South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-11
Statesmen Real
and Near.
By Fred c. Kelly

WASHINGTON. Jan. 11.-Fastins is
one of the two chief diversions of
Sen. Robert L. owen. the part In
dian statesman from Oklahoma. His
other sport is golf. Between playing
golf and abstaining from food, owen
derives a certain amount of pleasure
out of this life. He is extremely fond
Of both these pastimes but my i'm
preston is that if he were forced to
decide between the two he would lay
aside his golf implements rather than
quit his fasting.
The beauty of fasting for Owens
purposes is that it serves a dual pur-
pose. 1t is not only hobby and a
sport, but a feature Of his religion.
Some years ago owen became ad-
dicted to the Battle Greek school of
thought in matters of diet. Although
at heart he is comparatively omniv-
orous in his impulses, he confines him
self for the most part to vegetables
and cereals when he desires to eat
food. But he does not always desire
10 eat, or If he does he thrOttles the
desire for every now and then he
takes the veil, gastronomically, and
enters upon one of his fasts.
These periods of total abstinence
from food vary with Owen from q
day to a week. Sometimes he will
fast all day, and not take SO much as
a drink Of water. A great many mis-
guided persons go for days without
water but the trouble with them is
that they use certain liquid substi-
tutes. owen does not.
One of the great advantages of
fasting, says owen, is the benefit to
ones health. Giving ones digestive
outfit a furlOugh, he believes, can
only make for good. But aside from
power, which gets much lively gym
nastics when one is staying out of
restaurants and dining rooms. With
true Indian stoicism owen sometimes
goes on a fast even when his health
is first rate, just for the sporting
phase Of the proposition-that is, TO
ascertain if his will power is strong
enough to carry him through.
If he has an important speech TO
get out of his system in the senate
owen is not unlikely TO precede it
with brief fast To tone up his sys-
TEN and place him in good fettle.
\ little while ago, however, owen
met with a grave disappointment. He
desired &c reduce his weight Stats
tics showed him that for one or his
height. habits, age. and frame OF
mind he was about 10 pounds too
heavy. He began one Of his fasts.
1t lasted five days. When he again
began TO frequent eating places he
had a good appetite and ate with no
little relish. In fact, he ate heartily
more heartily than he realized.
After three days he again CHANGED to
step on the scales. And he had
gained back the Is pounds that 1t
required him five hard days fasting
10 lose-showing a net loss of two
days.
Another thing that owen practices
at odd times is lmness-calmness
OF speech and of demeanor. Tenn
peramentally he is inclined TO be
table-p FOUNDER, and chop the air into
shreds. So. just because he would
like TO shout in ordinary converse
ton, owen aims 10 do just the op-
posite When ne is really trying, he
can talk as calmly as a maiden aunt
in one of the old-fashioned Pansy
books However. I often think OF the
first time l ever talked 70 Sen.
owen. 1t was before he tock up
being calm as q daily exercise. our
conversation drifted 10 the subject
OF the initiative and referendum,
which the legislative engineers were
still tinkering before placing on the
market As he told me about the
initiative and referendum he became
more and more vehement. There
were moments when ! was actually
uneasy lest he might revert TO type
and undertake 10 scalp me, by way
of illustrating what the initiative
and referendum would 90 10 the
wicked politicians Park of the things
he told me I missed entirely, for /
was BUSY making estimates of the
probable time il would take me 10 get
10 the door II things came TO the
worst.
1Copvright. 1915. by Frei &. kelly)
No PRIVACY.
Want to leave me. Mary? j
Thought YOU were quite comfortable.