The Alamance gleaner |
VOL. LV. GRAHAM, N, C., THURSDAY JANUARY 23, 1930 NO. 51.
??HI [ ?*!?? fin ?! I III r llf-1 r
1?President Iloover receiving members of General Federation of Woman's Clubs gathered In Washington for their
annual convention. 2?Automobiles buried in snow in Kansas City during fierce blizzard that swept over the Middle
West. 3?Entrance to St. James palcce, London, scene of the naval limitation conference.
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENTEVENTS
Center of Stage in Capital
Held by Prohibition
Enforcement.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD
PROHIBITION was again tlie dorn
* Inant topic In Washington, dis
placing the tariff and the naval confer
ence In London. Somewhat hurried
by political pressure, the Wickersliam
crime commission made a preliminary
report and in submitting it to con
gress President Hoover made recom
mendations for legislation designed to
facilitate enforcement of the dry laws.
Then the fireworks started.
The commission's report was thus
neatly summarized by the Boston
Herald:
"In effect Chairman Wickersliam
and his associates say: 'Whether the
Eighteenth amendment and the Vol
stead act are wise legislation or not,
we do not choose to say. The law is
here. Conditions In the courts and
elsewhere are such that enforcement
under ideal conditions has not been
responsible. Set up some hew ma
chinery for enforcement, try It a while
and ultimately we may have some
thing to say on prohibition as prohlbi
* tlon. We defer judgment meanwhile.' "
The four major recommendations
made by the commission were:
Unification of enforcement under the
Department of Justice.
Machinery for Speeding up prohibi
tion cases in the federal court.
Codification of all statutes relating
to prohibition.
Amendment of Volstead act to fa
cilitate prosecution of padlock Injunc
tions.
Here Is what President Hoover
asked of congress:
Reorganization of the federal court
structure so as to give relief from
congestion.
Consolidation of the various agen
cies engaged in prevention of smug
gling of liquor, narcotics, other mer
chandise and nlieps over our frontiers.
Provision of adequate prisons and
reorganization of parole and other
practices.
Specific legislation for the District
of Columbia.
Legislation to give United States
court commissioners enlarged powers
In minor criminal cases.
Transfer of prohibition machinery
from Treasury department to the De
partment of Justice.
IN THE house these recommenda
tions were referred to the several
committees especially concerned, and
there was an apparent disposition to
push the administration measures
through In qulclt time; bnt It was
thought they would encounter much op
position In the senate. The constitu
tional lawyers In both houses were
prepared to fight especially the com
mission's plan to permit United
States commissioners to handle petty
prohibition rases on the ground that
It deprived citizens of their constitu
tional right of trial by Jury. Mr.
Wlckersham explained that this was
? misapprehension, the plan merely
assuring the defendant a speedy trial
with the right to appeal to another
court In which he would be tried by a
Jury.
The wets In the house organized for
the coming battles by electing J.
Charles I.inthlcum of Maryland leader
of the bloc. Previously Representative
James M. Beck of Pennsylvania had
declined the post, explaining that
while he opposed the prohibition law,
he believed It to be "the manifest duty
of the administration to enforce It."
Representative La Guardla of New
York made a surprise attack on the
drys when he raised a point of order
on the prohibition provisions of the
pending Treasury department appro
priation bill and offered a resolution
to declare the Eighteenth amendment
Inoperative. La Guardln set forth the
proposition that only ten of the state
legislatures ratified the Eighteenth
amendment within seven years, as re
quired by its third section. The
others, he said, ratified, merely the
Joint resolution, which later became
the constitutional article. Hence, he
argued, the amendment and Its en
forcement legislation automatically
died three years ago.
ALL tills hullabaloo coincided with
the tenth anniversary of the ad
vent of national prohibition, and at
the same time the Anti-Saloon league
opened its twenty-fourth annual con
vention in Detroit. The leaders of
the organization announced plans for
raising a "war chest" of $50,000,000
for use during the next ten years and
said they were determined to rout ut
terly the organized forces that seek
repeal or modification of the Eight
eenth amendment and the Volstead
act. General Superintendent F. Scott
McBride In his address assuming a
rather remarkable knowledge of the
Creator's ideas, declared "The league
was born of God. It has been led by
Him and will fight on while He lends."
Dr. A. J. Barton, chairman of the
executive committee, said: "The Anti
Saloon leagtfe Is the most hated and
feared organization In America. The
wets are more and more amazed at
the strength of our organization. In
a pitying and patronizing way they
announce that we arc dead or at least
moribund. Tbe wish is father to the
thought; they know that we are very
much alive."
THURSDAY the senate, by a
^-'majority of ten votes, rejected the
proposal of the Republican regulars
for an Increase in the sugar tariff.
The amendment of Senator Har
rison of Mississippi forcing the re
tention in the tariff bill of the exist
ing rate of 1.76 cents a pounds on
Cuban sugar, was adopted, 48 to 38.
The finance committee had proposed
a rate of 2.20 cents on Cuban sugar
and the bill passed by the house put
the rate at 2.40 cents.
The Western independent Republic
ans, who combined with the Demo
crats to knock out of the Republican
bill all rate increases except those on
agricultural products, split on the
sugar duty. Senators Borah of Idaho
and Norris of Nebraska, leaders of
his bloc, were among those voting
against an increased rote.
Governor green of Michigan,
acting on recommendation of Ar
thur D. Wood, commissioner of par
dons and paroles, has commuted the
sentences of the five victims of the
state's former "life for a pint" law,
reducing their terms from life Impris
onment to 7V6 to 15 years, in con
formity to the amended statute. The
sixth sentenced under the former law
committed suicide In his cell.
Oscar G. Olander, Michigan's com
missioner of public safety, announced
that the state police would be pro
vided with fast automobiles equipped
with machine guns and tear bombs to
stop rum running between Detroit and
Chicago. The officers will wear bullet
proof vests.
In Providence, R. L, a special grand
Jury called to consider evidence in the
slaying of three men aboard the rum
runner Black Duck by coast guards
men reported to the Superior court
that, after thorough investigation. It
had found no indictment.
SECRETARY OF STATE STIMSON
and the rest of the American dele
gates to the nival limitation confer
ence landed at Plymouth Friday morn
ing and were speedily carried np to
London. There Mr. Stimson spent
several hours in conference with
Prime Minister MacDonald, and on the
two following days he talked confi
dentially and at length with Premier
Tardieu of France and Dino Grandi,
Italian foreign minister. Presumably
these conversations did much to clear
the way to a tentative agreement in
the e<yiference, which was to open
Tuesday.
To tire advance guard of the news
paper correspondents from all over the
world Mr. MacDonald said Great Brit
ain would propose the abolition of bat
tleships and submarines, not with any
great hope of obtaining total aboli
tion, but in the strong hope of secur
ing a drastic reduction in these forms
of armament and their possible extinc
tion after a term of years. He favors
reduction by categories rather than
global tonnage, but France and prob
ably Italy are committed to the latter
plan and it is believed the United
States Is ready to accept it. The
French and Italian delegations were
reported still far apart on the question
of naval parity. However, fair minded
observers in London were convinced
that all five of the delegations were
sincere in their desire to obtain re
sults of real international value and
that while each of them would Insist
on adequate national defense, all were
against the principle of armed su
premacy. Therefore there is reason
for optimism.
? _____
Delegates of the allies and of
Germany in the conference at
The Hague finally reached an agree
ment on the several questions of
sanctions and formulated two dec
larations on the subject to be
part of the Young plan protocol, the
way to the signing of which was thus
cleared. Germany agreed that incase
she wilfully defaulted any of the
Young plan provisions any creditor na
tion might appeal to the court of in
ternational Justice and If that court
gave an affirmative decision, the cred
itor power or powers should resume
"full liberty of action." That, of
course, means the possibility of armed
intervention. or occupation, and both
the Germans and the British hesitated
to sign It, but this was necessary to
prevent utter failure of the confer
ence. I'aul Moldenhauer, German
minister of finance, had already prom
ised that the Iteichsbank would par
ticipate in the financing of the world
bank for reparations, though HJalmar
Schacht, president of the Iteichsbank,
had fought stubbornly against this.
Agreement was reached on the date of
German payments, the fifteenth of
the month, as demanded; on the mora
torium question, with the provision
that at the end of any period of Sus
pended payments the amount post
poned becomes payable immediately,
and a special advisory committee is
to determine whether Germany's eco
nomic life Is endangered when mora
torium is asked.
Throughout much of the mirsIs
slppi and Ohio river valleys flood
conditions were increasing until they
threatened to be the worst In years.
Vast areas of farm land were Inun
dated and many towns were Isolated.
Southern Indiana especially suffered,
and extremely cold weather added to
the distress, there and elsewhere.
The severest storms of the winter
swept over the North Central states,
and the heavy snowfalls extended
even to Portland, Ore., and southern
California. Still worse In destruction
of life and property were the great
gales that prevailed In England and
northern Europe. About flfty persons
were killed nnd many Injured, the ma
jority of deaths being due to tha
foundering of vessels.
G ROVER .CLARK returned to Plep
Ing from a six weeks' Inspection
trip In the Wet river district on
behalf of the China International
Famine Relief and reported that
thousands of persons are dying
dally from fapilne and exposure.
(C. 1110. Western Newspaper Ualoa.)
f THE i
| ADORABLE f
I LIAR |
i(& bv D J. Walsh. I
THERE are various factors In
volved Id the choice of a hus
band and Rita Lnngdon tried to
consider them all. Not that
Rita deliberately set herself to the
task of achieving matrimony. That
would have been no task at all, but
even the most confirmed business
woman looks forward eventually to a
husband, babies and a home. And
Rita was no exception.
For the present she was well satis
fled with her position in the office of
the Carpo bookblndery. There were a
number of nice boys employed In the
bookblndery, but one after another
Rita had eliminated them as pros
pective suitors. Then two new addl
tlons to the office stafT came to clal/n
her lagging interest?the* boss' son
and the new young man. And Rita
took special care with her fluffy brown
hair, her clear young complexion and
her tidy dresses.
Rita was sitting very quiet, but quite
occupied, in an obscure corner of the
dingy stockroom. Soon John Benson,
the new young man, came in and
busied himself with a pile of book
covers on a bench across the room
Rita remained silent, but observant.
In a few minutes the apple man came
into the room. Every one In that dis
trict knew the apple man, a small,
gray, bent and feeble old man who tot
tered from office to office selling ap
pies to clerks, bookkeepers and sun
dry workers.
?'Hello, Dad," greeted Benson as the
old maD shambled Into the room.
"Fellng pretty spry today?"
"Pretty spry for my age, I reckon,"
answered the apple vender. "And I've
got another birthday today."
"Really! Congratulations. And how
old a?*e you. If I may ask?"
"Guess," invited the old fellow.
Benson wrinkled his brows In an np
praising look which was calculated to
convey the Impression of being very
keen and searching.
"Not much over sixty, I should
Judge," he finally ventured. "I'd say
about sixty-four."
"He-he-he-he, you're way ofT," cack
led the old chap to delight "I'm
eighty-four today."
"No," gasped Benson, as If greatly
nstonished. "You surely don't look It.
Why, you're as spry and youthful as
a man of sixty."
"Yes, sir," chuckled the octogena
> rian, " 'taln't many men of my age can
! get around like I can."
Just then Sam Carpo, son of the
boss, came into the room. The apple
man turned to him in anticipated de
light
"Got a birthday today, bet you can't
guess how old I am."
Carpo glanced casually at the wrin
kled face and stooped figure, then re
plied :
"Oh, about eighty-four or eighty
five."
The old man's face drooped per
ceptibly and his body sagged even
more, if that were possible. All the
| Joy went out of hi3 dim eyes.
"Do I look that old?" he asked
i slowly.
"Oh, he Just overheard you telling
me, that's how he knew," exclaimed
? John Benson, striving hastily to reas
! sure the old man. "And say. I'm Just
| starving for some apples, give me
I about a dozen of them."
After the apple man had left Benson
I turned angrily upon the haughty ofT
1 spring of his employer.
"Say, you're a fine egg, you nre," he
accused. "Couldn't you have lied a
! little to the old man?told him he
i looked younger. Just tc make him feel
good?"
"Well, he looks nil of eighty-four,
doesn't he?" argued Carpo.
"Sure lie does." ugreed Benson, "but
It wouldn't bare burl you to guess
twenty less Just to make the old fel
low happy. There's so much misery
and grief In this old world that It Isn't
often you can make a person bappy
1 with Just a simple Utile lie."
"Hub. why should I worry?" an
swered Carpo nonchalantly as be left
; the room.
As the door slammed behind htm
Rita came out of the concealment of
her obscure corner and confronted
John Benson.
"Pardon me for listening In." ~sbe
announced, "but I beard you He to
the old man."
Benson turned with a start.
"Didn't know you were In here," be
said. "I'm afraid you've got me cats
logued now as a?er?a penurious fab
j rlcator."
j "Not at all," Rita replied aweetly.
1 "I think that an adorable lie. It was
: really a gallant gesture and ahowa a
i fine consideration for other people's
feelings. I like folks wbo are kind
and thoughtful of others."
"Thanks?or?have an apple." tbe
young man stammered
Now, this tale is merely Intended to
Illustrate the great influence of small
events In shaping our desilny. Of
course, It may be that John and Klta
would have fallen In love and married
even without the Initial Impetus of
this "adorable lie" Incident. I don't
pretend to know what might have hap
pened.
But I do know that on this after
noon they sat perched on high oltlce
stools munching apples, laughing,
swupplng family histories and telling
secrets. I am also told that young
people work fast these days, and this
Information I deem quite correct, for
that very same night Jol u took Klta
to a theater. Within two weeks they
were engaged and within two months
they were married.
The following year John set up In
business for himself, with Rita's help,
and established the Benson hook
bindery. A year later Rita dropped
definitely out of all business activity,
for a certain John Benson. Jr.. de
mnnded much time and attention.
Every day a decrepit old man, bent
and gray, comes Into the Benson book
bindery with a basket of apples over
his arm. The head o? the firm In
variably buys an apple, then remarks
how young and spry the vender ap
pears.
"Yes, sir," cackles the old man,
happily. " Tnln't many men my age
can get around like 1 can."
And John Benson nods in fervid
agreement, for he Is conscious of n
deep obligation to the old man. Be
sides. he must maintain his reputa
tion as un "udornble liar.**
Falls of Niagara as
Pictured by Hennepin
Father Louis Hennepin saw Niagara
when he went West to the upper Mis
sissippi witli La Salle's expedition in
1079. He had a poor eye for dis
tances, for in successive narratives he
measures Niagara's height as f>00 and
GOO feet. Instead of Its maximum of
1G2. but he had a Hair for vivid word
pictures:
"Betwixt the Lake Ontario and Eric
there is a vast and prodigious cadence
of water which falls down after a sur
prising and astonishing manner. In
forinuch that the universe does not af
ford its parallel. 'TIs true Italy and
Switzerland boast of some such things,
but we mrfy well say they are bui
sorry patterns when compared to this
of which we now speak. ... It
(the River Niagara) Is so rapid above
the descent that It violently hurries
down the wild beasts while endeavor
ing to pass It to feed on Hie other side,
they not being able to withstand the
force of Its current, which Inevitable
casts them down headlong above 600
foot. . . ."?New York Times.
Norwegian Hero
Olav 1 Tryggvesson was king of Noi
way from 000-1000. lie began his en
reer in exile, fought for the Kmperor
Otho III and frequently raided the
coast of France and the British Isles
until he became converted to Christi
anity. He went to Norway and was
accepted as king in 995. lie immedi
ately began to convert the country to
Christianity. Olav was defeated In
battle by the combined Swedish and
Danish fleets. lie fought to the last
on his great ship known as tlie Long
Snake, and finally leaped overboard
and was seen no more. After hl?
death he became the hero of his peo
ple. who constantly looked for his
return.
Wasted Regrets
Regrets are a slieer waste of tlmt. |
When we indulge In them, up ngaln
copies the ex|?erlenre we are regret- j
ting. So In n measure we suffer our j
sorrow nnd discontent ugain. Surely, I
to live over again the unliupplness of j
life Is folly of the worst kind. And
yet many of us love to keep friends
with the untoward happenings of our
past. Strictly speaking, we ought to
have done with them. They belong to
the limbo of the past?there let them
lie.?Ixmdon Tit-Bit*
Dahlia Originally Wild
The duhllu was first discovered II
Mexico in 1015. where It was growing
In the wilderness of the Sierras In
myriads of colors. The Spanish bo??
nlsts Cervantes and Covanllles were
the first to appreciate the greatness
of this flower. Seeds of the dahlia
were received at the royal gardens at
Madrid In 1780 by Ah he Cavanllles.
The first of these seeds flowered In
1700, producing semi double flowers,
which were named after Dr. Andrew
Dahl, a Swedish botanist
Grammatical
An authority on correct English
ipealca ai follow* In regard to the.
position 'of personal pronouns con
nected by the conjunction: "When two
or more personal pronouns In the sing
ular are connected by 'and.' the sec
ond person precedes the first and the
?bird, and the third person precedes
the first; when the pronouns are used
together In the plural number, the first
person precedes the second and the
third, and the second persop precedes
the third." .
__ . w?
IN JAMAICA
Home, Sweet Home, In Rural Jamaica.
(Prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. D. C.)
THE fertility <?t rural Jamaica
affords such abundant food for
slight exertion, and the mild
climate requires so little shel
ter, that this urea Is a typical region
of little work and much rest.
The Jamaica negro can exist and
subsist with slight exertion?and he
does. In the rural 8?T.-level districts
In particular there Is no need for
steady exertion the year round.
LJouse rent demands no.place, gen
erally speaking, In the rural dwelling 1
Jamaican black's budget. lie can
build his own home of heavy grass
and ihatch It with banana leaves, or
he can make It of mud and thatch,
with cobbled floor. The more prosper
ous among the natives build wood I
houses out of old packing cases, scraps
of cast-off corrugated roofing, flattened
kerosene-can tin, and the like. Trop
ical vines soon hide the patchwork,
for Dame Nature Is a great healer of
sea rs.
Nor Is clothing a pressing problem
with the rural blacks. The children
may run naked during the tender
years. The womenfolk dress In cot
ton gowns, which they wear as long
as there Is a piece left, barring Sun
days, when they appear neatly and be
comingly attired, and those occasions
when they go Into the city to market.
The men wear long cotton drawers or
the remains of trousering, shady shirts,
and battered, frayed straw hats; but,
in good sooth, who cares?
Earned Money in Panama.
The building of 4he Panama canal
afforded the Jamaican negro an oppor
tunity to earn some money, and at the
same time to see what he thought was
quite a bit of the world. During the
const ruction period almost every ship
that sailed from Kingston to Colon
had Its quota of workmen hound for
the Canal Zone.
On the whole, the rural Jamaican
negro Is a likable Individual; guile as
irresponsible as a child, usually us
much given to exaggeration; IndlfTer
ent enough to modernity to he pic
turesque, respectful nnd retiring
enough to be Interesting; and one re
tnlns pleasant memories of the^na
lives, content to be what they ore,
and as a class, law abiding In major
matters, however much they may In
dulge In petty misdemeanors.
One mny charter a sturdy automo
bile at a really reasonable price for
a tour around the Island, leaving
Kingston over a road that follows the
const almost Its entire length. I'res
ently, at Harbor Head, one comes to
the Naval Watering place established
by Admiral Vernon, under whom
1 served Lawrence Washington nnd for
whom our shrine on the I'otomac,
\ Mount Verncn. was named. The old
conduit Is still visible.
About 40 miles rr?-m Kingston. In
the parish of St. Thomas, Is the little
town of Bath, and nearby certain min
eral hot springs that are Justly fa
motis for their curative properties and
made this beautiful spot a gathering
place for Jamaican aristocracy as far
back as two hundred years.
Port Antonio Worth Seeing.
Beyond, cn the eastern extremity of
the Island, Is Manchloneal, the scene
of some of the exploits of Scott's "Tom
Cringle." And then, as you motor
along the foot of the John Crow moun
tains, past the Blue Hole, which so
well deserves lis name, eye-lllllng vis
tas of unrivaled beauty In the great
bays and mountain side are unfolded,
and In a very few hours, tlmt all too
quickly pass. Port Antonio looms Into
view, with Its splendid two har
bors, the westernmost of which Is the
best In the Island.
In 1721 strenuous efforts were made
by the Jamaican government to estab
lish a settlement there. Thirty acres
for every white person were ofTered
and five acres for every slave Im
ported. provided some part of each
tract shodld be cultivated. This fall
ing to bring enough Immigrants, In
1723 two barrets of beef and one bar
'el of Hour were added as a bonus,
jiter four barrels of beef and 400
>ounds of biscuit, or bread, were of
'ered to each white newcomer, and
>nc barrel of herrings and 400 pounds
>f bread for each slave.
It Is worth while to linger a day or
more at Port Antonio to enjoy the
jlorlous scenery and creature comforts
with the winter tourists who flock to
the charming Tllchtleld hotel, twin of
the Myrtlehank nt Kingston; then to
bend westward ulong the coast to An
notto bay
Here Columbus Ha-- to Land.
You ride along past Annotto bay
and Port Maria, the center of the
north side banana Industry, nnd where
nn additional annual treasure Is gained
by a bumper coconut crop, which is, per
haps, reflected In the well-being of
both the homes nnd dress of the native
workers; and Just ahead lies St. Anns
bay. where "Still tl ere walks the
ghost of one that ate his heart In exile
here?Don Crlstoforo Colon. 400 years
ago." 4
As one stands on the shore at St.
Anns buy nnd looks out across the
Caribbean, he fancies he sees ap
proaching ngnln two weather-beaten,
worm-eaten carnvnts, the Capltana and
the Santiago de Pales. They fly the
flag of the Great Discoverer.
In June, l.r>03, he had bidden his last
farewell to the mainland of the New
World lie had added to civilization,
nnd had hoisted his sails for Spain.
Passing the Cayman Islands, which he
named Las Tortugas, ISO miles off
Jamnlcn, Columbus encountered a
great storm. He was forced to run
before it. Hoping to And shelter at
Jamaica, he Anally reached what Is
now cntled Dry Harbor, lie found no
fresh water here, so went on to St.
Anns biiy. which he called Puerto
Santa Gloria, nnd there ran Ids ships
on the beach In one of Its coves.
I'Innlly the food aboard and that
supplemented liy the near-by Indians
gave out, nnd after the Inst ration of
biscuit nnd wine had been Issued the
admiral's faithful follower. Diego Men
dez. started out through the Jungle
on n trading expedition which netted a
scant fare, but enough to keep away
starvation, even if not sufficient to ap
pease hunger.
Columbus then called for volunteers
to try for Haiti, some 200 miles away.
In search of succor. All were silent
but the gallant Mendez. He stepped
Into a small ship's boat and rowed
awny!
Sickness and Mutiny.
Then sickness and body Ills brought
despair and mutiny. The brothers
Porras (Frnnclsco, captain of the San
tiago, and Diego, the accountant) led
a revolt In which Juan Sanchez, the
pilot 1-edesma, barba the gunner, and
some fifty others Joined.
Though so III with gout that he
could not stand, Columbus endeavored
to go out and quell the mutiny, his
1 log tells us. But his adherents begged
that the mutineers he permitted to go.
They took most of the scanty stores,
the ten canoes and started for Haiti;
but, cowards that they were, they gave
up the trip after forcing the Indians
who accompanied them to swim
ashore.
A caravel heaves Into sight I Is It
the long-looked-for relief sent by Men
dez? Alas, no! Only a sorry Jest by
Ovanda, who sent for Kscobar In the
hope he would And Columbus dead,
and. If not, to tell him there were no
ships available to carry them to
Spain.
Finally, a full year after be had
landed there, the eyes of the admiral
saw another sight?two caravals, one
sent by the faithful Mendez and the
other by Ovanda, who had repented
his previous sorry attitude.
So It was, on June 28, l.KH, after
12 months nnd 4 days of a wretched,
stranded existence at Jamaica, Chris
topher Columbus sailed home again,
never more to look upon the world be
had discovered.