Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-08

rank next and so until near the high
est, the numbers lessen.
Though both former Speaker Can
non and the present presiding officer
of the House have served longer than
Mr.. Clark, Mrs Clark has the dis
tinction of being the raking lady in
the lower house circle, when it
comes to counting years of residence
in Washington. Mr.. Cannon has been
Tor years a widower and the marriage
of the Speaker. Mr.. Gillette. to Mrs.
Sherman Hoar, widow of one of his for
cent occurrence.
Mrs. Clark's social experiences go
back to the closing years of the sec
ond Cleveland term, with the gather
ing OF the cohorts for the Forty third
Congress. This date also marks what
the former Speaker always calls his
daughter Genevieve's debut into So
ciety and into politics, for as an in
FAINT of less than three months she
was brought to the House and pre-
sented to some legislators who have
, been her firm friends ever since. Mrs.
Clark has known the furry and
heartache of two wars since she came
to Washington. the Spanish Amer
was her privilege to hear the splendid
GRAFTON in Congress which preceded
| the actual declaration.
There is society in the forming
which deals with the Hottest and
most patriotic purpose, that of OBJ
| tanning some official Endorsement of
national anthem of the land of the
free. The movement gathers impetus,
and struggle is on to engage all
| the presidential candidates and their
| wives and the " P.'s also. For all
practical purposes. the nation has
adopted Francis Scott Keys noble
anthem. but the fact remains that it
is usage only and not law.
| 1t seems the constitutional con-
vention not only failed to present a
United States of America, but also to
designate the power to Congress or
to the States. consequently for 133
years the people have sung first one
prompted Some friendly critics, like
/ the late Lady Henry Somerset
deemed the lack of properly au-
thorized national hymn a grave de-
feet, which made for the loss Of
ideals and slngleness of purpose.
should stamp THE Star spangled
| Banner as worthy to be accented
officially as the national ode all
would be well. and Americans who
| show such respect for the hymn will feel
additional comfort in sustaining such
/ high Endorsement.
From the earliest years since
American diplomacy has figured with
the older nations ministers of the
United States have been embarrassed
masters to name their national air
John Bigelow scandalized q suave
but pompous leader by CURLY de-
claring that his country did not pos
sess one unless it was Yankee Doc
die, and this was not exactly accept
able to Britain of that day. Mark
Twain during his lengthy residence
at Bonn, while engaged on "a
Tramp Abroad" told the leader of a
German band that he could not name
his national song with any degree Of
certainty, because styles changed in
his land, and that at the moment of
sailing he believed the Sweet BY
land-Ry" held the popular regard
Everybody who has been abroad
can recall that after a medley of all
countries the United States was just
as likely to be represented by "Old
Folks at Home" or My Old Ken
lucky Home" as by Yankee Doodle"
or "Dixie." and it Is within the last
seven years that the band of an Ital-
ian warship in New York. with every
appearance of having learned the
right thing to do at last. struck up
'There'll Be Hot Time in the Old
Town Tonight" when the mayor
lstepped aboard.
The society for the naming of '-The
Star Spangled Banner" as the accepted
and officially Endorsed national hymn
will soon be heard from in every part
Of the country. and great scrolls OF
names who desire this measure will
roll for the inspection of the candi-
dates.
Senator James Duval Phelan. a. q
rest after the theless activity cen-
Injected with politics and the enter
tanning Of friends, has been playing the
lhost to a number of foreign acquaint-