Evening star., 1927-11-04
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE

Rear Admiral Thomas p. Ma
gruder's tour Of duty as commander
| OF the 4th Naval District at Phila
delphia winds up at midnight tonight
Within "a hours he is under orders to
report to the Secretary of the Navy
for administrative measures" Mr.
Wilbur has proclaimed that these are
| not to be punitive in character But
the admiral's friends are convinced he
Is doomed to walk the plank in some
direction, however carpeted with of.
ficial roses the path may be. Mean.
time all concerned are wondering
| exactly what administrative meas.
ures" are in store for Magruder. Three
possible courses of procedure are men.
| toned. The admiral can be placed on
~ waiting orders, carrying full pay
and allowances, $1,000 per annum; (2)
furlough. which half pay and allow.
ances, $5,7O0; (3) leave status, which
calls for full pay and allowances for
four months, followed by half pay and
! allowances, $5,700. Prospects Of a
congressional investigation of the
Magruder affair have perceptibly
dimmed, as result of the published
| correspondence indicating the ad
! mirals apparent inability to make
good on his allegations of over -organi.
Zatlon ana extfaVaEance.
Il y II
Mussolini's domestic political trou
| bles in Rome may presently ramify
across the Atlantic to Washington
News cables report a family quarrel
| in the dictators cabinet, which is like
| ly to result in a considerable shifting
| of portfolios. Count Giuseppi Volpi
now Italian minister of finance, is said
to be scheduled for the ambassador,
| ship to the United States, in success
sion to Mobile Giacomo de Martino
who has been accredited to this Gov
| ernment since March, 1925. Signor &c
Martino has been listed in the State
Departments diplomatic blue book for
| several months past as absent
| Count Volpi was head of the Italian
finance commission which negotiated
the debt funding agreement with Sec
retary Mellon and the World War For
eign Debt Commission in Washington
| two years ago. If the shake-up takes
place, Ambassador MARITIME is slated
to become undersecretary of foreign
affairs.
| President Coolidge's an.Americar
conference delegation at Havana ir
January win be bipartisan. Former
Senator Oscar w. Underwood OF Ala
bama-now a resident of Virginia
and former Justice Morgan J. O'Brier
of the New York State Supreme Court
| represent the Democratic minority or
4 the delegation. Judge O'Brien is g
prominent Roman Catholic---a circum
stance that doubtless entered into his
selection, for, barring the United
States delegation, practically every
participant in the Havana conference
will be of the Roman faith. Mr.. Un
derwood can fairly claim to be the Re
publicans' favorite conference Demo
crat. President Harding named him
as the party's spokesman at the Wash
ington armament and Far Eastern
conference in 1921.1922. No treatie.
requiring Senate confirmation will be
negotiated at Havana, which probably
accounts for the absence of a member
Of the upper house on the all-stal
American delegation.
| X y u X
A certain distinguished politician
who shall be nameless. has JUS
broken out with a virulent case o
presidential rash. He has been absen,
from Washington throughout the con
gressional recess, and came back tt
the Capital the other day somewhat
markedly increased in weight. The
statesman developed, In particular, q
rather conspicuous jowl. What.
--- got to run for President on?" ont
of his friends was asked. II guess
he's running on his cheek" was the
rejoinder.
| X
Colorado has a new jury law tha
might have saved Uncle Sam oil
trial money If 1t were now on tn,