Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-18
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM KIyE

Not since Julius Kahn, Republican.
became the advocate of the draft law
in the House has Capitol Hill wit
messed the spectacle presented on De-
cember IT, when Claude A. Swanson,
Democrat, fired the opening gun in
the World Court fight. Kahn was
chief protagonist of a Democratic ad-
ministration measure. Swanson es-
sayed that role in behalf of a Repub-
iican administration proposal. There
was peculiar appropriateness in the
chain of circumstances that flung the
Virginia Senator into the breach as
spokesman for a Calvin Coolidge pro-
gram. No man in Congress was clos
err to Woodrow Wilson than the SEN
ior Senator from the Old Dominion.
They were fellow Virginians. They
| We're close friends. They saw eye
to eye on the war Presidents foreign
policies, especially the League Of Ma
tons. Swanson has had a long and
meritorious career in the service of
his State. He sat in the House of
Representatives for six terms, was
governor for four years, and has been
in the Senate continuously since 1911.
In the election of November, 1915, Vir-
GINA reelected Swanson without op-
position.
Some Of the Woodrow Wilson old
guard are indignant over the reluc-
lance Of Senate Democrats to concede
even q blood relationship between the
World Court and the league. The
Wilsonians think 1t would be a far
more dignified spectacle for league
Democrats to go down fighting for a
league court" than to gain the day
by the strategy Of disavowing the
courts parentage. Their argument is
10 10 oh
temporarily be rejected as the crea-
ture and ward of the covenant. the
day Is dawning when the United
States will join the league and. auto
matically, the court, too. So the
guardians of Woodrow Wilson's ira
ditions deplore that Senator Swan
son and his brother Democrats have
not nailed league colors to the mast
frankly and unafraid. and determined
to rise or fall with them during the
court fight. Any other tactics-aver
the Wilsonians-are hypocritical
X X X X
In the Presidents nomination. OF
Charles W. Hunt Of Iowa to be fall
term member Of the Federal Trade
Commission there is more than meets
the eye. To many politicians it savors
of a throwing down of the gauntlet by
Calvin Coolidge to his opponents IN
the American Farm Bureau Fedora.
ton. When given a recess appoint
ment last Spring, Mr.. Hunt was secre.
tary of the Iowa Farm Bureau Fed
Grafton. He ranks as an ultra.con-
sentative in the farm movement and
an enemy of the radical" school
which wants McNary-Haugen legisla.
ton. 1t is said to be within the range
Of possibilities that Senator Norris of
Nebraska, Republican progressive,
who is chairman Of the Senate com.
mittee on agriculture, will scrutinize
Hunts confirmation with some care.
Since he Joined the Federal Trade
Commission the Iowan has gone along
with the majority "stand-patters''
against the "go-getters" of the mill.
tant Thompson.Nugent minority.
The King and Queen Of Spain are
likely to lodge protest at washing.
ton against the retirement OF Alex.
andcr P. Moore as American AmbaS-
sador in Madrid. The former Pitts
bursh publisher and husband Of the
late Lillian Russell is immensely
popular at Alfonso's court. No one
ever threw such gorgeous parties
in their honor as Moore organizes
periodically for their Spanish mates-
ties. Famed jazz orchestras and Amer.
lean dancers from smart Paris cab
arets are among the star features of
the festivities when royalty Is the Am
~ R{oy