Evening star., 1925-02-16
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE

the best faith. That is because "the
President OF the United States II
never quoted" Quotation, some think
would be better than contradictory
Interpretation.
- 81
During the week preceding DR.. Jar
dimes appointment as Secretary OF
Agriculture. after the patronage bat.
tie OF the century. there was the
loudest anvil chorus that ever re-
sounded at the White House.
Exactly 172 candidates competed for
the agricultural portfolio, and. as this
observer is veraciously assured, there
were no fewer than 172 sets, xroups
and combinations Of Knockers
Their respective knives grew sharper
from week to week, and. ~ the prtsi-
Dental decision approached. were
welded with Increasing fury and
ruthlessness. Mr.. Coolidge finally had
before him about AZ many "roas,s
for A, b and c n he had boosts. -
President Harding once said that his
cruelest disillusionment in the White
House was the lengths to which men
would go to prevent somebody selse
from getting job they wanted.
~
George Alexander Parks, who is To
be Governor Of Alaska, 10 certain, be-
cause he's a mining engineer by pro-
unexplored and unexpected mineral
wealth of our great Arctic domain.
Oil Is one Of the undevAloped re.
sources Of Alaska, OF which more IA
sure to be heard in the immediate fu-
ture. Not long ago Philip Sidney Smith of
the United States Geological Survey
completed an exhaustive investigation
Of Alaskan oil possibilities. They
are destined some day to rival the
sushers Of our petroliferous South
west. Mr.. Parks appointment to the
Alaskan sovernorship is sirnidcant
of the administration's hopes and
plans for our territory farthest north.
Since the paragraphers, cartoonists
and congressional jokesn1iths began
making hay out Of President Cool
idge's electrical hobby horse. politi-
clans have been speculAting about the
power Of ridfcule to harm a public
man. The consensus OF opinion Is
that if Mr.. Coolidge's mechanical nag
had been trotted out during the cam
pa!gn the story might have had in :
calculable effect on his election pros
poets. Now, friend and foe agree, the
President Is too strongly intrenched
in public esteem to be hurt by the
Incident. Ben" Butler never lived
down the stolen spoons yarn that was
hung on him. and James @. Blaine
more than once deplored Bob" In.
gersolTs description Of him as "the
plumed knight" But Washfngto.
mans do not recall, On the whole, that
ridicule ever ruined . career. They
are persuaded that Calvin Coolidge
will survive his hobby horse.
X 4 \ X
Let no one run away with the
notion that the Prince Of Wales is
going to the Argentine solely on ac-
count of tango and other specialties
for which Buenos Aires Is famed. His
royal highness' Junket 10 essentially
q business trip for John Bull. When
the prince toured the British Empire
he was described rs IAN ambassador or
Of empire" This South American
voyage finds him, almost avowedly, 4
British commercial traveller. Our
trade officials In Warrington have
word that the British Agricultural
implement industry has detailed Z
special representative to accompany
the prince. ~ an ideal opportunity
to advertise British made harvsstArs.
reapers, mowers and tractors.
(CopynsAt, lsc5.l