davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06
Urges Preparations
For War Gas Attacks

Organization of the citizens of Eu-
ropean cities into four emergency crews
each told off for its specific duties in
case of bombardment by poison gas In
war, was advocated by DR.. F. r..
Humphreys, former British army sur
geon. in a recent lecture before the
ROYAL Sanitary Institute in London. In
the next great war, Dr. Humphreys be-
lieves, cities will be sprayed with tons
of poisonous liquids, evaporating slowly
into the air to become far more deadly
than the poison gases used In the last
war.
1t would be impossible, he believes,
to give every citizen gas mask and
instructions for using 1t. Instead he
advocates his group system OF anti-gas
preparation. One of his four crews
would have the duty of mastering 9TH
ers into gasproof rooms, at least one
of which should be provided, the doctor
believes, in every building now erected
or to be constructed. The second gang
would turn out equipped with chemicals
and masks to flush down the streets
with solutions able to destroy whatever
enemy gas has been used.
The third crew would treat all ex-
posed clothing and furniture to remove
clinging poisons. The job of the fourth
crew would be to provide first aid and
to remove gas victims promptly to treat
ment stations and hospitals. All this
organization should be perfected imnle-
diately, the lecturer urged, and trained
by practice alarms, as the crew and pas
sengers are drilled by boat drill on
ShipbOard.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06

clock that's been purely decorative for
a generation, and after a couple of
hours dissection get it going with the
reliability of a chrononeter In jewell
er's window.
y X X "
1t was the Army versus the Navy in
the stunt the two big broadcasting net
works tried out during the Hoover in
auguration-tha of reporting the event
by radio from the air. Army sent up
its big three-motored Fokker, with an
installation that was the last word in
military radio. The Whir of the pro-
pellerS signally failed to interfere with
Bill Lyneh'S description of. the scene
below over the National Broadcasting
Co.'S chain. Navy sent up one of its
standard fighting planes, a Martin
TAM, a single-motored affair, which
did 100 miles an hour, and could take
the two announcers of the Columbia
Bfoadcasting System anywhere they
wanted to go with speed and dispatch.
Columbia had its vice president, former
Radio Commissioner Sam Piekard, and
Martin Cedel of the North American
Newspaper Alliance, as its battery of
announcers. Morton Sterling, Salt Lake
City boy, piloted the Navy plane. TAX
ing turns with him at the controls was
"Peewee" Payne, one of the crack avia-
ton pilots of the Navy. Bill William
son, chief radioman at Anacostia, was
at the transmitter and receiver.
X X X X
President Hoover has received thou
sands of messages of congratulation, but
perhaps, he prizes none more highly
than the following remarkable greeting
from the Quakers of California:
The Friends Church in California
feels comforting satisfaction in the
call that has come to thee to the
highest place of influence in national
and world leadership. We wish to
congratulate thee on that call In
this crisis of world history, we be-
lieve that God has been preparing
thee, both by thy Quaker heritage
and all of the varied experiences in
thy past life, for this very hour. We
shall pray that Gods hand may be
upon thee, not only for national adj
ministration in material and spirit
welfare, but to help lead the world
from strife and bitterness to lasting
peace and good will.
Copyright. i929)
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06
Perfecting Submarine Safety.

The Navy has perfected its Jung" or
compact diving helmet, to a point where
men have actually left a submarine on
the floor of the ocean and risen safely
to the surface. On Monday the S-29,
lying fifty feet below the surface off the
coast Of Costa RIGA, was raised by hav-
ing her ballast tanks blown from out
side connections, with her crew sitting
idly inside, not turning a hand to get
the ship up. Safety in submarines is
far from being absolutely assured under
all conditions But the Navy has al
ready reached the point, in developing
new safety devices, that may preclude
in future the total loss of life such as
on the S-4 when she went down off
ProvincetoWn.
Mondays experiment consisted of two
phases. First, divers attached air hose
from the salvage tender Ortolan, on the
surface, to valves with connections on
the outside of the hull of the S-29,
thus permitting flow of fresh air into
the submerged ship which expelled the
foul air. Later, the divers attached air
hose to the S-29's ballast tanks, again
from outside valve connections, and
blew them free of water. The ship rose
to the surface.
The safety devices perfected since
the sinking Of the S-4, provided they
are proved practical and can be made
part OF the standard equipment of all
submarines. remove great element of
the danger when submarine becomes
stranded on the bottom. Through their
use the crew might escape, by using
the lungs" and leaving the ship
through the escape matches. And q
salvage ship on the surface can raise
the ship by blowing its tanks. In case
Of accident which DAMAGES the Ap!l e
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06

situation and one almost equally I'M
favorable in the earlier part CT his ad-
ministration.
President Hoover has recommended
that the prohibition enforcement
agencies be transferred in part from the
Treasury Department to the Depart
ment of Justice. He will have the sup
port of dry Republicans in Congress
provided he proposes to lift the prohibit
ton enforcement as q whole from the
Treasury and shift 1t over to the De-
partment of Justice. But If there Is
proposed plan of building up another
prohibition unit under the Department
of Justice and abandoning that in the
Treasury, there is likely to be decided
howl.
There are signs that the big drive Is
on to bring about real prohibition en-
forcement. The Jones bill increasing
penalties for violations of the dry laws,
just signed by former President Cool
idge, Is sending cold chills down the
backs of bootleggers. Furthermore,
there are indications that President
Hoover intends to dry up Washing
ton, and particularly official Washing
ton, as an example to the rest Of the
ssssiRssaSs ..s.:..e-. 49, "a r,.sssx.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06
President and Press.

President Heovers first formal con-
ference at the White House was with
the press. To the fourth estate he ae-
corded the honor Of an audience even
before he had assembled his cabinet in
session: The episode is significant and
symhelical. 1t Is an unmistakable ac-
acknowledgement on Mr.. Hooyer's part of
the important role played by the Wash
ington newspaper fraternity in the
scheme of Federal Government.
The President had a special motive
in communing promptly with the
knights Of the typewriter. Perturbation
had filled the souls Of many of them in
consequence Of the reserve which Mr..
Hoover, as candidate and as President
elect, imposed upon himself. They
feared that the White House under his
regime might become tower of silence.
Occasion was taken at the first meet
ing with the newspaper men and wom-
en- to Danish these anxieties. Mr.. Hoover
explained his reticence In the past and
pledged the maximum of eommuni-
eativeness for the future. He will con-
tinue the semi-weekly press conferences.
He will see privately any individual
scribe who desires an audience. He, will
do more than that He will Immediately
counsel with a committee of CORE
spondents, with view to expanding the
White House news system In every di-
rection compatible with the conduct of
public business.
That is precisely as it should be.
President Hoover's liberalized press
policy is not an act Of noblesse oblige,
1t is simple recognition of the inaiien-
able rights of free press in an en-
lightened democracy. That the pro-
gram will work out to Mr.. Hoover's own
good, to the satisfaction of the news
papers and to the benefit of the public
which they serve is not to be doubted.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Eating to fox-trot music makes ones
Jaws wag double time.
To chew ones way through meal to
so-called dinner music" when some
jazz orchestra is on the air means hit
ting 1t up with the molars to point
somewhere beyond culture.
Yet when the boys away of there be-
gin on Anything You Say" there Is
nothing to 1t but to champ away in
perfect "A time as II the very life of
the loud speaker depended upon the
dental rhythm.
Thus radio takes its place In the
American home as an exponent OF the
system of Fletcherizing, about which
one used to hear a great deal more than
one does today.
Eating to the average fox-trot tune Is
rather a hasty affair.
Cream of tomato soup-especially If
very hot-trickles into the system more
gently to Drdla's "Serenade" than to
the poppy rhythms of ME and the
Man in the Moon
Lover. Come Back to Me" renders
the consumption of hot biscuits rather
more Of feat than when undertaken
to the melody of Beethoven's much
aDuSeQ Mlnuet.
The diner takes larger bites when
eating to dance music than when dining
to the more staid classical melodies.
This results in a blockade along the
aesophagus, a crime which we believe
we are the first to put at the door of
jazz music. Such outpourings of the
American spirit have been blamed for
almost everything; it would seem rea-
sonable that something else might be
added.
Yet on the other hand-although it
Is not supposed to be quite the thing to
cat with the left--there can be little
doubt that the sturdy swing of the fox
trot aids digestion to some extent.
The fact that one burns ones mouth
while swallowing too large portion of
hot baked potato to the strains of some
late toe ticker is made up for, di-
gestively speaking, by the fact that the
elemental beat of the foX-trot rhythm
aids digestion.
X X X *
1t remains for some scientist to hitch
meter to the home fox-trot consumer
Charts traced before and after listen
Ing to such music at meals would show
how appetite waits on digestion, and
both on the strains of Ten Little Miles
From Town"
Perhaps some reader may think we
overestimate the part which the fox
trot plays. To such we would say that
the carefree dance music so popular
with young people is almost equally
popular with tired executives and work.
ers of all degrees of executive and nom
executive ability.
Many of them will not admit 1t. II
you ask them point-blank what they
prefer. they may tell.you that they like
best symphony concert.
Sneak up to their front door some
evening, however, and listen to the
loud speaker through the bricks. The
chances are 10 to / that it will be
booming away on snappy melody hot
off Broadway.
X X X
The reason for this seeming discrep-
aney is not hard to find. Classical mu-
sic, no matter how lovely, is a trifle
staid. just bit boresome. Most of it,
too, has been played to the point of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06

tentatively adopted. Because Of the
observed change In the direction OF the
magnetic needle from year TO year. It
is believed that the magnetic poles are
not stationary. but their motion is I'M
doubtedly slow. -
Q. When did the letter J come into
USES. A. V.
A. The letter j is. a comparatively
late variant of the Latin I. The form J
was developed from during the Middle
Ages, but 1t was long used in certain
positions in the word without regard to
the sound as consonant or vowel J
gradually became differentiated from I
in function as well as form, but the
separation of J as a consonant and I
as vowel was not fully established
until the seventeenth century.
@. Who were the native inhabitants
of Long Islands,. H.
A. The Bureau of American Ethnol-
osy says that very little is Known
definitely of the native peoples of Long
Montauk Is sometimes limited to a
particular group or tribe known by this
name, but at other times 1t includes
most OF the tribes Of Long Island, those
OF the western end being excepted:
sometimes 1t is incorrectly used as
synonymous with the name Metoac.
The latter name is made to include
loosely all the natives Of Long Island.
who appear to have existed In the fol-
lowing bands, subtribes or tribes
namely, Metoac, Shinecock, Setauket,
Secatoag. Rockaway, Patchoag, Mesa
quake, Montauk. Merric, Matinecoc,
MasSapequa, Manhasset, Corchaug and
Canarsee, with q number of lesser
groups, such as the Meroke and
ROkanawahake.
@. What does the sale Of electrical
equipment and supplies amount to In
year?-N. E. r.
A. In this COUNTRY in 1926, electrical
manufactures amount to $775,828,o00.
Q. How long has Philosophical Hall,
Philadelphia, been occupied?-R. A.
A. It has been occupied since the
year George Washington was in
augurated, 1889. In the Hall of the
American Philosophical Society, hide
pendence Square, Washington sat for
one Of the Gilbert Stuart portraits.
q. Is there any way of removing
slight dents In wood?-D. @.
A. Place moist biotting paper over
tie dent and then apply heat by plac-
ing a warm iron on the blotter. The
heat and the moisture cause the fiber
of wood to swell and the dent fills up.
@. In what school for the deaf did
Mrs. Coolidge teach?-D. r.
A. Mrs. Coolidge taught at the Clarke
School for the Deaf In Northampton,
Mass, before she was married. She
still takes an active interest in the
school.
@. What percentage Of attendance is
lost by school children on account Of
illness?-M. A. N.
A. Children lose about per cent of
the possible days of attendance at school
on account of sickness, according to an
article by DR.. Hugh S. Cumming of the
United States Public Health Service.
@. What is the Eskimo boat called
which has just room for one occupant
L. M.
A. The kayak Is the swift and sea-
worthy canoe, made of skin, entirely
deeked over except for the round hole
In the middle, In which one occupant
sits. 1t is possible for the experienced
paddler of the kayak to right the canoe
Immediately when 1t is overturned in
| the water.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06

the extent Of allowing leakage of water
and the formation of poisonous gases,
there might be no hope of salvation.
But provided the crew In stranded
submarine is alive after the ship reaches
bottom. and the hull remains alright,
the chances for safety and eventual
rescue have been greatly increased.
Neither surface ships nor submarines
will ever be made absolutely safe. But
submarines have already reached the
point in their development when they
can sustain themselves for long Pc
RODS and under any conditions pro-
vided their machinery has not been
damaged by other agents, such as col
lision with surface ships, But even
then the Nays new safety devices have
lessened the odds against
total loss of life and equipment-odds
that were quoted a short time ago at
about a hundred to che.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06
Chicago Stay-at-Homes Blamed
For Failure to Beat Thompson

Since about half of Chicago,s voters
went to the polls when they had q
chance to wrest control of the city
council from Mayor Thompson, the rest
of the country isn't surprised that no
more was accomplished than reduce
ton of the mayors margin of power.
''Stay-at-homes must shoulder the
blame if their city suffers in the next
two years." says the South Bend Trib-
une. 1.-THE citizens had an opportunity
to put Thompson In position where
he could hardly avoid resigning, and to
serve notice on all politicians and gang
sters that the two electoral revolutions
which occurred last year were not ac-
cidents. But only 80 per cent of the
registered voters went to the polls Tues
day. The citizens who failed to vote
have given the disreputable element
every reason to believe that 1t has
nothing to fear"
Reviewing the past, the Savannah
Morning News comments: Not long ago
Chicago was all worked up. It had q
day of prayer for itself, and it went to
the polls and voted. and gave the ma
chine whipping. And then the good
citizens patted themselves on the back
and went back to their civic sleep, from
which they had awakened but tempo
rarily. The professional politicians
never sleep. The good citizen rarely
wakes. And that Is the whole reason
why there are such outbreaks of law
lessness as occur in Chicago. If the
good citizen doesn't care enough about
his city to go to the polls and vote he
cannot expect the bad citizen to vote
into office men who would stop his bad
ness at once"
Chicago is in many ways a wonder
full city," the Roanoke World-News re-
marks. ut is developing a magnificent
art center. 1t has improved the lake
front into a park system that Shames
the sordid water fronts of most of our
large cities, New York included. 1t con-
tains many splendid, public-spirited
citizens who will give literally of their
means and their time. But when 1t
comes to city government, these same
public-Spirited citizens are Singularly
lacking. They will not work for Chicago
where work for it would count most,
The splendid efforts Of Dis
trict Attorney Swanson to eliminate
gang warfare, beer raids and street
killings have not been supported at the
polls"
GAS for Illinois folk" according to the
Rock Island Argus. "they feel it to be
their privilege to scold the big city by
the lake. But. in reality. they are very
proud OF it. They believe as thoroughly
as any Chicagoan that Chicago win
outdiStance New York-in fact, they be-
lieve Chicago right now is preferable to
New York. When there are so many
fine things about Chicago 1t Is too bad
there are so many evil-minded people
who are allowed to compromise its repu-
taticn. Crime, allied with politics, has
given one of the greatest cities of the
world bad name. Chicago will put a
stop to that alliance one of these days"
The verdict that "Chicago's citizens
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06
Secretary MELONS Status.

Two distinct questions are raised by
the action of the Senate yesterday in
adopting resolution directing the
committee on the judiciary to report upon
the status of Secretary Mellon, whose
name was not included in the list of
cabinet nominations submitted to the
Senate, sitting in extraordinary session.
One Is whether the head of any de-
partment of the Government may
legally hold Office as such after the ex-
piration of the term Of the President
by whom he was appointed. The other
is whether Mr. Mellon is legally eligible
to hold the Office of Secretary of the
Treasury in view of any ownership by
him in interests Of trade or COM
MERGE"
Had the proponents and supporters
of the resolution been better versed in
history they would not have raised the
first of these two questions. They would
have known that only one of the ten
heads of departments holds Office with
a fixed tenure. he being the Postmaster
General, who is bonded and who must
be reappointed if he is to continue be-
yond the four years of his definite term
The other nine cabinet officers, as they
are called-though there is no such
title known In law-hold Office at the
pleasure of the President. Their terms
are underlined. They may serve under
single appointments for four or eight
or twelve years, or longer. Or they
may serve for only one or three or five.
It has not been the practice in cases
of "hold over" department heads to
send their names to the Senate for re-
confirmation. There is no occasion for
such procedure so long as there is no
term limit.
AS to the other question involved af-
fecting Mr.. Melons status, yesterdays
action was needless, and, in fact, I'M
gracious. The status of the Secretary
Of the Treasury is today precisely what
1t has been for eight years past. 1t
has been heretofore questioned and
answered. And furthermore, inasmuch
as the Senate has not at this time a
renewed jurisdiction over his appoint
ment, inasmuch as his name is not
before 1t and need not be placed before
IL, to raise the issue even indirectly by
reference to the judiciary committee is
q clear instance of going out of the
way to be unpleasant.
It was aptly suggested yesterday In
the Senate that the adoption Of the
resolution was not only superfluous but
improper, inasmuch as If an offense
has occurred in the holding of the Office
Of Secretary of the Treasury it is an
occasion for Impeachment by the House
and for trial by the Senate. In view
OF that contingency the Senate should
not PREJUDICE the case In advance of
its submission to it as a court Of trial.
These questions having been raised,
and by what must be in fairness con-
sidered as only perfunctory adoption
to be rid of the matter, the committee
on Judiciary should meet and report
promptly. 1t is inconceivable that that
report should be otherwise than in dis
tinct negation of both questions. There
should be no cloud upon the title of the
Secretary of the Treasury to his Office,
and that which has been raised by
partisanship should be swept away
speedily by the Senate itself.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06

surfeit. This is particularly true of
the very greatest music that has ever
been written. Broadcasters everywhere
have attempted to give the people "the
BEST" but when the best comes batting
through the ether from hundred diff
ferent points, and night after night and
wear after year, 1t also becomes the
boreSome, even to the real lover of the
best music.
Dance music, on the other hand,
changes more or less frequently and
when well rendered has an elemental
swing to 1t which seems to enter into
the blood of even the most conservative
persons.
After all. there is something of the
savage still left in the most civilized.
and 1t is best satisfied by the thump-
thump-thump-thump of the fox trot.
1t is analogous to the drum beats of
the African savages, the steady beats so
oiten described by travellers as the
drums of DOOM"
X X
There are few civilized Americans
past a certain age who have not Won
dered, at some time or other. over their
innocent delight in jazz music.
Many OF them have a sneaking feel
ing that they should not like it-but
they do! Somehow the steady rhythm
gets into their feet, and makes them
want to dance, whether they ever in
dulge in the pastime or not.
rms Is the reason the fox trot has
held onto its popularity year after year,
while the "tWo-Step" is PLAYED ONLY on
occasion. Even the delightful tango
comes and goes in waves.
AS for the perennial waltz, it is heard
once to every half dozen fox-trot tunes.
The rhythmical, almost systematic,
beat of the fox trot is the tempo of
modern America. 1t is the old com
mon" time with few tricks of its own
aoded Tor good measure.
X x x
Part of the popularity of the rhythm
Is due to its informality
We do not mean the absurd antics
OF trick" drummers and the like.
Thank heaven, the radio today will not
broadcast that! Such doubtful pleas
ure is reserved for the future.
-, What the general listening public
likes about the dance music of today
is the gayety of effects, a combina-
ton OF tootles with the saxophones,
thumps upon blocks of tuned wood,
clashes of cymbals, soarings of the
trumpetS, the steady roar of the big
bass horn, the marking time by the
incisiVe banjos.
In addition to the elemental rhythm
and this gay general effect, there is a
change of pace in Instrumentation
which has classical derivation, COM
ing down as it does from the SYM
phonies, especially those of Haydn.
Thus melodies are carried first by the
violin, then perhaps by trumpet, then
swung down into the lower registers,
appearing persistently but differently
always the same. yet ever changed
So slight is the musical content of
the average dance selection that this
variety of Instrumentation, these gay
effects, this elemental heart throb, all
are necessary to make it win and hold
its place in the affection of music
listeners. That it has done SO is very
much to its credit. Whether one dances
to it or eats to it, he will be made
happier because of 1t, although he may
choke on mashed potatoes to the tune
of you're the Cream in NV Coffee"