Evening star., 1926-12-06
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Before the session Of Congress just
opened is many hours old. the Scan
dals of 1926"-the Pennsylvania and
Illinois primary affairs-will hold the
boards on the Senate stage. Just how
the curtain Is to be raised and the ma
ture Of the first act have not been
determined. Much depends on the
views of Senator Jim" Reed. Demo
crat, Of Missouri, chief of the cam
paign investigating committee. Dem
ocratic and Republican progressive
leaders are bent upon bringing the
Ware and Smith cases to consideration
with the minimum of delay. There's s
a good deal of head-Scratching among
Senators as to the jurisdiction of the
present body. Has the existing Sen
ate any constitutional authority to
decide the qualifications of a man
elected to the next Senate? That 8
the problem veXing even the experts
on proce dure. Under the law. Sen
ator-elect may present his credentials
any time after election day. and, after
the ensuing March 4, is entitled to
the rank. perquisites, pay and status
Of full-f1edged solon, even though
he does not actually sit until nine
months later.
$50
Sir Alan Gotham. who few the
$4,000 miles that separate Great Brit
ain from Australia, and an equal dis
tance returning, told the National
Geographic Society in Washington
some thrilling things about the imme-
diate possibilities of air transport.
What particularly stirred the imag-
ination Of his hearers was Sir Aian's
statement that the day has dawned
when Britons can travel to India by
plane or airship within nine days. in
stead of the three weeks ordinarily
required by the steamship route. Cob
hams knighthood, conferred by King
George in honor Of the aviator s
globe. .girdling flight. typities the Brit.
ish custom of handsomely and
promptly rewarding men who accom-
plish outstanding achievements. 1t
has been said that in England people
who do things are '-r'ghted. and in
America they are knitted.
At the National Geographic So
ciety's luncheon in Sir Alan Cobham' &
honor a distinguished officer of the
Army Air Service told this observer
of q strange experience that befeD
him. Recently he delivered q few re-
marks at tie dedication Of new
Army aerodrofne adjacent to the Ca
madam border. The proceedings
were broadcast, and many listeners-in
across the line heard them. The other
day the American officer had q. caller
at the War Department. She said
she was the American wife Of a Ca
madam. MY husband was very much
upset." the woman narrated, by that
speech of yours at -. lie insists the
Yankees are putting up aerodromes
along the border for the sole purpose
Of bombing Canada some day. II
was easy to reassure the lady from,
Ontario that Just as Uncle Sam had
never dreamt OF fortifying the border
with long-range guns. 50 is nothing
further from his mind than to line II
with aerodrones for the purpose OF
attacking the Dominion from the sky
The United States has a live inter
est in another conference to be as
sembfed at Geneva under League OF
Nations auspices on January S. 1927
The conference will deal with the vex
atious question Of double taxation
i.e., the system whereby. for instance,
All American business concern operat
ing in Belgium must paw taxes not
only TO the Belgian government, but
to the United States Government as
well. America has been a pioneer in
the movement to eliminate double tax
alton. It's evils come homo to our
business men in increasing degres
flom GEAR 20 year. because Of the