Evening star., 1927-03-23
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

It's curious that Albania and
Henry Ford should be occupying the
center of the stage at the same
moment. AS soon as the independ-
ence of the little mountain state
abutting the Adriatic was proclaimed
in 1912. a lively competition set In
among defunct and discredited royal
ties throughout Europe for the
Albanian throne. While the contest
was raging an element or the
Albanian population, believing that
cash and not a crown was what the
country needed, proposed that Forn
be invited to become King OF
Albania. That was two full years
before the fiivver monarch hatched
his plan to get the boys out OF the
trenches by Christmas" The De-
troiter resisted the seductive propo-
sition and early in 1914 German
princeling, William of Wied, ascend
ed the shaky seat of power at
Durazzo. His reign was short-lived.
The World War broke In upon
Albania before the year was over
and ever since then the pocket
borough realm has seethed with
revolution and intermittent strife OF
various hues, Albania has had
legation and a minister in Wasn-
ington since October. 1925.
The month of March will have
witnessed the coincidence or the
presence in Washington OF two de-
nosed European rulers" One Is
Eannonn de Valera. President OF the
Irish Republic" and the other Is
Alexander Kerensky, premier OF the
provisional government or Russia
when 1t was cverthrown and super
seeded by the Soviet. Mr.. De Vaiera,
wbo was missionary for Irish
fraedon" in the United States in
1000 and 1921, has returned to this
country to give testimony in a New
YORK law suit connected with Amer
,cap money subscribed to an issue
NJ Irish Republic bonds. M. kerensky,
now refugee editor In Paris, Is
making the acquaintance of America
for the first time. He has no par
ticular mission here except 10 ap-
nrise friends of the Russian people
that believers in the eventual estap-
lishment of Russia as cohstituo ~
tionaI democracy contemplate the
future with optimism. Kerensky de-
cIares that Russia Is steadlly
u,r,pgl,ng herself out of the clutches
Of bolshevism by a slow put sure
process of evolution. NJ. BORIS
Rakhmeteff, the last "Kerensky am
hossador" tn the United States, was
in washington this week. he Is nov
a consulting engineer at New 10TH
X
DIR. William NJ. Jardine, secretary
of Agriculture. will address fale OL, ~
vergity at New Haven on Marcn 20
on the subject OF agricuiture dnr anu
oodern science. He will speak under
+ha ausnices of the American Instl'
tute of Chemists. Jardine never noios
a ha andshaking bee on occasions OF MS
nerIodical appearances away from
Washington without letting people
,,now that they've met him. he mas
a grin Of steel. a habit inherited from
cowboy days in Idaho and his years
at the plow handle. Senator Mys
of North Dakota thinks II was onlteu
States Marshall Gunwaldsens car.
coupler" handshake that put fresioeia'
CooIidge's right wrist out or comnls'
s,on the other day. Jardine's clasp
is something like that.
II
ITnder the direction of George RI.
Carter, public printer, the Govern
ment Printing Office recently com,
pleted a "job" Of unique hlstorical
i,nportance. The State Department
made reouisition for rebinding the
original parchment copies Of the acts
of Congress from the First to the
Fourteenth Congress. inclusive. These
priceless documents were written
with pen, and bear the signatures OF
| Presidents Washington. Adams, JET
| ferson and Madison. They had been
bound in II books, which long since
had become useless because of decay
and neglect, although the parchments
| were in good condition On account
of the unwieldy containers that would
be required to bind them by sessions
1t was decided to assemble the sheets
| in 80 smaller binders A five-post,
Ioose-leaf binder of high-grade metal
parts was especially constructed. each
binder having a separate lock and
key. After the parchments were sc.
cureiy sewed to heavy guards the