davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1934-02-21
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

+, inch high. They will tolerate this
easily, provided there Is at least
gallon Of water to each fish. II one
| doubts this, and Is made mentally
uneasy by the sight Of the cover on
the goldfish tank, he may make a
screen Of wire, to At over the top.
This will prevent the fishes from
leaping out, and still will give them
all the air there Is available.
Goldfshes are not as likely to leap
out as the tropicals. but upon occa-
sion they will do 1t. The habit Of
some fanciers Of keeping the tank
half full of water, rather than resort
| to a lid of some description, is absurd.
What is the use Of possessing ten
gallon tank, for instance, II only five
gallons of water are to be carried
in it?
This practice arose, no doubt,
through the stubborness Of some fan
ciers to take to the idea of using lid,
Only experience will teach an aquarist
the necessity for 1t.
| Sometimes this experience is costly,
as when he comes down in the morn
ing to find some favorite-and costly
fish out on the floor. with gills dried
beyond redemption.
The tropical fishes are great leap
ers. in many instances.
They are all the more deceptive in
this, since they may be quite inactive
in the tank, to all appearances.
The beautiful Copeina guttata, a
| lavender fellow with red dots along
his sides and orange fins, is good
example.
The Aquarium Magazine asked, re-
Gently, why this beautiful fish was
not popular, and expressed some won-
der about 1t.
The truth is that it is one Of the
worst jumpers we have, and will leap
out of tank upon the slightest
provocation, if the lid is left of, even
during feeding time.
We have seen this fine fish jump
out OF an aquarium to a height OF
at least four feet from the water sur
face and propel itself by its initial
motion for a distance OF at least 3
feet from the tank.
It still had plenty of energy left.
after striking the hard surface, to
lump with a motion resembling that
of a grasshopper, time after time. to
a distance of about 2 feet into the air.
For all its delicate coloring, it Is a
hardy animal. Captured and placed
back in its tank, 1t soon revives and
swims around as briskly as Its habits
will permit it.
No matter how lethargic tropical
fish may seem, as 1t turks in the
| plants or remains motionless in the
water, as some Of them do. 1t prob
ably has as much ability as the next
fish to jump.
How many such jumpers glass lids
have caught and propelled back into
the water there is no way on earth
of telling, but the number must be
millions.
The glass lid. then, is a necessity,
as much so as the water. or the
fishes. or the tank itself. 1t helps
keep fishes in. dust out, warmth in,
especially for the tropicals. Without
it there is not much pleasure in keep
ing the hundred and one small exotic
creatures now so much the vogue.
But until one learns through his own
experience, at the expense OF his pets
and his pocketbook, he is likely to
deprecate such advice. But, remem-
Der, If fish does jump out. give 1t
chance by putting 1t back as soon as
found. That Is Just common sense,
of course, but not all fish fans. more
than ordinary mortals, seem to pos
sess 1t.
Evening star., 1934-02-21
Mr.. Colpoys' Appointment.

The selection of John B. Colpoys to
be United States marshal for the Dis
trict of Columbia is gratifying to his
hundreds of friends in Washington
Like popular Edgar Snyder, whom he
Is to succeed in a post traditionally
associated with political recognition
Of valued services, Mr.. Colpoys en-
joys a reputation in this community
extending beyond his fame as loyal
and earnest party worker. He has
been a good Democrat all his life;
since 1912 he has attended as a dele
gate every convention but one, and
he has served as chairman Of the
Democratic Central Committee. He
was a Roosevelt man" long ago. But
he has been a valued citizen of the
District of Columbia as well. Coming
here as a young man thirty-two years
ago, Mr.. Colpoys grew up" with the
community and has long been identi-
fed with its best interests. His
friends are by no means confined to
his fellow partisans any more than his
interests have been confined to par
tisan affairs.
Like Mr.. Snyder, who has served
as marshal under three Republican
ADMINISTRATION. and whofs career In
Evening star., 1934-02-21
Holocaust.

Ten elderly women were sacrificed
at Brookville, Pa, yesterday morning
when the building in which they were
housed at a home for relatives of
Civil War Veterans was destroyed by
fire. The structure, part of the orig
inal establishment founded half a
century ago, had been condemned as
unsafe in 1923. Yet it was continued
In use as an infirmary. Extensions
had been granted from time to time
because funds could not be raised for
q new building. 1t was a veritable
fire trap, wooden construction which
was reduced to ashes within half an
hour after a blaze, originating from
short circuit, started in a wash
room. The inmates, III, blind and
crippled, had SO little chance of
escape that only six of those housed
in 1t could be rescued.
Kindliness dictated the establish
ment OF this home, and kindness
induced its tolerance when it had be-
come dangerous. Yet the final out
come was a ghastly tragedy. Now
that fire has removed the relic-which
should have been razed long ago, in
which case funds would doubtless
have been provided to replace it
there is general sorrow, which will
not restore the lives that have been
lost or tighten the responsibility that
rests upon the sponsors for the insti-
tuition and upon the public authori-
ties who permitted continued use in
mistaken generosity.
Perhaps this holocaust will cause a
survey to be made in other places to
ascertain whether similar risks are
being run at institutions where i'll
and aged people are housed. There
are probably many of them. The
Brookville horror should at least teach
profitable lesson in precaution.
Evening star., 1934-02-21

that office has been eminently success
full, Mr.. Colpoys has been chosen
from the field Of journalism, with
which he became identified as edi-
tor and publisher of the Trade Union
ist. While his friends are hopeful
Of escaping any official relationship
with the marshal, they enjoy the
pleasant prospect of retaining Mr..
Colpoys' services as a good citizen
for many years to come. His nofni-
nation will doubtless be as well re-
ceived by the Senate as by his fellow
Washingtonians.
Evening star., 1934-02-21

way, and there are reasons why most
of those attending the house party
would not grieve too sincerely II he
were out Of the picture, 30 the ele-
ments Of . good mystery are album
dant.
This story, like the others by Dip
lonat," is better as a tale Of inter-
national intrigue and shoddy politics
than it is as q mystery. The veil
which should enshroud the murderer
until the climax Is much too thin.
The poisoning is clever and the plot
intended to cause the death Of an
other person is the work Of an active
genius, but the criminal is too easily
detected in the early chapters of the
book to make it much Of mystery.
It is, however, a delightful satire on
the workings Of the world conferences.
which have now come to be looked
upon more ~ farces than - seri-
osas de,iberations spou vital questions.
Evening star., 1934-02-21
Study of the Tax Burden.

The Board Of Directors Of the
Chamber Of Commerce assumes q
sound position in suggesting to Chair
man Norton Of the House District
Committee that a thorough study of
all sources of local tax revenues be
made to determine the presence, If
any, of existing inequities In the dis
tribution of the tax burden. Ger
tainly some such study should pre-
cede the infliction of additional tax
burdens, as proposed in the bill by
Representative Smith of Virginia to
help filling station proprietors Of ad-
joining States by boosting the local
gasoline tax.
The people of the District are JUS
titled in regarding In the light of
Greeks bearing gifts, offers to raise
certain taxes so that others may be
lowered. For experience here has
taught the lesson that it is much
easier to impose new taxes than to
tighten old taxes. And while there
is much talk of redistributing on
more equitable basis the local tax
burden, the exact plan Of redistribu-
ton should certainly be made known,
preceded by such a study as the
Chamber Of Commerce suggests, be-
fore any new or additional taxes are
imposed.
There are, Of course, dozens Of diff
ferent forms of taxation favored by
dozens of cities Different communi-
ties choose different methods of taxing
themselves. If all the taxation snemes
proposed in the past for Washington
each one, probably, with some thought
Of reform" in the mind Of the
sponsor-were placed in effect, Wash
ington would be plastered with all the
favored forms of taxation in the
universe.
The important thing now Is the
total tax burden imposed on this COM
munity, in relation to what other self
taxing communities impose on them
selves, and an equitable consideration
of the real obligation by the exclu-
Sively governing Federal Government
toward development and support Of
its own Capital. If that matter re-
ceives the consideration it deserves,
and In the spirit that equity would
demand, thorough study by some
disintereSted body of the distribution
Of the local tax burden could appro-
priately follow.
Evening star., 1934-02-21
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

not a son Of fair Harvard. His alma
mater Is Brown.
Republican Responsibilities for
1894" Senator Arthur H. Vanden-
berg's discussed recent address
at Grand Rapids, is considered by poll
ticians as effectually launching the
junior Senator from Michigan a
Republican white hope for 1896,
should the G. O. P. turn West Tor
presidential timber. AS a candidate
for reelection this year, Senator Van
denberg's political future largely de-
pends on what happens 70 him in
November He sums up his attitude
toward the Roosevelt program as fol-
lows. II do not propose to rock the
boat but I do not intend to ignore
the rocks" Republican Senate Leader
McNary put his Iuchigan colleagues
speech In the Congressional Record.
How much room would the s11,s76.-
900. 900 of all the monetary gold there
is in the world take up if it could
be piled in one place? DR.. Willard E.
Atkins, head of the department of
economies at New York University,
has Just been in Wall Street with a
tape measure to find out what space
would be needed, theoretically, to
dump the treasure near the spot where
the Morgan bank stands. Reduced to
a physical mass, DR.. Atkins discov-
cred that it would make a cube
80 1/10 feet in three dimensions end
fit easily into even the narrowest street
in the Stock Exchange sector, where
Broad, Wall and Nassau come together.
- Il
Congress has been asked by the New
York State Historical Association to
appropriate funds for celebrating in
1887 the 150th anniversary of the
adoption Of the United States Consti-
tuition. 1t Is suggested that the pro-
posed celebration be conducted on the
Nationwide lines of the George Wash
ington Bicentenary in 1882.
4 -
DR.. Esther Caukn Brunauer, inter-
national relations secretary Of the
American Association Of University
Women, is at work at its national
headquarters in Washington on a book
dealing with the effects of the Nazi
revolution on the average person in
Germany. Her husband, a chemist in
the Department Of Agriculture, is COL
laborating in the work A Californian
and Phi. D. Of Stanford, DR.. Brunauer
has specialized in national and inter-
national politics, economics and social
problems and been delegate to
numerous conferences abroad. Last
year she was awarded q fellowship Of
the Oberlaender Trust, adjunct of the
Carl Schurz Memorial Foundation, for
the survey In Germany, of which her
book will be the fruit.
Copyright. 1934.)
Evening star., 1934-02-21

Q. Is It true that men in 9. o. o.
camps are being given military train
ing and would be the first to be called
in case Of war2-B. H.
A. Men in the @. @. G. camps are
not having full military training, al
though . semi military discipline is
maintained. Many Of the camps are
commanded by officers who are men,
bers of the Reserve. In case Of war
the G. c. @. men, as such, would not
be the first to 60. Military training
was not the purpose for which the
camps were established.
q. What IL the total farm income
from vegetable growing2-P, A. T.
A. For the United States It aver
ages nearly $1,000, ,o0o, 900 . year.
@. Is 1t true that the Nazis have
revised the Psalms?-R. o.
A. Wilhelm Teudt has rewritten
and revised the Psalms In order "to
purge the Biblical text from its Jew
ish influence" His Germanized ver-
sion consists Of IS revised Psalms.
q. What Is the largest circulation
ever attained by an American news
paper?-C. c.
A. The News, New York's picture
newspaper, claims the largest, with q
circulation Of more than 100000.
Q. Since 50 many people wear
glasses, does this tend to weaken the
eyes Of the race?-H. N. r.
A. DR.. Arthur P. Wilkinson says
that glasses have become common be-
cause the need for them is being
recognized and. instead of weaken
ing. they tend to strengthen the eyes
@. Can q person ask you to gel
some information from a Govern
ment department for him?-T. D.
A. Such q request will be complied
, with Immediately. The mail Is sort.
ed in this office and researchers per.
sonally visit the departments with
letters which need this treatment
Send your question to this newspa-
per's information bureau, inclosine
coin or stamp for reply. Address
Frederic j. Haskin, Director. Wash
| ington, D. G.
O. What are the main divisions ot
the United States f1eet?-M. w.
A. At the present time the United
States fleet is divided into four main
divisions called forces. These forces
are the Battle Force, the Scouting
Force, the Submarine Force and the
Base Force.
Q. Who invented the rotary wash
ing machine?-L B.
A. A washing machine with rotary
motion was invented in 1889 by Ham,
ilton z. Smith OF Pittsburgh.
q. How was China governed be.
fore 1t became . republic?-F. C.
A. China was originally a kingdom
Its government, based upon that oi
the family, remained unchanged
from the earliest period until the
revolution of 1e11-12 by which 6
republican form of government was
established. For more than 2oOC
years the Emperor was the supreme
head of the state. In the seventeenth
century the Ming dynasty was over
come by the Manchus from the north
The conditions and practices of the
autocracy were preserved by tn
Manchus, but many reforms were ini.
tiated in the last few years Of imperia
rule At the close Of 1911 the party
| Of the reform forced the imperia
dynasty TO q voluntary" abdicatior
and a republic was proclaimed Feb.
ruary II, 1912.
O. Are swordfish cold or warm wa.
ter fsh?-A. z. c.
A. Swordfish are tropical fish, but
| in Summer they occur in the Ameri-
can seas as far North as New Eng
| land.
Evening star., 1934-02-21

Admiration for the salvation cab
met" Of France Is expressed by Amer
leans as Premier Doumergue returns
to power and gains the confidence Of
the people. The French statesman
is called the modern Cincinnatus."
because of his return from the quiet
position Of retired statesman to
serve his country in an emergency
Observing that France has "ade-
quate physical equipment but still
lacks those intangible forces so nee
essary to national and personal we'll
being and so little known to politi-
Clans" the Newport News Daily
Press advises. "Dounergue's most dif-
ficult task will be to remedy this de-
hciency. Before the matter is settled
in France there must arise from Dou-
mergue, or some one else, principle
on which the government and the
economic system can be regenerated.
Not by bread alone does man exist.
Neither upon the mere physical as
poets Of safety can a nation expect to
rise supreme. The most deadly foe
arises from within, as the events of
the past 10 days have demonstrated.
The regeneration must be from within
also. Perhaps Doumergue is real
Cincinnatus. If so, it will be from a
great spirit of unselfish service that
he will be enabled to save the day"
Similar comments are made by the
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette in find
ing the premier a great factor in pre-
serving the nation. That paper de-
clares: ~'Doumergue had retired from
politics and sought to enjoy the re-
mainder of his life far from the
crowd, and then a grave crisis came.
He was called to serve and he did not
fail to heed that call. His story is SIM
liar to the story of Cincinnatus, who
also was called and who heard the
call and answered 1t. Whatever we
may think of the present situation In
Paris, none Of us can read about Gas
ton Doumergue without having our
pulses quicken Just q little and our
regard for our fellow men become
just little higher"
Revision of the French constitu-
ton to provide q more democratic
system may be development OF the
Doumergue regime" thinks the Wat
erloo Iowa, Daily Courier, while re-
marking that "only a few days ago
the die-hard royalists, encouraged by
riots In Paris, were dreaming of an
other monarchy" The Owensboro,
XIV, Messenger declares Of the cabi-
net: "It is a government of notables
and q government Of national con-
centration; it should be government
of salvation. II these men cannot
guide France out Of her troubles 1t
Evening star., 1934-02-21
Doumergue Power as Chief
Suggests Modern Cincinnatus

will be time to admit that there is
something radically wrong with the
French constitutional system"
The vote of confidence and the
present situation" In the Judgment of
the Troy. N. Y, Record, constitute q
remarkable tribute to Premier Dou-
mergue. With the exception of
former Premier and President Poin-
care it is probable he is the only
Frenchman who could have brought
about the present desirable conditions
so quickly. As the Chamber Of Depu.
ties has now made the Doumergue
cabinet the real rulers of France the
many momentous problems confront
Ing the nation will be taken up BY
these statesmen with the determina-
ton to find satisfactory solutions.
They will undoubtedly try to justify
the confidence expressed in them.
And Premier Doumergue Is fortunate
in having as his advisers some Of the
ablest and most experienced states
men Of France"
AS to the policies Of the new
regime, the Springfield, Mass, Re-
publican observes that apparently all
that has been accomplished by diplo-
macy in recent years for relieving the
crisis, reconciling Germany and its
neighbors and making the limitation
of arms throughout the world pos
sible, has been scrapped."
The Boston Herald lauds "the reso-
lutte attitude of the Government in
the international field" and con-
tinues: There Is to be no federation
Of NaZi intriguing in Austria. British
trade reprisals will be met with coun-
ter reprisals. A trade war with
Britain would, of course, be esret-
able and will probably be averted; but
the decision of the Doumergue cabi-
net shows it means to follow a strong
policy at home and abroad. Now for
the opportunity of this national gov
ernment to settle questions which
cabinets depending on the fieeting
favor of the most tickle Of assemblies
have feared to face. The present
government Is a national government
and the legislature must either sup
port 1t or go about its business Call
1t a dictatorship If you like. Names
do not matter"
Playing Of "a lone hand" Is observed
by the Miami, Fla, Herald. while the
Portland. Me-, Press Herald sees an
administration enjoying the conf
dence Of "the great majority of the
French people," and the Yakima
Daily Republic concludes: Nowhere
else could such a list of former gov
ernment heads be called from their
seclusion to serve their country once
more in herculean task Of maintain
ing their government in the face of q
peril more menacing than that which
confronted 1t In 1914. Six former
premiers Of all shades Of political be-
lief have pooled their efforts; veterans
in politics, every one, and II they can
not keep the ship of state from foun-
dering, no one else would have .
chance"
Evening star., 1934-02-21
Give your fishes q chance,

GlVo your uSneS q cnance.
This is something all keepers Of
home aquaria should remember when
they come down in the morning and
find one of their pets stiff and cold
on the floor.
1t may look as dead as the door
nail in "A Christmas Carol" but
Nature is wonderful, and may revive
the creature If it is put back into the
water. She cannot do 1t elsewhere.
This may seem an elementary pro-
cedure, but we have heard Of two
persons recently who failed to do it
not thinking the creatures had q
chance.
On the other hand, we know a
goldfish fancier who came down one
morning to find one of his fishes out
on the floor. How long it had been
there he had no way Of knowing, but
1t appeared to be extinct.
This man knew more about his
fishes than the other two, however
He knew that the goldfish has been
transported for miles in no more than
wet handkerchief.
He knew it to be, especially in its
primitive forms, an exceptionally
hardy animal.
Accordingly, he placed 1t back In
its tank. He was going to give it its
chance.
He watched 1t for quite q while.
The fish seemed quite dead, but he
left it there, to experience the rev1vi-
ftyi eff 0f n1lV native Rle-
ment.
Upon returning to the tank in about
half an hour, he Noticed that the fish
seemed to move slightly.
He looked more closely.
Yes, there could be no doubt OF II
now, there was motion there, If nc
more than a slight twitch Of the gills
He knew 1t all depended upon the
fish. and its physiological ability tc
survive drying.
Small tropical fishes, such as gup-
pies, as hardy as they are, cannot
stand being out Of water more than
or 10 minutes.
A female guppy Of his had been out
for Is minutes when discovered, but
failed to live, although it gasped con-
vulsively for more than an hour after
being put back into the water.
This goldfish, however, ultimately
recovered, and is today as lively ano
healthy as its mates.
Il II 4 4
Never give up a fish, therefore
until you have to. 1t is good motto
for any living creature, but particu-
larly appropriate In the case Of the
small fishes one brings into the home
Not every person, not even the So
called fish FAM" has heard that COW
ers are good things.
To the person with little interest
in this hobby, the idea of placing
sheet Of glass squarely over the tor
of an aquarium always comes a.
something of a shock.
Then, like so many persons who
lack special knowledge, they begin tt
argue about it.
why. I would think it would suf-
focate them!"
For tropical fishes the oxygen ir
the water, plus that in the inch OF
two between the water surface anc
the glass lid, is quite enough for al
practical purposes. provided the tanE
is not overcrowded, the plants grow
ing well, and the management OF the
aquarium and its inmates has beer
what 1t ought to be.
4 4 y
Even goldfshes can stand a lie
close down, or, better, supported on
pads at each corner a quarter Of ar
Evening star., 1934-02-21

If it should become the duty of each
administration to investigate all pre-
vious administrations it may encour-
age the idea Of going back to the be-
ginning to discover whether there is
any real propriety in various literary
efforts to "debunk" George Wash
ineton