Poinsettia Plant
B Source of Rubber
Discovery of Chemist May
^ Revolutionize Industry.
Washington.—Discovery by a here
tofore obscure St. I-iouis chemist
that the poinsettla can produce
more than 6,000 pounds of rubber
an acre In eight months, holds prom
ise of revolutionizing the rubber In
dustry.
If the hopes of Herman E. Pit
man, the chemist, are realized, the
price of rubber, which, under the
British agreement, may reach $1 per
pound, can be produced In thla coun
try at not more than seven cents
a pound.
The discovery that a species of
poinsettla can be made to supply 00
per cent of America's consumption
was made by Pitman after years
of experimenting with various
plants. During this time he had
closely followed similar efforts of
Thomas A. Edison. Harvey Fire
stone, John Burroughs and Henry
Ford to extract rubber from milk
weed. goldenrod, pnlmettos and
palms
Rubber In Sap.
Examining a poinsettla given to
him a year ago as a Christmas dec
oration, Pitman found that the sap
or latex contained a small percent
age of rubber. This specimen proved
too extensive for commercial devel
opment and Its use deemed Imprac
ticable because the sap soured In a
few hours
Experimentation with other varie
ties of this plant occupied the chem
ist for some months and eventually
brought the discovery that the mix
ture of a cheap chemical element
with the sap eliminated the rancid
ity and presented n latent rubber
which could be produced at a nom
inal cost
An analytical chemist In Wash
Drop Trout 1,500 Feet to
Water Without Injury
Montreal.—A series of remarka
ble experiments, proving that fish
can be dropped Into water, or even
to the ground from altitudes up to
1,500 feet without serious Injury,
have Just been concluded by the
Quebec department of fish and
game.
The experiments were part of the
department's researches Into new
and speedier methods of restocking
lakes. One of the methods under
consideration was dropping fish
from alrplnnes. It was doubtful,
how’ever, whether the fish could sur
vive the drop. The experiments
proved beyond doubt that they
could.
A number of trout first were
taken up to a height of 200 feet und
dropped Into a pond. They swam
on as If nothing happened. Then
fish were dropped from heights of
1,000 and 1,500 feet. The result
was Identical. The trout did not
appear to have been troubled In the
least by the fall.
Not totlsfled, the research work
ers then placed trout In a receptacle
with narrow openings nt each end,
took It up to n height of 1,000 feet
and dropped It to the ground. Tho
receptacle was smashed to pieces,
but the fish were unharmed, and
quickly revived when placed In
water.
Albino Doer Bagged
Raleigh, N. C.—An albino deer
bas been killed In Northampton
county, and presented to the State
museum. The 170-pound buck Is
only the second of his species to be
received at the museum.
9
Ington carried the tests further and
found that the plant produced Juice
containing 00 to 05 per cent rubber.
100,000 Acres Ready.
lletainlng a Washington lawyer
to patent the process, Pitman pro
ceeded with Ills plans to produce
poinsettla on a large scale. Already
100,000 acres of land in the Ever
glades has been placed at his dis
posal and will he planted to poin
settla in February.
Against a yield of 0,001.05 pounds
an acre from Pitman’s polnsettln. In
eight months, the rubber plantations
of India and the Dutch East Indies
produce only 1,300 pounds an acre
und can be harvested only once in
ten years.
Those close to the rubber indus
try see in Pitman’s discovery a drop
In rubber prices far below any scale
known since the beginning of the
lubber Industry.
Chicken* in Wyoming
Uncover Gold Find
Cheyenne, Wlo.—If he hadn't
happened to find several tiny
gold nuggets In the crops of sev
eral of his chlcken3, Morris YY’il
ladsen, farmer, might not have
recognized the presence of gold
ore In a chunk of rock he plowed
up In his fields one day. But
farewarned proved to he fore
armed in YVlllndsen’s case and
he was on the lookout for Just
such a And and thus did not
miss the chance to open a streak
of ore on his land about Ave
feet wide and 15 feet deep that
assayed $07 a ton In gold and
silver.
Dog* Attend Wellesley
YVellesley, Mass.—Dogs now at
tend YVellesley college. A Boston
man has been engaged as Instructor
of blueblooded dogs sent to the col
lege. Already, 20 dogs have matric
ulated. and the number Is expected
to grow. The "pupils" are taught all
the Ane points of dogdom.
New Drug Is Help in Malaria Fight
£d__
Four Times as Powerful as
Quinine, Scientist Says.
Atlanta, Ga. — Malaria, ancient
scourge of the backwoods dwellers
of the deep South, Is being fought
with a new and potent wenpon
which researchers have reason to
believe may soon relegate the Insid
ious disease to the virtual oblivion
Into which vacclnntlon drove small
pox.
Atnbrlne—an nmlno acridine de
ERMINE TRIM
nr ciiciuk Nicholas
This swngger kneelength coat Is
of black lyons velvet The fact
that It buttons severely on one
shoulder bespeaks a last-minute
styling. So many of the new
wrups fasten In novel ways. The
Jeweled clip at the neckline adds
greatly to Its chic. Krnilne from
the elbow on the tlarlng sleeves la
an outstanding and significant fea
ture, for to trim with white fur
this season Is to be highly style
minded. Nor Is this vogue for white
ermine or white gnlyak trim con
fined to formal night fashions. One
rlvatlve with alkyl groups If you
are chemically verted—Is the new
magic in medical science’s ceaseless
warfare against the deadly blood
parasite.
It Is four times as powerful as
quinine and more palatable, though
more costly, physicians explain.
With It cures can be effected In five
days, compared to five weeks re
quired by quinine.
Amazing results have been ob
tained In tests. The malarial death
rate in Malacca, small Asiatic coun
try, dropped 50 per cent after its
introduction. Favorable results
were obtained by a South American
fruit company In more than 300
cases.
While the drug Is being Intro
duced In all malaria-infested south
ern states, the Tennessee valiey
counties of Alabama are being used
as a gigantic testing laboratory.
I)r. J. N. linker, director of pub
lic health In Alabama, Is being aid
ed by the Tennessee valley author
ity’s medical department In con
ducting a thorough malaria blood
survey.
The drug Is being made available
to physicians through the state's
public health system.
The hoped-for result Is the sav
ing of hundreds of lives now listed
In the annual malarial death toll.
"In certain and quartan malaria
ntabrlne destroys the parasite
promptly and permanently," Doc
tor Baker said. “In avestlc-autumnal
or malignant malaria another drug,
plasmochln. Is used ns an adjunct
for complete control.
“The possibilities of atnbrlne as
a check against this disease are
great. Its use is a big forward step
toward ultimate elimination of this
ancient enemy of the South."
of the most stunning afternoon cos
tumes on the present season’s style
program is a short Jacket and skirt
suit of superb black velvet which
has a scarf-collar of white ermine
with a big white fur muff to
match. The vogue for binck and
white which Is more insistent than
»ver Is also reflected In the smart
afternoon one-piece dress either of
black crepe, broadcloth or duvetyn
which Is tailored with utmost sim
plicity, a white ermine trim, per
haps a bow, perhaps collar and cuffs
of the fur giving It an enlivening
touch.
River Thame*' Evaporation
During a hot day the ltlver
Thames loses 30,000,000 gallons by
evaporation.
Department of Agriculture Payments to States
The following figures show rental and benefit payments by the Agricultural Adjustment administration made to the farm
ers of the nation up to November 1, 1934. as prepared by John U. Payne, comptroller. The figures given are by states and by prod
acts, showing a total disbursement of 1421,697,389.40.
Slate Schedule Total
Alabama.2 ... I 15.481,957.06
Arizona ..*... 3... 650,309 78
Arkanua. 4 . . . 16.994.112 91
California. 5 . . . 2.637.988 01
Colorado. 6 . . . 2,408.706 98
Connecticut .... 7 . . . 820.5*1 85
Delaware. 8 . . . 108.092.80
Florida. 9 . . . 768.097.90
Georgia ..... 10 .. . 14.736.194 86
Idaho. 11 . . . 3.089,893.51
.. 12 . . . 18,597.687.61
Indiana.IS . . . 12.807.227.19
Iowa . 14 . . . 31.770.808.14
Kansa. 15 . . . 39.428.940 19
Kentucky. 16 ... 4,669.418.63
Louisiana. 17 . . . 8.223.866.55
Maryland. 18 . . . 1,406.677.23
Massachusetts • • • 19 . . . 802,818.99
Michigan. 20 . . . 2,113.802 31
Minnesota ..... 21 .. . 10.629,918 98
Mississippi .... 22 ... 15,211,367.81
Missouri ..... 23 ... 15,447,131.19
Montana ..... 24 ... 6,743.676.00
Nebraska. 25 . . . 19.863.745.01
Nevada ...... 26 ... 68,642 54
New Hampshire . • . 27 . . . 13.086.90
New Jersey .... 28 ... 125.406 96
New Mexico . . . . 29 . . . 1.396.762 94
New York. 80 . . . 162,894.08
North Carolina . . . 31 . . . 11.233.510.59
North Dakota . • • . 32 , . . 16.014,606.10
Ohio . 83 . . . 9.811,080 28
Oklahoma. 84 . . . 26.618,848 62
Oregon. 85 . . . 2.754.938 41
Pennsylvania .... 36 ... 963,816.91
Puerto Rico .... 37 ... 1,158.051 50
Rhode Island ....88... 2.776 84
South Carolina • • . 39 . . . 10.299.060.13
South Dakota . . . . 40 . . . 10.480 629.18
Tennessee .....41... 7,107,997 87
Texa. 42 . . . 67,167.913 09
Utah . 43 . . . 892.930 65
Vermont ..... 44 ... 27,831.36
Virginia ..... 45 .. . 2.282.306 89
Washington .*.. 46 ... 4.435.970.69
West Virginia . . . . 47 . . . 213,993.74
Wisconsin . . . . . 48 . . . 3,877,885.85
Wyoming ..... 49 ... 546.165 96
Totala . .. 1421.697.389 40
Cotton
I 16,278,998 08
608.364 53
16.614.268 04
686,703 09
396.609 87
13.187.872.31
3.052.00
66.307.14
8 723.366.65
15 1*2 300 SI
2,519.926 04
612.989 10
5,822,699 02
15.634.807 00
8.353.874 99
4.956.634 92
69.061.339.24
237,177.46
1166.786.379.70
Whf»t
<
20,592.6#
1,945 00
1,172.272 11
1,610.321.62
92,869 90
8,364 54
2,864,178 94
2,392,697 66
2,135.005 42
441,790 8»
32.246.197.82
236.662.71
1,146.613 88
827.834 83
1.622,568.20
1,858,236 90
6,516.724 64
7,360.473 60
82.285 90
12,896 44
624.495.63
42,489 10
66,442 00
14,829,738 80
1,775.714 65
8.900.661 78
2,510,153 93
292.835 90
4,626.886 96
131,793 84
6.243.192 35
807,314 06
640.380 62
6,117,248 52
66.846 12
31.816 81
878.815 30
(108,669,667 44
Tobacco
* 1,666 00
180.00
299.640.60
248,26# 64
1.470.243.89
267 95
75.046.47
3.611.55
2.705.329 24
38.288 87
117,355.86
27,864.94
64.632.54
2.594.80
26,820 01
6.690.867.68
488.225.40
648.038.68
1.158,051.60
1,841.395.46
662,643 2?
2.833.88
658.227.96
38.785 61
522.373 48
$16,572,652.64
Corn-Hog*
« 201,39297
21,852 59
477.719 87
829,007.81
798,384 SO
20.921.25
16,223.90
129,218.39
69.714 62
225,714 67
16,144,722.10
10,697,176.30
31.328,517 28
7,176,078 82
1,652,119.64
222,874 48
186,463.13
1,285,967.48
8,879,485.84
28,967 50
11.019.336.71
226.850.36
12,503.271.41
26.356.64
10,191 60
112.610.52
159.278.21
93,584 97
264.601.94
1,184,867.30
7.547,140 23
1.983,879 74
244.784.48
122,942.33
2.176.84
103,789.68
6.853.942.22
1.416,925.83
1,873.381.50
85,616.39
24,498.03 '
696.619.85
318,722.17
113.362.11
3.323,696 11
167.350 66
3129,668,799.72 !
SEEN-' HEARD
around tha
National Capital
ra—r-¥-By CARTER FIELDSBHBBM
Washington.—Gen. Hugh S. John
son's selection by President Roose
velt to play a part In organizing the
country so that it will be ready in
all directions, should a war break
out, is a most happy one for many
reasons.
In the first place Johnson, while
associated with Bernard M. Baruch,
worked for almost ten years on tills
very Idea. He did It at Baruch’s
direction. Baruch was much Im
pressed. during the World war, with
the chaos which resulted from this
country’s having been precipitated
Into that conflict And this despite
the fact that it had been at least
a possibility for considerably more
than two years that this country
would be Involved. Absence of any
Intelligent plan for obtaining the
necessary raw materials, for ex
ample. Absence of Hny sane co-or
dination of the railroads—a lack
which led to the government's tak
ing them over, and wasting prob
ably hundreds of millions of dollars.
And then the big problem of un
equal distribution—soldiers getting
$30 a month, having been drafted,
and muchlne workers getting $10 a
day. The waste In building ships,
especially wooden ships. The hor
rible memory of Hog Island.
So Baruch thought the thing to
do would be to have a comprehen
sive plan. Including every man and
every bit of property In the coun
try, so that at the outbreak of war
the whole thing could be organized
with that same efficiency that should
characterize the mobilization of a
European army, and at the same
time as near a basis of equality
between the citizens as possible, no
matter what their particular niche
in the scheme might be.
Having worked und thought for
ten years op this subject, conferring
with all the experts nnd best think
ers they could get hold of, Bnruch
and Johnson were obviously the two
outstanding men in the entire coun
try for this task.
Fond of Johnson
But there was another reason for
the selection of Johnson, which was
highly Important. The President is
very fond of the explosive general,
and would like to employ his very
great talents In the government.
The question was, where could he be
placed where ne could have any
reasonable chnnre of getting along
peacefully with those with whom he
would have to work !
The gradual turning of a close
friendship between Donald Klchberg
and Johnson In NBA—the repeated
battles between Johnson and Frances
Perkins, secretary of lnbor—the bit
ter enmities aroused by Miss Frances
Robinson, Johnson’s lieutenant, all
made It dlllicult.
But one point stood out like a
lighthouse. Johnson had demon
trated over a period of years that
he could and would work like a
slave when his work was directed
by Baruch. So why not put him to
work at something which very
much needed to be done—technical
ly with Baruch, but actually under
him?
Which Is precisely what the Pres
ident has done.
Incidentally, seldom has a big
piece of news been more distorted
than announcement of this project.
That very afternoon senators on
the Nye committee hit the celling
In public statements, thinking the
move was Intended to choke off
their Investigation.
Actually there Is nothing In the
present administration move which
relates even remotely to the Idea of
Amerlcnn munitions makers selling
to foreign countries while this coun
try Is at pence. Its only purpose Is
to have a definite and all embracing
plan, which can be snnpped Into ac
tion the moment tills country gets
Into a war.
But the words ‘‘take the profit out
of war” seemed so timely that It if.
little wonder the headline writers
Jumped at them, especially as ti e
sentence containing them was tho
only one on which direct quotes
from the President were [>ermltted.
Even that resulted from a specific
request by a newspaper man. It
was not the President’s original
Idea.
Involves Knotty Problems
Further march of the power of
the federal government ns against
the authority of the states Is seen
In the determination of Secretary of
War Dern, spurred on by Senator
Lonergan of Connecticut, to give the
federal government control over In
dustrial waste disposals in streams,
lakes nnd coastal waters.
Legislation providing for this will
be Introduced In both houses early
in the session, nnd will. It Is
learned, he vigorously pressed de
spite the very knotty constitutional
problems Involved.
The new bill, an effort to end
stream pollution. Is to be shaped hy
a committee headed by Secretary
Dern and composed of other gov
ernment and state conservation of
ticials. It will also Include some
sportsmen. It Is expected to call
for grunting authority to some ex
isting government department or
agency, though It may provide for
th* setting up of a new agency. To
whatever body Is given the assign
ment will be granted power to en
force the provisions of the law.
No matter how the law is drarted,
or what section of the Constitution
is relied on to give the federal gov
ernment power to go into a field
which had always been supposed to
belong to the states, a quick test \
will be made by opponents of the
proposal, which will not be deter- |
mined finally until it has been passed
by the Supreme court.
Part of the halt to bring about co
operation Instead of a battle by the
states and local communities will
be loans to be offered by the fed
eral government to cities and fac
tories that will Institute some form
of disposal which will keep the
waste out of the streams and other
waters. In some instances, it Is
thought, disposal systems may be
instilled where the by-products will
actually make the whole change
profitable.
Best possible advice will be sup
plied free by the federal govern
ment as to this, for a staff of en
g'neers familiar with waste dis
posal problems will be maintained
by the federal agency entrusted with
this mission.
Talk of New Party
Conviction that the Republican
party, as far as that label is con
1 cerned. Is doomed, and that the
new opposition party to the Demo
crats—or more accurately to the
New Deal—must not only be a new
organization, but must have another
name, was voiced by many old-line
Republicans leaders who came to
Washington, not for a political pow
wow, but on the excuse, at least,
of attending the Gridiron dinner.
Foremost among those insisting
that it Is wnstlng time to try to
preserve the Republican party was
Clarence C. Hamlin of Colorado
Springs, former Republican na
tional committeeman from Colorado
for many years and one of the orig
inal Hoover men in 1928.
At the other extreme are Repub
licans like former Senator George
H. Moses of New Hampshire, and
James E. Watson of Indiana.
They'believe the Republican party
is no further down the hill than
the Democratic party was In 1928
They point out that of the total
vote cast in the 1934 election, which
was a Democratic landslide, of
course, the Republicans polled 4(1
out of every 100 that went In the
ballot boxes.
New Estate Tax
A new system of estate taxes, with
very powerful support In the per
sonnel of Its advocates, Is being
urged on President Roosevelt, lead
Ing senators and members of the
house ways and means committee
It alms at avoiding the highly de
flatlonary effect of the present es
tate taxes, and at the same time ac
complishlng the original object oi
their unearned Increments.
The Idea Is simply to have the
taxes paid by the recipients instead
of by the estate.
The chief objection to the present
tax, as viewed not only by Its crit
ics and by the treasury, but by re
covery minded administration ofii
dais and business men. Is that 11
prevents the most available mone.\
for Investment there Is—that owned
by capitalists retired from active
business—from being put Into chan
nels where It would produce em
plo.vment, pay rolls, nnd spending.
The retired capitalist Is nearly
always a man who lias begun to
think about his estate, and whai
will happen to It after his death
He knows about estate taxes, and
he has seen numerous Instances of
where the best part of an estate
was sacrificed at bargain counter
prices in order to obtain the cash
necessary to pay the death duties.
Consequently his whole Inclination
Is to keep his estate very liquid
indeed — in cash or government
bonds.
Such a man worries not only
about what would happen In such
sacrifice sales from the standpoint
of his heirs, but from the stand
point of his associates In any busi
ness enterprise of which he hap
pens to own a large share.
Speakership Prospects
One of the big factors that Is
working to make Sam Rayburn the
next speaker of the house. Instead
of Joseph W. Byrns of Tennessee Is
that the last campaign showed that
the old cry of ‘‘Southern Domina
tion” is no longer effective polit
ically in the North.
This was proved particularly in
the Maine election in September.
In Maine, for that matter, Tennes
see would probably be regarded as
Just as southern as Texas, but this
is far from true politically. Ten
nessee not only went for Hoover
in 192S, when the South was crack
ing in its allegiance to Democracy,
but it had gone for Harding in 1920,
when no religious Issue was in
volved. As a matter of fact, it was
very close in 1924.
So, from the Washington political
viewpoint, Tennessee has not been
regarded ns part of the “Solid
South” for many years.
Rut Texas Is, despite the fact that
she slipped her political moorings
in 192S, with Virginia, North Caro
lina and Florida.
So the prospect of having both
houses of congress presided over by
Texas, which is the picture at the
moment, not only with the blessing
but with the active co-operation of
the administration, might have been
regarded as political dynamite •
few years back, but occasioned no
concern to the Democratic candi
dates for the house anywhere In the
North, Northeast or Northwes! this
year.
Cooyrlsht.—WNU Service.
Czech Olympic
a I a V *v • ji k i1
Macedonians in Praha for Czechoslovakian Olympic.
Prepared by National Geographic Society.
Washington. V. C.—WNO Service.
EVERY six years Czechoslo
vakia stages Its own “Olym
pic." Praha (Prague) the
capital city, dons party dress, puts
out its welcome mat and moves to
a heightened tempo. Hotel rooms
are reserved weeks ahead; a chair
in a restaurant puts a visitor in u
privileged class. Special trains,
trailing one another into- Wilson
station, disgorge colorful crowds
from rural districts. Airplanes drop
off visitors from the four winds of
heaven.
The enormous stadium on Strahov
hill, bleakly barren between meet
ings, bustles with barelegged ath
letes of both sexes with the fire of
enthusiasm in their eyes, and eager
youngsters imitating their elders in
athletic prowess.
Outside the distant gateways long
lines of performers await the signal
to invade the 567-acre field In which
the largest “big top" would be but
a side show.
Czechoslovakia’s own Olympics re
turn to the old stamping ground,
and the greatest group drills on
earth are fitted together out of hun
dreds of units, each a mosaic of all
classes. This national concourse of
gymnasts Is not a mere physical
culture exhibit. It is the mobiliza
tion of a nation’s sinew, spirit, and
dreams.
When the Czech Yankee Doodle
sticks a feather in his cap, that
feather marks the wearer as a fal
con—a Sokol. In Slavic lands, from
the Baltic to Turkey, the word
evokes familiar heroes of age-old
legends.
The Sokol movement affects all
classes and all ages. Children of
six move in uniformed companies.
Mature citizens lift their centers of
gravity to military contours. Coun
try women arrive wearing so many
bright petticoats that they seem to
be smuggling woolen goods Into a
besieged city.
Scenes of Gaiety and Splendor.
Native arts, handicrafts, and
songs take on new lease of life,
file factory girl whose usual “best
dress” is plain cotton brings forth
old aprons strident with color and
balloon sleeves bulging with em
broidery. The society lady lays
aside her clinging gown for such
homespun finery as her mother
habitually wore on festival occa
sions when costume was local rath
er than international in pattern.
Long before the main perform
ance starts, the Charles bridge re
sembles an endless belt of ethno
graphic exhibits issuing from the
archway of a fine Gothic tower and
losing themselves In the long ar
cades beyond the Vltava. Costumes
from Cechy (Bohemia), Morava,
(Moravia), Slezsko (Silesia), Slo
vensko (Slovakia), and Podkarpat
ska ltus (Ituthenin) make the close
lacked streets of the Mala Strana,
or “Little Town,” look like aisles in
a dahlia show.
Czech theaters put on their best
artists to supplement the mighty
drama of the Pan-Sokol Festival.
Art Galleries vie with the living
picture of a nation’s strength. Con
cert halls furnish a musical relax
ation after hours of suspense and
emotional excitement. Dvorak’s
“New World Symphony” is seldom
better played than in the Old Town
at Praha.
Czech genius is many-sided and
there is a strong current of individ
ualism, but there are no star per
formers in the mass drills, in which
00,000 arms and legs compose quick
flashing scales of eye music for 155,
000 spectators. The home-run. the
last-minute touchdown, the final
iunge to personal victory, are lack
ing in the group displays. Much of
the drama is psychological, for the
precision, the verve, and the magni
tude of the spectacle are but visual
evidences of a mighty spirit under
lying all.
High on the roof of the tribune,
hidden from the most-favored spec
tators, are the group leaders; but
the invisible director is the man
whose centenary was celebrated in
1032, at the Ninth pan-Sokol Fes
tival, Dr. Miroslav Tyre.
The Sokols united the Czechs
when they were still men without a
country. Thomas G. Masaryk, the
distinguished and revered first and
only president of the Czechoslovak
republic, added the pen stroke
which won the geogrnphic setting
for an accomplished fact
Started in 1862.
Doctor Tyre built his dream on a
drill squad of 75 Sokol members,
who initiated his system of gym
nastics on March 5, 1862. The
Firet Pan-Sokol Festival in 1881,
including 696 Sokols gathered from
76 different units, was considered a
great success. ,
The Seventh Sokol Festival In
Praha in 1920, involving the mobil
ization of 70,000 traiued athletes
and countless spectators, was a ma
jor factor in the consolidation of a
new nation in the heart of Europe.
Czech consciousness and patriot
ism, fostered by the Sokol organiza
tion for nearly sixty years, had
proved its worth.
From the air the great stadium
on Strahov hill seems more like a
village than an arena.
There were 140,000 participants
in the meeting of 1932. From June
5 to July 6 the athletic colony was
busy. Preceding the main adult
festival, from July 2 to July 6, first
the children, then the adolescents,
displayed their skill and training.
From June 29 to July 6 the streets
were a riot of color in informal or
formal patties of marchers in
local or national dress.
Delegates from neighboring lands
added even grenter variety to the
display, which took on characteris
tics of a fashion show of peasant
handicrafts and needlework. Al
though membership is limited to
Slavs and a few nationals from
countries which fought ou the side
of the Entente during the World
war, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, and
Bulgars have been allied with the
Czechs in the Sokol movement and
recent festivals have had an inter
national aspect.
The Stars and Stripes wnve over
many a colorful procession and
July 4 is celebrated as the “Fourth
of July."
It is hard to understand how
drill teams from 3,144 widely dis
tributed units arrive at such per
fection; but the Sokol organization
has its own publishing plant and
the music to which the movements
are set is distributed long before
the show.
Special gramophone records are
made and sent to all parts of the
country, and on Sunday mornings
the l’raha broadcasting station is
used by Sokol instructors, who give
directions and the words of com
mand which are employed In the
final exhibitions. Nothing is left
to chance. That is contrary to the
entire Sokol spirit.
Great Allegorical Pageant.
The festivals are distinguished
not only by mass drills and color
ful parades, but also by an al
legorical pageant. In 1932 this al
legory related this radio-directed
spectacle with the original Olym
pic festivals which inspired Doctor
Tyrs.
From the central stage a iigure
impersonating the Sokol founder
expressed his aspirations for &
healthy state composed of healthy
beings. Time turned back to Olym
pia, where such Ideals were so no
tably exemplified. Greek cham
pions, warriors, priests, and poets
engaged in spirited contests, and
ancient Greece lived again.
These representatives of antique
glories then turned into lifeless
statues. There was a pause, dur
ing which one could sense the loeff
the world suffered when the glory
that was Greece became a memory.
Then the statues came to life, cast
aside the drapings of an outworn
past, and appeared in the Sokol
uniforms which had won new glory
during the mass drills of the earlier
days of the festival. The Olympic
ideal, resurrected, took a place to
practical, modern living.
All classes unite in this great ex
hibition of individual health and
group efficiency. Visitors here see
u unified nation in concerted action.
Many a Czechoslovak is getting
an even greater thrill. Splendid
as is the spectacle from the side
lines, a part in the big game is
even more moving. Every six years
a hundred thousand players, trained
away from awkwardness and self
consciousness to grace and group
consciousness during months or
years of practice, win a rich re
ward for their efforts. Small teams
of athletes cannot attain this na
tion-wide spirit of co-ordination.
The Sokol Festival Is the flower of
an entire nation's growth.
During these golden days in
Praha a highly industrialized and
modern nation lives in the fairy
land of beauty and dreams. Where
has a dream proved more practical
than that of Tyre, who, behind
trained muscles, glimpsed clear,
clean, thinking minds and the free
state they were to build and serve?
Machinaw Trout Grow Large
The lake or Mackinaw trout, larg
est of all trout, may reach a weight
of GO pounds.
