davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1927-04-29
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

number OF words read or the total time
of the feat, but rather Of the story
itself and its proper Interpretation in
the mind of the reader.
Given this result, the rapid reading
must carry off the prize, for II allows
the speedster to read Just that many
more good stories in his lifetime!
When it comes to scientific articles
and other weighty matters, the same
good law of speed holds more or less
true.
Even here the mind may be so
trained, or better, developed, so that
it retains what ii has read rapidly as
well as does the more plodding mind
that takes twice as long to accomplish
| the feat.
| There is no premium on slow read
| ing, nor, we might hasten to add, on
rapid reading, per sc. An unnecessary
speed is perhaps as bad as unneces-
sary slowness. And certainly II ones
| habit of quick reading causes sloppi-
ness, careless absorption, nothing can
| be said in its favor.
| In discussing this matter we have
gone on the basis that the quick reader
would read accurately and well, that
| the reader would not make his rapid
| ity at the expense of proper under
| standing.
| It can only be reiterated that every
reader must be the gauge for his own
| performance. His own mind must be
| the speedometer to keep track of the
performance Of that self-same mind.
Machine and measuring instrument
are one and the same. This Is as near
| to perpetual motion as one will ever
get. This is the accomplishment Of
making two blades of grass grow
where one grew before.
| Some parents indulge in a bad habit
of criticizing their children for read
| ing too fast" If they see Johnnie
plunging through a tale at the rate
OF 60 miles per minute, they want
! to throttle him down to 80 miles, or
even 10.
No doubt they have read Walkers s
| lines, and have fallen for that
hokum about the ''other graces, -
following in their proper places.
| But we rather suspect that the
''other graces" were put there simply
to rhyme with proper places" Mr..
| Walker had a thesis that one must
read slow, and to give it punch. he
dragged in, with a sweeping gesture,
all the other graces he could summon
up in a couplet, and hurled them into
| the face of the laborious reader
Read slow, old man, and all the
other graces will follow in their proper
| places"
1t sounds well, but it doesn't mean
anything!
Perhaps In the days when girls
were finished" instead of being really
educated for life, the "other graces"
stood for something, but nowadays no
body gives much of whoop about
| them.
And what would be their proper
places" anyway? Read slow. and in
some mysterious way all these other
| things shall be added unto you!
My son, read fast, and you will
have time to read more. Read fast,
and you will beat the other fellow to
it. Read fast, and good story will
be more Of picture, right in your
own mind, than the best movie that
ever was thrown on screen.
Read good books, and read them
| often but, with all reading, read fast.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

owned farms. There were 3,1S1,@2
men owning farms.
! O. Can YOU tell me what proportion
OF books published succeed2-R. y.
A. A large firm Of publishers has
estimated that out of 10 novels are
comparative failures-i,e., show no
decided profit to author or publisher.
o. Was the statue of ST. Joan. 81
Reims, destroyed in the war r2--B. I. j..
a. No. the statue was removed from
the front of the cathedral and not re
placed until 1921.
O. Which State leads in the MANI
facture of furniture?-W. T.. s.
A New York, although many peo-
pie think that Michigan does, owing
10 the fact that Grand Rapids is so
famous for it's furniture factories.
O. What was the standard for the
English pound weight?-G. ".
A. The original pound was derived
from the weight OF 1850 grains Of
wheat. all taken from the middle Of
the ear and we'll dried. Thus, the
grain is the lowest fractional division
of the pound In the time Of Henry
VII 1000 grains became the standard.
O. When was the first fire insur
ance company organized in the United
States?-F. u.
A. The first directors meeting Of
the first fire insurance company in
this country was held in Philadelphia
on May II, 1852. This was the Phila-
delphia Contributionship for the In
surance OF Houses from Loss by Fire
and is still in existence. BENJAMIN
Franklin was a member OF the board
of directors.
@. How long has the Cathedral OF
| st. John the Divine been in process
of construction?-H. p. II.
A. 1t was begun in 1892.
@. After what is the Washington
Memorial, near Alexandria, Va, mod
eled?-A. S.
A. 1t is modelled after the ancient
| towers which were used as beacons
to guide mariners into harbor, as eS
emplified in those of Rhodes. The
building will consist of four colon
naded stories Of diminishing perime-
ters. tapering from the base through
successive stages to the observation
tower provided at the top.
@. What is tapioca made off,
| NJ. T, G.
A. 1t is made of tapioca flour,
which is made from the root OF the
cassava plant, which resembles our
sweet potato plant in size and ap-
pearance. 1t is grown for food pur-
poses in practically all tropical
countries. Our main supply comes
/ from Java.
What do DOW need to EHOlCP Is
there some point about pour business
| or personal life that puEzles DouP is
| there something Dou lcGnt to knotC
| 1Cithout delay? Submit your question
| to Frederic j. HdSkin. director Of our
| Washington Information Bureau. He
| is employed to help you. Address yoitr
| inquiry to The EUenin0 Star IN
| formation Bureau, Frederic J. HdSkin.
director, Washington, d. c., and inclose
2 cents in stamps for return postage.
Evening star., 1927-04-29
Opposes Amy Addition
To Tomb of Unknown

To the Editor of The Star;
WHY all this discussion about the
Unfinished tomb of our Unknown
Comrade? What is there missing ana
why is it called the pedestal for q
monument? There are hundreds OF
thousands of simple, square or nat
tombs throughout the country which
are chaste, harmonious and appropri-
ate and to which no thought of "untln-
ished" is ever given. The whole world
ia familiar. through millions OF pie
lures and visits, with the present INES
of this shrine which is we'll known,
well loved and well honored as IL Is.
Most OF those whom l have asked
think it has been left in its present
shape so as to form an altar for the
floral offerings of those who wish to
pay tribute to his sacrifice.
What kind of monument can we
give him? 1t cannot be large, or 1t
will detract from the Amphltheatef'
If it is more than 3 or 4 feet tan, II
will obstruct the view. And it is not
an erection to sculpture, but to greater
things which the heart forgotten not.
If sculpture we must have, why not
a device combining in stone the flrst
wreaths laid there on that great DAY,
and let the scuiptorS compete IN the
arrangement of those offerings, the
Indian coupe stick, the wreaths and
flowers of the better known donors
given first places in any designs ana
the lesser ones appearing In small CIR
cles around the base. This idea can
be carried out simply and in harmony
with the limited space available. In
scriptions are obviously unnecessary.
Whatever appears on this hallowed
spot in the future, his first tomb will
be best remembered by his comrades,
the tomb BETTING the warrior who
rests there.
Simply and bravely he went forth,
simply and bravely he died, simply and
flttingly has he been honored.
Let 1t so remain.
Evening star., 1927-04-29
The Kernel of Disarmament.


Charles Evans Hughes, former Sec
retary OF State. lays his finger on the
real issue of arms limitation when he
urged the powers to end 'provoca
tive" arming. Speaking before the
American Society of international
Law, of which he is president, Mr.
Hughes has sounded a note of hope
which is grateful to the ear after the
pessimistic reports that have come
from Geneva in recent days, where the
representatives of the powers have
been struggling with the disarmament
problem under the auspices Of the
League Of Nations.
BY provocative arming the former
Secretary of State meant arming fol
the shoulder, ready at all times to
enter upon armed conflict at the drop
OF the hat. Mr.. Hughes did not decry
adequate defensive measures. It was
the preparation for attack, the long
range fleet submarines, for example
which should be curtailed, in his
opinion.
Mr.. Hughes, as head of the Ameri
can delegation to the Washington
Conference on Limitation of Arma
ments and Problems of the Pacific, is
as familiar as any man in the country
with the difficulties which beset an
international conference for the cur
tailment of armaments. The measure
of the success of the Washington con
ference was very great when these
difficulties are taken into considera
ton. The American delegation at that
time took stand very similar to that
pronounced last night by Mr.. Hughes
The United States set a pace in gener
osity which astonished and thrilled
the world, relinquishing voluntarily
the construction of a. Navy which
would have been superior to that OF
any other nation at q time when this
country, and this country alone, could
afford to build the huge and costly
ships already on the program.
Mr.. Hughes looks with hope to the
three-power conference on naval limi
tation which is meeting soon In
Geneva at the invitation Of President
Coolidge. When the United States
Great Britain and Japan. the three
premier naval powers today. assemble
at the conference, Mr.. Hughes be
lieves that they will not only be able te
work out a formula satisfactory te
themselves for the limitation Of auxil
larry craft, but that they will set an
example to the rest of the world which
public sentiment generally viii in
dorse, even though some OF the gov
ernments Of the Old World hold back
Evening star., 1927-04-29
TmDeratiye Need of Control
OF Floods Stressed by Press

sources of the country have scarcely
been touched up to this time. But
these developments are coming In the
near future, without question, ana
water will be water"
X X X
The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
expressing the opinion that levees
alone will never conquer the stream" J"
suggests improvements In the present
system and adds that 'it is high time
that steps were taken to put flood
control reservoirs wherever they will
help solve the problem" The Bull
letin adds, "All these rivers can be
mastered and kept in hand. The job
offers opportunity TO contribute to
both power and irrigation as we'll as
the drainage of 20000,000 acres of
Southern swamps for farm purposes. !"
Another suggestion comes from the
Admission Star, which recalls that
when Galveston was practically
washed away by q tidal wave years
ago the people who survived the wave
decided that never again would the
disaster be repeated for lack of a
protecting WALL" and observes that
to-day Galveston has a sea wall that
offers security to the city" 1t adds
that walls strong enough to with
stand the force of the greatest floods
are needed along the Mississippi and
it's tributaries The Fort Worth
Star-Telegram says: I'VE have disar-
ranged natures plans for dissipating
flood waters. We have encroached
upon river valleys, we have built
dilSes and levees and we have crowd
ed our farms and cities close to river
beds on ground that once served as
flow-delaying reservoirs in time of
high water. But we have failed to
provide an alternative method for
leading off safely the peak flow of
rivers in flood"
Evening star., 1927-04-29

| 1t is conceivable that President
Roosevelt might have answered
Bunk" to Walkers dictum:
Learn to read slow; all other graces
VIII follow in their proper places"
The great President was a rapid
reader; it is said he read whole pages
at a glance. There are many persons
who absorb entire sentences at time,
while most readers commonly read
related groups and phrases as one.
One ought to read as it comes nat
ural to him; that is why training in
early childhood is necessary IL one
is to become a proficient reader in
later life.
To be held down by word or SEN
tence construction is to lose much
of the charm of books, especially in
fiction. In that art the narrative
flow depends great deal upon the
movement which the reader can give
to the words before him.
Let him laboriously pore over a
story, even spelling out each word,
he slows down the very action Of the
tale, and makes the whole thing a
bore.
Another reader. more gifted in the
| fine mechanics of the art, will put his
own life and vim into the reading
and thereby enjoy the story in the
| fullest way.
The mind does exactly what the
film does with a motion picture
scenario. The mind of the reader
creates action out of mental images,
flashed quickly across the screen of
his mind.
The quicker he can create the
images for himself the more "lifelike'
the story seems to him, the better
tale it becomes to him.
X " X T
DIR. Johnson, we believe, said a man
ought to read what pleases him, and
no doubt he was right. If he had said
that most men ought to read rapidly,
not slowly, he would have been right,
too. we believe.
Mr.. Walkers nice couplet about
reading slow probably was founded
on the ancient fallacy that lack of
speed makes for thoroughness.
Well, it does, in some cases, but, as
a rule, not in reading. The slowness
is not in the mechanical action Of the
reading, but in the mind. The thor
oughness, too, and the carelessness, Is
in the mind.
The mere act of boring ones self
by SLOW, Dd1IlLul T0duluB WAAi NV uAAAS
a man absorb any more or become
better acquainted with what he is
reading If his mind is of the type
that requires speedy perusai.
There are certain men, OF course,
whose minds work in slow, methodl'
cal, plodding ways. We have known
several such persons and for them
it would be mistake to attempt
rapid reading.
Such characters are rare, however,
and cannot be taken to be indicative
of the average. Today, more than
ever, speed is the cry. We want II
in our automobiles and we want 1t
in our thinking.
There is no particular point any
more in taking an hour to do what
can be as we'll done in five minutes
or even half an hour.
Why should one take a week to read
a new novel if he can go through II
in two days or less? Can the latter
reader be said to have read the story
anv the worse because he has been
able to beat the slower readers timeE
1t Is here not question of either
Evening star., 1927-04-29
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

O. How much is spent for doctors
and drugs each year?~-H. K.
A. Only an estimate is possible.
Doctors services, estimated on aver
age income per doctor per year of
81 500. would total 100000, 900. Drugs,
including patent medicines. amount
TO $500 900 900. Hospital maintenance
and interest on hospital investment
total s295,0O0. 900.
O. Is it true that pongee silk is
produced by feeding silkworms other
food than mulberry leaves?-K. l.. ).
A. 1t is true that pongee Is soft,
unbleached wash silk made in China
and is the product of wild silkworm
that feeds on oak leaves.
O. How was the Isle Of Pines dis
pute settled?-G. w. G..
A. The Isle Of Pines treaty, which
had been before the United States
Senate since 1904. was ratified by that
body by vote OF So to IA on March
IS, 1925, and ratifications were ex.
changed on March %. The treaty
relinquishes In favor Of Cuba all claim
of the title by the United States TO the
Isle of Pines, which might arise from
the Spanish-American treaty of 1898,
confirmed by grants of coaling and
naval stations, and protects the rights
of American citizens.
@. How tall has man been known
| to growth. B.
| A. There have been reports among
| the less civilized tribes and among
| certain savage peoples that men have
measured as much as Is feet. From
actual records that have been COM
| piled, the greatest height found was
| that Of Topinard's F'inlander, who
measured 112 inches.
| Q. What composer was most often
| chosen in the repertoire of the Met
| ropolitan Opera Co. last Winter?-
! P. B.
| A. Wagnerian operas led. Verdi was
second and Puccini third. Verdi s
aida" was sung the most frequent
| LYNNE times during the season.
O. What was the date Of the ini-
tiai engagement of our American
troops in the World War?-C. N. b.
A. The first shot from American
forces was fired by Battery G Of the
9Th Field Artillery Of the 1st Division
| on october %, 1917, at Cos in the
morning. The gun was placed in po-
sition 400 meters east OF Bartnie-
mont.
O. Why is the Pacific Ocean so
much deeper than the Atlantic?--
j. NJ. M. o,eo
A. The great deeps in the Pacific
Ocean are due either to volcanic ac-
tion or faulting.
O. Were the whipping post and
piliory ever used in the District OF
| Columbia?-D. p. .,. l.,
A. Both punishments were used IN
the early part Of the nineteenth CEN
tury.
O. How long will it take a letter
sent from Shanghai to reach New
York City?-O. r. 5.
A. 1t will take % days.
@. How many women own farms?-
A. At the time of the last census,
1920, there were 1S7,S6S women VINO
Evening star., 1927-04-29
UNITED STATES
IN WORLD WAR
Ten Years Ago Today

Big fight looms in Congress on drait
ages Senate wants Hfnlt
2I.27: House insists on 21-40
Marshal Joffre makes earnest pied
that United states send troops to front
very soon Would brace
Allies and shake German line
German raider. thought to be Seead-
Ter. sighted off Virginia coast
French and British High Commissions
visit Mount Vernon and kneei at
Washington's tomb Germans
claim to have sunk 100000 tons OF
shipping I'm first , weeks OF unre-
stricted submar lrfare
Bread shortage Chicago When
Germans lead ,out II bakers
Plans are announced to send
1000 American surgeons to western
hattie front.
Evening star., 1927-04-29
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHMANDER JOHNSON.
Celebrate

Celebration.
A birthday we will celebrate,
In phrases that fall pat,
OF some old hero good and great
And let 1t go at that.
A very few of us repeat
The words of Washington,
Or phrases vigorously neat
OF Thomas Jefferson.
About the ''blues" George did not care.
Tom did not syncopate.
They made no speeches ION the air."
Yet our esteem is great.
So, onward through the dance we
forge,
While sentiment stands pat.
We say, "Hurrah for Tom and
GEORGE"
And let it go at that.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

swere promptly taken before his vic
tim in the hospital and positive
Identification OF him was made. Later
he is said to have confessed the attack
as we'll as others in the last few
years. The case was handled ex-
peditiously in court and Washing
tonians now breathe sigh of relief
that this fiend incarnate will be free
no more and will meet his just end
in the electric chair.
Evening star., 1927-04-29
Beveridge's Lincoln. "

Through an inadvertence, the appre.
cation of the late Albert ]. Beveridge
printed in these columns yesterday re-
ferred to his uncompleted work as a
life of George Washington. That was
an error which should be promptly
corrected. The work on which Mr..
Beveridge was engaged when he was
stricken down was biography of
Abraham Lincoln. He was exception
ally qualified to produce such an &C
count Of the career Of the Great Eman'
cipator. He was born within the area
though not within the State of Lin
coins early activities, and he was i'm
bued with an ardent admiration for
him. His work on the life. Of John
Marshall gave him materials for the
BACKGROUND of Lincoln's career and ac-
complishments and services. Though
a devoted admirer of Lincoln, Mr..
Beveridge had, as was shown in his
Marshall" the quality Of discrimina-
ton, and he possessed, moreover, the
historical sense of proportion which,
applied to his later task, would have
yielded a work of great value. Many
biographies of Lincoln have been writ
ten dealing with various phases of his
character and career. There is no lack
Of specific material. But the Lincoln
of history, standing at well.nigh the
nid.point of independent America
from the beginning to the present day,
IS yet a work to be rendered, and the
hope is that way will be found to
complete this assuredly valuable
analytical survey on the scale and in
the style Of the gifted author whose
pen was checked by the hand of death.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

There is nothing remarkable in the
energetic interest taken by Germany
in theatrical effort. The theater is %
day, as it has always been, the hope of
the intelligence that has message to
deliver independently Of usual chan
nels Of information. And America IS
always the big audience.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

When serious disaster occurs need
ing organized relief, Herbert Hoover Is
Immediately demanded. He has been
regarded as an exalted possibility In
Official affairs. He evidently prefers
working hard to playing politics.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

An indictment by the grand jury is
a means of turning the spotlight on
persons who had no previous expecta-
tions of public careers. The prosecut-
Ing attorney becomes a powerful in
nuence for publicity.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

The Chinese vocabulary is complicat.
ed and voluminous. Many Mongolian
patriots are regretting the day when
it made room for the word "commun-
ist."
Evening star., 1927-04-29
Valuable Obligation.

do you recall the days you spent
at college with pleasure?"
Eyes" answered Senator Sorghum.
They brought me many valuable ex-
periences. The professors who loved
base ball game more than they did
the classroom taught me a lot about
human nature"
Evening star., 1927-04-29

Modern steamships are much more
wonderful than any boat Christopher
Columbus could command. None of
them will discover as much as Colum-
hl.s did
Evening star., 1927-04-29

European motion picture experts are
seeking recognition in American mar
kets. European movie actors are en-
titled to consideration no less than
grand opera singers.
Evening star., 1927-04-29
Obliging Performer.

That money talks we must admit.
Amid theatric golries,
When money tries to make a hit,
1t tells some naughty stories.
Evening star., 1927-04-29
Rate by MaiI-Payable in Advance.
MARYLAND and Virginia.
All Other States and Canada.
Member of the Associated Press.

The Associated Press is exclusively entitled
90 the use for republication of all news dis
patches credited TO ii or not otherwise cred
tied in this paper and also the local news
published herein. All rights of publication
of special dispatches herein are also reserved.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

Assassination was one of the fea.
lures Of magnificence in ancient Romo
which Mussolini does not intend to re.
call.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

A man with so large a fortune as
that enjoyed by Henry Ford must ex-
pect a few lawsuits.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

The Mississippi compels matters re-
lating to rivers and harbors to be
taken more seriously than ever before.
Evening star., 1927-04-29
Acid Test in Court.

From the Boston Herald.
with all my worldly goods / thee
endow" gets its acid test in the d.
vorce court settlements
Evening star., 1927-04-29

Jud Tunkins says man who has
more money than he knows what to
do with IL a mark for bad advice.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

"A good talker," said Uncle Eben,
kin make you think you think some.
thing dat you didn't know you had
any intentions whatever of thinkin'
about. An while you is gettin' yoh
thoughts together, he sells you some.
thin"
Evening star., 1927-04-29
Dancer.

A Charleston step she paused to strike
Her PAGES were not lazy.
She looked to me a little like
The letter x gone crazy.
Evening star., 1927-04-29

Sympathy" said Hi Ho, the sage of
Chinatown, ''is easily extended to un-
fortunate strangers. Forgiveness to
friends is more difficult"
Evening star., 1927-04-29
Limited Observation.

What do you know about farm re.
lief?'"
"Nothin' much,' answered Farmer
Corntossel. I'm only farmer and
not a politician"
Evening star., 1927-04-29

o. Was the statue of ST. Joan, 81
Reims, destroyed in the war?--B. I. j..
A. No, the statue was removed from
the front of the cathedral and not re
placed until 1921
Evening star., 1927-04-29

@. How long has the Cathedral OF
st. John the Divine been in process
Of construction?-H. p. II.
A. II was begun in 1892.