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^kews fLi^s Commentary on th« commeniary on xno •% |-j. • • r l Hishiighu of the Week'i New. ... By tlizabcth tedy SPRING HATS â€" 'Taneako crowna* buoiiK-r hrims, boiiiu'ts with chin â- trap.s will lead in this year's parpilo of spriiiK i>ats," the fashion papers t«II us. And alieady wo see on the â- troets of Ontftrio's gmall towns, large towns, our style-conscious wo- nsenfollc Btiutting about with the latest millinery confections iitop their heads. The impartial (?) observer cannot help but wish, however, that more •women had chosen styles to Buit thcni, had only realized that those chin-stvap bonnets arc meant to be worn by coy, sweet young things ... As it is, there are altogether too many worldly-looking women peering out from under unsophisticated brims, who make us think too readily of Little Red Hiding Hood's Grand- niother . . . BIG NAME ROMANCE â€" Last year it was the Duke and Duchess of Windsor who had the world's tongues wdg>ring â€" the love story of a century, â- o it eecmcd. This sprinp it is Greta Oarbo and I^copold Stokowski, two of the biggest names in the news, â- who arc providing us with f\rst-cla«s vicarious romance. As in the case of the other two lovorB. however, their fame anci name would appear to stand in the way of â- uninterrupted hBppine.<«s, since the l)ounds of publicity are forever on their trail. â€" o â€" "CANADA SHIRKS"â€" Writing in the New York Commentator, an Ameri- can political observer undertakes to criticise the foreign policy of Can- ada, who, with the other British Do- minions, lie claims, is not doing her QUty. This country, he says, expectr in the event of war to be defended br the British Navy but is doing no- thing in the meantime to strengthen tliat navy. "In Britain," our critic points out, "every person on the average is pay- ing $45 a year for the defence of the Empire. In the Dominions, each white person pays less than a tenth of that sum. Why, the United States is spending more hard cash for the defence of the English-speak- ing world including Canada, than all the Dominions, ten times over." Hard words, those. But cold, bit- ter facts nevertheless. From our own point of view, the â- ituation is rather bad, since if we continue to depend on Great Britain for the protection of our shores, we dare not speak for ourselves nor take Independent action in world affairs. In spite of the Statute of Westmin- ster (1931), then, we keep on hang- ing to Britain's apron strings, and allow London to make our major de- cisions for us. SHANSl FALLS â€" With the virtual takiiin over last weel. of China's Shunsi province b;, the Japanese, the Kising Sun armiei; are in position for a westward drive acro.^s the Yellow Uiver into the heart of the Chinese Ked territory, the mysterious North Shensi area, the country with a "question-mark." (Few white people hav« succeed- ed in penetrating ub far as the Com- munist strongholds there. Edgar Snow in his "lied Star Over China" tells the story of a sojourn in this stamping ground of the Chinese Red forces presents photographs of peo- ple and places never before caught by the camera; describes a visit to the capital of the "mobile Chinese Soviet" in the north central portion of the area.) The outcome of a campaign in this territory is unpredictable, since Rus- sia at any time might come to the help of the Chinese Communists. Nevertheless Japan now proposes to go ahead and make good her oft-re- peated declaration that the real ob- ject of the present ho.stilities Is to wipe out Ked influences in North China. THE WORST DRIVERSâ€" Addres- sing delegates to the Ontario Motor League's Annual Conforcnce, George A. Hodgson, chief examiner of driv- ers of Ontario, declared last week that at least 80 percent, of the car accidents occurring in this province were caused by drivers whose experi- ence amounted to five years or more. In other words, it Is the experienced drivers who ought to know better who pile up the worst records. "Furthermore", he said, "the col- our-blind driver is safer than the man who is not colour blind. He can tell you immediately that the top light is red and the bottom green. Our dif- ferences are with those who have all their faculties," Apparently, then, the more a man is aware of his deficiencies, the more alert and careful he â- ;vill be. â€" o â€" TEETER-TOTTER â€" An Associated Press despatch reads: "Poland step- ped into the diplomatic forefront this week as a possible balance between Great Britain and France on one side and Germany and Italy on the other, in proposed European agreements." Behind this news lies a multitude of interrelated facts, chief of which are: following his conversations with Prime Minister Chamberlain of Great Britain, which he hopes to conclude successfully. Premier Mussolini of Italy is expected to propose an alli- ance of four great powers who will run Europe's affairs; France would be unenthusiastic about such a plan unless Poland, her ally, were invited to participate in the talks. Index to Predict Length of Life Biologist Able to Tell If Men Likely to Reach Old Age Discovery of a biological index that predicts the length of a person's life In average figures after he is udult was reported last week by Dr. Ray- Qiond Pearl, famous biologist of Johns Hopkins University. * He talked to the New York Aca- demy of Medicine on "The Searcli of Longevity." He made the first public announcement of the "index" for foretelling longrth of life. The indices are bio ogical measure- ments, ranging from pulse rate to body shape. Thoy .diow in effect who sliali .survive the iittacks of disease iUflficiently to expect a ripe old age. In the heart and blood vesse' class, two groups of white men, 193 in each, were compared. They wrcre first seen at ages ranging from 20 to 00, an average of 'ID. They were followed nntil all ili<-d. 26 Year* Difference Onf group was long-lived; the oth- er short-lived. The long-lived men averaged 2C years apiece more than the others. Thr?e long-lived men had slower pulse rates. The differences. Dr. Pearl said, were (|iiite small, around four beats a minute less. But this â- light difference was statistically sig- nificant. The long-lived men had different blood prcs.<uro than the short-lived. Dr. Pearl snid he did not wish at this time to reveal t/ie blood pressure dif- ferences. The men who lived long «vei-:ige<l six pounds each less weight, notwithstanding that all the men in both classes were average build and weight. LonK-Lived Small-Waittcd The inoM who lived long had small- er che^t gii-th* at expiration of breath, and smaller waixts at the na- T»l \v\f\. It i| not ttjje. Dr. Pesrl reported, that the "absolute" length of human life haM lengthened. Actually, ho â- aid, fewer persons aitve af 70 i.o- 4af survive until !I0 than 40 years â- go'. The lengthened lifespan of to- day is due to paving the lives of more baMci and chll^en, he Mid. The Great Lakes Fishing Industry Commercial Catch Totals 120,- 000,000 Pounds Annually American and Can.idian commercial fishermen take some 120,000,000 lbs. of fish out of the Great Lakes annual- ly, valued at approximately $S,000,- OOO, says the Detroit Free Pres.'i. And yet, as the result of lack of proper regulation, this important in- dustry, conservation exjicrts warn, faces extinction. The outlook for it is so serious that representatives of the United States and Canadian governments, as well as the governments of Ontario and of the eight states bordering on the Great Lakes, met in Detroit In Febru- ary to agree upon a uniform protec- tion of small fish. Decline in Whitefish The decline of the whilelish catch from 3,500.000 to less than 500,000 pounds annually is only one measure of the fate In store for the Great Lakes fisheries If something effective is not promptly done lo curb the rav- ages of cutthroat competition among the fishernien, who neeni lo act on the assumption that a fish In the net is worth two !n the water. The end of that soi-t of thing Is bound to be llie extinct fon of the stock of commercial flsli in the lakesâ€" and, with It, the doslrnclion of the profit- able business of supplying tables with piscatorial delicacies fresh from local waters. Hats Off! Kngland is not the only country with antiquated l.iws. .\n ardent film-goer in .•Vkroti, Ohio, has re- cently discovered that a 4 1 -year-old law, never repealed, forbids women to wear large hats in th?ntre.s. He has now invoked tr.r law, which has to be carrit-d out by tl eatre man- agers, and can go t» his favourite cinema with a guarantee that his view will not be ob.'cured. As the result of «p»re-time study more than 500 minira have left the mines of South Wales to enter pro- fessions in the last three years, A-C Foresees Ocean Mail Flights During 1938 Canadian Minister of Transport Predicts Trans-Canada Airlines Ocean Service Will Be In Force Within a Yearâ€" 21 PiloU Now Ready Trained. «- Ocean-to-ocean mail service will be in operation on the Trans-Canada Airlines within a year, the House of Commons was informed last week by Minister of Transport C. D. Howe. Two Tripe Per Week He also made the announcement that It'is "quite within the realm of possibility" that a regular air mail service across the Atlantic Ocean, consisting of two trips each way per week, will be in operation before the end of the present year. Earlier in the day, the minister had secured fir.st reading for a bill allowing Trans-Canada Airlines to purchase a certain allotment of stock in the company operating the ocean service, as provided for under terms of an agreement with Great Britain, the Irish Free State and Newfound- land. The Trans-Canada now has 21 pi- lots. The minister boasted that they are equal to any in the world and are familiar with the British system of navigation. The service from Vancouver to Winnipeg is "pretty well completed," he said, and the jump from Montreal to the Maritimes will be pushed ahead as soon as the weather permits in the spring. Vancouver to Montreal The trans-Canada, Mr. Howe said, will have a thorough service from Vancouver to Montreal with only one feeder, from Lethbridge to Edmon- ton. It was the government's in- tention to leave ordinary feeder ser- vices to private enterprise. Tenders for air mail services connecting the main cities of Saskatchewan, are be- ing called now. It was generally the government's intention, the minister said, to ex- tend aviation to all part of Canada when air mail warranted it. Photograph Speedy License Numbers Camera Has Been Invented That Will Snap Numbers on Fast Automobiles at Night A camera capable of photographing licences of speeding automobiles at night was brought forward last week by the Pennsylvania State police as a new weapon in the state's war on highway accidents. Commissioner Percy W. Foote said that the camera would be Installed soon In many of the patrol's white "ghost cars" that took to the road some time ago to combat highway law violations. Pierces Brightest Rays Infra-red cameras are being devel- opend for police use by Capt. Flavel M. Williams, retired naval officer and foi; caiiierri expert, who was drafted by the Pennsylvania force to carry on hia researches. The photographic marvel, Foote said. Is expected to pierce the bright- est headlight rays and clock the speed of the car at the same time. Foote said that he planned to place the equipment in three or four cars operated by each of the 18 police troops In Pennsylvania. Front or Back Plates The camera would be set up close to the windshield of the "ghost" car, and could photograph through the glass of the windshield, getting the license plate of a car In front or of a vehicle coming In the opposite di- rection. Nearly 320,000 decorative trees are to be planted in County Durham in England. Paris Ratifies Trade Treaty Canada to Gain â€" Dominion Quotas Higher on Several Products OTTAWA. â€" The Franco-Canadian trade treaty, ratified last week by the French Chamber of Deputies, ,ts an extension of the 1933 and 1935 com- mercial agreements. Most Important concessions to Canada aro larger quo- tas for lead and zinc In pigs and bars. The additional quota In lead Is ex- pected to amount to about $700,000 and zinc to about $200,000. The following other Canadian com- modities are given new or additional quotas: Cheese, tomato Juice, mowing machines, electrical apparatus, elastic fabrics and manufactures of asbestos. New arrangements also were made respecting administration of the quota on canned salmou. Benefits of the French minimum tariff have also been extended to the following Canadian products: Sweet- ened condensed milk, artificial carbon- ate of magnesia, uranium oxide, tel- lurium, incandescent mantles, calf brains, gas and alcohol stoves, lama> and gas burners and parts. I News In Brief | Russo-Japanese Tension TOKIO â€" A vigorous Soviet protest this week registered renewed tension in Japan's troubled relations with the Soviet. Moscow protested against the continued detention of two Rus- sian steamships in northern Japan ports and of a Soviet airplane in northeastern Manchoukuo. 'The Jap- anese came back with charges that Soviet authorities were "illegally holding" 58 Japanese subjects in Russian Sakhalin and nine Japanese vessels. Want to Probe Cures TORONTO.â€" Legislative authority for a Government-appointed Commis- sion to investigate secret cancer cures was sought last week in the Ontario House by Hon. Harold J. KIrby, Min- ister of Health. Revelation of formula and details of treatment are required by the bill, according to the Minister. Sweeping powers to inquire into any type of "so-called cure" are provided. Successful Guerilla Tactics SHANGHAI.â€" Chinese Reported over the week-end that guerilla bands had recaptured a dozen towns in con- quered territory north of the Yellow River. Japanese artillery meanwhile bombarded strategic cities on the south bank. Most of the reported Chinese suc- cesses were along the Honan-Hopeh border, forty to sixty miles behind the Japanese advance lines, which were held up by the broad river. The Chinese also said a Chinese cavalry detachment repulsed a Japa- nese drive against Lini, in Southeast- ern Shantung, killing 500 Japanese. Stock Exchange Setback Stock markets on this continent last week took some hard knocks but after a few hours of slipping prices, they staged a practical comeback. The recovery in the face of the failure of Richard V/hitney & Co., a prominent New York stock exchange firm, was regarded as an excellent demonstration of the strength under- lying the market. Held On 38 Charges TORONTO.â€" Thirty-eight charges of theft, robbery and shopbreaking were laid last week after hours of persistent questioning of four 'teen- SECV^DC VOICE CANADA THE EMPIRE. iTHE WORLD AT LARGE o/ the PRESS CANADA Extinct Species? The Y.M.C.A. in Toronto is con- ductingr a course to cure blushing and there will be a little mild speculation as to where they find folk nowadays that do blush. â€" Peterbc^rough Exam- iner. Humanitarian Feelings We say "amen" to the indignation of Tavistock people, directed toward the unknown hit-and-run driver who killed a wire-hair terrier puppy in that village. The mean killer neither slowed down in an attempt to miss the wee dog, nor to make amends after running over it. Contrast this incident with one in Dubuque, Iowa, where 12 men worked for ten days to rescue a small terrier from a fox hole. â€" Stratford Beacon-Herald Away From Strangulation Modern machinery has enabled fewer people to produce more on the farms. This has inevitably been re- flected on the villages. But there is a growing rt«lization that urbaniza- tion can be carried too far. The huge city strangles itself. Every- where we see suburban developments as men try to escape from the high taxes and crowded streets of the city. Industry is said to be following the same pathway. Hydro and rapid transportation cancel many of the advantages once possessed by the city. It will be interesting to see what succeeding years contribute to the problem. â€" London Free Press. No "Saturated" West There is a limiting factor holding down Westernâ€" and, for that matter, Canadianâ€" population growth. But that factor decidedly is not "satura- tion" or overloading of the physical resources. The soil of Western Canada is neither overcrowded nor overloaded, nor anywhere near that condition. A look at Russia, with its 165 million people, challenges not only comparison but serious study. Naturally, we do not want to des- cend to the Russian standard of liv- ing, but "standard of living" is it- self a shibboleth which might well be analyzed. Some of the ideas and habits by which we mould our lives in Canada might be revised with be- nefit to everybody in the Dominion â€" but the scientists who are most capable of attacking the problem have "no actual data" and are so burdened with routine that they have no opportunity to give the long- view leadership which might inspire the people and start a new era of progress. aged boys ca-ught by an unarmed po- lice chief after an eightv-mile-an- hour auto chase and a five-mile man- hunt through the bush near Whitby. To Open Empire Fair LONDON.â€" The King and Queen will open the Empire exposition at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, on May 3 and visit poor districts in Glasgow the following day, it was officially announced this week. Civil .Aviation To Go Ahead LONDON.â€" Great Britain is to make a bolder bid for international air traffic. Concurrently with the upbuilding of the Royal Air Force, the Govern- ment announced last week it will eive increased stimulus to civil aviation Measures are to be taken within the Air Ministry to strengthen the or- ganization dealing with civil aviation U. S. S. Memphis Pays Visit tr Singapore nming through Johore Strsits, thi U. S. S. Memphis is shown ariving liigapore. at Great Britain's now naval hue at THE EMPIRE Australian Foreign Policy Australia's distinctive interests ,ra> volve around two different centresj the Pacific and the British Comnutn- wealth of Nations. Our geographical position and our economic welfare inevitably mean a regional preoctu- pation with the Pacific. In many 're- spects we share parallel interfsts with the United States, and one of the recognized planks in our foreign policy must be the development of Australian-American friendship .and co-operation. We desire to place our trade and other relations with Japan on a satisfactory footing. We recognize her economic difficuUies, but, on the other hand, we cannot remain blind to the Japanese aggres- sion which has aroused even India to strength«en her defences, an^, any potential threat to our security re- minds uj ii.at we can only find safety in co-operation with Great Britain, just as oar interests and loyalties are ineluctably bound up with the Empire.â€" Sydney Herald. Can Japan Last Out? In the last three years we have heard so much of the horrors of war in Abyssinia, Spain and China that many of us take it for granted our own country must sooner or later be involved in similar miseries. BQt we overlook one factor of transcefident importance â€" never betore in hietory • has it been so obvious that war can- not pay, even when all the bomb* and tanks and artillery are on one side, as they were in the Abysinian affair. Without foreign credits Italy can do teritorq I have already, in this' ar- policy. I have already, in this, ar- ticle, called attention to the cost in men and money of the German -and Italian war in Spain â€" a war waged by these non-Spaniards with that sinking feeling that any pickings at the end of it are more likely td go to the City of London than to Berlin or Rome. But the most impressive example is that of Japan. Her, en- tire resources are now involved in a campaign which will almost inevit- ably ruin her ... It seems almost unbelievable that any nation should manage to forfeit so much good will in so short a time. Who, after such examples, will dare to start a new war? â€"Vernon Bartlett in World Review (London). • Canadain Invents * Insulating Sdk Dry Steam Treatment Found to Increase Silk's Electrical Resistance Powers ~ -t Silk insulation that exhibits 13% to 17 times more electrical resistange than ordinary silk is revealed in a pa- tent granted at Washington, D.C., to Alfred C. Goodlngs, of Toronto. The inventor has discovered thfet silk of such high insulating value can be obtained by treating the material with dry steam. Thus less silk woiSd be needed to produce the same am- ount of insulation. The fine wires used in many electrical instruments are insulated with windings of silk threal According to his process, the silk fibar is placed in a chamber previous- ly heated to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The dry steam at a temperature of 220 degrees Fahrenheit is introduced. THe treatment lasts for 20 miniifps. Aftar this, the silk is dried and ready for its Ufe as an insulating wrapping. German Aijtos Hit* British Car Sales Are Making Inroads In Britain And Dominions With Sub- * sidy On Exports * «^ Although the German "People'^ Car" has not yet appeared; other types already In production are ma\t- i"K such inroads In the Hrltish maa- ket as to cause anxiety among London and Oxford manufacturers. t Whereas only twenty-three German automobiles were imported into Bri- tain in January, 1937, the number Jumped to 1.067 last month. Moreover It Is .=inid that, owing to the German subsidy, German trucks and heavy oil vehicles are being Imported into South Africa, Ceylon and other British Dd> nilnlon markets at prices with whicft neither British nor American makeri can compete. According to the Daily TelegrapK, the prime purpose of the German sub- sidy arrangement Is to obtain credtU abroad for essential Importa. LaA year'a automobile exports. It is belief ed, actually paid for all the rubber f<* tires required on Germany's own a^ tomobiles. 1 *or I'i 14 Moscow proclaims that its new s«V* way is the most beautiful ia tfM world. or KTti SUfCfH mail $1 b;)il