Evening star., 1928-12-01
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL 7. COLLINS.

In some factories the foremen used
to post signs reading. IF you want
to find out who's boss around here,
start something"
It is not alleged that President Cool
idge or Secretary of State kellogg has
ever hung up just that sign. but surely
Representative Britten OF Illinois mas
started something" II nothing more
than an interoceanic discussion;
Once in a battle an overenthuslastlc
doughboy insisted on plunging in where
veterans feared to tread, and he was
recalled by his officer with the admoni-
ton. What dye think you area
whole division?"
Maybe Representative Britten is like
that doughboy. He sees an objective
lust ahead. and believing he can
capture it single handed without flag,
a brass band or even a gun, he ruShes
in where diplomats fear to tread. so
today. according to high authority. ne
faces a $4,000 fine and imprisonment
for six months for alleged violation OF
the Logan law, passed in 1893 to curb
a Quaker who was butting in to defeat
the action of the Department OF State
in a settlement of hoStilities with
France. The astute Congressman,
imagining that "the worm will turn. y
plots his action so that there will be
nothing doing until the Quakers rule
the Government, after next March 4.
He's aStute. He is not a mere division,
nor an army" He's whole A. E. F..
He sees real objective and-"Halt! !!
Who goes there?'
The Congressman had not heard from
la{- f,.;A eft Az nf
Britain, 'for a coon's age" and he takes
his pen in hand to let him know that
he is dying of ennui and hopes the
prime minister is enjoying the same
blessing.
Then he goes on in that friendly way
of his. chatting by cablegram with Mr..
Baldwin. the head of Great Britain;
Remembering very pleasantly my
personal participation In interparlia-
mentary conferences. both here and in
Europe. am impelled to suggest-stop
"a Joint meeting of the committee on
naval affairs of the United States House
of Representatives and a select commit
tee of members of Parliament-stop-
for the purpose of friendly discussion and
the hearing of testimony in connection
with applying the principle of equality
in sea power between Great Britain and
He did not stop there, but space limits
require a stop here.
y X
Now he is issuing bulletins of expla-
nations of his symptoms. In his first
bulletin. he admits that he cabled to
Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin" His
subsequent declarations protest that he
was addressing this person. Baldwin,
not as prime minister, but as a mere
member of Parliament. Shall not a
Congressman speak to an M. P.-not a
military policeman but a member OF
Parliament, on an equality basis. with
out being court-martialed? Should a
chairman of the naval affairs commit
tee of the House of Representatives
high-hat a Britisher in Parliament?
This is a pretty pass!
These bulletins, prepared with such
conservative understatement, so as not
to alarm the public yet to record the
facts, are published in the news columns
of The Star
The follow-up stuff argues that the
Interparliamentary Union has been in
dorSed by our Congress for a quarter
century. In 1904 Congress appropriated
$4,000 for expenses connected with
such a conference held in st. Louis
entertaining international guests on the
"plaiSance" of the world exposition. In
1915. a separate group of the union met
in California to settle Japan'S objection
to the United States exclusive law, and,
in 1925, Congress again appropriated
$4,000 to entertain the union in Wash
ington to talk over the World War,
opium and disarmament the League of
Nations and international law Even
this year, 1929 Congress agreed to pay
the board of any member of Congress
who would attend the meeting of the
Interparliamentry Union in Berlin-up
to total of $4,000. No official ap-
pointment by the President was required
that bait of free board outside of the
Volstead law was deemed sufficient
But that story of the doughboy who
thought he was a whole division when
he saw Berlin ahead keeps bobbing up
when the Congressman, with the
memory of Berlin in 1928, now argues
authority to scoff the Logan law be-
cause the Interparliamentary Union
does Hence he openly defends his in
innate billetdoux to Friend Baldwin
"for he's a jolly good fellow"
Yesterday. word was received by
grapevine, directly in Mr. Britten's
office, that Prime Minister Baldwin had
sent a very friendly reply through the
British Ambassador. which proves that
it is all informal and unofficial. AM
basSadors never before handled the
personal correspondence of the members
of the Interparlismentary Union. but as
a trained diplomat might express it:
Ca ne fait rien.' The Ambassador
may forward the reply through our
State Department. The exact wording
of the friendly and unofficial reply of
the prime minister had not yet been
disclosed at the time OF going to press,
but may appear in The Sunday Star
top o coiyum, next to pure reading
matter"
y
The Logan law does not apply to
British prime ministers themselves. but
"our esteemed contemporary the Fed
eralist, said in one of its enlightening
editorials. in 1897 or thereabouts:
THE quality indispensable in the
management of foreign negotiations
points out this executive the President)
as the most fitting agent in those trans
blue in it, and the shore becomes a
silver street and what the Y1oot,V,toivs