Gatun Locks “Dressed Up” After 20 Years
The Panama caual Is In the throes of a “house cleaning." Once every twenty years the locks and buildings
of the canal receive a thorough cleaning and painting, and the Job has Just been completed at Uatun locks.
Persia Adopts New
Name for Country
:• ■ M— M I I .... I . ...» ' •
Revive “Iran,” Once Des
ignating Entire Region.
Washington.—New Tear’s day for
the Persians, which Is March 22,
will bring to the ancient kingdom of
Persia a new name—“Iran.”
“Persia" was derived from the
province of Pers, or I’ursa, the seed
from which the modern nation
sprung. “Iran” Is the ancient name
for the entire geographical region,
which Includes part of Afghanistan
and Baluchistan. In recent times,
however, “Iran" hns been used as a
secondary title for the Persian po
litical unit. (It should not be con
fused with "Iraq," the similar name
of the nutlon which borders It on the
west).
"Persians have always called their
country Irun—‘Land of the Aryans'
—and themselves ‘Irani,’" says a
bulletin from the Washington (D.
C.) headquarters of the National
Geographic society. “But at the
same time they have looked upon
Kara (the modern name for Pers)
as the most typlcul Persian prov
ince and even as the cradle of the
Aryan race.
"The ofiiclal change In name turns
attention to the country as a whole,
and emphasises Iran’s 3,000 years
of strong nationalism. Its people
have demonstrated again and again
their ability to revive from major
catastropbles.
Often Subjugated.
"At differ eat periods tu its de
velopment Iran has been overrun
and even subjugated by Greek,
Arab, Turk, and Mongol armies; but
the IrnnI have clung tenaciously to
their national characteristics and
culture. Irun’s two grent poets.
Firdausi and Omar Khayyum. helped
to preserve the Persian language
and national spirit through many
troubled years. Firdausi's best
known work, Shah-N'amah, Is one of
the world's epics; and Edward Kits
gerald’s translation of the Rubaiyat
focused the attention of Europe on
the culture of Iran.
"Iran, two and a half times the
area of Texas, Is covered by u net
work of modern highways, in vary
ing degrees of repair, following an
cient trade routes. Ur til 1931 Iran
was a country without railroads,
with the exception of a few ex
tremely short stretches of narrow
gauge line. But now railway con
struction Is progressing both In the
north and In the south. Plans call
for the meeting of these trncks with
in the next few years so that the
fertile province bordering the Oas
plan sea In the north will be linked
with the Persian gulf.
"Tehernn, the beautiful capita)
city. Is now reached by alrplune,
motor car, or camel caravan, but be
fore long It will be Included on the
trans-Iranian railroad. The capital
has a population of 320.000; but It
is utterly unlike most of the mod
ern capitals of the world of com
parable slxe. Its wide boulevards,
along which traffic Is directed by
- , ... — — --r
Lowly Mule Stages
Comeback in Texas
Fort Worth. Texas.—The low
ly mule, brought Into the spot
light by the agricultural depres
sion which caused thousands or
farmers to turn to work stock
Instead of mechanical equipment,
continues to hold Its own. This
Is considered remarkable, In view
of the bad drouth In this state
and the soaring prices on feed,
which also is scarce, even at the
high prices.
Trading In mules In a recent
week here was the largest In this
great market In 12 years, reli
able reports showing that there
was a run of 2,250 mules, the
largest for more than a decade.
Prices were steady, particularly
on aged animals. Buyers were
present from all southern states.
helmeted policemen, lend nn out
ward air of modernity to the city;
but the lumbering caravans of cam
els and donkeys soon dispel the
modern appearance of the main
thoroughfares.
“Side streets of the capita! are
narrow, crooked, and dark, and add
further to the popular conception of
a typlrol oriental city.
“There is, of course, a section of
beautiful modern buildings includ
ing the post office, the Imperial
llank of Persia, the legislative build
ings of the Majlis (the Iranian con
gress or parliament), and the Pah
levl palace, home of his imperial
majesty, lti/.a Shah Pahlevl, Shah
In-Shah of Iran.
“Until 1900 Iran was an absolute
monarchy. In that year, the reign
ing shah was forced to grant a con
stitution, under which the national
consultative assembly of Majlis was
established. In October, 19115, this
assembly voted to depose the young
sultan. Itlza Khan I’ahlevi, then
prime minister, was appointed to
head a provisional government. In
December of the same year, he as
cended the throne as king. Under
the present constitution, Iran's gov
ernment somewhat resembles that
of Great Britain. The prime minis
ter Is the constitutional executive
and head of the cabinet, and all ex
ecutive action Is subject to the ap
proval and support of the Majlis.
'The country Is divided into 20
provinces, headed by governors-gen
eral (Wall) and governors (Ha
kim. Both are directly responsible
to the central government. All towns
and villages have chiefs called Kat
khuda, who are usually appointed by
the governors, although sometimes
elected by the citizens.
“Iran Is modeling its educational
system after that of England. The
Vallahd (crown prince) is attending
a school near Genevu, organized
very much on the plan of an Eng
lish public school. A lnrge number
of government students, women as
well as men, have been sent abroad
to schools. A university has been
founded, in addition to a number of
teachers’ colleges, technical and sec
ondary schools.”
Lights of New York By l. l. stevenson
In order to make this story un
derstandable to those not familiar
with ocean liners, a bit of explana
tion must be made, old travelers, of
course, having permission to skip
It. Each day there Is a pool on
the run of the ship. Twenty num
bers are sold and In this spread
Is supposed to be the overage twen
ty-four-hour run. Then the low
field, which means any number low
er thnn the lowest, and the
high Held, any number over the
highest, are sold at auction. Of
course, weather conditions affect the
run of the ship. Now for thp story,
which is vouched for by my Infor
mant. A gambler bought the low
Held, and ns the day progressed,
found the weather beautifully clear
and the wind favorable. Taking a
long chance, he leaped overboard.
Naturally, the ship was delayed In
circling to pick him up and by the
time he was rescued had lost so
much distance, he won the low
Held. Of course, he might have
drowned, but as was snld, he Is a
gambler.
• • •
One afternoon, during the foot
ball season, Joe Haymes, who was
leading un orchestra In a mid-town
hotel, sneaked off to attend a game.
He knew he should have been play
ing for tea dancing, but his love of
the gridiron was too strong to re
sist. It was an exciting game, so
exciting, indeed, that before long
Haymes and a stranger were pound
ing each other on the back. By the
time the lust whistle was blown,
they were fast friends. Huymes
went on back to the hotel where
he found that his truancy had cost
him his Job. lie didn’t worry, how
ever. The stranger whose back he
had pounded was John J. Woelfle
who, on learning his Identity, had
hired him to lead the orchestra In
the hotel of which Woelfle Is man
ager.
# • •
A story I Just heard !s Ironical to
say the least. Jack Powell re
signed his Job with the City News
association to act ns director of
publicity for one of the bigger
steamship lines. Never having done
any publicity previously, he prayed
that he might carry the Job along
until he found his way around. Ills
one hope was a big story—some
thing thnt would put his Hue on the
front pages. Four days after he
took the Job. the big story broke—a
story that put the line on front
pages all over the world. That
story was the burning of the Morro
Castle. Powell still has his Job,
however.
• * •
Two vaudevillians met in front of
the palace. -Tve Just returned from
sLx weeks' solid booking," declared
one. “That’s swell In these times,”
answered his friend. “How much
do you think I made?” continued the
one who had been working. “Shoot,”
was the reply, "and It’s half of
that.”
• • •
Now a yarn about a man well
known over the various networks,
but who must be nameless here.
The other night as he was about to
go on the air, the sign “Silence”
caught his eye. He arranged his
manuscript and glanced again at the
sign. The signal was given him
nnd he tried to start to read. Not
a word came from his throat—that
sign seemed to have burned Into
his consciousness so deeply he
couldn’t disobey It. The second hand
seemed to race around the clock.
He was committing one of the most
deadly sins known to radio but
couldn't help It. Try as he would,
his vocal cords wouldn't obey the
orders of his brain.
• * *
Finally the production man
stopped signaling and came over
nnd touched the victim on the shoul
der. With thnt, the paralysis van
ished and he started to read with
such a roar that he awakened his
wife who started to scream because
she thought he surely was being
murdered. The nightmare was so
terrifying that now when he goes
Into the studio he won’t even glance
at a “silence” sign.
fix Ball Syndicate.—WNU Service.
BRANDED BY CHUMS
Paul Stevens, aged five, of Cen
terville, Iowa, was branded by three
older boys who threatened him with
death if he told on them. They
branded the letter “PM and a period
on the boy's left shoulder.
SEEN-'HEARD
around tha
National Capital
■ ■7 ..~By CARTER riELDfiBSSSiS
Washington.—Irish distillers are
still sore with Director Choate, of
the Federal Alcohol Control admin
istration, because he will not per
mit them to label their whisky
•‘straight.” They insist that this Is
a rank discrimination, brought
about by the social and economic
Influence of the Rrltish embassy,
working in behalf of the Scotch
“Whisky Trust"
This rivalry between the Scotch
and Irish distillers for the Ameri
can market Is one of the queer
twists that could occur probably no
where else In the world, because
the roots of the matter go hack to
Dr. Harvey Wiley, of pure food
fame, to President Taft’s libera] In
terpretation reversing Wiley on his
“What Is Whisky?” argument, and
to prohibition.
The truth of course is that in the
ordinary understanding of the
words In America. Irish whisky Is
straight, and Scotch whisky is not.
But under the ruling of Choate
neither is "straight.'’
The ordinary American under
stands "straight" whisky to be liquor
distilled from a grain mash, un
diluted by neutral spirits or any
other “thinning" Ingredient. Under
this definition practically all Scotch
whisky sold In America, or In Eng
land for that mntter, Is a blend. It
has mixed with the original malt
whisky neutral spirits, water, a lit
tle sherry, and sometimes other in
gredients. Further, whiskies of dif
ferent distilleries and of different
years are frequently mixed togeth
er to produce a certain flavor or
quality.
This Is not actually an objection
—to one who knows his whisky. In
fact, until the Scotch began “blend
ing” their whisky with neutral spir
its, they were never able to sell it
outside Scotland. It was a little too
pungent for the English taste, for
example. At a hearing before the
royal commission, several years be
fore the World war, it was testi
fied that not a drop of straight
Scotch had been sold commercially
for years—In fact, not since Just
before 1865, except once at a time
of overproduction, when an nttempt
was made to sell some In England.
Despite heavy advertising and
boosting, the English did not like
the straight Scotch, and continued
to buy the blended brand they were
used to.
Real Sales Talk
But in America, due to Doctor
Wiley and to prejudices built up
during prohibition against the addi
tion of alcohol, “cutting,” etc., the
word "straight” has come to be a
very real selling argument.
The Irish distillers wanted to
take advantage of this, and were
doing so in their advertising in this
country last spring and summer.
Then came the ruling they could
not label their whisky “straight."
"Irish whisky Is not straight,"
Choate insisted to the writer.
“Every Irish distiller mixes prod
ucts of different years.”
In short, Irish whisky could be
called “a blend of straight whis
kies" If the distillers so desired.
But not “straight.”
But meantime, due to some of the
atrocious tasting "blends of straight
whiskies” marketed In America, a
prejudice against this term had
grown up. In fact, two big whisky
concerns capitalized that and by
making blends of actually aged
whisky with neutral spirits, with
no new whisky to ruin the taste,
had run away with the market
To Setile Feud
Inside information Is that Presi
dent Roosevelt will settle the feud
over stimulating exjwrts between
Cordell Hull, secretary of state, and
George Peak, "special adviser to the
President,” in favor of Hull.
This will break the log Jam
which has been bogging down the
reciprocal trade agreements on
which Hull pinned so much hope.
Hull has favored reciprocal trade
agreements, retaining the "most fa
vored nation” clause. Peak has fa
vored direct barter agreements be
tween governments.
There is not the slightest sign of
an ending to the feud. Both men
are determined and stubborn. Neith
er is giving any sign whatsoever
of yielding. Peak still stands firmly
for barter, with government con
trol, virtually regimentation, of
both imports and exports. Hull
still stands strongly for the reci
procal trade agreements, which
would give equul advantages to all
foreign nations not discriminating
against the United States, and for
permitting trade to flow naturally,
through normal channels, with no
regimentation, quotas or other gov
ernmental interference.
Hope for a break in the deadlock
lies in the fact that there are defi
nite indications the President has
made a decision, though there lias
been no publh statement, or even a
private one, to that effect
The differences between the two
men have blocked any hope of get
ting anywhere with either scheme
up to date—Hull working for the
treaties, and Peak, with the power
of government money to loan ex
porters or importers and with all
the prestige of his title in dealing
with foreign missions and diplo
mats, working to head off the treat
lea and substitute barter agree
ments.
See Hull Victory
Signs of the Hull victory were
first evident when this German
agreement was held up. Best in
formation today is that It will never
receive White House approval de
spite the fact that it would dispose
of half a million bales of Ameri
can cotton. Germany would give a
small amount of cash, and a large
amount of “registered” or “blocked”
marks.
It is on these blocked marks that
the trouble centers In this particu
lar agreement. But the trouble here
is of the essence of the objections
to the whole barter plan. For It
would force trade, so to speak,
along new and unnatural channels,
against not only inertia but the nc
tive opposition of existing trade
agencies. The point regarding the
marks is that there is already a
stupendous amount of these blocked
marks on the market. They can
be used for only one purpose—to
buy German goods for export. In
the present instance this is a se
rious objection. There is a very
real boycott against German goods,
especially on the part of our de
partment. stores, which for some
time have handled a very large per
centage of all German imports.
So the blocked marks on the mar
ket are selling at a very shurp dis
count. Germany is deliberately en
couraging this discount, figuring
that the profit which would accrue
to anyone using them to buy Ger
man goods for some other country
will eventually break through the
deadlock. Purchase by the United
States government, under the Peak
agreement now on the President’s
desk, of some forty million dollars’
worth of blocked marks, in addi
tion to those already for sale,
would accentuate this situation
sharply.
Foreign Trade
Illuminating the generally unes
timated value of foreign trade to
American workers, a computation
that no less than 12,000,000 Amer
icans last year were dependent on
American exports has been pre
pared by one of the experts work
ing on the problem of how to get
some activity in the apparently in
active negotiations for more re
ciprocal trade agreements.
The figure has amazed senators
and members of the house.
“Starting off wdth the automotive
industry,” this expert said, “there
were some 350,000 cars, trucks and
busses exported from America in
1934, either direct from American
plants or for local assembly in
branch plants abroad. Each of these
vehicles represents a minimum of
500 hours of labor, that estimate
growing out of an NRA study last
year showing an average of 140
hours per automobile.
“Fabrication of parts purchased
from outside factories, the pro
duction of basic raw materials and
other processes are additional, the
total of which may be guessed as
doubling the work done in the au
tomotive factories. Adding a mod
est amount to cover transportation,
both during and after fabrication,
and such other things as sales
force, executive supervisions, ac
counting, bank clearances, etc., the
estimate of 500 hours per automo
bile Is, if anything, highly conserva
tive.
“Now, If you multiply 500 hours
by the 350,000 units exported last
year, we have at least 175,000.000
hours of labor, which, at 35 hours
a week, makes 5,000,000 weeks or
100,000 years. And hear in mind
that this is direct labor.
Overseas Car Sales
“But this is only the beginning.
Overseas sales of automotive prod
ucts other than new cars and trucks
are large, embracing parts, acces
sories and garnge equipment (spark
plugs, storage batteries, tires, brake
lining, gears, pistons, rings, valves,
carburetors, etc.) required in ex
panding volume to service the au
tomobiles in current operation In
other countries. No practical meth
od exists for estimating the labor
time involved in such exports In
1934, but I would guess it ns 20.000
years. Thus, we credit the export
section of the automotive industry
with having supplied an equivalent
of 120,000 years of work to Amer
ican workers in 1934.
"Automotive exports are a tenth
of our total trade, approximately.
Assuming that same average, we
had 1,200,000 years of work last
year involved in export trade. Tak
ing five to the family, such trade
directly provided the livelihood of
0,000,000 men, women and children
In 1934.
"But these 6,000,000 did not put
their wages and salaries Into a hole
lu t'.ie ground. Their Income and
wages were spent for food, fuel,
shelter, transportation, amusements,
doctor bills, etc. We may say that
radiating out through all the rami
fications of business, for each work
er gainfully employed In factory
work, there is at least another serv
ice worker, In grocery stores, pro
ducing food, making clothes, fur
nishing transportation, mining coal,
etc. Here you find another 6.000,
000 Indirectly employed from our
foreign trade, completing the total
of 12,000.000 directly or indirectly
dependent for their livelihood upon
foreign trade. Though, of course,
half of them, and perhaps more
than that, do not realize it.”
Copyright.—WNU Servlc*.
In ^Shanghai
Bargain Day at a Shanghai Shop.
Prepared by National Geographic Society,
rWashington, 1>. C.—WNU Service.
VERY day. all day, and far
into the night, famous Nan
king road, which leads west
ward from Shanghai’s Bund, later to
become Bubbling Well road, is
packed to overflowing with traffic.
Especially is this so in the after
noon when offices are closed and
workers are homeward bound.
Only a score or so years ago Bub
bling Well road was a favorite
place for leisurely driving in the
cool of the late afternoon. The
wealthy then rode In handsome car
riages behind trotting horses in
charge of finely appareled coach
men and grooms.
But the city, too, has grown up
along this street that was once
largely residential and a country
drive. Large department stores,
clubs, recreation halls, towering
npartment houses, churches, a Y.
M. C. A., and commercial houses
of all sorts have risen on every
side. At night the road looks like
a well lighted Broadway, with Its
profusion of neon lamps and mov
ing electric signs.
In this westward movement and
growth, business and religious struc
tures have halted their march only
to preserve space for the race course
and public recreation grounds, and
have left this small green island
of sport and relaxation in their
midst. At the time the club was
established it marked the outward
fringe of the city.
Wherever the Englishman has
come to the East, he has brought
his sport with him, and he could
hardly suffer to see the race course
and other places of recreation dis
turbed by business.
The Shanghai races claim a
great deal of attention. About the
Far Eastern coasts the Shanghai
sweepstakes have always been an
important topic of conversation in
the spring nnd autumn, especially
among British ship officers. Each
Is sure that his ten-dollar ticket is
the one that is going to win the
grand sweep of more than $200,000
Mex.
Sharp Contrasts in Streets.
To the new visitor to Shanghai
the street contrasts are vivid. On
the wide streets are window dis
plays worthy of any Fifth avenue
store; on cross-streets shops are
hung with bright-colored flags, cov
ered with Chinese ideographs, tell
ing of bargains, sales, and the na
ture of the goods supplied. Nearby
a street vender shouts the wares
contained in the packs or portable
kitchens mat swing from the ends
of his shoulder pole.
Modern talking cinemas, present
ing the latest films and some high
class Chinese theaters debouch their
gay throngs; tenements close their
board fronts, darken, and are still,
except for a few who try to snatch
a little longer working time away
from the night.
Bright limousines unload a group
of people at some large hotel along
the Bund to attend a formal din
ner; other people are frequenting
wealthy Chinese restaurants. A
mission Is giving soup and religious
teaching to a queue of hungry souls.
Chromatic signboards proclaim
the world's most advertised articles
of trade. What mntters It if two
Chinese women are brawling loudly
beneath a radio sign, or that out
door Chinese barbers are scraping
their patient victims in the shadow
of a wall that bears advertisements
of the most highly recommended
shaving preparations?
Large, efficient schools and col
leges rise in stately edifices; in a
single room off an alley youngsters
are shouting over and over, at the
tops of their voices, the lists of
characters they are learning.
Jazz bands wail at modern night
clubs and cabarets, while a lone
hawker pipes a few wavering notes
on a flageolet and hopes for one
more customer for his pickled fruits
before he goes wearily to bed.
A woman beggar, carrying a poor
ly dressed babe, holds her hand out
toward an ermine-wrapped lady who
is carrying a Pekingese dog.
Day or night, summer or winter,
life glimpses on the street are as
diverse and fragmentary as these
words I use in trying to suggest
them. But all summarize Shanghai
Activity on Waterways.
Turning from streets to water
ways, one can also observe cease
less activity on the Soochow, Sic
cawei, and other creeks, as well as
on the Whangpoo river.
At one time Soochow creek was
a stream of much greater size than
it is now, but through the years
it has become silted and much
canalized. Thousands of Chinese
craft and houseboats animate this
creek, which cuts a sinuous path
down through the city and joins the
Whangpoo at the northern end of
the Bund.
Vegetables, rice, and other prod
ucts that supply Shanghai’s heavy"
demand for food supplies and goods
for trans-shipment are brought in
from the country districts and from
Soochow way, where the creek con
nects with China’s historic Grand
canal.
And the Whangpoo! More than
thirty-five million tons of foreign
shipping cut muddy furrows up the
Whangpoo In a year, according to
Shanghai’s clearance papers.
Large ocean liners and freight
ers lie at dock along the water
front. The Japanese shipping com
panies have considerable berthing,
capacity along the Hongkow settle
ment front, hut American and other
shipping concerns have establit,.: “i
wharves and godowns farther up
the river, on the Pootung side,
across the Whangpoo, above the
city. Lumber ships, tankers, tramp
steamers, and warships lie in mid
stream. Ships of many flags look
to Shanghai’s trade.
Statistics show that the harbor
has accommodated as many ns 150
merchant vessels and 22 warships
at the same time, besides, of course,
large numbers of miscellaneous
smaller craft.
Projects to Improve the Harbor.
Despite the figures on ship move
ment, there is much to be desired
of the Whangpoo harbor, as Shang
hai looks toward her future.
The mouth of the river has a
tendency to silt up and also to form
shallows along the channel, and thus
to make it difficult for ships of deep
draft to pass even at high tide. Ex
tensive labor on the part of the
Whangpoo conservancy board has
made improvements in the harbor,
so that pace has been kept with the
growing need.
It is not the Whangpoo. however,
which causes the greatest concern in
planning for the deeper-draft ves
sels of the future, but rather the
sand liars in the Yangtze mouth.
The fact that five billion cubic feet
of sediment debouch into the sea
each' year to {file up at the river
mouth presents no small problem.
As one comes up the river from
Woosung, a branch of the Shanghai- .
Nanking railway may be seen on
the right. Here is the route of the
first railway to be built in China.
Today there is a railway between
Shanghai and Hangchow, extending
on to Ningpo. The Shanghai-Nan
king line taps northern territory,
and after one crosses the Yangtze
river at Pukow, on the opposite
bank from Nanking, one connect
with the railroad to Peiping, or
goes through Tientsin, and on n;>
into Manchuria, to catch the Trans.
Siberian to Europe.
The introduction of wagon-lit
cars lias recently made travel in
Peiping a matter of comfort; and
through branch lines the whole ter
ritory tapped by the Peiping-IInn
kow and Changsha railways, as we!I
as the Shantung branch, is brought
into close contact with the metrop
olis of Shanghai.
