Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-14
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

|
! Henry L. Stimson, who IL to sue
| coed Gen. Wood as governor general
| of the Philippines, was marked for
| higher honors from the moment he
| made peace in Nicaragua last
| Spring. For a while he was under
consideration for the ambassador
ship to Mexico. There was sugges-
ton. too. that he might be sent to
| Cuba. Stimson is a Dwight Morrow
type of man, for whom President
Coolidge has come to have a pref
| erence in connection with posts of
responsibility abroad. Not long
after the completion of the Carmi
Thompson mission to the Philippines
a year ago, Mr.. Stimson went to
| Manila, ostensibly on a private visit
to Gen. Wood. The understanding in
Washington always was that the
real purpose of Stimsons journey
was to check up" on the Thompson
recommendations for the White
Houses benefit. Evidently the
President was impressed with Col.
Stimson's news and views.
The new American viceroy at
Manila personifies happy combina-
ton of the civilian and the military
man. A lawyer by profession, with
the distinction of having been edu-
Gated both at Yale and Harvard,
Stimson has seen a lot of practical
soldering in his day. Besides, he
was Secretary of War for two years
in the Taft administration. Woods
successor, because of his civilian
status. will conciliate those elements
both in the United States and in the
xHrf7i nh,
professional military administration
At Manila. But Stimson realizes the
importance of the Army in the gov
| ernance of the islands and may be
| depended upon to make no unwise
concessions to the "politicos" who
| clamor for relaxation of the iron
hand. In 1916 Mr.. Stimson was one
of the first 'Plattsburgers" at the
country's initial C. M. 7. camp. A
year later, after we'd entered the
war, Stimson, although a man of so,
went to France with a field artillery
regiment, had many months of active
| fighting service, and emerged from
the campaign lieutenant colonel.
He now has the rank of brigadier
| general in the Reserve Corps.
" **
Secretary Mellon long ago conquered
a native shyness in dealing with news.
paper men and can now fence with
| the reporters, who confer with him
twice a week, as deftly as anybody IN
| Washington. At one of his recent
| meetings with the inquisitive frater'
| nifty, Mr.. Mellon was asked whom he
favors for President, with Hughes out
of the race. Some good Republican,
the Secretary replied Where should
he come FROM" was the next query
leveled at him. THE State in which
he lives" Mellon rejoined. with a
twinkle in his soft blue eyes.
One of our ENJOYS stationed in
! South American capital was the hero
not long ago of tragi-comedy which
cost him part of day In jail lie Is
accredited to a country adjacent tc
one in which there is government
match monopoly. The Minister had
gone to the neighboring land on q
visit of recuperation at the seasnore
While out for an airing, he was ap
pEoached by a native who noncha
lantly asked for a match. The yam
kee diplomat obligingly produced
box from his waistcoat pocket, con
tanning matches made in the United
States. Thereupon the native sum
moned a policeman, who proceeded tt
arrest the Minister for possessing anc
using unauthorized fire" The dip
lomat was escorted to Jail and asked
to pay a fine of 10 pesos. He de
INJURED, and was told he was under
arrest. He did not improve his case
by Identifying himself as the United
States Minister to - which asser
ton, on the contrary. convinced the
police authorities that their prisoner
was not only a match bootlegger, blu
swindler besides. Later in the da,
the facts came cut. and so did thu
envoy. Squealing on violators of thu
match law is a lucrative occupation II