Evening star., 1924-05-22

BILE base. This lid of the hunidor is
the roof of the building.
!: *#
Somewhat startling Allegations Of
graft against civil service emploves
| IN washington were made at Boston
this week by a Unitarian clergyman,
the Rev. John H. Dietrich of Mime
apolis. In the course of a review of
recent closures at the Capital DR.
Dietrich declared, on the authority or
"a high Washington official" that
the home of practically every fed
erai employe in Washington contains
government property of some kind.
appropriated without right" The
speaker catalogued stationery. lead
pencils, pens, ink and office supplies
as the sort of government property
Uncle Sans work people systemati-
cally loot The clergyman's moral
was that corruption at Washington is
therefore merely a matter of degree.
The hfgher-ups, he intimated GO in
for naval oil reserves; the lower
downs, for pettier graft. But il is
all of the same kidney, the Rev Mr.
Dietrich avowed and averred. "Ig-
more it or excuse it, as you will he
said. the grim fact is that our
whole national being is infected with
this vulgar spirit"
:: i: 4
Frank A. Vanderlip, who has an
usual means of gathering news in
Washington these days, under
stands" that a man who has had a
career like Col. Arthur Woods IS go
ing to be appointed as William ].
Burns successor. Vanderlip thinks
the former police commissioner of
New York City would be an ideal
chief of the bureau of investigation
at the Department of Justice. Woods
has Massachusetts as a birthplace to
his credit as well as splendid rec
ord, among his claims to Calvin
Coolidge's consideration. Herbert
Hoover thinks highly of him. Woods
helped Hoover in the work of placing
unemployed ex-service men in civil
occupations in 1921, after his own
fighting service in France.
Now it's the ambassadorsh. TO
Japan-another Harding administra-
tion inheritance-which has been left
on the Coolidge doorstep. If Cyrus
E. Woods successor at Toxic is
named this year, he will be the fourth
American envoy there in many
years. Roland S. Morris was ambas-
sador until June, 1921. Charles Is.
Warren served less than two years
ing, and Mr.. Woods has been in Japan
only about year. In addition to the
delicate relations likely to subsist
during the next few years, there's the
earthquake peril, which will make
many an American hesitate to take up
his residence in Toxic. Living condi-
tions there for Americans were never
ideal. Since last years disaster these
have become more uncomfortable
than ever. 1t will be a real patriot
and Spartan who will consent to take
up where Ambassador Woods leaves
off. The name of Senator Medill Nc
Cormick, who will be statesman our
of a job next March, is mentioned.
x X X
Simon Miche1et, long-ti secret
tary of the late Knute Nelson. United
States senator from Minnesota, is the
author of a Republican Fact Book"
crammed with detailed information
about the G. o. p, state by state.
Everything connected with primaries.
conventions, delegates, state govern
ments, congressional elections an.,
what not is there, alphabetically ana
chronologically catalogued PoHr
clans who know the uses of the "for-
eign language vote" will find a gold
dia. He tells you minutely just how
many Italians there are in Louisiana.
how many French Canadians in
Rhode Island; how many Russians i'm
New York. and how many Irish in
Massachusetts,. There's nothing abon,
oil in the. Republican Fact Book,
| The Democrats are going to put it in
tcsesnSht 1aeA,