Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-10
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Echoes of the recent naval battle
in the House of Representatives will
rumble over Capitol Hill for many a
day. It's thunders are more than like
ly to reverberate throughout the poll
tics of the country, too. Analysis of
the vote by which the TiIson three
cruiser amendment was sunk discloses
Il number of diverting possibilities.
First and foremost, of course, is the
desertion of President Coolidge by
rock-ribbed Republicans of the ortho-
dox caliber of Speaker Longworth and
Representatives Tilson, Smell and
Begg-the four horsemen of admins
tration power in the House. Had
Representative Finis Garrett of Ten
nessee, Democratic minority leader,
been content with their unfaithful-
ness without rubbing it in during
the cruiser debate, the Tilson amend
ment would almost certainly have
been adopted. The paramount polit-
ical aspect of the House naval en-
gagement lies in the apparent conVic-
ton of Republican leaders that Cool
idge economy, when applied to ma
tional defense, has it's limitations. 1t
was q group of seasoned, shrewd G..
o. p. strategists who led the fight
against the President. Unmistakably
they thought their opposition was not
only the part Of patriotism, but of
good Republican politics.
Party lines went on the rocks as the
"big Navy" advocates were ship
wrecked. Quite evidently partisan
ship ends at the waters edge when
Navy bills are before a branch Of
Congress. For the three cruisers on
January Z, 76 Republicans We're re-
corded on the final vote, and 1T Re-
publicans were opposed. In favor of
the cruisers IS Democrats went on
record, and 62 registered themselves
against them. Sectional lines were
broken, too, although, broadly speak
ing, the Middle West, with nostrils
,unaccustomed to the odor of salt
water pumped pretty solidly for the
Presidents no-cruiser program. Paci-
fists derive immense support from
women's organizations throughout the
country. It's interesting to note that
the three COngresswomen now in office
Mrs. Kahn California; and Mrs.
Rogers Massachusetts,, both Republi-
cans, and Mrs. Norton New Jersey,
Democrat-all voted for the. cruisers
general
18-inch shell fired from the oratorical
locker of the noble Roman of the
House, Representative Theodore +.
Burton of Ohio, that sent the cruiser
amendment to the bottom. Burton
was rs years old only a week or two
ago. 1t must be a deep satisfaction
to the veteran Congressman to realize
that eloquence from his septuagena-
rian throat riddled and nullified
the fervent pleas of opponents young
enough to be his sons. Burton first
came to Congress in 1888, rs a mem
Der of the House From 1909 to 1915
he was q Senator from Ohio. Then
he was reelected to the House-one
OF the first, if not the very first, in
stances to mark the return to the
lower branch of Congress of man
Just previously a member of the
upper house. Burton's triumph on the
cruiser issue is gratifying from one
standpoint--it revealed that the
power to sway votes by dint of per"
suasive argument is not lost art
beneath the Capitol dome.
* x x =
Mussolini's grandiose plan for re-
creating the architectural and land
scape glories of Imperial Rome are to
be unfolded in a series or Illustrated
lectures throughout the United States
by Prof. Henry Burchell of Columbia
University. The opening lecture was
delivered at the Italian embassy last
night before a distinguished interna-
tional audience Mussolini's capital
magnificent" scheme, as depicted by
Prof. Burchell, thrilled in particular
the Washingtonians present. They
wished Congress might be privileged
to make it's acquaintance and be fired
with some of the practical idealism
that inspires the plan. Prof. Burchell
made the surprising announcement
that Rome's modern system of munic-
ipal government is patterned largely
after Washington commission form.
But the Romans are blessed with
dictator Of vision, who has neither
Cramtons nor Blantons to hamper and
harass him. Mussolini, DIR. Burchell
pointed out. has stirred the whole
J+a1iru nafipn into emf huSi9Sn for