Evening star., 1928-12-07

How King George v once "razzed"
the United States Navy over pro-
hibition is recalled, apropos the mon
arch's illness, by a Washingtonian,
Arthur D. Condor, then lieutenant
in the Navy and aid<to Vice Admiral
Albert p. Niblack, commander of our
European squadron. Niblack's flagship,
the Utah-the dreadnaught which will
soon be bringing President-elect Hoover
home from South America-was paying
ceremonial visit to English waters.
At Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, King
George and his staff came aboard to
pay their respects to Admiral Niblack.
The royal party was assembled in the
skipper's cabin The morning. raw
bleak English day in early November,
1921-was chilly After formal ex
change of greetings. the King said to
Admiral Niblack: Admiral at this mo-
ment nothing would cheer me SO much
as nip of brandy" The Yankee
sailorman almost turned green with
modification. Finally, he stammered:
"Your majesty, I am overwhelmed
with regrets. but you know our regu
lations" Then George v slapped
Niblack on the shoulder, laughed
heartily, and let 1t be known that he
was just putting one over on the only
dry navy ,afloat.
Probably Republican hopefuls and
others would give good deal to learn
the identity of two personal friends of
Herbert Hoover who were assigned a
responsible job during the President
elects absence in Latin America. They
were told off to keep In hour-by-hour
touch with developments at the Capital,
political and otherwise, and radio "the
chief" a digest of them every "a hours.
The message goes to the battleship
Maryland by way of the Navy's wire
less Sometimes there are two digests
a day, depending on the rapidity with
which things transpire, or on their i'm
portance. Editorials, statements by po-
litical leaders, business trends, cabinet
gossip, doings in Congress, White House
happenings--all and sundry designed to
show the incoming President how the
national and international wind Is
blowing make up the story that travels
along the southern wave lengths to
HooverS far-aWay workshop.
Reference has been made to the
difficulties which the Quaker leaders Of
the country expect when the hoi polloi
fiocks to Friends meeting houses dur
ing the next four years, to watch Pres
ident and MRS. Hoover at divine Wor-
ship. The thing causing the most
worry Is how to censor unauthorized
speakers who may let the spirit move
| them to say things in Mr.. Hoover's
hn$ MT
| In any other way to "get across" to
presidential attention. The Quakers per-
NIT elders in charge of their meetings
to interrupt obnoxious speakers. Now
and then THIS happens. Once upon a
time woman's spirit moved her to
| sing. AS the Friends ban music at tnelr
services, the sister was required 10
desist and was gently but firmly led
from the Westinghouse.
* X X
Documentary evidence reaches this
observer--in his broadcasting incarna-
| tion-that the election isn't over, after
ALL A certain Rudolph Eschenburg
writes to take exception to the alleged
| fact that on the evening of December
Rev. J. Gillis: of the Paulist Fathers
made certain lisparaging remarks about
| President-elece Hoover" The priest
| (the correspondent asserts) denounced
Mr.. Hoover fer having a year or two
ago written the preface to biography
about a distinguished Washington
| scientist and inventor. Father Gillis'
indignation, it. appears, was aroused by
the fact that .the subject of the biog-
| raphy is confessed agnostic. Mr.
| ESchenburg wants to know whether Mr..
Hoover knew lie was Endorsing" non
/ believer!
* X X
Friends and: admirers of Stephen T.
Mather, director of the National Park
| Service of the interior Department since
| 1917, are distressed by news of the
grave illness wfh which he was stricken
| at Chicago a sew weeks ago. Mather
took. charge of e1e national parks at the
insistent demand of Secretary Franklin
x. Lane during: the second Wilson ad-