Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11

known as a dead language, and the officials
of the department asked for further infor
nation; to which he replied that when he was
in the Philippines he became acquainted
with a priest and they chad long talks in
Latin which was the only language they
mutually understood. at must have been
highly interesting series of talks, remarked
one of the higher officers, who was still uncon-
WINGED that speaking Latin" should be
part of any officers efficiency record.
THE difficulty that the investigating COM
mittee of the House of Representatives
encountered in getting facts about the
American Sugar Refining Company ind-
Gates that the late Henry 0. Havemeyer in
culcated his own ideas among his associates.
1t was the late Senator Calvin S. Brice who
related personal experience with Have
meyer about the sugar business Brlce had
five hundred thousand dollars that he de-
sired to invest for the benefit of his family.
and concluded that sugar stock would suit
him. He talked it over with Havemeyer,
told the sugar king of the sum he intended
to invest, was assured that he would make
no mistake; and then Brice said:
"As | am going to put in a considerable
amount of money and buy the stock out
right, | should like to look at your books.
any books are for myself responded
Havemeyer shortly.
Brice did not make the investment.
TILTED far back in his chair, with his
calm, smooth shaved face looking al
most directly at the ceiling, sits Oscar W.
Underwood, chairman of the Committee on
Ways and Means, floor leader of the House
of Representatives. and one of the most i'm
portant factors in national legislation. In
of arms of Alabama, one of the States repre-
sented in the frames in which the skylight of
the chamber is set. Here We Rest, is the
motto, translated from the Indian word
alabama" While Underwood appears in
tent upon carrying out the motto of his
State, he is not idle. He knows what is
going on in every part of the House, and Is
also completely informed as to the plans and
purposes of all his lieutenantS, as well as the
progress of legislation. With unruf11ed COM
posture he meets the assaults of the best men
of the minority, and thus far has proved
himself the equal of the most experienced
opposition leaders, either in leading an at
tack or in defending his party.
Occasionally, when other men, chairmen
of committees having in charge some matter
before the House, get snarled up and are IN
the throes of stage fright or defeat, Under
bring the majority together, defeat the OPP
position and start the House machinery in
the proper groove for smooth and successful
procedure.
Underwood has been in Congress sixteen
years. In all that time until the present
Congress he has been in the minority. He
never saw his own party in control, and no
one knows where he attained the qualities
of leadership that he has developed since he
became chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee. He has been a surprise TO his
own party, and more than that to minority
leaders, who believed that they would tie him
in bowknots and achieve many parliament
tary victories Underwood seems to have
imbued his followers with the motto of his
own State. They look at him and seem to
repeat the motto of Alabama, Here We
Rest"
THE silver anniversary of President and
Mrs. Taft reminded one of Mr. Taft's
friends of college days that when, twenty
three years ago, William H. Taft and his
bride of two years visited Yale for the first
time after their marriage, Mrs. Taft was in
troduced to those college men and hailed by
many of them as the future first lady of the
land
"At that time" related this admirer of the