davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
Shooting Stars.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.

Comparative Security.
I'm setting the alarm clock for an early
start at morn.
Another day Of toll awaits to leave me
all forlorn.
I've got a date with worry that I know
Ill have to keep,
The argument in prospect sets me talk
ing in my sleep.
And yet I'm not complaining Of the
danger everywhere
On earth or on the ocean; sometimes
even in the air.
I'm setting the alarm clock with Ger
tain sense Of grief,
But won't be shot at sunrise, which at
least is some relief.
may attempt to struggle with assist
ance that is dumb
And sweetly smiles and says, Cheer up!
The worst is yet to comet"
may give heed to people who will put
me on the spot
Pretending to great knowledge which I
know that they have not.
But I confidently hope that still In
patience may plod
Prepared to meet the traffic cops, but not
q firing squad.
III set the old alarm clock. To its order
will bow.
I won't be shot at sunrise. That's a
comfort anyhowl
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28

Henderson: J.. G. SHUTS and thousand
others, including Edith Cavell. who died
declaring: Patriotism is not enough"
They. too. were ordinary" people; yet
they did monumental work.
And similar observation may be re-
corded for scientists like Lancaster.
Thomson. Jeans, Eddington and Lodge:
writers like Chesterton, Belloc, CUTLER
Couch, Phillpotts, Barrie and Conan
Doyle; artists like Gilbert Scott, Lutyens,
Herbert Baker, Will Orpen. John Lavery.
Frank Brangwyn, Charles Sims and
Russell Flint; musicians like Henry Wood,
Beecham, Edward German, Cyril Scott
and Walford Davies; actors like Forbes
Robertson, George Arliss, Charles Laugh
ton and the, tragic clown. Charles
Spencer Chaplin.
Surely, any reign Is notable in which
plain and unpretending folk are capable
of deeds which are harvest for eternity"
Let 1t be named as 1t will, 1t will bs
remembered and appreciated for gains
vaster than losses.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
Capitals Beauty Moves
A Visitor to Verse

To the Editor Of The Star:
Here Is rhymed expression Of what
one lady visitor thinks of Washington:
o City Beautiful!
I didn't see Greece In her glory,
Nor witness the grandeur Of Rome,
But for this lack I'm surely not sorry
We have Washington right here ut
home.
It was worth waiting all through the ages
For empires to rise and decay
Just to make my debut on this planet
In Washington's day.
ANNIE DURHAM METHVIN,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
1mpersonal Agencies, Not
individuals. Bring Woe

TO the Editor OF The Star:
In these days of social upheaval, nat
urally many people are apprehensive
about the fate of American institu-
tions," such as churches, charitable and
other organizations, which we know have
existed in every country, and which only
recently have been outlawed in some
quarters. The sensible explanation Of
the seeming inevitability of some change
may be found in the sad fact that
human institutions. like natural forces
or agencies. sometimes are abused or
misuSed. The better sense of humanity,
rebelling against this evil, has tried to
combat it, sometimes resorting to violence
or force. That even the best of laws,
powers, agencies and institutions can or
may be misused is expressed in the poets
lines:
lone ship sails east, another west,
BY the self-same winds that blow:
It's the set Of the sails, and not the gales,
That shows us our way to CO."
Human affairs have come to q crisis;
economics, ethics, religious and racial
factors have been forced upon human
notice by circumstances which cannot be
ignored or defled. 1t is no longer q
king, financier or q priest that is
annoying or expressing man, but i'm
personal agencies-systems-o govern
ment, finance and religion, which either
have to die fighting or be brought under
intelligent inquiry and regulation to be-
come useful agencies for the service or
benefit Of man. To face the present
situation in the spirit of such under
standing surely is better than to permit
human thought to be divided into two
or three opposing forces and waste
mental and moral energy in mutual de-
struction. It seems to me that of all the
factions, the pro-religious should be the
ones to extend the loving hand first in
the effort to tackle the big problem OF
universal understanding.
p. CALPAKIAN.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
1.-THE Georgian Period"

historians at the moment are settling
20 the task Of writing the chronicle Of
the reign of King George v. and there II
some question about what the years 1910
to 1886 shall be called. 1t seems that
the world public favors "the Georgian
period" even though its adoption would
involve a change in textbooks which
have employed that term for the era Of
the four Georges, with whom his late
majesty did not wish to be confused.
But the annalists probably can solve the
problem unaided.
Meanwhile, it may be Of interest to
review in outline the distinctive sig
nificance Of the time. AS John Gals
worthy wrote of the days of Queen Vic
toria, 1t was "a great age, whose trans
muting influence nothing escaped save
the nature q man and the nature Of the
universe" No other quarter-century in
the experience of the human race ever
witnessed such a cyclonic acceleration Of
the tempo of life. So many things hap
pened within its boundaries! Its com.
plexities, its ramifications, its earth
shaking effects defy the ordinary pat
terms and the customary methods of his
TOPOGRAPHY. H. G. Wells christened it
"a time Of confusion and transition"
But perhaps he was deceived by its more
obvious and dramatic aspects of war
and revolution, famine and crime. He
forgot the survival values-the will to
rise above disaster, the courage which
millions felt, the faith which millions
believed.
For guidance in the circumstances, 1t
would seem that the chroniclers could
do worse than to take into account King
Georges own judgment of himself. II
am only an ordinary fellow" he said;
and the more one thinks of it, the more
glorious the verdict appears. Consider
the sovereign personally and the men
and women who strove with him to pre-
serve civilization French and
Haig; Allenby and Lawrence; Jellicoe
and Beatty: Asquith, Lloyd George and
Ramsay Macdonald; Grey Of Fallodon.
Balfour, Haldane, Austen Chamberlain
and Cecil Of vkhelwood: snowden and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES =. TRAcEWELL.

at the beautiful and efdcient sprinkler
system which he sees In Dupont Circle
and other local parks. As 3 gardener,
he feels the good this IL doing grass
and shrubs. No doubt the actual lower
ing Of temperature Ii not great, but evil
IDENTIFY 1t must be enough to help.
Such o system. however. will be beyond
the means Of the amateur, even on q
small place.
Experts assert that at least eight hours
of complete coveraee . day Is essential
to get results. It can be imagined that
few communities could afford such usage,
II all householders were willing and able
to indulge in 1t.
What, then, remains for the average
home owner to do?
He loves his small garden, and does
not want 1t to burn up, In horticul-
tural sense.
In the first place, he can use more
mulch than he customArily does. because
the times have changed, and he must
change with them or lose his plants.
Use Of mulch need not be complete
coverage by any means Every little bit
helps. Whatever one does, above his
average, Is good.
Peat moss is q nice material to handle
and use, and surely most Of US can make
better use Of 1t than We have in the past.
It's possible acid content need scarcely
bother one, but, II it does. . little agri-
cultural lime may be added to II, or
even bone meal would help.
As for water, the average home gar
dener will be secretly pleased that his
old use Of the fine spray from the
nozzle Is indicated at last.
He always wanted to use the fine
spray, and now the experts" say he
Is right!
Isn't that vindication enough?
He will believe, too, that even q few
minutes will cool the air around his
plants just that much. especially II done
in the shade.
1t is obvious to all that the fine spray.
run only q few minutes in the sun,
merely will form little burning glass on
each leaf, and make matters worse
than before.
The universal practice Of watering
lawn, flowers and vegetables after the
sun goes down is seen to be good, in
line not only with average wishes. but
evidently with the latest horticultural
advices.
A little more attention to mulching
and cultivation, and as much more
watering as feasible, will be about all
the average amateur gardener can do to
safeguard his precious plants in bad
Summers.
All, that is, except the use Of common
sense. This will center chiefly in
decision to use only hardy plants. espe-
cially shrubs and trees that can take il"
The gardener who has kept his eyes
open, and watched the effects Of zero
Winters and extremely high tempera-
tured Summers will be able to get
pretty good idea of which plants will
stand it, and which will not.
Let him trust in his own observations,
and thoroughly realize that. just as high
temperatures are not the same as
drought, and vice versa, SOD many de-
sirable plants become not 20 desirable
in the light Of inclement seasons. A
little common sense selection hereafter,
q little mulching, and a. much watering
as feasible. may do q great deal to save
gardens until the weather returns to
its senses.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28

There is scientific backing for the
belief, long held by amateur gardeners,
that heat as well as drought Is bad
for plants.
Plant tissues, especially leaves, as in
grass, can be harmed as much by the
temperature as by the very lack Of water.
Some persons who have watered per-
sistently have discovered this Summer
that many plants did poorly. despite
the water.
1t was, Of course, the high tempera-
ture, which literally burned the tissues.
It has been discovered by gardeners
on some large estates that damage still
resulted, despite the long running Of
watering systems daily.
Other estates, with later types OF
sprinkler systems, asserted that no dam
age resulted. These systems give . very
fine spray, such as is now being used
In some Of the local parks.
The main idea of this system Is to cool
the air Immediately over and around the
plants. Large quantities of moisture on
the ground and even at the roots Of the
plants cannot do this, 1t is asserted.
+ 4
Heat and humidity are mixed UP in
rather perplexing fashion, most home
gardeners will think.
Even on the hottest days Of Summer.
the grass will be "as wet as water" as
the saying is, in the early morning hours.
Often the hotter the day, the greater
the humidity.
The air, Is saturated with water, but
evidently not in the form to do plant
life any good, or to keep it from suffer-
ing from the high temperatures.
Horticulturists have realized that tie
last few Winters and Summers have
made problems which, II not exactly
new, at least are not encountered often.
1t will be Just as well II amateur gar
deners wake up to this situation.
How far the damage Of extra cold
Winters Is responsible for the hurt At
this season is question.
Harm to plant tissue, as to human
tissue. does not always show at once.
Diseases OF plants, even to attacks by
parasites and others, are due in some
instances to the general lowering Of
tone of the entire organism.
Just as healthy human tissue gives
little aid and comfort to the roaming
germ, SO healthy plant tissue affords
oSdA1b W CtC.
Once the tone Of the organism is low
cred. whatever the cause, something
seems to happen which more readily
permits inimical organisms to get a
toehold.
Intense heat, coupled with lack Of
moisture. works two ways on this weak
ened plant tissue, striking not only at
the roots, but also at all exposed leaf
and bough surfaces.
Horticulturists believe that the present
situation in the plant world, especially
in the East. will have to be met by more
mulching of lawns and plants elsewhere.
There are various materials which may
be used. the most generally available
being peat moss. Experiments are being
carried forward with other type mate
rails. such as the hulls Of buckwhear,
and the like.
Something must be used. according to
the experts, to conserve every last drop
of moisture in the soil. At the same time
steps must be taken. II possible. to
cool the air.
This latter Is difficult order for the
average gardener. He will look enviously
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
No Milk Price Boost.

Milk consumers in Washington, who
possess less influence than even their
brother consumers in other cities, are
indebted to Secretary Wallace for
his assurance that there is no jus
tification for any increase in prices
charged to Washington consumers Of
milk and cream" His statement is made
in connection with his tentative approval
of q milk marketing agreement for this
market, which would be supervised by q
Federal administrator selected by the
Agricultural Adjustment Administration.
Whether the agreemept was sought BY
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
The First Trip East.

The political fruits of Governor Lam
dons swing to the East-as far East, at
least, as Buffalo-lie somewhere be-
tween the luscious plums and the sour
apples of partisan description. They
. are yet to be assorted, graded and
else, this first campaigning trip East
Of the Mississippi has permitted him to
get acquainted with the people. He has
met and talked with thousands of them
who crowded about the rear platform
in his numerous brief stops. He has
talked to additional thousands who heard
him over the radio. He seems to be q
man who improves with acquaintance.
Denied the gifts Of the born orator,
still unskilled in the use Of the more
fetching tricks Of the oratorical trade,
he nevertheless has q way Of saying
things that leaves his hearers with
something to talk about and to think
about afterward. He has the facility of
saying in a speech exactly the sort Of
things that people say to each other In
every day conversation. His sentences
may lack glitter and sparkle. People
do not talk to each other, for instance,
about driving the money-changers from
the temple or going forth to do battle
with the economic despots and the privi-
legged princes. These things sound fine in
a speech, but rather silly in private con-
versation. But people do talk about
pig In the poke policies" and they
Immediately think Of how many pigs
they have bought in the poke which
turned out to be something else. They
think of buying relief and of finding out
later that they had bought q Quoddy,
or Florida Ship Canal, or a tree belt
or a Federal Theater Project.
In private conversation people discuss
national finances very much as Gov
ernor Landon discussed the subject at
Buffalo, not the way that Secretary
Morgenthau talks about it over the
radio. People in private conversation
do not argue about how the budget
might have been nearly balanced If it
had not been for the soldiers bonus
and relief. They draw the natural
analogy between their own experience,
or their own observation, Of spending
beyond income, and the Governments
continued failure to balance its budget.
To them the allusion to day of reckon
ing is direct and understandable. They
know that prosperity is induced by spend
ing borrowed money, but they also know
that what is borrowed must be repaid
and the bill for the spending of the past
three years has not yet been presented.
And when they condemn a particularly
bad piece of legislation they are very apt
to use Governor Landon's descriptive
"cockeyed"-as conveying every
thing that is necessary.
In each of his speeches, as COM
monplace as some of his utterances I'M
doubtedly have been, Governor Landon
has left his hearers with something to
think about and to talk about. If there
is lack of inspirational quality in his
public addresses, they have a certain
lasting power. He is talking about what
people are talking about and they I'M
derstand what he says.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
Power.

do you favor votes for women?"
Certainly" said Senator Sorghum. "A
womans place is in the home, where she
can regulate the food supply and the
intellectual entertainment on the radio.
Anybody with as much power as that
is going to have the vote If she wants 1t
whether I like it or not"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
A Rhyme at Twilight
By,
Gertrude Brooke Hamilton
After q Drought.

AItcr u DrOuBHts
The clouds hung low all day
And ut dusk the rain-the rainl
Making dry earth sing out In nnirth,
Sing with the flowers and grain;
Sing with the thirsty trees,
Their verdure on the wane;
Sing with the splash, the dash, the plash
OF the welcome, longed-for rain.
Ending the whitening spell
When labor seemed In vain,
In twilight hush the sweet wet gush
OF the rain-the God-sent rain!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28

A Newark, N. j., man spanked his wife
and then divorced her. Economists may
find here another example of wasted
manpower. The quarrel ended in the
way which, no doubt, was agreeable to
the woman.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
How Old is Benito?
From the worcester Gazette.

Mussolini's age is never publicly men,
toned or printed in italy, which makes
it . safe bet that everybody over there
can tell 1t to . day.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28

before taking his seat in that body he
was elected President Of the United
States, and so was in line for two elec-
tive oficial positions while still serving
In one such position. :,
(oopyisht. 1880 -
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28

According to more or less flippant ad-
vices on taxation and agriculture, every
body is now getting soaked" except the
farmer who needs the rain.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
The Latest Inanitv.

From the Flint (Mieh.) journal.
This knock, knock" game has all the
elements for eventually bringing around
3 Knockout
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
School Days.

School Days.
I'd study communism
If I could 60 to school.
I'd face the cataclysm
OF existence without rule.
But foundation should be present,
So think may as well,
While I'm trying to look pleasant.
Learn to cipher, read and spell.
"When dey talks about distributin'
wealth." said Uncle Eben. II hopes dey
won't be foolish an do It BY means Of
crap gahae." g.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28

NeighbOrly.
Oh, let us live like neighborS
Who talk across the fence
And tighten daily labors
BY their quarrels all intense.
As neighbors let's be boasting
In a sentimental glee,
Everybody I am roasting,
Cause I know they're roasting mel"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28
Happy, Come What May.

HAPPY, Come What May.
UNLESS we have conservation" said
the nervous citizen, every Summer will
see more rivers going dry!"
"Well," replied the man who is always
happy, maybe that will be q blessing.
It ought to lessen the number Of canoe
accidents"
Gorgeous raiment," said Hi Ho. the
sage of Chinatown, 'is the scenery which
may serve to give charm to what Is
otherwise dull"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28

Rate by MailEPayabIe in Advance.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-28

Nisht Final and Sunday star---5oc per month month
Collection made at the end Of each month
Orders may be sent by mail or telephone Ma
The Washington times., 1936-08-13

rial department for a 48-page
paper is not instantly reduced
by so per cent when its busi-
ness warrants only a 24-page
paper. A newspaper buys ser
vices in it's mechanical depart
ment almost as it buys paper
as much as it needs on an
hourly basis and no more. II
buys it's editorial and reportorial
service on a completely different
rule - by spending, to provide
sales appeal. the very maximum
proportion Of its income that it
can afford and still remain a
going concern for profit. If an
attempt is made to force indi,
vidual labor costs higher than
the traffic will stand in the edi-
torial department, there can be
only one possible reSult-a re-
duction in the total number of
individuals employed, a wedding
out of the less fit and of the
least necessary. That is auto
matte and inevitable because, re-
gardleSS of Guild representations,
the margin of editorial expenses
Is distinctly and rigidly limited
The Washington times., 1936-08-13
NEN WASHINGTOH's h
&5a Heroes mBZUQ @
Toughened by Nine Years in Cavalry, Sergeant
William Messer Made Brilliant Police
Record Cleaning UP Vice Resorts

Nine years service in the cavalry
served to tougher William MeSSer,
so when he joined the Metropoli-
tan Police Department in 1905 and
was assigned to patrol the section
below the Avenue he didn't mind
a bit.
But the underworld did, as he
headed raiding parties on vice re-
sorts and soon was advanced to
the rank of detective sergeant.
His official record for raids on
gambling establishments is out
standing. He headed the party
that crashed into the old Southern
Club, where politicians were usual
ly to be found over the card tables,
and a number Of prominent citi-
ems were trapped.
Again he raided the old Cham
berlain Club, putting that famous
gambling establishment out of
business.
In the early days of automobiles
he gained distinction by knowing
the name OF every car owner in the
District and the license number Of
their machines.
He recalls the amaZement when
a foreign car was brought here
capable of the astounding speed
of 35 miles an hour, and there were
dire predictions of accidents be-
cause of this great speed.
Sergeant MeSSer lives at 1857
Thirty-firSt st. N. W., but is often
The Washington times., 1936-08-13
Quality Essential

There is another compelling
reason why all the principles which
obtain in the mechanical depart
mentS, in the selection and COM
pensation of individuals, cannot
be applied to the editorial and rep
ortorial staff. The value Of the
output of the former is on tangi-
BILE, measurable basis of quantity
quality is, in general! uniform.
Therefore, mechanical employ
ment can be put on uniform, i'm
personal basis of union member
ship and compensation can be
measured by time.
The fundamental essential OF
editorial effort is quality. T n e
prestige and success Of the paper
depends not on how much copy
is produced but on how good that
copy is. The effort of the indivi-
duaA is not and cannot be col
lectiViSt. 1t is, on the contrary, al
most exclusively individualiStlc.
Some individuals produce excellent
copy OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES get the
same excellence only after hours
of sweat and study. Union repre-
sentation in the interest of special
individual talent is contradiction
in terms. The rules and the con-
ditionS of labor applicable to the
mechanical departments are alb
solutely inapplicable in the edi-
torial departments.
Finally it has been contended
that, no matter what salaries
have been paid or are being paid
FOR editorial and reportorial work,
higher salaries can be forced by
organization and strong collective
representation - in other words,
that what a paper can be forced
to pay has no relation to its earn
ing capacity. And here again
the example of what has been
done by union pressure in the
mechanical departments is ad-
vanced as a precedent.
This contention is wrong on
two counts:
First: The mechanical depart
mentS bargain and contract on an
industry-wide basis, at least in
the separate newspaper regions.