davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1927-08-10
China's Quake Demonstrates
Earth Is Rather Big, After All

| A new realization that the earth
after ALL Is a pretty large place, not
| withstanding modern communications
and transportation, is revealed in edi
| torial comment on the great Chinese
| earthquake Of May IS. about which
| the outside world heard nothing until
| late in July.
OF. the Province of Kansu. where
| the disaster occurred, the Charleston
Evening Post says: "The region is
evidently thickly populated, and doubt
less the people maintain civilization
of ancient origin. 1t cannot be re-
garded as an insignificant community
but, for all that, a disaster which
had 1t occurred in Europe or America
or even in those portions of the Orient
into which Westerners have pene-
trated extensively, would have excited
tremendous interest and sympathy,
| was not even known for weeks. Well
perhaps the people in Kansu Province
don't know yet that the greatest war
in recorded history was fought to a
finish nearly 10 years ago in Europe,
Asia, Africa, America and the seven
seas"
"We talk about the world being a
small place as the result of speeding
up of communication through modern
Post, "but in backward countries the
world is still a large place. after all.
This Is especially true of China, where
even bad roads are few and where
there are huge stretches of territory
over which all freight Is transported
on human backs. Telegraphic and
postal service was destroyed by the
earthquake, thus causing the delay,
but If such a disruption Of service had
occurred in more up-to-date countries
for only "a hours. repair crews would
have been rushed to the scene to dis
cover what the matter was, and news
Of the catastrophe would have been
forwarded. The incident goes to show
Oriental and Occidental civilizations. :"
X \ X
The Watertown Daily Times sees in
the "slowness with which this news
filtered out Of China" a demonstra.
ton of 1.-The physical greatness of
that country. There in the interior"
continues the Times, hundreds of
miles from railroads, are large cities.
In one city alone 10000 persons were
killed. This great tragedy took place,
destroying thousands of lives, yet the
world knew nothing of it,
international assistance may be re-
quired, but it will be unavailable for
weeks" states the Muncie Star. with
the explanation: 1.-THE need for out
side aid is due partly to the lack of
national unity. which renders one Sec
tion of China indifferent to what may
he happening in another. Famine and
flood have also developed a fatalism
among the natives. The fortunate
ones make little or no effort to aid
the distressed. nor do the latter expect
it. Life in the primitive regions is
still struggle for the survival of the
Evening star., 1927-08-10

fittest. It Is a region where the
boasted speed of modern civilization
is unknown and unwanted.'
THE loss of life may conceivably
exceed that of any similar disaster in
history" in the opinion of the st.
Joseph News-Press. and the Indian
apolis News, pointing out that "the
journey from Kansu to a source of
aid Is many weeks" suggests that
"the difficulty is another reminder
that in dealing with China and trying
to understand the Chinese 1t Is neces-
sary to make allowance for the fact
that many Chinese live in a world
which has none Of the conveniences
OF transportation and communication
regarded as necessary to Western
civilization"
A query which is suggested by the
earthquake, with it's slow appeal to
the world, Is voiced by the Grand
Rapids Press, "How can China be
united people, a true democracy. while
it remains so incredibly primitive
that 100000 of it's people can be
blotted out without being missed until
two months afterward?" The Williams
port Sun describes the province, as it
appears in Oriental eyes, as "a far
distant land, separated from the out
side world by barriers of mountain
and stream. by lack of modern meth.
DDS of communication, and by the
ignorance. superstition and blind ad-
herence to ancient customs which
separate these remote tribes hundreds
Of years from modern peoples" and
that paper emphasizes the thought
that there is "a tremendous task con-
fronting those who hope to create a
united Chinese nation"
1T is an interesting commentary
on the attitude of the Chinese of a
generation ago toward the telegraph"
observes the New York Times, that
they bitterly opposed the stringing Of
telegraph wires because 1t was claimed
that these brought bad luck and faci'i.
tated the work of the spirits of evil.
The opposition was finally broken
down, and one of the arguments put
forward to explain the activities OF
the government in establishing tele-
graph lines was that the famous Ii
Hung Chang, who was foremost In
support of the work, had in a previous
incarnation been a spider, and so was
fated to spin his web all over China"
Evening star., 1927-08-10
The Navy Program.

President Coolidge, from the sum
mar White House in the Black Hills,
has made it known that he will exert
his influence against the United States
entering a naval building race. The
failure of the Geneva three-power
naval conference apparently has left
him unchanged in this respect. In.
deed. he still hopes for an eventual
agreement by the powers for the
limitation of auxiliary naval craft. in
Guiding cruisers. This is the saner
way of looking at the situation. There
are certain needs of the Navy. how
ever, which, for the sake of national
defense, should not be overlooked In
the coming Congress.
For five years the naval building
program of the United States has
been almost at a standstill. Both
Great Britain and Japan have con.
tinued TO build cruisers, new type de-
stroyers and submarines, with the re-
suit that the United States in cruiser
tonnage is far behind the 5--5-3
ratio with those nations. Although
Congress few years ago authorized
the construction of eight 10,0O0-ton
cruisers, none of them has been COM
pleted. Five have been contracted for
and the Congress at its last session
appropriated small sum for the con-
struction of the last three in order to
keep the authorization alive.
The administration. for the sake of
the economy program and also be-
cause of the frequently projected naval
arms conference, has thought it ad.
visable not to push the naval building
program in the last few years. The
Geneva conference has made it clear.
however, that whatever agreement
may be reached, the United States
will need additional modern cruisers.
Furthermore, the 10,000-ton type of
cruisers armed with eight-inch guns
has been declared by the American
naval experts the type required by
America to meet its peculiar needs
for national defense.
There appears little reason or ex-
cuse, therefore, for not proceeding
with the construction of the cruisers
and other auxiliary craft needed
strictly for national defense and to
round out the feet. From the point
of governmental expenditures, too. 1t
is far better to have the naval pro-
gram advance moderately but with
regularity, rather than to permit the
whole matter to slide until the time
comes when many ships must be con-
structed quickly. The United States
suffered from its failure to provide an
adequate merchant marine when the
World War broke. 1t cost the people
Of this country more than $4,000, ,0Oe..
600 to develop the merchant fleet need
ed to transport troops and merchan-
disc after the United States entered
the war. The construction of naval
vessels is no overnight job. The next
Congress will be wise to make ade-
uuate provision for the needs Of the
Navy, and the administration should.
and doubtless will, make Its recon-
mendations with this in view.
Evening star., 1927-08-10
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

@. Why do the Chicago and North
western trains run left-that is, on the
left-hand track? Do other trains in
the United States do likewise?-G. &.
A. The Chicago and Northwestern
Railway says that great many years
ago the railroads of America were
dominated financially by European
interests, mostly Dutch and English.
A number of Englishmen were sent
here to operate the railroads. and
practically all of the first double
tracking was done and established
with left-hand operation, and this con-
tinued until a good many miles had
been constructed and so operated on
the Erie, Fort Wayne, Lake Shore
and other railroads, these roads being
changed later to right-hand running.
the last one being the Lake Shore.
now the New York Central Railroad,
which was changed about Is years
ago at a very heavy expense. The
New York Central still operates two
of it's four-track system between Buf.
falo and New York ieft-hand and
Two right-hand. The Chicago and North
western Railway has number of
times considered the question, but has
found the expense to be tremendous
compared with the benefits to be OBJ
tanned.
@. What is the difference between
public highway and a boulevard?-
A. A.
A. A public highway is q passage
way maintained by the county, State
or Nation, which may be used for any
kind of travel under certain regula.
tions. A boulevard Is a highway re-
stricted to certain kinds Of traffic and
with certain speed regulations. A
boulevard is often a pleasure thorough
fare.
@. Why Is the meat of some birds,
such as the dove. all dark in color
while that of others is part light and
part dark?-T. B.
A. The Bureau of Biological Sur
vey says very little data have been
compiled regarding the reason that
some birds have all dark flesh and
others part light and part dark. 1t
has been observed, however. that birds
in which the power of flight Is well
developed have more dark meat than
others.
@. This year has SO pay days. When
did this happen last?-D. H.
ended on Saturday was 1921.
O. What Is the Malthusian theory!
w. T. II.
| A. Thomas r. Malthus, an English
economist, propounded the thesis that
| DOpula ton in all times has tended to
outrun subsistence. He argued that
| population tended to increase in geo
metrical ratio, while subsistence might
| increase in arithmetical progression
| For this reason he concluded that
| there could be no permanent amelio
ration of the lot of the poorer classes
O. When did the tricolor become
| the flag of France?-C. E.
A. The Marquis de Lafayette
brought about the adoption of the tri
| color in 1889.
@. When did the first Americans
attempt to find the North Pole?-
G. r.
A. The first American expedition
| for Arctic exploration left Philadel
phia on November 4, 1853.
Q. What does Schenectady mean?-
NJ. W. 2.
A. It Is an Indian word meaning
''over beyond the plains" It was
applied by the early settlers Of the
| town.
| @. Where was the island upor
which Robinson Crusoe lived?-
| H. A. B.
| A. 1t is believed that Robinson Cru
soc was marooned on one of the larger
| islands of the Juan Fernandez group
Evening star., 1927-08-10

The passing Of Gen. Leonard Wood
dsprives the Filipinos Of help
full friend and leaves this Nation to
face, on practical terms, the cynical
adage to the effect that any mans
place can be filled. ..
Evening star., 1927-08-10

Motor fuel at ten cents gallon is
predicted. It is to be manufactured
from coal. The price of coal makes
the calculations involved seem trifie
complicated.
Evening star., 1927-08-10

England will remember Boston as a
town where more or less serious con-
troversies are liable to start.
Evening star., 1927-08-10

The Associated Press is exclusively entitled
60 the use for republication of all news dis
patches credited to it or not otherwise cred
tied in this paner and also the LOCAL news
published herein. All rights OF nuhlication
Evening star., 1927-08-10

AS events go on, the King of Italy
continues to pursue policy OF non
interference.
Evening star., 1927-08-10
Rate by Mail--Payabie in Advance.
Maryland and Virginia.
All Other States and Canada.


Dalv and Sunday / vr~ SIC 30: mo-. 81 90
Sunday only .....i yr,. 81 90: mo-. 35e
Evening star., 1927-08-10
Boxers and Boxes.

From the Omaha World-Herald.
Box Office the biggest thing about
the boxing business. -.
Evening star., 1927-08-10
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
Turning the Tables.

Turning the Tables.
The old sea serpent comes no more
To frolic near the Summer shore
A haunt he Is inclined to keep
Out yonder in the vasty deep.
A mariner, away out there,
Inquired, why do you shun with
An opportunity to see .--
The strand with all it's Summer glee?"
He answered, "In the garden fair
Where Eve and Adam found despair,
The serpent met temptation sad
NV ancestors were rather bad.
"Now, I have serpent wife and child.
Those seashore bathing girls look wild
My family insists that 1
From these temptations new must fly"
Not Much Interested.
"Are you interested in prize fight
ing?"
"Out home" answered Senator
Sorghum, "some Of the men are most
belligerent. At an election free fights
are so numerous don't see why any
body should be willing to pay money
for a two-man combat"
Words and Music.
My Radio! My Radio!
When Of sweet strains I think.
How should brush my teeth you
show.
And what to eat and drink.
Jud Tunkins says mistake Is par.
donable until it becomes habit.
''violence," said Hi Ho. the sage Of
Chinatown, "is always sad confes-
sion that human intelligence has
proved a failure"
A Swimmer.
"Have you learned to swim?"
eyes" answered Miss Cayenne. Il
| felt positively obliged to be able to
hold my own in water deep enough
to cover my bathing suit"
New Literature!
Charley Lindbergh wrote book,
Which everybody reads.
Although in vain through 1t we look
For crimes astounding deeds.
on the Scent.
us there an Illicit still around
here?"
NO" answered Uncle Bill Bottle
top. THAT little smell O. mash Is only
a camoufage, SOS the real business
up the crick won't be noticed"
| "A man dat never quarrels." said
! Uncle Eben, 'is liable to turn out to
be sensid able Of hypocrit."
Evening star., 1927-08-10
New I.iteraturel

new 1AMeFdtuEC1
Charley Lindbergh wrote book,
Which everybody reads.
Although in vain through 1t we look
For crimes astounding deeds.
Evening star., 1927-08-10

Gov. Smiths boom for the Demo
cratic nomination ebbs and flows
Reports recently brought here from
some of the Southern States show
many of the political leaders, the
county and district charimen and
committee men in favor of the nomi-
nation of Smith on the theory that
he is the strongest candidate the
party can put forward, and that to
nominate any other candidate would
so incense a large section of the
Democratic party in the country as
to spell instant defeat. The political
pie counter is calling loudly.
X X y 4
The December meeting of the Re
publican national committee, sched.
uled to take place here in Washing
ton, takes on added significance with
the announcement that President Cool
idge does not choose to run. 1t was
expected that the committee would at
that time merely determine where the
next Republican national convention
should be held and let it go at that,
with the understanding that Mr.. Cool
idge was to be the nominee. 1t Is not
difficult to foresee now a political con.
fab of the Republican national
committeeman which may have con.
siderable effect on the preconvention
campaign. Supporters of the vari-
Gus candidates for the presidential
nomination will canva S the sentiment
of various States as represented by
the national committeeme.4 and COM
There have been ru-
mors In the past that Chairman Will
liam M. Butler of Massachusetts,
would quit as head of the committee,
but they have been denied as fast as
they arose. He managed the Cool
idge campaign four years ago and
was expected to repeat in 1928. But
will Mr.. Butler care to continue as
chairman under the new set of condi-
tions? The chances are, however,
that he will hold on at least until the
Evening star., 1927-08-10

Copyright. 1927
Evening star., 1927-08-10

A Swimmer.
Have you learned to sWtm?
eyes," answered Miss Cayenne. Il
felt positively obliged to be able to
hold my own in water deep enough
to cover my bathing suit"
Evening star., 1927-08-10

The name of William v. Hodges,
treasurer Of the Republican national
Evening star., 1927-08-10
on the Scent.

"A man dat never quarrels." said
Uncle Eben, ''is liable tolturn out to
be sensid able Of a hypocrit."
Evening star., 1927-08-10
Not Much Interested.
Words and Music.

Words and Music.
My Radio! My Radio.
When Of sweet strains think.
How I should brush my teeth you
show,
And what to eat and drink.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-27
Cut DoUn British Oaks

Wyre forest of a thousand acres
of ancient oaks, which in the days
of Robin Hood was a royal hunting
ground, is to be cleared by the mod
ern woodman, and the ground plant
ed in fir and larch. The authori-
ties decided that the old oaks, while
picturesque, were useless and occu-
pied altogether too much space for
practical purposes. Canadian for
esters are to have charge of the re-
forestation.
The 1926 program Of the govern
ment forestry department, in addi-
ton, embraces the laying out of
more than $4,000 acres in England
and Wales. Spruce and cedar seeds
have been brought from Canada and
at Thetford marsh will be estak-
ished Britain's largest forest since
the days of the Compensation
don Mail.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-27
Too-Frequent Floods
Try French Patience

The recent floods in France pro-
duced abundant illustration of the
fact that the first household article
which the Frenchman rescues when
his home is threatened with inunda-
ton is the mattress. Strangely
enough, the bicycle comes second.
Hardly an exception to this or
der was noted by a correspondent
who watched boatmen moving the
inhabitants from one of the Paris
suburbs. The women were dry-eyed
and stern-visaged as they were taken
from their flooded homes, but obvi-
ously were laboring under great
emotional stress, in which rage pre-
dominated.
'This is getting monotonous,"
said one seventy-year-old woman
who was forced to move to escape
the floods in 1910, 1920 and 1924.
'SThis sort of thing might be bear
able once in so years, but four times
in 10 years is little too much"
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-27
Young Mems Chances

Thomas F. Ryan, who is going to
tear down the million-dollar Yerkes
mansion in order to make garden
for his Fifth avenue home, said at a
luncheon the other day:
"Young mems chances are better
than they ever were. When 1 hear
young men complain about lack of
opportunity and being held down
and so forth, l tell them a story
about manager.
"'See that young fellow over
there?' the manager said.
"'Yes,' said I. What about him p
"'He's made a VOW said the
manager, that one of these days
he'll get my job away from me-
"Humph,' said 1. Going to fire
him?'
"'Good gracious, mop said the
manager. I'D be mighty lucky if
every young fellow in the plant had
the same idea"
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-27
Why World Halls New
Production of Helium

A new way of getting helium has
been suggested in Germany by DR..
Kurt Peters Of the Physical Technical
institute Of Berlin. 1t Is to be dis
titled from radioactive minerals used
In various industries, and mainly from
monazite sand, which is used for
Welsbach nantes. Although it has
been known for lonsAtime that these
minerals give off nelium when heat
ed, the gas has never been recovered
commercially. Doctor Peters claims
1t is the largest source of helium in
Germany at the present time He es-
Inmates that production of from
$4,000 to 10000 cubic feet is available
annually.
While this amount will not be suffi-
Client for use In dirigibles, 1t is expect
ed to suffice for technical purposes.
Helium has been most difficult to OBJ
tain because the United States, which
is the only country in the world pro-
ducing the rare gas in large quanti-
ties. has stringent export laws pro-
hibiting its sale to foreign countries
except with the sanction of the War
and Navy departments.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-27
Why One Feels "Blue"

The scientific reasons for the COM
mon feeling known as ''blue" are that
during damp weather we do not per-
spire normally and our bodies retain
the waste products which are other
wise thrown off. A nonenergetic feel
ing follows. Also during this kind of
weather. the air does not contain an
ordinary supply Of oxygen. Oxygen
is the body's fuel. and we cannot fully
assimilate our food without a full sup
ply. Hence the ''heavy" feeling.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-27
Light Develops Beans

The stronger the light the bush
Ter your beans, the weaker it is, the
taller they grow. Cut off the top of
the spectrum by filtering out the
blue light and all the rays above it,
and even bush beans will show a
tendency to Irvine. These are, in
rough outline, the results of the ex-
periments Of Prof. II. W. Popp of
Pennsylvania State college. Pro-
fessor Popp did large part of his
work at the Boyce Thompson insti-
tute at Yonkers, N. Y, using the
elaborate light-controlling appara-
tus there. He planted soy beans in
separate compartments, and gave
them light of graded intensity,
ranging from over 1000 candles
down to 26. In all his plants,
growth in length was greater under
the moderately weak lights, though
not under the weakest ones, and the
latent tendency of the stalks to
Irvine developed in the same sets.
Growth in thickness of stem, how
ever, was correlated with strong
light.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-27
Fossilized Tree

Coal, according to the modern
theory of science, was formed from
great forests which grew on the
earth millions of years ago. New
evidence that this theory is sound
has been discovered in coal mine
near West Frankfort, ILL.,, where
Carl Noe, a professor at Chicago
university, found the fossilized
trunk of tree, says an exchange.
Professor Noe says the trunk is ten
feet in circumference aud may have
been 100 feet in length as it orig
inally grew. Over the surface of
the fossil are closest pits, the scars
left where the leaves grew These
ancient trees, the scientist says, had
very few branches and the leaves
grew all over the trunk like the
scales on fish.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-27
Gold Seekers Of Today
Unlike Brothers Of rs

Mmmins il the center of Cam
ada's greatest gold camp, writes
Hugh Martin, correspondent Of the
London Daily News in Porcupine
camp, Ontario. Twelve years ago it
was a strip Of bush, today it has q
population of $4,000. Timmins has
"an up-to-date fire protection sys-
tenn, electric lights, duplicate high
pressure waterxprks system, COM
plete sewage and disposal plant,
incinerator, good hotels, local and
long-distance telephone, express,
four chartered banks, miles of con-
crete walks, capable citizens band,
choral societies, orchestras and fine
churches"
Perhaps you have been thinking
Of gold camp as place where the
men gamble desperately, drink
deeply, swear ornately and some
times have little shoot-up just Tor
fun. But Martin says he was en-
tertained at dinner by 800 of the
soberest, kindliest, most sentiment
tai fellows he ever met.
Having put the Presbyterian par
son-a strapping young MANN
the chair, they rose in body before
starting the meal and saluted the
Union Jack. Then they sang GOOD
Save the King" devotionally. Then
they sang grace: s'Be present at our
table, Lord" right down the line
''To dwell in paradise with Thee"
And the singing had a knowledg-
able fervor capable of bringing out
all the parts in swelling harmony.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-27
Why Rats Leave Ships

Cats desert ships, as rats are sup
posed to do, but for different reasons.
according to the radio operator on
board the Cold Harbor. He says that
they leave If they. do not like the gal
ley or the cabins, and when they look
over another ship as a prospective
home they investigate as carefully as
any newly married couple examine
their first apartment. Is it true that
rats really desert ship because Of
premonitiens. or Is it sailors super
stition. of which there are many?
Many tales are told of rats scuttling
down the ropes when vessel is in
harbor, and the vessel going down on
the next trip. But we have our doubts.
Baltimore Sun.