Evening star., 1925-04-03
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

ordinary interest in the Monroe doc
trine. II Senator Bingham talks
about Monroeism, he'll take a diff
ferent line than he might have done
in 1913. Twelve years ago Bingham,
who has trekked all over South Amer
lea AS an explorer, wrote a book
called The Monroe Doctrine an
Obsolete Shibboleth." A couple of
years later he recantet He came to
the conclusion that the doctrine. far
from being obsolete, is as sacred a
political principle as America espouses.
Bingham's recantation took the form
OF q paper contributed to a series
OF monographs prepared by Clark
University at Worcester. Mass.
The story of a devoted wife's per-
sistent fight for recognition of q de-
ceased husbands services to his coun-
try is recorded in a letter Just ad :
dressed by the Secretary OF the Navy
to Mrs. Charles o. Mas Of New York
City. Secretary Wilbur said:
Section 16 of the bill CHR. 26s8)
providing for sundry matters AZ
fectfng the naval service and for
other purposes" which becomes q
law on March 4. 1925, provides:
That the Secretary OF the Navy
is authorized to supplement- the
military record of the late Lieut..
Comdr. Charles o. Mas, naval
reserve force, to show the volun-
tary service performed by said
Lieut. Comdr. Mas, and accepted
by the Navy Department subse-
quent to the date upon which he
was placed on inactive duty, and
that such acceptance may be
treated as a recall to active serv-
Ice: Provided, That no back pay
or allowances OF any kind shall
accrue as a result of the passage
OF this section"
Commander Mas was q well known
New York lawyer, who offered his
services to the Government directly
we entered the World War. A speak er
OF great charm and power (born In
New orleans), he spoke French fu-
emily, and was detailed to deliver
Americas war message to French au-
diences. Having been assigned to be
an assistant naval attache in the
Paris embassy, Mas eventually wrote
The History of the ONCE of the
Naval Attache, American Embassy
Paris" He died in France in 1919 nj
illness brought on by war labors. For
f1ve years, session after session. hi,
widow sat in the galleries Of Congress
at washington, awaiting legislative
recognition. now given, Of her hus.
bands war service.
x X X x
A screamingly funny story Of .
typographical error, of which Mrs
Coolidge is at once the heroine and
the victim, is going the rounds. Some.
body who knowns her we'll told nm
Interviewer that she is not only the
first, but the ''loveliest,". lady Of ,ths
land. The printers devil got In his
deadly work, and made 1t read "the
liveliest lady Of the land" II there
ever was q more vivacious White
House mistress. than Grace Goodhue
Coolidge, history has forgottenl to
record it.
Word comes to Washington through
q Red grapevine channel that Soviet
Russia will not consent" to treat
with the United States on recognition
except on one important condition
That condition is that the United
States acknowledge Russia's claim to
war damages" caused by the An,eri.
can Army in Siberia in 1913. No fig
ures are mentioned. but, juIging by
the same kind of claim" the bolshe-
visits submitted to Great Britain. II
would wipe out several times over
the $80o.o0o,0o0 of American property
the Soviet confiscAted, to say nothine 2
of the 1881, 100000 of war debt Russia
owes us. John Bull scoffed at the
Reds claim" for war damages and
Uncle Sam would laugh 1t out OF
court, too, II It were ever presented
(Copyright, fo18)