Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-06-16

There will be no excuse for ques-
tioning Washington's ability to take
good care of the national conven-
tions of both, or several, political
parties, since the record in connec-
ton with the perfect handling of the
Shriners. If President Harding's en-
tire plurality should come as a
clacque, does anybody fear they
would not be welcomed? Pennsyl-
vania avenue. with its alnplifiers,
would make an excellent convention
hall. Chairman Adams would feel
at home in the Garden of Allah--or
Garden of Eden. as. in his honor. 1t
might be renamed. Supt of Police
Sullivan points with pride to the
demonstration made during Shrine
week that there are no snakes" in
our garden.
Besides, this is neutral territory,
not being in the franchise district,
where party strife is said to promote
discord. Washingtonians are the
neutralest Americans that ever ex-
listed. They are SO neutral that they
are unsophisticated as to party diff
ferences and would welcome one
party as cordially as any other, if
not more SO. In fact. they lean back
ward in their proud impartiality.
Why not hold all the conventions at
once? No pent-up Utica is Washing
ton, but a city of magnificent dis
tances.
If the one-way streets become per-
manent the Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Association purposes to estab-
fish free bus lines to cover the barred
district and bring in their customers.
There are some city planners who
persist in believing that an elevated
promenade over the middle of the
street would relieve the congested
regions more effectively by releasing
the present sidewalks and broadening
the way for automobiles. Bridges
would connect the elevated prone
made with second-story entrances to
stores or to narrow stairs or in
clined planes to ground floor en-
frances. There would be no danger
Gus street crossings, for the prone
nades would span them above all
wheeled traffic.
A humorous writer. discussing SUBJ
ways in New York says: This town
is built in layers like a chocolate
put subways underground. Must be
ashamed of them" When cities be-
gin building elevated promenades
over the heads Of automobile riders
pedestrians will regain their pride
and self-rcspect as they gaze down
in a supercilious air at the folks who
han
*
Washington can beat Siam. Here
after, this city will be famous for its
salutatory twins Louise and Miles
Flint are twin brother and sister. They
are graduating together from Friend
ship Heights High School. and they tied
on their scholastic status. in the matter
of the right to deliver the ealutatory
address. 1t was proposed that they
should deliver joint address. That is
what the Samese twins would have had
to do, if they had delivered any. The
school authorities planned that Louise
should open and her brother close. That
shows all they know about the tradi-
ticnal last word for femininity. But
| Miles yielded his rights to his sister, and
later was assigned to deliver a patriotic
! Speech-Salutary, but not salutatory.
x X X
A London physician asserts that any
person who contracts any disease is tc
be condemned as fool, rather than be
pitied as a victim.
If that is true, then environment cuts
no figure in causing disease, exposure
! to floating germs in the air is not q
cause of disease. the eating of ptomaine
poison, even under apparently sanitary
conditions, is an act Of folly" rather
than one attributable to laxness OF
measures to guard the public.