davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
POLL REFORM BILL
PUSHED IN ENGLAND
Liberals Force Committee Approval
of Measure Allowing
for Alternates.

Ry the Associated Press.
LONDON, March 5.-The vital clause
in the electoral reform measure which
i'll the Commons, presumably as the
price of continued Liberal support, has
passed the committee stage by vote
of 277 to Isl.
The Conservatives voted solidly
against the measure. Many Labor
members abstained and IL Labor mem
berS votsd with the Conservatives
More than 40 Liberals voted with the
government.
The clause aims to give proportional
representation to the House of Com
mons through the use of the alterna-
tive vote system, by which, in a three
cornered race. the voter deSignates a
second choice to get his vote in the
event his first choice is low man.
The result would be that the Liberal
party. which recently has polled pop
ular vote much out of proportion to its
small Commons repres5 ntation, would
find its membership greatly increased
at the expense of the two larger parties.
If the measure finally passes Parlia-
ment it will bring about the most
sweeping reform in the British cleo
toral system in many decades.
The designations from the Labor par
ty to join the new party" captained
by Sir Oswald Mosley, continue. Will
liam Brown, a hitherto Labor NJ. P,
today forwarded his resignation to the
party.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
GAS LEASE crop"
ENR|CHES FARMERS
Area Near ithaca, N. Y.
Transformed Into Boom
Section by Finds.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ITHACA, N. Y, March 5.-An unex-
pected 100000 Midwinter crop is
under harvest by the farmers of this
section. The crop is leases on rights
to gas nearly a mile below the surface.
These reservoirs lie principally in
and about Steuben County, N. Y, and
Tioga County, Immediately south in
Pennsylvania.
"a Gas Wells Opened.
Twenty-four live gas wells have sud-
denly transformed the quiet OLD agrl-
cultural community into a boom terri
tory, but the native stock of Yankee
settlers and PENNSYLVANIA Dutch is not
putting on any wild West trimmings.
The latest sensation is typical. 1t is
the biggest we'll of them all, belchtng
wild from an eight-inch pipe nearly
100,000,000 feet Of gas day. Its roar
is heard miles. 1t draws hundreds of
sightSeerS daily.
Benjamin Harrison Meaker, owner of
the big WELL farmer, lifelong resident
of Tioga County, says he will celebrate
if and when the gaSser is capped. At
100,000,000 feet daily his doyalty fig
ures at a possible maximum of $2,5U0
O day.
Oil in Section.
Miss Mart Cummings, Tioga County
recorder, has taken in S6.750 for record
ing leases at 50 each. She has hired a
transcriber. ....,.,-............
There is not only gas, but oil in this
section, says a statement by DR.. c. M
Nevin, professor of geology at Cornell
University. The evidences of both. he
says, may be found almost anywhere
in South Central New York
Whether, however. they can be tapped
in quantity is not yet clear.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
POSITION OF BRITAIN
PICTURED AS PRECARIOUS
Churchill Fears Decline to Second
Rate Power Unless "Confu-
sion" Is Checked.
Nv the Associated Press.

BY the ASSOCl8teQ GTess.
EDINBURGH, Scotland, March S.
Winston Churchill, British statesman,
delivering the rectorial address at Ed
inburgh University today, warned that
continuation Of the present confusion
and disintegration' would reduce Brit
ain within a neutrality-suspicious. soon
er-to the degree of states like Hol-
land and Portugal.
His address. which he entitled THE
Decline of Parliamentary Government
of Today was devoted TO viewing with
eloquent alarm the trend Of British af-
fairs Never was so great a community
IN so precarious a situation" he said.
We are in the van and forefront of
the human race, but at the same time
we are the most artificial, the most
delicately established and the most fun
damentally insecure of all great ma
tions. There we are, perched aloft, and
the structure itself disintegrating, loos-
ening and crumbIing-what are We go
ing to do about it?"
Mr. Churchill did not make clear eX-
actly what is to be done about 1t, but
he urged reform of the House of
Commons
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
MEXICO ADOPTS PLAN
OF STABILIZING PESO
Banks Ordered to Convert Reserve
Guarantees on Silver Deposits
Into Silver Currency.

BY the Associated Press
MEXICO CITY, March 5.-As a
measure for stabilizing the silver peso,
which in recent months has fallen off
greatly in value, President Ortiz Rubio
has signed an order obliging the banks
established in Mexico to convert their
reserve guarantees on silver deposits
into silver currency.
It is estimated this will cause with
drawal from circulation of 25,000,O00
silver pesos and thus improve the per-
centage of silver money in the public's
hands as compared with gold.
Gold and negotiable stocks held by
the banks as guarantee for silver de-
posits must be changed into r'lyer
pesos, under the terms of the order.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
The Nei0 Algerian
Necklaces. sl-sl.95

The latest whimsy Of fashion is the use of vivid
Algerian colors for contrast and accent Jelleffs
60-inch necklaces in red, white, black blue green
coral, pink and light blue-either in one COM
binations.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
Mice by Millions
Invade Town; Eat
Money and Bedding
law A. Associated Press.

BY tn. Associated Press.
MELBOURNE, Australia, March
millions of. mice suddenly
have invaded the Nullabor plains
along the Trans-Australian Rail-
way.
The stationmaster at Loongana
today reported that miles of the
country served by the railway
were infested with the rodents.
While he was attending a passen-
ger train thousands entered his
Office and soon began eating a
roll of pound notes.
He said that every house in the
district had been invaded by the
pests, which were attacking even
the furniture and the bedding.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
NeiU Sfyles-SmGrt Styles
Handbags, So

piece fortune every thrifty
bags chic be priced the
tailored styles smooth calf with simulated python and snake
trims. Black red, tan and sea-sand
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-01
A Tragic Accident.

Another tragic airplane accident has
shocked America and because of its
nature is an additional jolt to the grow
ing public confidence in commercial
aviation Storm. wind. rain. snow and
fog have since the beginning Of flying
been natures best defenses against sue
cessful encroachment of man into the
upper regions In addition to the ele-
ments. man has been forced to over
come the frailties of his own inven-
lions and has had 20 be eternally on
guard to prevent plane structural fall
ura. Baotor stoppage and to overcome
the hA4Ardb - the take-od and the
landing. That to a large degree he
has successfully combated these OBJ
stacIes is demonstrated by the tri-
umphant record Of aviation over the
past few years.
But here is an accident that is ap-
yarently difncult to explain and for
that reason Is the more fearsome 70
tanning six passengers and two pilots
was in full flight seyeral thousand
feet above the ground 1t was the
most modern of its type. three huge
motors driving ii through the skies
any one of which was capable Of keep
ing 1t aloft. The weather was cloudy
but not particularly dangerous for fly
ing. Constant radio communication was
had with stations in the vicinity. Sud-
denly the big ship entered cloud. OBJ
servers on the ground saw 1t shoot
out In q spin, were horrified to see q
wing come Of and. rushing to the
wrecksge. found that all its occupants
had been instantly killed.
The most logical explanation of how
q modern plane, Aging in fairly gooc
weather and over level terrain. car
crash with such frightful consequences
would seem to be that the pilot. In
passing through the cloud lost hi
bearings, was unable to keep out 0
. spin and that the tearing strain
wrenched OF the wing. Wings 90 no
lust fAI OF present-day planes tn
way they did In the early stages Q
Gying. They must practically be tori
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-01
Future Needs of Porto Rico
Emphasized by Hoover Visit

the possibilities of Russia or the renais-
sance of China and INCA; no reading
of the signs that Eur pc is pulling itssE
together with unexpected rapidity. The
isoiationist mind still ruics."
THE Bureau of the Census" remarks
the Birmingham News, points out that
the island population exceeds the figure
for the combined population Of Nevada.
Wyoming. New Mexico, Arizona and
Vermont States which have combined
area of asa. 758 square miles. If We could
get these islanders transported to this
group of States. they WOULD have plenty
of room to breathe in: bus that would
be impractical, since they would freeze
in some of the States and would pos
sibly perish of thirst in the others. We
cannot 50 easily dismiss, the matter.
They must remain where they are. But
since they are what they are, we must
lend q helping hand III whatever prob
lens may be theirs
There Is no reason 20 believe that
Porto Rico will not eventually emerge
from its present situation stronger than
ever. In the Judgment Of the New York
Evening Post, while the Providence
Journal recognizes 1.-THE essential unity
Of our American interests, IN the islands
and on the mainland" The Memphis
Commercial Appeal concludes: "Wheth-
er or not failure by the American Gov
eminent to relieve the situation in this
possession will have an adverse effect on
Porto RicanX sentiment remains, of
course, to be seen. Many Porto Ricans
want statehood, but it is doubtful that
their desires will be graJifed. Unless
something more is done on the islands
with respect to unemployment than has
been done in the States the danger of
failure is considerable. And failure along
this line might provoke other problems
for the mother Government"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-01
The Presidents Appeal.

President Hoover's appeal to avoid al
increase in Federal tax rates really goe.
to the Nation at large. Properly so, fol
the Nation has to pay the taxes The
President in effect pledged himself to
keep the national budget to such figures
rs would enable the Government to bal
ance in comparatively short time its
expenditures and receipts. The Presi-
dent, however, cannot do it all. Con-
gress makes the appropriations and
designatss by law how much money and
for what it shall be expended. Unless
Congress co-operates in this move for
economy, 1t will be dificult If not i'm
possible to carry it through success
fully.
The appeal of the President goes to
the very meat of the matter. He says.
speaking Of the cooperation of Con-
greSs in keeping appropriations within
the scope of the budget, 1.-THE people
must cooperate to effectively discourage
and postpone consideration of the de-
mands OF sectional and group interests. !"
The drive made by sectional and group
interests upon the Federal Treasury
through Congress is nothing new. 1t
has merely become more and more pro-
nounced as the years have passed and
the country has become more and more
wealthy.
The time has come, however, for the
American people to stop and think
about this matter of Federal appropria-
lions. Hundreds Of new projects, looking
to the expenditure of m-ney out of the
Federal Treasury, are proposed to and in
Congress every time that body meets.
Many of them are worthy In them
selves. With the Government facing a
deficit of 500, OO0. 900, however, it is
becoming necessary to a greater extent
than it hss been for years for Uncle
Sam to count his pennies as well as his
dollars.
The present need for economy, voiced
by the President, may be blessing In
disguise. More and more it has come
to be the habit Of groups to look to the
Federal Government to dip into the
affairs of the people; to undertake to
regulate, control or TO prohibit all kinds
Of activities. More and more, the Fed
eral Government has been called upon
to assume burdens of administration
which should be LEFT to the State and
local governments. The GENERALIZATION
Of Government continues to threaten the
old principle that the people are to
control their own immediate affairs
through their own local governments.
Economy in governmental affairs is
always to be desired In times Of de-
preston when governmental receipts
are diminished because the earning
power of the people is lessened, econ
omy becomes even more desirable The
country can help itself by getting be-
hind the President in this matter of
keeping down the appropriations made
by the next Congress.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-01
The Earthquake at Managua

/ Because of our intimate relationship
! with the people and the government of
Nicaragua during the past fifteen years
and more, American sympathy with them
| in the terrific earthquake disaster at
, Managua will be deep and widespread.
Many of our own nationals have gone
to their doom along with citizens of
the Nicaraguan capital. Apparently the
full extent of the catastrophe is not yet
known, for each arriving new dispatch
| from the scene Of devastation tells o
fresh story of the earthquakes toll in
life and property.
That the good offices of the United
States will be extended without stint
to do what can be done to ameliorste
suffering and repair damage may be
, taken for granted President Hoover
has acted promptly in putting at the
stricken communitys disposal the re-
sources of the Army and Navy and of
the American Red Cross. A considera-
BILE force Of United States Marines is
still on Nicaraguan soil. No doubt 1t
has had casualties of its own in the
earthquake. But the leathernecks, ac-
customed to trouble. may be relied upon
to do their yeoman share in getting
even so dreadful a situation as that
prevalent In Msnagua today well in
hand"
During the past fifteen years many
portions OF the Western. Hemisphere
have suffered earthquake calamities of
more or less extensive nature. In 1906
Valparaiso Chile, was shaken by a
serious tremor that cost / 500 lives and
wreaked enormous damage A year later
Kingston, Jamaica. had an earthquake
almost as disastrous Costa RIGA, Mica
ragua's neighbor, in 1910 lost 1900 lives
in one of Mother Earth's annihilating
gyrations Twelve years ago Porto Rico
was the victim of enc of her periodical
visitat'ons of Nature on the rampage,
when a quake killed 116 people. Mexico
last January lost LOG lives in a Quake
that spread over fourteen states. Even
as far north on this continent as New
foundland the earth has trembled.
There, two years ago, tidal wave fol-
lowing an earthquake at sea caused
heavy loss CT life and property.
Science has not yet evolved ways and
means of coping with chronological ca
prices. Poor man can but be prepared
for the worst and let mercy do its work
when calamity comes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-01
Knute X, Rockne.

There may be a question as to the
beneficial aspects Of collegiate foot ball
in American national life. There can
be little question as to the important
place the game has gained, particularly
in the last decade and a half, and there
can be still less as to the value of the
services to this popular pastime Of
Knute X. Rockne, the Morse born
mentor of Unive ty Of Metre Dame
teams since 1918, who met his death
yesterday in an airplane catastrophe in
Kansas
Americas premier foot ball coach
Is 3 title given him by the great ma.
jority Of sports writers, II not by all oil
them. That he deserved this need OF
praise is admitted by the fascinated
millions who have watched his nimble
teams perform. and still more en-
Enthusiastically claimed by every one OF
the young men whom he not only Sc
successfully coached, but whom he In
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-01
Street Cars Archaic as
Means of Rapid Transit

To the Editor of The Star:
In all this discussion of the street car
| problem it strikes me that neither OF
the interested parties, the public and
the owners, h., yet struck the funda-
mental note, at Il st not in print.
There are two fundamentals, in fact.
| First, from the standpoint of the public
the qBestion Is solely one of rapid tram
| sit. BY rapid is understood without
undue loss of time" This is the motor
age, and time is measured by those who
| have to get about in terms of speed,
and no one can possibly contend that
the street car of today in this city can
| furnish speed. Their handicap Is too
great. They are retarded by unneces-
Sary stops and slow-downS; they are
| crowded almost of their tracks by pri-
vate and public machines and trucks;
they are impeded by every accident to
J one of their units and by every break
down, great or small; they are stopped
by every fire occurring on their lines;
they are frozen" to their tracks with
out ability to detour; they have, in
short, ceased % be means of rapid
transit
In the good old horse-and- buggy era
street cars were really adequate. They
led the procession of traffic through the
streets. Today they bring up the rear,
and that Is why the public rides the
buses, taxis and personal cars, walks
even, to save time.
We have accepted, willy-nilly, the
Jazz age, and the only solution Of the
street car problem is to jazz 1t up to
the present speed level OF life. As the
mechanical means of accomplishing this
seem unSurmountab!e, the system must
be junked and supplanted by q modern
method-motorized- it expects to
compete successfully with a motorized
world.
The second fundamental is one that
must be recognized by the owners
They have but one line Of goods to sell;
they have only rides" as they adver-
tise Their line of rides is old anti
quated and obsolete. They cannot offer
rides that are as attractive, as efficient,
as speed as those offered by the "oppo-
sition." What would good business men
do? With constantly diminishing sales,
would they have us believe they do not
know the cause nor the remedy?
Higher fares will not solve the prob
lem, for they will not give either the
public or the owners what they want.
The experience of other cities encum-
bered with, street cars has proven this
beyond question. So, as We, the public,
have accepted the jazz age, with its
countless readjustments and scrapping
of obsolete systems and out-of-date
methods, so must the local street car
companies bow to the inevitable, ac-
knowledge the passing of the street car
and develop q modern, safe, pleasant,
rapid, elastic and profitable successor
The public will always be willing to
pay for what it gets, If satisfactory, but
never any price for what 1t does not
get. 1t does not want reduced fares; it
does want rapid transit, and it will
get it.
This is the whole matter in couple
of nutshells." G. E. CURRIER
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-01
spired to be better students and better
citizens

spired to be better students and better
citizens
The life Of American foot bail may
be roughly divided into two periods
that Of the late Walter Camp and that
Of the late Knute Rockne. In the early
days, as some one writer aptly put It,
the game was Camps game and he
made up the rules as he went along
AS player, coach, writer, graduate adj
wiser and in other capacities he left
the impress Of his knowledge add his
personality on the game until his death.
He severed his active connection there
with about the time that the open game
came into being, a time that witnessed
early in the second decade Of the pres
ent century. As player, as substitute
coach and shortly thereafter as head
coach the sturdy Norwegian took every
advantage CT the recently revivified and
opened game, calling on apparently in
exhaustible resources of strategy and
inspiration, with the result that year
after year his Fighting Irish" gained
whole groups Of victories any one of
which would have been a classic for
the ordinary college team. OF late
years Notre Dame has been deemed
practically invincible. and Justly SO, and
without doubt Rockne was, in the final
analysis the deciding factor.
n ~
Norway, who came to this country as
a small boy and who entered college
penniless youth. He was highly cul-
tured, yet habitually hid the fact. He
disproved the idea that Scandinavians
are slow of wit and lacking in sense Of
humor. Few ever engaged him in
verbal combat without regretting 1t.
Many of his innovations In the gridiron
game later became almost universal.
He had the faculty of staying one
mental and psychological jump ahead
Of his keenest competitors, and the still
more remarkable faculty Of imparting
this ability to carefully selected ma
terial OF varied nationalities and tenn
peraments season after season.
Rockne's death will be mourned for
years to Wome by all lovers of foot bail
and by all Americans who love con-
sistent winner and graceful loser.
There is no doubt that, had he lived
his allotted span, he would have made
further notable contributions to Amer
lean sport. His family, his college and
his many personal friends have the cor
dial sympathy Of Nation wherein his
peculiar genius found fertile soil.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-01

Q. For whom or what was the
silhouette named?--W. H.
A. The silhouette Is named for
Etienne de Silhouette. who was born
in l7o7 and died IN 1859. He was
French minister of finance, who was
so rigidly economical that he often
withheld funds from worthy subjects.
His name came to be applied to
anything imperfect or incomplete.
Silhouettes were first popular in 1850.
They are made now as they were for
merly, by cutting out pictures from
black paper.
O. How much does a baby elephant
weigh?xP. o.
A. The approximate weight Of an
elephant at birth Is 100 to 200 pounds
Q. Who invented chop suey?-M. M.
A. The truth seems to be that there
Is no such dish as chop susy known
in China, although It is commonly
served as Chinese throughout the
United States. This has come about
in curious was. 1t originated at q
dinner that Prince Ii Hung Chang
gave in New York when he made his
trip around the world. Prince Ii car
ried his own chef with him and the
menu was strictly Chinese One of the
dishes especially delighted the wife Of
the guest of honor and she asked Ii
what 1t was. Prince Lii called in his
chef and the chef replied in Chinese.
IT Is creation of my own--a chop
suey." The words chop suey" mean
mixture, or hash. Prince Ii said in
English. 1T is a chop suey" The
American woman spread the news of
chop suey, the wonderful dish. The
name was taken up by the Chinese
restaurants in America and today chop
suey is the chief connection that they
serve
Q. How many traffic lanes will there
be on the new Hudson River Sus-
pension Bridge?-D. E. E.
A. The bridge floor Will consist Of
4.780 feet Of pavement laid in two
strips, each 28 feet inches wide
Later, when traff1c warrants, the 80
foot center section Of the bridge win
be paved. giving a total Of eight traf1c
lanes. Fourteen thousand square yards
OF concrete will go into bridge side
walks.
@. What was Capt. Campbell's speed
going south and speed going north when
he broke the record? How many speeds
had his CART. r. B
A. Capt. Campbell, who broke the
worlds automobile speed record, made
246.575 miles an hour in the run In the
southern direction. HIS time coming
back was 244.897 miles per hour. His
average time for the measured mile both
ways was 14.65 seconds. The Blue Bird
has three speeds ahead and one revere.
@. How can colors be set In cotton
goods?-E. G. s.
A. The Bureau Of Home Economies
says the household methods Of soaking
fabrics in salt, alum, vinegar and vart-
GUS other solutions as a means Of set
ting" the color are largely a waste Of
time and materials. Though the color
will not run from a dysd fabric as long
as it remains in a saturated solution Of
salt or alum. this has No permanent ef-
feet on the dye A fabric after treatment
in this way is just as likely to fade when
washed Inter in the, ordinary way. No
successful household methods of setting
the color in dyed fabrics are known.