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I. .4 **************** * * • * Keep Posted on . *************** Mall Order House* EXIST BY ADVERTISING • To Get Business Do Lflcewl**. HOME MATTERS By Reading Your LOCAL NEWSPAPETI **************** Devptad to I^pcaJL TERMS, $1.50 A YEAR ESTABLISHED 1887 PUBLISHED BY ADIRONDACK NEWS PUBLISHING CO. VOL. XLIH ST. REGIS FALLS, N. Y., FEBRUARY 16,1929 »+»•»»»•••••••••••••»••••• THE LADY IN j DISTRESS •••••»•••••••••»•••••••••• (Copyright.) A LICIA chewed the stub of the pencil. The carving knife wRfm't In reach nnd she firmly believed In the landlady's promise to spunk her If she got out of bed. That was the disadvantage of being eleven years old and a recent Inmate of • hospital. People bossed you. The pencil stub and • sheet of heavily-scented lavender paper had been Inveigled out of Mrs. Glandon by a promise of Impeccable behavior while tJ week's marketing was being done. Alicia wrote laboriously and e.ved the result with marked dissatisfac¬ tion, but there was neither time nor paper for another jflfort, Chick Ayers would be along on his bicycle any minute now and she mustn't keep him waiting. She hailed the telegraph messenger from her window, in a thin, high tre¬ ble that carried distinctly down Into the .street. Chick's head came up and he waved a hand as he sped by. Alicia frantically wagged the square en¬ velope, and Chick nearly run down a flustered old lady on the crossing. In two minutes he was up the stulrs, panting. \What you want, Alicia? I'm In an iwfui hurry.** Alicia held out thaenvelope. \Plense Chick, deliver It to him yourself. It's Tery 'portant.** Chick started at the address. \Cun¬ ningham Rood I\ he whispered In awe. \Why—why Alicia, what you doing?' \Please hurry V said Alicia and fell back on the pillows. She was still Tery weak. A three months' siege with typhoid fever doesn't leave much of even sturdy constitutions and Alicia had never been exactly husky. But there was a smile on the little white face under its mass of dark red hair which the breeze through the win¬ dow stirred gently. Compton Nlel put down the burnt cork and picked up the lipstick, view- Ing the reflection in the mirror with complete detachment He 'could put on a perfect make-up without giving conscious thought to the matter. He was thinking that this was Friday and that tomorrow night would be his last appearance at any of the Reed thea¬ ters. \Reod says you aln*t got no spring,\ the theater manager had brutally told Nell. Brady had said that the first of the week and Nlel • had straight¬ way sought an Interview with Reed. Niel had a new ict that he believed would go over rig. If Reed would only listen to him! Rut Reed wouldn't. He sent out word that a little new blood wouldn't do the Reed chain of theaters any harm, and Nlel had gone away with a sinking heart. God knew that he was aware that there was not any spring In him! A man couldn't watch the only being In the world that he loved make an eight or ten weeks' fight with death nnd not lose his iprlng. Besides, since coming from the honpltai Alicia hnd not slept well and Nlel had not been getting his rest. And. of course, the little Imp hnd gotten It out of him uhout the failure to land a new contract. She always did. One couldn't lie to her. M And now,'* she remarked urnvely, \you are • gentleman In dlfitrcHS.\ Throughout her Illness, Nlel had presented flowers and picture books and puzzles with the elaborate ceremony that delighted ber and always to a \lady In dlntress.' \There will he a pair of us.\ he an- •wered ruefully, \If I don't get a new booking.\ He had grinned and Joked a good deal, but he was nfrald that he hadn't fooled his small daughter much. She was an uncanny little piece. She sometimes read his thoughts, as: \Daddy Conip, what rent do we have to pay the hospital?\ the day he had drawn the last dollar of nli savings account . . . He'd keep on his make-up when he went home tonight. Alicia always consid¬ ered that a special favor. It was noi easy to perform for another half hour when every muscle ached, but It was worth It ro see the sparkling eyes and flushing face. Cunningham Reed eyed his secre¬ tary sternly. That young lady was nearly In tears. \I—I couldn't help it, sir. He wouldn't take no for an an¬ swer. Said his orders were to put It In your hand, and there was Just no •topping him!\ Reed dismissed her with a nod and turned over the missive that the de¬ termined telegraph messenger had shoved at him. He wouldn't have been human If he hadn't been a little curi¬ ous. What peculiar urgency was there that a mere boy should storn n vic¬ torious way through three offices? Why hadn't he held the hoy? He looked at the penciled address, ripped open the envelope and scowled unbelievingly at the owlish chnrdcters that staggered uncertainly across the pale purple page. \1407 B«nant street. 1 \Pear Mr. Reed, will you please come here at 1) tonight. Not any Inter \A LADY IN DIHTItrcss.\ \What the devil!\ muttered Reed \Hey Welton!\ A young mnn EH peared from some Inner recess. \Whut do you mnke of this?\ Welton ntudlt'd the note. \Doesn't look good to me, sir.\ UIUMI'H eyes softened with a twinkle he cnrefully concealed. \Why?\ \Well they've made It look like* a child's writing nnd. olivlouxly. no child vouUI be writing to you. I'd say that It looks very much Itke • plot Html) i get hold of a secret *enlce—V* \No-o decided Reed wlih a Seri¬ ous face. \And you need sny nothing about It to anyone, Welton.\ \No sir, of course not. The best way. no doubt, Is Ju*t to Ignore then* things.'* Alicia was almost In tears. Here ft was nearly ten o'clock and there hod heen no knock on her door. She hart directed Mrs. Glandon to show up at once any gentleman WIK should call. The landlady supposed that the child was playing some game with her fa¬ ther so was hardly prepared, when she answered a knock at nearly ten o'clock to confront a gentleman whose clothes, even to her unfamiliar eye, spoke thai magic word, success. \I was told,\ said the gentleman, \to call at 1407 Bonant street tbla evening.\ \Yes—oh yesl Well— 1 * fluttered Mrs. Glandon, her landladylsh aplomb for once completely shaken. ••I'll show you right up. This way, sir,** and then, \Alicia here Is the gentleman.\ \Ohl\ said a voice that seemed to take hold of Reed's heart, he couldn't for the life of him tell why. He en¬ tered the room to se^ an eager head raised from a pillow. Be looked around expectantly. . There was no one else In sight, except Mrs. Glan¬ don, who had planted herself Inside the door. Reed looked at her, Just a glance that slid on und slid off, and Mrs. Glandon went out and closed the door and they could hear ber retreat down the hall. \It can't be,\ iaid Reed, smiling at Alicia, \that you are the lady In dis¬ tress.\ \Oh plense, yes, sir, I ami Will you sit Ucwn? We must hurry be¬ cause, you see, Daddy Comp will be home In a few minutes and If he finds you here 1 don't know what be will think!** The words came tumbling forth al¬ most In one bieath and when they were out Alicia did not know what to say next. Reed was entertained. He had a dramatist's taste for mystery and the face against the pillow was very ap¬ pealing. He leaned comfortably back In his chair and the act had the ef¬ fect of upsetting Alicia's equilibrium completely. She had looked for an uncompromising Individual who would have to be won. But this man seemed so ordinary that for a few minutes she was literally tongue-tied. While they sat gazing mutely at one another a step sounded In the hall and Alicia sat up In despair. \You seel\ sho cried reproachfully. \Oh why didn't you come before 1'* Reed answered Involuntarily, *H couldn't get away.*' The words were not out of his mouth before the door opened under the hand of a most villainous looking negro In flopping overalls and a vio¬ lently checkered shirt. Reed had seen this apparatlon before, but for the minute there was no connection In his mind and he came to his feet, startled. Alicia clapped her hands Involuntar¬ ily. \Oh paddy Comp, you kept It all on!\ j Compton 1 Nlel wn« grinning feebly out of his Impossible mouth, though there wasn't a particle of grin In his thoughts. What was Reed possibly doing here?* Then recollection began to assail Reed and ho ejaculated slowly. \Well —I'll be—!\ The tone, for some reason, rendered Niel furious. It Implied 'something outrageous and he retorted. \So will I, for that matter.\ Alicia looked from one to the other, understanding nothing but their' tones, but mifllclently alarmed hy those. \It was a clever dodge, Nlel,\ said Reed deliberately. \I don't know where yWNe'arned that I was espe¬ cially susceptlhle to children. I don*t deny the weakness, but It Is the first time I have ever had anyone try to play on It You—*' But Alicia had suddenly compre¬ hended the spirit If not the words of Reed's chargo and *»he flew out of bed. stumbling over her nightgown as she confronted the dumfounded theater owner. \()1i. aren't you horrid 1 Yon knew my Daddy Comp didn't—didn't—I told you! What makes you so mean7\ and she burst Into tears and quietly fainted. Nlel had her hack In bed on the Instant. He took the water Reed handed him, then commanded savage¬ ly. \Get out !'* Reed sat down and when Nlel again turned on him tpoke quietly: \When she Is feeling all right so she can watch, too, we'll litter to that new act of rours.** , 1-Statue of the late Senator Robert M. LaFollette of Wisconsin by Jo Davidson, to be put In the Capitol haU of fame. ^Pedestrians In New York's theatrical quarter being forced to observe Commissioner Whalen snew traf- flc niles &-Presldent-Elect Hoover and Mrs. Hoover ou the luwu of their vacation residence at Miami Beach, Fie. For His Purpose, Car Was Worth the Money Young Feanlcv not long ago bought an old \lined\ sport roadster. The dealer didn't have the nerve to call It \second hand,\ for everyone knew It had belonged to at leant a dozen dif¬ ferent people. Pensley paid only MO for It. Nevertheless some of his neigh- horn couldn't understand why he had Invented even $.'U) In such a hack-num¬ ber propoHltlon, which was too ancient to he called an automobile and not quite old enough to be clarmed as an antique. \What do yon suppose Foaslpy wanted to buy that old roadHter .for— when he knows tie can t depend on It to get him hack from anywhere?*' nuked Lambert, the drugget. \Oh.\ explained youi.g Day, his head clerk, \he don't want It to gut him hack fiovii anywhere. All tie wants \p to drive M mile Into the country an<t then park hy the side of the road It's a wonderful car for pinUlny pur .'—Pathfinder NEWS REVIEW OF CURRENUVENTS Cruiser Bill Fight Nears the End; Supply Measures for Army and Navy. By EDWARD W. PICKARD B ROUGHT to time by threats of night sessions made by Senator Hale, chairman of the naval affairs committee, the senators opposing the fifteen cruiser bill abandoned their filibuster tactics and consented to lim¬ itation of debate on the measure. This was to take effect at noon on Febru¬ ary 4 and the prospect was that a vote would be reached by the middle of the week. If the pacifists succeed in at¬ taching amendments to the house bill making necessary the appointment of a conference committee, there might be a final filibuster against the con¬ ference report One amendment was favored by President Coolldge—the elimination of the clause fixing dates for commencement of the construction of the cruisers. It was made known at the White House that If the bill passed even without the time clause, the President will ask for an appro¬ priation for an Immediate start in the building program. Representative Britten of Illinois, urging passage of the bill, said early in the week that he was \sure the tiny limit will be pleasing to Presl- de^-Ele^ Hoover.\ But that gentle- map immediately telegraphed to Presi¬ dent Coolldge that he had made no public or private statement upon this question, and added: \As you know, I warmly support your views and you may so inform others if you wish to do so.\ This telegram was handed to Senator Hale, who read It to the senate, and at the same time he read a message from Paul V. McNutt, na¬ tional commander of the American Legion, urging passage of the bill with the time clause, on behalf of the Legion. Senators Borah and Walsh both spoke In favor of elimination of the time clause, arguing that such action was proper as a preliminary to an¬ other disarmament proposal. Senator Reed of Missouri, who retires to pri¬ vate life on March 4, delivered what will be one of his last speeches, exer¬ cising his great powers of ridicule and sarcasm against the pacifists . and arguing strongly for preparedness. R ESPONDING to the appeals of Secretary of the Navy Wilbur, the appropriations committee of the house reported a naval supply bill calling for approximately $301,000,000 and providing funds for the addition of 600 enlisted men to the naval estab¬ lishment. This would bring the navy personnel up to 84,000. The recom¬ mendations of the budget being thus exceeded, the committee, in order to make up the deficit, advised the de¬ commission of older ships and the transfer of their crews to newer ves¬ sels. The bill's total is about $10,- 000,000 less than was appropriated for the current fiscal year and $70,000,000 less than the estimates submitted to Secretary Wilbur by the heads of the naval bureaus. The War department supply bill, which had been passed by-the-house, was reported to the senate by Its ap¬ propriations committee with an addi¬ tion of $0,000,000, for purely military activities, made to the $447,000,000 total of the house measure. Of the funds added by the senate committee, approximately $3,000,000 will go for the purchase of new bombing, pursuit and training planes for the air corps, $020,000 for the National Guard main¬ tenance, new construction and an In¬ crease In the ration allowance, und approximately $1,000,000 will be turned over to the organized reserves. Other senate changes Included the addition of two Items providing $81,- 000 for forage for 1,000 horses owned by army officers and $82,500 for the purchase of 000 additional homes for the cavalry, engineers and artillery. Both Items were approved by the bud not. hut had been stricken out by the liouHe. COOMPnrc, delivering his fit re well addrens at the semi¬ annual meeting of the business organ¬ of the government, dwelt up¬ on the extraordinary prosperity which the nation is enjoying, but warned the country that this can be continued only by the exercise of rigid economy In federal, state and local expendi¬ tures. While admitting that as a re¬ sult of the expansion of the country federal expenditures show a tendency to rise, Mr. Coolldge warned that the greatest menace to continued pros¬ perity now lies In the rapidly mount¬ ing costs of local and state govern¬ ments. This heavy drain on the earn¬ ings of the people, he said, \Is a red flag warning us of the danger of de¬ pression and a repetition of the dis¬ aster that overtook the country In the closing days of 1020.\ The President warmly defended his policy of drastic economy In federal expenditures, and was seconded In this by Director of the Budget Lord. R ECEIVING few political visitors and devoting part of each week to fishing, Herbert Hoover Is having a fine time down In Florida. Most In¬ teresting of his callers last week was Al Smith, who was stopping In Coral Gables. With John J. Rascob and W. P. Kenney, the recent Democratic standard bearer drove over to 1 Belle Island and spent half an hour chat¬ ting with the man who defeated him. Later he said to the newspaper men: \I found Mr. Hoover very friendly and affable. We told each other some of the funny things that happened during the campaign to each of us, but did not talk of anything Important. I can't go Into that any more.\ Thursday Mr. Hoover, still eager to catch a sallflsh, went to Long Key on the yacht Saunterer. His guests were Justice and Mrs. Harlan F. Stone, Verne Marshall of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Mr. and Mrs. Mark Sullivan. Correspondents at Miami Beach now believe that Mr. Hoover has decided on his cabinet but will not announce his selections until immediately after his inauguration. They are satisfied that neither Ambassador Morrow nor Ambassador Fletcher will be secretary of state. There was a report that that portfolio or the attorney generalship might be offered to Thomas Nelson Perkins, the Boston lawyer who Is one of the American alternates in the rep¬ arations conference of experts. It was believed Mr. Hoover wanted a New Englander In the cabinet. • Mr. Coolidge also was In Florldft last week, but only for a brief period. Accompanied by Mrs. Coolldge and a few others, he ran down to Mountain Lake and on Friday delivered an ad¬ dress at the dedication of the bird sanctuary and singing tower estab¬ lished by Edward W. Bok. After a dinner and brief rest at Mr. Bok's home, the party returned to Washing¬ ton, arriving Saturday evening. F OR the time being Gen. Bramwell Booth Is winner In his fight to re¬ tain his personal control of the Salva¬ tion Army. But the high council hasn't given up yet. The chancery court In London decided that the coun¬ cil's action ousting the aged general was void because the commander's legal representatives were not per¬ mitted to plead his cause before the council voted against him. Therefore the council had to start Its proceed¬ ings all over again. One of the lead- Ing members said that the position of the reform element had been consoli¬ dated by the legal proceedings, and that there was no doubt the council would reiterate Its previous decision and proceed to elect a new general without further parley. It was said the outstanding candidate for the posi¬ tion was Evangellne Booth, sister of the general and commander of the Army In the United States. U NDER proclamation by the Na¬ tionalist government all Chlnn celebrated \Customs Autonomy duy\ on Friday because Japan, the last of Hie powers to hold out. has finally rec¬ ognized the new Chinese tariff and | thus admitted China hns the right to regulnte Its own customs rates. As the proclamation says, China \Is at last able to throw off the economic yoke Imposed eighty years ago by Eu¬ ropean ImperlallKts.\ The proclamation point* out the benefits expected to accrue to China as the renult of customs autonomy, the fli-Ht of whlrh I* the enhancement of China's position In the family of na¬ tions. Second. It o'pcnH n new chapter In China's foreign diplomatic rein- tious; third, murks the dowufull of foreign Imperialists, and fourth, opens the way to Chinese national economic development, enabling China to enter the world's markets on an equal foot- Ing. Lastly, the change Is declarjBoTTo mark the definite passing of unequal treaties, Including the abolition of ex¬ traterritoriality, the rendition of for¬ eign concessions, as well as the term¬ ination of foreigners 1 rights to naviga¬ tion in Chinese inland waterways. S PAIN had another of her abortive rebellions last week. In Cludad Real, a hundred miles south of Madrid, a body of artillery revolted and ran their guns out into the streets ready to shoot up the city; and In some other places there were incipient up¬ risings. The government troops wero sent into action promptly, and prom¬ ises of immunity to all privates and noncommissioned officers Induced tht mutineers to return to their barracks. Their officers were all arrested for trial by court-martial, and Sanchea Guerra, former Conservative party leader, was seized at Valencia. W ALDEMARES, dictator of Lithu¬ ania, said he had uncovered a plot against his regime by men who were acting with the knowledge of President Smetona, and he caused the arrest of the chief of staff of the army and eighteen high officers of the Kov- no garrison. The dictator's opponents declare he has been supporting the Soviet policies against Poland.*~ L EON TROTZKY, that thorn In tht side of the Russian Soviet gov¬ ernment which he helped to create, has reaped the reward for his con* tlnuous plotting against It. He was taken from his place of Involuntary re¬ tirement in southeastern Russia and doomed to exile. At first no country could be found that would receive him, but finally Turkey consented to let him be sent there. So he, at latest reports, was on his way to Angora, His friends, in Berlin and elsewhere, believed he would be assassinated on the way, and there was a rumor that the murder already had been com* mltted. . I N THE case of Glen Jennings, coast guard charged with the fatal shoot- Ing of J. D. Hanson, secretary of the Niagara Falls lodge of Elks, the Jury could not agree on a verdict and was discharged. Jennings will be tried again, probably In May. The Jury de¬ liberated for twenty hours and at ont time stood 11 to 1 for conviction. E LINOR SMITH, the \flying flap- per' 1 who Is only seventeen years old, went up from Mltchel field In an open cockpit plane in extremely cold weather and established an endurance record for women of 13 hours, 10 min¬ utes and 45 seconds. This broke by one hour, 0 minutes and 45 seconds the record made recently by Mist Bobby Trout of California. O SCAR UNDERWOOD, formei United 8tates senator from Ala¬ bama and for years one of the ablest leaders of the Democratic party, who died at his country home In Wood- lawn, Va., was burled at Birmingham, Ala., with simple but Impressive rites. Mr. Underwood was the last survivor of the big figures of the Democratic convention of 1912 at Baltimore. In that convention and again in, 1924 In New York he was an active candidate for the Presidential nomination. His service in congress was long and dis¬ tinguished. He retired voluntarily from the senate In 1027. Ogden Mills, New York financier and father of Ogden L. Mills, under secretary of the treasury; George J. Charlton of Chicago, passenger traffic manager of t v e Alton railway; Alex¬ ander T. Brown of Syracuse, N. Y., Inventor of shotguns and typewriters, and Robert L. Slagle, president of the University of 8outh Dakota, wert among others who died last Week. G OV. HENRY S. JOHN8TON of Oklahoma pleaded not guilty to eight Impeachment articles voted by the lower house of the state legisla¬ ture, and announced he was ready for Immediate trial before the senate court. The case was set for Feb¬ ruary 11. Members of the state Su¬ preme court also are under fire, grave chances njrnlnst them being made bj witnesses before a legislative subcom¬ mittee that Is making s general ID vettigatio\ VOODOOISM OF MANY CULTS GRIPS CUBA Find Right Cat Bone and You Are Invisible. Havana, Cuba.—Mystic voodoo rites practiced In many parts of the United States have been linked by recent in¬ vestigation with the cult of Nanlgoism In Cuba. Comparetlvt analysis of African sacrificial customs have furnished un¬ usual evidence that both had a com¬ mon origin In the Congo jungles and that voodoolsm reached the American continent by the Importation of slaves from Cuba and Haiti. M Obeah,\ a mild form of roodoolsra. Is practiced in Cuba and the British West Indies with virtually Identic ceremonies. Negroes who came to la¬ bor in Cuban sugar cane fields have brought to this Spanish-speaking is¬ land not only the Obeab but also the far more terrible and sanguinary rite of Niinlgo. The high priests and priestesses of these cults have shown great powers of resistance to the sup- presslve measures of the police. Cuba hat dealt severely with voo- doolsm, and It is believed that tts more ghastly forms have been eliminated. It was largely In connection with the government's campaign against Obeoh- Ism and Nanlgoism that measures wert adopted curtailing the immigra¬ tion of illiterate workers from Haiti and Jamaica. Takes Criminal Aspect. Cuba has been particularly con¬ cerned because ?oodoolsm here takes on A criminal aspect entirely exclu¬ sive of the possibility of human sacri¬ fice. In Orionte province, which lies oearest Haiti, the voodoo priests of that island wield large powers. In other parts of the island Nanlgoism Is dominant among the negroes who take their religion in this form. Nanlgoism is a combination of devil worship and gang spirit Its priests promise occult powers to law break¬ ers, and members of this cult are pledged to render all possible protec¬ tion and assistance to each other. As far as can be learned the sym¬ bolism of the cults is very similar. All include the sacrifice of roosters, black cats, goats and other animals. Cuban police records show cases where the perpetrators of murder in connection with voodoolsra have been brought to justice, but it Is claimed that this type of sacrifice has been eradicated. Havana newspapers continue to chronicle cases of Nanlgo outrages committed against those who have in¬ curred the enmity of the gangsters. It has been found that there is always some one willing to carry out the priests' orders, because a Nanigo neophyte falls of membership unless he has one capital crime to his credit At Nanigo funerals a black rooster Is slaughtered in the home of the de¬ ceased. The fowl is then presented to some neighboring non-Nanlgo family as a warning. Cat Bone Is Charm. One of the strangest superstitions In the Haitian cult is that a certain bone In a black cat's body will confer Invisibility to Its possessor. The rite takes place in the presence of three witnesses, and thVcat is thrust Into hot water. It is related by voodoolsts that supernatural manifestations, such as thunder and lightning, are an ac¬ companiment of this process. In the early years of the Nineteenth century Jean La Fitte, famous pirate of the Spanish Main, frequently brought slaves to Cuba and the United States. His principal market In the United 8tates was New Orleans and this fact is now being used to explain the par¬ ticularly close similarity between the voodoolsm of Cuba and that of the lower Mississippi valley. There Is a tradition that La Fltte's entourage Included several African **conjur doctors.\ The successors of these doctors to¬ day have considerable knowledge of herbs and the curative properties of plant juices. In general they are em¬ ployed to effect cures, but with other herbs the doctor-priests are said to be able to cause temporary or perma¬ nent loss of memory to their enemies. This belief appears substantiated by the recent discovery by United States marines In Haiti of a colony of ne¬ groes, dazed or hypnotized, working under their task masters on a planta¬ tion. Priests frequently claim the power to take on animal or reptile form. This recalls the African \leopard\ su¬ perstition where a certain clan were credited with power to turn them¬ selves into leopards and prowl the jungle at night RUMANIA GIVES GYPSIES FREEDOM 300,000 Nomads Will B« As¬ similated by Nation. Jassy, Rumania.—Three hundred thousand Rumanian gypsies will be assimilated by Rumania and become an integral part of the Rumanian race. This Is one of the great social re¬ forms Inaugurated by Dr. Julius Maniu, Rumania's new progressive premier. Unlike the gypsies of Hun¬ gary, Czechoslovakia and Yugo-Slavia who have been granted citizenship In these countries, the gypsies of Ru¬ mania are still regarded virtually as slaves. Up to 1845 gypsy slave markets ex¬ isted In Rumania. The price of a family of gypsies sold as slaves was about $00. When the United States was struggling with the slave prob¬ lem during the Civil war Rumania decided to abolish gypsy slavery alto¬ gether, so that today gypsies are free to live their own unfettered, nomadic and primitive lives, where and bow they will. Rumania's targe gypsy population Is scattered all over the country. Large settlements of them are to be found In Moldavia, Walachla and Transylvania. Like their brother gypsies in the United States, they ply their trade as tinkers, blacksmiths, musicians, dancers, soothsayers and horse dealers. Those who cannot find regular employment live by theft und mendicancy. Unlike the gypsies of Czechoslo¬ vakia or Hungary, who seem to be a superior caste, the Rumanian gypsies live in great squalor and want Although they allow themselves to be baptized In the Christian faith, they really pursue no religion. Their old women practice fortune-telling and are famous for their magic and sleight of hand. America Sets Record in Road Construction NQW York.—No nation has ever gone into J road construction at such an amazing pace as has the United States during the last ten years. Roy D. Chapin, chairman of the highway committee, National Automo¬ bile Chamber of Commerce, says that In less than ten years the public has voted virtually $10,000,000,000 to the construction and maintenance of roads, or enough to defray our cost in the World war, excluding foreign loans. No public roads improvement In any era has remotely approximated the expenditure of these projects, and it is notable that the feat of raising the money has been accomplished with comparative ease. During the last year four states, Louisiana, Iowa, West Virginia and Missouri, have voted a total of $240,- 000,000 in highway bond Issues to fa¬ cilitate completion of their main state systems. New York has more high-type high¬ ways than any other state, with 11,- 000 miles of hard-surfaced roads. Illi¬ nois leads In cement pavements, with 6.000 miles, while Indiana has the largest mileage of all types of hard- surfaced roads. Two states have already completed Initial improvement of all of their roads. These states are Maryland and Delaware. The Department of Commerce esti¬ mates that there are 6,500,000 miles of highways In the world, of which more than half are in the United States. Whnn only the Improved roads are considered, the United States has much more than half. Manila Declares War on 12,000,000 Rats Manila, P. L—Bubonic plague has broken out In parts of India and China and the Philippine health authorities have started a campaign against rats, tht principal carriers of the disease. It is estimated that there is one rat for every person in the islands, ap¬ proximately 12,000,000. The chief of the health service Issued a warning that until this number Is reduced the outlook would be dangerous. Sanitary Inspectors are acting as pled pipers In the ports of Cebu, Hollo, Zamboanga, Legaspl nnd Davao. French Citizen Claims He Invented War Tanks Lille, France.—A man who says he Is the real Inventor of the tanks used during the World war has brought suit against the state for $000,000 damages for having communicated the plans of his Invention to England. M.J'arisot de Rupt who claims to have Invented the war tanks, was man¬ aging editor of the \Political and Liter¬ ary Annals\ during the war. He has already protested to the ministry of war and the premier's office, but hav- ing received no answer has now takeu his grievance to court. Bobb*4 Her Af« New York.—Irving Cole Is seeking an annulment on the ground that his bride bobbed ber age and not ber hair, in effect He avers she was rhlrty-flve Instead of twenty-seven, as represented. »<•••••••••»••»»••••••••••• Run Clock* by Radio Smolensk.—Ivan Zlotnikov. a radio amateur, has Invented an apparatus with the aid of which he expects to work and control clockwork mechan¬ isms throughoVrthe city. The Inven Uon has been patented. Astronomer Finds Great Gas Cloud X Ithaca, N. T.—A vast cloud of gas, lying In space In the north¬ ern heavens near the constella* tlon Cassiopeia's Chair, has been found by 8. L. Booth royd, pro- \ , fessor In charge of the Fuertes ' » observatory of Cornell unlver- ! \ slty. The observations were msde while working at the Dominion Astrophysical observatory at Victoria, B. C. Although the doiid Is Invisible even through telescopes, the spectroscope not only revealed Its presence, but showed its composition, which is calcium gas. Calcium Is the mlnerul that makes bones hard. +•••••••••••••••••••••••• FIGHT TO PUT SONS ON VACANT THRONE Rival Widows Battle for Crown of Hungary. Paris.—A bJtter, undercover stnis> gle is on between two branches of the Hapsburg family for the unoccupied throne of Hungary. Two widows head the rival factions. Each is scheming to place her son on the coveted throne. The two women are the former Em¬ press Zita, widow of Emperor Charles, and the Archduchess Isabella, widow t>f Archduke Friedrlch. The sons in whom the two women have centered their ambitions are the sixteen-year-old Prince Otto, tht crown prince, and his thirty-one-year- old cousin, the Archduke Albrecht The strife between the two women, their sons and their factional allies is just far enough beneath the surface to keep out of the news. News Almost Broke. Two months ago It almost broke ta- to the headlines. November 20 was Prince Otto's sixteenth birthday. The \legitimists/ 1 champions of Otto's candidacy, have long been chafing with Impatience, and bad decided that on that day they would take destiny In both hands and proclaim Otto king. They almost did it But there were so many obstacles In the way that cooler heads prevailed, and the birthday feast was reduced to the proportion of a quiet, Intimate rejoicing. True, .Hungary, according to her con¬ st It u Uon. is a kingdom without a king. True that Otto Is the legitimate heir. True that monarchists are In control of the cabinet, that they have a ma¬ jority in parliament, and that they command the army. Within the coun¬ try there was little to prevent the legitimists from carrying out their project But without there was the rub. The peace treaty declares that no Hapsburg shall accede to the Hun¬ garian throne, and Czechoslovakia, Poland, Rumania, and Yugo-Slavia are ready to go to war to see that no Hapsburg is crowned. Another obstacle Is that Empress Zita, who Is fiercely desirous of making her son a king, has no money with which to finance the preliminaries. In any case It was de¬ cided that the time for Otto is not yet \ripe.\ A Hapsburg May Rsign Again. Give Austria time to merge herself with Germany. Hope that Croatia will continue in her mood of seces¬ sion and in seceding will weaken Yugo¬ slavia. Let Rumania flounder a while longer in the confusion of a weak regency ruling for a six-year-old king, and the time may come when even a Hapsburg may be a king again. Between the devil and the deep sea are the legitimists. If they enthrone Otto now, the allies will surely de¬ throne him again within a month. If they do not enthrone him now, the, rival faction of monarchists may pro¬ claim Albrecht the favored candidate, and may edge Prince Otto out of the running. Albrecht too, has the Hapsburg handicap. But his mother has plenty of money. She has saved almost all of her great pre-war fortune. His supporters believe that, though he Is a Hapsburg, he Is far enough removed from the direct line not to be abso¬ lutely taboo. They believe that if he were made an elected king the allies, though they might dislike It, would not go to war to dethrone him. Another cousin of Prince Otto has recently thrown consternation In both camps with a sensational declaration that despite his titles, Albrecht la not a Hapsburg. Be Is, according to this statement, the illegitimate son of the Archduchess Isabella and a handsome Hungarian army officer to whom Albrecht bears a striking re¬ semblance. This charge is made by the Arch¬ duke Leopold, who challenges Al¬ brecht to prove by a blood analysis that be is a genuine Hapsburg. From these bare facts, divested of the tangle of Intrigue which fur- rounds them, It Is apparent to the most sluggish imagination that the vacant throne of Hungary waits un¬ easily. Modern Scales Changed Little From Old Ones London.—There Is little or no dif¬ ference between the scales used today and those used in the days of ancient Egypt judging by an exhibition In the Science museum, South Kensington, recently. Illustrating the history of weighing as far back as is known, a steelyard used by a Roman butcher Identical to the present-day \meat purveyor\ was on show. Modern scales of nickel and enamel with multi-colored dials, on which the weight can be read In an Instant, stood side by side with models showing that centuries ago Leonardo da Vinci de¬ signed a self-Indicating machine oo exactly the same principle. Among the sets of standard weights was one row which bad come down from pre-Norman days and which still is legal standard in the Channel Is¬ lands, although no longer used. There were weights of glass and rock ^crystal and. In contrast with a 1'hlnese balance of Ivory which would slip Into a ?est pocket, were photo¬ graphs of modem monster weights, weighing hundreds of tons. S«rp«t>t\ Noank. Conn.—A real sea serpent was hauled ashore near here In the form of a 7H-foot sea eel weighing 27 pounds. It fought 2U ir'uutes and tort oue oet to shreds. A
