Evening star., 1927-12-05

Washington is itself again. Con-
gress is in session. All roads lead to
Capitol Hill. Talk and thought, hopes
and fears, center exclusively around
events beneath the Liberty-capped
dome. The functions of Congress are
given pride of place in the Constitu-
ton of the United States. Article /
is devoted to them. The founding
fathers intended that the activities of
House and Senate should be first in
the minds, if not the hearts. Of their
countrymen. The Seventieth Congress
embarks upon what Is known as the
''long session" 1t is terminable at
Congress- own will, as distinguished
from the second or "short session" !"
which, by law, ends at noon on the
succeeding March 4. House and
Senate, because of magnitude and
multiplicity Of business, will proba-
bly, be on the job until mid-June, 1928
perhaps longer. The session may
extend over both national conven-
tions. In that event, in the words of
an Immortal Irish bull, Congress will
fairly swarm with absentees."
X X X n
Republican national committeeman
now in session at Washington are
deeply impressed by a presidential poll
said to have been taken at the recent
the Republican members of the New
York delegation in the House. OF 16
upstate" Representatives, IA de-
clared for Hoover, and 2 for Hughes.
The reported result must have Jared
Hilles. who is custodian-in-chief of
the Hughes boom.
10 -
One of the stories tittle.tattled at
the outset of the annual Washington
gossip session concerns Gen. Leon-
ard Wood. It's alleged that the Cuban
government recently voted Mrs.
Wood a $4,000 pension because it
heard she was left destitute" That
condition is ascribed-so the yarn
runs-to the fact that when Wood
last Summer sought remuneration for
considerable outlay of official ex-
penses at Manila, Washington "dis-
allowed" it. Woods friends believe
the tale is without foundation. They
say his estate was probated for $780,
900. The expense-account affair also
is secuted by Representative Robert
l.. Bacon, Of New York, who has just
introduced bill to grant Mrs. Wood
a Federal pension Of $4,000 year.
X X X
None of President Coolidge's Pan
American Conference delegates at
Havana will set foot on Cuban SOIL
with livelier interest than Henry r.
Fletcher, American Ambassador TO
Italy. Not only was Fletcher one OF
Roosevelt's Rough Riders, but he be-
gan his distinguished diplomatic career
as a secretary of legation at havana a1
25 years ago. Following the Spanish
American War, the young Pennsyl-
vanian spent three years in the Army
and had more fighting in the Philip
pines. 1t was through his comrade-
ship with 'T. r." then President, that
Fletcher entered the diplomatic serv.
ice, in which he has just celebrated
his silver jubilee. Cuba, Portugal.
China, Chile, Mexico, Belgium, Italy
and the State Department are the
fields in which his diversified talents
have been displayed. Fletcher IS
youngster, as diplomats OF long ex'
perience go, having just turned 81.
X X X X
Gov. Smiths bold avowal Of citi.
zens' rights to advocate abolition or
the liquor laws interests Republican
politicians, quite as much as 1t thrills
"Ars" Democratic supporters or dis
tresses uncompromising drys. q. y. r:
leaders don't say it aloud, but the real
Smith menace" as they see 1t, Is the
appeal the governor makes to Repub-
lican vets. In their confidential mo-
ments Republican spokesman concede
that Smith would receive an immense
protest vote" against prohibition
from men and women who ordinarily
would not support the Democratic
presidential ticket. It would be large
enough in many districts, these per-
vous Republicans fear, to overcome
any losses Smith might suffer on &C,
count of wet, Tammany and religious
disabilities. In other words, when Re-
publicans call the governor vote
getter," they mean ,getter OF wet
votes in both parties.
Senate: Carl Hayden, Democrat, of
Ari1 Mau {padvarforflv aYnffteC