Evening star., 1927-05-13
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

! Former Senator Porter ]. McCum-
Der, Republican, of North Dakota, is
| enacting an unusual role before the
United States Tariff Commission. AS
counsel for the Pittsburgh Plate
Glass Co. he is opposing a reduction
| of the glass tariff which McCumber
himself helped to write into the pres
| ent law partially bearing his own
name. Since he became a lame duck,
| in 1923. McCumber. like many one
| time denizens of Capitol Hill, has
practiced law in Washington. Ameri-
can importers of plate glass are the
petitioners for cut in the tariff,
| which is now in the neighborhood of
Is cents a square foot. Belgium is
the United States chief competitor in
plate glass and sells large quantities
here, despite the high duty. Lucien
De Bay, the principal Belgian glass
manufacturer is appearing before the
Tariff Commission as the spokesman
Of his country. He was astonished
and gratified, when he lost his way
in a maze Of questions fired at him in
English, to find that Alfred P. Dennis,
vice chairman of the commission, was
able to come to the Belgian's relief
in classical French. Henry Ford, who
makes his own windshields, is one of
Americas leading producers of plate
glass, but is not represented at the
Tariff Commission hearings.
President Gales of Mexico has just
accepted delivery of a magnificent
train Of five steel cars built to his
order by the Pullman Co. at it's
works near Chicago. 1t is described
as the most regal outfit on wheels
ever produced. The train consists of
a private presidential car, a combina-
ton dining and smoking car, staff
car, an escorts car and a car con-
structed exclusively to carry four
large, high-powered touring automo-
biles. Mexican in tone and design,
the interior decorations and furnish
ings of the "Calles special are said
to be the most luxurious the Pullman
Co. has yet to its credit. AS far as
possible, the decorative scheme fol-
lows the lines with which Senior
Gales is familiar in the Presidential
Palace at Mexico City. Tapestries,
carpets, curtains and drapes were
specially woven from patterns and in
colors representing Mexican art from
Aztec days to the present time. All
hardware is gold-plated, and silver
finish is standard elsewhere in the |
train. The cars external color is
Mexican green.
One of the novelties of the politi- |
cal season, which is always open at
Washington, is the projection of |
John w. Davis name into the list
of 1923 Democratic presidential pos
sibilities. The suggestion emanates |
from a Western Democrat, who him
self is flirting coyly with Lady |
Chance. He deposes and says that !
the New York West Virginian didn't |
have a real run for his money in 1924 /
because of the. La Toilette third |
party movement. With clear field |
against Coolidge-or any other Re- /,
publican-next year, this Mississippi |
would make a vastly better showing. !
Confidence on this score, the patentee |
Of the idea contends, would become
conviction on his part If Davis could |
forget his Wall Street background |
long enough to espouse an honest
to-goodness farm relief program.
II " n
Lieut.. Col Ulysses s. Grant, Sd, |
director Of public buildings and parks
at Washington, told the recent city
planners conference here that his
predecessor in Office, in the year 1873,
had urged upon the colonel's own
grandfather, President Grant, the
necessity of repairing the White
House roof. 1t took this reputed
Land Of Hustle exactly 531s years.
Col. Grant pointed out, to make up
its mind toNStart work on the job.
The brillianN young engineer officer
spun the Nsity planners another