davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1935-02-15
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC RILLIAM VILE.

titled Malice in Blunderland" and
soon to be published in New York.
It is said to hold the Tories" up to
withering ridicule.
~ 4 +
Democratic leaders reveal no signs
of jitters as a result of the G. o. P.
Lincoln day dinner rally in New York,
at which former President Herbert
Hoover was the star performer, and
1886 white hopes" Gov. Hoffman of
New Jersey and President Glenn
Frank of the University Of Wisconsin,
also spoke. New Dealers failed to de-
tect in any of the dinner utterances,
including those of cousin Theodore
Roosevelt, who presided. anything
that savored Of constructive issues
likely to give the Democrats cause
for anxiety a year hence. The out
standing feature Of the occasion was
the tremendous ovation given to Mr..
Hoover. The big laugh Of the evening
was evoked by Gov. Hoffman, when
he said that the difference between
Woodrow Wilson and the White
House incumbent Is that the World
War President was "a professor sur
rounded by politicians"
X \ 4 X
Evidently some Of the good but gul-
lible people throughout the country
who have petitioned Congress for the
Townsend $200-a-month old-age PEN
sion plan are under the impression
that it has already become law. At
any rate, the story goes that some Of
them are now writing to Washington
in these terms: when do get my
pension7 I signed up for it several
months ago."
+
J. Edgar Hoover, director OF the
Division of Investigation in the De-
partment Of Justice, advocates finger
printing as an important aid in buSi-
ness. He says: When the stigma
which criminal work has attached
to the science is removed its poten-
tial uses in commercial, civil and
private life are enormous. II every
important document bore the finger
print Of its signer there would be
no long, expensive civil suits with
forgery as the basis. The fingerprtnt
would be there as an Interchangeable
seal Of authenticity. It can be used
in all matters which may be con-
tested, and it should be used. AS
evidence Of its value in yet another
direction, a request was only re-
Gently received from large cor
poration dealing in explosives, asking
for 1,400 f1ngerprint cards. so that
the prints of every one of its en-
ployes might be on file in case Of
some catastrophe making identifica-
ton difficult"
Now current at the Capitol is the
merry quip that the Supreme Court
determined to wait until after the
Hauptmann verdict before handing
down the gold decision in order that
the latter might not be crowded of
the front pages.
One Of Washington's unique pub
hcations is "The Window Seat" a
chatty weekly news letter supplied to
country papers by w. D. Jameson,
q former Democratic member Of the
House Of Representatives from Iowa.
'"The Window Seat" was recently 500
weeks old. It reaches more than q
million readers. A breezy, non
partisan, running account of the
washington scene and reproduced in
many States, it brings Mr.. Jameson,
now a member Of the District of
Columbia bar. into personal cor
respondence with thousands of the
folks back home, who have come to
rely upon him for information, help
and advice.
A (Copyrisit 1850
Evening star., 1935-02-15
P. o. Higher-Ups Should
Be Under Merit System

10 Inc EOlIOI Oh Inc SLATs
It Is to be regretted that the bill Of
Senator O'Mahoney to apply the merit
system to all classes of postmasters
omits from its beneflcent provisions
the four Assistant Postmaster Gen
erals. These key positions are left to
be filled as party patronage. The rec
concentrations Of Postmaster Generals
Wilson and Burleson should be fol-
lowed and these positions put into the
classified service. Until this is done we
can scarcely hope that the full measure
Of usefulness as a business institu-
ton will be realized by the Post Office
Department.
The importance Of the positions of
these four assistants was emphasized
by James G. Blaine and Senator
Chandler in their letter to President
Garfield in February, 1881. Mr..
Blaine wrote that the minor cabinet"
in the Post Office Department was even
more important than the major" and
Senator Chandler correctly prophe-
sled that "the prize of the star routes"
would be the scandal Of Garfield's S
term. The leading Federal official
implicated in the star route frauds
was Thomas j. Brady, Second As
sistant Postmaster General. To thwart
the cunning preparations Of the cabal
and to secure a thorough investi-
CATION Of the rumors of fraud, Presi-
dent Garfield promoted the highly
capable and experienced Postmaster
Thomas L. James, serving at New
York City, to be Postmaster General.
The average length Of service OF As
sistant Postmaster Generals is brief,
rarely more than two or three years,
not long enough to allow the incum-
bents, taken from political life, to
ACQUIRE expert knowledge for other
than mere routine performance Of
duty.
Senator O'Mahoney says that "every
administration should have the op-
portunity Of placing its own reSpon-
sible and trusted lieutenantS at the
head Of every Government depart
ment," but may not these trusted
lieutenants best be found among the
half million classified trained en-
ployes rather than to 60 outside and
take party workers without acquaint-
ance with the personnel Of the postal
profession and It's extensive laws and
regulations? Surely the promotion Of
tried and expert postmaster, post
Office inspector or chief clerk to be
an Assistant Postmaster General would
be likely to be more in the interests
Of improved administration than to
take a raw recruit, possibly foisted OF
on the administration by some cor
rupt political cabal, as was attempted
in the star route frauds. 1t would be
an inspiration to every classified en-
ploye If promotion were made from
the raaks, JOHN T. DOYLE. I
Evening star., 1935-02-15

early texts had a broad and inclusive
view Of religion and their work was
at once as simple as the Scriptures
and as comprehensive as the world in
which they lived. Their purpose, was
to dramatize in poeucal form the
great stories Of the souls pilgrimage
in the earth. The prophet Daniel, for
example, was q favorite theme, and
Saint Nicholas, prototype of Santa
Claus, likewise was q popular sub
ject. Parallels and legends were given
compelling vitality through the
genius Of writer's and volunteer actors
who had cathedral or cloister walls
for their background. Some COM
panies became so famous that they
went on tour, appearing before sudi-
ences of thousands in cities like
Rheips, Amiens, Paris, Canterbury
and winchester.
And the practical effect of the work
still may be seen In the iconographic
decorations of churches and other
buildings throughout Europe as well
as in the dramas of Shakespeare and
all the endeavors of his numerous
disciples. The players are immortal
lied in carven stone and in stained
glass; the plays reflected in the most
recent manuscript of Eugene ONeill
or Noel Coward For children eSpe-
cially the significance of the revival
of a representative example of the
unspolled primitive type should be
fascinating. Boys and girls will find
in it an explanation of many things
which they otherwise never would
understand, key to the theater free
and untrammeled and to dramatic
art brave and true.
Evening star., 1935-02-15
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL.

A cruel comedy of errors in the
Hawkworth family came to an end
when the maid inadvertently left a
! window open on the sun porch all
night.
That action finished the tropical
fish.
It had been O short life, but far
from merry one, ever since the crea-
lures left the store.
In the first place, the outside tenn
perature had been down close to zero
| the morning OF the day they had been
brought home in the paper bucket.
The water in the bucket was "A
degrees to start with, but in a few
minutes it had reached 68, and was
going down.
Mr.. HawkWorth was kindly man,
but he had never read much about
tropical fish.
He didn't know that preferably one
should choose q warmer day for
bringing them home, or at least
should take extra precautions in re-
gard to their transportation.
He did not realize that bee line
for home is the proper line for the
small exotic fellows, especially when
| temperatures are far, far below those
they would ever encounter in their
tropical haunts.
If Mr.. Hawkworth had any idea
about fish at all it was that the gold
i fish Is a cold water fish.
So he confused the tropical species
with them, and thought no more
about the matter.
\ \ r n
Hence he put the bucket of fish on
the floor Of his car and forgot about
them until time to 60 home in the
evening.
He had committed the usual blunder
of the beginner by purchasing far too
many creatures for his tank.
In the bucket, getting colder and
colder, were three angel fish, which
demand a constant 70 degrees at the
very lowest.
Mr.. Hawkworth was not alone In
misunderstanding the needs of these
creatures. 1t seems that beginners,
in general, particularly resent the fact
that the angel fish, or scalare. must
be constantly warm.
"BoSh," they say, at least to them
selves. What has the fact that a
fish comes from the Amazon basin
to do with it. anyway?
X =
When Mr.. Hawkworth got his
bucket Of fish home the angels were
almost gone. but he didn't know it.
They swan around in the tank. all
right, but the next morning two OF
them had passed out. and the third
one went by the fourth day.
BY that time the water was milky
in appearance. with a most foul odor
Something must be the matter
| with these plants" said Mr.. Hawk
worth, innocently selecting the one
faultless thing in the aquarium.
He had overfed his charges with
dry food, and this, decompoSing, set
up a most disagreeable odor.
He had not placed any glass lid
over the tank. so that by the next
morning the temperature had gone
down far below 70 degrees again.
In addition, one fish had jumped
out and was lying stiff on the rug.
X + 4 4
Although these losses made condi-
tions slightly more tolerable for the
remainder, the water condition had
become so bad that even Hawkworth
| decided something must be done
about it.
Accordingly, he netted out the re-
manning animals and placed them in
| laundry tub.
The stopper was in, Of course, but
in the course of a few minutes some
how it came out, and half dozen Of
Evening star., 1935-02-15

@. Is vegetarianism a new health
idea?-A. G..
A. 1t was known as early as history
In ancient India. 1t was advocated
by Plato and Plutarch. In England
1t became cult under George Cheyne
in 1871.
Q. How hot must q coal be to be
red hot?-E. F.. r.
A; The phrase is popularity used
Iof temperatures between TOO degrees
c. and 1000 degrees c. Above 1000
degrees c. it is called white hot.
@. How long has Antioch College
operated on the part-study, part-work
plan?-A. M. T.
A. 1t was instituted is years ago
and put in operation In 1921.
@. What kind of an animal Is .
burro?-E. J. B.
A The burro is a diminutive ass
of the southwestern part of the
United States descended from the
donkeys Of the Spanish conqueroH.
@. What non-corrosive alloys can
be used for statuary instead Of
bronze?-W. E. r.
A. The National Bureau Of Stand
ards says that one of the latest me-
MORALS to be erected in Washington,
D. C.-the Navy and Marine Me-
morial-iS made Of an aluminium
alloy. Aluminium alloys have also
been used abroad for similar pur-
poses. Stainless steel has been used
for small statuary groups principally
to show that this use of stainless
steel is practicable one. Lead
preferably hardened with antimony)
has been and still is used widely for
garden statuary. Its softneSs as COM
pared with bronze is its principal
drawback.
@. When was When You and I
Were Young, Maggie" written?-
w. C. j.
A. 1t was copyrighted in 1868.
George w. johnson wrote the words
and j. A. Butterheld wrote the music.
O. What is an empirical formula'-
KIN
A. 1t is a chemical formula ex.
pressing merely the results OF o
quantitative analysis.
@. How much is being spent TO pro-
vide for the Dionne quintuplets?-
A. B. F.
A. The guardians Of the quin-
tupletS are spending approximately
$500 a month on them. The Red
Cross is paying the salaries Of nurses
and other attendants in the hospital
provided for them by the Ontario
government at cost Of $500. The
guardians have to their credit $4,000
which it is hoped to increase by the
end of the year. The sale of pic
lures In the United States has netted
$4,000.
@. How many hairs are the av-
erage on the head Of the white
man?-C. NJ.
A Dr. c. F. Pabst estimates that
there are about 10000 hairs on the
head of an adult with & normal
growth.
@. At what age was Lafayette
married?-R. S.
A. At 16 Lafayette married Ad-
rienne de Noailles, "A, daughter Of
the Duke de Noailles.
@. What is meant by subrnarginal
land?-R. L. w
A. 1t is land which cannot be
profitably cultivated. It is land which,
taking into consideration its value,
does not produce sufficient crops to
pay for the work.
Evening star., 1935-02-15
Investigating the N. R. A.

A senatorial inquiry into the ope-
the fact that the administration
proposes to extend the life of that
agency Of government, has its uses.
So much has been written and said
Of the N. r. A., the codes of fair
competition, and what together they
have done for and to American busi-
ness that f1rSt-hand information from
all sides would be of value. 1t may
be argued that such an inquiry might
tend to delay the administrations
bill for the continuance of the N. R.
A. Speed, however much it may be
desirable, is not everything. And in
order to pass intelligently upon legis-
lative proposals which come before
them the Senate and the House are
entitled to the fullest information.
The demand for the Senate inveS-
tigation of the N. R. A. is sponsored
not unnaturally by Senators who
have been its critics. Nye of
North Dakota, progressive Republican,
and McCarran of Nevada, Demo-
crat, have introduced the reso-
luton. Temporarily the proposal for
an inquiry was held up because of
a dispute as to which committee of
the Senate should conduct it. Friends
of the New Deal in the Senate were
opposed to having the resolution go
to the Senate Commerce Committee,
as suggested by Senator Nye. That
committee is headed by Senator Cope
land of New York, and Senator Cope
land is not rated as a New Dealer.
The thought was expressed that the
inquiry should be made by the Senate
Finance Committee. which handled
the legislation which created the N.
r. A. originally, and which is eX-
pected to handle any legislation to
extend the law. The latter committee
has as its chairman Senator Pat Har-
rison Of Mississippi.
There Is some virtue in the argu-
ment that the committee which Is to
deal with the legislation should make
the investigation. The Senate Com
merce Committee might, of course. be
given the job of handling both the
new bill extending the life of the
N. R. A. and the inquiry. But that is
scarcely likely to happen. Jurisdic-
tional disputes are sometimes as bit
ter in the Senate as they are among
the unions of organized labor.
The Nye-McCarran resolution OF in
quiry lists twenty-one charges brought
against the N. r. A. In the main
these charges are to the effect that the
rights and interests Of the small busi-
ness man and of labor are being
ignored in the scramble of the bigger
industrial units for wider markets.
Administrators Of the N. r. A. and the
code authorities are charged with
playing favorites. Economic DEATH
is the fate, it Is charged, Of those who
have not obeyed the crack Of the whip.
Code authorities are accused of "levy-
ing taxes"
It has been suggested that the
Supreme Court of the United States
may write definite limit on both the
activities and the life Of the N. r. A.
when it passes upon some of the cases
that have come before it. There have
been many charges that the law and
its administration are unconstitutional.
Whether they are or not, Congress is
entitled to know just how this law is
affecting business and labor and the
entire American people. A Senate
inquiry would serve an excellent pur-
pose. by whatever committee 1t Is
made.
Evening star., 1935-02-15
Enlightenment Sought
On Holding Companies

To the Editor Of The Star:
At about the same time the admins
tration was sending to Congress bills
with the avowed intention of putting
out of business utility holding COM
panies press dispatches stated that
the chairman of the r. F. C. was con-
ferring with the lead Of one Of the
best known railroad holding COM
panies with a view Of lending Govern
ment assistance toward reorganization
of one of its bankrupt subsidiaries.
will someone enlighten me as to why
holding companies of one industry are
damned and those Of another industry
blessed? j. c. HAUFELT.
Evening star., 1935-02-15
Paw Restoration and Budget.

In signing the deficiency bill on
Wednesday the President pointed out
that restoration of full Government
pay April l, as provided in that meas
ure, constitutes an additional charge
of $16,000.000 1t should be noted
that this sum was not contained in
the budget estimates and that con-
sideration should properly be given to
methods by which Government rev.
enues can be increased to meet this
and other new appropriations which
tend to throw the regular budget out
Of balance"
The President thus states a prin-
ciple with which there can be no
logical disagreement. No Government
can pursue for any length of time a
policy Of spending money which it
has not provided through revenue
raising legislation. A program of
Government borrowing to meet emer-
that basic fact, and the President is
correct in emphasizing it once more
But if Congress does not respond by
giving consideration to the provision
Of the SIC, 100000 expenditure in excess
Of budget estimates, the reason for
such intentional oversight will be that
$l6.000,000 is too small potato
to attract much attention in these
days of four-thousand-mil dollar
expenditures, made without provision
OF increased revenues.
The fact has recently been pointed
out by Prof. Kemmerer of Princeton
that the present size Of the public
debt-as large as it iS-does not con-
stitute the real danger. The danger,
in his opinion, lies in the rate at which
the public debt is being increased "and
the fact that the forces that usually
curb excessive Government expendi-
lures are at present comparatively in
effective" The traditional brake on
Government expenditures has always
been the direct relation between heavy
expenditures and heavy taxation, and
the knowledge of legislators that when
they vote for heavy expenditures they
must also vote for heavy taxation.
When the brake is removed through
resort to heavy borrowing-evenc con-
sidering that heavy borrowing may be
necessary in an emergency-the dan
gers Of loose, inhationary policies are
greater.
The sixteen-million item for resto-
ration of full Government pay three
months In advance of the end OF the
fiscal year, when its restoration would
be provided for in budget estimates,
Is q relatively small sum. Further
more, the generally recognized equity
Of restoring full salaries that were
never large to begin with has created
O sentiment with which the President
is familiar and to which he Is not
unsympathetic. There is general ap-
proval Of this delayed step by the
Government in applying to pay of
personnel the same policy that it has
consistently championed for private
industry and business as a whole.
The results, it is believed, will be
favorable.
In approving the item, however, the
President has done well to refer again
and specifically to the importance of
keeping within budget estimates, even
though the estimates themselves are
greatly in excess of revenue income.
Evening star., 1935-02-15
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN,

A reader can get the ans,oer to
any question OF fact By tDriting The
Washington Epenin0 Star Information
Bureau, Frederic J. HGskin, Director,
Washington, d. c. Please trclose
stamp for reply.
@. What does a page advertise
ment In The Evening Star cost for
one insertion?-H. G.
A. The price OF this space is
S665.28.
@. How many names of horses are
registered with the Jockey Club?-
r. G.
a. The Jockey Club has a file of
more than $4,000 titles.
@. How many Pullman cars are
conditioned?-E. w.
A. About 1,100. Some 1900 more
will be air-conditioned next Summer.
@. Does noise retard Office work.
D. G.
workers who think they become &C
customed to continuous noise actually
spend 20 to 25 per cent Of their
energy repelling the shock.
Q. What epitaph did Queen Vic
toria herself compose for her maui
soleum?-T. G.
A Victoria-Albert Here at last I
shall Rest with thee, in Christ Shall
rise again.
Q. How large is the Music Hall at
Radio City?-R. C.
A. Radio City Music Hall is l2l
feet high, has a ground area Of
60,267 square feet and seating ca
pacity of over 5000.
@. Did all the men who attended
the convention which framed the
Constitution of the United States sign
IT'D. D.
A. Fifty-five delegates attended the
convention, but there are only SO
signatures appended to the docu-
ment.
@. To what amount are pennies
legal tender?-G. G.
A. All coins, including l-cent
pieces, are now considered legal
tender up to any amount.
Q. Is Frans Halls popular in the
States?-T. A. H.
A. He is so popular that more
than 80 of his paintings are owned
in the United States.
Q. What is the source of the quo
tation, God made the country and
man made the town"?-A. L.
A. 1t is from THE Task" by VIII
liam Cowper.
@. When was the Crystal Palace
fire in New York City?-H. M.
A. The Crystal Palace Building
was destroyed by fire october 5, 1858
O. Who is to produce George Ber-
nard Shaw's new playa. N.
A. The Simpleton of the Unex-
pected Isles" Mr.. Shaw's newest play,
will be produced by the Theater Guild
and will have its world premiere in
New York.
@. Will the Archives Building in
Washington preserve historic hlms?-
w. NJ.
A. A section Of the national ar
chives act makes it a function Of the
Archives Establishment to accept
store and preserve motion picture
films and sound recordings pertain
ing to and illustrative Of historical
activities of the United States.
Evening star., 1935-02-15
Stalin's Worst Foe.

From the Eureka (canf) Humboldt Times.
Stain may have been able to lick
Car and Kerensky and Trotsky and
a lot of other respectable enemies, but
his biggest battle Is yet to come. The
young women Of Russia are rebelling
against RECOMMENDATION of dress anA
the ban against cosmetics.
Evening star., 1935-02-15

Hold-up men would have to do q
marvellous amount of reforming to be
as good as they are painted by their
lawyers.
Evening star., 1935-02-15
Mutual determination.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
It is said Bolivian and Paraguayan
soldiers kill themselves to escape
death by thirst in the jungle. The
Chaco war savors of suicidal fanati-
cism on the part Of both belligerent
nations.
Evening star., 1935-02-15
Too Small.

From the Flint (Mich.) Journal.
Jails, says a general, are monu-
ments to human folly. In which case,
the truly fitting memorial will never
be built with adequate size.
Evening star., 1935-02-15

Interest in Herbert Hoover's recent
speech shows that while the elephant
may have wandered away, the old
mahout is still there.
Evening star., 1935-02-15

Japanese adroitneSs may bring up
some complimentary suggestion that
in the Orient the first Of April be
made a national holiday.
Evening star., 1935-02-15

The fate Of the Macon is bringing
forth much sentiment to the effect
that nation with plenty of first-class
airplanes can still be happy without
dirigibles.
Evening star., 1935-02-15

The crime of kidnapping has been
made so ugly that even the most hard
ened criminal must shrink from it.
The lesson at Flemington cannot 60
for nothing.
Evening star., 1935-02-15

MuSSolini has always had ideas OF
military magnifcence and may intend
to use Ethiopia as practice field.
Evening star., 1935-02-15
Fractions.
Small governments try
In a number of places
From harness to fly
And kick over the traces.
They won't have a heart
And avoid rough abuses.
BY way Of a start
They kick over the truces.

Satan" said Uncle Eben, "is de
high-power real estate man dat threw
Adam and Eve out of DER homes SOS
he could build it up like it is now"
Evening star., 1935-02-15
Mernher of the Associated Pres.

The Associated Press is exclusively en-
titled to the use for republication OF all
news news DISPATCHES credited to it or not othey-
local news published herein. All rights of
publication Of special dispatches herein
are also reserved