Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-03
Heard and Seen

| Most people have heard of radio
fans" but how about hearing fanso"
There is a set of persons in Wash
'hGton who make a regular business
! OF attending congressional hearings.
| much as there is d class in every city
that consistently go to police court
day after day.
lnese hearings fans have been hay-
| ing the time Of their lives recently. 1t
can be imagined
! What with the Teapot Dome hear
ing ana the hearing on the reorganf-
EATON OF the government depart
| nents. with few other miscelIa
neous hearings going on in the Sem
ate office building. the fans have
| been overjoyed -
Most of these enthusiasts are wor-
en-. although there are men. too. They
scamper from one hearing to another
much as schoolgirls go from soda
FOUNTAIN to soda fountain on a hot
summer day.
ihose who participated in the ses-
sion will hear a big door open. and in
Will pop the fan. She will get good
seat listen intently. then finally go
out carefully. bound for some other
| hearing. This one wasn't exciting
enough.
Stenographers who record the pro-
ceedings know all the old "standbvs"
by sight The hearings fans have
been attending hearings for years on
end. To them it is recreation and
work all rolled into one.
! The triumph of the fan comes at
the adjournment of session. she
| walks Up to some distinguished sena-
| tor. and. as if he were an old friend.
| gives him bit of advice upon the
situation.
10 watch the senator back away. at
the same time taking care not to of
| reno the fan in any way, is worth 60
ing miles to see.
i That capable officer, Maj. Gen. Lam
sing II. Beach. chief Of engineers had
some real business before a congress
sional committee last week when he
spoke against the proposal to remove
the rivers and harbors work from the
Corps of Engineers of the Army.
Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi
asked Gen. Beach if he believed the
engineers could have done their ey-
tensive work in France if they had
/
! in the United States.
! Certainly not" was Gen. Beach's
| story:
Over in France one day two engi-
| neers met. young Army engineer
and famous civil engineer. The lat
ter was many years older than the
| Army engineer. and had the advan-
! tage of him in large construction and
nation-w fame. But he did not
alfnDafh dar
! lens. though he wore the uniform.
/; Thinking to twit the young engi-
neer, the famous man asked him how
| he would construct q bridge across a
| certain stream.
| The Army officer said that he would
! tear down certain houses near the
! river. and then proceed in a certain
way.
| After the young officer had finished.
| the civil engineer smiled. and said he
| done. He then launched into an elab-
| crate description, building a fine
bridge indeed.
THAT would be a wonderful bridge"
acknowledged the young Army officer.
| But you have forgotten one thing"
What is that?" asked the older
man.
| "Your bridge would not be ready for
| week. replied the other, whereas
troops would be passing over my
I bridge by daylight"
/
X x
| Radio fans are wondering whe Their
/ the use of fiagpoles as antennae sup
port is legitimate.
One fan declares that he has seen a
| dagpole in use as an aerial support.
! the wire in no way interfering with
( the lowering or hosting of the flag.
But If one wishes to follow out the
| best views as to the treatment Of the
! flag. a pole used to bear the national
| emblem perhaps ought not to be used
| as any part of a radio receiving sys-
! tenn.
Treat the flag as you would your
mother" is the gist of the War De-
! partment's instructions. fThe staff is
SO closely connected with the flag
that 1T would appear inappropriate,
! from the standpoint of sentiment, to
hitch copper wires to it. especially
1 from the top.
| In most neighborhoods no new
antenna is erected in a back yard
without being passed on by the Of
| fetal aerial inspection committee.
| This committee Is composed Of the
n