Evening star., 1926-12-12
GR|D|RON COMEDY
SCORES PRESIDENT
"MaW" Stearns and "PaW"
Butler Get Generous Joshing
at Club Dinner.

| The "Third-Term Baby husky
youngster in swaddling clothes, smok.
ing long black cigar--was intro
duced to the National Capitals best
political circles last night under the
auspices of the Grfdiron Club.
! William M. Butler, chairman of the
Republican national. committee, and
Frank w. Stearns were presented as
the PA. and MA" of the prodigious
infant, in satirical adaptation OF
Eugene o'Neill entitled Desire
Under the Elns of Vermont"
The primary concern Of the New
England parents of the Third-Term
Baby was to protect 1t against
group of farm hands which included
Vice, President Dawes, Speaker Mich
/ Iolas Longworth, Senator Borah, Sen
ator James E. Watson and Frank @.
Lowden, all of whom were accused OF
| having desires which meant no good
to the child. ;.
Members of the famous newspaper
club, at their annual Winter dinner,
were in a rollicking mood from the
moment President Clifford Bergman.
artist of The Star, flashed the flaming
gridiron until President Coolidge was
presented as the guest of honor.
| Shafts Aimed at President.
Their shafts were leveled chiefly at
President Coolidge, his fishing exploits
and his third-term chances, and
Chairman Butler. who was defeated
in Massachusetts,.
| President Bergman did his best to
restrain the roasting impulses of the
club members, vet they ran riot with
/ ell 0f
| leading figures in the Nations public
! life, saying and singing to the faces
| of the heads of the Government
things they do not incorporate in
their Washington correspondence.
| The President, the Vice President,
| the Speaker, the entire Cabinet, Sen
| ators, Representatives. the bench and
the bar. finance, business, professions
were present to laugh with and at
themselves and their associates.
| The Gridiron Club announced in an
opening song it intended to emulate
President Coolidge by going fishing.
State, we'll promise to hook II you
will wait"
To the tune, ION the Riviera" the
club sang:
81 yGs tbe TaI'0 reai white House ious: sort -,
Calvin Coolidge.
With fishing rod in hand
And bait that's sure to land. 80
Where trout-and votes-are waiting you
must stand.
Almost Immediately there was
terrific clatter as large alarm clock
was carried to the stage. gift which
had lust arrived for Vice President
Dawes. The bearers were rebuked
for reviving an old joke about the
Vice President having been asleep
when he was needed to cast the de-
Gliding vote in the Warren case.
THAT isn't the point" said one.
! ''The Republican majority will be so
| slim in the next Senate, the Vice
! President may have to break a tie
every few minutes and the sender of
this clock wants the Vice President to
| stay awake" He was asked who had
sent II. He read the card:
| Yours hopefully, Calvin Coolidge
"Desire Under the Elms Of Vermont" F"
Soon thereafter the sun began to
set on the Vermont hills and the
farm hands returned from the fields
Dawes, Lowden, Longworth, Borah
and Watson.
Suns having a hard time shining
through them Clouds" Borah said.
Yep. it's bin cloudy ever since No
vember second Longworth agreed.
| Jim Watson thought the clouds
had "spooky look" Dawes volun.
teered they look to Jim Watson like
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