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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 1935)
Chinese War Minister Honors Our Marines For the first time a Chinese minister of war held a review and Inspection of United States troops on Chinese soli when Gen. Ho Ylng-chlng reviewed the marines of the American legation guard In Peiping. He la here seen presenting the first certificate for proficiency In the Chinese language to a marine “graduate” •f the school which was started by Col. P. M. Itlxey, seen at the right. Poland Is Growing Aggressive Nation Taking Its Place in Spot light of World Affairs. Washington. — Poland's strategic position between Soviet Russia and militant Germany brings this ag gressive European nation more and more Into the spotlight of world af fairs. "Twenty years ago the name of Poland could not have been found on any map of Europe," says the National Geographic society. "To day It is the sixth largest nation in Europe, with a steadily Increasing population that will soon reach 40, 000,000. “Once before Poland was a great power. In the Sixteenth and Sev enteenth centuries Its territory ex tended from a point within fifty miles of Berlin to the meridian of the Sea of Azov, and from the Khanate of Crimea nearly to the Gulf of Finland. In those days War saw, next to Paris, was the most brilliant city in Europe. V Divided by Powers. "Then came weak rulers and In ternal dissension that paved the way for Prussian, Russian, and Aus trian expansion. In the three dis astrous partitions of 1772, 1793, and 1796 these powers divided Poland between them, then legalized the proceedings by the congress of Vi enna In 1815. "The state had ceased to exist, but the people never lost their fierce nationalism. After a century and • half of oppression came the proud day in November, 1918, when Mar shal Pllsudskl returned to Warsaw to be acclaimed as chief of the new Independent Polish state. The treaty of Versailles established the western boundaries of the new na tion. and after a serious struggle with ltussla, the eastern border was fixed by the IUga treaty of 1921. "Under Pllsudskl’s leadership Po land has developed rapidly, despite tremendous handicaps. Long years of fighting had devastated the land. Russia, Prussia, aud Austria each left the stamp of Its domination, different systems of government, ed ucation, and law. “The Versailles treaty left Po land surrounded by nations jealous of land that had once been theirs. Today peaceful relutlons have been established, particularly with Ger many and Russia. It Is significant that the last year these two na tions. together with Great Brit ain. provided the best markets for Polish trade. "Pllsudskl remains the arbiter and hero of his country. Economic Progress. "Economic progress has kept step with political growth. Devas tated areas have been reconstructed. From marshlands to mountains, ag riculture has been brought hack to pre-war levels. Factories Idle or destroyed have been rehabili tated. The currency has been sta bilized. Railway mileage has been Increased, and a uniform gauge adopted so that rails bind Poland together Instead of tearing It apart. “The Pole, whose horsemanship Shantytown Finds Times Are Better Seattle.—Times are better in Hoovervllle, Seattle's suburban shantytown. “For sale, 2-room house, 2 bucks,” a sign posted at the en trance to Dutch’s “realty bu reau” proclaims the change. Not long ago $2 would have bought nearly all of the dwell ings In town. Houses, of tin cans and scrap lumber, are now a lit tie more substantial than when Hoovervllle was new. Mayor Jesse Jackson has a radio and seven Filipino residents, “auto mobiles," though they bave no gasoline. Since the city of Seattle for bade building any more shan ties construction work has gone to improving those already built. a> ... " - Is admired throughout the world, has taken to the air with dash and spirit. Captain OrllnskI linked War saw with Tokyo, Colonel Itayskl circled Europe In the air. Captain Skarzynskl and Lieutenant Markle wlcz made the tour of Africa In 1931. The Polish air line, Lot, cov ers the whole of eastern Europe from Tallinn to Salonika, and there Is a regular Internal service be tween Warsaw and all Important cities. In 1934 direct service was opened between London and War saw and Warsaw and Moscow. “A new railway from Upper Si lesia along the Polish Corridor to the new Baltic port of Gdynia as sures Poland's economic freedom. In less than a decade a dowdy Ashing village was turned Into a modern city whose harbor can accommodate 50 vessels at a time. "More densely populated than Pennsylvania, Poland Is still an ag ricultural nation; und the conse quent elasticity of Its labor sup ply, the economic Independence of its peasants, and the modesty of their needs give It social stability In spite of the rapid growth of urban and Industrial life. "Monotony Is the keynote of Pol ish geography, ltolllng plains that connect the lowlands of Germany with the Russian plains form the main part of the country. Through the central portion Aows the slug glsh Vistula. Yet In the south there are Idyllic mountain retreats of rare beauty. Through the unusual Kra kow Protocol, Poland and Czecho slovakia agreed to turn the whole Tatry mountain region Into one splendid International park—a buf fer park instead of a buffer state.” Indian Gods Defied by Medicine Man Omaha.—Denle- Chili - Iietusa, youngest medicine man in the Navnjo nation, dared the wrath of the gods of hig fathers and allowed a photograph to be taken of his sacred sand-painting dur ing a recent appearance. According to Berton I. Staples, director of a tour in the Interests of the Navajos, it was the first time in the history of the tours that such an act bad been per mitted. To the Navajos, the mere ac tion of taking a picture robs the subject of some mysterious sub stance. The taboo applied par ticularly to rellgiou# ceremonies. The medicine man paints by dribbling brightly colored sand on a neutral background. De signs are conventionalized repre sentations of spirits, natural forces and natural objects, each conveying a Navajo myth. Patent Granted for New Variety of Peach Tree Washington.—A patent for a new variety of peach tree, said to be drouth and cold resistant, has been issued to Donald B. Byers, horticul turist, of Clyde, Ohio. It was the first patent granted for a plant specifically grown to combat drouth nnd cold. Byers will be afforded the same protection as a person with a patented mechani cal Invention or chemical formula. The new peach tree Is know’n as the “Hardee” variety. It was de veloped from a species found in northern Ohio near Lake Erie. Widespread attention was accord ed the trees last summer when they bore a full crop after the severe winter of 1033-34 had wiped out vir tually all of the Michigan and Ohio peach crop. U. S. Exposes Ring of Jewel Thieves Moat Extenaive Racket That Turned Up in Yeara. New York.—The Department of Justice Is seeking to break up an organization of Jewel thieves, whose operations were described by J. Kd gar Hoover, chief of the division of Investigation, as the most extensive racket “turned up” by his men in recent years. Rhea Whitley, chief of the New York bureau, announced that the Department of Justice Is inquiring into tlie $185,(XX) gem robbery at the Miami (Fla.) Blltmore hotel, In which Mrs. Margaret Hawkesworth Bell, former dancer, was the princi pal victim. The ring of Jewel thieves, Hoover said, appeared to have operated all along the eastern seaboard, with members of many prominent fam ilies among their victims. The pro cedure of the ring, according to first reports to Washington officials, nppeured to have been to steal Jew els, which were later restored to tlie i owners after payments of substan s tial rewards. I In tlie Miami development of the case, Mr. Hoover charged that the i gems stolen from Mrs. Hell were recovered In a lock box In Miami. The earlier story that tlie Jewels had been placed in a police automo bile by an unknown person was branded a hoax. The key to tlie lock box, and directions how to reach It, according to Hoover, were supplied to the Miami police by Noel ScafTa, New York private de tective who lias figured in the re covery of the loot of other jewel thefts. Sea (fa, against whom no clinrges of wrongdoing were made, spent four hours recently before the fed eral grand Jury here, and his nttor i aey, Isidor Rreguff, commented that It was strange that the private detective, who frequently repre senta Insurance companies In their search for stolen Jewels, “should have b«en called Just before the Miami trlaL” This referred to the triai of Nich olas Montone, alius Nick Marlowe, and Charles Call, both of whom were said by police to have cou fessed to the robbery of Mrs. Bell nnd a friend, Harry Content, after they had returned to their hotel from the race track. A Jury was chosen In this case, and some testi mony taken from Mra Bell and Content. WHITE SUEDE “SET” Hr CIIKRIK NICHOLAS A polo white suede ascot scarf, a Jacket also of white suede plus a sunburst-stitched suede hat com pletes a threesome ‘‘set” than which nothing smarter is shown tills sea son in sports togs. Jean Harlow wears this attractive trio In white suede over a brown and white cot ton dress. When it's too warm off goes the Jacket which, by the way, is smartly fitted, while the scarf re mains over the swank cotton dress j with amber polka dots. SEEN---'HEARD around the National Capital car -Si By CARTER FIELD--—— Washington.—A new gold strike In Alaska, ohl-timers who know that territory insist, is the only thing that will save the pioneers who are now being taken to that distant land by the benevolent gov ernment In the hope of giving them a fresh start In life and making them self-supporting. For the wimple truth is that Alaska, while a most interesting part of the world for tourists, is not precisely the sort of Canaan that our forefathers came over In the Mayflower, or earlier with John Smith, were seeking. Nor Is It the agricultural paradise that the later pioneers found along the Ohio and Missouri rivers. There is plenty of evidence to support this contention, but It is an old saying tiiat no one, much less any government, Is will ing to profit by another’s experi ence. The cruel facts have to be discovered afresh for each genera tion. Warren G. Harding dreamed the same sort of future for Alaska that the Relief administration envisages for the down and outers it Is send ing to the frozen North. When a small boy In school, he read about the acquisition of this marvelous territory for only a few million dol lars. He had read how more gold than the purchase price had been taken out. Yet there remained mar velous natural resources, coal, lum ber, furs, water power without end —and salmon. Not to mention an agricultural domain so rich that its products, put up in glass Jars, has played an important part in inducing congress to vote $50,000, 000, in the early Wilson days, for the construction of a railway to open this marvelous territory up to one and all. The railroad was built, but the expected results did not follow. The population of the territory was ac tually declining Instead of Increas ing. Harding was told what was the matter. It was that governmental red tape snarled up every effort for advancement. Everything had to be transacted via Washington, which was a long way off, both In miles and time. Herbert Hoover, then secretary of commerce, was also impressed. He grew fond of the story of the three hears, one variety being under the Department of the Interior, another under Commerce, and the third under Agriculture! He made speeches about the absurdity of It. What Harding Found So Harding took the three secre taries to Alaska intending to listen to the various problems and difficul ties by day, and sit around the table each night with the three cab inet members Involved, snipping away the red tape. Beautiful! But what did he find? That If he cut away this red tape, and the red tape winders went back to the states. Alaska would lose its chief indus try—red tape winding! The clerks and officials whose Jobs depended on this same red tape would re turn to “civilization" and the white population of Alaska would be re duced by Just that number. Which Is no joke at all when it Is considered that the total popula tion along the flfty-million-dollar government railroad, from Seward to Fairbanks—longer than from Washington to Boston, Just the dis tance from San Francisco to Los Angeles—Is 6,000, Including Esqui maux ! Secretary of Agriculture Wallace, father of the present Incumbent, dis covered that the rich agricultural land so much boasted about has a normal rainfall of less than that of eastern Colorado. It would grow good crops the first year after the frozen lands was plowed, and after that would really need irrigation! Secretary Hoover discovered the salmon Industry was suffering from too much activity. They were killing off the fish. Secretary of the Interior Work was distressed to learn that the coal, which had been thought so valuable It hail been protected Into a naval coal reserve, was of such poor quality and cost so much to get on shipboard, that down through the panhandle, including Juneau and Sitka, they bought coal from British Columbia Instead! All discovered that the boys who had gone to war from Alaska did not come back. They stopped off somewhere In the states where op portunities looked better. So let us hope for the sake of those now pilgrimaging up toward Skagway that a new gold field Is discovered! New Commerce Head Despite the fact that the Chamber of Commerce of the United States has picked a new president who happens to he a very close personal friend of President Roosevelt—a classmate at Harvard, both of old upstate New York families, and all that sort of thing—prospects re main that the chamber will continue to have Just ns little Influence In Washington ns It has since Hoover left the White House. If anyone could be calculated to "get somewhere" with the White House, it would be Harper Sibley. In the first place, the personal re lation of the two families is so close that Mrs. Roosevelt, who stopped In Rochester with Mrs. Caroline O'Day last fall, stayed at the Sibley home. In the second, Mr. Sibley’s economic views are by no means as far re moved from those of the President as the news dispatches about the chamber’s meeting would have one believe. A very close friend of many years' standing tells the writer that he is one of those rich men who regard the rich as being "trustees," not "holders” of wealth! Which sounds very New Deallst, in deed. There Is another angle, however, on which Iiis fellow members of the chamber. In picking him for president, relied, rather than on their misinformation about his eco nomic views. This is his ability to work out a compromise, and to in duce those with whom he Is work ing to co-ordinate. He is said by those associated with him, either in his lines of business, charitable or church Interests, to be marvel ously persuasive, though no one claims that he Is an orator. But the whole picture Is wrong— meaning the picture viewed hy those who think that Mr. Sibley is going to be able to steer the Presi dent tactfully away from the New Dealers and brain trusters, and back into safe and sane economic chan nels. President Roosevelt Is Just not that kind of person, and there is no club, whatever, in Mr. Sibley’s hands which rouses any fear, what ever, In political minds. Can’t Scare ’Em It Iff not possible for an organiza tion like the Chamber of Commerce of the United States to frighten politicians. It Is a collection of very potent figures, In business, but their potency Is too dlffiuse, too scat tered, spread out too thin, to both er men running for the house or senate. Or even for President. Two accomplishments very dear to business hearts have been put over In he last few months, but the machinery that accomplished It was not the chamber, nor any other huge aggregation of widely diversi fied and spread out business inter ests. One of these was repeal of the pink slip publicity for Income tax returns. This was done by two agen cies, working independently. One stirred up the newspaper editors of America. Practically all of them began writing editorials against In come tax publicity, many of the edi torials advising people to write to their senators and representatives. Later they carried extensive stories about the effect of letters and tele grams on congress, which naturally provoked more. The other was the Pitcairn organ ization, which circulated repeal slips, and worked up the people to write to Washington. It was this resulting avalanche of letters which did the trick. Then there was the modification of the public utility holding com pany legislation. This was made possible, despite the power of the President on Capitol Hill, by the utilities Inducing their stockholders to write to their senators and rep resentatives. Most of the legisla tors were amazed to find how many utility stockholders were among their constituents. And when they saw these stockholders were watch ing the legislation, the picture changed. Bailey’s Big Fight Two generations ago Arthur Pue Gorman, senator from Maryland, won undying fame, and nearly at tained the Presidency by conducting a filibuster which killed the famous so-called Force bill. Today North Carolina’s senator, Joslah Bnlley, is conducting a fight Just as dear to southern hearts— the battle against the anti-lynching bill. The cleavage Is along practically the same lines—almost strictly geo graphical. The chief difference is that in those days northern Demo crats and western Democrats— though there were mighty few of them in office—stood shoulder to shoulder with the southern wing of the party. Today the bill so obnox ious to southerners Is netually sponsored by a New York Demo crat, Senator Robert F. Wagner. Both Kentucky senators are voting with Its advocates. (Kentucky has a lot of negroes voting!) Maryland, though Its percentage of negroes voting Is as great as that of Kentucky, stands firm by the Gorman tradition. There Is a reason, too. Remember what hap pened to Governor Ritchie? Boosters of the anti-lynchlng bill Insist the spirit Is entirely different from that of the bill talked to death under Gorman’s filibuster, despite heroic attempts to force it through by Henry Cabot Lodge. They say anyone who opposes the bill condones lynching. Southerners point to the statistics, which prove that lynchlngs have decreased nmaz Ingly, and ask why the federal gov ernment should trample state rights to intervene In a situation which is fast correcting itself. The object of the present anti lynching bill is to prevent mobs In terfering In the administration of justice—avowedly. Actually Its chief purpose is to curry favor with ne gro voters in the northern, western and border states of those fighting for the bill. It Is as purely a lo cal Interest bill as a tariff measure, liked In communities where prod ucts are protected, hated In com munities which as a result may have to pay higher prices. Copyright—WNU Swedish Castles Vadstena Castle on Lake Vattern. Prepared by National Geoirraphlc Society. □Washington. D. C.—WNU 8ervlce. \VEDEN is still a land of cas tles. although tiie owners of many large estates have felt the effect of world depression and have been forced to curtail sharply their living expenses. Yet "modern housing" has made few inroads, ex cept in the large cities; and the country gentlefolk, as a rule, ad here closely to quaint traditions of homeliness Inherited from their an cestors. It is not so easy to know the Swedes well, especially the dwell ers in the country, who for the most part stay at home on their prop erty. Foreigners are often led to think that they are stiff and re served, sometimes a little sullen or even haughty. But this should be interpreted rather as a sign of their northern shyness. They are in reality full of fun and of warm feeling; but when it is a question of showing the lat ter, their shrinking from impulsive gestures and emotional or grandilo quent language is both comic and touching. Certainly the fetters are loosened somewhat when they are in a fes tive mood and have drunk a lit tle wine. But it is not then that one gets closest to them. To know and value them fully, one must ob serve them within their own four walls, in their daily life and ac tivities. Only in Intimacy, free from alien, disturbing elements, does their charming individualilty come to full flowering. Swedish home life is a cult and a culture unlike anything else, the product of cen turies of tender polishing and re fining. And nowhere lias it at tained such perfection as in the old country houses. There still were families which can maintain to some degree their former luxurious standard of liv ing. Some had the good fortune or the prudence not to invest their fortunes in the securities which had later been affected by the crisis and the Kreuger crash. Others had all their land leased on old and profitable contracts, so long as the tenants could keep up their pay ments. But these were compara tively few and privileged excep tlnna Big Landowners Suffer. If the situation is serious for near ly everyone nowadays, it is often catastrophic for the great land owners and territorial magnates. Not a month passes but some of them have to leave home and prop erty. And where they stick to their old estates despite all their difficul ties, they often do so less for their own sake, but more in order not to abandon their retainers to un employment. In the case of en tailed estates there are of course no bankruptcies and forced sales, but it Is not much more pleasant to be placed under the management of banks and creditors. For Swedish agriculture can no longer pay its way. There is the same conilict between agriculture and industry as in most other coun tries; and it looks as if the former were getting the worst of it. A series of relief schemes has been started to try to aid agricul ture in Sweden, as elsewhere. But there has been no visible result so far. An intensive educational cam paign has been set on foot: state advisers and controllers have been provided for every branch of for estry and agriculture. An active agitation Is carried on for “buying Swedish" and for burning Swedish wood in the heat ing apparatus of public institutions to reduce the importation of coal. Most of the medieval castles in Sweden are situated on heights sur rounded by water or otherwise in accessible places. Such placement, needless to say, was not due to any considerations for natural beau ty, hut because it afforded the most advantageous defense. For these strong stone houses has developed direct from the pre historic fortifications whose founda tions are still found here and there. Fortresses Made Into Dwellings. When Sweden, in the Sixteenth century, ceased'to be disturbed by civil war, the gloomy and inhos pitable fortresses were gradually converted into dwelling houses. As time pussed these grew more and more comfortable, and esthetic con siderations became more decisive. Many of the most beautiful cnstles in Sweden date from this Interest ing transition period. From the be ginning of the Seventeenth century v Sweden was a great power, and remained one till Charles XII’s un lucky campaigns impoverished the country and put an end to its doml natioiWn the Baltic, Among the medieval Swedish castles touching the early Renais sance style, Skarhult, Vlttskovle. and Torup are the most character istic and best preserved. They are in Skane, and were rebuilt in the Sixteenth century. Vlttskovle and Torup are laid out on a similar plan, with four wings round a courtyard, towers at diagonally opposite corners, stepped gables and tiring passages; and both were surrounded for defense purposes by moats, over which drawbridges were lowered in olden times. At Torup these moats have been tilled since the Eighteenth cen tury along two of the facades, and replaced by gardens laid out in the old style, with sculptures, rose per golas, and box hedges. But the charmingly weathered brick walls are still reflected in quiet waters, among water lilies and proud swans. The courtyard at Torup, with its Gothic cloister and pointed arches, i* one of the most remarkable in the country from the standpoint of «rt and history. A stone tablet is set into the wall over its gate way. Its Latin inscription is dated 1032 and was composed by the owner of the property at that time, Ktgvard Grubbe, a scholar and a friend of the king, lie calls upon Ills successors, ‘‘whoever they may be,” to do all in their power, as lie did, to preserve and beautify the ancient building they have in herited. Baroness CoyeFs Estate. Probably none of them has been better equipped to carry out this Injunction than its present owner, Baroness Ilenriette Co.yet. On terms of close friendship with most mem bers of the royal family, she loves to surround herself with eminent personalities in various branches of art and science, and she is a com prehending friend to them. Nobel prize winners and other foreign celebrities are received at Torup when they visit Sweden. The Swedes in general, the people of Skane in particular, have felt them selves secure in the knowledge that no on# could represent them more worthily than this lively, highly cul tured lady. Of course, so energetic a person does not content herself merely with social life and the management of her great house. Her keenness for the promotion of local home indus try and the preservation of local treasures has benefited the whole province. The same may he said of her experience and taste in all that concerns gardening and the cultivation of flowers. The exten sive park of Torup, surrounded by luxuriant beach woods, the differ ent beds, with old-fashioned roser ies and herb gardens, are favorite goals of specialists and laymen for purposes of study. Fine Country Houaes. Big country houses lie all along the seacoasts of southern Sweden, and still thicker In Vastergotland, so rich in ancient memorials, south of Lake Vanern. On the northern side of the lake is Varmland, whose old family legends and traditions have been made known far outside the boundaries of Sweden by Selma Lagerlof’s poetical descriptions. But most of the great country houses of central Sweden, and the finest, are to be found In the prov inces which abut on long Lake Malaren, at whose exit to the sea Stockholm lies. It was there especially that the primeval people of Svea lived; thence sprang Kurik, who laid the foundations of Russia, and the Vik ings who ravaged the Mediterra nean coasts; and it was there that Christianity was first introduced into Sweden. Foundations and a few massive stone houses still survive from this long-vanished tiipe, and in certain cases the same family has lived on the same property for three or four centuries. There are estates, which, for 500, or even 000 years, have been handed down ltom one genera tion to another vflthout ever be ing sold, though these, of course, are rare exceptions. Many lie far fretn the towns, so that none of the modern thirst for superficial, exciting pleasures lias yet found its way to them; that ts why the old Swedish traditions in all classes of society are more firmly rooted there than anywhere else.