davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05

Lucretius' picture of pastoral SIM
plicity in the early days of mankind
is interesting in an age when COM
plexity is gaining the day everywhere.
Today the happiness of life seems
threatened by mechanical contri-
vances and various inventions, cou-
pied with the intensive crowding or
| human beings in cities.
| What would the old Roman writer
| have thought of a time when air
planes roar through the air?
We can only guess, but here Is his
picture of life at an early age, long
| before Christ:
Initiating with the mouth the clear
notes of birds was in use long before
men were able to sing IN tune
smooth running verses and give
pleasure to the ear.
And the whistlings of the zephyr
through the hollow of reeds first
taught peasants to blow into hollow
stalks.
Then step by step they learned
sweet plaintive dittles which the pipe
pours forth pressed by the fingers OF
the players, heard through the path
less woods and forests and lawns,
through the unfrequented haunts OF
shepherds and abodes of unearthly
calm.
These things would soothe ana
crafty their minds when stated with
food: for then all things of this kind
are welcome.
X \ X
"Often, therefore, stretched In
groups on the soft grass, beside a
stream of water, under the boughs OF
a high tree, at no great cost they
would pleasantly refresh their bodies,
above all when the weather smiled
and the seasons of the year painted
the green grass with flowers.
Then went round the jest. the
tale, the peals of merry laughter: 1or
the peasant muse was then IN Hs
glory.
'"rhen frolick mirth would prompt
to entwine head and shoulders WIN
garlands plated with flowers and
leaves. and to advance in the dance
out of step and to move the limbs
clumsily and with clumsy foot beat
mother earth, which would occasion
smiles and peals of merry laughter
because all these things then from
their greater novelty and strangeness
were in great repute.
"And the wakeful found solace
for want Of sleep in drawing out a
variety of notes and going through
tunes and running over reeds WIN
curving lips; whence even at the
present day watchmen observe these
traditions and have lately learned to
keep the proper tune; and yet for all
this receive not a jot more of ENJOY.
ment than erst the rugged race oil
sons Of earth received.
"For that which we have in our
hands. if we have known before moth
ing pleasanter, pleases above all ana
is thought to be the best; and as rule
the later discovery of something better
spoils the taste for the former things
and changes the feelings in regard TO
all that has gone before
X X
It is one Of the pleasures of reading
classical literature to apply the various
"wise cracks discovered to modern
conditions.
Take the last paragraph quoted, as
true today as it was 1000 years ago.
In 1927, for instance. a radio fan Is
perfectly satisfied with his radio loud
Let him hear another at the home of
friend. however, Immediately he be-
comes dissatisfied, goes purchases HIM
self one like it.
The improvement in the output of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

. the set is 20 marked that he marvels
he ever thought his old speaker good
He switches from one to the other,
putting the old on, then the new, then
the old. again the new. each time with
the same result-the old speaker,
which he fondly believed to be pretty
good. sounds horribly harsh and tinny.
Yet when it was all he knew he
spoke of it's good qualities in the bass
notes. Now. bucked up against a
speaker that handles the lower reg
lister really well. he realizes that the
old affair was mot there"
X X X X
Reverting to Lucretius:
"Thus began distaste for the acorn
Uhe early foo), thus were abandoned
those sleeping places strewn with
grass and enriched with leaves.
The dress. too, of wild beasts skins
fell into neglect, though l can fancy
that it was found to arouse such Jeal-
ousy that he who first wore 1t met his
death by an ambuscade.
an those days, therefore, skins, now
gold and purple, plague mems lives
with care and wear them out with
war.
"And in this methinks the greater
blame rests with us; for cold would
torture the naked sons of earth with
out their skins; but us it harms not
in the least to do without a robe of
purple, spangled with gold and large
figures, if only we have a dress of the
people to protect us.
Mankind therefore, ever tolls
vainly and to no purpose and wastes
life in groundless cares, because sure
enough they have not learnt what Is
the true end Of getting and up to what
point genuine pleasure goes on In
Creasing.
This, by slow degrees, has carried
life out into the deep sea, and stirred
UP from their lowest depths the mighty
pillows of war"
SO we conclude, in seven articles. a
brief Summertime presentation of the
philosophy of grand old Roman,
Titus Carus Lucretius, righteous
no matter how much one may dis
agree with them, still command re-
spect in the world because of the sim
cerity of their expression.
Lucretius spoke up, in command
ing way, for simplicity of character
and living, for the golden mean
not too much of anything. His ethical
character entities him to a place be-
side those divine pagans, Marcus
Aurelius, the emperor, and Epictetus,
the slave.
The pleasure" he spoke of was,
rather, happiness. He desired peace
peace of body and peace of mind, in
its best sense 1.-The peace that passeth
understanding" 1t is impossible for
modern reader, in the most COM
pick civilization in history, to sincerely
read Lucretius and not realize this
much.
He was Christian in spirit, If not
in words. He hitched his literary
wagon to the star that appealed to
him, Epicurus, the philosopher whose
doctrines were too easily twisted to
their opposites. But had he lived
century later, or perhaps five CEN
turtles later. Lucretius would have
carried the banner of Christ.
ooh hapless race of men! No act
is it of piety to be often seen with
yelled head to turn to a stone and
approach every altar and fall pros
trated on the ground, and spread out
the palms before the statues OF the
gods and sprinkle the affairs with
much blood of beasts and link vow on
vow, but rather to be able to look on
all things with a mind at peace"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05

natural laws as they exist-that is. to
fight and hate, to slaughter and
maim-we get right back to Darwin
ism, that 1.-The f1ttest shall survive"
Utopian ideas have been expounded
since Socrates was forced to drink the
hemlock because he had spoken that
which he believed), and still we squirm
and seethe in the muck and slime OF
ignorance and produce a weakling
and an inferior man. We still go to
war instead of controlling our passion.
We still would rather fight it out by
the shed of blood than to reason 1t out
across the table, We still hate and
ignore instead of generating the pure
impulses Of the heart to love, peace
and comfort.
Let the wars rage, turn loose the
lead and steel into the hearts OF 1nno-
cent men, rip open the wombs of cry
ing mothers, and cut the Threats OF
chuckling babes-for that Is our civil
zation." Those Of us who are honest
and who in our quest for tolerance and
Utopia seek only the good and peace
full life. that should be ours must
abide for the present under the nat
ural instincts with which we are en-
dowed and long for another day to
dawn and shower upon us the fruits OF
sincere endeayors-that day which you
and I will never see, but let US hope
that our children will.
DAVID LYNN, 6tAs
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05
Demands for Local Airports
Spread Throughout Country

air mail service" This paper believes
that "once air mail is made COM
mon throughout the country, passen-
ger service will not be long in fol-
lowing" Even with existing routes
the United States leads all the coun-
tries of the world in air-mail serv.
ice," proclaims the Springfield Union.
The newspapers are aiding efforts
toward arousing interest in the es.
tablishment of airports The San
Antonio Evening News says: This
city needs and must have an airport
second to none among communities
of it's size" The Fort Worth Record
Telegram calls the opening of Fort
Worth's pride-the new airport-an
historical event" The New Haven
Evening Register favors plans to
equip the city with an air terminal
that will be of adequate size and
serviceable location" and the Chat
tanooga Times declares: "Chatta-
nooga cannot afford to lag in the
matter of providing adequate air
port facilities. Future growth and
development of the community are
to a considerable extent dependent
on whether such accommodations are
urging the completion of plans
already under way ''for an airport
that really would put TeXarkana on
the air map" and the Butler Eagle,
declaring that Butler needs an air
port, just like every other city IN
the country" states its bel1ef that
1.-The day is coming when an airport
will be as essential as bus terminal
or a railroad station"
Stressing the fact that "the need
for an aviation field in or near Santa
Barbara is increasing daily" the
News of that city declares that the
field must be large enough and SAFE
enough to afford suitable landing
place for large commercial planes.
The New Orleans Morning Tribune
sees three things needed for the
successful and widespread operation
of aircraft: First, numerous and ade-
ouate fields; second, numerous ana
powerful beacons, both visible ana
invisible; third, an extensive. accurate
and quickly available system or
weather reporting and forecasts. On
this third point the New Bedford Eve
ming Standard says: MAN can never
control the weather, although 1t is
barely possible ways might be found
for dissipating fogs over landing
fields; but he can improve his weather
forecasting facilities That the noise
made by airplanes is an OBJECTIONABLE
feature still, is pointed out by the
Worcester Telegram, which says:
1--WE have learned how to travel fast
and furiously, but we haven't yet
learned how to travel very quietly"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS

dent in his post of national chairman
has been removed.
X * X X
c.. Francis Jenkins, Washington IN
ventor, who figures frequently in the
news these days in connection with
new wonders in radio and aeronautlcs,
started his career of inventing ~
years ago. He was born in Indiana,
brought up on a farm by Quakers. at
tended Earlham College. and spent
some years exploring timberlandS anu
cattle ranches. Then he got secre-
tarial Job in the Government service
here, which he quit in 1895 to follow
in the footsteps of Edison. He has
obtained scores of patents, covering
wide variety of discoveries. His most
notable claims in the radio field relate
to the transmission of pictures by
radio. The present method of broad
casting weather maps to ships at sea
is his invention. He has recently an
nounced the perfection of an alrplane
brake, which will check the speed of
plane, and a scheme of launching
plane in flight without utilizing a run
way. An improvement in the radio
altimeter, which gives the air pilot
accurate readings when close to earth
is likewise his invention. Mr.. jenkins
idDOTdLOTIeS are jlSHI AZ Lt1C SiAoNAC"
of the temporary White House in Du-
pont Circle.
X X X X
Henry Janvrin Browne, long dis
lance weather representation, who
has received a wealth of publicity as
the prophet of a sunless Summer,
would seem to have been a false
prophet. But Mr.. Browne comes to
the front to proclaim that instead of
predicting year without a Summer,
he merely predicted a series of great
excuses in weather, and that the facts
to date have verified his prophecy. He
says he predicted the heat wave along
the Eastern seaboard early in July. at
the same time that SHOWS were in
Colorado, frosts in North Dakota and
snow f1urries in northern New York
and Canada. July 4th, he said, was
recorded as the coolest Independence
day ever known. After all, to pre-
dict no more than great excuses in
weather" Is not such steep venture
in the realm Of the unknown.
tCopyrieht. 1927
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05
Bloodshed the Hobby
Of Mankind for Ages
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
Upon reading in The Star Of Sun
day, July "a, an article entitled, "Sees
World in Arms Against United
States" I was imbued with a deep
conviction as to the truth Of the words
of Admiral Fiske. He incidentally
spoke the views which I have enter
tanned for some time, but, being only
an insignificant law student, such
opinions have gone for nil.
The world Is not through with war.
Bloodshed has been the hobby of man.
kind since before the days of Saul
and David. The blameless millions
have always been sacrificed upon the
fields Of battle to further the pomp
and glory of some gluttonous or pious
monarch The thirst for blood and
the hunger for flesh have not been
quenched even with the coming of
democracies. The snarl of Mars will
fill the skies of humanity until all the
earth returns from whence it came.
There is one outstanding instinct
imbedded in the organism OF man.
1t is, as Schopenhauer said. the will
to reproduce" In this unnecessary
pastime Of exercising the will to re-
produce the world has become so full
Of unfortunates who should have
never been born that man has IN
vented system which he calls war
to rid the world Of these victims of
passion. In other words, man manu-
features man to kill man, because
there must be some outlet for over
population. Admiral Fiske has proven
this by offering Japan as an example.
Surely this is not to be challenged.
Wars have worked wonders for our
modern civilization" This is cruel
method, and it seems to me that the
Creator" if in His omniscience He
made 1t thus, could have conceived OF
q better plan than murder. Now that
we must, since we have been called
from peaceful oblivion. abide by the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05
Senator Fletcher Discusses
Merchant Marine Problem
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
I have read the article in Tuesdays
Star by Paul v. Collins, under the
heading Background of Events"
am afraid have been unfortunate
in expressing the ideas l desired to
present and giving the impression that
the issue is-shall we have a merchant
marine, or not.
Those who are opposed to an Amer
lean merchant marine of any conse-
quence will tell you they favor just
what Congress declared in the act OF
1920.
They know there is but little Amer
lean support for the position that we
should turn our overseas transporta-
ton over to foreign ships. They would
make no Roadway with such claim
openly made.
That is the foreign viewpoint and is
what many people in this country
want and some powerful interests in
the United States deSire-but they
keep to the background and they hope
to accomplish that by having the Gov
eminent go out of the shipping bust
ness.
The advocates of that idea declare
that they favor an American mer-
chant marine. The issue then is the
method of accomplishing what all out
spoken people, some sincere and some
insincere. say they want.
/ insist the wise, the only way, to
establish and maintain an adequate
American merchant marine Is for the
Government to own and operate mer-
chant ships in overseas trade.
The chairman of the Shipping Board,
the Administration, contends that the
s,lo r.l1z 10 Of IL
speedily, and the shipping business
should pass entirely to private hands.
/ cite the unremitting efforts to get
rid of the ships, the sacrifices we have
already made. the challenge Of the
chairman to all parties to come and
get the ships on their own terms, and
the failure of private enterprise to
take hold of the business.
/ cite the fact that even now we are
carrying less than 80 per cent of our
foreign commerce. and If the Govern
ment' should tie up, scrap or give away
the ships the Government owns and
operates, we would soon be carrying
only about 10 per cent-and shortly
find ourselves where we were in 1914
The question is then, shall the Gov.
ernment cease giving away the ships
get down to serious, determined, bust.
ness-like effort to make the undertak.
ing a success and determine and an
nounce that the Government shall
permanently own and operate mer.
chant ships in overseas trade, to the
end that thereby the United States
shall establish and maintain an ade.
quate merchant marine?
Or, shall we deliver the ships we
have into private hands, go out of the
business, and in that way establish
and maintain a merchant marine?
Which way shall we do it? Which
method shall we pursue? There is the
issue.
I stand by my resolution, to which
Mr.. Collins refers, as the way. the only
way, the method, the only logical
hopeful method. am curious to know
how he arrives at the estimates of
subsidies he gives. Where does he
get what is the authority for the
statement, for instance, that Great
britain subsidies her shipping by
$123,0S1,49S a year, aside from her
mail subventions amounting to $2,.
423,250? DUNCAN u. FLETCHER.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05
Military Camps.

The citizens military training camps
are closing their gates for another
year. More than fortyfour thousand
of the young men Of America have
had the benefits OF discipline and
character building which are procured
at the camps under Government SUI
pervision. They are now returning TO
their homes, bronzed by the sun and
healthy in mind and body.
To use the words of Maj. Gen. Sum-
neral, chief of staff Of the United
States Army. the marks of soldier
or an officer are courage, service. un.
sesfishness, self-respect, respect fof
H. r. II $3.50 IN sAys1F&NA
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

O. What movies have won the
photoplay medal?-R. F.
A In 1920, "Humoresque"; 1921.
"Tol'able David; 1922, robin
Hood; 1923, 1.-THE Covered Wagon;
1924. Abraham Lincoln; 1925, 1.-THE
Big Parade"
@. How old was the author of "In
Flanders Fields" at the time Of his
death?"-M. r.
A. He was as. John David McCrae
was a Canadian physician. son Of an
army officer. He volunteered in 1914
and crossed with the Canadian Field
Artillery. He served in the field and
later in a hospital as second in COM
mand. He died Of pneumonia.
@. What is the origin of the term
finnan haddie?-C. l.. S.
A. Smoked haddock is said to be so
called from the town of Findon or
Findhorn, both in Scotland.
@. Where did the Mayo brothers
receive their early medical educa-
tion?-A. NJ.
A. Charles Horace Mayo was gradu-
ated in medicine from the Chicago
Medical College. William James
Mayo received his professional train
ing at the University of Michigan.
@. How did the expression won't
you be my valentine?" originate?-
c. D.
A. One Of the oldest Of customs
connected with Valentine day was the
placing of the names of young men
and women in a box, from which they
were drawn on st. Valentine eve.
Those whose names were drawn to-
gether had to exchange presents and
be leach others valentines" for the
ensuing year.
Q. Why are artesian wells so
called?-K. A. B.
A. The oldest we'll in Europe was
bored in the County of Artois uatin
Artesia), now @ part Of France. in
1926.
@. What is the origin of the word
paradiSe?-A. N.
A Paradise was a term applied to
the garden surrounding the home of
the Persian ruler Since the ruler was
considered a deity, the grounds were
considered sacred, being literally the
home of the deity.
@. What does it cost to take a car
into Canada?-J. A. e.
A. The American Automobile AS
ISOLATION says that upon going into
Canada a person Is allowed 80 days
without charge. If you stay longer
than the allotted time 1t is necessary
to put bond on the car, which is de-
termined by the customs officials at
the Canadian line according to the
value of the car.
|. @. Is it true that lightning follows
a draft?-J. D. A.
A. 1t is true in a slight degree. 1t
often happens that lightning consists
Of a number of separate discharges
following each other over. the period
Of whole second, or even longer;
each subsequent discharge follows the
same air the first discharge went
through, hence the discharges are
drifted along with the wind, and in
rare cases might be drifted inside
house by strong draft. The draft
causes very little danger, but it does
cause some.
Q. Where is the thickest vein of
coal in the world?-N. c.
A. The thickest coal vein known is
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05
SHOOTING STARS.
BY pH1LANDTR JOHNSON.
Guessing.

Guessing.
New surprises must be found.
Life is never still.
Every time you turn around
There's another thrill.
Guessing all this long day through
What 1t has in store:
Next day starting In anew
Got to guess some more.
What will be the base ball scorer
Who will win the fight?
Who'll go further than before
In an airship flight?
Who for office high will run?
And-who will refrain?
When another days begun,
Got to guess again!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-05
UNITED STATES
IN WORLD WAR
Ten Years Ago Today

American forces now actually unuer
arms number S09,743. Almost SVu'-
900 in Regular Army. One million
five hundred thousand men Will pc
total enrolment next month when
draft environments open. OIly
l 500 of the original 2.450 who enrolied
in the Reserve Officers Corps-at Madl-
son Barracks are retained after the
weeding-out process. FIRST or
Americans are graduatA1 from Fireman
Artillery School. . T1ffSe Amert-
can aviators, including Raoul Luf-
berry, cited for bravery and skill I'm
bringing down German planes.
National Security League calls on the
$50 German American newspapers in
this country to make a patriotic
confession Of faith" Priority
methods outlined for new War IN
dustries Board to bring about har-
monious action between the Govern
ment and war industries.
Draft resister killed in fighting be-
tween possemen and organized band
Of draft directors in Oklahoma.
Others wounded. - Kerensky back
in supreme power as Russian pre-
mier. Russian lines stiffening stead
lily. Argentina nearer break
with Germany. Ends negotiations with
Kaiser's Minister and sends O per
smptory note to Berlin u