The Washington herald., 1913-10-30
UNDER THE DOME.


Through his large tortoise-shell spec
tacles Representative stevens Of Minne-
sofa sees lots OF things He is q good
/ observer
And when he was ahroad-hc has just
returned. by the. way-he observed the
manners OF the people. Now he has some
very emphatic and interesting views
which take the edge on so-calied Euro
pean culture.
Americans are criticised - he said yes
terday. for their lack OF manners. One
thing that impressed me while abroad
was that the foreigners we met in the
railway trains and hotels were the most
inconsiderate. selfish apd boorish people
ever saw. They make life miserable. A
traveller has to fight for his rights during
every minute OF the day. Nothing comes
to him by courtesy. / say this without
discrimination against any particular ma
tionality. They are all alike. European
polish and culture is sham. Ny expert
ence is that the only people abroad with
manners are the Americans themselves.
And as to railway travel" continued
Mr.. Stevens. ''it makes me sick to think
of II. The American who Is accustomed
to the comforts and conveniences of our
the treatment which he receives on rail-
way trains abroad He is not only de-
MED comfort, but he has to fight TO ger
his moneys worth. The trains run fast
When you have said that, you have said
all.
Did you find anything that would In
duce you to remain abroad?,
II should say not" replied Mr.. Stevens
And he is not a pessimist, either.
II anybody should be asked to guess the
age of Representative Greene OF Massa-
chusetts. the answer would be that he
is about fifty-five.
Mr.. Greene is seventy-four years old,
and he is proud Of It His father lived TO
be over eighty, and he expects to live to
be a hundred. II he does he will still be
in Congress If any man has a cinch on
q seat in the House, II is William S.
Greene. of Fall River. He has been in
public life for thirty-four years as Mayor,
postmaster, and Congressman, and he
would be lost IL he did not have a cam
paign on his hands.
81 noticed the other day." said Repre-
sentative Fess of Ohio yesterday, that
there was some trouble in a Washington
theater because a man stood up while
The Star spangied Banner was being
played.
"We haven't any law on the National
air, so far as 1 know" continued Mr.
Fess, although the army and the navy
give that distinction to The Star spapgled
Banner and officers and men must stand
at attention while the air is being played
Most persons think. that My Country,
'Tis OF Thee is the tune to respect, ap-
parently not knowing that the melody is
the British national air. When God Save
the King Is played or sung In Great
Britain the audience arises spontaneously |
and We ought to do the same thing In
this country for The Star spangled Ban
ner.'
"The trouble is" continued Mr.. Fess, |
as he paused in the dictation of a letter. |
that our national air is not decorously |
rendered. II figures too often In medleys,
sandwiched in between Dixie and
Yankee Doodle There ought to be law |
to prevent this desecration. Upon all
patriotic and ceremonial occasions The |
Banner should be played |
or sung in digniied fashion. It is either |
the flag or else 1t is common. everyday |
music I think II Is the former. and
think II ought to be invested with all |
the dignity which 1t deserves, and never /
rendered in conjunction with music with |
which it has no appropriate connection |
That" said Mr.. Fess, ..isswhat / think Of /
our national air.
A certain Western Congressman. whose
name cannot be dragged into publicity by
a thousand yoke of oxen. some time ago
met a newspaper correspondent and Of
fered to give him the new personnel of
the board selected to assist the Interstate
Commerce Commission in the work of
physical valuation of railroads. He gave
the names, ending with and Mr.. Will
liams, of Virginia."
And Mr.. Williams, of Virginia?' re-
peated the correspondent. with a large
question mark at the end OF his sentence.
What Mr.. williams?''
'T really don't know" replied the Con-
gressman, but I think he is a railroad
engineer, or something like that
Well. the next day John Shelton VIII
iams, railroad president, financier. and
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, was
made chairman OF the board. "a Mr..
Williams, OF Virginia" had been identified
1t last!