Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-10-17
Washington
Briefs


| WASHINGTON. Oct 17.-Except for
the high regard in which the President
and Secretary Hughes hold his services
/ at the State Department, Henry T.
/ Fletcher unquestiOnabIy would command
| influential support for the Pennsylvania
Senatorship vacated by the death Of Mr.
/ Knox.
/ The Undersecretary Of State geograph-
! ically and politically is scund-he halls
! from Chambersburg, which is neither
eastern nor western, but central Penn
sylvania, ana his organization Repub-
licanism, is rock ribbed.
Mr.. Fletcher was much admired by
Senator Knox and enjoys, too, the es-
TEEN Of Senator PenrOse. Both Penn
sylvania Senators heartily Endorsed Mr.
Hardings desire to give Mr.. Fletcher
a high place in the Admin stration. His
friends believe the TndersecTetary Is
bound to be q factor in the election Of
Senator Knox's successor, no matter who
temporarily obtains the seat. At present
Mr.. Fletcher's thought, time and ener-
giles are concentrated on the important
duties with which Secretary Hughes likes
to entrust him, particularly those con
cerned with the armament conference.
/. Announcement IS momeutarily expected
Of the appointment Of a publicity direc-
tor" for the Conference on Limitation Of
Armaments. The hope Of the newspaper
fraternity in Washington is that he win
prove to lie a man Of practical journals
tic experience, with something more than
bureaucratic interests IN giving the
American press real news Of the transcen-
dent events about to develop on the Po-
tomac. The frankness with which Sec
rotary Hughes and his staff at the State
Department hitherto have dealt with the
conference situation justides tie hope
that the official presently to be named
will be worthy Of his job and title. &
There was no more interested spec
tator than Edwin DENLY, Secretary Of
the Navy, IN the vast throng that
watched the middieS sink the tiger at
the Annapolis Princeton football game on
Saturday. Mr.. DENLY himself IN the
late n,neties was football star Of the
first magnitude. when he was the husky
center OF the University OF Michigan
team. The secretary Is Of grldiron pro
portions, with height Of feet 3 inches
and $50 pounds Of avordupols. Mr..
DENLY rooted right royalty as the Navy
hroads!ded the Princeton line, ably sec
onded in his enthusiasms by jounty Adj
miraI Wilson, superintendent OF the
?
OF operations. Senators Poindexter and
Hale Of the Naval Affairs Committee OF
the Senate were on hand. too, and Cap
tain Bailey, r. ", British naval at
tache attended his first American foot
ball game. II was 4 joyous day at An
napohs.
There viii be an imposing grand en-
trance 10 the Department Of State during
81 Ia
southern exposure Of the State, War
ana Navy BuildnE-ancient example Of
the MauSard Roof school Of American
Arch}tocture-there always has been
broad set Of granite sters leading direct
IL to the State Department wing. For
eight or ten years they have been in dis
use. They now are to be restored, in
a utllitarian sense, because they look out
directly upon Potomac Park and Seven
tenth street. with the Pan American
building. scene Of the conference. n the
foreground three or four hundred yards
away \ wag suggests the steps are
steep enough to render breathless any
I prime minister or conference delegate
who goes 10 the State Department in
argumentative or combative mood.
John c. Ferguson, for many years an
American adviser 10 the Chinese govern
ment. has arrived in Washington from
Picking to serve in that capacity at the
conference on Far EASTER affairs. Rob
crit Lansing will head the formidable ar
ray Of American counselors at the cnr-
mand Of the Chinese delegation. For resi-
dental and social representation Dur
poses. China has leased one Of the IN
pressive private homes of Washington,
the residence of Mrs. Francis Moran, In
! the sheridan Circle quarter Of Massachu-
sets avenue The Chinese headquarters.
which f. just around the corner from the
Woodrow Wilson home. contains fifty
rooms. twelve baths. and a ballroom
capable Of seating COO persons at R state
dinner Twenty of the leading members
of the Chinese delegation viii live there
Postmaster General Hays Is wearing
the middle finger Of his right hand in
a baudaCe. It is a casualty resultant
from last weeks handshaking with the
first. second. third and four class post
masters. and their sisters and their
cousins ana their aunts, who were in
convention in Washington. President
Harding has learned how to avoid glad
hand paralysis by grabbing the out
stretched palm before the visitor has q
chance to turn the trick. Vice President
Coolidge. while Governor of Massachu-
sets. and during the 1920 national cam
paign. carried a supply Of surgical tape
for use on uper-handshaking occasions
Copyright, 1921, by Public Ledger Com
pany.