Evening star., 1940-04-27
Letters to the Editor
Attributes Burke Defeat
To Embargo Vote.
To the Editor OF The Star:

1O LIHDaTBO vOIc.
To the Editor Of The Star:
Last summer, when the repeal of the
arms embargo was pending, this writer
predicted that the members of Congress
who supported the embargo in 1885 and
1896 would most certainly injure them
selves by reversing their stand in the
face of the European war which had
just broken out and would be defeated
If they ran for reelection this fall The
defeat of Senator Burke of Nebraska in
the recent primaries and his statement
regarding it is one instance bearing out
that prediction.
The disregard by Congress of the pleas
of thousands of voters that the embargo
be retained as the best safeguard of
the neutrality of the United States and
guarantee of its non-involvement in
European quarrels was as bold a slap
in the face as the people of this country
have ever received from its Government
and representatives in Congress. Con-
gress ignored the pressure of public
opinion and yielded to the pressure of
groups whose identity and motives are
still unknown to the majority of the
people of the United States. They only
know that the embargo was lifted, that
the United States is becoming the NUM-
tions base of France and England, and
that step by step this country is being
eased to the brink Of war without its
citizens having any opportunity of
voicing their wishes effectively.
have concluded, and evidently great
many other people have also concluded,
that pleading with our Congressman on
this issue Is useless; that we are COM
batting influences which are working
behind the scenes and refuse to be
drawn into open and honest debate, and
that the only recourse of the people at
time like this is to go to the polls in
November and vote against the party
which, since the administration Of Wood
row Wilson, has stood for Intervention
and war in Europe.
April 20. ELEANOR H. FINCH.
Disagrees with Colby
On Wisteria Spelling.
To the Editor Of The Star:
Mr.. Frank Colby's column, Don't
Take My Word For It." Evening Star,
April Is, dealt with the case of "Wistaria
VS.. Wisteria."
Mr.. Colby made short work of the
matter, deciding quickly, with an, air
Of f1nality, in favor of Wistaria. What
Mr.. Colby considers an erroneous SPELL
ing, "Wisteria," is attributed to the
carelessness Of the naturalist Thomas
Nuttall-Mr. Colby has it Nuttal Nut
tall, according to Mr.. Colby, should
have known the genus "Wistaria" was
named in commemoration of DR.. Caspar
Wistar, the celebrated anatomist. Per-
haps Mr.. Colby should have known that
Nuttall was the author of Wisteria, and
plainly stated 1t was named in honor
of Wlstar.
Finally, Mr.. Colby asserts that Evils
taria" is the only spelling recognized
by the International Rules of Bo-
tanical Nomenclature. In the copy Of
this work have at hand the spelling
Is "Wisteria."
The RULES" also state that the original
spelling of Q botanical name must be
followed unless an error Of spelling is
Enthusiastically involved. Neither Mr..
Colby nor any one else knows that Nut
tall did not find the spelling Wisteria
more agreeable than Wistaria. No cor
rection of this name is made in the er-
rata of the work in which Wisteria was
originally described CGenera Of Plants
Of the United States), and 1t is spelled
Wisteria In the index. It should also
be remembered that Wister was q varia-