Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21

Calvin Coolidge just INDUCED in his
maiden frivolity since he became Presi-
dent of the United States. 1t con-
sisted of going to a musical comedy at
ia Washington theater-a regular
rollicking Broadway girl show" of
the kind known in the profession as a
7. Il. NJ. attraction. i. e., something
for the Tired Business Man. Mr..
Coolidge's attendance was noteworthy
for another reason. a thousand or
two of his fellow-citizens now have
eyewitness evidence of his ability to
laugh and enjoy himself. Not n wise
crack during the whole evening failed
TO eXtort Il broad presidential grin,
and, now and then, an honest-to- good
ness giggle. Once when a comedian
handed Il wad of money to a fair gold
digger and told her to blow it in on
anything-bet on a Democrat" Mr..
Coolidge not only laughed, but nearly
rocked with glee. A serious play or
two and occasional visits to vaude.
vile performance hitherto have been
the Presidents only theatrical diver.
sions. Now that he has clapped his
hands at the Capers of a beauty chorus
and applauded a tuneful jazz melody,
Mr.. Coolidge is on the way to becom-
ing a full-fedged lover.
But only superoptimists think he will
ever De a ONES ran.
X !: X
The politicians have scored another
victory over those who are trying to
create a professional diplomatic serv-
ice. The appointment of Ogden H.
Hammond, New Jersey real estate
operator, to be American Ambassador
to Spain is a patronage appointment,
pure and simple. 1t was made over
the heads of at least two career
eligibles, Irwin B. Laughln of Penn
sylVania. now Minister to Greece, and
Robert Petit Skinner of Ohio. consul
general at Paris. Senator Edge, Re
publican, of New Jersey, accomplished
the Hammond appointment, which is
a reward for meritorious G.. o. 2.
service in that State. AS to Mr..
Hammond's equipment for the Madrid
amba Ssa dorShip. nothing derogatory
| can be said. He is a Yale man. a
successful business man and possessed
of the check book required of his for
eign ENJOYS by niggardly Uncle
Sam. But the policy underlying the
new foreign service law-that of en-
couraging men to devote their lives
to the service in the hope of some day
achieving major posts-is sadly
crumpled by bestowing ambassador
ships upon deserving partisans.
Some extraordinarily interesting
correspondence recently took place be-
! tween the War Department and the
German military authorities. Count
de Chambrun's book of French war
memoirs narrated how a. United
States Marine, taken prisoner by the
Germans in 1918, was asked by his
captors to explain just exactly what
sort of military theory is drilled into
the American soldier. The leather
neck according to the published story,
Strengthened himself up to his full
stature, looked the Semi-circle of grim
German officers straight in their eyes,
and replied, Kill or get killed. The
episode was so impressive that
the War Departments historians de-
cided to check up on it. The German
war office, after searching their in
telligence service files, located the in
cident. 1t was true in every reported
| detail AS evidence thereof, the Ger
mans gave our military attache in
Berlin a photostat of the original
cross-examination of Gen. Lejeune's
hard-boiled understudy.
X X x
It's fitting that a japanese Ambas-
sador serving at Washington during
the Coolidge era should recall the
historic ties that unite Nippon and
New England. When Mr.. Matsudaira
addressed the Japan Society of Bos-
ton the other day, he recalled that New
England educators, diplomatists and
seafaring men were among the ear
| lest of American pioneers in the mys-
| tic Eastern realm that Admiral Perry
| opened to the world. President Cool
| idge sent note to the meeting, in
which he observed that New Eng
| lands early and continued contacts
with the Far East in trade, scholar
! ship and craftsmanship make it .ap-
propriately fitting that society in