,
Executive Secretary, Department of
Missions, Episcopal Church.
Evening star., 1927-04-14
Star Editorial Recalls
Brett's View of Socialist

To the Editor Of The Star:
The editorial in The Star comment
ing on Lincoln Steffens' own confes-
sion that what he believed up until
after a visit TO Italy and Russia is
"the bunk" calls to mind what one
modern English essa yist said about
the Socialist political party.
oliver Brett. in his work entitled
"A Defense of Liberty" 092D, says
that a Socialist is a primitive con-
servative"-that is, the Socialist is
anything but a radical: on the con-
trary, is a most reaCtionary conserva-
tive, who believes in a static state"
In other words. q Socialist is. de-
structive and not constructive in a
social factor The Socialist, according
to Brett-and he takes Karl Marx as
the outstanding Socialist-Would,sc scrap
all the progress that civilization has
made. and would divide the mere ma
terial things Of life among the washed
and unWashed in equal proportion,
and then put a prohibition on advance
ment. Thus. in the words of the top
sergeant, his order would be "as you
were" forever and a day.
Brett quotes Lord Acton: 1.-The end
of government is liberty. not bappi-
ness. or prosperity, or power, or the
adaptation of national law to national
character, or enlightenment, or the
promotion of virtue: the end of gov
ernment is that the private individual
should not feel the pressure of pub.
lie authority. and should direct his
life by the influences that are within
him, not around him" And then him
self draws this conclusion: THE prob
lem of statecraft is how to combine
security with absolute freedom. In
our days there Is a compromise by
which we obtain to a certain extent
both security and freedom. without
completely obtaining either"
Somewhere else in the essay he
observes, i'm the same connection,
ship is the utilization of history"
Hence it may be believed that
Steffens, once having seen his
and sinker from Karl Marx. in
operation realizes, and frankly con-
fesses, that the primitive conserva-
tism" of the government of Lenin
in Russia is the most cruelty tyran.
nical government on the face of the
earth today; that instead of giving
freedom to the individual, it makes a
state slave Of him: that instead OF
promoting prosperity in proportion to
the individuals capacity and ambition
to labor, it compels him to labor for
the state to perpetuate a state that is
operated by a. selfselected ring; that
instead of being governed by a
hereditary monarch or q limited con
stitutional government, he is gov
erned by a self-perpetuating body of
irresponsible men of questionable abil-
ity and honesty.
Socialism is based" says Brett,
con compulsion," and it is this com
pulsion of Socialism that Steffens
must have seen in his travels in
Europe which has caused him to con
fess that Socialism is the bunk"
. Most of us heretofore have accepted
the definition that a Socialist is a pro
gressive radical. Brett in his essay
defines the Socialist as a destructive
conservative. Brett's definition is the
more illuminating. He gives us in a
few words the picture Of a simon-pure
reactionary. Steffens only confirms
what Brett says. when he acknowl-
edges that most of his old ideas are
bunk" GROVER w. AYERS.
Evening star., 1927-04-14

this father had of the child which he
was permitted to see grow into robust
maturity"
How many residents along the
country's $4,000 rural free delivery
routes, some of them in remote noun
tain districts" asks the Pittsburgh
Sun, know to whom they are indebt-
ed for the daily visit of the mail car
rier? Where the idea originated is not
certain; but it was to the energy and
ability of Perry $. Heath that its sue
cess was due. The farmer
was brought more into touch with the
world. For the first time he had his
paper delivered daily at his door. His
wife could do her shopping by mail.
1t was the beginning of a long line OF
improvements that changed the lives
of millions OF rural residents. Mr..
Heath did many other things-estab-
lished several newspapers, helped
frame the constitutions of the two Da-
kOtas and served as secretary of the
Republican national committee. His
career was almost as versatile as that
of another man connected with the
Postal Service. Benjamin Franklin,
but he never helped the people more
than when he put the rural free deliv-
cry system on its legs
He was one of the most lovable
men that ever lived" remarks the
Lima Star, "and one of the most bril-
liant. He was Mark Hannas right
hand man for many years. He was
one OF the intellectuals of the Repub-
lican party in the old days" The
Springfield Republican places him as
"an important factor in both the Nc
kinley campaign Of 1895 and the
Mckinley administration"
Evening star., 1927-04-14
Arterial Highway Speed.

The theory of those who believe that
controlled speed of automobiles is re-
sponsible for motor fatalities is refuted
in statistics just published by the local
traffic office, which show that no in
crease in accidents has taken place
on Washington's thirty-mile- an hour
boulevard and arterial highways. Fast
traffic streets are still comparatively
new to the National Capital Their es-
tsblishment was viewed with alarm by
many who believed that it was highly
dangerous to raise the speed limit.
The results so far, however, show that
traffic has been immeasurably bene-
flied by the change, with no increase
in accidents.
Controlled speed-that is, speed un-
der proper circumstances a mod
ern theory of traffic control. Conges-
ton, caused b. great numbers of slow
moving vehicles and not speed makes
for accidents. Washington arterial
highways are broad and ideally suited
for higher limits. Every intersecting
street is marked by stop sign, and
traffic on these streets must give way
to arterial travel.
The few accidents that have oc-
CURED on the fast-traffic streets since
their inception have been due in a
large majority of cases TO stupidity on
the part of those who still do not un-
derstand the special right of way that
every motorist on a boulevard street
carries with him. stop at an inter
section means stop; it does not mean
slow down. stop" means to stop and to
stay stopped until the crossing can be
made without interference with boule-
ward traffic; it does not mean to stop
and start up again to clog and harass
straight-through drivers travelling on
protected bouleyards.
That no increase in accidents has
taken place even with this minority
who. run past stop signs and fall ut.
terly TO understand what it is all
about is cause for congratulation, and
demonstrates that if these motorists
viii mend their ways Washington will
receive the maximum benefit Of a sys'
TEN that is used in every section of the
country.
Evening star., 1927-04-14
Our BoundIess Prosperity.

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
1t is difficult to account for the in
difference or ignorance of those own
ers of Liberty bonds who have per-
n1itted their coupons, aggregatinG a
value of S35, 100000, to remain un-
clipped and unredeemed. Measured
by the number of bondholders and by
the volume of the several Liberty
loans, the sum of unpaid interest is
not very great; but, as Secretary
Mellon points out, this unclaimed
money is probably due those persons
who can least afford to leave it un'
used in the United States Treasury,
This is a Government debt that will
not be outlawed by time. The coupons
are good until cashed. In all likeli
hood. they are in the hands of indi
viduals not accustomed to invest
| ments of this character and who have
| yet to acquire the habit of clipping
coupons. The announcement from the
Treasury Department should arouse
| the careless bondholders Ito theil
oversight Y
Evening star., 1927-04-14
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

/ the shot or throwing the hammer or
running the 220 In the garden all
! there is to do is to get the work
done, and one may do it skillfully
or clumsily, it makes no particular
difference.
| Let a gardener but try. the "knack"
will come. sooner or later. The feel
| of the soil and the study of the grow
| ing things will show him, if he really
! applies himself to it, that beds must
! be made properly, else the roots will
| have a hard time of it.
The necessity for cultivation and
proper watering. when needed, and
the Use of fertilizers, and even rota-
| tion of crops, in a small way--these
are some of the garden factors with
which the amateur gardener becomes
| acquainted.
This acquaintance is made by the
| gentlest steps possible. There is no
| teacher in the background ready TO
| praise or blame. Only the plants
| themselves tell a. gardener whether
he is on the right track or not.
| If they flourish he may be pretty
sure that his methods are good. If
| leaves are yellow, and flowers poor. he
may be reasonably certain that he is
| doing something wrong, or perhaps,
| omitting to do something that is vital.
| Then comes study of methods, the
seeking of information and a proflt-
| ing by what one finds.
| 1t is amazing how many persons
| gardeners and others) there are who
! will seek information, then deliberate
ly not use it.
This seems TO be a trait of human
nature. Some persons resent authority
to such a degree that the most Inno-
cent advice. even in gardening, is not
followed simply because it is advice.
If an article on a certain flower says
not to water it much, such a reader
will Immediately begin to water 1t. il
a friend advises cultivation of the soil,
the resentful one will see no use in
such practice. And so on
x =
The writer of this column is con
tinually getting letters in which some
such statement as the following IS
made:
II know very little about cats and
nothing at all about gladioh, or gladl'
oluses, as you choose, but | enjoy
everything you write, especially when
it is about books"
We wish we possessed the per-
suasive power to induce all such per
dening. if they are so situated that
such activity is at all possible.
Especially would we urge those
who love books to take up the culture
of flowers, for flowers are the glowing
love stories of Nature.
Here, in a single bloom, one secures
the complete story, told in clean,
beautiful way. Flowers are bright pic
lures the illuminated initials, as 1t
We're of the mystery of the rocks and
the secret of the eternal hills.
Out of a tiny seed comes color and
from a queer brown bulb tthe gladiolus
corm) q complete colorful fabric com
bining the qualities of silk with
stained glass, and more beautiful than
either. (See Burbank's Flora unfold.)
The glory of the roses is another
chapter. or, better, Il whole library in
itself, from which one may pluck vol
umes. as the spirit moves him.
Those who love books have imagina
tion. Not for them is there any need
of artificial creations, as a spur to the
imagination--thei own mind does it
for them. Out of books they create
living pictures-Out of a flower gar
den, too.
Evening star., 1927-04-14
Site BuYing Begins.

The naming of appraisers for the
condemnation of land required for the
Internal Revenue Building is definite
step toward the erection Of the first
unit of the public structures author
lied by the fifty-million-dollar appro-
priation act. Only portion of the
site is to be condemned, the remainder
being already owned by the Govern,
ment. II is hoped that this procedure
will not be undu9y protracted. 1t is
desirable from every point Of view to
speed the completion of this parucu-
lar building. which is to house the
now widely scattered units of the In
fernal Revenue Bureau. The public
business is greatly impeded by this
condition of dispersal.
Other works may soon be started
under the f1fty-million-dollar pro-
gram. Land condemnation proceed
ings will be entailed in some OF them.
But for the failure Of legislation in
the Senate blockade in March the way
would have been clear 1or d plodueL
advance upon the great project OF
effectively housing the Governments
activities on a proper scale and in
accordance with a harmonious plan
of emplacement.
This condemnation. which has just
< been ordered Is but the first Of a
series that will probably cover sew
eral years, as all of the lands In the
MaIl.Avenue triangle not now owned
by the Government will be taken for
building purposes. The acquisition
OF these areas will cause a material
dislocation Of business. There will be
many changes of situation. Business
Washington win be in a state of
transition to an extent not heretofore
known. The ultimate effect will be
however, a great improvement upon
old conditions and the Capital wei
comes this process.
Evening star., 1927-04-14
Perry S. Heath Given Prominent
Niche in Hall of Fame by Press

A prominent niche in the American
Hall of Fame is given by the press to
Perry S. Heath, Indiana newspaper
man and politician, who as Assistant
Postmaster General under Mckinley
fathered the present-day rural free de-
livery system Mr.. Heath's recent
death at Washington reminded the Ma
ton of his services and was the occa-
sion for reviews of his tremendous
contribution to the countrys develop
ment.
Recording that Mr.. Heath possessed
"a high degree of energy and intelli-
gence," the Indianapolis News, of his
native State, continues: THE present
generation can hardly be expected to
know the extent of Mr.. Heath's inftu-
ence, both in State and Nation, but
those whose memories run back to the
days Of Presidents Mckinley and Har-
rison know how great that influence
was. The man was a power for many
years and one of the leading Republi-
cans of the State and even of the
Nation The Atlanta Constitution
says that his death carries genuine
sorrow into the newspaper offices OF
the entire Nation" and that 'he was
nationally known as practical news
paper man."
The Indianapolis Star recalls that
Mr. Heath declined President Harrl-
sons appointment as provisional gov
ernor of South Dakota. pending the
admission of that Territory into the
Union" and that "he was made Assist
ant Postmaster General by President
Mckinley, and 1t was in that office that
he rendered a great public service
= Ii, IN 20 Nl &
rural free delivery service-an achieve
ment for which he is given chief
credit" The Lincoln State Journal
feels that "Mr. Heath's idea of the
rural mail delivery has done as much
toward making farm life agreeable as
the radio and telephone have since.
X X X X
To the Watertown Daily Times his
experimental delivery of mail to the
rural sections was the beginning of the
greatest advance in postal distribution
i'm history" and the Lansing State
Journal says, eve nominate the like
ness of Perry s. Heath, newspaper
man, politician of the right sort and
postal leader, to be placed on a stamp
of the Postal Department and kept
there" Viewing him as one of a mul-
titude of Government employees, the
Decatur Herald holds that few as
greatly deserve the grateful memory
Of the country"
'The r. r. d. it is pointed out by
the Omaha World-Herald. has un-
doubtedly been a great factor indirect
ly in development of the good roads
movement. Long before it was
brought home to motorists that they
needed roads if they were ever to get
anywhere in the new vehicle, the rural
letter carrier was voicing his COM
plaint about the fearful conditions of
the highways. The digging him out of
the mud is no small element of benefit
to the public at large derived from
improved roads" The World Herald
feels that 'if eyer a father had reason
to be proud s5f one of his offspring,
Evening star., 1927-04-14

| up, but with any proper fire-fightinp
| organization they could be kept ir
| control and confined to initial prem
ises. The real danger in the sky
seraper in case of fire lies in the panic
that might be caused among the Occu'
pants in case the blaze occurs during
che daytime.
] A sharp controversy has developed
over the tower fire OF Tuesday night
regarding the lack Of equipment in the
unfinished building for fighting any
bazcs that might develop in the
course OF construction. There were
standpipes. rising as the erection
progressed, but 1t appears that the
valves were not in proper working
order. There was no elevator TO carry
fremen up TO the point of the blaze,
where il might have been eXtinguished
by portable chemical apparatus. Use
of the constructors hosting elevator
was denied the firemen on the ground
that ii was possible that the fire would
destroy the cables and sheayes. The
city's high pressure service does not
reach to the area of the fire, and now
there is a demand for its extension
northward AS sllyscrapers are rising
in all parts of New York. uptown as
well as downtown. it would seem to be
imperative that this should be done.
The limitation of skyscrapers may be
dictated by other considerations than
those Of fire prevention and tiret1ght-
ing. In connection with a recently
planned structure of extraordinary
height for office purposes it has been
computed that the elevator require
rhents for the proposed altitude would
so lessen the renting space as to re-
duce the margin of profits to the dan
ger point, short of an excessive IN
crease of rental figures. With New
York committed to the pyramid style
Of high construction, this factor OF
elevator versus rental space would
seem to be an effective check upon
building heights.
Evening star., 1927-04-14

At the same tiAe they can scarcely
be expected to N!.SF4 the activities of
a committee seeking for partisan pur-
poses to throw discredit on the Repub-
lican party, If it can be shown that
such is the purpose of the committee.
Up to the present time, however, the
two regular Republican members of
the Reed committee have gone along
apparently in harmony with the ma
jority of that committee, composed of
two Democrats and one Progressive
Republican.
In view OF the probable action of
the Senate when it meets next De
cember. the question as TO whether the
Reed committee is alive today seems
relatively unimportant, A majority
of the Senate is expected TO sustain
both the Reed committee and the Vice
President. The present authority of
the committee is being considered by
a Federal court in Pennsylvania,
With new grant of authority from
the Senate in December, however,
decision of the court, II adverse now,
would become immaterial.
Vice President Dawes bases his
opinion that the Reed committee still
lives on q decision Of the Supreme
Court of the United States that the
Senate is a continuing body and its
committees continue to live after the
close of a Congress. If a body lives,
it's members, its creations, must live.
In the case of a Senate committee, un-
less the resolution creating it specifi
cally sets a date for the completion of
it's labors, the committee continues to
live. in the opinion of the Vice Presi-
dent Senators who disagree contend
that only the standing" committees
OF the Senate, and not special com
mittees. have continuing authority
after the close of a Congress. Whether
a court of law will differentiate be-
tween standing committee and a
special committee of the Senate re-
mains to be seen. Both draw their
authority from the Senate. as con.
tinuing body