Evening star., 1923-09-14
TALKS and TALES
With and Abouts as
CAPITALS GUESTS

With the eyes Of the universe tenn
porarily diverted from European
squabbles to the much -talked-of in
ternational conflict at the Polo
Grounds. New York, it is perfectly
in keeping with the day to fash
here a little story told at a meeting
of the Kiwanls Club in the Wash
ington Hotel by Frederic William
Vile, the newspaper writer, which
has to do with one of the principals.
Acting as pinch-hitter for the
scheduled speaker that failed to ma
teriallze, the correspondent prefaced
his impromptu address on world events
by saying he felt like Jack Dempsey
when the fighter was called upon for
a few words at a banquet given him
in London by the late Lord North
cliffe.
THE place was crowded with the
cream of London's sporting world"
said Mr.. VILE. Lord Northclifre and
others had welcomed the American
pugilist with elaborate addresses, and
finally il came time for the mighty
jack to respond. slowly rising, with
the red showing back of his ears,
Dempsey fioundered about for a min
ute. grabbed at the air several times
and then said:
Gentlemen, public speaking ain't
in my line. But being d fighter, I
feel it duty to do my best, and on
behalf of my profession lemme say,
can lick any man in this room"
Aud at last a comprehensive report
on just now California republicans
regard President Coolidge and his
succession to the presidency has
George +. Darrow of the seventh
Philadelphia district, who but re-
Gently returned from a two-month
cruise to Haiti, the Panama canal
and Pacific coast as a member of the
House committee on naval affairs. and
who is stopping for a few days at the
Hotel Raleigh.
After landing 1 made il my par
ticular business to interview public
officials. prominent business men and
those of standing in every city, town
and hamlet / visited, and the uni
versal opinion, out there is that Mr.
Coolidge is afsafe, sane and evenly
balanced executive, a splendid type OF
American and the right man in the
right place. Chairman Crocker of the
republican national committee from
that state was most enthusiastic over
the President, and said the country
was lucky to have had such a man to
step into the shoes of the late Presi-
dent" was the gist of a lengthy state
ment given by the Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Darrow was greatly satisfied
with the voyage of the committee,
which was taken on the naval trans
port Shawmont for the purpose of in
Yestigating and studying needs Of the
naval situation on the Pacific coast,
as suggested in the twenty hve-year
naval program drafted by the Navy
Department.
1T was one of the most thorough
Investigations of an exceedingly i'm
portant controversial subject ever
made. I believe" said the congress-
man. "At times, besides members of
the committee, Admiral Koontz of
the American fleet; Admiral Gregory
of the bureau of docks and yards, and
representatives from the bureau of
navigation and the Marine Corps were
aboard. Sessions convened each day
on deck at 10 o'clock in the morning,
and after an hour for luncheon, dis
cusSions were resumed until 4 or 5
o'clock in the .,at;d5 afternoon; There was was
was given the smallest detail"
As ranking member of the commit
tee, Representative Darrow presided
as chairman. at all sessions. After
landing in California the Philadel-
cation projects and other important
land matters. He will call upon the
President before leaving the city.
| EARTHQUAKES occur with no more
frequency in Japan than in certain
parts of Lower, California, or Mexico
and Chilli, according to Andrew Walz,
expert mining engineer, who divides
fifs time Between the Lee House here
and his home in New York city.