davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
Survey of Illiteracy.

Ar extensive survey Of nliteracy In
the United States soon will be under
way. A distinguished committee, ap-
pointed by the Secretary of the Interior
and headed by the Commissioner OF Edu-
cation, has completed Its preliminary or"
ganization. Previous to the war the very
suggestion Of such survey probably
would have been considered ridiculous
Everybody knew that the United States
was the most literate Nation on earth,
its political and social structure resting
upon the solid foundation stones Of uni
versal free education. There might be
persons here and there who, through
some strange twist Of circumstances
could not read and write. But, leaving
out Of consideration the first generation
immigrants, such individuals were con-
sidered so rare as to be curiosities.
With the application Of the draft act
came a great and discomforting revela-
ton. However inexplicable it might be,
many thousands of young men born In
the United States could not read nor
write. For the first time an actual test
of literacy had been applied to cross
section of the population. The honest
pride Of the Fourth of July orator tot
tered and crashed.
There the matter has been allowed to
rest. It has not been followed with
additional surveys to determine the real
condition among great masses of the
American people. 1t is essential to have
a realistic picture before remedial meas
ures can be suggested and applied with
much hope of lettering the situation.
This is what Secretary Wilbur's COM
nittee will seek to obtain. 1t is almost
certain to uncover some conditions
which will be a source of deep shame
| to patriotic Americans-but it Is bet
ter to bring these out now than to al
| low them to flourish in the darkness,
like malignant tumors in the body OF
| the Nations social structure. 1t may
be that the completed picture will not
be so bad as might be inferred from the
draft statistics. Then again it may be
much worse, for the draft Army con-
stituted, after all, highly selective
group.
When the lliteracy statistics are al
compiled will come the problem Of
remedying the situation brought tc
light. Here the Federal Government
will be on difficult ground, for education
has been looked upon as almost ex-
clusively a function of the State anc
local governments. But the committee
can wait to cross this bridge until 1t
comes to it.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
The Federal Farm Board.

In Washington and in Chicago the
other day-respectively, at the seat Of
agricultural legislation and of agricul-
tural speculation-the newly created
Federal Farm Board held the center
of the stage. In the Senate, the some
what startling statement was forth
coming from Senator Nye, Republican
Progressive, of North Dakota, that the
board IS making a life-and-death fight
against the "leeches and pirates"
threatening to sap its usefulness.
Addressing the American Farm Bureau
Federation's annual convention within
the shadow of the Chicago wheat pit,
Alexander Legge, chairman of the
Farm Board, discussed the trials and
tribulations which it faces In the course
of an honest effort to carry out the
complex provisions of the agricultural
marketing act.
Senator Nye intimated that the
'Ieeches and parasites" who are alleged
to have designs on the life-blood of the
Farm Board are grain commission men
This long recognized group OF price
manipulating middlemen naturally is
no longer in the privileged position IT
used to be, with the Federal Government
taking over the orderly marketing" OF
agricultural produce through farmer
controlled cooperative associations.
Chairman Legge comedies that ne
and his colleagues find themselves
nf AZ no
and the Charybdis of the grain-specu-
lator. 1.-The Farm Board" he said al
Chicago, lis getting a lot Of criticism
The legislative fellows tell us we arr
too slow, and grain men say we are
red, red radical. Some place between
the two extremes is the fact"
It must have afforded the Farm BoaIt
chairman some solace TO hear the bodJ
acclaimed in his presence by Sam II
Thompson, president Of the American
Farm Bureau Federation. For year,
Mr.. Thompson was one Of the spear
heads of the McNary- Haugen drive tol
surplus and equalization-fee Legislation
at washington. Members Of the Farm
Board" said Mr.. Thompson in hi
presidential address, ARE men OF proven
ability. They are sincere in their Ell
forts to secure equality for agricultur
under the terms of the marketing &C;
The policy declared in that act is SUI
ficiently broad and fully meets the de
mands so earnestly voiced by the Amer
lean Farm Bureau Federation durin
the past seven years"
E1r. Legge. plaintively limiting at tn
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
The District Court Vacancy.

In filling the vacancy on the District
Supreme Court created by the resigna-
ton Of Chief Justice Mccoy, the Presi-
dent undoubtedly will take into con-
sideration the fact that of the six
justices who now constitute the court,
three of them are from the States and
three from the District Of Columbia.
It Is to be hoped that the forthcoming
appointment of a successor to Chief
Justice Mccoy or of an associate justice,
in case the elevation of the chief
justiceship is made a deserved reward
10 one of the incumbents. will confer
the balance of representation upon the
people of Washington and that the new
justice will be selected from among
them.
When the additional judgeship was
authorized for the District Supreme
Court early in this year, representation
on the court was evenly divided between
the District and the States. Chief
Justice Mccoy was from New Jersey,
Justice Stafford from Vermont and
Justice Bailey from Tennessee. The
then recently created vacancy occurring
through the resignation of former
Justice Hoehling had been filled by the
appointment of Justice Gordon, and
Justice Hitz and Justice Siddons were
both District of Columbia appointees.
While Justice Wheat, by reason Of his
residence here in connection with his
work in the Department Of Justice, was
to all intentS and purposes Washing
tonian, his appointment was credited
to the State of New York. The ma
jority Of the court. therefore, has been
representative not of Washington, but
Of the country at large.
AS far as concerns the respect and
affection Of the local community, all Of
the members of the District Supreme
Court have become, by right of adop-
ton, Washingtonians.
But here in Washington we are to a
great extent deprived Of those rewards
for public service and ability that so
often are conferred upon the fully
Americanized residents of the States in
the form of political fsvors or in the
payment Of political debts. In the case
Of the judiciary especially the President
has shown fine determination to select
the men who possess the highest quail
ncations, regardless of their political
afaliations or party services. For that
reason particularly Washington invites
the atss-ntion of the President to the
number Of qualified and deserving men,
bers Of the local bar and trusts that he
will not ind it necessary to go far afield
In making his selection.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11

attacks, overt and under-cover. TO which
the Federal Farm Board is subjected,
told his Chicago audience that II may
be kicked out. and probably will be-" II
he is, the country may be sure Of one
thing-that is, that it has been de-
prived of as competent services of the
sort as it is within Uncle Sans power
to command. The country may rely
upon something else, If Chairman Legge
is kicked out" 1t will be heavy task
for President Hoover to find another.
measuring up to Mr.. Legge's stature. to
I'LL job which will have been demon
strated to be so prodigiously thankless.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
Order Ignored, Ten Dead.

Last May the chief of the Bureau of
Fire Prevention, In New York City,
learning that an old motion picture
studio. long vacant, had been reopened
and was In use for the making Of sound
pictures, ordered the installation of
automatic sprinklers as a safeguard
against disaster. The owners Of the
studio, however, refused to obey the
order, taking advantage Of the fact that
not more than five reels of film were
kept in the studio at one time. This
limitation in the law enabled them to
evade the obviously justified order of
precaution, for which evasion there was
no provided penalty.
Yesterday, however, the penalty for
disobedience was paid. Unfortunately
it was not paid by the owners Of the
studio, but by their employees, members
Of the motion picture company engaged
in making films. Ten Of them were
killed in a fire that swept the premises,
a fire that could certainly have been
held in check by sprinkler system long
enough to permit every occupant Of the
premises to leave in safety.
Now it is proposed to amend the rule
so as to make the installation Of
sprinklers compulsory whenever the
Bureau of Fire Prevention orders, re-
gardless of the number Of films or other
combustible materials kept on the
premises. This is just another case OF
locking the stable door after the theft
Of the horse, the latest of an infinite
number of such instances in the history
of municipal regulations for the preven-
ton of disaster.
The absurdity Of putting a limit to
the number Of films carried in highly
combustible establishment. below which
the law cannot compel the adoption Of
safety measures, is so evident that 1t Is
difficult to see how the rule ever came
to be written as 1t was. In this case
the fire was not started by Aim or
spread by it. 1t originated IN the
draperies hung for making the sets"
soundproof. In other words, the place
was a fre-trap, regardless Of the in
fanlmable character Of the photograph
material. Every possible precaution
against the swift spread Of flames
should have been taken. should indeed
have been adopted by the owners of the
establishment whether the law COM
PEELED or not. But no, they took a
chance. as the owners Of properties
have taken chances and continue TO
take chances indefinitely. And the
people they hire for their services pay
the price. There should surely be pun
ishnent for such thriftiness.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

may be expected to be up and doing,
and in this instance q sitting of the
dust before sweeping it away may be
regarded as a statesmanlike prelude
to action, or as proof Of q not too
confident grip on the weapon. In any
case, the number of corners that are
being investigated Is rather large.
There seems to be no subject on the
study of which the government Is not
prepared to spend the nations time
and money. Commissions and COM
mittees as q means of shelving incoh-
venient questions of policy or holding
OF the demands of impatient followers
are no new device" That sounds almost
like a Democratic speech in the Uniteo
States Senate.
VIII H. Hays made some uncom-
monty interesting revelations about the
movies when he attended the recent
Hoover prosperity conference in Wash
ington. Attendance in American pic
ture houses, Hays said, has increased
100000 a week compared to a year
ago, or approximately is per cent. All
along the line, the screen boss told the
conference, the motion picture industry
has definite expansion programs. In
1880 there are to be more employees,
greater production, wider distribution
and bigger theater operation. Altera-
lions and repairs to existing theaters
will be 1o1a per cent more extensive
than in 1929. with corresponding add.
lions and betterments In studios and
studio equipment. The "talkies," the
car of the movies foreshadoWs, will
make 1880 another attendance record
breaker.
+ X
Aux Cages, Haiti, scene of the recent
recrudescence Of trouble In the Negro
republic, is pronounced as If it were
spelled Ok" A State Department
Wag pronounced it "O-Kay" after hear
ing that the Marines had the situation
in hand.
(CopyriSht, 1897
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
determination Plan
Strongly Denounced

From the Salt Lake City DeSeret News.
Organization of a volunteer army Of
avengers from border regions OF Mexico
and Southwestern United States, with
the aVowed purpose of DISCRIMINATING
a band of is Apache braves and their
women" does not sound as though law
and civilization had made as much
progress in that region as has been
hoped. The marauding redskins have
no doubt been troublesome and murder.
Gus. In fact, they are directly guilty OF
mutilating and killing the wite OF
Mexican rancher and kidnoping his
son in 1926, In other ways they have
been a thorn in the side of the govern
ment both south and north of the bor-
der. They have been hunted Tor years,
and in spite of the raoSt relentless pur-
suit they have managed always to elude
capture Now they are understood 10
have gone into Winter quarters IN
canyon from which they cannot emerge
until warm weather returns, ana a !orce
of 900 men Is being made available 10
see that they do not emerge even then.
II the purpose of the expedition is
merely to effect the capture OF the IS
renegades at all costs, its plans will not
be disapproved, even though the women
and children in the band are involved
in the punishment. But II the object
is, as the dispatches express IL, the
determination of the entire group,
then the work of the punitive force de-
serves scarcely less censure than the
operations of the outlaws themselves.
Civilization ought to be able TO set
better example to Savagery. The day
has long since passed when only the
dead Indian was held to be good In
dian. Even among living ApacheS there
are admittedly some good specimens.
And certainly In the case of the squaws
and papooSes 1t can no longer be held
warrantable to shoot them down like
wild beasts in order to make them
good" according to white mems stand
ards.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
Machine-Age Americans
...s Still Want Fairy Tales

Louis Globe Democrat, as Il suggests
that "the phrase Ever let your fancy
roam may have more direct application
to the child than to older persons Life
will have become dull and prosaic, In
deed, when even fairy tales have be-
come modernized and standardized" de-
clares this journal.
THE urge for uplift Of child minds,
so curiously lacking in children them
in constructive editing of Uncle Wig
gily, the bland Pooh. GoldilockS apd
the Three Bears and Alice" says the
Newark Evening News. 1T Is held
necessary to sugar-coat the pills Of edu-,
cation when only the sugar Is of benefit,
AS though the philosophy of Nurse Jane,
the irnperturbability of Alice, the golden
hearts Of the Three Bears, did not teach
truer lessons than all the constructive
balderdaSh ever written. Believe in
fairies? OF course! AS well attack the
fundamental soundneSs OF Santa Claus"
exclatmS this paper in conclusion.
X X
Children cannot be encouraged to
eat everything they like or to read
everything they like. but we might as
well expect to nouriSh their bodies on
sawdust mullins as to starve their i'm
ag1natton by depriving them Of the
wealth Of good stories on which young
sters for generations have nourished
their minds" exclaims the Worcester
Evening Gazette, as it approvingly
quotes Miss Moore as saying that fairy
stories ARE a glorious heritage of which
children must not be deprived" and
that II there is anything she abhors
its stories about children accomplish
ing wonders by eating cereal and
spinach"
Miss Duggan's vegetable stories may
be all right In their way" comedies the
La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press,
but when we consider the fun we had
with Jack the Giant Killer Cinderella
the OF books, and such catchy little
rhymes as 'Georgy Porgy' and Tom.
Tom, the Pipers Son. we wonder that
there could be person who would want
to rob the youngsters of the present
generation Of these now traditional
pleasures OF childhood" this paper con-
tinues. And it further argues that eff
Mother Goose and her colleagues must
alibi their way of the suppressed book
shelf. 1t might be pointed out that to
the great writers, painters and musicians
of the past whose alert imaginations
were probably first stirred by the very
literature Miss Duggan and her cohorts
would do away with, Mother Goose and
the beloved creatures of the Grimm and
Andersen fairy tales have probably been
more important than all the spinach
that was ever served them"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
Curtius Makes Good
AS Foreign Minister

From the Los Angeles Evening Express.
Julius Curtius. the new German foreign
minister, thus far shows admirable tact
and capacity in the most trying situa-
ton In which a public man may be
placed-that of following in an influ-
entail ONCE one who had been pro-
claimed great. He succeeded the late
DR.. Gustav Stresemann. That Mr.
CurtiuS Is a worthy successor of the
statesman whose work for reconcilia-
ton in Europe and lasting peace won
him world fame. even so soon is becom-
ing universally recognized, and his brave
declaration in the Reichstag the other
day of support of the Young plan of
reparation settlements will strengthen
the favorable impression he already had
made upon his own people and the
world at large. He spoke with the
piercing force of DR.. Stresemann when
denouncing as dishonest the National
ist movement to repudiate the Young
plan, and ridiculed the attempt to re-
vive the question of war guilt. With
President Won Hindenburg opposed to
the Nationalist pleb!scite on the Young
plan and war guilt question, and the
new foreign minister following in the
steps of his illustrious predecessor. to-
ward underestimate g and peace, there Is
small cause to fear for the political fu-
ttre Of Germany. es
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
Charles Williamson Richardson.

A man who devoted his natural
talents and acquired experience to the
alienation Of human suffering, who may
almost be said to have consecrated his
life to medical science, was justly
eulogized last Sunday here in Wash
ingtcn by group of speakers from any
one Of whom praise is high praise. His
career was not only one of con-
slant application and constant activity,
but also of a marked austerity, self
imposed that he might more eficacicusly
practice his proudly chosen profession.
That the man in question, Charles
Williamson Richardson, was native Of
the National Capital, lived and worked
here all his life and sent hence invalu-
able contributions to the sum total OF
knowledge of the healing art every
where is a cause for self-congratulstion
to the many Washingtonians who knew
him. and to whom he ministered, and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11

read that impotence overcomes him
He may give In to the temptation to cut
quickly, in which event he probably will
be recalled to sense by mutilattng sew
eral pages.
It is needless to say that we speak
here only Of those men and women who
like books as things. We have no quar-
sorts of human beings to make up the
world of readers, just as 1t does to I'LL
the real world Of light and action.
There are readers who do not give a
whoop for the appearance of books.
and there are others who care nightly
whether their new book Is bound in
leather or cloth, and whether its pages
are clean and its type clear ana it,
corners square.
These are fnicky, as the saying is
They prefer their own books to library
books, new books to old ones, clean
books to dirty books. These are the
Booklovers who delight in securing
volumes with uncut pages.
The preliminary cutting, so necessary
to reading, since the task otherwise Is
a physical impossibility. lures them not
only by reason of the feel Of the book
pages in their hands, but because 1t
allows them peeps at treasures.
These readers surely will not md the
temptation to read too much a real
one. Impatience plays a part with
them. too. They want to read at their
best, and in order to do this they
realize that only 50 much may be tasted
in advance.
This preliminary reading is not sc
much reading as sampling It Is as II
a cook presiding over a big kettle dips
In a spoon every now and then to see
how the stew is coming along.
Nothing is taken away, because *
much is left. The precise state Of the
whole is judged by the sample. These
bits. taken from page to page, are only
peeps through garden gate. The
garden still remains.
Some books are better by reason o.
work as Gibbons Decline and Fall o!
the Roman Empire" Is admirably suited
for the purpose.
This gigantic history, If secured with
uncut pages, leaves the Bookloyer fairly
reveling in good things. The h1stor!
Of Rome is so packed with action thai
it is impossible to spoil the interest Of
the whole by dipping into facts here
and there.
There are so many facts-the history
is so "factual," to use the old wore
/ WHICH ID oO ulySUC1IOuoAS SOlAhAS AAAV>
vogue at the present time-that thou
sands and tens Of thousands Of then
are left unseen.
The page-cutter may read whole page!
as he goes along without the slightes
risk of detractins from his Subsequen
reading. Even several pages will do NJ
hurt. In fact. II one has Q specia
interest In any character or period N
may read 1t entire, SO MAGNIFICENT II
scope Is this memorable work.
With the average run Of books, how
ever, these foretastes must be achieved
with discrimination, unless the reader
is willing to lose q part of that new"
ness which every unread book has as Its
written right.
It is possible to become SO absorbed tr
q certain part Of q novel as he cuts thu
pages that when he comes to 1t In thu
subsequent reading it is "old stuff" X
| him.
Such a result shows, of course. thai
the Booklover has failed to cut pages
with that nice discrimination which
makes this task q supreme pleasure II
the gentle art Of handling books.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
Banditry Here and Elsewhere.

Pasquale Ortiz Ruolo, the PRESIDENT
elect of Mexico, Is in this country on
a visit. Yesterday he was in New York
for conference with former President
plutarco Gales. He received some
newspaper men and in the course Of
one of the interviews, when he was
speaking Of the conditions in his coun-
try, the following exchange of remarks
occurred:
Mexico is the most peaceful, the
safest country in the world today" he
said. Il went alone, unguarded, some
times on horseback, through isolated
villages during the presidential cam
paign, and I was in no danger. Am
bassador Morrow, Col. Lindbergh and
Will Rogers all can testify to the quiet
Of the country"
You mean that banditry Is under
control?" he was asked.
An aide broke in: us 1t under con-
troll in Chicago?" he retorted.
Well, there Is nothing more TO be said.
unless the question of the justiflably
aroused aide to Senior Rubio were to be
extended to include New York and some
other large American cities. Banditry
is certainly not under control In the
centers Of population In this country.
The isolated villages" are indeed much
safer for travellers and for their own In
habitants than are the cities. Why,
just the other night band Of seven
men held up dinner party right in
the heart of New York and got away
with $4,000 worth of cash and jewelry.
Those who interview celebrities from
other countries should be more circum-
spect In their questions, References to
banditry, disorder, lawlessness, are
likely to have boomerang effect. Our
own house Is not so well ordered that
we can criticize our neighbors on the
score Of peace and security.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.

The Old Time Bill.
So tiny seems the money now
That lies within the till;
In vain I try to tell you how
I miss the old-time bill.
A chest protector I may need
To ward the wintry chill.
And so I murnur, Yes, indeed,
I miss that old-time bill"
I used to wave it like a flag
With calculated skill
I pause in sorrow as I brag
About the old-time bill.