Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-17
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE

He's still Cautious Cal" A Wiscon-
sin Summer has neither withered nor
stalled the infinite variety of the Presi-
dents non-committal mental processes.
On almost every burning issue of the
UNCONVENTIONAL, international, political
and even those purely personal to him.
Self-Mr. Coolidge remains the sphinx
perSonif1ed. Such, at least, is the figure
he cuts when beared in his White
House den by journalistic lion hunters
He has, it would appear, no plans what
ever, oratorical or otherwise, for helping
Mr. Hoover to win the presidency; or,
If he has, he's not ready to disclose
them. How Mr. Coolidge will occupy
himself after March 4, 1929 is some
thing he hasn't given any thought to.
Meantime one guess is as good as an
other. AS to the issue now agitating
Old World statesmen, the United States
will cross the bridge of Rhine evacua-
ton when the allies get us to that
purely European question. The Presi-
dent will be very glad if Great Britain
and France are able to reach naval
limitation understanding, but at pres
ent that's his only emotion about their
mysterious little deal.
x X X
Mr. Coolidge is wholly definite about
one thing. He's not going hunting in
Kentucky, as reported. Thereby hangs
the tale of dog. One of the Presidents
admirers presented him during the
Summer with a fine English setter
named Palo Alto. During the dog days
at Brule, Col Ed" Startling. the Blue
Grass giant who adorns the White
House secret service squad, told Mr..
Coolidge about a friend of his in old
Kaintuck, Fraser Williams, of Lafayette,
banker and sportsman, who is a wizard
at training bird dogs. ED" volunteered
to have Palo Alto educated, and the
President accepted the suggestion. The
setter is now majoring for his B. D..
degree. But do not plan any hunt
ing in Kentucky" Mr.. Coolidge hastens
to explain. ANY I do will be done by
proxy through Palo Alto
Mai. Gen. w. D. Connor the new
commandment of the Army War College
at Washington, is one of the legendary
gridiron heroes of West Point. He was
captain and right halfback of the 1896
team and still wears as a watch charm
battered little silver foot ball, trophy
of the eleven's prowess that season. The
West Point coach once told Conner that
|
ever came out for foot ball at the Acad-
envy, but the Wisconsin plebe wound up
by leading Army to glorious victories.
Gen. Conner, who arrived in Washing
ton after five years brilliant service as
commander of American military forces
in China, and Maj. Gen. Fox Conner,
er-in-chief in Hawaii, have
hard time avoiding mix-ups of their
names in the Army. 1T was all right
in France" the War College head points
out. THE French called Fox 'Connaire'
and me. 'Connore.' But over here, we've
Simplified matters by deciding that
when anything goes wrong the buck is
always to be passed to Conner or Con-
nor as the case may be-
X X X
Gov. Smiths impending invasion of
the farm revolving West has been chosen
by the Democrats as strategic moment
for reViving in full fury the ancient
charge that Herbert Hoover strangled
| American agriculture during the war
Senator Joe Robinson's uncommonly
| effective speeches in the South are now
harping on that chord. Senator Jim"
| Reed, who long ago chose Hoover as his
| pet aversion, is out with a lambasting
| interview which loud pedals tSir Her
! bert'S" Slavish service to England in
connection with wheat prices. Chair
man Raskob puts forth an itemized
statement purporting to show how the
Food Administration, BY pegging wheat
at 1925 bushel kept the horny
handed sons of the soil from getting rich
quick. Finally comes former Senator
Henry Clay Hansbrough of North Da-
kota, revolving Republican counterpart
of rebellious Owen, Democrat, of Okla
homa, with a illumination on the Cali
fornian's black agricultural record. It
is along similar lines that Gov. Smith is
expected to make the wild and woolly
welkin ring during the next fortnight.
X X X
THE Battle of the Monographs
would be another Appropriate name for