Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-11
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Prime Minister Macdonald left Wash
ington pretty well frazzled after his
strenuous six days on the Potomac and
points South. He is wholly unaccus-
toned to the social pace he had to keep
in the most social Capital on earth.
President Hoover shares the British
statesman's aversion to the fuss and
functions which go with their respec-
tive Jobs. 1t would be hard to imagine,
for instance, anything more natively
distasteful to the chief engineer than a
dinner for 90, such as he gave the prime
minister at the White House. Crowds,
either at table or elsewhere, are. as
far as possible, on Hoover's prohibited
list. The labor premier has certain
unacceptable social obligations In Lon
don, but to no occupant of No. 10
Downing street were they ever so bore
some as to Ramsay Macdonald. His
busy life has not lain along 5-o'clock-
tea lines. Daughter Ishbel bore up more
or less bravely under the fire of Wash
ington's social requirements, but nearly
everywhere that homespun, ruddy-
checked young Scotswoman looked as If
she wished she could dodge it all. The
Macdonalds feared the social worst
when they headed this way, and its
exactions came fully up to their ex-
pectations.
Our exalted British visitor spent part
of his last afternoon in these parts by
paying a. call of homage at Mount YER
non. Mr.. Macdonald visited the George
Washington shrine on a previous occa-
sion, when in this country as private
citizen, but yesterday the patriotic ladies
who own and administer the founding
fathers glorious Potomac-side estate in
crfRf h. V,NixN i-k1 l.
careful chaperonage they felt his rank
demanded. There were frequent con-
situations of watches by various men,
bers of the British party. and other in
dications that time was flying. But Mr.
Macdonald's cicerones seemed determined
he should overlook no solitary speck of
interest In the whole establishment. At
one juncture of the personally conduct
ed tour the premier took occasion to
smile that he'd seen all this before, :"
and his polite, but meaningful, remark
caused welcome acceleration of pro-
ceedings.
"Young T. r. s" inaugural address as
Governor of Porto Rico last Monday
rather got lost in the shuttle of more
transcendent events in Washington. 1t
led off with some interesting references
to the governors father. II do not
know whether you realize it." he said,
but my father was the only American
President who ever visited this island.
He was particularly impressed by the
genuine hospitality he met with. It
was he who described Porto Rico as the
Switzerland of America" Gov. Roose-
welt spoke eloquently of the $4,000 Porto
Ricans who served in the United States
Army during the World War, and ac-
claimed Rafael A. Segarra, who entered
as private and came out lieutenant
colonel. He was mentioned in official
dispatches for extraordinary heroism
and utter disregard of personal danger"
y X X X
Irwin Boyle Laughlin of PENNSYLVANIA.
who has been appointed Ambassador TO
Spain, Is diplomatic career man."
but has not been on active service for
three years. His last post was Athens
Laughlins selection for Madrid carries
out the Hooyer-Stimson policy of send
ing business men to key POSTS abroad.
He is heavy stakeholder in the Jones
& Laughlin Steel Co. of Pittsburgh.
which is one of the few big factors in
the industry that have remained indie
pendent. While in Greece as Minister,
Laughlin rendered yeoman service to
American business. It was mainly
through his efforts that Yankee enei-
neers and contractors scored deer Brit
ish rivals and secured the immense Job
Of building for Athens a modern water
supply and drainage system-work
which Is still in process of construc-
ton. Uncle Sam and King Alfonso
have considerable business diplomacy
to oonduct, and Laughlin should be