davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1927-09-12
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

which has befallen Brig. Gen. Merch B.
Stewart, the accomplished superin-
tendent of the Military Academy at
West Point. Though just turned 81,
and apparently in rugged health, Gen.
Stewart suffered stroke Immediately
following graduation week in June,
and it is feared his days of usefulness
in the Army may be at an end. He
has been at the head Of the academy
only since April, 1926. Tragedy ac-
companied Gen. Stewart into office a
year ago. He was succeeded as COM
mandant of the cadet corps by Maj.
John G. Quekemeyer. Gen. Pershings s
World War aide. "Quek," a dashing
cavalryman, who had returned with
Pershing from Tacna-Arica only few
days before, arrived at the Military
Academy to assume the comman-
dantcy, but fell ill of pneumonia and
died within 4S hours.
X v X
jeremiah Smith, jr., Boston lawyer.
who put the economics of Hungary
on their feet in 1925 and 1926 as COM
missioner general of the League of
Nations, has just been honored afresh
by that body. 1t invited Smith to be
a member of the Leagues financial
committee, and he has accepted. The
committee consists Of II members,
and the Bostonian is the first from
the United States. The financial COM
mittee has devoted itself almost en-
tirely to reconstruction work among
the war-shattered countries of Eu-
rope. Austria and Hungary both owe
their stable fiscal systems to the
Leagues supervision.
X X
Paul Mellon, only son of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury and destined to
be one of the worlds richest men,
threatens to succumb to journalism,
instead Of following in the ancestral
financial paths. He recently was
chosen as one of the chief editors of
the Yale Daily News, one of the priced
blue ribbons at New Haven. Mellon
was honor man of his class last year.
He will be graduated in June, 1928, on
the threshold of attaining his ma
jority.
(Copyright. 1927
Evening star., 1927-09-12
White House Termed
Monument and Tomb

To the Editor of The Star:
The goal Of most citizens of this
Republic-whether or not they are
conscious Of the facts the Executive
Mansion at Washington, and the po-
litical skirmishes and battles to cap
ture that goal or to retain 1T nave
been numerous and memorable. or
our 90 Presidents, Washington did not
occupy this mansion, but from Presi-
dent John Adams to President Cool
idge the White House has been the
home of our Chief Magistrates. Here
President Adams reluctantly moved
out when President Jefferson was in.
augurated. Here Jackson moved in
after his victory over John Quincy
Adams, and Harrison rested for few
weeks after his strenuous campaign
in 1S40. Here Abraham Lincoln
watched anxiously the varying for
tunes of Civil War. and, during this
twentieth century Mckinley, Roose-
Welt, Taft, Wilson. Harding and Cool
idge have dwelt for one or more terms.
The White House has, indeed, been
monument of magnificent achieve
ments, but it has also been a mauso-
leum Of political disappQintments.
CHARLES MEYERS HOLMES.
Evening star., 1927-09-12

from It. The dirt sides are soft and
any ear that goes off the concrete is
almost invariably in trouble.
The safety of road is measured by
the skill and consideration of In
dividual drivers. No matter what the
rules may be. or the conditions, there
are always drivers who take chances,
who hog" the road, who try to over
take cars on curves and in the face
Of approaching traffic. These are the
danger elements on any highways,
and especially so on narrow ones.
A fifteen-foot road is too narrow to
accommodate these reckless drivers
and their victims. the careful drivers
who are forced off the concrete to
avoid collision.
There is but one remedy for the
condition. That is a widening Of the
road. So many accidents have oc.
CURED on this highway that this
remedy should be adopted at once. A
demand has arisen even for the clos
ing of the road pending this improve
ment. This would be an extreme re.
sort, not to be considered unless de.
spite repeated warnings the incom-
petent and careless drivers continue
to cause mishaps.
Definition of a safe speed in terms
of forty miles an hour is an absurdity
in view of the conditions on the De-
tense Highway. Anybody who tries
present condition is practically GER
tain to come to grief himself or to
cause disaster to others.
Evening star., 1927-09-12
Press Sees Political Raid
On Chicago's School System

Journal, while the Savannah News
also is amused by the funny bait with
which Chicago voters are caught"
The Springfield Republican, asserts
that "the charge would never have
been made If Bills need Of votes had
not set the Chicago River to blazing
with fear of a new British invasion
$50 years after the Illinois wilderness
was conquered by George Rogers
Clark from the old King and the red
SKINS
'supt. McAndrew has the back
ing of powerful press in Chi
cago." 1t is pointed out by the Lincoln
Star, land of an organization of pub
lic-spirited citizens primarily interested
in the preservation of the schools.
Even Big Bill and his satellites on the
Board of Education may find they
have bitten off larger mouthful than
they can comfortably digest" The
Asheville Times remarks of DR.. Mean
drew that "some OF his first work as
a teacher was done in Chicago in 1889,
and yet he was suffered by the unsus-
pecting inhabitants to return without
protest"
The Waterbury Republican refers to
Big Bill's' happy way of protesting
against the alteration of school his
tories to tone down their patriotic
f1amboyance with respect to the wars
between this country and England"
and insists that there is no evidence.
so far as has appeared. that DIR. Nc.
Andrew has ever promoted the altera-
ton of school histories in the interest
of anything but accuracy and truth"
The Norfolk Nebraska Daily News
concludes, however, observing the
school board had fallen back on the
insubordination charge for lack of a
majority to support the history charge,
Anyway, we can sleep better now
that the King George bogey has been
discredited by Mayor Thompson's own
school board"
Evening star., 1927-09-12
Sun Spots and Crime.
From the New York World.

from tne new YORK world.
From Moscow comes news Of sa.
want who asserts that sun spots are
the cause of crime. His thesis, it ap-
pears, is that sun spots cause special
meteorological conditions. and that
! these affect adversely the human nerv-
Gus system so that men find them
selves doing things which they would
not do under normal circumstances.
Which. since it has yet to be proved
that sun spots have any effect on the
weather, will strike most of us as
moving cause and effect pretty far
apart.
But It does suggest one interesting
point: Does weather affect delinquency
to any appreciable extent? During a
rainy week, are more persons arrested
for drunkenness than during a week
of fair weather? Are crimes more
numerous? DO more persons commit
suicide? One suspects. somehow, that
the weather is intimately related TO
these things. In the Mediterranean
countries it is accepted that when the
sirocco blows delinquency of all sorts
increases. In that part of Pennsyl-
vania where dwell descendants of the
Dutch settlers one hears that they
have to prohibit the sale of rome on
rainy days lest all the citizens make
away with themselves in a body: and
while this is perhaps an exaggeration,
1t does suggest that the relationship
between weather and morale has come
to general notice. And in our own
American corn belt 1t is accepted that
queer political movements vary in
versely as to the amount of rainfall.
1t might be Illuminating IL some
schoiAr would dig into this subject
and see what it holds. A series of
graphs showing the variation of gen.
efal delinquency together with the
amount OF rainfall might teach us
more than many surveys.
Evening star., 1927-09-12
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

North America from the northern
limit Of trees south to about the MNxi-
can border. They are absent frerA
the coastal parts OF South Carolina.
Georgia, Alabama and Texas and from
Florida and nearly all OF California.
They do not occur in parts OF the
interior plateau that have no streams
or lakes. Throughout their extensive
range, except in Newfoundland and
southern Louisiana, they are consid-
cred as OF one species with about a
dozen geographic races.
@. What constitutes the supreme
law of the land"?-S. d.
A. The Constitution Of the United
States together with foreign treaties
and acts of Congress made under its
authority. are the supreme law Of
the land.
@. What Is meant by saying that
note paper has a deckle edge?-N.
A. r.
A. A rough. untrimmed edge IL
meant by deckle edge. This Is the
edge left by the deckles. which are
the curbs on the sides of the apron
Of a paper machine combining the
flowing pulp. this determining the
width of the paper. The deckle edge
on note paper is usually an imita-
tion Of this.
O. What is the use of the little
fan in a clock which Ia set in motion
when the clock strikes?-T. I. w.
A. This fan acts as governor to
prevent the clocks striking too fast.
O. Is there an artist by the name
of Charles Chaplin? I do not refer
to the movie actor.-P. B.
A. Charles Chaplin, painter and
engraver, of English parentage. was
born June s, 1925, at Les Andelys.,
Eure, France. Be became natural
| ;zed citizen of France and died in
Paris in 1891. One OF his best pic
| lures. souvenirs" is in the Lux
embourg. and another. "Haidee," is in
the Metropolitan Museum, New York
| City.
Q. What were "seven thirties"?-
N. E. NJ.
A. During the Civil War, United
| States Government bonds paying 7.30
per cent interest were issued. and
| the name "seven thirties" was ap-
| piled to them.
| O. Who was the first person to be
cremated in the United States?-C. c.
A. The first body to be cremated
was that of Baron de Palm at Wash
| ington, Pa, in 1876.
O. Was Lafcadio Hearn an Ameri.
can, an Irishman or Japanese
| S. T. p.
! A. Lafcadio Hearn was born of an
! Irish father and a Greek mother IN
| the Ionian Islands. He was educated
! in England and France, was journal
ist in Cincinnati and New Orleans.
and finally went to Japan. where ne
became a japanese subject with the
name Yakumo Koizumi.
The keynote of the times is efficient
service. In supplying its readers trith
a neU Information bureau in Wash
ington, The EUening Star is Hring up
to this principle in deed and fact.
We are paying for this service In or.
der that it mag be free to the public:
Submit your queries to the stof OF
experts lchose services are put at
| your disposal Inclose cents IN
stamps to corer the return postage.
Address The Evening Star Inforntd-
ton Bureau, Frederic j. Haskin, dt-
rector, Washington, ID. C.
Evening star., 1927-09-12

The late Elbert H. Gary in his will
| advised his heirs to refrain from an
ticipating their income in any re-
| spect."
Coming from such a sound business
man as Judge Gary, this warning may
well be taken to heart by most OF us,
| who perhaps deal, at the most, with
hundreds, and at rare intervals thou
sands, instead of hundreds of thou
sands and millions of dollars.
| If this is good advice for wealthy
reople. 1t is excellent counsel indeed
for those in what are popularity called
moderate circumstances"
One would not become involved In
| the controversy over installment buy
| ing. One may be reasonably sure
| that Judge Gary had something larger
| in mind. His warning can in no sense
be regarded as for the housewife who
| needs, some household appliance. and
who therefore buys it ION time," as
the expression is.
Judge Gary's warning went deeper
! than that, to the larger purchases in
| life, in an effort to prevent the smooth
talk of high-pressure statesmen from
overcoming the resistance of those
who ordinarily would use their COM
mon sense.
We heard recently Of case in
point which we coupled Immediately
with Judge Garys warning. This
was what he meant" we said. The
story, as it came to us, goes in this
wise:
A young man. doing very we'll in
his business and already the owner
of n small home, desired a larger domi-
cile. He went through the customary
procedure. He was transported hither
and yon by ambitious real estate sales
men with their eye on the main
chance Uhe commission). No one can
blame them for that.
Matters of this sort get around. If
one is hardy enough to call in an in.
surance agent. for instance, 10 other
agents respond with week. No
matter how carefully one covers up
his tracks, dozen competing agents
will find one out few days after the
first automobile salesman is ap-
preached.
So it is with realtors. These in
teresting psychological studies have
approaches" varying with the indi-
vidual. Each man fondly imagines
that he craftily varies his approach"
to meet the prospect in hand, but all
the time the aforementioned prospect
If he has studied his Freud and his
BrilD knows that the bozo is always
himself.
X X X X
AS for that, how can any one be
any one else than himself?
1t is a wonderful hour for young
man when he wakes up to the as
founding truth that this chap he has
been so carefully shaving every morn
ing is, for a truth, his very self.
To admire another, and try to be
like him, is something-in fact, it is
a great deal-but when the best i'm
itation of another has been put up,
and one has failed more or less mis-
erably. Is is highly satisfying to re-
turn to reality and be simply and
Fundamentally ones self.
This is why middle-aged gentlemen
take on a certain self-satisfied look
They just make the best of them.
selves.
The old line about 'for better or
for worse" which they listened to
without understanding, some years
ago, means something now.
X n u X
To get back to the real estate sales.
man.
Evening star., 1927-09-12
PHILOSOPHERS
BY
GLENN FRANK

In no other single field has as much
hokum been dispensed as in the dis
cussion of the moral values Of pow
erty.
There is not much to be said for
noyerty that denies to men the sure
tools Of achievement and the satisfy
ing 1uxuries of enjoyment.
The general impetus to great
achievement that comes from grind.
ing poverty has, am sure. been great
ly overrated.
This blanket glorifcation Of pov.
erty has been confused with the thor:
oughly sound principle OF the spur OF
necessity. But the spur OF necessity
is not the spur Of the hungry man
to find bread and butter; it is the spur
to do great work promptly in order to
meet a great responsibility.
Willard Parker was an eminent sur
geon in an earlier day. A serious
goiter case was brought to him. The
sufferer was a very wealthy man. As
the story comes to me, the family Of
the afflicted man wanted DR.. Parker
to operate and to guarantee the sue.
cess of the operation.
1--WE will give you million dollars
il you will guarantee the success OF
the operation" they said to him.
"Oh," said DR.. Parker, II can't
guarantee anything, but will do the
best l cam"
The operation was successful.
"How did you feel" asked friend,
in discussing the case-''how did you
feel when you were about to perform
that operation?"
"Well," said DR.. Parker, "my hand
trembled dreadfully, because, you
know, am an old man now; my hand
trembled dreadfully; but as soon as
the instrument touched the delicate
place my nerves were strong as steel,
and, without any excitement, went
right through a successful operation.
and with no anXieties; as soon as
began my hand was firm"
Here is an example extraordinary Of
the spur of necessity.
1t was not a case of hunger search.
ing for food.
This was a case of mans giving his
best under the challenge of neces.
sity.
Most of us try to dull the spur of
necessity.
We fool ourselves into thinking that
all superb achievement comes out Of
slow and polished effort made pos
sible by ample leisure.
I suspect that most of the best
work is done as rush orders.
Our aversion to the proddings Of
the spur of necessity is due not so
much to the love of perfection as to
the love of laziness.
We say we want leisure as tool.
We really want 1t as a luxury.
tCopyright. 1927
Evening star., 1927-09-12
Doubts Greek Plan.
Observer Believes King Will Not
Try to Regain Throne.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star;
The A. P. dispatch from Bucharest,
dated September 9, referring to the
alleged intention of the ex-King of
Greece to utilize the money which
the ex-Queen is to receive from the
estate of her father, the late King of
Rumania, should not be taken too
seriously. The amount of the be-
quest (said to be $500.000), while
enough to enable the royal couple to
live more comfortably than in the
past, is hardly enough to finance a
campaign for a change of govern
ment In any country, and nothing in
the attitude OF the ex-King since he
left Athens in 1923 leads to the belief
that he would risk this sum upon
what, after all, would probably be
fruitless quest.
That the ex-King would consider it
his duty to return to Greece, if re-
called by an overwhelming demand
on the part of the people, Is un-
doubtedly true.
1t is also true that there is strong
sentiment in Greece in favor of the
monarchy, which is counterbalanced
by an equally strong sentiment in
favor of the present Republican form
of government. The comparative
strength of the radical Royalists and
radical Republicans is hard to esti-
mate, though each party loudly pro-
claims itself to have an "overwhelm-
ing majority"
The only overwhelming ma jority in
Greece today, in the opinion Of this
writer, who has just returned from a
years visit to that country, consists
of the conservative element that Is
determined to put an end to the in
ternal dissensions of the past IL years
-dssensions fermented and kept
alive, as the Greek people are wise
enough to know, by other European
powers for the latter's ulterior and
unscrupulous ends.
All political factions in Greece are
aware that no matter how much the
political leaders themselves may effer-
vesce, the people will not tolerate any
action that could possibly lead to
breach of the peace. 1t is the knowl-
edge Of this fact that has induced the
political leaders to cooperate in a
manner that two years ago did not
seem possible.
In November, 1926, the former King
stated emphatically that he would re-
turn to Greece only upon the demand
of the whole people. Since that time
there has been some desultory talk of
a new plebiscite on the subject of the
regime. but the only serious PROPOSE
ton of this kind was made by one of
the Republican leaders (the present
foreign minister), indicating that he
at least had no fear Of result which
would endanger the life Of the Re.
public.
The Greek people, burdened by
many years Of warfare and internal
strife, absorbed in the care OF the
million and a half refugees cast upon
their shores, have the will for peace,
both beyond and within their from
tiers. They have so advised their po.
liticaI "leaders," and. in the opinion
of this writer. are prepared to cast into
outer darkness any politicians that do
not heed their behest.
r. P. SALMON.
Evening star., 1927-09-12
Movie Location Rights.

AS spectators of motion pictures
have sat before the screen during re-
cent years and have watched scenes
OF great beauty flashed before them
they have doubtless wondered at the
skill and enterprise Of the organiza-
tions that have found these locations
and secured them for the purposes of
their companies. Perhaps some OF
them have, in view of the fact that
there are many organizations in the
field, wondered whether there was any
rivalry for choice sites, and, IL so, just
how competition was adjusted for par
ticular bits of scenery.
A dispatch from Cedar City, Utah,
throws little light on this question,
and the hope is born that perhaps
some sprightly director may make a
movie Of the episode and put 1t on
the screen. Tt appears that the scouts
Of two rival production companies
found the same location" in the
mountains of southern Utah, particu-
W ldI pui pOStS. lHS
consequence was that advance squads
Of the two concerns moved out to the
site, each bent upon arranging for
shooting scenes there, and coming into
contact at Cedar City they fell into
disputation which waxed so warm
that the business manager Of one OF
the companies and the production
manager OF the other were arrested.
1t appears that one of the organiza.
ton had a posse Of fifteen armed men
and force of deputy sheriffs on the
lot guarding the approaches to the
disputed location. For the present a
truce has been declared and the con
troversy has been put up to the gov
ernor of the State for settlement.
Just what are the priority rights OF
q motion picture company to a select
scene? Who determines the question;
Is rent paid for the use Of scenery;
How can a producer establish lier
on nature? These questions will be
asked not only in this case, but fr
kpthers that are certain to arise al
Evening star., 1927-09-12

@. Has a copy of the Liberty Bell
ever been made? How much does
the original bell weigh?-G. r.
A. A number of copies of the Lib
erty Bell have been made. The bell
weighs 1850 pounds.
@. What makes white gold rings
turn dark?-J. L. f.
A. furnishing Of the silver In
white gold rings causes the darken'
ing. They can be frightened by the
use of a metal polish.
O.. How many miles Of railroad
has Russia?- a?-L. G. c.
A. The latest survey gives the 1924
mileage as 1892 miles.
O.. What is the purpose of the
American Engineering Standards Com
mittee?-N. T. B.
A. It is primarily concerned with
national and international industrial
standardization.
O. When was C @ D used as a radio
distress signal?-G. r. c.
A. On January Z. 1904, the Mar
conf International Communication Co.
issued an order to all stations to
add the letter d to the general In
quiry call C @, then used by British
ships to form signal of distress, for
use by all ships. The international
Radio Telegraph Convention of Berlin
went into force in July, 1908, at which
time the signal o s was universally
adopted, although for some period
subsequent to that date operators
used both c. O D and s o s in order
that there would be assurance that
their distress signal would be under
stood.
@. Give short biography of Eddie
Rickenbacker.-T.E T.. S.
A. Edward Vernon Rickenbacker
was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1890.
He was a well known automobile
racer and went to France in 1917 as
a member of the motor car staff. He
was soon transferred to the Air
Service. He was made commanding
officer Of the oath Aero Pursuit Squad
ron, and in this service destroyed 20
enemy planes. Following the war he
organized and became vice president
of the Rickenbacker Motor Co.
O. How many dial system tele-
phones are there in the United States?
Why are they not in general use?-
L. II. s.
A. On June 80, 1927, there were 22S
dial system central offices and 5,S4O
manually operated central offices.
There were about 100000 dial tele
phones in the United States out of a
total of IS, ISL, 900. Dial telephones are
being installed when practical, espe-
cially in territory where there is a
scarcity of operators. 1t requires a
change of equipment, however, and
the change is usually made when old
equipment has worn out.
O. When was the general order is
sued designating May 80 as the first
Decoration day?--I. e. p.
A. The general order for the observ
ance of Decoration day was issued by
Gen. John A. Logan, then commander
in chief of the Grand Army Of the
Republic, May 6, 1868. The order
designated May 30 of that year fol
G.. A. r. services and the decorating
of graves, that day being the day OF
discharge of the last Union volunteer
of the war.
@. Where are there muskrats II
North American J.
A. The Biological Survey say:
m,lskrats inhabit the greater part Of