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Show Scenes and Persons in the Current News National Topics Interpreted Adventurers by William Bruclart National Club Prea Building "Washington. I have received a Washington. 2SiP,a.n ealled for letter from a reader in my home vast sums for expend, u state of Missouri, government in the belief a Paying out of Oar propounding public 0mely In quiry concerning the public debt of the United States. It Is timely for more than one reason. The United States government operates on a fiscal year running from July 1 to the next June 30 and we are, therefore, just about to close another fiscal year. A second reason why this Inquiry Is timely relates to the size of the present public debt, almost Public Debt TerJ A Man-Eatin- Barracuda g By FLOYD GIBBONS Famous Headline Hunter. EXT time youre out to Jones Beach State park and see a big husky blond Adonis in a life guards suit, give him the high sign. He is Capt. William Johns of Jones Beach State park. Long Island, and he has had more adventures than you can shake a stick at. Cap makes the club with a story of a fight he had with a giant barracuda. The barracuda, which is known as the tiger of the seas," Is just about the toughest and most dangerous fish In American waters. Those babies make a full grown shark look like a gold fish when it comes to downright ferocity. Did you ever see a barracuda? Theyve got mouths on them like alligators with a double row of needle-sharteeth that can cut a mans leg like a hot knife cuts butter. They dont come as big as sharks but are much more feared by fishermen who know. Why, by golly, when you hook a small barracuda youve got to kill him before you pull him in the boat or its Just too bad. They can put up an awful fight even out of water and youd better be sure hes dead before you try removing the hook or youre apt to lose a finger or a hand, depending on the size of the fish. r ' I .rfli' ,.s it I ho I x 11 ' J . p Cap Was No Munchausen About His Adventures. Cap has been a seal hunter in the Baltic; a lumberjack in Canada; a soldier of fortune in Mexico; a sailor under many flags; a boxer and, wrestler; a swimming Instructor; life guard; a big game hunter and shark tf fe S3 w Gen. John J. Pershing delivering the principal address on Memorial day In Arlington national cemetery, q2 the United States fleet, being decorated by Washington. 2 Admiral Joseph M. Beeves, commander-in-chie- f Neptune as the battleship Pennsylvania crossed the equator, the sea queen standing by. 3 Jean Trowbridge of Stuart, Iowa, winner of the national spelling bee In Washington, receiving plaques for herself and her school from Dean George B. Woods of American university. 1 fisherman and a lot of other adventurous things but he says he never had a closer call than he had with that barracuda. Cap, by the wfy, la the fellow who caught a seagull on the wing, down in Florida a few years ago. That trick was an accident but It's worth telling. Cap was fishing for sallfish and using live bait. He threw his line, baited with a small fish, into the air and the aeagull swooped down and snatched the hook and bait go, In tlie Scroll Case at Norris Dam Count Potocki Is Newly Selected Envoy to Poland Count George Potocki, Polands newly appointed ambassador to the United States, who arrived on the new motor liner Batorys maiden The count Is an Oxonian, voyage. before it touched the water. I call catching a bird good fishing. Dont you? Cap let the seagull of course, and I'll bet that gull flew away a wiser but sadder bird. Sea Tiger Picks on Life Guard. The barracuda was something else again. Cap was acting as a lifeguard at the Homan Pools a swimming club in Miami when he decided to spear himself some breakfast He waded into the water up to his neck Cap Drove the Second fepear With All Hia Might and looked around for some nice luscious mullet He didn't see any mullet that morning but he did see a big sand shark and drove his spear into Us tough hide. Now a sand shark isnt dangerous like his cousin bnt the blood from the wounded sand shark attracted a passing sea bandit who was plenty dangerous. man-eatin- g That sea bandit was a hungry barracuda and he came straight for Cap. Cap knew what he was up against at a glance. He was glad he had his feet on the bottom. Expert swimmer as he is, Cap knew he wouldnt have a chance in deep water against the tiger of the seas. He knew too that he couldnt run away without taking a chance on losing a limb or two perhaps his life. The fish was nearly six feet long the largest Cap had ever seen and lx foot of hungry barracuda Is just about one undred pounds of dynamite. Cap had two small spears with him and as he saw the flash of those terrible teeth he drove one home. Cap Just Missed Being a Fish Dinner. The spear bioke off in the tough hide of the fish but didn't seem to phaze him. He leaped several feet out of the water and turning in the air opened that big alligator mouth of his and Cap says he thought It was the end. Zowlel That foot-lonmouth lined with dagger-lik- e teeth snapped shut In Caps face with a sound like a steel trap. Cap says hed sooner hear Mauser shells singing around his head any day. He knew that on whatever part of his anatomy those teeth closed that part would come away. The streak of silver shot at him again and Cap grahbed his second spear and, stepping aside, drove It with all his force Into his enemy's body. A thrust like that would kill a shark or cause him to give up the battle but not a barracuda. Those babies Just dont know the meaning of the word quit. They quit when they are dead and no sooner. g man-eatin- g A Harpoon Finished Old Man Barracuda. Well, sir, the second spear broke off the way the first one had and Cap found himself with only the wooden handle for a weapon. He started yelling for assistance, hoping that someone would have the nerve to bring him out a harpoon. But, he says, he wouldnt blame anyone for hesitating. The barracuda enjoys such a bad reputation along the Florida coast that most of the Datives stay far away from his dental array. And I don't blame them. But Cap John got a break. One of his life saving crew caved their captain. He saw Cap fighting for his life and grabbing a harpoon ran out in the water. The battle had been going on for over ten minutes when he got there. And he arrived Just In time. Cap was Just about exhausted and those snapping teeth were coming closer and closer. Cap figured he couldn't hold out until the lifeguard got to him and he yelled for the other man to throw him the harpoon. The lifeguard threw the sharp weapon. The harpoon flashed In the sun and Cap grabbed It like a Juggler and In one quick movement drove knife point into the Jaws that were wide open to grab him! And that was the end of Caps barracuda as well as the end of Caps adventure. And, if you don't think It was a close cal!, Just take a peep at a barracuda's upper and lower plates the next time you get a chance. But dont get too close to him. (ghWNU bervlc. Many Irish People Died When Potato Crop Failed Tear after year, beginning about 3S 10, the potato crops of Furope and North Ainoilca siiflored terrible losses. Si discouraged did the growers of New York slate become that each (Ivey oar census showed a drop In production till only G, 117,391 bushels were grown In I860. Worst of nil was the tori ilde Iilsli famine of l1' 15. IS l(i and 1 S 17. Before potatoes became genenllv Used for food In Jieland the population D, C. was estimated at about 850, (XK) In 1650. By 3813 It had Increased to 8,295,001. More than 4 per cent of the land of Ireland was planted to potatoes. Bo complete and disastrous was the loss of the potato crop by blight and rot, and so great was the dependence of the Irish people upon their staff of life that between 2(H) OIK) and lit 10,000 persons perished of starvation or of dixenxis brought on by insufficient food. Literally millions of the Irish race emigiatcd till the population Ml to about lui'f that In is 13. Bural New linker e a hunter and a member of one of the most Illustrious families in Poland. He Is popular with American sportsmen, many of whom bt has entertained on his extensive hunting preserves at Lancut, In southern Poland, big-tim- This scroll case at the Norris dam In Tennessee forms the lower end of the penstock or tube which conducts water from Norris lake to the turbines of the power plant. The swirling water will pass through the wicket gates or valves to the right of the workman, and thus Into the turbines. There are two of these scrolls at the Norris dam, one for each generator. Lindbergh Minnesota Estate to Be State Park Fleers Early Home In On the ninth anniversary of Col. Charles A. Lindberghs non stop flight to Paris, WPA announced its final plan for the project to make the Lindbergh estate at Little Falls MiDn., a state paik at an expenditure of $23,777. The residence is shown at right Scorn Shorter Name Boise, Idaho. Although his name Is Ed Garroguerricaeehevarria, a Boise barber born In Spain didnt ask to have It changed w hen he applied for final citizenship papers here recently. v i vksts (ill T Young Priests Ordained by Cardinal OConnell fl lftV - 5 .' i ut , , 1 I SL ?.IV iiTfviVfWT l!l;U?.(b fO vV-4- J j vv j1 . li' i 1 T.v on v 1 i : 1 1 1 i I V( v u wawYtr, I? ' k , U l HP1' . I o 1 FMiif-- , t s i N't" ' A J . J - t f I i I With ( m dinal OVonnell eelehi ating the ordination were oid.nned In the Caihodral of the Holy Gross, ho, fchows the new i nests boMe the altar. The cardinal Following the oi (filiation comnonhs the young priests the public debt was only s $28,700,000. In that year, each share was Some only $1.01. With the advent of the History Civil war, the government needed funds and began borrowing additional amounts until In 1806 the debt reached what In thost days was a high figure $2,730,000,000. At that time, each persons share was $77.69. Good administration and sonnd financial policies followed and the debt was reduced, paid off, until during the early 1900s, the debt was reduced until each persons share was something less than $17. Continual retrenchment was carried on until the World war interrupted the program and fresh borrowings were necessary for prosecution of that great conflict The borrowing of the war days carried our public debt to a new high point of $26,594,000,000 on August 19,1919. The debt, because It was a new peak, looked Insurmountable and it was dangerously high but through the administrations of Presidents Harding and Coolldge, the Job of paying ff the debt was seriously attacked and this program eventually resulted in reduction of the debt to about $10,509,000,000 during the administration of President Hoover. It was from this low point that the present debt burden has mounted and continues to climb. The depression reduced government Income from taxes and left the treasury with a deficit in two years of the Hoover regime. The result of those deficits was to increase the public debt because money had to be borrowed to pay current running expenses. The borrowing did not appear serious, however, either In the Inst two years of the Hoover administration or the first year of the administration of President Hoasovolt because Mr. Loosevelt had pledged the country during his campaign to economize In etery dltectlon. It wns his promise that lie would curtail expenditures by one fourth and therefore make the outgo and income of the go ernmeni approximately the same. Instead ff that course ',Mr. Jtoose-velnitintd the present program oxpi ndiinres In huge amounts. 1S57, per-son- 1 , Will Become Shrine Honoring Air Feats Our public debt has surged higher than normal during two periods of the last twenty years and the course of the debt, therefore, Is one with which most mature persons are more or less familiar. But it remains as a net laat, while most people are Informed concerning the total of the national debt, they have not had opportunity to learn exactly what It means to the individual. Treasury transactions, as a whole, are rather difficult to underhand and since the sums In which government figures now run are so huge, the general attitude of Individuals is to let the thing pass as a matter for expert attention. It ought not to be so. The public debt is a matter of direct concern to every one of ns and that is a further reason why the Inquiry mentioned above is important I have often wondered whether individuals, In considering whatever obligations they have in the form of a debt take into account the fact that the public debt Is actually a commitment against yon and me and everyone else. Persons who have not so thought of the public debt probably - will be shocked to learn that In addition to their obligations that have been contracted personally, there is something like $245 which, although an infinitesimal portion of the public debt, constitutes actually an Individual obligation. Therefore, when any person looks at that vague and shadowy term, the public debt" In this light, they cannot help bnt realize that it has a very real and personal meaning to the Individual. That enormous sum of nearly $32,000,000,000 must be paid off as any other debt and the government must collect It from everyone who lives In this country. Again the public debt may seem a thing far removed but It is brought home directly to each of ns through the taxes we pay and in more ways than most of ns care to admit ve are contributing that tax. So, when the government contracts a debt and arranges to pay it off, the only way collection Is possible for the extraordinary amount Is by Increasing ihe share of government expenses which each of nsjiears, meaning of course, an increase In our tax. mass, l!7 graduates of St. Johns Fixloslaslleal semlmrv Boston. 'I ho photograph, taken during the solemn m.-can he soon sealed In the center ollulatlng at the mass woie assigned to inilshos Iq the diocese. v lt ? revive industry" aD? once on Its feet Profit and that prjt woS'A produce taxes for the Then came the public? grams for which" largVl! be exact, $3,500,000,000 and $4,880,000,000 in In anoTher were appropriated and we see In the last the debt of the nation three,,J .; fora a?pro.ximatey to approximately and each persons previously, kioo,6i( 32,ooo0W sharp la about $2l , . V Now, the figures here get it much more of a story than jiaU Ten the Story fVcT:;; hensible of ai dollars h been spent, mllhons of them lessly. They tell more of a Indeed, than Just the fact that in another year there will hare approximately i $3,000,000,000 m expended and that the debt a will have been increased somea like $13,000,000,000 since the 8 velt campaign of spending beg To understand the situaJcn which the United States gore ment and, therefore, the per find themselves, it might be tx to picture what would happen to, individual In the same circumsty Hundreds of thousands of lr.dir' a Is are in debt but nearly ih them seriously try to avoid gett. in debt beyond their capacity to off their obligations. If sichias poor crops or poor business a i one of many other afflictions n take that Individual, even tho his personal debts might be m dated under normal conditions, f is well, he Just sinks. Our government differs from a :eat T tnei Uzen sore wh if his tumble . throug wa it trying lit Nat fo Art d tough j'i to c Individual only in the fact that regard the governing st the ear It citizens Ihrougt credit as virtually limitless. It t gUZ! continue to borrow and people i jrge, eded a accept government bonds change for their money for cpitt ; unde w hile. But let us attempt to vl luces, alize Id our minds eye what wot it, (or happen should our government never called upon to meet some extra exc d dlnary conditions that would l And of a Jot loss comparable to the latr the Individual who is in debt. cof 0 f i of Headl It seems to me that the Boo velt administration has followed t latter course Too the optimist Optimistic Far e He 3 Is f i and .ie tl tbitgf good s from it that as long as our money Is at good, our government's bonis good. Yet, It must be apparent we cai every thinking person that not continue to spend at the ra: that marks the last three years longer. be ii d P'ay o t ase optimistic If i plunged this conn pears and has too deeply into debt I do not mean to Imply ernment securities are not .ef tl entirel I rndnta prefer, as against the presei spending policies, the polities President Andrew Jackson, esces' fought always against costs of government; who ed consistently that the exp nst (o government be raised regularlythe' that and each years payments for tli be a little extra put away the g when proverbial rainy day ernment was called upon for gency payments. The policies Andrew Jackson were so eW' that during his administration was W 1837, the public debt cm out and there was actually I besides. the treasury present spef the of Supporters course, to I stoma Ir M smith '(3 In word i Bt 1 becoi ol tie tgs o ion i ndix, he w ervec Calle and say, ;anh anee mon tg a eo a tak dottoi Calll r he of ing policies will say, w hand; dnjs the public debt of those tha 'ortn to In no way comparable haw 1936. That Is true but nelthier ftawb a the resources of the United tw off B to in those days comparable I mg sources and the wealth pro Cra day tepresent capacity of the at populat states. Likewise, the Mi it In An(LreW States United the 4 t Pe, Hon sons term In the White ok op conP only a mere handful of 1 "J Be 130,000,000 the Dearly t Tod M Inquiry So, aoswering the "EN C mean. what the public debt answer 'NF. Individual citizen, the fact jh . hli be a relation of the start a t - h we as share familys 'Kim fiscal year In the governmer It jnta the proxiuiates $1,000. Tl ot or another, that of nor Ing to pay the interest B year. every $710,000,000 his thut In addition, first tl in a position for the the lives of most Persons extren where it would face called upon to it were cully 8' our country war T. like that th In . Wcatern Nwl,Mr b 'h ' two ' t! j 'an 11 d emergency f we have been passing. L1hl,n n government dehte States are hWd. t0 be I a debts and not to none of us can fl' ' M thetji from that government to dig deeper and d,ieP'r , t. pocket for the pnymen D pn 'ifnri t Re u.arfi 't 1 'Uli ti at H hi r tlr dl Mj |
