davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
New Plan Under Way
to Conserve Lumber
From Flint Sunday Journal.


Conservation projects apply unique
methods to effect savings in various
forms of natural products. Waste in
lumber has been common and extern
sive. Who but, Mr. Hoover and his
national committee on wood utiliza-
ton might reasonably be expected to
conceive the ingenious idea of produc-
ing lumber grooved at the ends as well
as the sides. as at present? The COM
mittee has appointed subcommittee.
consisting of nine representatives OF
builders, contractors, architects, lum-
Der distributors and lumber manufac-
turers, to work out the scheme, which
will be ready for adoption soon. The
use of lumber grooved on the sides has
been common for centuries. the Hoo
yer committee reports, and points out
that reasons of economy and conserva-
ton demanded no such plan of match
ing lumber when the practice was first
begun. With a lumber scarcity at
hand in this country the growing of
ends of flat boards is a practical move
that fits in we'll with the national cam
paign for the elimination of waste In
the use of wood. Short-length lumber.
pieces Of s feet or less, can be utilized
under the new plan, it is stated, and
mucn tlmDer now useless LOT DuIIuIhS
purposes can be salvaged. The idea
seems trivial, but the earnestness with
which the Hoover committee and the
representatives of the building indus
try are proceeding to put it into effect
indicate that a realization OF the seri-
BUSINESS of the timber shortage Is wide
spread. Just reasonable precautions,
not the saving of odds and ends, a
few years ago would have prevented
the present situation. Reforestation
and the careful use of the existing
supply will help to remedy 1t.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

not yet been reached. That will ar
rive a year or two hence when their
annual payments mount to vastly
higher figures than any that have had
to be met thus far. Gilbert, who be
came Assistant Secretary of the Treas
ury before he was 30, is as boyish
looking as he was then. He has just
turned "a.
President Coolidge is immensely
proud of the magnificent vellum vol
ume of his address on advertising, just
presented to him by James Onslaught
messy, executive secretary, and Louis
HONG, chairman of the Pacific Coast
Chapter of the American Association
Of Advertising Agencies. The ad
dress was delivered at the associa-
tons dinner in Washington on OctO
Der %. 1926. Printed on specially Sc
lected paper and bound in hand-tooled
levantine leather, the address is in
cased in a portfolio of similar mate
rial lined in white satin. The Presi-
dent coined a couple of epigrams
which, advertising men say, are des-
tined to become part of the language
Of the tribe. At one point Mr.. Cool
idge observed that advertising is the
life of trade" Elsewhere he said,
ton, and mass demand Is almost en-
ti1'ely the creation of advertising.
x \ x X
Mrs. Hamilton Wright, daughter
of a one-time United States Senator
from Minnesota, the late William d.
Washburn, is an ardent advocate of
ratification of the Lausanne treaty,
now before the Senate. Mrs. Wright,
H.,s<
the anti-opium crusade promoted by
her late husband, recently returned
from a periodical sojourn in Geneva.
She is one of the United States repre-
sentatives on the League of Nations
opium traffic commission. Mrs.
Wright considers ratification of the
Turkish treaty essential for reasons
not generally appreciated in this
country. She believes that if Ameri-
ca turns against Mustapha Kemal's
| government. we shall be doing our
share toward driving Turkey into the
Eastern bloc" forming on the other
| side of the world with avowed anti
| Occidental plans. Conversely, Mrs.
Wright thinks, American friendship
with Turkey may prove OF 1mmeas-
urable value in frustrating those
| schemes.
X * X X
Some authorities are asserting in
awe-struck accents that the impend-
ing contest over confirmation of
CYRUS f. Woods Of Pennsylvania as
interstate commerce commissioner
NAV go far toward deciding President
| Coolidge's denomination fate. Deep
stuff" politics is involved. Mr.. Cool
| ilge Is said to have decided definitely
| to renominate Frederick I. Cox of
New Jersey. An hour or two before
| the Cox nomination was to be sent
| in, Secretary Mellon-so the story
| goes - interviewed and virtually
I forced" the nomination of Woods.
| The interstate commerce committee
| of the Senate, before which the Woods
nomination is now pending, intends
going thoroughly into the why's and
wherefores of the eleventh hour al
| legged Mellon intrusion.
Copyright, 1927
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES f. TRACEWELL.

generally gets more "kick" out OF
good novel than does the laborious
reader and this is why 1t is essential
that a child be taught to read rapidly
and accurately, if he is to become
much of a reader in after life.
y = = *
There are thousands of flakes III
a box of "Blah-Blah."
In this sentence two factors, the
psychological and the physiological
account for the seeing Of one letter
''f' and the failure to discover the
other two.
Let us continue the physiological
study. AS stated, in reading the
sentence quickly, as commanded ny
the perpetrator of the trick, one sees
only the beginnings of words ana their
tops.
What we really read is something
along this order:
1.-THE ar thOus fla a DO o III 81.
The eve leaps from word to word
taking in only enough to get the
sense, refusing to cumber the nina
with the remainder. This economy
Of effort is necessary, and Is per
formed unconsciously by every one.
If it were not so, reading would De
an intolerable bore.
It will he noticed, too, in the above
sentence, that the letter II caught
by most persons is directly IN the
middle of the line. as printed on q
typewriter or written on sheet OF
average paper.
This central position gives II
prominence which it would not other
wise have, and which. indeed, the
other two IFS" do not have. although
one Of them. it must be admitted
comes pretty close to it.
X i: 4 i
The psychological aspects or thls
trick sentence are no less lntereSlllls
The main reason why most persons
pop out with There is one I IN H.
of course is that most of us COM
monty pose as omniscient.
To confess to ignorance is some
thing very few persons will do.
1t takes a brave man, indeed, TO
say, IT don't know" Generally such
an attitude toward questions is the re
suit Of much maturity and experience.
When some such sentence is placed
before most of us, our pride Is at
stake. We see that the gentleman
who is propounding the teaser be-
lieves that we will fail, and we are
then determined not to fail. So we
hurry.
A convincing tone of voice is
adopted in making our decision
There is one So in that sentence"
we declare, with finality, thinking to
storm the truth, even in such
trivial matter.
The truth, however, even in trivi-
alities, is not decided 50.
When we are tobias we always are
to take another look at it" we are
forced to confess that there are, In
truth, three full-sized IS in the SEN
tence, and we admit it to the world,
publicly, and to ourself, secretly. that
if we had not been so cocksure we
could have taken the time to really
look at the sentence, in the first place,
and to have baked our quizzical friend
by replying correctly: why, there
are three IS in the sentence! What
! of it,"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
Life Terms as Crime Deterrents.

An advance summary Of the annual
report of Police Commissioner Nc
Laughlin of New York, soon to be is.
sued, shows that major crimes COM
mitted in that city during 1926 were
sixty per cent fewer than in 1925, and
also fewer than in any year since
1922. The decrease. which shows in
every month OF the year, has been
particularly noticeable since July,
when the Baumes law, with its heavy
penalty for old offenders, went into
effect. The records for the Autumn
and holiday months, when crime ac-
tivities are usually greatest, are re-
garded as demonstrating the effective
ness OF that law as a deterrent. The
commissioner in his report, it is
stated, will attribute q part of the de-
crease of criminal activity to the sue
cess of the department in breaking
up number of gangs. including the
| Whittemore, the Amberg and the SO.
called cry baby" bandits.
The efficacy of the Baumes law as
| a crime deterrent is not to be ques-
toned. 1t confronts the professional
criminal with life Imprisonment, He
cannot escape this penalty after three
convictions. Recently a man with
such record was given a light son
tence by a trial judge. and upon the
later discovery Of his past perform
ances another court ordered his re-
arraignment and the imposition of the
maximum penalty. That case has just
been decided against the initial trial
court and tho defendant by the ap-
! uellatc court IF The state, thus eStab.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
International Trade
Reaches Pre-War Peak

From the Canton Daily News.
International trade has fought its
way to a pre-war level. During the
first half of 1926 it approXimated the
figures of 1918, the high level reached
during the closing months of 1925 be-
ing maintained this year. and for the
first time since the World War.
Figures just given out by the De
partment of Commerce for the current
year and based on the foreign trade
statistics of 80 countries whose aggre-
gate foreign trade represents four
fifths of the world are of special in
terest, now that American business
is getting ready To balance its books
and open up a new page on its ledger.
The total value of export and import
trade of these countries for the first
half of the year was $24 .542 900. Thir-
teen of the 80 countries listed, inClud-
ing four American, two ASiattc and
seven European, with a total trade of
50 800 600 900 in the first half of 1926,
show an increase of s per cent over
the first months of 1925. The remain
ing 10 countries, with q trade of Sl5.-
PAP 100000 in 1926, show a decline OF
1917.
Among the striking changes shown
by the statistics may be mentioned
the excess Of IMPORTS over evno~'.
United States trade, which amounted
10 $96, 100000; the excess of exports IL
German trade, amounting to $12S,00O,
900, as compared with an excess of
imports of S537 600. 900 in 1925; the de
cline of more than ] per cent in the
value Of foreign trade Of the United
Kingdom, which was reflected in the
decline in the trade of British India,
Australia and New Zealand.
Business naturally is interested in
knowing what brought about the in
crease Of $3.50 900 900 in United States
imports during the first half Of the
year. for that really is of more inn
portance than the figures themselves.
So the department explains that it
was due chiefly to the higher prices of
rubber, coffee and jute, and a larger
importation of silk. precious stones,
paper, aluminium. copper and tin. The
reduction Of $157 900 in exports
was caused by the decided drop In the
price of cotton and the decline in the
expectation of grains and non-ferrous
metals.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
Alabama Welcomes
Power Development
From the birmingham News.

From the Birmingham News.
1t is good news from Alabama, and
especially central Alabama, that the
Alabama Power Co. Will proceed i'm
mediately to develop the Upper Tai
lassee dam, so it will produce $4,000
horsepower, instead of the $500 which
is it's present limit. It means, first OF
ALL that the available supply Of cleo
trio power will be increased for in
dustry and other purposes. 1t also
means that several millions of dollars
will be disbursed for labor and sup
plies, beginning at a period when the
inflow of money is usually at its
lowest. over a thousand men will be
on the pay roll, and the effect of this
expenditure will be most beneficial
In addition. President Martin of the
power company announces that In the
purchase of supplies every dollar pos
sible will be spent in Alabama. And
that will mean an increased market
for the farm products of Alabama. as
well as cement, stone, lumber, ma
chinery and other supplies.
This Upper TallasSee dam was the
first hydro construction of conse-
quence in Alabama. 1t was first built
in 1896 by Henry G. Jones and other
citizens Of Montgomery to supply
Montgomery with light and power,
and did so until 1919. when excessive
floods of that year washed out the
dam. The remains were acquired by
the Alabama Power Co. and restored
to operation. Now the full possibilities
are to be developed and, incidentally,
1t means the economic use Of water,
that being drawn from the storage
reservoir at Lake Martin and used
three times before its power possibili-
ties have been exhausted, and at a
time when low water on the Coosa has
cut down the amount of electricity
possible to produce on the Coosa
plants.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
Washington a Botanical Center.

Despite the ShortnesS of the pres
ent session of Congress, resumed
today, the bin now pending before
the House, having been passed al
ready by the Senate, for the estab-
Ilshment of a national arboretum in
the neighborhood of Washington
should be regarded as one of the
urgent items of business, to be dis
posed of surely before adjournment.
But 1t should not be passed in such
hurry as TO carry the language of
the Senate bill which establishes the
arboretum as reservation for pub
Tic recreation, for the arboretum
should not be regarded as a park. 1t
/ is to be a laboratory, an adjunct to
the Department of Agriculture, a
place where living plants may be as
sembled for study and breeding and
development.
Recently the Smithsonian Institu-
ton acquired the botanical library
of 1000 volumes and the herbarium
of 100000 specimens from Capt
John Donnell Smith of Baltimore,
this library and collection relating
chiefly to the plants of tropical
America, field of botanical research
| which Washington botanists have
taken leading part in developing
The arboretum will be another step
toward making Washington a bo-
tanical center, permitting direct
study by the scientists of the depart
ment and by others of living plants
in a manner that even the most ex-
| tensive library and herbarium will
not permit. Nurserymen and horti
! culturists throughout the country
will be benefited by such a field
| laboratory. Thus the arboretum has
a national character which must be
! established in the organic act Gre
ating it, and which must not be
lessened by any reference to the
proposed reservation as designed for
recreational purposes.
Promptness in the passage of this
| bill is essential if the area that is
so eminently suitable for arboretum
purposes is to be secured in it's en-
/ tirety. Building operations are al
ready in contemplation for early
action that will, if not checked by the
taking of this land, destroy it's value
as an arboretum. Projected real
estate developments will destroy
trees and remove the soil which is
| exceptionally suited to the growth
of indigenous North American plants.
! In respect TO the establishment of
| the arboretum there is, it would seem,
| no opposition in Congress. A mis-
understanding as to it's true char
acter and purposes has caused the
| writing of the Senate bill in terms
| that are calculated to be mischievous
in their later Interpretation. The
| House should in it's own prompt ac-
| ton remedy this fault and ask for
| concurrence by the Senate in its
amendments so that the measure
/! when passed will be Enthusiastically
! a provision for the creation of a
truly national botanical laboratory,
which the Department of Agriculture
urgently needs.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03

There are thousands Of flakes in
q box of Blah-Blah."
Quick. Without looking at the SEN
tence again. say how many is there
are in it.
If you are the average person, you
will Immediately say one, and stick
to it.
There are, however, three, as you
will discover on closer perusal. This
little trick of the eye is making the
rounds of Washington ut the present
time. although it may be an old one,
as far as we know.
Try it on your friends. At least
8 out Of every 10 will see the 'f'' in
the word flakes" but fail to see it in
the "of" before the word and In the
"of" after the word box"
Others will make a wild guess, some
having been known to pronounce,
with a weighty air of finality:
Six"
Astute business men are stopping
from their labors in all parts of the
National Capital to Spring" this on
their associates. and to enjoy a good
laugh at them.
The victim must not be given, of
course, but one good glance at the
sentence. Opportunity to actually
study the momentous pronounCement
is not to be allowed else the point
of the experiment will be lost.
1t is understood that some are even
placing bets on the matter.
X x x
The follow up is to ask the
reader of the sentence, after he has
missed lamentably, to give his opin-
ion as to the reason for his failure
to see two of the ifs"
All sorts of theories are being ad-
vanced. One is that the average pro
nunciation Of the proposition is slur-
red SO that one mentally slurs it in
reading it.
This explanation seems at fault. to
us, because the case is not one of
pronunciation, but of reading We
are an "eye.minded" race, as some
one has said, and are not in the habit
of even mentally pronouncing words
when we read.
It Is said that all we see of q print
ed line, anyway, is the top half. Any
one may prove the truth of this for
himself by placing a piece of paper
over the top half of a sentence and
attempting to read 1t from the lower
part of the letters. He will find that
he can scarcely do it.
Covering the lower half, however
allows MIN 10 redd the sentence easily,
Much in the same way, it seems to
us, he fails to see the Ifs" on the
ends of the two propositions because
they are, forsooth, on the end.
In other words, in reading, we take
a flying glance at a word, especially
if we are normally fast readers, and
absorb the remainder of it without
looking at it.
There are some persons, you know
who read whole paragraphs at q
glance. This is impossible for the
average person, but there are many
who take in complete sentences al
once.
If this were not SO. there would be
little pleasure in reading fiction. In
reading a story we secure much Of the
sense Of reality through the obviously
physiological achievement Of rapid
reading. This is why the rapid reader
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
Dynamite.

From tho New Orleans Tribune.
The blasting of a drainage ditch
1850 feet long, 10 feet wide and D
feet deep. paralleling the Behrman
Highway, recently, was an impress
sive demonstration of the efficiency of
dynamite, eXpertly used, for this pur-
pose. About 5000 pounds were eX-
ploded as a single blast-or stimuli
taneously scattered blast. The ditch
was cut clearly. To dig it by other
methods, through the swampy land
filled with stumps, timber and roots,
would have been a long and cost
lier job:
Dynamite is used more and more
frequently for this purpose. 1t is
also used for clearing land. and for
blasting holes for planting trees.
Farmers find the method efficient and
economical. especially when they can
do such work comparatively, buying
all necessary dynamite at once and
employing an expert to set and ex-
plOde it. 1t saves time, labor. and
frequently money.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
The Smith Boom.

With perfect consistency in respect
to his prior expressions regarding
the possibility of his nomination LOT
the presidency in 1928, Gov. Smith OF
New York on Saturday, in the course
of his inaugural address at Albany
announced his "receptivity" in the fol-
lowing terms:
T have no idea Of what the future
has in store for me. Everybody elSe
in the United States has some noIloll
of this except myself. NO man Wouiu
stand before an assemblage IKE inns
and saw he was not receptive to the
highest office in the gift of the people.
But / will say that ] will do nothing
10 seek it except TO give to the people
of this State the kind and character
of service that will make me deserve
il If / ever get II.
The most ardent advocate of smith
for President" could ask no more
than this statement. Indeed, any
more would be a handicap. No man
actually in advance of nominating
convention ever says he wants the Of
flee or the chance to run for 1t. The
governor says, in effect, that he is 60
ing to try to give the people OF the
state of New York such service that
he will be regarded as fitted for the
presidency il the people should IN
1928 wish to advance him to that
honor and responsibility.
Read in view of all the clrcum-
stances, however, this brief interJec-
ton in the course of the inaugural
address at Albany constitutes decla-
ration. 1t is reported that it was re-
ceived with thunderouS applause DOM
in the chamber in which it was de-
,ivered and in other portions of the
state Capitol to which it was trans
mitted by amplifiers. Those who heard
the governors words evidently re-
oarded them as tantamount to an an
nouncement that his hat is in the
ring"
Despite the fact that Gov. Smith
will not turn his own hand in an ac-
tive campaign for the nomination, but
Will stand upon MS fecoTu at Aioo'iiS
during the past two years and the
next year and a half, his friends are
already moving actively in the drive
for delegates Indeed. the Smith boom
is on its way. 1t is early. 1t is vigor-
Gus. 1t is widespread. 1t is in the
same position as the McAdoo boom OF
three years ago, which in Novem-
Der, 1923. had reached such momen-
tum that a conference was held at
French Lick Springs, Ind, between
the late Charles Murphy, George
Brennan and Thomas Taggart for the
purpose of finding somebody to head
off the fayorite son of Tennessee, New
York and finally California. The ques
ton arises whether by next November
the Smith boom will have reached the
same point. calling for a conference
for the purpose of finding somebody
to head that off i'll season for the June
convention. There is danger as well
as advantage in early-bird delegate
hunting.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03

There was never a time when the
newspapers of this country, Of weight
and character. did not support their
Government in any situation that
threatened a crisis. The reminder of
President Coolidge Of the duty OF
loyalty was timely and carries with il
the knowledge that only suggestion
Is necessary to bring into terms OF
action and expression the spirit of
universal support.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03

A distinguished Japanese citizen
shot himself because Of his grief over
the death of the late Emperor. His
life could not be saved Two attend.
ants at the Emperor's home tried hara-
kiri, but failed. Suicide is an ancient
ceremonial regarded as permissible in
case of such bereavement. The an.
Client methods, however, do not com
pare with the modern for effectual
results
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
Lawyers i'm Minority.

From the Sacramento Bee.
Only three lawyers. two senators
and lone assemblyman are among
the new members of the Nevada Leg
islature. Both houses are in full con
troll of ranchers and mining men for
the first time in many years. The
unusual legislative makeup resulted
from determined drives of the farmers
and miners to elect men representa-
tive Of the two industries.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03

Bankers are mentioned in connec-
ton with Nicaraguan complications.
A war without finances somewhere IN
the demonstration would be no war at
all. The most terrible of all games is
seldom played without a tangible
stake.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03

A Saturday New Year day gives op-
portunity for rest and recovery, also
opportunity for prolonging the cele-
bration. 1t is the individual, after all.
who must decide his own fate, re-
CARELESS OF safeguards and restraints.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
Cannot Keep the Pace.

From the New York sun.
Senator Heflin of Alabama says
Secretary Mellon has not denied some
thing or other Hef1in said about him.
The man doesn't think anybody Is
gifted enough to make denial keep
pace with the charges he makes,
does he?