Evening star., 1926-10-13
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS

the rapid and metbodical strides
which the Free State government is
making to establish it's place in the
sun. The aviation division is COM
manded by Col. Charles Russell a
young 1rishman, not long past 21,
daring and experienced flyer and
great organizer. His outfit has only
30 planes, but they are up-to-date and
fully commissioned model of eff
cheney. The secret which now leaks
out is that Col. Russell is planning a
transatlantic flight to America next
Summer to bring another honor to
Ireland and 1rishmen. Plans for this
undertaking are now we'll advanced.
Another interesting detail of aviation
development in the Free State is the
success attained there with moth"
planes, so called because they are the
tiniest machines yet successfully
flown. If reports are true, they are
operated almost as cheaply, easily
and surely as a "f1ivver."
The vaunted efficiency of the Post
Office Department slipped a cog one
day last week. and letters dispatched
from the Washington Post Office bore
cancellation stamp dated September
5, instead Of the October date. Can
1t be that postal employees are too
busy exercising their prerogatives as
private citizens in connection with the
impending elections?
X j: X
Here is a new Coolidge story re-
lated by those who would illustrate
the mind Of the President. When
Mr.. Coolidge was up for reelection
as Governor of Massachusetts, there
was warm primary contest for one
of the other places on the Republican
State ticket. Mr.. Coolidges friends
waited patiently for their cue from
him before deciding which of the two
aspirants they would support.
Hints to the governor that a quiet
word from him as to his own prefer
ence was desired brought no response.
At last one of the faithful went to
him with the direct question, (Which
candidate, Governor, do you want
your friends to be WITH" Mr.. Cool
idge looked out of the window and
commented on the dryness of the
weather. His caller failed entirely to
draw him out on the subject. Finally
he said, well, Governor, my own
choice is candidate "A Unless you
tell me not to, I am going to support
him. The only reply was a polite
Good day." After the lapse of a
week another Coolidge adherent call
ed on the same errand He met the
same reception. II have no personal
preference" he said. II wish. Gov
ernor, you would tell me what to do"
why don't you see so and so?" said
the governor, naming the previous
caller. He was in here the other
day talking about the same thing"
So the second hurried to the first to
get the "low-down." We'll" said
caller No. 1, "the governor wouldn't
say word to me, but 1 told him un-
less he disapproved I intended to sup
port "A and since he has sent you to
me I figure that is the man he
wants." So the word was passed
along that "a" was the Coolidge
preference and he received the nomi-
nation. Yet who could say that Mr..
Coolidge had taken sides in a primary
contest?
Post-glacial fitting of the rock bed
of some two million square miles of
the earth's surface in Northeastern
United States and Canada is the
cause assigned by the United States
Geological Survey for the earthquake
which rocked New England last year.
Usually referred to as the st. Law
renee earthquake, it was in fact a
series of quakes, first noted in July
1924, and continuing to March of this
year. The heavy crash came in Feb
ruary, 1925. The theory now offered
by the geologists in explanation is
that during the glacial period. when
this area lay, under the weight of a
great ice sheet. thousands of feet
thick. New England and eastern
Canada were depressed and tilted
north, and that since the retreat of
the ice they have nearly recovered
their former level. This readjust-
ment, the experts say, produced the
quakes. Their report is silent on the
question of whether, these causes still
continuing. New England is likely to
suffer further quakes in the future.
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