davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1935-12-21
Farmers Not Enthusiastic
Over Presidents Address
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
On your editorial page Of o recent date
read, concerning Mr.. Roosevelt's adj
dress to the American Farm Bureau:
There was no doubt Of the complete
warmth of the Presidents reception by
farm leaders" . =
The accuracy of this statement is on
par with some portions of the speech
listened to by the regimented farmers
comprising part of the audience. at
tended this meeting to observe the situa-
ton and wish to report the following
facts:
There was no ovation when the Presi-
dent entered the auditorium. The ap-
plauSe lasted less than a minute and
quieted down without any hint from the
chairman.
The attendance was not $4,000 to $4,000,
as variously stated by the press, but was
between $4,000 and $4,000. according to
officials who knew actual seating capac-
ity. All the seats were not filled and 1t
is rumored that number of w. p. A.
workers were recruited to insure a full
house.
The applause during the speech was lit
tie more than perfunctory, less than fifty
per cent of the audience usually partici-
pating. This was reported by several
observers. I also was present at the
farm march" meeting in Washington
last Winter and by comparison the WASH
ington meeting showed much more en-
thusiasm. Many of the farmers sat with
out applauding, apparently sizing up the
man and what he said.
To those of us who have been studying
the Midwestern farm situation for some
time the Chicago meeting was surprise
in that the farmers, presumably hand
picked, were cooler in their reception to
the President than was expected, which
indicates that the Literary Digest poll is
confirming a changing attitude on the
part of the farmers.
STANLEY F.. MORSE,
Executive Vice President Farmers Inde-
pendence Council Of America.
Evening star., 1935-12-21
ItalO-American Meetings
Promote Red Cross Funds

To the Editor OF The Star:
read in The Star of Friday, December
13, 1885, letter headed use of Ameri-
can Voters by Foreign Government" p"
signed by Ignatius Geraci, and am ap-
pealing to your columns in order to pre-
sent to the public the truth.
People who disagree with the political
government and party now at the helm
in Italy are trying their utmost to. dis
seminate propaganda which is intended
to create an unfavorable opinion of the
Italian cause. We, the Italo-Americans,
are not concerned with the italian VEN
ture in Africa, but feel that miscarriage
of truth should not be fed to those who
have limited knowledge of what is TAX
ing place among the American citizens of
Italian birth in this country.
We are proud of our citizenship, and
abide by the laws of this great Republic.
Congress has passed neutrality act and
we are abiding by it.
Geraci goes on to say that Fascist
meetings are taking place in New York
and in Washington to protest against the
American neutrality and to raise money"
That is perverSion of the truth.
Meetings are being held everywhere in
this country, not to protest the American
policy, but to raise funds so as to enable
the Red Cross to carry on its humani-
tartan work. Again the Italo-American
comes to the aid of humanity, as he did
in the days of George Washington. when
Francesca Vigo, an Italian merchant, be-
loved by Americans and Italians alike,
contributed heavily to Washingtons cam
paign, thereby enabling the Father
of Our Country to carry out his humani-
tartan endeavors. In time of need the
Italo-American has responded to all hu-
manitarian causes, regardless of race,
creed or political affiliations.
LUCIO r. BARONELLO.
Evening star., 1935-12-21
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,

The correlations now have been ex-
tended to 5 other districts in the
United States and the 56 world sta
tions. Some of the results, which soon
will be published, are just as remarkable.
They afford the basis for better-than-
chance guess about the weather three to
six months ahead. But this, Mr.. Weight
man emphasizes, is far from long-range
forecasting-one of the age-old dreams
of science which. could it be realized,
would be of incalculable benefit to
mankind.
Ability to guess even 10 per cent better
than chance soon would make a man a
fortune at the roulette table, but it
doesn't go in for weather forecasting.
The daily forecasts are more than 80
per cent better than chance, but-as
everybody knowS-they 60 wrong quite
often and the public loses its temper.
But this is just the beginning. The
C. w. A. calculators, under the direction
of the meteorologists. found some of the
needles in the haystack. The hardest
part of the work is yet ahead. 1t is to
be pushed forward with renewed vigor.
There are six other districts to be
correlated in the same way. Then 1t is
proposed to reverse the correlations. In
addition, the meteorologiStS hope to be
able to have correlations calculated be-
tween both temperature and barometric
pressure in the II districts and rainfall
at the Sc world stations. Then they
expect to reverse the progress.
Even when this is done, only start
will have been made. The next step
and a far more difficult and laborious one
will be to figure multiple correlations.
Experiments already made in this direc-
ton show that much better prediction
basis can be secured by calculating the
relationship between the seasonal tenn
perature of some station in the United
States and the barometric pressures at
two remote stations, one showing a
positive and the other a negative rela-
tionShip.
When this work is done, 1t is likely
there will be far better practical basis
for long distance forecasting than ever
before. The meteorologists, however, do
not expect any perfect relationships, or
even any exceptionally high ones. They
may establish very high probability for
guessing, however, and today when one
plans on the weather few months ahead
an unsupported guess Is about all there
is to go on-at least so far as orthodox
meteorology is concerned. Solar radia-
ton forecasts represent a different line
of research altogether.
But when all this work is done, the
big job still will be ahead. This will
be the determination of the causes for
the relationships. How did the needles
get into the haystack? Working one
clue furnished by the effects, efforts
which may well require generation or
more will be made to find out what is
responsible for these effects.
But from it all Mr.. Weightman and
his coworkers are hopeful Of more
fundamental knowledge Of the forces
responsible for heat and cold, storms and
calms, than has been possessed before.
Only as these factors become known can
weather forecasting be entirely relieved
of the element of guesswork.
Evening star., 1935-12-21
Safe and Sane Motor Cars
The Eventual Speed Cure

10 Tie Edltor OF Inc star:
Reference is made to the article in The
Evening Star entitled Roper Demands
War on Accidents" appearing December
18, 1895.
Safety education is earnestly advocated,
and rightly so, but, as every one knows.
education is long process and not pro-
ductive of quick results, since many peo-
pie are not reached by education.
1t appears to me that one logical solu-
tion to the problem of motor accidents
which result from speeding on the high
ways is to curtail the manufacture Of
cars capable Of attaining speed in ex-
cess of the legal speed limit in most
States namely, forty to forty-flve miles
an hour.
Deaths from fireworks on the Fourth
Of July have been greatly reduced by
forbidding the sale of dangerous ones to
children. Hence, why not apply the same
remedy to automobiles?
1t is a Self-evident fact that a speed in
excess of forty-five miles an hour is not
necessary to the general public. Ambu-
lances and fire wagons and police cars
are, Of course, to be excepted.
The mania for speed driving has been
the childish whim for thrills inherent in
most people. and a most childish and
dangerous whim it has proved to be.
Therefore it would seem that the logi-
cal solution is to go to the source Of the
trouble and apply remedial measures.
If time is of highest Importance, one
can make use of the airplanes or the ex-
press trains.
1t has been demonstrated by the Traf-
flc Bureau that the driver who operates
at high speed does not gain more than
few minutes over the driver who main
tains a safe, consistent speed over pc
riod of time. Therefore it is evident
that speeding is done only for desire to
experience the thrill of passing others or
of testing the ability of the car.
I am writing you with the hope that
the above suggestion can be placed where
there is possibility Of its receiving seri-
GUS consideration. L. THOMPSON.
Evening star., 1935-12-21
Another School Bus Hit.

Yesterday a bus carrying children to
school was struck by railroad train at
a grade crossing on Long Island. Three
of the six children on the bus were killed
and the others were seriously injured, in
Guiding the driver. The crossing is at
traditional stop look listen" sign, which
is no protection at all. The railway line
is visible for long distance on both
sides of the track. 1t is a typical Sltu-
alton, many hundreds of similar char
acter remaining in this country despite
the repeated demonstrations OF the
danger attendant upon their mainte-
nance The weather was clear and there
was no condition to justify the driver
in trying to cross the track before the
passing of the train. That again was
a condition that has frequently prevailed
in cases of this kind.
No fully effective efforts have been made
to correct this condition, although the
peril has existed for years. Now in all like
lihood there will be an agitation to COM
pei the establishment of a guard, or
gates, if not the construction OF an over
head or an underpass crossing. Three
lives have now been lost in the renewed
demonstration of this necessity.
Last April a school bus loaded with
young people was struck at night at a
crossing near Rockville, Md, and four
teen were killed. This disaster caused
an immediate move for the elimination
of the crossing and plans now in prepara-
ton are soon to be executed for the con-
Struction of an overpaSS at that point.
Similarly, another crossing in Maryland
near this city, at Kensington, long
desperate menace to life, is shortly to
be corrected. The Rockville disaster
caused this undertaking.
No grade crossing is safe. Watchmen
with flags by day and lanterns by night
are not a sufficient protection. Reckless
drivers will pass them, taking chances.
They will even crash through barriers
in their haste to cross before the arrival
of a train. The sole safe crossing is by
overpass or underpass, and with the
heavy traffic on the roads such measures
are the only ones that will insure
security.
The cost? 1t is heavy one, but not
so heavy as the toll of death that Is
taken from time to time at these places.
The excuse of incompetent driving on the
part of those using the highway does not
absolve the railroads from blame for the
maintenance of death traps. Nor does
the maintenance of these open crossings
through the failure to provide dependable
watch services and barrier gates absolve
drivers from the charge of recklessness
in approaching and crossing the tracks.
Drivers who take chances and escape
alive when accident occurs may be pun
ished, but that does not restore the lives
that are sacrificed.
The crossings must be eliminated or
further heavy sacrifices to speed and in
competence will occur.
Evening star., 1935-12-21
Bridge at South Capitol
Street a LOng-Felt Need
he Editor of The Star.

To the Editor OF The Star:
It is gratifying to read in your editorial,
"District Bridges" your advocacy of con-
tinuing the bridge-b building program. OF
especial note was your advocacy Of the
Anacostia bridges. I'm glad you saw fit
to mention the needs of new bridges to
replace the inadequate ones we have to
put up with now. Since my earliest rec
objection there has been crying demand
for bridge at South Capitol street, and
from time to time some one speaks whis-
peringly for it, seemingly regarding it as
an impossibility, to be passed along with
the forgotten things. think there is no
one to dispute the need of another bridge
below the Eleventh Street Bridge, when
a glance at the map shows that over a
mile of main branch of the Potomac
dividing Washington is bridgeleSs. A
bridge at South Capitol street would so
shorten the distance to Government
buildings that it would enable the work.
ers to get the nearest housing at low
cost. It would mean much for the farm
ers who live south Of AnacoStia, an eStt-
mated saving of two miles.
One would think, in these days when
1t is so puzzling for the P. w. A. officials
to find suitable work to spend allot-
ments on, that they would pounce upon
this worthwhile project. which would
Evening star., 1935-12-21
Nicknanes.

Nicknames have a curious interest.
Perhaps the explanation of their attrac-
ton is their capacity to summarize char
acteristics which are innately vital. The
energy which they epitomize distinguishes
them. For example, the phrase Hell
Fire jack" applied to him by his tars,
certainly goes far toward picturing the
late Viscount Jellicoe. Up to the final
moment of his career the great admiral
still possessed the power to express him.
self with convincing intensity.
Former Vice President Dawes bears q
similar credit for fortnight and colorful
speech. His expletive Hell and Maria"
o few years ago enjoyed vast popular
currency and was accepted as an accurate
dramatization of its sponsors contempt
for pretense and presumption.
Probably a like reaction to personal
nlannerisms of utterance was responsible
for the application of the sobriquet "Old
Man Eloquent" to President John Quincy
Adams. Milton already had used it In
reference to 1socrates, the celebrated
Athenian orator, and some unknown
tongue had employed it in tribute to
Coleridge.
But policies of conduct also tend to
create appellative invention. Marshal
Soult was affectionately known to his
soldiers as "Old Fox because of his
strategic genius, Andrew jackson earned
the title "Old Hickory" by being as sturdy
and strong as hickory timber, Zachary
Taylor won the epithet "Old Rough and
Evening star., 1935-12-21
Public Opinion.

Public opinion is a variable quantity,
difficult to gauge or measure and i'm
possible to analyze with any notable de-
gree of accuracy. The people, like in
dividuals, change their minds. That is
their natural prerogative, and they are
properly jealous of it. Nothing else is
more passionately resisted than an arbi-
trary attempt to dictate what nation
shall think. Woodrow Wilson sum-
married. a general resentment when he
declared: st don't want any one sitting
behind. mahogany desk playing Provi-
dence to me-"
Yet dogma rules the earth. Every
living man, every woman, even every
child has fixed ideas, patterns OF
thoughts, routines of action which are
unamenable to easy governance. They
are the unwritten laws of life, produced
by human strength or weakness to meet
the demands of human needs or desires.
And it is only in relatively small num-
ber of specific cases that the written
codes of states reflect the current psy-
choIogy of the masses. Thus when
Herbert Hoover said that no individual
has the right to determine what law
shall be obeyed and what law shall be
enforced he was asserting an ideal from
which there was militant dissent. The
contrary and much more popular doc
trine was expressed by the historian,
Hendrix Willem Van Loon, in the words:
mo matter how absurd our legislators
make the law, we can circumvent it."
BY the same logic, the multitudes can
and do evade legislation which is not
absurd.
The problem is that of negative
democracy. People will do as they are
commanded only when it suits them to
obey; they will think as they please on
all occasions. Hence the eternal debate
concerning the nature Of man and the
Evening star., 1935-12-21

The Weather Bureau now has in hand
one of the biggest statistical jobs in its
history-with a fundamental step in the
direction of long-range forecasting as the
possible reward.
In the beginning, about three years
ago, it was like the proverbial search for
a needle in a hayStack. The haystack
consisted of the accumulated tempera-
ture and barometric records of the world
for the past Is to 25 years. The needles
sought were relationships between baro-
metric preSSureS In one place and tenn
peratureS in another place some months
later.
For practical purposes the United
States was divided into II arbitrary dis
tricts. The seasonal temperature charts
of each of these districts were correlated
by an extremely laborious mathemati-
cal process-with the seasonal pressure
charts of each of Sc stations outside the
United States, covering practically the
entire globe. Every possible combination
was figured.
1t was little more than a "hunch." !"
There was no very good reason known to
meteorologistS why the Winter tempera-
ture in Boston should be related in any
way to the barometric pressures in the
East Indies six months before. But, rea-
son or not, some relationships did appear
between the most distant places.
Then a group of c. w. A. workers were
set to work under the direction of r.
Hanson Weightman of the Weather Bu-
reau staff and, without any preconceived
ideas, they plunged into the haystack to
see what they could find.
They worked first on the relationships
between the temperatures in district
made up of New England and New York
State and the barometric pressures at
the Sc stations AS was to be expected,
in most cases there was no relationship
to be found But in few instances the
calculations showed some surprising re-
suits. For example:
There is a high negative correlation
between the seasonal temperature of the
New England-New York district and the
barometric pressure for the previous
three months over large area extend
ing from the Northern Pacific southeast
ward to Northern South America. The
key-Spot was little Midway Island, in
the Central Pacific. In other words, If
the barometer readings are below normal
on Midway Island during March, April
and May, the correlations showed, there
is much better than even chance that
Boston will have a hotter Summer than
normal.
There is a fairly high positive cor
relation between the temperatures of this
district and the pressures for the pre-
ceding three months over South and
Central Africa and the Malay Archi-
pelago.
There is high positive correlation
for the Northeastern United States and
the preSSures for the previous nine
months over an area starting in the
Northwestern Pacific and extending
south and southwestward to Australia
and westward over the Indian Ocean to
East Central Africa. The highest cor
relation found was with Batavia, Java.
There is a high negative correlation
between the New England-New York
area and the pressures nine months pre-
vious over Eastern Canada and Western
Greenland-the key point being Moose
Factory, on the desolate shores of James
Bay.
Evening star., 1935-12-21
Shooting Stars.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.
PrimitiveS.

PrimitiveS.
Some want to travel on ship with wings;
Some want big balloon.
We're waiting now for lot O. things,
With Santa coming soon.
At present scant respect is won
For hoss and buggy day
But Santa is going away back yon
To his reindeer and sleigh.
We had the chariot back in Rome,
Where the gladiators fought,
But our bands are playing Home Sweet
Home
It's tune our grandsires taught.
And so, instead of battle song,
With the war tanks on display,
We revert to type and we're going strong
For old Santa and his sleigh.
Evening star., 1935-12-21

II we had the proverbial pot Of gold
from the end Of the rainbow we would
give copies Of Ellen GlasgoW,s distin-
guished novel, "Vein of Iron," to many
friends this Christmas.
AS it is, all we can do Is loan our one
copy and tell others to get the book for
themselves. for Of all the works Of fiction
issued in the last year, this is our selec-
ton for tops" as the young people say.
1t has everything that a good novel
ought to have, along with literary style
which attracts attention to itself. but not
to the detriment of the tale as whole.
When one finds these qualities COM
bined, a close approach has been made
to real definition of the good word
Significant" as applied to a novel.
Just as the new" biography has had
its day, so readers may feel that the odd
fashioned novel" is coming into its own
again, and "Vein of Iron" leads the list.
1t is "old fashioned" only in regard to
its integral qualities of honesty and in
tellectual acumen, combined with as
much sentiment as any book ought to
have and as much human nature.
There ought to be, and, indeed, must
be, limit as to how much human ma
ture "in the raw" ought to go down in
black on white paper.
Most readers. especially male readers,
have had the chance to read books which
ought never to have been written.
Such works disgust, not so much be-
cause of the words one does not expect to
see in print as because Of the lack Of re-
straint on the part Of the writer's. The
reader grows weary and ashamed Of hu-
man nature.
1t is the happy power Of good books,
good in the true sense, to make readers
proud of humanity.
Though Sordid details may be necessary
at times, in carrying out plot and Great
ing character, in the right sort of writing
these are subordinated, not only in the
telling but more in the spirit Of telling.
Think of that wonderful old novel.
''Uncle Toms Cabin" subtitled Life
Among the Lowly." AS works Of fiction
go, it was not, in any sense, either a
really great novel or great work of art.
Yet it had an influence on its age
which is the privilege Of few written
works OF art.
The details Of slavery were not over
book now, in the light of revelations Of
similar scenes in various parts of the
world which may be found in later realis-
tic fiction.
The spirit in which work Is conceived
and carried out is everything. That is
why great books are great, in essence.
Even the best writing, as sheer writing,
will not make novel fine in itself. The
spirit of creation must be over it, In
the beginning is the spirit of the writer.
He or she either has the spirit Of finer
things or has 1t not. There have been
published in recent years many works.
There is one trilogy, for instance, which
has been much praised, but as far as we
are concerned it is not conceived in the
right spirit. If any one asks us what this
right spirit is, we reply, as Disraeh did
when asked what the religion Of gen.
tleman was, "a gentleman never says"
Let the reader refuse to be intimidated
by the cult of the rough and semi
salacious in noveldom. There are enough
of these matters to be met in everyday
life, even among the so-called refined,
uric for f6opo in oJIr h0OkS