The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-25
1CIDErLTCHTS faL aE Ac5l
 AN ANNATIONAL FI| NJ CAPITAL Egsl;


 With all Europe on the verge of destruction, with the farmers of America undergoing the plumber of a profiteers' tariff withS the president employing all his power to bring order out of the prohibit ton. chaos, it would appear that American statesmen, making com plaint, would be moved only by matters of supreme importance.
 Representative Fred A. Brittep of Illinois recently returned to the United States from a European voyage. Abroad he saw all the conditions of misery which had moved his colleagues who pre- ceded him. To them he had little if anything to say. But he had a complaint to register. He was exceedingly wrought up, and with great bitterness declared indigna- tion because, according to his statement, the menu in use on the Leviathan was printed in French,
 MT. Britten told his troubles to the Associated Press, and received widespread publicity. He carried his complaint to the president. He talked of the "deplorable" situa- tion on the streets of Washing ton, and in the corridors of the house office building.
 And then he wrote letter to Chairman Farley of the shipping board. He protested against an American subservience" to the French. He declared that many Americans, including himself. were unable to select, with intel ligent discrimination, the dishes they wished to devour. He whim- sically added that some of the walters were equally in the dark, and were unable to tell the guests what this or that French express sion really stood for when trans lated into good American.
 Well, well, we'll Farley. must have smiled when he received the Britten communication. But in answering he followed the un- usual procedure and was most polite and courteous and patient. At the same time. he explained the situation so satisfactorily that if any Americans had previously partaken of the Britten excite ment, they were doubtless com- posed. The French menu is used in one of the dining rooms, and there are many on the Leviathan. It was readily deducible that no American need be embarrassed while travelling on the great American vessel becouse of an ignorance of the French lam guage. All that he would have to do would De to patronize some other cafe.
 MT. Farley did agree with Brit ten that walters assigned to the French restaurant should be able properly to interpret the menu, and 1t is reasonable to suppose that when MT. Britten again goes abroad this item of his general complaint will be eliminated.
 It is a weakness. perhaps, on the part of Americans that on extraordinary occasions they pre- fer to conduct themselves in an extraordinary manner, and be guided in their everyday deport- ment by extraordinary rules.
 There is little question but that he who, while at home, delights in corned beef and cabbage, would, if aboard the Leviathan, patronize the French restaurant. And even if he did hesitate because of an unfamiliarity with the French language, it is a certainty that his wife would force him to enter the "fashinoable" precincts.
 So the French restaurant will continue to exist, and continue to be a restaurant of profit. A thousand Brittens with their cyn- ical observations would be unable to force change in human~ na- ture as it does exist.
 But the point of the story is that Britten, after observing Flu rope, saw nothing to report. It was only after he had sat down to a meal on the transport home that he found problem of serious enough proportions to appeal to the ear of the high authorities of the nation.
 The average member of the house is charged with making the laws for the control of the peo- pie.
 But perhaps Britten is not an average" member.