davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23
Parent Takes Exception to
School Discipline Order
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
To an article published In The Star
of April II, 1880, under the heading
Brings Teacher Reprimand," I wish
to take emphatic exception. It refers
to Mrs. Laskey Johnson, teacher
known to me by means of the fact that
two of my children have been in her
classes, and whose very excellent record
and conscientiousness, at the Henry d.
Cooke School, during the past eight
years, are we'll known throughout our
neighborhood.
A very unfair act was committed to
the Board of Education In making pub
lie only one side of the controversy
between this teacher, Mrs. johnson
and the pupil in question.
My daughter and several OF her
schoolmates were IN the same room
with this boy. They have witnessed
and have told Of the actions of this So
called good boy" They condemn him
as constantly annoying and distracting
both Mrs. johnson and the pupils to
such a point that it interfered with the
instruction of the class. If this
teacher lost control Of herself to such
an extent as to stick q pen-point into
his hand, it was undoubtedly because OF
his exasperating ways which were note
worthy among his classmates. And it
Mrs. Johnson rnaliciously inflicted the
punishment as the article implies.
The Board Of Education, as result of
the above act, ottdid itself by bringing
forth its paciflst edict prohibiting cor
poral punishment in the schools; q blow
to law and order. What Is q teacher
to do with an incorrigible child? She
is not permitted to punish it and II she
appeals to higher authority for assist
arlce she IS given q discredit for lack
Of ability to control? Yet such cases
continue to occur and the Board of
EdHcatons attitude Is merely one OF
It would certainly be great help to
our school system If an ef1icient off1cer
from the Juvenile Court would be ape
pointed with authority to investigate
an incorrigible child and nlete out Just
corporal punishment to such an Of
fender after the parents had been given
due warning of what to expect.
A public, old-fashioned whipping and
its accompanying shame will go great
ways towards establishing law and order
and will teach respect for the rights
of others. A teacher should be allowed
to at least report an incorrigible child
and proper authority should see that
he Is duly punished without having 1t
marked against her record.
In this case knowing from personal
experience Mrs. Johnson's ability, pains
taking care and onscientiousnesS, and
her constant and kindly efforts during
school hours and after school hours to
teach the pupils under her care, feel
that an injustice has been done to her
by the Board of Education and the in
complete article you have published
relating to the unfortunate affair.
CHARLOTTE L. GRUNWELL.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23

break Of the fire before the cell doors were
opened and the prisoners were released.
Probably that delay accounted for most
Of the deaths that occurred. It is pos
sible, indeed, that If the cells had been
opened promptly at the first alarm there
would have been no casualties.
It is further disclosed that the prison
personnel had never received instruc-
lions for the routine to be followed in
case Of fire, and that no fire drill had
ever been held among the prisoners
within the memory Of the warden. This
is astonishing 1t seems incredible that
in a building Of such age and with a
more or less hodge podge interior ar
rangement the possibility Of fire should
never have been considered.
But then 1t may be questioned
whether this Is not the case with many
other establishments, public and private,
in which there is a definite fire risk. In
how many industrial and commercial
and governmental institutions are fire
drills conductedp Probably very few.
School children are trained through oc-
casional drills and these exercises have
served in good stead in instances where
fire has occurred and the children have
kept their heads and marched out to
safety under discipline. But let a fire
occur suddenly in any large building
housing hundreds Of people and panic
is likely to develop with little chance to
restore order and effect the safe escape
of all occupants.
In the Columbus case there will prob
ably be some punishments and dis
missals as faults of management and
failures of Judgment are brought to
light. But these will not restore the
lives of the 317 men who were burned or
suffocated on Monday. The fact that
they were convicts. offenders against
law, makes the case no less horrible.
Indeed, it makes it worse, because they
we're the charges Of the State, which
was responsible for their security and
their well-being and failure on its part
to provide safe quarters and effective
custody lays a heavy burden Of blame
upon the commonwealth.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23
The Prison Horror.

Testimony given before State board
Of inquiry into the Columbus Prison fire
indicates clearly that there was a
shocking lack of Judgment on the part
of some Of the guards in the matter OF
releasing the prisoners from their cells.
Conflicting statements are given, one
of the guards who had possession OF the
keys to the cells in the block menaced
by the flames and smoke and from
whom they were taken by force by two
of his associates declaring that he had
been ordered by his superior oficer not
to yield the keys to any one, and the
officer denying the giving Of such order
Certain it is that delay of from eight
- ten minutes occurred after the out
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23

by the f1ippant," continues his euIogist
that he thinks of others so much that
when he takes q train he does not al
ways know where he Is going. But he
never started for anything without
reaching his destination. He always ar
rives." Some say Morrow means even
tually, II not right away, to reach the
White House.
Sir Lionel Earle. permanent secretary
to his majesty'S office Of works in Lon
don, has just left Washington, after
giving the new British embassy an off,
cial once-over. His job corresponds to
that OF q supervising architect of our
own Treasury and comprehends the
business of seeing that all British gov
eminent buildings at home and abroad
are just so. Sir Lionel found that John
Bulls mammoth and magnificent es-
adjustment on Massachusetts, avenue Is
the impressive pile its eminent de-
signer, Sir Edwin Lutyens, intended It
to be, but that certain eccentricities of
the Potomac climate were not taken
fully into consideration. It appears that
the supervising British architect, among
other things, found that the whole win
dow scheme Of the embassy had to be
done over to make the building fly
and mosquito proof.
President Hoover's private ONCE in
the renovated White House executive
Offices corresponds rigidly with his ideas
Of simplicity. Barring a couple of flags
the Stars and Stripes and the Presi-
dents own standard, which stand be-
hind his desk at the windows looking
onto the south front-the room is ut
terly devoid Of decorations. The old
circular bookcases which lined the walls
and we're filled with Supreme Court re-
ports and volumes of the statutes were
Quilted by the Christmas eve fire and
have not been replaced. For years an
etching Of Lincoln, which might have
been a Whistler, was the only picture In
the office. That's gone, too. The some
what modernistic wall candelabra don't
look very Hooverian.
Copyright, l930)
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23

How may the average person be i'm
pressed with the love Of books as
friends?
Perhaps too many readers regard
books as strictly unitarian things from
which something or other may be got
ten. but which otherwise are inani-
mate.
The truth Is that books are COM
panions, delightful to have around for
themselves, and with whom one is
never alone.
Lack of comradeship is the secret
sorrow Of countless hearts.
1t Is to these men and women, who
for some reason are debarred from
those friendships which others make
so lightly and keep so easily, that the
appeal may be made to accept books
as more than so much paper and type.
For books are the minds of men.
usually the best of those minds, and
when you have the best of a human
mind you usually have the best of the
man.
Thus every good book worthy of the
name may be considered to be a perfect
friend.
Not just so much paper and cloth
binding, mind you, but something more.
Not just a pretty title in gold against
a background of red, or blue or green.
The something more" is the soul of
the book-it is its atmosphere, which
goes out from 1t and which surrounds
1t, much as the aura" of a human
body is believed by certain sects to
surround the human being.
This Is books intangible personality,
which distinguishes it from other books
and sets 1t apart in the affection of
the reader.
Book personality has nothing to do,
in one sense, with whether a book
amounts to much. There are many
good books that do not rank very high
In the eternal lineup of literature, yet
have managed to endear themselves to
many.
y X
We can recall one such book, a small
thing in green covers, which was be-
loved in a certain family and had been
read for many generations.
This volume never had a large cir
culation. From the standpoint of per-
feet writing, 1t did not rank very high.
Its binding and general makeup
would have taken no prizes at a typo
graphical exhibition. It would have at
tracted no attention from a stranger.
yet to the members of that family
IL was perfect book, and above all q
perfect friend, in world where per-
lection Of books is as little known as
perfection of friendship.
These people, these readers, large and
small had learned the secret of making
friends out of their books. This friend
of theirs had a great spiritual signifi-
canoe, despite its shabby exterior and
its thumbed pages.
Had 1t been lost - which, thank
Heaven, 1t never wasl-a successor in
fresh covers could not exactly have
taken its place, because the new one
would have lacked the precise some
thing which love and affection had
placed in the old one.
X X
This Is what we mean by looking upon
books as friends.
With their companionship a man can
never be lonely, although to the world
he may seem to be so.
He finds within their covers old
dreams and new, and goes eternally on
great adventures, and finds great con-
tentment.
In books he sees that Diogenes was
not coming merely a pretty phrase
when he looked into the shop windows
of Athens and declared, How many
things there are do not want!"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23

declares: 'It Is fine to have an endless
oelt on which you can go UP or down
at will. That sort of treaty should be
pleasing alike to those who wish to TO
up In building or go down in not build
ing ships"
obviously such a provision" accord.
ing to the Hartford Courant, "irfapatrs
and may lead to invalidate the treaty:
for II Great Britain increases its esta-
mates both the United States and Japan
will be obliged to do so. No matter how
the provision is phrased, its meaning
Will be that the agreement now reached
will stand only as long as the exiSttnM
naval situation does not change. ThM&
1t will not change during the six ycaxh
which the treaty will run may b I'd
much to hope, inaSmuch as France II
given evidence of a strong determine
prestige by the construction Of large
fleet"
ITO the more or less simple-min0N
American public" states the Phflade&
phia Record, IAN armament limitattdH
treaty that opens so ready way to a.
panSiOn seems contradiction in toTmA
1t limits but does not abolish competAA
tive construction. The conference pro-
duces a paradox-reduction upwards
The Manchester Union sees 1t as "the
weak point of the treaty" and contends:
$50, then, the value of the three-powef
treaty depends upon the prospect there
is Of the limitation Of the French and
italian fleets. How great Is that pros
pect? France has declared that she
needs 724,000 tons of warships, and she
has refused to change that figure unless
she Is given guarantees Of security
which neither Great Britain nor the
United States can grant. Italy has iI1-
sisted with equal determination that she
must have q feet equal to that OF
France"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

/ He finds that Socrates, In his peace
full acceptance of the unjust death i'm.
posed upon him by the rabble, was not
| merely making his fate acceptable to
himself, but in honesty and truth
spoke out his full mind.
Here, in his books, the reader-com-
| panion finds Surcease from all the
! frippery, the wear and tear OF life, the
craftiness and slyness which keep alive
mon human nature.
+ y n X
These book friends do not demand
that they be handled with gloves, as
the saying Is. They have got to that
point where nothing matters except
| that they be loved. This may or may
Reading, after all, Is only one angle
| to a book. To stress the point of read
ing is to approach dangerously near to
| the unitarian viewpoint which we
would shun.
Every book lover has on his shelves
several volumes which he has not read
and which he may never read, who
knows?
The point is not that they are un-
read or may never be read, but sim
ply that they are there waiting for the
|
| tributing their silent friendship to his
life.
Just as beautiful women Of a certain
quiet dignity cheer and help those who
merely see them, so good books have
a direct influence on the lives Of those
who live with them.
\ X +
Books as companions have several
marked advantages.
They eat nothing, take up little room
and seldom change in appearance.
They are as steady as the clock In
their comings and goings, unless they
chance to fall into the hands Of bor-
rover, when there is no telling what
| will become OF them.
The decorative use of books In the
home is well known, but 1t should be
stressed that this is something larger
and more significant than interior dec
Grafton merely.
Books take on added Importance by
reason of the qualities which we have
attempted to enulnerate. Their atmos-
phere, which helps make them COM
rades to the sensitive ones of this world
| extends throughout room, transform
ing dull tables into scintillating pieces
of furniture, making uncomfortable
chairs rather interesting.
NOIe yOnueE easy CnHlr. 4DS HTHlS are
SCARED, its cushions worn from use;
| the observing may even note that the
springs almost sag to the floor.
Though not a thing of beauty, II
bears silent testimony to many quiet
happy hours which some one has spent
in it with a book; and this invisible
, usage, plain and incontestable, has given
| it a genuine, homely sort of beauty
which no brand-new piece could pos
sibly possess.
Book friends so enter into the lives
of their human friends that they trans
form the very rooms in which both are
| joint partners.
Even the booky smell which some ole
| volumes send forth is loved as an in
, tangible perfume of good sense, good
manners and good living.
| Something of these qualities insen-
siblv leaves good books and attaches
| itself to those who live with them
These friends are always helpful
neither asking for pay nor invariably
seeking praise.
They are the good book friends OF
life, with which no man Is poor, with
out which no man can be said to be
| rich.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23

Take advantage Of this free service.
II you are one of the thousands who
have patroni2ed the bureau, write US
again. If you have never used the
service, begin Low. It Is maintained
for your benefit. Be sure to send your
name and address with your question
and inclose cents in coin or stamps
for return postage. Address The Eve
ming Star Information Bureau, Frederic
]. Haskin, director, Washington, d. G.
@. What name is given to motion
pictures which are not talkies?-R. G.
A. Since more talkies are now being
made than pictures without sound, there
Is an increasing tendency to mean
talking pictures when motion pictures
or movies are mentioned and to call the
silent pictures non-dialogue pictures.
Q. Do many Italians have titles?-
A. The former existence in italy of
so many separate sovereignties gave
rise to great number of hereditary
titles of nobility. There are many
hundreds of princes, dukes, rnarquesses,
counts, barons and viscounts, and many
persons Of patrician rank with right
to the designation mobile" or "signori, u
as well as certain hereditary knights or
cavalieri.
Q. What Is the usual mixture of air
ana gasoline in the average auton1o-
bile?-G. O.
A. The average car when developing
its maximum power uses a mixture Of
about 921z per cent Of air and 715 per
cent gasoline by weight. The engine
Will operate satisfactorily and give bet
ter economy on mixtures containing as
much as "a per cent air, but will de-
Velop less power than with the richer
satisfactorily on Q mixture containing
more than 95 per cent air by weight.
@. What is the new drink from the
Argentine which Is called "gaucho
mate"?-W. j. D.
A. The Pan-American Union says
that gaucho mate is another name for
like tea.
q. Please give some information about
the new metal, beryllium.-T. Z. d.
A. 1t comes from the beryl, which Is
hard gem stone, Of which emerald
and aquamarine are variations. Beryl
contains about IA per cent berylliun
OXIDE ana occurs In feldspar, especially
In New Hampshire and North Caro-
lima. Beryllium Is the worlds lightest
metal, being only about twice as heavy
as water.
@. What Is the smallest territory
owned by the United States?-F. n. II
A. Three of the Pacific Islands, de-
tached territories of the United states
have areas Of square mile each.
q. What are twins called who do not
look alike?-L. T. D.
A. They are fraternal twins. They
are often Of opposite sex and are nc
more alike than children In the same
family usually are. Identical twins are
always of the same sex and are strik.
ingly similar.
@. Which Is the correct title-Britisr
Empire or British Commonwealth Oh
Nations?-S. L. F.
A. The British Empire is the correct
designation for the whole aggregate ter.
ritory linked together by allegiance tc
the British crown. The associated self
governing communities of the British
Empire are spoken of as the British
Commonwealth of Nations
Q. How many people compose the Ma.
tior1al Safety Council?-F. D. B.
A. The National Safety Council has
star of more than 100. It has grown
from q group Of IA members in 1912 tC
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23
Poll Reveals Congress
Still for Prohibition

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Congress is still dry, or at least that
part OF 1t Is which Is willing tC express
Itself. The poll taken by the North
American Newspaper Alliance will cheer
those drys who are perturbed by the
humidity of the Literary Digest and
other recent straw votes.
The Congress poll would be more i'm.
pressive If so many Of our national law
makers were not so coy. The SO mem
bers Of the Senate were polled. Only
"a replied, Of whom 80 stand for con.
tinued enforcement Of existing prohibi-
ton laws
There are AS members Of the House.
One hundred and sixty-f1ve replied to .
telegraphed request for their views. OF
these an even 100 are strictly dry, po-
litically. Fifty-two stand for repeal and
IL for modification.
One member refused to state his
views, but said he would meet the issue
at the coming election. His statement
would probably also express the views
of many of his 270 silent colleagues,
who see no merit in Fastening to cross
a bridge that might be replaced by Q
better one by the time they get to t.
Perhaps a good many Of these inarticu.
late 210 In the House and 81 in the
Senate are anxious to see how the Lit
erary Digest poll comes out.
OF course, 1t has been known for
years that the Congress was dry. That
Is why the recent prohibition hearings
have been more important as forensic
exhibitions than as a collection of evi.
dence to guide legislation. The Ali.
ance poll reflects fairly accurately the
recent votes on prohibition measures.
Meanwhile the Digest poll is hearing
from more OF the dry precincts, Re-
turns from the South and Southwest
are proving 80 arid that militant pro-
hibition leaders who have denounced
the poll ana all It's works as the creatl-,e
Of q wet devil are put into an embar.
RAISING position. The drys in that part
of the country do not seem to be heed.
ing the advice Of certain of their lead.
ers to ignore the. poll.
It Is amusing that some of these same
leaders who denounce the Digest count
now are the same who warmly defended
1t in the Fall of 1928 when It forecast
accurately the election Of q President
they favored.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23
Protests New ''FOuntain"
In 2Oth and Q SITS. Park
TO the Editor of The star:

TO the Editor Of The Star:
I should like to make formal pro.
test against the mutilation of the lit
tie park at Twentieth and @ streets
northwest.
OF all the cheap, undignif1ed drink
ing fountains we have erected in this
city, this one is the worst, and does not
compare with the horse troughs used
here. I can see the objections to a
pool at this spot, but to dig up half
the park and put down some beautiful
fiagstones which lead TO Q single pipe
and a drinking cup that could not
have cost more than 80 cents Is shame
full. If we are to have a drinking cup,
poisonous-looking affair like this, which
would not do credit to a hick town.
G. AUGUSTUS SIMPSON.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23
Songs for Musical Rail
Whistles Are Suggested
From the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
From the sunny South comes report
that the Southern Railway has equipped
some of its locomotives with chime
whistles. The reason is said to be that
the musical notes in the otherwise still
watches of the night are not as likely
to disturb the slumbering population OF
Southern towns as would the Strident
tones of the ordinary whistle. Eng1-
neers are represented as taking kindly
to the new order. One is reported to be
revealing the musical capacity Of the
chime whistle by making it play tunes.
If that can be done, certain suggestions
are in order.
Southern Railway trains as they
rumbled over the bridge across the Po-
tomac after leaving the Washington
Union Station might appropriately send
through the night air the familiar ap-
peal to Garry Me Back to Ole Vir-
ginny." In the deep South. ooh,
Susannah!" telling Of the journey of
the banjo to Alabama would, of course,
be appropriate. Dixie" would 1T in
anywhere, but might be played with
such animation as to wake up the folk
who have heretofore been disturbed by
the locomotive whistles. Selections of
another kind would At the case as grade
crossings were approached. There Will
Be One Vacant Chair" might serve as
a warning to the joy=rider. A few bars
from the Dead March in Saul should
carry the same admonition. Still fur
Their possibilities suggest themselves.
Why not put whistle player in the
locomotive cab to amuse the passeR-
gers during the daylight hours when
the engineer could use the ordinary
whistle? Notes of the chimes might
even be made to serve as first, second
and third calls to the dining car.
Some practical people may hold that
these suggestions are fanciful. We pre-
fer to regard them seriously. They
open pleasing prospect for New Eng
land including the rendition of sea
chanteys on the Yankee Clipper, CYAN
kee Doodle" on the Flying Yankee and
on the Wolverine the song of the man
who would be In Michigan.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23
Police Courtesy.

The announced program of Gen.
Crosby to stress courtesy in his admin-
istration of the Police Department meets
with the hearty approval of every resi-
dent of Washington. For the first time,
yesterday, the new Commissioner met
the commanders of the fourteen pre-
cincts under his control and in the con-
ference that followed impressed upon
them the necessity of courteous dealings
with the public, especially in minor traf-
fic violations. He told them that he
was in entire sympathy with the new