The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-23
nr n. T. g.

~'~'Ast A3AAef -eNNr " AAAo AAkN -AARAt-@0f
 Washington. July 22.-Now there Is talk Of a new bloc in the next Congress, 1t is to be the Friends of T. R. Bloc" It has been suggested by the number of old TT. R." men who have been winning in tho re- publican primaries, and it will stand behind his policies. Already there are a number of TT. R." atalwarts fin both Senate and House and they are expecting their ranks to be greatly augmented at tho coming elections. Democratic successes here and there may upset some of their plans, but there will be enough for 8 rather militant minority at the worst.
 Talk of the nsw bloc began with the nomination of former Senator Beveridge in Indiana. MT. Bever- idge was one of the intimates of tho late Colonel Roosevelt. He admired everything the colonel did, followed him out of the party and then back in again. To Senator B-veridEs, the king could not do wrong.
 ''The Friends of T. R." movement was given another boost by the vic- tory of Clifford Pinchott in the re- publican gubernatoriai primaries in
 
 ehot's victory could have no im- mediate effect on Congress. CT the Senate in particular, but there is no doubt thaat his unexpected sweep over the machtne put tha T. R. pro- gressives in a buoyant frame of mind. Like Reveridge, FtnG' ct was one of the colonels bosom friends. These two had minds that ran along together without ever tho slightsss bit of friction. They were two mus keteers.
 Next came the Breol heart victory in the Iowa senatorial primary. Colonel Brookheart was not an in- innate of Colonel Roosevelt, but he belonged to the same school of thought and believes in his politics as only the colonel himself could.
 On top of all this has come tho nomination of R D. Howell in the republican sen; .toriai contest in Me- braalxa. MT. Howell was listed under the T. R. banner for life. His admire . tion for the colonel knew no bounds. 9Of course. there is enc little obsta- cle in the way of Mfr. Howell joining the -T. R. Bloc in the next Senate. He has got to defeat Gilbert Hitch cock first and i is rather generally admitted both fin Washington and in the state of the River Platte that to defeat MT. Hitchcock will, in the language of our British cousin. take a bit of doing.
 mate of T. R. in 1912. Is expected to have a rather easy victory In the re- publican primary in California, and if elected in November, as he fully expects to be. will be one of the prime movers, if not the president of the T. R. group.
 And then there is Senator MediIl Mccormick of Chicago. a T. K. man to the very last ditch. There are others less conspicuous. but no less ardent
 The TT. R. Bloc will. 1t is said. be largely sentimental. It has no designs on any particular person or thing. The TT. R. men, simply feei 1t would be good thing for them to stand together. come veal, a power for progressive good in the years to come
 washington has had no moro in- teresttnE visitor recently than Herr Anthony Fl. c. Fokker, who called at the White House last Thursday and who had long talks with num- Der of cabinet officers and other government officials.
 Herr Fokker is none other than the genius who gave the Germans the upper hand in the air almost from the moment the World war started. As neutral, of course, he had the same right to sell airplanes and airplane patents to the Germans that America had to furnish the allies with guns and munitions, but to this day the French have not for given the Dutch inventor and they barred his planes at the last air salon In PariA
 The FNokker planes spread terror along the western battle front and for years held sway which was all but overpowering. It was really rot until 1917 that the allies began to get the better of the battles in the air. Even then the new Fokkers would give no end of trouble. Al ways 1t semed the Germans were just step ahead of the allies. It was 8 sensation when the Germans pre- duced a Folrker that would mako 1bo miles an hour. By the time the allies had matched that speed tho Germans had planes that would make ITO. Day after day word was spread along the allied front in Trance that the Ger mans were giving out of airplane material, that soon they would be unable to manufacture any more air plane engineR But these cheering words nearly always were followed by some daring exploits by tho Ger mans or the finding of new Ger man machine.
 Herr Folsker is thinking of sstab- fishing an airpiane factory fin this country with the idea of turning out both military and commercial planes It is admitted the market for mili-