Only 65 Warships
in Russian Fleet
Navy Found Inferior Even
, to Small Neighbors’.
U _
Washington. — The Soviet Union,
which has been consistently shy In
revealing Its military or naval
statua to the outside world, plays
a minor role In naval affairs, as
shown by the League of Nations
armament year-book, copies of
which have Just been received here.
While the Red army Is popularly
credited with being one of the
largest in the world, the Soviet gov
ernment has made no effort to put
a fleet on the ocean comparable
even with some of Its small neigh
bors, and now boosts 115 warships of
194,615 tons, most of them dating
from before the World war.
Japan Has 216 Warships.
Japan, which always figures In
any war talk between the Soviet
Union and other nations, has 21C
modern wHrshlpg of 820,387 tons,
and Is building 21 new* ships, which
will Increase Its total tonnage to
889,910 tons.
The League Secretariat explains
in a foot-note In the volume that
official and public documents do not
give desired Information on Soviet
affairs and that the data presented
have been gathered from various
technical sources.
The Red tuny Is pictured as ex
posed of four battleships of 93,480
tons, seven cruisers of 49,980 tons,
38 destroyers of 41,770 tous, and 10
submarines of 9,079 tons. Six sub
marines, now under construction,
will give the Soviet Union a navy
of 71 vessels of 197,405 tons.
The four battleships—Parisknla,
Kommuna, Murat, Oktiabrnskla
Revolutla and Mikhail Furunse—
are each 23,370 tons and were
launched In 1914-15. Three of the
cruisers date from shortly after the
ltussa-Japanese war and one dates
from the World war. Two were
launched In 1924 25; one was
launched In 1930 and one In 1932.
With one exception the destroy
ers were launched from 1900 on to
the World war. The submarines
all date from the World war.
The League of Nations data put
the Soviet Union's army at 5,200,
000 men and 37,000 officers, of whom
29,039 men and 2,397 officers are
classified as naval forces.
The Soviet Union's low naval
ranking In relation to other world
powers, Is shown hy comparable
naval statistics from the league's
data.
Other Countries Listed.
France has 185 warships of 541,
030 tons, with 35 ships under con
Mountain Sheep Still
Abundant in Wyoming
Jackson, Wyo.—Mountain sheep,
rarely seen by the average person,
still are far from extinct. Game
Warden A. O. Pendergraft and Fred
L>eyo, returning from a trip Into
the high mountains, reported that
they had counted more than 1,200,
Including 200 rams. They made the
trip to determine whether to close
the season In the county this year.
Recognizes Mule Dad
Sold 31 Years Ago
Hums, Ore.—A mule sold by
Jim Muhon, one-time famous
Harney county mule breeder, In
1U0H was recently recognized by
tiie rancher's son. Ira Mahon,
now of Sun Francisco, while driv
ing along a California road.
He recognized the mule, sold
'tl years ago, by the familiar
brand “fift." For tirteen years,
he said, his father sold about 800
mules a year In Stockton, and he
was willing to wager many oth
er "plenty tough" mules still
were living and working.
Btruction, which will bring the to
tal to 220 ships of 058,001 tons.
Germany has 47 warships of 152,
480 tons, with two ships under con
struction, which will bring the total
to 40 shl|m of 172480 tons.
Italy has 177 warships of 378,858
tons, with 38 ships under construc
tion. which will give her 215 ships
of 445,979 tons.
Grent Itrltaln has 254 warships
of 1,095,400 tons und 31 ships now
being built will Increase the total
to 285 ships of 1,172.130 tons.
The United States has 350 war
ships of 1.007,400 tons and 51 ships
under construction to rnlse the to
tal to 401 ships of 1,228.350 tons.
Massachusetts Doctor
Gets British Annuity
Andover, Mass.—Dr. William
Dacre Walker, fifty-five, of this
town, has become the recipient of
an annuity paid by the British
crown, as the direct descendants of
Elizabeth Pendrell, whom history
credits with saving the life of
King Charles II.
Charles escaped the Cromwell
forces after the battle of Worces
ter In 1051 when Elizabeth Pendrell
and her five brothers concealed him
In a hollow oak tree near Foseobel.
The king’s annuity, declnred by
him In perpetuity, In gratitude, has
since been paid to the descendants
of Elizabeth Pendrell, and with the
death of Doctor Walker’s eldest
brother In Italy recently. It is now
to be paid to the locnl man.
The annuity amounts to about
$00.
v.ijuu,iy ui nomc on tin campus
or in tho office Is this smart youth
ful frock. It Is fashioned of a red
and brown checked rayon tl#-fnhrlc
of smooth flat weave. The idea of
mannish tailored lines Is carried
out to a nicety. The patch pock
ets, high club collar with mascu
line brown tie. and linked turn back
cuffs nre Important style features.
This rayon tie-fabric Is very likable
and practical In that It looks ns
handsome ns a tine surah silk at
the same time that It wears “like
iron."
Lumber Industry Oldeit
The lumber Industry was one of
the first to be established In Amer
ica.
250,000 MURDERERS
AT LARGE IN U. S.
Criminologist Sees 390,000
Facing Violent Death.
New York.—There are still at
large In this country today 250,000
murderers.
Simple statistical analysis Indi
cates that about 300,000 American
men and women now living will
commit murder.
Since murderers are often un
caught, or unconvicted, and then
proceed to kill for a second or
even a third time, there must be at
least 300,000 living Americans who
will meet denth by being murdered.
Allowing for murderers who are
In prison, these figures mean that
approximately 1,000,000 citizens of
the United Stntes are murderers,
will he murderers or will be mur
dered.
“Murders In this country are so
common," declares J. II. Wallis,
"that an American does not take
them seriously—unless he Is mur
dered himself."
Mr. Wallis, the authority for the
amazing and appalling criminal sta
tistics Just listed, Is a New York
author, a lire-long student of crim
inal law and statistics and, at one
time, a personal assistant of Her
bert Hoover.
ills views are especially interest
ing at this time, since one New
York woman, Mrs. Anna Antonio,
recently was executed for murder,
and another, Eva Coo, has just
been convicted of the same offense.
Such murderers "want what they
want when they want It"—and are
ready to kill to get it. He finds
that women wrho slay usually are
of this type, since few women are
professional killers for gain. \
“I'm a collector of thousands of
real murders—of stories about
them,” Mr. Wallis explained. “Con
sider the childish motives of many
women killers—motives which, In
fiction, renders would scorn as ut
terly inadequate.
"In Chicago a woman choked her
husband to death because, ns she
explained, he insisted on weuring
suspenders instead of a belt. A
Kansas City woman, whose hus
band was her partner at bridge, shot
and killed him because he failed to
make the contract from the hand
which she laid down. She was ac
quitted, too."
Angler Exhibits Chin
Punched by a Fish
Uellevllle, Ont.—First prize for
the best ‘‘tish story” of the season
should go to Frank Alkens, forty
seven, a Sidney funner.
Alkens reports that a 38-pound
muskellunge, which he hooked in the
Moira river, towed him and his mo
torboat for more than an hour and
then smacked him on the chin with
its tall when he tried to lift It Into
the boat.
"It was the worst battle with a
fish that I ever have experienced.
It sure packed a mean wallop,” he
said, pointing to his swollen face.
"Just ns I was pulling It Into the
boat, It swished around and caught
me on the chin with Its tall."
Lesson on Punctuality
Given by Police Judge
Davenport, la.—Police Magistrate
John Hornby Is u bachelor, which
may explnln his habit of waiting on
others. For some time he has been
obliged to wait 10 to 20 minutes on
attorneys and court attaches before
he could open court. Recently the
Judge took his sent promptly at 0,
waited two minutes, then left. After
attorneys and court attendants had
cooled their heels for IK) minutes
the judge returned and gave them
a lecture on punctuality.
Paddling Win* Divorce
lx>s Angeles.—When Ed LeRue
turned his wife, VI, over his knee
and applied a rator strop, VI LeRue
went Into Judge Kenny’s court and
obtained a divorce.
Italian Athletes Arrive for American Tour
t ~ ——i
Above are aim* of the athlete* of the Italian student group which arrived In New York on the 8. 8. Saturula.
for a tou* of the American college* In the East and Middle West.
SEEN- HEARD
•round th*
National Capital
* TiBiiTB By CARTER FIELD®**
Washington. — An overwhelming
percentage of the householders
throughout the country who have
yielded to the blandishments of the
government's modernization cam
paign have spent cash for improve
ments to their homes instead of bor
rowing. Yet it was not even con
templated that people who had the
cash to spend would need the coax
ing.
The chief problem the Federal
Housing administration is up against
is reluctance of people everywhere
to go into debt It was rather a
jolt to every one in the administra
tion to discover this, and in fact, it
requires a good deal of prying into
the situation to find that this is the
fact. But it is the truth, neverthe
less.
The point seems to be that this
Is the first move the administration
has made In its dealings with vari
ous sections of the public where the
Idea Is to get people who still have
a little property, represented in this
case by their homes, to borrow
money which they must pay back
for nonproductive items.
The government has dealt with
property holders before. Hut they
were farmers, and the government
was offering them something—in
most instances for nothing, or at
most for not planting crops.
What the FHA is up against Is
fear on the part of these small
property holders to mortgage their
Incomes for the next year or so. It
Is this lack of confidence In the fu
ture, which Is so disturbing to the
administration, that explains why
this curious fact has not been re
vealed before.
Beyond the shadow of a doubt it
Is not due to any lack of pressure
from corporations, which have some
thing to selJ along the moderniza
tion line—bathtubs, roofing, what
not. Nor Is there any lack In the
ballyhoo the government has used.
For Instance, the President's mother
In a newsreel. For Instance, the
public and commercially sponsored
radio progrnins, the dodgers In the
grocery baskets, the newspaper and
direct mall advertising by manufac
turers whose products tie In with
modernization, and by others who
expect to benefit on the turnover of
money put Into circulation by this
plan.
Training Speakers
So far the greatest measure of
success has been in the small towns.
Cincinnati is one exception among
the larger cities, but the smaller
places seem to need more time to
get organized. Home owners are
given a check list of all items that
need attention. A vital feature of
every community campaign Is a can
vass of such individual needs and
Intentions. The Federal Housing
administration is schooling speak
ers whose services soon will be
available. It is also supplying
movies for the visomatic portable
talking machines that may be leased
from a big telegraph company. Four
pictures have been prepared for ex
hibition for community purposes,
for financial Institutions, for local
contractors and building supply
dealers, and for property owners.
FHA Is dealing direct with the
big national companies which sell
building materials and equipment
all over the country. It Is having
conferences with their representa
tives here in Washington, and also
In regional meetings and In com
pany offices. Meetings In 32 Indus
trial centers were held last week.
Others will follow, there having
been some holding back on the part
of a few which did not wish to ex
pose their entire hands to their
competitors.
FHA is urging all industrial firms
to point the way to employees and
home owners generally by catching
up on plant repair and mainten
ance. U. S. Steel has responded
with an $ 18,000,000 schedule, and
General Electric Is following suit.
A big department store in Wis
consin has followed through with a
refurnishing plan which "steps
right in where Uncle Sam leaves
off.’’
But the timid householders are
still reluctant to borrow.
Peace in NRA Ranks
All is peaceful at the moment in
NRA, with Hugh Johnson out of the
picture, and the new bosses func
tioning, but there Is trouble In the
oiling, and not very far off at that.
One of the hints lg with regard to
the almost complete failure of busi
ness to "spy on itself.”
When NRA was set up, the main
object was to prevent murderous
competition, which ground the
workers down and down in the hope
of their employer that he would be
nble to produce cheaply enough to
undersell his competitors and get a
little of the rapidly evaporating
business. The Intention wus to
force each employer to pay equal
wages and work hla help equal
hours, so that whatever other chis
eling he might do, his help would
not Buffer. It was widely hailed at
the time na the only solution for the
virions circle downward in which
the country had gotten.
For every time ('hlscler A re
duced hla wages so aa to get some
of the business, t'hiaeler II met tile
reductions, while the employees of
both A and B were able to buy leas
of other product*. And as the same
thing was happening in bo many
lines, the baying power of the coun
try was shrinking at every tick of
the clock.
It was thought when NRA was
set up and the various-restrictions
imposed, that if anyone among the
manufacturers In a given industry
would start chiseling, no matter
how, his competitors would Bmell
it out, and would scream to high
heaven. This would bring the chis
eler before the code authority of his
industry and measures would be
taken to stop it
No one seemed to doubt that the
interest of self-preservation would
lead to the various production lines
of Industry, in this way, policing
themselves.
Few Complaints
But curiously enough It has not
happened. The total number of
complaints filed about chiseling by
competitors is so small as to be ut
terly insignificant.
Now’, some of the heads of NRA
are wondering what will be the re
action among business men general
ly if NRA should do Its own snoop
ing—if Its agents should walk into
plants without notice and demand a
look at the books and a look around
at the plant. Just like national
bank examiners, only with a view
not to discovering if the institution
is solvent, and its assets O. K., but
to finding out what working condi
tions are. whether profits are too
large to be in keeping with New
Deal Ideals, etc.
There is considerable fear that
this would be very much resented,
so a number of discreet inquiries
are being made. There Is no desire
at the moment to further heckle
business. On the contrary, there is
every desire on the part of the ad
ministration to keep business in as
good a humor as possible, certainly
until after election.
That Is one of the things that an
noyed the President so much recent
ly about the United States Chamber
of Commerce questionnaire. He
doesn't want any element fanned
into insurrection now. This is not
the right time.
But how else, those with the spir
it of the NRA in their minds de
mand, can its policies be enforced
and the desired results obtained, in
view of the demonstrated fact that
business simply will not police it
self?
Start Real Revival
Drastic measures are being planned
to start a real business revival by
the simple expedient of getting the
money directly Into the hands of
merchants, manufacturers or other
business men who are willing to
spend It If they can Just borrow it
somewhere.
Though there has been no flurry
of trumpets about It, Ben Johnson,
a banker from Shreveport, La., has
been placed in charge of this partic
ular new function of the govern
ment.
What started this move was the
fact, laid before the RFC, that up
to September 24, a total of only 165
loans had been made, for the very
disappointing aggregate of $12,028,
375. It had been the plan of the ad
ministration to have at least $300,
000,000 out on such loans by that
date.
It will be Mr. Johnson’s function
to encourage applicants for loanB,
who have been turned down by re
gional loan agencies, to appeal to
Washington, then to go Into the
loans and spe if they cannot be
made. Johnson himself is full of
optimism. He b Ueves that thou
sands of business enterprises can
use more working capital to advan
tage, since loans can be made on a
long-time basis up to five years.
This has been one of the sore
spots in the New Deal all along.
It will be recalled that, after much
discussion last year betwyeen con
gressional leaders and the adminis
tration, a bill was finally put
through which was intended to open
the treasury door to all sorts of
loans which seemed to be sound,
but which for one reason or anoth
er local banks would not make.
Private Banking
The New Deal has never been
particularly sympathetic with pri
vate bankers. Their profits seemed
to the government an undue addi
tion to the cost of doing business.
Their profits were viewed with hor
ror. They might have continued, in
spite of this, had it not been for the
securities act. But with that tre
meudous handicap of not being able
to represent to purchasers of the
securities they had to sell that
there would be tremendous profits,
the zest with which such securities
were bought In the past evaporated.
All this was realized by congress, !
and by the treasury, so it was ar
ranged that the government should
make the loans necessary to bust-1
ness expansion, and at a fairly low i
rate of interest. The money waa
appropriated, the authority was j
given, and shop was opened up, so i
to speak. But nothing, or practical
ly nothing, If one may speak so dls- !
resjiectfully of twelve million odd I
dollars, has happened.
So now the government has named I
a particular man. lien Johnaou, and
giveu him the aaslgnment to go out i
Into the byways and hedges and
find the blind, the halt and the lame
who need only a little government
money to blossom as the rose, or at
least give a good appearance of be
ing able so to blossom.
CVeyrlckt.—WNL’ (era*.
Alqh a ni>/+a n
Typical Afghan Silk Merchant.
Prepared tuy National Geosraphle Society,
Washington, D. C.—WNU Service.
PROBABLY no people of Asia
fought harder against the in
vasion of western customs
than the Afghans. Not many years
ago few were the foreigners who
crossed their borders and lived to
tell the tale. In recent years, how
ever, many visitors have given in
print first-hand descriptions of the
kingdom that reposes among the
mountains northwest of India.
In Asia, where headgear is a sign
of rank or race, the Afghan has re
fused to “go high hat.”
To the Durani leaders and Shln
warl tribesmen, the threat of
parliamentary procedure was bad
enough, for Afghanistan was more
a mountain-sandwiched mass of ag
gressively independent tribes than
a united kingdom. But edicts pre
scribing shorn beards, frock coats,
and top hats were last straws on
their tolerance of hasty centraliza
tion. They felt that a high-speed
dawn from the west was a false
dawn. And so they proved it.
Amanullah—the Peace of God—fled.
After six years the turban re
mains, a sign that, even in Asia,
haste makes waste.
To Induce European thoughts in
Turkish heads. Mustapha Kemal
Pasha tucked the Latin alphabet in
below European hats. Amanullah
hoped to accomplish even more rad
ical changes. But the patient Af
ghan mountaineer, a swaggering
“he-man,” if there ever was one.
persisted in sticking to his broad
turban or dressy astrakhan cap.
And thereby hangs a tale.
Afghanistan was long isolated by
political Jealousy as Mecca and
Lhasa are by prayer niche and pray
er wheel. The Afghans cherished
isolation as had their predecessors,
the Parthlans, who “held it ns a
maxim to accord no passage over
their country to any stranger.”
In 1917, when a traveler rode
southward from Merv, ICushka was
the end of n blind alley. In 1921
when he went northwest through
the Khyber pass and faced that fa
mous sign reading: “It Is Absolute
ly Forbidden to Cross This Border
Into Afghanistan Territory,” there
was a Gurkha guard to emphasize
the “absolutely.”
Couldn’t Hustle the East.
By 1917 not only was Afghani
stan open to visitors but current
events speeded up. Before the end
of that medieval year King Aman
ullah and Queen Sourlya. monoga
mist rulers of a polygamous land,
had boarded their first steamship
and were at the threshold of west
ern culture, its permanent values
then reinforced by industrial ac
tivity and bull markets.
The next six months were amaz
ing. The vacationing rulers rode
from triumph to triumph, enjoying
such European thrills as few Eti
propeans know because westerners
have had decades to become accus
tomed to what the Afghan rulers
personally encountered during a
few weeks of western hospitality.
Home, Monte Carlo. Paris, Bel
gium. Switzerland, Berlin, Leipzig.
London. Warsaw, Moscow. Ankara,
Istanbul. Teheran—theirs was no
commonplace trip. Nations, hoping
for commercial or political advan
tage. outdid one another In honor
ing these rulers of a newly opened
huffer state between the native re
publics of Soviet Ttirkesfnn and
that "No-man’* Land.’’ bristling
with manhood.
Across the northwest frontier.
India's Chinese wall, many a con
queror entered Hindustan, treas
ure house of gold and Jewels. The
presence of poverty-stlcken and
nomadic tribesmen so close to Ill
guarded riches often proved dlsas
troue to Indls. It Is no wonder that
the British rulers Invited the Af
ghan king to be the first royal vis
itor eve» to fly over London, and
staged a mock battle for Ids ben
•fit.
A few months later this honored
guest of modern Europe was driven
from his palace in Kabul. Kipling
wrote the epitaph of such, Aman
ullah, like other enthusiasts, “tried
to hustle the East.”
Of course, it is fantastic to sug
gest that the Afghans overthrew
their energetic king simply over a
question of dress; because village
girls were forced to attend school
without the consent of their par
ents; or even because the consent
of the bride wms made obligatory
for marriage. Economic and re
ligious problems were involved, and
the Afghan reformer perhaps lacked
a knowledge of psychology.
In emulating Mustapha Kemal
Pasha, Amanullah failed to real
ize that the Turkish leader, by sav
ing his country from division be
tween foreign powers, developed a
new-born nationalism, whereas Af
ghanistan was still divided against
Itself by snow-clad mountains and
feudal customs under which tribal
loyalty was more potent than pa
triotism.
His Deceptive Welcome Home.
Flattering contacts with western
civilization had weakened Ainanul
lah’s judgment and the cordiality
with which he was welcomed home
was deceiving.
'Kubal was in festal array. Gen
darmes in new red uniforms stood
in rigid lines between bright tri
umphal arches. Afghan carpets by
day and colored lanterns by night
brightened the mud walls of the
mountain-girt capital, which, like
Bukharest, made an earthen flower
pot for colorful crowds.
Tribesmen from the hills added
their cocky costumes and the
loop-the-loop footgear to the best
dress of the citizens. In a carni
val atmosphere, horse-racing and
a theater with feminine roles were
introduced to strait-laced keepers of
the Faith.
On a large wall map the Itinerary
of King Amanullah and Queen
Sourlya was traced. On each seat
was a printed text of the foreign
contracts and agreements which the
leader of the new Afghanistan had
signed—a striking case of political
cards on the table, of open cove
nants In every chair.
Films picturing the flattering Eu
ropean reception for the Afghan
royalty were shown. Evidently
there were older hits, for the
French professor who described
this amazing period in Kabul life
in 1028 complained that Parisian
women were pictured in too large
hats and too long skirts.
Soon after the triumphal return
of the prodigal king, opposition ap
peared. Conservatives resented the
higher taxes which widespread re
forms would entail. Mullahs and
mosque attendants objected to hav
ing their government allowances
stopped. The rapid tempo of mod
ernization brought confusion and
resentment, as did the change of
religious holiday from Friday to
Thursday. The fact that a foreign
style coat was made of honest Af
ghan cloth did not mollify the self
conscious tribal delegates, who re
taliated by accusing Amanullnh of
being negligent nhout his prayers.
When royal reforms threatened the
tribal order, the Shlnwarls rose in
revolt.
Present-day Kabul Is as Inter
esting for its scenes of native ilfe
as for its new political polices.
In Kabul hatters stuff cotton or
paper Into top and side welts of
gaudy skullcans, while tailors fash
ion equally flashy *.**ts. Menders
of chlnnwarc or even of lemonade
glasses bore tiny holes In the pieces
and fasten them together with soft
copper brads, hammered In.
Shopkeepers sit amid their stork
and scoop away a few dried peas
or a bit of sugnr or flour from neat
rones of food-stuffs. Jewelers set
large atones ilka rubles Into wide
silver bracelets with projecting
points like those on dog col Ur a,
