The Washington herald., 1920-04-16
In the Linelight
BY George Perry Morris.

IL Hon. Theo. z. Burton's nomina-
tion to the Tariff Commission Is
confirmed, and II will be, that body
will gain a veteran publicist whose
recent study Of conditions in the Far
East, added to his previously &C
quired knowledge of the methods o.
government by Congress. win make
him a commissioner with authority.
Former Senator Burton was
of the ablest. most schol-
arly and independent of the
Ohio Republican political lead
ers and lawmakers in the
days when that Commonwealth fig
ured larger in national and party
affairs than It does now. He al
ways has been much interested in
settlement of disputes between ma
tions in judicial and arbitral ways,
At this juncture in national history
Il would have been well IL he could
have been named to a post where
his equipment as an international
list" could have counted to a great
er extent than II can on the Tariff
Commission.
Evidently the leaven of modernity
and to some extent OF nationalisn
as over against parochialism is
working in the group that governs
Harvard University as corpora
ton. One of the closest. most Bos-
tonese. and pIebeian-proof instttW
tions OF New England. it has gone
on perpetuating itself from a limit
ed number of families all within
the "old set" When John +. Moors
was admitted two years ago. IL
was said that he was somewhat OF
a liberal and might be counted up
on to further reforms. Now. shat
tering all precedents a New York
lawyer. James Byrne of the class
Of IT. has been invited to join and
take the place of Henry Lee Hig-
ginson. Mr.. Byrne is a New Eng
lander: was in the class with pres
idcnt Lowell; and probably runs
fairly true to the traditional "Har-
ward Fellow" type; but he was not
born to the purple: is not OF the
Algonquin or Union Club set; and
has been Manhattanized.
Comment is being made on the
fact that the late DR.. Joseph
Simms, of New York City. who re-
Gently died. had willed his body
for anatomical study to DIR. Edward
Anthony Spitzka. of the American
Society. There arc
others. Washington has at least
one scientist, Arthur Macdonald.
who has willed his brain to the
same high authority on brain
anatomy.
Mark Twain's former residence in
Hartford County was recently sold
for $4,000. Now that shis admirers
are trying to get funds from any
and many sources with which TO
make the house "A literary shrine
the new owners are seeking $780,
900 for the property. Marks ghost
must be grimly inditing a speech
surprising in it's vitriolic content
the comments of Twain when liv-
ing launched by him against mis-
sionary looters in China.
4 cause ceIebre in the battle be-
tween authority and liberty. between
governmental power and personal
as waged on the Pacific
Coast is that of Miss Anita Whit
ney. of Oakland. a daughter OF Sem
ator Whitney and a niece of former
Justice stephen Field of the Federal
Supreme Court. Graduating from
Wellesley College and becoming a
social worker and suffragist. she in
due time became secretary of the
Oakland Associated Charities. She
is now in prison under a sentence
of from one to fourteen years, Her
offense is membership in the Com
munist Labor party.
Washingtonians had but one
chance last season to see Walter
Hampden play Hamlet" Next week
they will be given an opportunity to
study not only his Interpretation of
that masterpiece, but also to watch
him in the more romantic role of
Romeo. 1t is gifted family that
he comes from. but not like those
from which Sothern and the Barry
mores emerged. His father has been
a jurist of eminence, and he has a
brother who is a painter of renown.
An idealist he has never catered 10
the commercialized stage though oc-
doing pageant work when
straight" acting has been lacking.
Mr.. Sothern in ! is talk before the
City Club spoke most generously and
of the place that Hampden
Is to fill on the American stage of
for, to a fine presence he
adds an intellect and soul. and
hatred of all but the best in his art.