Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-11
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLI4N VILE

Washington has become its political
| self again with speed almost I'M
precedented. Congress has not been
in session a week, yet the scene al
ready is alive with paramount issues,
party strife and aX-Grinders of every
age, sex and previous condition OF dis
content. The session, il is now plain.
VIII briStle to its end with politics of
high and low degree. Nearly every
body will plot and plan with view TO
1926. What happens in Washington
| between now and next Summer may
decide the fate of parties and of states
men, not only at the impending con
gressional elections. but in the presi-
dental campaign of 1928. When the
| new tax bill is out Of the way. the
non partisan and bipartisan truce
which made it possible will come to
an end. mo quarter" will be the
WatchWord thenceforward. OF such is
the kingdom of American politics on
| the threshold of a biennial fight for
the control of Congress.
Politicians aver that the testing
time of Calvin Coolidge'S capacity for
party leadership has arrived. For the
first time he has on his hands a House
and Senate that confront him as Pres
ident in his own right. They came
into office by grace of the ballot when
he came-in November, 1924. Cool
idge policies fashioned by the man
from Massachusetts, and not inherited
from preceding regime, are at stake.
Big-stick business is not in Coolidge's
line. He never INDUCES in "Roose-
welt STUFF to accomplish his purpose.
His critics say 1t is not in him. even
II he believed i'll strenuous methods.
But the Presidents record is not de
void Of sledge- hammer blows at psy-
Geological moments. If he is caught
in jam with Congress, admirers are
confident he will hit out, and hit hard.
Mr.. Coolidge's closest confidantes-
men like Butler, Stearns and Morrow
never know what the President is
going to do until he gets ready to co
, it. SO the country is admonished to
be ready for Coolidge surprises when
! ever the emergency demands them.
The Democrats no longer will unduly
spare the Presidents feelings. His
| honeymoon is over, as far as they re
concerned, and the great scolds of the
Senate minority-Harrison, Reed, Car.
| away, ct al.-will soon blaze away at
him. But Calvin Coolidge is worry
proof.
This observer travelled West on the
| Chicago-bound Coolidge special. These
periodical train journeys of the Pres.
| ident are not back-slapping eXpedi
| tons. He isn't much of a fraternizer
| During the IS hours between the Pc.
tomac and Lake Michigan. Mr.. Cool.
| idge was visible to his travelling com,
panions only at dinner and breakfast
| time. On those occasions he INDUCES
n mOnosyllabic conversation with the
| dining car steward, but the inter.
course has to do exclusively with the
business in hand. The President is an
apostle of concentration. At meals he
devotes himself to food, at least when
awheel. Men who tour regularly with
Mr.. Coolidge say that he prefers the
dining car society of his wife to that
of anybody else. They invariably eat
| together and alone.
] X x X X
| Watched the President read his
morning paper, the early edition of a
Chicago journal sent a couple of hun
dred miles down the line Coolidge
turned first to the back page filled
with news pictures. He studied it in
| tently while his order of orange Juice
country sausage, toast and coffee was
| on the way. 1t was five minutes be
| fore the President betook himself to
page |, with the big stuff of the day
tbeneath :streamef" headlines. Then