davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1935-09-05
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

culties in pronunciation. The Ethio-
plans apparently have retained their
original tongue through more than
1000 years, Mr.. Harrington says, be-
cause of their linguistic isolation. To
the west they are bordered by Negro
peoples who speak language which
recently has been found closely related
to the Dravidian and Kolarian Ian
guages spoken by millions in the south
of India.
The linguistic distribution, DR.. Har-
rington says, indicates that at some
remote prehistoric period two wedges
were driven from the north into q
common tongue spoken clear across
Southern Asia, Southern Europe and
Northern Africa. One was the Semitic
wedge driven in by way Of Asia Minor,
Egypt and Ethiopia. The other was the
Aryan wedge in Afghanistan, Baluchis-
tan and, to the westward, Greece and
Persia.
Hearing Is poorest after dinner.
DR.. Donald A. Laird, Colgate Uni
verSity psychologist, finds IS per cent
greater accuity after a light than after
q heavy meal, according to his reports
of experiments with seven young men
of normal hearing. OcculiStS have re-
ported to him that the same is true of
eyesight.
The heavy meal, DR.. Laird claims,
may affect the sense in two ways. 1t
may lessen the flow of blood to the
brain and thus cause a temporary
anemia in the auditory centers in the
temporal lobes, or it may disturb the
blood supply to the middle ear itself.
This diminished auditory sense, he be-
lieves, may account for the loud music
played by orchestras for dancing after
dinner.
What Is described as the most re-
markable natural history phenomenon
OF Southern Asia is thus described in
the current issue of Science by DR..
Hugh M. Smith, former United States
commissioner of fisheries and later bio
logical adviser to the Siamese govern
ment:
Imagine a tree IS to 40 feet high,
thickly covered with small, ovate leaves,
apparently with firefly flashing on
every leaf and all In perfect unison
at the rate of two or three times q
second, the tree being in complete
darkness between flashes. Imagine
dozen such trees standing close to-
gether along a rivers edge with a syn
chronously flashing firefiy on every leaf.
Imagine q tenth of a mile of river front
with an unbroken line of trees and
with q firef,y on every leaf flashing
Simultaneously, the insects on the trees
at the end of the line acting in per-
fect unison with those in the center"
This phenomenon, DR.. Smith says, is
inexplicable from any theory thus far
propounded.
Evening star., 1935-09-05
Horror and HerOism.

The horror and, providentially, the
heroism of the Florida hurricane are
increasing with the receipt of more de-
tailed reports from Miami, Jacksonville
and other cities in the storm area. It
now seems evident that the total num-
ber of casualties may exceed five hun
dred and that the property damage
may be as much as several hundred
million dollars. But no one as yet
has had time to think of material losses.
Such emergencies prohibit considera-
ton of all the values of life except life
itself. And stories to prove how bravely
men and women have struggled to pre-
serve existence in the face of the cata-
clysm are both numerous and inspiring.
The tragedy has provided occasion for
the reafhrmation Of the right Of hui
manity to survive. 1t has made plain
Evening star., 1935-09-05
Individual Responsibility.

One way to combat the bloody
slaughter on our streets and highways
is by unremitting police enforcement
of the traffic laws, backed by quick
punishment of traffic violators in the
courts.
Another is to bring home to every
driver of an automobile the sense OF
individual responsibility-to himself, TO
his family and to his fellow citizens
assumed in driving an automobile.
Reaching the individual drivers OF
automobiles and making them conscious
of the personal responsibility that de-
wolves upon them, as individuals. in
making the streets and the highways
safe for themselves and for others Is
an absolute necessity. We can never
hope for careful driving-the most I'M
portant single element in traffic safety
until we shift the responsibility for
careful driving from the overworked
police to the drivers themselves.
This must be done, of course, without
leSSelllIlS Ill any ucslCC Fleoloue PoAANe
activity, fully backed by the courts, to
guard against that element of drivers
responsive only to fear of being caught,
fined or jailed. But If every policeman
in Washington were assigned to traffic
duty, day and night, there would still be
violations of the traffic laws. Worse,
there will still be automobile accidents.
The drivers themselves must be enlisted
as campaigners for safe driving.
AS a start in this direction The Star
has organized its own automobile -driv-
ing employees as members of The Eve
ming Star Safety Council. Membership
is represented through signature Of
pledge to observe fundamental rules OF
safe driving.
The single objective Of this movement
Is to inculcate in the individual a sense
of his own responsibility as a. driver,
thus working toward the broader OBJ
jective of community responsibility. The
formation of other cooperating safety
councils, sponsored by employers or by
independent groups. will make the move
ment effective.
Evening star., 1935-09-05

the demand for another and larger
dose of the same medicine. That may
be contemplated, however, without de-
tracing from the importance OF the
Presidents effort to apply q strict con-
troll and accounting over the spending
of emergency agencies. The step which
should appropriately follow Budget
Bureau control is to apply the merit
system under civil service regulations in
the same agencies.
Evening star., 1935-09-05

The everyday speech of the common
soldiers and villagers of Ethiopia today
is a more primitive Semitic language
than the Hebrew of the Old Testament,
according to DR. John P. Harrington,
Smithsonian Institution expert on lin
guiSticS.
There has survived in these African
mountains. DIR. Harrington says, a
tongue which is close approach to. the
common ancestor of Hebrew, Babylo-
nian, Arabic and Syriac. 1t is nearly
related to the language Of the original
alphabet, the ancestor Of the Latin
alphabet of modern European languages.
Thus Ethiopia becomes an open door
to the very beginnings of human culture
behind the dawn of history. From the
speech of its people may be derived the
key thread for untangling the snarl Of
linguistic families.
The primitive language which lays
back of the Bible, DR.. Harrington says,
has been partly reconstructed by
scholars who have compared the root
words in the tongues derived from It..
This reconstructed language, spoken be-
fore Abraham, is in many respects IN
distinguishable from the Ethiopian OF
today. 1t is the mother tongue OF the
African highlands.
The church language of Ethiopia is
the much more sophisticated Coptic. the
language of Egypt at the time OF the
introduction of Christianity. This Is
the language of the Scriptures and the
theological manuscripts, but 1t bears
practically no relationship to the actual
spoken language Of the worshlpers.
The relation of Ethiopian to the an
cestral tongue of one of the three lin
guiStic Steams of the Western World,
DR.. Harrington points out, is well Illus
trated in the evolution of the alphabet.
The Ethiopian term for the first letter
is "alf" The same word means OK"
This also was the term for the letter
in primitive Semitic. In Hebrew IL
was altered to "aalef." In Greek 1t
became alpha" 1t is the A OF the
English alphabet-the picture of an oxs
head turned upside down.
The same is true Of the second letter.
In both primitive Semitic and Ethiopian
the term used is beet" In Hebrew it
became "beeth." This, in turn, became
the beta" of the Greeks and the b
of modern European alphabets.
The third letter in both the primitive
Semitic and Ethiopian alphapets Is
"gaml." 1t is the common word for
"camel." In Hebrew it becomes "giimel." ;"
in Greek gamma" and in English
either &c" or "G." They became two
letters in the Roman alphabet due to
the careless handwriting Of the Latin
scribes which was later formalized.
The fourth letter in both the pre-
Semitic and the Ethiopian Is dent" :"
the common word for door" The
Hebrew transforms it to "daaleth" and
the Greek to delta" from which comes
the transition to the Latin ID"
The same is true, says DR.. Harrington,
of most of the letters in the alphabet,
although in few instances the Hebrew
apparently is nearer to the primitive
Semitic than the Ethiopian, due to diff
Evening star., 1935-09-05
Extending Budget Control.

In his budget message last January
the President told Congress that "as
rapidly as seems practical, am bring
ing the administrative expenses of these
agencies dhe emergency agencies
under the supervision of the Director
of the Budget" That process was
apparently completed yesterday at Hyde
Park with the Presidents signature of
an executive order transferring seven,
including the largest and most impor-
tant, of the New Deal agencies to the
financial Jurisdiction of the Budget
Bureau.
Coupled, as it was, with the Presi-
dents announcement that in his per-
sonal opinion the peak of the emer-
gency has passed, this move will logically
be interpreted as one step In the direc-
ton of balanced budget-many other
steps, and long ones, being. of course,
necessary before a balanced budget is
achieved. 1t at least indicates a
delayed effort to bring some order
into the chaotic administration of
agencies where personnel expenses have
taken the sky as their limit, with no
one to contest or question the wisdom
- of administrative policies. The emer-
by statutes which outlined the desired
objectives and left to the officials placed
In charge the choice of methods by which
they were to be reached, with the pos
sible admonition or command that per-
sonnel was to be selected regardless of
civil service requirements. Waste and
extravaganza were inevitable in the
mushroom growth that followed.
To meet administrative standards
established by the Budget Bureau there
is apt to be some curtailment of per-
sonnel, mainly brought about by the
elimination of useless jobs. But it is
to be doubted that the move will mean
any great decrease in the total number
Of Government employees, in or out Of
Washington. That total has crept up
since March, 1888, from 67,557 to 104, ,498
at the end of-July in the District; from
566,986 to 729,769 outside the District.
Not only have the emergency" agen-
cies assumed the aspects of permanence,
but new and larger agencies are being
created as the result of legislation enact
ed in the past session of Congress. 1t
Is possible that the Budget Bureau will
be able to accomplish the elimination OF
many useless jobs and to keep an eagle
eye on administrative expense without
showing at the same time any drastic
reduction in the total number of en-
ployes.
Most observers will agree with the
President that the peak of the emer-
gency has passed. There are encourag-
ing signs of prosperity in many quar-
ters. But there are no sound indications
that the great burden Of relief is ma
terially lightened, or that when the
t4,soo,ooo,ooo work-relief funds have
finally been spent there viii not exist
Evening star., 1935-09-05

they may be put out to catch the very
first real Spring days whenever they
occur.
The longer growing season thus Sc
cured, especially If q completely and
thoroughly hot Summer, might result in
blooming this flower.
"Be happy" we are told endleSsly by
those who preach optimism in any one
Of its many forms.
The only trouble with that Is that one
cannot be happy merely by taking
thought.
Something more is required, as many
q person has found out.
Even those who fondly imagine that
merely by taking thought" they are
acquiring optimism, generally fool them
selves; at bottom they are doing some
thing actually. in some way or other, to
induce the mood.
One practical way to be happy, despite
the weather, is to work up q genuine
liking for the rainy days, which surely
come every now and then.
There is no escaping them, so why
not make the best of them?
That is where the garden comes in.
1t Is impossible to work up a real
enthusiasm for gardening no matter
on how limited a scale, without coming at
last to that point when one looks at
the world with the eyes of plant life.
Yes, plants have eyes, at least they
have those intellectual eyes which do
their seeing" and understanding" for
them.
The home gardener who looks at life
and the world as his plants would look
at 1t, had they his brains and eyes, will
come to welcome the rainy spell as
genuinely as he does the sunshiny.
He will not be like the Sundial, whose
motto is. Il welcome only sunny hours"
That is a good motto for a sundial,
but not for human being.
The practical ways of being happy
as one goes along must be scrupulously
sought or they will elude one in the
vast theory Of living.
A curious thing about a rainy day is
how much faster the automobiles seem
to go.
One may think at first that they really
do speed up the wetter the day, but
after many days of close inspection one
is willing, perhaps, to put it down to
illusion.
There are two factors. the dark. shin
ing street, and the slither made by the
tires in the wet, which cause the illusion
of speeding.
Yet it may be questioned if any real
slowing up comes about because Of slip
perry streets. Surely there ought to in
order to counterbalance the increased
danger.
The joys Of a wet day must include
the slap Of raindrops on the face.
1t Is good to get wet, although for
many of us there is increased chance
of catching the miserable thing known
as cold"
For many persons the disease might as
well be called a wet" for wetness,
especially hair and feet, will give it to
them as quickly as sudden cold.
The appearance of people on rainy
days is different. Just how this comes
about is difficult to tell. We do not mean
the umbrellas, the raincoats and the
overshoes, but the look upon their faces.
Are they, after all. enjoying the diff
ferent sort of weather, even though
most of them insist on greeting each
other with the old lament, Bad day,
isn't it?"
Evening star., 1935-09-05
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEEELL.

The rainy spell brought the universal
greeting, bad day, isn't it,"
Many who thought 1t good day,
nevertheless, replied with the standard
formula, Eyes, bad day."
Good day, indeed" however. Is what
they thought.
Yes, there are countless persons who
regard rainy days as very good days,
days fine for shrubs, trees, grass. flowers
Of all sorts, and even human beings.
They look upon rainy day as some
thing as good in its season as the beau-
tiful sunshine.
They regard the rainy day, and
especially a series Of them, as divine
contrast, to make the clear, bright days
stand out in eternal relief.
They love the peace and quiet of rainy
days.
They see beautiful pictures in shiny
wet streets, in the drip of water from
caves and the soft green Of wet grass.
The home garden, new or old large or
small, will reveal hitherto unSuSpected
aspects then.
Especially in long continued. gentle
precipitations, the sort which do the most
good to plant life.
Even the trimest garden takes on
sprawly aspects as the shrubs bend be-
meath the weight of the water.
Stout branches, weighed down by the
water soaked leaves, nod toward Mother
Earth.
Water is a great deal heavier than
one might think of1hand.
1t weighs approximately 8 pounds to
the gallon. This is why a home
aquarium, "a inches by II inches, will
weigh about 120 pounds, holding IS GAL
Ions Of water.
Every one knows that trees are more
likely to blow over during Summer
storms than at any other time OF the
year. This is because OF the weight OF
the leaves. especially after they become
heavy with water.
1t is not necessary, however, to have
the weight of water.
ing weight Of clothing.
Still, the garden displays rain water
much better than ones clothes!
1t is possible, even in the smallest
yard, to get q new appreciation of
NdluIc OIl ally IdlIly udg, CopCIAdhy
ing rainy spell lasting for 48 hours or
more.
Then the slightest hooks and corners
of even the least romantic garden take
on new aspects.
Here is a corner with tall plants and
vines growing.
Humble morning glories and zinniaS,
known to millions. yet beautiful as any
thing in the gloomy day.
Who would lament the abSense Of SUM-
shine too much when these bright disks
shine. though sodden?
Tall stalks of Sunflowers, wonderful
old things. bend toward the earth. but
not as much so as the even taller stalks
of the Tithonia. the so-called Aztec
Glory.
The latter have not bloomed, and
probably will not do so. owing to the
limited growing season in this climate
and lessened sun heat compared with
their native Mexico.
Yet their foliage alone is worth their
space in the garden. AS background
plants for lower things they are excep-
tionally effective.
If one wants them in flower in this
climate the thing to do is to plant them
in fats in February or March, so that
Evening star., 1935-09-05
A Rhyme at Twilight
By
Gertrude Brooke Hamilton
Woman

Like some turbulent, feet river,
Ever changing, ever charming,
With fair surface wind-swept, sun-swept,
Are her moods: and most alarming
The wild storms that sometimes sweep
her
When no hand can stay or keep her
From the freedom of her spirit;
Suns that set the waves a-quiver
Best describe her tender moments.
She is ever like the river
With her diademed emotion
Sweeping onward TO the ocean.
Evening star., 1935-09-05

As an ambassador of good will, Post
master General Farley retains his con-
fident smile, even though he has to miss
some of the group photographs in Wash
ington.
Evening star., 1935-09-05
Interruption.

Interruption.
Delusions of grandeur permit us to
dwell
In a glorious state where our fancy
is free.
And fairy tales bright to ourselves we
will tell,
We hear them as happy as happy
But a crisis must come in the land Of
our dreams,
A breath must be drawn in the gayest
of song.
We must busy ourselves with lfe's
practical schemes
When the next lucid interval happens
along.
II don't want to soak de rich," said
Uncle Eben. "Dar ought to be somebody
left to eat hearty and give . liberal
tip 70 de waiter"
Evening star., 1935-09-05

There are old-fashioned people who
fear that disregard of the Constitution
would leave no regular method Of choos-
ing Supreme Court, or even Of electing
a President to send in the names for
combinations.
Evening star., 1935-09-05

Radio announcers tell the world that
with proper equipment folks over here
can listen in on everything that goes on
in Europe, Asia and Africa. But who
wants to hear O war?
Evening star., 1935-09-05

Owing to the number Of megaphones
under operation under all sorts Of aus
pices, it will be hard to manage "whis-
pering campaign" so as to render it
inaudible.
Evening star., 1935-09-05

Statistics give assurance that no food
shortage can possibly interfere with the
significant ceremonial of an occasional
breakfast at the White House.
Evening star., 1935-09-05

Forecasters may be confused In their
calculations by the fact that there is
a lot of politics between the tall build
ings of New York and the tall trees Of
California.
Evening star., 1935-09-05

Maryland laws will not favor hitch
mixers in the future. Road Improvements
promise to make walking much more
pleasant than motoring.
Evening star., 1935-09-05
Building Blocks.

"why do they print letters on blocks
for children?"
"The custom is important in our edu-
cational system" said Miss Cayenne.
"As they roll them about the coming
generation will become familiar with
all kinds of letter groups to meet all
kinds of economic emergencies"
Evening star., 1935-09-05

viii happen some day, for the Democrats
do not seem to be able to find another
man who fits In so well as national
chairman. They want Jim" Farley TO
continue to handle the political ma
chine. and, apparently. 20 does the
President.
Evening star., 1935-09-05
All Other States and Canada.
Member Of the Associated Press.

The Associated Press is exclusively entitled 70
the use for republication of all news dispatches
credited to it or not otherwise credited IN tnls
paper and also the local news publlshed hersin.
All riehts of publication Of special olspatches
herein are also reserved.
Evening star., 1935-09-05
Hard Hearted.

From the Salt Lake Deseret News.
It's hard to excuse the lack OF consid-
Grafton shown by Congress in keeping
the lobbyists in the terrific heat OF
washington during Midsummer.
Evening star., 1935-09-05

When Selassie declares himself King
of Kings he goes the limit and figures
on becoming an oil king.
Evening star., 1935-09-05
Girding for Battle.

Prom the Pasadena (calif) Post.
The Constitution is in no danger. The
American Bar Association has indicated
IN eagerness to fight for 1t.
Evening star., 1935-09-05
Shooting Stars.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.

Light Years.
As on problems the minds Of great
genius is set
Approximate answers are all that we get
We measure the star and the best we
can know
Are figures that vary light year or so.
The light we are seeking may glimmer
afar,
In space, from some mystic Utopian star.
Calculations in figures set long in a line
Are used when q light year we seek
to define.
Wen 60 figure on with courage sublime
To measure plain people by space and
by time.
And we won't be dismayed If at last we
can show
We have only gone wrong by light
year or SO.
Evening star., 1935-09-05
Fish Story.

Fish Story.
Little Orphan Annie went a-fishing in
the bay
This verse James Whitcomb Riley missed
in his melodious lay
You may face q sea of trouble with
your fishin' lines thrown out,
But financial sharks will get you If you
don't watch out.
Evening star., 1935-09-05
For He's q Jolly Good Fellow.

For He's . jolly Good Fellow.
you'll be back in time for the gay
cites of q Washington Winter"
"Of course" said Senator Sorghum,
my constituents are growing anxious
and it's now part of my official re-
sponsibility to seem as joyous and care
free as possible"
Jud Tunkins says that there must be
something queer about finance when it's
so easy to pass counterfeit money and
so hard to get rid of genuine Canadian
quarter.
Evening star., 1935-09-05

Rate by Mail-Payable in Advance.
MARYLAND and Virginia.
Evening star., 1935-09-05

The consistency OF the President is
called into question by his critics. He
talks Of cutting the personnel and ex-
| penditures Of the emergency" agencies,
and at the same time is urging con-
| gressional committees to 60 ahead with
a new and permanent N. r. A. law.
And while, he talks of cutting the per-
sonnel of these emergency agencies,
Prof. Rexford G. Tugwell, UnderSecre-
tary of Agriculture and Brain Truster
No. l, is going forward with his reset
tlement administration" which has a
tremendous number of employees.
Notwithstanding these besetting prob
lens, Postmaster General Farley, chair
man of the Democratic National Com
| mittee, returns from long swing across
the country, which took him as far as
Hawaii, and says that everything is
safe for Roosevelt-that he will be re-
| elected beyond a doubt. There is no
| slightest doubt that the Democratic
| political organization has been built up
in the last two and half years as it
has never been built before. Mr.. Farley
| has made it his business to see that
| organization has continued and that 1t
has been kept up. Organization and
campaign funds have done wonders in
political campaigns and elections. They
may do them again. The Democrats
next year will have the benefit of huge
| governmental expenditures-the Con-
gress gave the President nearly five bill
lions of dollars to spend pretty much
| as he saw fit for relief. of all kinds.
| Napoleon in his day said something
about God being on the side Of the man
| who had the most guns.
Talk. about the possibility of the
prompt resignation of Mr.. Farley from
his post as head Of the Post Once De-
| partment began again today. This crops
] up every few months. Undoubtedly, It