Evening star., 1933-01-01

on q 365 .25-day year. and had ordained that
there be an extra day added to February every
fourth year to rectify the irregularity But In
reality there are only 365 242 days In the year,
and the observance of leap year every four
years caused the calendar gradually TO fall be-
hind the sun. The discrepancy was too slight
to be noticed at first but by 1882 AD the
calendar year was 10 days out Of place. Pope
Gregory XIII, upon the advice of prominent
astronomers. dropped these 10 DAYS from the
calendar, and established new leap year rule
that three century leap years in each four
hundred years must be non-leap years
The Gregorian calendar was adopted BY all
Catholic countries in 1892 Protestant Ger
many did not accept it until 100: and Great
Britain, with all her colonies, including the
United States, refused to acknowledge until
1752 Since a leap year skipped, under
the Gregorian calendar, in l700, it was neces-
sary for Great Britain TO drop IL days tn
stead Of the 10 days Cancelled by Pope Gregory
These. II DAYS were cropped between Septem-
Der and September a. 1t is because Of this
calendar change that George washington's
birthday is celebrated February a. Ac-
cording to the Washington family Bible ut
Mount Vernon, he was born on "Ye l1th day
of February
For many years after the reform of 17s2
dates were referred to as "old style" and ~new
style" and one can surmise that considerable
confusion existed. But finally the confusion
passed away. and people ceased 10 remember
that there had ever been other than new
style" dates
movement has been under way since the
early days of the present century to make
further and more drastic changes in our calen-
dar, so that its faults may be minimized In
1924 the problem was brought before the
League Of Nations at Geneva where it has been
periodically studied, discussed and debated and
where 1t Is still pending as an important matter
of world concern.
More than two hundred plans for revision
have been PRESENTED to the League, but only
two of these have survived as worthy of pro-
longed consideration. One of these calls for
division OF our days into thirteen-month
year: the other provides for rectifying OF
the present 12-month calendar, with four equal
seasons.
Absolute simplicity is, Of course, unattainable
because day and year, week and year. lunar
month and year. are incommensurable periods
OF time. Proponents OF reform, however are
strong in their conviction that we should cor
rect our calendars most obvious faults, and
should seek to bring 1t as near as possible tC
perfection and simplicity
Both the 13-month and eQlal-quarters
plans Of revision call for the fxity Of our cal
endar by the INTERPOLATION OF year day every
year and leap day every four years, year
day to be added at the end Of December and
leap day at the end of June. These <aays
would belong to no week, and would therefore
not interfere with the permanent relation of
week days to specific dates The assortment
OF days in any month would be exactly the
same as in the same month Of the preceding
year. Calendars would be made of durable ma
terials, and the hanging of fresh, new ones
each year would become just a custom OF the
quaint and inefficient p@t.
The advocates Of the 13-month plan
claim that it is superior to any other because
of the fact that its months are exactly even
28 days In each-and because the dates OF
any month would fall not only on the
same week days as in the preceding year. but
ON the same week days as in any other month
The reform would have to be put into effect
on year when January comes ON Sunday
as 1t does this year. Thereafter the frst oi
every month would always fall ON Sunday, the
26th on Saturday, and-woe be unto us-the
18th on Friday. The thirteenth month would
be called SOL" and would be intercalated be-
tween June and July.
INDER the equal-quarters plan, the yeal
~ would be divided into equal halves and
quarters, containing 1854 days Of the year. Tht
quarters would consist OF three months each
the first month having 81 days and the
other two months 80 days each Each
month would contain some fraction of q week
and not all months would have the same assort-
ment of days. The plan has the advantage Of
equal quarters, however, and this fact Is con-
sidered of Importance by many persons.
Both the 13-month and equal-quarters
calendars would change many of our holidays
to the Mondays preceding their present dates
so that extended week ends might be enjoyed;
and Easter Sunday, which now wanders from
March 20 to April rs, would be fixed at some
certain date-probably early in April
There religious sects which object sim
cereiy and conscientiously to any calendar
change which would interfere with the weekly
cycle by the interspersing of extra days, and
there are superstitious souls who look with
horror upon the prospect OF year Of l3
months, In which the 18th of every month
would fall on Friday. Against these stand
thoGe who would welcome the change person