Evening star., 1923-08-22
TALKS and TALES
With and about
CAPITALS GUESTS

ham. Hotel and. bit twice on his after
luncheon cigar when asked to ex-
press an opinion on conditions In
Europe.
"The condition of domestic business
In Europe. with the exception of the
industrial paralysis of Germany, is
good" he finally said. Remember,
L say domestic business advisedly,
for ! refuse to express an opinion on
the political situation. The export
business in all countries, of course,
is tremendously disturbed.
France Is hard at work. Individ-
ually, every Frenchman Is well off
and only asks to be let alone. Crops
are fine and the farmers are having
a good year.
while this condition is not quite
so pronounced in England, tho
Britisher is going along on an even
keel. There has been much hue and
CRY about the 1,250.000 unemployed
are that for the past twenty years
there has always been nearly that
many out of work on the island, and
the dispensing of the dole Is not
! much OF an Incentive to the confirmed
idler to get job.
"Agriculturally. Germany is going
along well. Crops are extremely fine,
and for the first time the German
farmer is buying talking machines.
pianolas and the like. He realizes
troubles, but keeps to his work. 1t
IS in the industrial centers, where
the mark is practically valuless, that
the pinch is felt. Unless man can
produce something of value to trade
to the farmer he is almost in hope
less condition.
The electrical business is excep-
tionally good in all European coun-
tries. The economic condition forces
rigid conservation of resources. and
appreciating the value of electricity
toward this end, the people are de-
pending upon 1t more than ever. 1t
would be stating a fact to say that
the electrification of railroads in proc
ess and prospect in Europe at pres
ent is much greater than in the
United States"
Having just returned from a private
interview with President Coolidge,
Mr.. Young was asked his personal
opinion of the new Chief Executive.
Again his teeth went into the big
Havana, a. couple of smoke rings en-.
circled the air, and he said: 1.-The man
with clearness Of vision. simp mpiicity Of
mind and character, unselfish devotion
to his job is bound to make a success
of the Office of the President of the
United States-a1i these attributes
are striking characteristics of Presi-
dent Coolidge"
Leaving Mr.. Young to finish his
smoke, the writer hurried to the door
only to run head-on into Homer l..
Ferguson, president of the Newport
News shipbuilding Company. who
was asked to say something about
conditions in general.
Il suppose you want something
optimistic" smiled the genial Fir-
| giania constructor.
'Twould make it much nicer"
grinned the inquisitor. "Hows ship
building"
"Oh. you're looking for material for
the funny page" came back with a
Not at all. Mr.. Ferguson. Serious
! business. Why say that?"
Because" laughed the Newport
News man. ut would take more than
a supeeroptimist to say anything
cheerful about shipbuilding right
now. We are doing quite a little
freight car construction at present.
| turning out about seventeen freight
cars day. and between that and
talking about the selection of C.
Bascom Slemp as secretary to the
President, whom we all know to
be an efficient officer. manage to keep
/ busy during thesa dark days"
| A quick scurry was then made
around to the Hotel La Fayette. where
Representative Harris J. Bix1ey of
the twenty-eighth district of Penn
| sylvania. was discovered in the far
end Of the lobby looking quite glum.
Any trouble up old Johnsonburg
way, congressman? was hurled at
the Pennsylvanian. who is director
or the New York and Pennsylvania
Paper Company, the mammoth con-
Germ of the Curtis Publishing Com
pany which furnishes paper for the
Saturday Evening Post, Ladies' Home
Journal and many other magazines
and books.
Indeed there is trouble" replied
| the director. We want water. There
has been an awful scarcity OF rain
this summer, which greatly hampers
our work, and now / receive tele-
gram from my constituents de-
manding that place a rider on Sena-
tor Magnus Johnson's bill callin6 for
a raise in the price of wheat, calling
for legislation to compel the clouds
to weep"
Mr.. Bixley explained that owing to
! the drought and an inefficient water
, shed. there was shortage of nearly
20.00o.00O gallons Of water a day at
the mills. and that we'll water was
being resorted to to help matters out.
This condition is retarding a capacity
output of paper. which, with orders
on hand, could be easily disposed of.
The representative said that all
people in his section were strong for
President Coolidge, and feel that his
mere presence in the White House
will prevent the anthracite coal strike.
But even If there is a strike" con-
tinued Mr.. Bixley, "it will not be
Sixty-five per cent of the winters
anthracite orders have already been
filled. The greater part OF these have
gone to New England, which Is
duction of bituminous coal. in a pinch
| the rest of the country can pull
! through without much suffering"
The representative will pay his
respects to President Coolidge today.
Crowdng the lobby Of the hotel as
! the above interview was being held
were sixty-one happy tourists from
Cleveland and Akron. Ohio. here on
one of the mum erous four-day trips
4 specially arranged by the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad. The party was In
charge of ]. C. Strickenburg, division
| passenger agent of the Baltimore and
Ohio, and Immediately after being
allotted rooms proceeded to see the
| interesting sights of the city.
! Never before have the railroads of
the country given such service as is
moreover, the distribution of freight
! traffic Is more regular and service
better now than at any period in
the history OF the carriers. This was
by Edward W. Chambers, Vice pres
ident in charge OF traffic of the Atch-
ison. Topeka and Santa Fe railroad.
az he sat In his room OF the Hotel
| Washington.
| Mr.. Chambers Is In Washington on
matters of business with the Inter-
state Commerce Commission, and was
loud in praise of his own road, which
runs from Chicago to San Francisco.
thence to Los Angeles and back
through Texas. covering fourteen
| states.
Outside of a slight discomfort
among farmers in some of the. mid