Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06

troop concentrations and to make every
effort to reach agreement on the gen.
eral question at issue; the commission
conf1nlng itself to aScertaIning the facts
concerning the recent clashes and fix
ing responsibility in that connection.
x *x
UNITED STATES.-The five DAYS
convention in New York of the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement
of Science, which ended last Wednes-
day, was sufficiently interesting, though
these annual conventions of ours are
never as entertaining as those of the
corresponding British association. Per-
hcps the most pleasing announcement
near future of satisfactory method of
synthetic manufacture of insulin. All
sorts of wonderful promises were in
timated in connection with the en-
doctrine glands If only we could master
the secrets of the endocrine glands, we
might, it seems, conquer death itself.
But does the immortality envisaged in
clude eternal youth? If nay, seek no
further.
Perhaps the most interesting of the
addresses was that by DR.. Harlow
Shapley, director of the Harvard Col
lege Observatory. Space, he pointed
out, is full of galaxies, a galaxy being
group OF solar systems revolving around
a central nucleus. The nucleus around
which our little galaxy revolves Is in
SagittariuS, Relation of our galaxy has
been established by Swedish, Dutch and
Canadian astronomers and star gaZers
of Yale and Harvard. THE complete
turn, at our distance from the center, is
made in 300,000,000 years." Our solar
system, of course, Is only petty detail
of our galaxy.
Intergalactic space is empty and
transparent. He finds himself pausing,
as well he might before the question,
Are the innumerable galaxies or uni
verses tremendously organized as ele-
ments of system, superuniverse? 1t
is not surprising that astronomers
should be modest men. A study of
astronomy is to be recommended to all
overweeners. No, no, did not mention
MuSSolini.
All kinds of societies and institutes
had dinners and smokers and other
"get-togethers' outside the main pro-
ceedings. more lively than the latter
and perhaps as edifying. One envieS
those who had the good fortune to at
tend the meeting of the American
Pathological Association and to listen to
papers on such subjects as the follow
Lycian and Hyttite," "A Study of
zeugma in Virgil" "A New Method of
Studying the Caesura," etc A life de-
voted to such Speculatiors has perfume
and bouquet. Nor let us forget that
empires have clashed over matters
less important than the "accentual
clauSula.'
DEATHS TOLL.-Death took heavy
toll of distinguished heads in 1928. To
mention only the most renowned: Old
soldiers and sailors, Field Marshal Haig,
Field Marshals Cardona and DiaZ Mar
shall Fayolle, Gen. GoethalS and Admi-
raj Scher; of statesmen, the Earl of
oxford and Asquith. Lord Haldane:
Giovanni Giolitti, Robert Lansing and
Gen. Obregon (nomen, soldier as we'll
as statesman; of writer's, Thomas
Hardy, Sir Edmund Gosse. Sir George
Trevelyan and Hermann Suder Mann;
Of scientists, Hendrick Lorentz, the
Dutch physicist, and Hideyo Noguchi
the great bacteriologist. Finally. in
Ellen Terry one of the greatest actresses
of all time passed from the scene, and
in Roald AmundSen one OF the supreme
heroes of all time.
X X n
A NEW CALENDAR.-A resolution is
before the House requesting the Presi-
dent to call an international confer
ence on simpliflcation of the calendar.
Nothing could be more strikingly illus
trative of the conservatism OF mankind
than the hesitation to adopt l3-montn
calendar, whereof the advantages are
so obvious. Nineteen hundred and
thirty-three would be a good year
for the change to take effect. for In
that case every year and every month,
as well as every week, would begin with
Sunday. The only people who would
properly have kick coming are the
calendar makers. England delayed
ITO years and Russia about 800 years
to accept the Gregorian tre1ormeo
Julian) calendar proclaimed by a papal
bull in 1882
China adopted It only this year. but
ss.R Continued on Eth >aagaA ''''