davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1935-06-07
Unnecessary and Dangerous.

In the Summer months an increas-
ing number of Washingtonians are
finding pleasant recreation in canoe
ing above Key Bridge In the later
afternoon, especially on Sundays and
holidays, the river is full of the small
craft. But while the section of the
river between Key Bridge and a little
below Chain Bridge is relatively safe
for the sport. there being no rough
water and the shore within easy
reach, speedbosts have added a
menace apt to take its toll in lives
within the next few months. The
wash from a speeding power boat is
enough in itself to endanger frail
canoes, but the increasing number of
speedboats in recent years has added
the additional danger OF collision.
The danger should be easily cured
SpeedboatS should be forced to keep
within a safe speed limit on this
part Of the river, and there should
be a police boat on hand to arrest
any fragrant offender. There is plenty
Of room on the river for speedboats
as well as canoes, but the rather
confined area available to canoeists
should be protected.
Canoes are safe enough, even in
the hands Of inexperienced canoeists.
provided they use common sense. But
speedbosts dsshing through a fotilIa
Of canoes, no matter how skilled the
canoeists. represent an unnecessary
and a real danger. There ought to
be one quiet little spot, somewhere.
safe from the Speed Demon, and it is
too bad that it cannot be found
even in the upper Potomac.
Evening star., 1935-06-07

oficials. Those responsible for the
construction" are Engineer Commits
sioner Sultan and his Assistant Engi-
neer Commissioners. One does not
readily associate indifference with
Commissioner Sultan's record. There
are doubtless other causes for the de-
lay which should be explained. AS for
the length of time required to COM
plete these two important schools,
their history is already becoming some
what ancient. The site for the Wood
row Wilson was purchased in August,
1892, and the building will not have
been completed three years after the
site was bought. The Anacostia Jun
ior Site-for the school which Is to be
both q Junior and senior high school
was bought in March of 1882. Appro-
priationS have been made in each fiscal
year since 1892.
Whatever the explanation may be
for a delay which provokes anxiety at
the Franklin lest these needed schools
will not be ready as scheduled should.
and doubtless will be, furnished by
Gel Sultan.
Evening star., 1935-06-07

than twenty-eight hours in one week.
The board or its agent may issue
a permit when satisfied that the minor
IL receiving adequate educational in
Structions and that the health and
morals OF the minor are properly
safeguarded.
OF course, that amendment would
permit the appearance of child actors
In any show that comes to town.
No shows considered offensive to
public decency" are supposed to per-
form under any conditions. And the
busy Board Of Education would doubt
less add q chore of some intricacy to
its other tasks in deciding whether
q child actor was really receiving
adequate educational instructions"
and in satisfying itself that the
health and morals" of the child are
properly safeguarded.
Nor is it at all sure, from q read
ing of the amendment, that it would
have permitted the appearance here
some years ago Of, say. Yehudi Menu
hin, who is not q member Of any
professional travelling theatrical pro-
duction."
The amendment is intended to do
what Its sponsors doubtless desire,
which is to permit child actors to
appear In Washington. And whether
anybody would be benefited by this
weakening of the child labor law Is
a matter Of strongly divided opinion.
Evening star., 1935-06-07
Let the Natural Forces
Bring Back Prosperity
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
Now that the N r. A. and its at
tendant satellites have been iunked,
the taxpayers will effect a big saw
ing in administration expenses, and
business. relieved of oppressive arti-
fetal distractions. will hasten the
return to prosperity by the free play
of natural forces.
II we could only get rid of few
more of these ineffective, collegiate
noStrumS of alphabetical notoriety,
1t would be still better, for we have
learned during the past two years
that natures laws cannot be tam
pered with with impunity. The COL
lege boys tried to improve on nature
by putting over an economic stunt
that didn't work.
We played q dirty trick on nature
when we started the game of land
racketeering, and the depression We
are passing through is well-deserved
punishment. In the course of time
we may learn that gambling in the
resources of nature is against the
public welfare and should be stopped
by making it as costly to hold val
liable land idle as putting it to its
best use.
Henry George solved the problem
in the only sane and practical man
ner possible, by taking the annual
rental value Of land for public ex-
penses, excluding all other taxes. BY
this simple proposition is it surpris-
ing how many Of our economic prob
lens will disappear, for most Of them
grow out Of the land question.
E. B. SWINNEY,
Los Angeles, Calf.
Evening star., 1935-06-07
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

IDENTIFY more acceptable to their
tongues. Perhaps, too, certain
amount of false modesty comes into
the matter. At one time such word
was used instead of sweat" as more
''gentlemanly."
Perhaps, to make 1t less like what
1t really was, they insisted on a trans
position, in order to form word
that did not sound so familiar.
Sometimes one hears such word
as "deciduous" pronounced "decl-du-
ouS," with the accent on the "du."
Here we get back into the old ques-
ton of the English pronunciation of
Latin names. Often our words OF
Latin derivation come from the Greek,
SO that by the time we Of 1885 get
done trying to say them correctly there
is no telling in the world what the
result will be.
In scientific terminology it is the
custom, IL a creature Is named after
human. to pronounce that part as
it really Is, and to let the Latin take
care of itself Thus. in the name
Priscilla riddlei, named specifically
after Prof. Riddle, the second or Speci-
fic name Is put in lower case (small
letter., but pronounced "riddle-i, not
rid -ley-i," as one might think.
The word hydrangea comes from the
Greek hudor, meaning water, plus
aggoS, vessel.
Hudor aggoS, thus, becomes hy-
drangea, meaning water vessel, per-
hapS in reference to the amount Of
water this plant needs at the bloom
ing season.
Geranium comes from the Greek
geraniOn, geranOS, crane. The frult
of this plant is supposed to resemble
a cranes bill. hence the name. Geran-
lum formerly was called cranes bill,
being a cultivated form of Pelargon-
ium. This word also is Greek, mean
ing stork (pelargos). Crane or stork'
take your choice.
What will strike many about mis-
recommendations Is that, after all, they
do not make much difference. except
in isolated instances where they are
so outrageous as to be funny.
Happily most words are used fairly
rapidly, and with others, so that few
persons really hear them when they
are wrong. Fortunately. too. the ma
iority of persons are we'll bred enough
to make no comment. Many person
has heard some one mispronounce a
word for years without ever mention
ing 1t.
After all. it is not much Of a mis-
take.
Those who insist on meticulous
pronunciation from others are very
likely to be all wrong themselves on
a few pet words.
If cornered, they may attempt to
place the blame on locality OF up
bringing. CuriouSly enough, they
may be right, for many words are
given special pronunciations in GER
tain sections of the country.
All through the so-called corn
belt" for instance, the name of the
National Capital is pronounced
washington" with the added r."
1t Is needless TO say that all those
folks "warsh" their hands instead OF
wash" them
1t NAV be believed that a few mis-
pronunciations, now and then. but
add zest to the great and continuing
study OF words. They are the spice,
without which the cake would be
somewhat fat.
Many persons think they are being
very polite when, instead Of openly
correcting miSpronuncistion, they
themselves use II and pronounce it
correctly Immediately thereafter. II
this is done. it should be considerably
DELAYED. Not doing it at all Is the
true politeness.
Evening star., 1935-06-07
Delayed School Construction.

Unnecessary and inexcusable delays
in public school construction have
been charged by the school authori-
ties on more than one occasion, lead
ing in the past to acrimonious ex-
changes between the Franklin School
and the District Building. But in
discussing the possibility that delays
in construction of the Woodrow Will
son High School and the Anacostia
Junior High School may find these
buildings unready for occupancy next
Fall. Jere J. Crane, the first assistant
superintendent of schools in charge OF
business affairs, makes a rather Sc
rious charge in his statement:
The fact that the schools are re-
ouired to relieve congested conditions
appears to be of little concern to those
responsible for the construction.
For indifference to public needs Is
O grave failing on the part Of public
Evening star., 1935-06-07
Children on the Stage.

Washington has not lost a great
deal and on the whole has gained
through the ban on child labor that
keeps children from the local pro-
fessional stage. Those who sgitate
removal Of the ban. regardless Of the
arguments of art for arts sake, are
usually interested commercially in
the business. The best arguments are
those In behalf Of permitting the
public appearance of the very few real
musical or other geniuses where the
profit motive-which figures largely
in the exploitation Of children-is
not so apparent.
The amendment to the child labor
law recently reported by the House
District Committee should be con-
sidered with great care before Its en-
actment. For the weakening Of any
law designed to protect children Is, Of
course, undesirable.
The proposed amendment reads in
part:
Notwithstanding the provisions Of this
act, the Board of Education Of the
District OF Columbia, or q duly au-
thorized agent thereof, Is authorized
to issue a work permit to any female
person under eighteen years OF age
and to any male person under sixteen
years of age, said permit authorizing
and permitting the appearance Of such
person on the stage of duly licensed
theater within the District of CO.
lumbia. In any professional travelling
theatrical production not considered
offensive to public decency. provided,
that such person shall not appear on
said stage after the hour Of IL o'clock
in the evening Of any day. nor more
than four hours In one day, nor more
Evening star., 1935-06-07
Constitution the Basis
OF the Best Government
To tn. Editor of The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star
In the present crisis it would be
well for all Of us to think more and
say less. Hasty thought leads to con-
fusion and error.
We have the best government in the
world. Our Constitution. the bull
wark Of our rights and liberties, has
guided the United States from the
small beginnings of a little more than
a hundred years ago to the front rank
of the nations of the world. No other
in history has such record. Through
the perils Of war. even civil war, 1t
has come forth triumphant.
The mistakes we have made were
due to our neglect of its principles
and to our failure to follow its in
structions. We have had abundant
reason to regret it.
The Constitution protects the rights
OF the States as well as the liberty
of the individual, the poorest citizen
as well as the richest; the most power
full dare not trample on the rights Of
the weakest. The duties of Congress
it defines; also those of the President
and the Supreme Court. Nfther one
can lawfully take over thejpoWer Of
either of the other two. InStead each
is check upon the aggreN Non of the
others. each a balance tof ofnsure the
Just action Of the others.
Nothing could be fnH than the
spirit with which the pr$sS and the
majority OF citizens have Bowed to the
decision of the Supren1$ Court; no
anarchy. no mob action bere. in their
acceptance of the calM back to the
Constitution and to tM great prin-
ciples of government it bculcates. The
Wisest group of men n8s Nation ever
produced deliberated bng. gave the
best of their talents Did from thsir
travail came this Cou$ tuition. which
has been the admiral 3bn Of the civ
ilized world and in pe&ce and war has
kept the faith and ADJ hnced the pros
perity and security offthe people.
II. under the fear Fbegotten by the
late depression. the femergency." We
have left the bedrOcEJof our principles
and sought to foundfour Government
on the sinking san fs Of trial and
error; if in our pan5c We have kicked
down the ladder that had led our Ma
ton up to greatness. when called back
now by the decision Of the Supreme
Court TO the wisdom and safety of the
Constitution, let us return to it, de-
fend it and go forward with courage.
overcoming obstacles no worse than
we have conquered in former times.
JOHN RANDOLPH STOCKTON.
Evening star., 1935-06-07
Supreme Court Should
Pre-View Legislation
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
The decision of the Supreme Court
In the N. r. A. case compels all Of us
to stop, look and listen" The decision
was unanimous and lawyers every
where, without regard to their political
Affiliations, thisk it sound. What will
be the attitude toward it and what
can and will be done with it are
matters of policy to be determined
jointly by the President and the Con-
gress. The fact stands out that this
act was passed in 1888 and since that
time the administration has been busy
putting 1t into execution. 1t has cost
huge sums of money and much time,
and more than two years after it was
enacted the Supreme Court decides
it to be unlawful and of no effect.
Now no one can put any one back
to where he or she was before its
enactment. The money 1t cost to
administer it cannot be returned to
the Treasury of the United States,
nor can the United States return 1t
to the taxpayer.
What has been done cannot be un-
done-the status quo ante cannot con-
ceivably be restored. OF one thing
am quite certain, and that Is that
anv governmental machinery, consti-
tutional or otherwise, that makes pos
sible a situation like this is unwork-
able and inexcuSable. Some one has
aptly said: 1T has long been the
lament of business men and their
counsel: oh, for a place where we
can be told In advance whether our
contemplated action is lawful or not! ;"
1t should be in some way and some
how provided that the Supreme Court
should determine the constitutional
length. breadth and thickness OF
bill before it becomes a law and not
after 1t goes into operation. l suggest
that Congress pass An act mat VIII re-
ouire a declaratory or advisory opinion
from the Supreme Court as to the
constitutionaliE of pending bill. AT
what stage this should be done ana by
whom done-which constitutes the
mechanics-can be worked out by our
legislators.
There is nothing new, startling or
radical in this suggestion. SUCH Is the
law in Massachusetts and California,
and I think 3O-odd States and Terri
tories Of the United States, and may
l add the precedent has been estab-
lshed of requiring advisory or declara-
tory opinions by the Supreme Court.
I refer TO the act of Congress of June
"A. 1894. Legal caution and con-
servatism have marked and &C
companied this comparatively new re-
form. but it is. nevertheless. now used
almost everywhere.
Contemplate. for moment, how
much of money and time and effort
and confusion and conflict would have
been saved if the Supreme Court had
passed on this law before 1t was put
upon its final passage instead of two
years after it had been put into actual
operation. CHAS. A. DOUGLAS.
Evening star., 1935-06-07
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

The attenuated new N R. A. might
stand for No Real Authority" too.
Herbert Hoover's return to the East
to attend another meeting OF his
life insurance board and for more
private visits with friends" resf-
firms the conviction prevalent here
abouts that the former President Is
definitely cunning for denomination.
His recent statements in conjunction
with former Gov. Frank o. Lowden
about conStitutionalism and the dam
ger OF a change in the American
system to "a European form of gov
ernment" are regarded in many quar-
ters as corroborative evidence OF
Hoover'S readiness to tempt fate
third time and TO capitalize for that
purpose the iSSue that has suddenly
gripped the Nations attention. Despite
the Californian's apparent desire to
show that he can do a Grover Cleve-
land comeback. the woods continue
to be full of Republicans who think
the most eminent service Mr.. Hoover
could render the G. o. P. at this
time would be fiat I-do-not-
to-run-in-l936 announcement. New
ertheless. there are those who insist
that a year hence "the chief may
well emerge as the most logical can
didate available.
Secretary of Agriculture Wallace
took a hand in the current constitu-
tional controversy when he received
a doctor of laws degree at Columbia
University this week. President Mich
olas Murray Butler had just referred
to those who would turn this Federal
Republic of ours into highly CEN
tralized political and economic des-
potism. under the mask of social re-
form and progress" Mr.. Wallace. ac-
cording to a published account of his
address. declared that insiStence upon
a Constitution firmly fixed in the past
will probably keep the United States
in q state of adolescent fiux' for a
considerable time and prevent 1t from
assuming leadership in world economic
affairs. That seems to put the Federal
farm boss among the amenders.
bcpuUcu NlCIOIt lOI ocCICbdlN nun
in the abolition of George N. Peek's
post as special adviser to the Presi-
dent on foreign trade comedies with
the conclusion by the State Depart
ment of the fifth successive recipro-
cal tariff treaty of the type that does
not stir Mr.. Peek's enthusiasm-the
pact with Sweden. Similar treaties
have been signed with Cuba, Brazil.
Belgium and Haiti. Negotiations are
in progress with Is other countries
Canada. Colombia. Costa Rica, Fin
land, France, Guatemala, Honduras,
Italy, the Netherlands, Nicaragua,
Salvador, Spain and Switzerland.
Washington is keeping a weather eve
on pending Anglo German naval ne
gotiations II Hitler builds a big
fleet, repercussions in the United
States are inevitable. The French
and the Italians will build more ships.
That will compel the British, in turn,
to expand their navy. and such a de-
velopment, If we adhere to the prin-
ciple of parity with John Bull. sooner
or later will require us to build up to
his new level. Japan is sure to follow
suit. The "escalator" clause of the
1890 London limitation treaty pro-
vides for just such contingencies as
the Nazi plans will precipitate.
CCopyriaht. 1880
Evening star., 1935-06-07

try every demand it may make on the
world"
The new German law concerning
the makeup OF the army and rlo-
vldlng for universal CONSUMPTION of
men and women in case Of war
seemed to some British leaders 10 BE-
lie the calm address Of the Realms
leader, with its suggestions for gen
eral disarmament. declares the
Nashville TenneSSean. They are
hardly in position to criticize Hitler
II he talks peace and arms while do
ing 1t. The allies have in the years
since the World War. followed exactly
that policy. and in adopting II Hitter
is merely taking their rue ;" The
Sacramento Bee and the Chicago
Journal of Commerce take much the
same point Of view. The latter bein7
Of the opinion that Hitler mirht
rightly ask the League what its mem
oers have been doing all these years
since the war to conserve peace and
to make war less brutal"
The hopeful part of Hitler's speech
IN the opinion of the Milwaukee Jour-
nal comes from the fart that he
hndS 1t necessary to appeal to the
rest OF the world and the San Jose
Mercury Herald echoes this in the
statement that this declaration is
convincing evidence that the ideals and
principles of the League of Nations
are becoming rooted in European
consciousness. Hitler discovered. adds
this paper, that "a challenge Ct these
principles and ideals aroused every
nation in Europe"
The San Francisco Chronicle. how
ever. would be surer Of the claims
and disclaimers of the speech if one
were surer Of the stability OF Der
Fuehrer himself"
Evening star., 1935-06-07

Habitual mispronunciation Of COM
mon words, as heard SO often, usually
Is due to carelessness, indifference or
environment.
While schooling and its lack may
have something to do with 1t, the
environment has a great deal more
and is the most difhcult to overcome
perhaps.
A great many well-educated per-
sons invariably pronounce the word
strength" as If 1t were written
"strenth."
Naturally they say "lenth" for
length.
Another very common mistake is to
pronounce "perSpiration" as II writ
ten ''prespiration"
The latter is very common. One
can never go into a crowd without
hearing it one or more times before
emerging.
While this one is more often used
by persons of obvious lack Of school,
ing, every one has heard 1t many
times from the mouth of those who
ought to know better.
Il 4 4 X
Flower names, both Ii their scien-
tiflc and popular forms, are often
misprOnounced.
"Hygeranium" instead of hydran-
ges is very common.
Just why one should take such q
straightforward word as "hydrangea'
and turn it into the clumsy erroneous
compound "hygeranium." is difficult
to understand until one suddenly hap
pens to think that "gersnium" is one
of the few scientific names commonly
known to most persons.
No doubt the lack OF the vowel
"e" after the "hy" in "hydrangea'
accounts for many people putting one
there, by main force. by suddenly
leaping from "hy" TO 4 word they
know, "gersnium." And there you
have it, n perfectly new word, created
out OF folk knowledge
Pronunciation of italian" as II
written Italian" is very widespread
1t is on a par with "Dee-troit" for
Detroit. Base ball usage throughout
America, however, has made the
heavily accented De" pronounced
as IL writteen Dee" very common
After all. it is not much worse than
the universal pronunciation Of the
last syllable. 1t all runs back 10
whether such words are to be pro-
nounced as English or French.
Usage, Of course, is the only cri-
terion.
II one pronounces the word Eng
lish" as it is written. with the first
syllable as EN-" he is pronouncing
1t incorrectly.
1t is. of course, "IngliSh."
So the unwary cannot tell BY
looking at one, how to pronounce a
word.
And any one who has heard a real
EngliShman talk knows, also, that
YOU cannot tell by hearing a real
Englishman talk!
Good usage settles the matter. but
although there are many books writ
ten with the svowed intent OF helping
all and sundry. every one knows that
knowledge alone is the only help.
A certain amount Of such miSpro-
nunciation is permissible, since the
huge word books contain more than
half a million items. more than any
one human being possibly can know
Since this is more or less true. one
cannot help wonder why so many
people go out of their way to leave
out letters or transpose them.
Consider the innocent word 'pers-
piration." Why do so many insist
on ''prespiration?" No doubt because
they resent the combina ton of three
consonants. "rsp." so close together
BY trsnsposing one in front OF the
first "e." they get PRECIPITATION" evi-