The Evening Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • 21

Baltimore, Tuesday, THE EVENING SUN November 19, 1940 PAGE 21 SECOND SECUON SECOND SECTION PAGE 2fl Roadside Beautification THE EVENING SUN Published Every Weekday By THE A. S. ABELL COMPANY Pafl Patterson, President Mr. Billopp The Arguments Against It By OUR SOCIAL TRENDS CORRESPONDENT of th dancers whose caricature was so subtla as sometimes to be mistaken for the real article. Thus, for example, the steps performed by Peter Arno's ineffectual "Colonel" and his dowager were highly suggestive of what will be seen on the floor of the Lyric the first week in December when some of the elder members of Baltimore society will renew their youth along with this season's" crop of debutantes.

It would be pleasant to believe that the tradition of the ballet, so rudely damaged by war and revolution in Europe, has been successfully transplanted in this country. It remains to be seen whether young American dancers will develop and rise to the heights. Plenty of them are now working hard. for the downward trend. One of them is the eccentric movement of white population, another an influx of colored population, and still another the effect of depression on the city's birth rate.

They all appear to be reasonable. But there is one other phenomenon in this connection for which explanations are in order. While the enrollment of public-school pupils has been steadily declining, the cost of the schools has been just as steadily heading in the opposite direction. Here are the financial facts: Ten years ago the city's appropriation for public schools was $9,779,933.50. The current year's appropriation is $10,049,675.40.

The Department of Education is asking $10,358,317 for next year. Apply a little mathematics and it will be seen that the School Board is asking an increase for 1941 over 1940 that exceeds the net increase allowed in the previous ten years. We are not suggesting that there are not some excellent reasons for all this. However, since the enrollment figures have been publicized, a lot of people may want to know what those reasons are. this kind of talk only sent Mr.

Kalb back to his stand: County people don't want city people telling them what they can do with their land. Did he propose, he was asked, to have the State buy all the land in sight of a road? Mr. Kalb was not quite for that, but he wanted money laid on the line for any control the State exerted over the use of the land. And it didn't matter whether city folk were used to zoning or not; they weren't country folk. Yet another voice raised against the Garden Club ladies was that of George E.

Brown, who owns property along the Washington Boulevard. He estimated the annual income of roadside proprietors along that thoroughfare at $1,000,000 a year. A plan to connect Baltimore and Washington with a parkway located elsewhere shocked him. "It looks to me like the State is trying to stop progress," he said. "Roads are the Main Street of our nation.

You can't tell tourists they can't eat and sleep on the roads. Think of the business you lose! They will come through from Pennsylvania and not stop 'til they get to Virginia. Such was the gist of the arguments against the ladies program, against the engineers' program and the safety men's program. Not a word was said against the cost of building the proposed roads. The sign men wanted their signs; the property owners wanted their filling stations and hot dog stands or wanted to get paid for not having them.

They believed sincerely that their rights came before the rights of what the other spokesmen called the general public. Accident Or Sabotage? Rendez-Vous fbe says she will be in town with tha car and can drive him home if he will meet her at the accustomed place. Ha says that will be fine if she will get there on time. He says she knows hor often she has kept him waiting in tha past. So f.he promises faithfully to ba there at 4.30 P.

M. She sets out In tha afternoon ta get a leather button to go on Mary'a coat. And though she visits any numhe of stores she cannot And quite the buN ton that suits the coat. She covers tha ground thoroughly, until only one spot remains where the button may be. But just then she looks at her watch and sees it is 4.15 P.

M. and, unless she is to keep him waiting, the will have ta save the button for another trip. She rushes back to the car and seta out for the meeting place. She misses all the green lights and gets caught in traffia jams, finds streets blocked for repair and makes detours, almost smashes int a taxi by daring to take the right of way. But, at last, she reaches tha rendezvous, glances at her watch and if overjoyed to find that it is on the dot of 4.30 P.

M. But he isn't there. Five minutes pa. Ten minutes pass. Fifteen minutes pasa.

Where can he be? Has important busi ness held him up? Han he met with ai accident? Is he mistaken about tha meeta ing place? Twenty minutes pas. Why, in that time she could hava found 4 doen buttons! At last, twenty-threa minutes aftj-schedula, ha sauntera up aa she exclaims, "Well, what happentd? Wher on earth have you been?" Imagine her feelings when he replied quietly and calmly: "I didn't real! hurry, Dear, because I assumed, of course, you would be late." CHRISTOPHER BILLOPP. rhillipp3 Forester Oil Well No. 1, Oklahoma. Explosion Injuring pumphouse.

Origin was reported to be "mysterious." Canton Refining Company, Canton. Ohio. Explosion of storaga tank. Todd Dry Docks. Seattle, Wash.

Fir believed to be of incendiary origin. Machinery was found to be damaged witi emery dust. Suspcion of sabotage was aroused by the fact that the explosions at Allen-town, New Castle and Woodbridge occurred within the space of an hour. Tha incidents of November 12 provoked Representative Martin Dies to declare, "Tha acts of sabotage of the past twenty-four hours are only a beginning." Secretary of War Stifnson in Washington later announced that he had received informal reports from the F. B.

I. which indicated that there was no sabotage in "two of the three cases. He added, however, that there was "a peculiar regularity about the explosions that might suggest Teutonic efficiency." At the same time Mr. Stimson reported that the recent fire at the War Department's munitions building In Washington was probably dua to negligence, not sabotage. November 17 American Cyananul and Chemical Corporation.

Pittsburgh, Pa. This was the third explosion iti one of the several branches of the corporation within a week. Two were injured. There were said to bo no defen-e contracts. Pennsylvania Chemical Company, Johnstown, Pa.

A small plant engase-i in the manufacture of incendiary bombs was destroyed by fire. "The owner inscribed the incident as "arson with intention of sabotage." Discussing the three simultaneous explosions of November 12 an agent of th F. B. I. pointed out that, while It cou.l not Ih said that such incidents were not due to sabotage, on tie other han.l it should be remembered that the defend program calls for large-scale produ-tion, spe-d and consequently the ue of green men.

All of these fjctors, he sabl, are conducive to accidents. Indeed tha situation is such that. Miort of din- evidence it Is well-nigh impossible r. distinguish between accident and s.i' tage. And an explosion generally lfavi little evidence behind it.

liombin? Experience From "A London Diarjr." in the London Statesman and Sometimes one learns from experience too late. But not too late to pa on the experience usefully. I boast of being the only man in Loudon who been bombed off a lavatory seat wbi'a reading Jane Austen. She went into tha bath; I went through the door. If all the windows had been open a few inches top and bottom, those of them that were broken might still be intact.

If the chimneys nad been swept, less soot wo-iM have come down on to the furniture. Internal doors should also be left opea and valuable furniture be placed against solid walls and iu the spaces in betweea windows. Don't Ruin The Ruins! From the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot The Italian radio says Italy won't bomb Athens, If Greece won't bomb Rome. Both cities must realize that ic won't do at all to kill the tourist business by a reciprocal ruination of their ruins. Cob Humor From the U.

S. S. Chicago B.i Shotl Gol You can't imagine how nervous I was when I proposed to you. Bride Y'ou can't imagine how nervous I was until you did. Zntavx4 at th at Baltimore second clam mall matter.

Subscription Rate of the Hunpapers SINGLE COPIES Morning. 3c Evening. 3e Sunday. 10c BT MAIL. Morning Evening Sunday 1 mor'h 65c 45c 6 months.

50 3 50 2.60 1 year 6 00 $6.00 5.20 Editorial Office Louden 8un Square National Press Building Tribune Building 40 Fleet Street Circulation of The Sunpapert in October ic40. Sunday. 14V.lV5 Gain 7.444 3 157.433 Gain 5,577 0,603 197.3U6 Gain 12.300 Member of the Associated Press Tha Associated rrPM Is exclusively entitled to the vi for republication of all news dis-patehes credited to it or not otherwise credited la this iper anil also the local news rnbliahed herein. All riehts of republication of upeolal dinpatrrps herein are also reserved. BALTIMORD.

TUESDAY, NOV. 19. 1940 Self-respect that cornerstone of all virtue. Sra Joh Hekschel, Address, 0 January, 1833. The flavor's Thirteen Mayor Jackson is giving heed to widespread dissatisfaction with the trend of local taxation.

He has announced the appointment of a committee of thirteen to make a study of "the whole city governmental structure." A great many citizens are convinced that the dry government needs a thorough going over, some because they believe there is waste and inefficiency and others because they believe proving the contrary will give needed reassurance to the taxpayers. But from whatever point of view the project is considered, it is apparent that the survey must be urwparingly searching if the findings are to convincing; and this calls for a committee that is wholly disinterested, personally and politically. Unfortunately, the group named by Mr. Jackson is not likely to appear as detached and disinterested as it ought to be to satisfy the skeptical, nor as Inclusive in its representation as those who have faith in the city government would like to see it. In the first the Commission on Governmental Efficiency find Economy is generally accepted as the most representative voice of the public in matters affecting municipal functions and costs.

A survey of the government structure was this organization's idea. Yet Mr. Jackson ha3 given this body no recognition in the appointment of his committee and already this is being interpreted as a work of pique. Perhaps that is not so, that no "slap in the face," as some people see fit to call it, was aimed at the Economy an Efficiency Commission. whether innocent oversight or intentional slight, the omission has the unhappy effect of giving the Mayor's action the appearance, nt least, of protecting his administration against its most vigorous, non-political, fact-seeking critics.

the Mayor has filled five of the thirteen pi rices on the investigating committee wkh city officials Mr. Eugene BH-r, City Roister; Mr. F. Murray Ben.n. chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Opening Streets; Mr.

George Cobh, Engineer; Mr. Herbert Fallin, Budget Director; Mr. Elmer Bernhardt, chief of the Central Pay Boll Bureau. It. Is no reflection on those gentlemen to s.iy that tlioy could hardly disinterested when they sit in judgment on the eiy.ciency and proper costs of Their very own departments and that they, in all likelihood, will find it embarrassing to criticize the departments of associates in the city administration.

Moreover, the citizen members of the committee will find it bard to escape the obligations of traditional courtesy among committeemen. Human nature, being what it is, most people will acp-e that for a frank, outspoken report the organization and conduct of the city's business, the chances would be very much Letter with a wholly disinterested inquest having the experl-erx-a and technical knowledge of all departmental ofllcials at its service. The Ballet The Lyric was packed last evening with en enthusiastic audience to witness the single appearance of the Ballet Rasse de Mont" Carlo. Not content with tfcia one evenings exjierience, quite a cumber of local fans, it is said, will follow the troupe over to Washington. In Baltimore ballet is no longer regarded merely as a spectacle but as an actlviry to be indulged in.

It has is devotees who join dancing classes and work to perfect themselves as seriously as the devotees of ice skating, tennis, badminton and bowling. Consequently, last evening many in the audience were more interested in the finer points of the technique than In the general effect, and the rush for autographs after the show was as overwhelming as that which r-gulfed Alice Marble at the Baltimore Country Club last summer. The program was well selected. In pleasing contrast were 'Les Sylphides," a delicate and graceful offering danced to the music of Chopin, and observing the strict conventions of the classical ballet, and the new and ultra-modern "New Yorker," featuring Gershwin's music and the characters of Arno, Hok-lnon, Steeg, Taylor and other artists of the smart humorous magazine of the ame name. The "New Yorker" is so redolent of America that, as s-inK-bod remarked, it was the sort thing you might see at the stage show at a movie theater.

That opinion, however, overlooks the artistry sign painters got up that the less aesthetic view of the business was discussed. There were hundreds of men, with families, who gained their livelihood from painting beautiful signs. Why take away their bread and butter? The property owners had much more spirit in what they had to say and resorted less to the legalistic phrases of the sign-board lawyers. The man who set the hearing room ringing was Edgar S. Kalb, manager of an Anne Arundel county bay-side resort and a leader in the campaign to defeat the county zoning law lost by referendum at the last election.

His argument was: "Shall our county property be governed by the State or by the county people themselves?" Then he added: "If we are going to beautify the Ritchie highway, the people who have property along it should be polled. If they vote for commercialization, then they should be allowed to have it." One of the council members suggested that any poll of property owners would result In commercialization and that no good would come of it. Wasn't it up to the people of the State as a whole to say how the State's roads should look? No, said Mr. Kalb. If the State wanted to say how a road should look, then it should pay the property owner for any restriction Imposed on hia land.

"We are not opposed to zoning, but we are opposed to having some super-body telling us what we should do," he said. Mr. Kalb was asked how he could approve of zoning and yet object to having somebody tell property owners what they should do. He shied off answering that, but came back with the argument that the State Roads Commission, in securing rights of way, had whispered to property owners that their land would increase in value once the road was laid. Some owners had sold the right of way for a song in order to reap benefit from a roadside stand; others had even given their land away to the State so they could sell business sites along the highway.

"And now," shouted Mr. Kalb, "the State is trying to sneak out of a bad position! If it wants the right-to tell property owners what they can do, let it pay for it!" Mr. Kalb was told that city dwellers were quite used to zoning and that they generally realized its benefits. But City College Yells, And Other Matters an alien could have become a naturalized citizen of the United States. I am well aware that this view is at variance with the views of most people who seem to think that no foreign-born citizen could ever become the President of the United States unless he had been born during, or prior to, the magic year 1754.

J. Mattes. Baltimore, Nov. 10. Points From Letters Married Men And Bachelors Thank God for bachelors! Most married men become sissies; they are submissive to dear wifle's tiniest whim.

This has a deteriorating effect. It is only when they can get out among honest-to-God bachelors that they can get back some mental balance. E. XV. Respect For The Anthem During the intermission at the end of the first half of the game between Poly and City on Saturday the band of both schools played together 'The Star-Spangiod Banner." Everybody stood up that I could see except two girls who were sitting near me.

Their parents must not le very patriotic. We should be thankful that we do not have to bow down to a dictator, but instead can salute our flag and stand and sing our own National Anthem. I. M. Schaener.

That Back River Neck Light I've checked the number of cars coming from the Glenn Martin plant that go through on the green light on the Back River Neck road. When there's no interference from our road about twenty cars can pass. If cars are coming up our road not less than fifteen cars are allowed to go on. As for waiting on Back River road, I have, more times than I can rememler. That's why I have reason to be contrary to the opinion of the Glenn Martin employes.

Mrs. Margaret Mertdacher. Stemmers Run, Md. "J'accuse" I stand one hundred per cent, with Mr. Miller whose letter, "J'accuse," appeared several days ago in the Forum.

The "tumult and shouting" of the campaign is over. That is well; but can we forget that the press smeared, with dangerous unfairness and prejudice, anything obtainable ngainst Mr. Roosevelt's Administration, across the sheets of their papers? This is what my impressions of freedom of the press and freedom of speech mean: Facts, not prejudice. Truth, unadorned. Marjokie Hopkins Michel.

That Is, If They're Precocious Prom tha Charlotte N. Obaerverl The baby show will begin at 1.15 o'clock Monday afternoon, when the contest will be for babies between the ages of 0 and IS months. Those interested may register at the Home Service Stores headquarters at 1130 Elizabeth avenue. 'TWERE has been a lot said in favor of roadside beautification and several days ago the Legislative Council heard the matter discussed by an assorted group of ladies from civic and garden clubs; by highway engineers; by safety men. They based their arguments on six general points.

They said highways should be beautiful; that they should be safe. They said beautification would prevent slums from growing up along highways and thus slow down traffic so much that new roads would have to be built. They asked that the greater right of the public be considered before the lesser right of the owner of the land abutting on the highway. They said it was good business to have good roads to attract tourists and that bad roads caused property values to sink. And as a horrible example these spokesmen pointed to the sign-cluttered Washington Boulevard offering a prayer that other Maryland roads would not come to such an end.

But what of the opposition? It had spokesmen, too, although each of them insisted he hadn't prepared as complete a lecture on the evils of such a program as the ladies suggested. As they stood before the Legislative Council, these opponents fell into two general groups: The out-door sign people and the property owners whose eyes fired at the mention of zoning. The out-door sign people had two grievances. They rebuked the press as their enemy and said the newspapers were in favor of roadside beautification and the elimination of sign boards merely because the sign companies took advertising dollars away from the papers. Then they politely said that the ladies were wrong in saying (1) sign boards were ugly and (2) that sign boards distracted drivers' attention enough to cause accidents.

They admitted that beauty is an abstract thing, but Insisted that their sense of beauty was better than that of the garden club ladies. Quite often, said tho sign-board people, the signs made the landscape more beautiful by hiding unsightly bits of nature. Furthermore nobody could prove that accidents were caused by drivers who looked at signs rather than at the road, they asserted, and offered to take bets they were It was only when a spokesman for the The Forum: Don't Forget Aristophanes "The Frogs" To the Editor of The Evening Sun Sir: With regard to the City College contest for a school yell, I suggest that William Shakespeare provided the basis for the first one in the Tempest, sounded by the chorus -of Caliban, Trinculo and Slephano. Cheer-leader Caliban had been given an educational course under l'ros-Iero, principal of the high school in the "still vex't Bermoothes." On graduation from the Bermudas and Jamestown, Stepbano, as Stephen Hopkins, became a Pilgrim Father, In case an occasional reader might not recall the substance of Shakespeare's effort, it runs: 'Ban! 'Kan! Cn-Caliban! lias a new master. Got a new man.

Matthew Pace Andrews. Baltimore, Nov. 10. She Liked "Money Isn't Everything" To the Editor or The Evening Sun Sir: Thank you, and thanks to Anne Mary Lawlor, for the new novel entitled "Money Isn't Everything." It was a highlight to look forward to during the past weeks, when the papers were polluted with war propaganda and political mud-slinging. Now that we are doomed to endure another four years of that "My Day," please sir, as a recompense, give us more new novels.

In a complaint lodged against a preceding novel, a writer insinuated that only the weak-minded, of which there are only about two per enjoy such reading. It's O. K. with me if some people feel that way, but please don't deprive us, the minority, of our two per cent, of the column space in your paper. More stories, please.

A-Emmitsburg. Nov. 11. Article 2, Section 1 To the Editor of The Evening Sun Sir: When Article 2. Section 1.

was written in 17S7, there was no Constitution of the United States, no Congress of the United States and no President of tho United States. The qualifications set forth were to apply only to the person who was to be the first President of the United States. He had to be a citizen of the United States at the time of the "adoption" of the Constitution (178!) which was the year the First Congress of the United States met at the call of the first President of the United States. The Constitution, now in force, vested Congress with the sole right to make laws, and specifically charged it "to establish uniform law of naturalization," which Congress did at the first session stipulating five years' residence the, minimum necessary for citizenship. The term "naturalization" is defined in law as the act of placing an alien in the position, or investing him with the rights and privileges of a natural born citizen; therefore, a foreign born citizen is not barred from the Presidency, not since the year 1794, which was the first year in the history of the United States that 3Iore Of The Same It is natural to connect the secret visit to Berlin by King Boris of Bulgaria with Mr.

Molotoff's recent conference with Herr von Ribbentrop, and with the difficulties which the Italians are experiencing in pulverizing Greece according to schedule. Herr Hitler is not one to accept reverses as final, and only a triumph over an enemy gives him more satisfaction than to embarrass or humiliate an ally. Therefore, if Boris visit means that Hitler intends to advance hisv Mediterranean campaign by smashing Greece from the north, at the same time demonstrating by contrast the ineptitude of his Italian partners, that would be in character. What Hitler is expected to attempt is to overwhelm the Greeks with hie air force, gain a capitulation and then be in a position to put the bight on Turkey for the surrender ofthe Straits and access to the oil wells of Syria and Persia to the East The supposition is that Molotoff last week consented to some such arrangement, and rumors multiply that Hitler now has troops enough in Bulgaria or on the Rumanian border to begin the undertaking. On the other end of the Mediterranean increasingly potent efforts are being made to persuade Spain to join the Axis, even if this means subjecting that country to the rigors of the British blockade.

Herr Hitler, now as from the beginning of the war, "wants out." The British reply to all this can at present take only one tangible form: concentration of smashing attacks on Italy. Diplomacy seems to have failed to tempt Russia away from service to her stronger partner. Britain cannot spare the shipping tonnage which Spain is understood to have demanded as the price of continued neutrality. There is no way she can get at Hitler through Greece or Turkey. Therefore the strategy is to knock Mussolini as nearly out of the war as possible while Italian morale is suffering from the effects of events in Greece.

If the southern member of the Axis can be reduced to impotency. Hitler's effort to smash British communication through the Mediterranean will be a tall order. But now, as from the beginning, he cannot win the war unless he can get to sea. The more it changes, the more it I'J the same thing. Lofty Arguments Among the reasons advanced by Administration leaders in Congress for adjournment were (1) Senator Minton's plea that there was no sense in remaining in session merely to pass the Logan-Walter bill, which was certain to le vetoed by the- President, (2) the argument that statesmen who had not returned to the Capital after the election ought not to le asked to come back to Washington just to vote themselves home again and (3) Representative McCor-mack's insistence that the roof of the House of Representatives was in a precarious condition and might fall in on the members at any minute.

To which the answers might be, In order: (1) That a sieech by Senator Mintoti is a waste of breath because the Senator has already been vetoed by the citizens of Indiana, (2) that members of Congress might as well use their mileage allowances on public business as for anything else and (3) that the danger that the roof of the House may fall in with the members In session is no greater than the danger that the White House may take the lid off if they go home. If these responses do not strike anybody as especially intellectual, one explanation could be that the original arguments were none too profound either. The Schools: Fewer Pupils But Higher Costs A continuing decline in the number of children entering the while elementary schools is reported by the Department of Education. Back in 1930, according to the official records, enrollments numbered G3.110. Today there are 50,980 white elementary pupils, a decrease of approximately twenty per cent.

While the number of younger white pupils has been falling off, however, enrollment of colored pupils in the lower grades has steadily mounted during the past decade, rising from to 24,018. This is an increase of about thirty-five per but it Is not sufficient to offset the white enrollment losses. The elementary schools have 5.SGG fewer pupils now than they had ten years ago. Enrollments In secondary schools tell a different story. More children complete higher grades In the public schools now than did so a few years Even so, however, the total enrollment for the city shows a downward trend.

There were HO.vix children in school in 1934, as compared with a current total of 113,911. Dr. David E. Weglein, Superintendent of Education, offers several explanations Controlling The Progression Of Nature By an Ecological Correspondent 'T'HE last time I visited a certain quail shooting area down near Fort Bragg, N. I was rather astonished to discover that deer were numerous.

A decade ago deer were so scarce there that it was rarely a hunter bagged one. The explanation which most local sportsmen gave was that deer, being protected on the large Government reservation, had multiplied rapidly and were roaming off in all direction to adjacent lands. It was pointed out that the reservation included land that had once been a large plantation, upon which there had been a good many deer to start with. According to my observation, however, a considerable part of the increase in the deer population down there was due to the reforestation of worn-out farm lands and on the basis of data furnished by the United States Department of Agriculture, I venture to predict that this reforestation will eventually result in a decline In the deer population. For, paradoxically as it may seem, that is just what happens.

It is a mistake to imagine that large ganje abounded in all areas back in the days when Eastern America was still largely covered with virgin forests. The Indians often fired old forests in order that they would be replaced by second growth browse for doer. North Carolina is not. unusual with respect to its deer increase. All the Eastern States as far down as Maryland also have more deer than they had twenty-five years ago; and some of them, for example, Pennsylvania, may have too many.

Stringent game laws account for only a part of this Increase. Much of it is due to the fact that deforested areas have become overgrown with dense shrubs upon which the animals feed. Once these browsing areas mature into forest trees the deer will decrease. There is a definite progression from bare land to forest. First there are abandoned farming tracts or old fields.

If left alone, some will be utterly ruined by erosion, others will run to broom sedge. Supposing an old not to be completely ruined by erosion, due to bad farming and neglect, the successive steps in its regeneration as forest land are: For the first few years, annuals; within ten years, herbaceous perennials; within twenty years, shrubs; then moderate-sized forest trees, and, finally, Mg trees completely shading the forest floor and obliterating the undergrowth. In the South, from Southern Maryland down to Texas, the typical progression is from broom 6odge to shrubbery to jackpines to pine forests; with a tendency in the uplands for hardwoods to come in among the pines and eventually supplant them. That nature always "progresses" to the interest of wild life is a mistaken idea. It Is distinctly not to the advantage of deer in the later stages.

Nor of small groundgame. One method of encouraging game birds, in use in the Southeast, is to control the normal progression by a judicious thinning out of the pine woodlands and carefully burning over the pine "needles" of the forest floor and planting legumes upon which Bob White partridges feed. In some areas the strictest protection (in the form of game laws) alone will not account for an increase in game. It is necessary both to work with nature and, to a certain extent, against her. Why The Suits Were All Too Large From the New Yorker Weird things began happening in one of the town's best tailoring establishments.

Every suit put on a patron for a first fitting was too large. Not just too large in one place, either; too large all over sleeves, trousers, waistband, everywhere. The fitter was spoken to seriously and promised to take extra pains with his measurements. He did, but when the clothes were tried on, they were still too large. It was some time before the (Inn found out what was wrong.

They compared the fitter's tape measure with one in the cutting room and discovered that it was somewhat shorter. Subsequently, they learned that the fitter's wife, unbeknownst, had washed his measure and it had shrunk. gXPLOSIONS and Arcs In Industrial plants are news. Consequently a study of the newspaper flies over a period of years reveals a steady flow of reports of such Incidents with, now and then, a temporary increase in volume. In a country as large as the United States even in normal times a certain percentage of industrial accidents is to be expected.

But when, as at the present. United States industry is engaged in turning out military equipment for the belligerents and entering upon an extensive program of national defense, and explosions and fires occur, there very naturally arises the suspicion that all of the incidents are not accidental and that some of them may be due to sabotage. The list of such accidents during the present year is already a long one and, during the last week, there has been a marked increase. The extent and nature of the problem may be judged by a study of the list which follows: January 17 Gibhstown, N. powder works of the du Pont Company.

An explosion of nitroglycerin. Two killed, five injured. The plant manager said there was no reason to suspect sabotage. March 22 Fica tinny Arsenal, Dover. N.

J. Explosion of high-power shell powder as it was being compressed Into pellets. Nineteen Injured. Officials said the powder exploded accidentally. August 1 King Powder Company, Lebanon.

Ohio. Explosion of dynamite. Three killed. The company was said to have no Government orders, and officials reported no reason to suspect sabotage. August 1C Atlas Towder Company, Joplin, Mo.

Explosion of T. N. T. leing made for the British Government. Five killed.

Officials said there was no Indication of sabotage. August 20 Gibhstown. N. powder works. Second accident In the year.

Explosion of dynamite said not to be for military purposes. Four killed. Cause unknown. F. B.

I. agents called to investigate. September 25 Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corporation, Clairfon. Pa. Explosion In the course of processing solvents for some companies working on national defense.

Six injured. The explosion was attributed to an "adverse chemical reaction." October 5 Commercial Solvents Corporation, Terre Haute, Ind. Explosion of a SO.OOO-gallon tank of acetone. One killed, two injured. The corporation was said not to be engaged in the national-defense program.

No suspicion of sabotage reported. October 12 Maxwell Field. Montgomery. Ala. Explosion in post exchange building.

Attributed to fire and accumulated gas. October 23 Illinois Towder Company, Grafton, Til. Explosion of powder. Two killed. Officials were reported to br "tight-lipped." 9 Calco chemical division.

American Cyanamid and Chemical Corporation, Bound Brook, N. J. One killed, three injured. AToi-cui6er 12 Trojan Powder Company, Allentown, -Pa. Explosion in a building used for making detonators for blasting.

Company working on Government contracts. Explosion described by officials as "just an unfortunate accident." American Cyanamid and Chemical Corporation, New Castle. plant. Explosion of 1.M0 pounds of dynamite. Three killed.

Officials said there was no reason to suspect sabotage. I'nited Railway and Signal Corporation, Woodbridge, N. J. Eight killed. There were said to be no Government contracts, no reason to suspect sabotage..