The Penn's Grove record., 1919-10-10
NEWSY CAPITOL NOTES

weather in the Dis irct during the pas,
week. Summer has been ~reVlvlhed ano
those, who only a few nights ago, W.
wearing overcoa+s. are now ne
the fact that their light weight clothes
PRESIDENT wilson's Illness has had a
most unexpected influence upon puplle
sentiment regarding his trip west ana
its sudden termination. In circles Whele
he was bitterly criticized Tor not IL
naming at home and setting the nlSh
cost of living and the labor question,
his determination to have the treaty.
problem decided and his sacrinee .
health in carrying u MS cohVlclious
have had the effect of sottenlns tne
wrath of his political opponents on the
street. The defeat of the FAN amend
mentS was also a surprise ana many az
tribute the attitude OF the 9enai5 ~
the earnest stand that the PRESIDENT
has taken on the League OF Natiohs.
There is no doubt that his conoltloh
warrants the attendance of four specl-
alists.
Cardinal MERCER quietly slipped into
town last month, informally and I'M
ostentatiously, and at once won an
with whom he came in contact. was
the only newspaper man to greet MN.
His reception at the Belgian Embassy
was one of the brilliant social afIaiIs
of the past mont and his act in visit
ing the National HeadQuarterS OF tle
American Red Cross and expressing the
gratitude of his people. for what the
Red Cross had done for them, further
won for him the admiration OF the peo-
pie, who casting aside his rank as a
primate of the Catholic Church, looked
upon him as the one man. who dened
the German Government and de1ed II
successfully. The Washing Times on
the afternoon following the arrival of
Cardinal MERCER, who was accompanied
by Cardinal Gibbons, printed a photo
graph of the two prelates, in which J
made a conspicuous appearance. Inc
artist forgot to put any hair on the top
of my head and the mail the following
morning was filled with advertisements
of hair restorer manufacturers, VINO
really thought ] was bald. | am a
triae shy OF hirsute appendages ON top
but not naked as the picture showed
me.
I met General Pershing and saw the
great parade of the First Division, the
equal of which will never again be seen
in Washington in our time. Pershlng
looked every inch the General and was
given a hero's welcome. One of his
first popular acts was TO visit the boys
1t Walter Reed Hospital on "Pennsyi-
vania Night" and when he entered the
Red Cross Convalescent House, where
his wounded men were packed to the
doors, the din they made with throat
and crutch was deafening. After wit
Messing d skit put on by the patients
he was escorted to the little stage by
Senator Philander c. Knox, formerly
secretary of State, Samuel Is. Rea and
w. w. Atterbury, President and Vice
President respectively of the PennSyl-
vania Railroad, Surgeon General Mer-
rite w Ireland of the Army and Col.
James D. Glennan, commanding officer
OF the hospital. When Pershing re-
ferred to the MANNED and crippled sol
diers as Comrades" he touched a pop
ular chord in the hearts of everyone
present. His address, which was brief,
paid a glowing ribute to the women of
America TO whose inspiration, he said,
vas due a great part of the victory.
He told of an incident that occurred
while Re was visiting the hospitals in
/ IRA pHa To show the GnITIT of The Amer
lean soldier and his eagerness to win
the war. Entering a ward in one OF
the base hospitals he came upon a
young chap propped up in bed.
Where were you wounded?" said the
General.
DC you remember, General, when we
went over the top and along the road
and through a wheat field and then out
again to the cross roads. Well | was
shot just as l got to the cross roads"
answered the boy.
And it has made me happy ever
since" said Pershing, ito think that
mere youth-he was only 19-had
thought / was with him. Everywhere
went il was the same. The wounded
boys wanted to know about their regi-
nent and how much it had gained.
There was never any thought of re-
treat"
Senator KnoX scored Congress heavily
When he said: General Haig and Ad-
miral Jellicos received a half million
dollars and a sword from their govern
ment and we allowed General Pershing
to come to Congress, today, and listen
but such is the gratitude of republics"
Living conditions still continue high
in Washington. | met an old friend
his afternoon, a lieutenant colonel, in
the medical corps, who told me that he
and his wife had been hunting for an
unfinished apartment for a week and
could not obtain one without parting
with practically all of his salary. AT
that he was forced to live in one of
the expensive hotels, his wife spending
the day looking for a room-for they
had abandoned all idea of an apart
ment-While he went on duty. l pay
$3.50 a week for room and board and
three meals daily and consider myself
lucky that | am alive. Naturally the
place is always filled, in fact every
thing connected with the living ques-
tion is on the boom Notwithstanding
all Investigations into the H. C. L.
ran up to New York last week for
a brief vacation of eight days and
found the old city just the same in the
old haunts as it was before prohibit
ton went into effect, but there was one
mighty important difference, and that
lies in the size of the bank roll then
and now. Everything is wide open. A
stranger can walk into most any sa-
loon, ask for a sherry" and get the
real stuff, but where it cost ten and
fifteen cents or even twenty it is now
twenty-five, thirty, forty and forty-fve
Indian heads. And some of the liquor
SOFA over the par Is awful. IN a CAD
aret show that L dropped in to- see on
Broadway it cost me $3.50, plus a tip
to the waiter for two drinks. Needless
to say l did not enjoy the performance.
There is going to be some fun when
they try to put the lid on little New
York. 1t is going to- take all the rev.
enue men in the country to keep it
clamped down. They are arresting
saloon keepers daily in New York but
they are only fined $50 and they can
make that in an hour in some places.
Here in Washington it is different.
Before prohibition they used to turn
up their noses if they smelled boose on
a person; now they prick up their ears,
for whatever bootlegging is going on
is lone on the street @. T. l neal that
whiskey is selling for $40 a quart here
with ample takers.
No doubt you have read in some of
the papers of an investigation of
cruelty or alleged cruelty at Walter
Reed Hospital. Personally / can say
| have visited there on an average of
once or twice a week. since last March
and | have yet to receive a complaint
from am OF the boys, many of whom
know me. If there was anything radi-
cally wrong they would be the first to