davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1937-07-22
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

When gas lighting first appeared, at
about the end of the eighteenth century.
it was considered by all persons with
sound common sense to be too ridiculous
to be taken seriously.
Only when the practice appeared to
be gaining ground did an outraged pub
instances of the essential conservatism
of the public mind toward revolutionary
inventions cited in the recent report on
technological trends of the National Re-
sources Committee.
Gas lighting, which first appeared at
about the end of the eighteenth CEN
tury, was considered too ridiculous at
first to be taken seriously, and only when
it appeared to be gaining ground was
there an active propaganda against it.
There is a madman proposing to light
the streets of London with smoke" wrote
Sir Walter Scott. Lord Byron thought
the idea was very ludicrous. Such an
eminent man of science as Sir Humphrey
Davy laughed at it and considered those
who proposed it as harmless lunatlcS.
"Une grande folie." said the great Ma
poleon when somebody proposed gas
lighting for Paris. One outstanding OBJ
JGEllOIl was lIiuV SCo toiIiho VIVIAN llOl NC
picturesque.
London succumbed in 1910. Paris held
out until 1918. Berlin only submitted to
a gas plant in 1926, after tremendous
opposition Some of the gas lamps eX-
poded the day they were installed on
Unter den Linden and all Germans with
sound common sense felt that their long
fight had been vindicated.
f,-et n,t 10
install gas, succumbed to the inevitable
in 1921, after much opposition. AS late
as 1888 a petition to the Philadelphia
Common Council warned against gas as
equitable as gunpoWder and as nearly
fatal in its effects as regards the large
destruction of property"
OF all the inventions of the late
Thomas A. Edison, perhaps the one
which has had the greatest effect on
the world is the incandescent light. 1t
has made possible foot ball games at
night, the illuminated city seen from an
airplane which is mans masterpiece of
supreme beauty, the lovely neon signs
over the corner saloon and a thousand
other things of more or less utility
But the invention was by no means
hailed with enthusiasm. The learned
pTeSlQenG OF tne OteVeIlS institute OF
Technology in 1879 rushed to Edisons
defense when the light was first dem
onstrated. The young man had done
excellent work as an inventor, he said.
1t was shame that his reputation
should be ruined by the publicity given
this innovation which every one
acquainted with the subject will recog-
nize as conspicuous failure The
thing was bound to fail, he held, because
all previous attempts, had been failures.
The New York Herald printed a story
about the lamp. The managing editor
called the city editor on the carpet for
letting such nonsense get in the paper.
1t was against the laws of nature, he
maintained. Presumably the city editor
fired the reporter who was bringing in
such fake stories.
But it turned out that the story was
not fake after all. When news of
Edison's demonstrations reached London
there was veritable panic on the stock
exchange as gas share quotations
Evening star., 1937-07-22

happening. AS long as this potentially
dangerous element is used there is pos
sibility of an explosion. Structural de-
fects, incident to continued service or
exceptional strains in severe weather
may at any time effect leakage and
when that occurs there is peril
With such possibility as the ignition
of hydrogen through static electricity,
either in the course of flight or at land
ing, tragically demonstrated by the
Lakehurst disaster, the continued use of
this element becomes a grave liability
IN lighter-tha1-air navigation. Only
through the use of helium, which is nom
inf1ammable, can this danger be averted
Helium, however, is produced at present
only In this country, in quantity suffi-
cient to such an end. The Government
of the United States controls it. Use
by others can be permitted only by
order of the President, upon the recon-
mendation of the Secretaries of War,
the Navy and the Interior. No formal
application has been made for this
accommodation. In the light of the
Hindenburg disaster and the findings of
the board of inquiry it may be expected
that one will be made, and it is not to
be doubted that it will be granted, with
stipulation that it be used only in COM
mercial travel. In the event of war
in another part of the world the use
Of helium from the American source
would, of course, be denied.
Evening star., 1937-07-22
No Political Party in the
l. S. Since 1882 Election
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
What is all this talk about splitting
the party? And what party is meant?
No one has heard of any party since 1882,
and in 1896 only Maine and Vermont
seeded. The other forty-six States
ignored the incident.
If, to put his reforms across. Frank
lin Delano Roosevelt sees fit, or deems it
necessary, to eliminate the Supreme
Court or any part thereof, or, if it seems
obligatory upon him even to dispose of
Congress, the above mentioned Maine
and Vermont can do nothing to stop
him
And all the shouting and storming of
the press can accomplish no more now
than it did in 1896.
And what is so strange and inconsist-
ent that President holding such a
mandate from forty-six out of fortv-
eight States should expect courts, Con-
gress ct al. to forward his program? He
would be both a fool and traitor if
he did not enforce that program, and
do it now.
The time has struck when further
patience ceases to have virtue; vet, I
suppose, If the opposition is getting it's
throat cut, it has the option to soueal
and bleed. MILO E. EMMERSON.
Evening star., 1937-07-22
The Hindenburg Verdict.

When the giant airship Hindenburg
tell in flames at Lakehurst May g. with
thirty-siX persons dying in the wreck,
the immediate question raised was that
of the cause of the disaster. The craft
had made numerous voyages across the
sea and was supposedly wholly safe in
handling. 1t had Weathered severe con-
ditions on previous crossings and those
that prevailed at the time of her fatal
landing at Lakehurst were seemingly
such as to insure security. Yet at the
last moment something happened to
cause the ignition of the hydrogen
which constituted her f1otation factor
and in few minutes the great mech
anlsm was a wreck.
Sabotage was Immediately suggested.
Just why any person should wish to
destroy the airship and with it the lives
OF its occupants was not clear. In fact,
there was no conceivable reason for such
dastardly crime. A board of inquiry
was constituted to investigate. Now its
ASpOie ildo bSCll hlUeT U6n weeks
of examination and inquiry, and the
verdict is given that the airship was the
victim of static spark, which caused
the ignition of mixture of free hydro
gen and air. A leak at or near certain
cells containing the hydrogen caused
this mixture and spark of static elec-
tricity, generated by the atmospheric
conditions and conducted by q DAMP
ened landing rope, caused the first ex-
plosion, which was quickly followed by
others.
Such is the conclusion of the board,
from which there can be no reasonable
dissent. The primary factor of danger
and of eventual disaster lay in the use
of the highly inflammable hydrogen as
the agency of flotation. That it had
been used previously, in fact through
out the long maintained transatlantic
flights of the Hindenburg and its pre-
decessor, the Graf Zeppelin. without
disaster was no assurance against such
Evening star., 1937-07-22
Questions Are Raised
By the Wagner Act
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
This is what cannot understand about
the Wagner act:
What right has Congress got to in
terfere with interstate commerce for
the manifest purpose of putting an addi-
tional burden upon it in the shape of
higher production costs, which, of course,
must mean higher selling prices in the
long run?
Or, what right has Congress got to
pass such a law on general welfare
grounds, when manifestly the public at
large is to be taxed for the benefit of a
favored few?
Or, if it is claimed that the general
welfare is promoted because strikes will
be avoided, is it in conformity with the
spirit of the American Constitution to
avoid trouble that way, responding to the
same leverage that the victims of racket
eers encounter?
Why does not some victim of this law
test these points before the Supreme
Court?
The actual effect of this law will affect
me only in the matter of paying higher
prices for what I buy and consume, and
that is not so much, but I am one of the
270O0,o0 who expected better things, and
that worries me.
w. STANLEY FREEMAN.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

lieve, and we were proud of it and sin
cerely hoped it might help.
None Of us needs be discouraged, how
ever. The sum total OF all such efforts
to help bad situation may be much
greater than we sometimes suspect. 1t
is true that "every little bit helps" per-
haps.
What the interested world seems to
have forgotten, in regard to man and
his motor car, is the unseen influence of
the machine.
The term machine age" means more
than factories and men chained to them,
as the saying has it.
1t includes automobiles.
The carry over" of the influence of
this machine to those who operate it is
the only possible explanation of the
seeming change in character noted by
our correspondent.
People really do not change from
courteous to discourteous. They Just
seem to-
The days of the old stage directions
for the miser, Leans against post and
becomes generous" are long over.
The man who is polite in the drawing
room is the same fellow who leans out
the car window and curses you for your
dumbness, as he calls it, in rather
pointed language.
He is not a bad guy, as we all know.
He is just driving motor car!
x K X
And the machine has done something
to him.
For the time he is at the wheel the
personality of machine has either
partially or totally eclipsed his own
personality.
There is no courtesy in a machine,
therefore there is no use in expecting
it from one.
There is no kindness in a machine, no
thought for others, no fear.
Therefore We see a car come SWirling
along a quiet residence street at 40
miles an hour, never SO much as SLOW
ing up, but running straight through a
group OF children and their pet dogs.
One dog is boWled over but the ma
chine does not stop.
The driver? Why, the machine has
him in its grip!
The machine habit is SO enervating,
evidently, that it makes monsters Of
men, who often are SO lost to all hu-
manlty that they 'baWl out the person
whom they have injured.
Lesser addictS. men not SO enslaved by
the machine habit, show various phases
Of thoughtlesSness, SelfishnesS, discour-
teSy, brutality.
What more can be expected of them?
Look again at that shining monster
Of SenSeleSs steel.
It's daily food is Ua S0ine
It's faVorite end product is carbon
monoxide, deadly to all living things.
To go fast and faster seems to be its
principal mission in the world
If this thing could be courteous it
would be a miracle past belief.
If it knew the difference between child
and stone, something would have hap
pened in the ages which had never hap
pened before.
Puny man thinks he controls it, but
he seldom does so; mostly it controls
him, demanding that it be allowed to
fulfill its mlSSlon-Speed and more speed.
Does machine know whether it hurts,
insults, Injuries or kills living things?
It doesn't know and it doesn't care,
and something of that awful careless
ness evidently communicates itself to
many of those who play around with it.
It's great sin is that it is unhuman; its
great threat is that it tends to make
man inhuman.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

by Soviet Russia, Belgium, Sweden and
Czechoslovakia, seek withdrawal of alien
troops from Spain preceding the grant,
ing of limited" belligerent rights. Italy
and Germany want the order reversed.
The result is deadlock and, of course,
prolongation of conditions whereby the
insurgents obtained man power, muni-
tons and equipment without which the
Franco campaign would long since have
collapsed. AS long as there is no
embargo on sineWs for the rebels, the
Loyalists naturally feel at liberty to
accept all the foreign aid they can COM
mand The Russian aircraft at their
disposal is playing perhaps the principal
role in the stubborn defense of Madrid
which the government is this week
maintaining against the heaviest Insur-
gent offensive it has yet had to combat
So the hour has not come when SPANS
war can be returned to the Spaniards.
The land is doomed until further notice
to remain the arena of foreign INVASION
a shamble where once there were fair
cities and countrysides, thriving indus
tries and national monuments of price
less historical value and beauty. The
reckless sponsors of rival alien political
ldeologies have not yet had their fill of
blood-Soaked Spanish soil as an arena
for internecine strife and training
ground for men and weapons in the
next world war. Emopes neutrality"
on the Iberian Peninsula will rank as
one Of the supreme international scam
dals-and tragedies-of all time.
Evening star., 1937-07-22
Preparing for College?

If you are planning to enter college
this Fall you will want copy of the
booklet HOW TO GET A COLLEGE
EDUCATION. Prepared from recent
surveys of the United States Govern
ment; indicates actual costs and living
expenses at various types of schools for
every State: suggests ways and means
OF self-support; outlines in detail all
the new Federal aids available to STU
dents through the National Youth Ad-
ministration. Send for your copy today,
inclosing ten cents to cover cost and
handling.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

1t is now estimated that the Supreme
Court contention has been of great
service to the intellectual life of the
Nation. 1t may not serve to change the
conditions under which we live, but it
will permit the assurance of awareness
OF these conditions.
Evening star., 1937-07-22
Facial Expression.

"You must not take my photograph"
A wise man gravely said
"The public wants merry laugh.
wear a frown instead.
For in the midst of serious cares
Some gloom is sure to fall.
A man, though famous in affairs,
Is human after all.
Sometimes I'm weary; often sad.
Vexations rise anew.
But none save an expression glad
The people wish to view.
so chide me with satiric ease,
I'll bear it with good grace
Nor seek to make reply-but please
Don't photograph my face"
''De nardest-Worked person I knows
Of" said Uncle Eben, '.is talker dat's
tryin' 10 convince folks of sumpin' he
don't honestly believe hisself."
Evening star., 1937-07-22
Shooting Stars.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.


Progress.
Used to be contented
To watch a butterfly.
Now 1 want an airship,
Sailin' through the sky.
Used to hear a robin
With serene delight.
Now I want the radio
Playin' half the night.
Used to think the wildwood
Brought a JOY complete.
Now I want the golf links,
Manicured so neat.
Times are ever changing.
No use bein' glum.
All our pleasures promise
Greater joys to come.
Evening star., 1937-07-22
A Case of Silence.

Josh" said Farmer Corntossel, did
you tell the new Summer boarders there
are no mosquitoes worth mentioning?"
Eyes. The language that has been
used about those mosquitoes has got so
free that the less they are mentioned the
better"
Evening star., 1937-07-22

America has never learned great deal
about either the Chinese or the Japa-
nese hoStilities. Wars which decide the
course of ancient civilizations are, how
ever, simple in one respect. They depend
again on who can succeed in getting to
a strategic point at a critical moment
with the most men.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

American girls were not politely
treated by Japanese soldiers. Discipline
is easily arranged in the Mikados army
and can be accomplished as minor
ings.
Evening star., 1937-07-22
A Voice for Education.

From the Omaha WorldHerald.
Maybe ex-President Angel of Yale,
who signed up for educational broad
casts, will be heard at the mike in those
sponsored broadcasts OF tho foot ball
games.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

preme Court plans over with the PreSi-
dent of the U. S. it must be remembered
that a Vice President is expected to
show certain Differences as matters of
formal courtesy.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

So far as monument Is concerned It
may be assumed that Thomas Jefferson's
shade is in no particular hurry about
all these modern formaities.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

Marconi was truly a great man. He
will be honored for his inventions al
though he cannot be held responsible
for all the music and verbal hippancies
they transmit.
Evening star., 1937-07-22
Indefatigable.

The old thermom sets out again
His terrors to renew.
We take vacations, now and then.
Why can't he take some, too?
Evening star., 1937-07-22
Rate by Mail-Payable in Advance.
II Other States and Canad
Member of the Associated Press.

The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to
the use for republication of all news dispatches
credited to 1t or not otherwise credited in this
paper and also the local news published herein.
All rishts OF publication of special dispatches
herein are also reserved.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

fight between Japan and China may
finally be arranged with doubt still
lingering in the background as to Rus
sia's selection as the eventual winner.
Evening star., 1937-07-22
TwoLicenses Needed.

From the Grand Island Independent.
Before the average man can get mar
ried these days he has to show his girl
two uoenses-mar11age and automobile
Evening star., 1937-07-22
A Modest Declaration.

You have served your country a great
many years"
Il have" admitted Senator Sorghum.
Your people have absolute confidence
in you"
Il won't say that they always have
absolute confidence But it has always
happened that they'd rather take a
chance on me than they would on the
other fellow"
Evening star., 1937-07-22

Jud Tunkins says man who never
makes a mistake has to die fearfully
young to avoid spelling his record.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

l1th st and Pennsylvania Ave.
New York Office: 10 East 42nd st.
Chicago Office: 435 North Michigan Ave.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

NtEht Final and Sunday Star----70c per mont
f5L hS5 ndc t the end o eac6 month
each week, Orders may be sent by mall or tele
phone National 5000.
Evening star., 1937-07-22
Rate by Carrier-City and Suburban.
Regular Edition.
Night Final Edition

The Evening and Sunday Star
Csc per month or 15c per week
Ths Evening Star
45c per month or 1Qc per week
Evening star., 1937-07-22
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASEJN.

reader can get the ansWer to anu
question OF fact By 1Uritinq The EUenino
Star Information Bureau, Frederic J.
HaSkn, Director, Washington, D. C.
Please tnclose stamp for reply.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

Q. How much did the late Sir Thomas
Upton spend on Americas Cup racesP
H. J.
A From 1899 to 1880 the tea magnate
raced five Shamrocks and spent more
than 100000.
Evening star., 1937-07-22

Q. Why do white wooden swimming
suits dlscolor when worn in swimming
pools?-R. D.
A. 1t is because of the chlorine and Ior
copper sulphate which is used to kill the
algae in the water
The Washington times., 1937-03-18

and two years later enlisted in the
Navy. Serving throughout the
World War, he was 0llnded while
member of the Ayi tioii Corps,
and in 1928 began 4 career as q
railroad signal tower operative.
Serves D. 81 Xears
Parrish entered the Government
service three years asO and has
served since then as a1 attendant
at St. Elizabeths Hospital
Miss Hagan is technically notsa
Government employs although
she spends her Wcfkin hour 81
the hospital, in conn Hon with
Red Gross work. native of
Christiansburg, VA she Is i sradu-
ate Of salem College It winston.
Salem. N. c.. and Columbia Uni.
versity iii New Y
Beginning her career Is 3 social
worker Id New Yor she jOined
the Red Cross ehtly more
than iukyears ago e IL b mem
ber Of the An1eIie OFtnop schi-
atric Associat atior
The Washington times., 1937-03-18
STATE BUDGET
0KAY STALLED

ANNAPOLIS. Mr., March 49,
Despite efforts of senate leaders
to speed it to the house, the bi.
ennial $70,0O0,00O budget still re-
NAMED on second reading and
open to amendment today.
Senator Lansdale G.. Sasscer
CD of Prince Georges county.
president of the senate, declared:
aLOg-roliing and sentimental
voting delayed the passage Of
the budget for at least a day
and nulIified much Of the hard
work of the finance committee"
The senate adopted budget
amendments from the finance
committee that effected a few
minor cuts in the budget offered
by Governor Harry w. Nice.
Adoption by the committee Of
most items included in the sup
Elemental budget submitted by
the Governor brought the total
to considerably more than $70.-
100000.
The senate adopted an amend
ment allotting the University Of
Maryland an additional $273, 900
a year, while putting off for fu-
ture discussion amendments of.
fered by Senator Harold E. Co.
burn CD Of Cecil county, that
would reduce the university's orr
ginal appropriation by 100000 a
wear,
The Washington times., 1937-03-18
Clerks Given
FreeSeatS At
First Game

Certain fortunate Govern.
ment employees, favored by
Lucky Baseball Rings" are
being designated as winners
of reserved seats to the open
ing American League baseball
game here April 19, when the
Griffmen entertain a visit by
Connie Mack's Athletics.
Pictures of Federal workers,
taken at random, appear each
day in The Times, and those
who find their faces sur
rounded by a "Iucky ring" will
be guests of The Times at the
initial game. Each receives,
in addition to a lower grand
stand ticket and rain check, a
season schedule of the Amer
ican League in handy booklet
form as an additional gift.
Announcement of the lucky
guests is made each day in
this column. and those whom
the lucky rings" favor may
collect their tickets from J.
Earle MoSer, Government col
umnist, any weekday between
4:3O and $50 p. m, and as
early as 2 p. m. on Saturdays.
Those who claim tickets
promptly will get the better
seats. Watch for the Lucky
Ring around your face!
The Washington times., 1937-03-18
MARRIAGE LICENSES

John Jones. 30 Of alexandria. Va.
and Sarah Williams, 80, 1928 Eleventh
st. N. W.
Edward Earl Banter, %, to Hazel
Lymi Cauley. 20, both of Richmond,
Va
Frank R. McGhee. %. to Regina
Lucille Geaganes, both of Alexandra,
Va.
Charles John Daugherty, 81, U. S..
Naval Hospital, Washington, D. c.. to
Margaret Virginia McNulty, IS, 817 U
Francis Michael Judge. "a. Helena,
Mont, to B. Suzanne Foulke, "a, Maroa,
Henry Cutter, 2s, 1881 South Carolina
Ave. s: E., to Henrietta Ginsberg, Balti-
Charles Cobb Smith, ss. 1928 Eight
IS. i71s Seventeenth St. n. W.
William j. McNamee, "a, 2517 Mozart
Pl. N. w, to Marion Eloise Wells 81,
ais Tenth st. N. w.
Herman olepky,. "a. Chicago, Ill, to
Robert N. Meade. 20. Gordonsville,
Va, to Alice J. Hanvey, 20, Richmond,
vinenzo All, So. Alexandra. Va. to
Antonietta Di silvestro, 81, 726 Ninth
st. N. E.
F. W. Laurence, jr, jr., rs. to Dora
Lee Pugh, "a, both of Charlottesville.
Va.
Thomas Coleman Musgrove 21. to
Hazel Witt, 49, both of Bedford, Va.
John Gordon Krantz. Il. to Dorothy
B. Preston, 20, both of Bedford. Va.
suthard, %, both of Alexandria. Va.
Arthur L. Clark Ss, 61S Florida Ave.
n. W, to Estelle Brooks, 80. 72s Fourth
Arthur c. Cobb. 10. 70 Fenton st.
n, E, to Louise Williams, is, rs Fen
ton st. N. E.
The Washington times., 1937-03-18

tBrts YTEVI MOS
QUIZ In DEATH

Preston Swan coloreds, 50, died
early today in Casualty Hospital.
Coroner A Magruder 4 MaeDonald
has ordered Policeman E. B., How
lin. of the Ninth precinct, to ap-
pear at an inquest.
Pending the inquest, ,Howlin has
been suspended from @ity and de-
tanned at the Ninth precinct sta
ton. Police IA reportedsy Swans
death was the 3resuN Of head in
juries and that HowIin had struck
him over the head With his night
stick. - 7'''''"
In his report of the incident,
Howlin declared he discovered
Swan taking gasoline from the
tank of a parked car in the 100
block Fifth st. N. E., and took him
in custody. At a police call box,
Howlin said. the prisoner attacked
him and he used his nightStick in
self-defenSe.