Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-01

Col William ]. Donovan will deliver
the annual commencement address at
the University of Notre Dame on June
2. Washington politicians who have
heard OF wild Bills" engagement to
hold forth on the campus OF the other
Fighting Irish" would not be surprised
If he spilled some beans of national
interest. The subject of his address
has not been announced at Notre Dame,
but the colonels strenuous career as
chief Assistant Attorney General of the
United States and his interrupted
career as a Hoover adviser would both
provide material designed to challenge
the country's attention. Donovan's own
alma mater is Niagara University, at
Niagara Falls, N. Y, whence he went
to Columbia Law School. Notre Dame
is sure to make the gallant colonel a
doctor Of laws in June and perhaps
some day will honor him In addition
with the Laetare medal. the distinction
conferred upon American Catholics who
render distinguished national services
Alfred E. Smith recently received the
Laetare medal.
For more than 10 days Washington
society, which still considers the Curtis
Gam precedence issue current topic,
has been gossiping about the White
House musicale on April 10. This func-
ton was arranged by Mrs. Hoover In
order that a couple of hundred of her
friends might hear her fellow Cali
fornian, Lawrence Tibbett Of tine Metro
politan Opera. in a concert program. In
the front row Of gilded chairs in the
east room, careful observers noted, there
sat at the First Lady's right the wife
of the Chief Justice of the United States
the place of honor. On Mrs. Hoover'S
left, Speaker Nicholas Longworth was
placed. Mrs. Gam sat at Mrs. Taft's
right. There appears to have been no
precedent set by that arrangement OF
the chairs. The musicale was not con-
s.dered IAN official affair" The guests
were invited quite informally and the
spirit of the whole afternoon was in
tended to be informal. Guests were
seated before Mrs. Hoover entered the
east room, SO that it would not be pos
sible to consider that the occasion was
any definite or final arrangement with
regard to the place of future White
House guests. But the fact remains
that Dolly Gam was not the ranking
guest, or at least was not seated in any
such capacity.
A washingtonian not without distinc-
ton recently was proposed for member
ship in a rather exclusive club In New
York City. He was not admitted. He
knew his proposer we'll enough TO ask
what happened. You were black
balled," the friend explained. How
many blackballs were cast?" the Wash
ingtonian wanted to know. His proposer
smiled and said, do you know what
caviar looks like?" He did, and the de-
bate was closed.
Katsuji Debuchi Japanese Ambassa-
dor to the United States, Is going to be
the principal speaker at this years
Journalism week" at the College of
Journalism in the University of Mis-
souri, Nippon's envoy will speak on
Journalism in International Relations.
The general theme of the week has to
do with the press In world affairs Dean
Walter Williams school for breeding
newspaper men Is famous In both Japan
and China. Its graduates - mostly
Americans-man the STATS of in1por-
tant English-language newspapers at
several Far Eastern points. The Japan
Advertiser of Toxic, the leading Amer
lean daily in the Orient, Is conducted
almost exclusively by Missouri journal
ism alumni.
n X y
Not many people-perhaps not even
many of It's own members low in con-
clave in Washington-know that the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States owes its origin to the Taft adj
ministration Is years ago. Previous to
that time local and sectional jealousies
among widely scattered business as
sociaticns were such that number OF
efforts TO bring them together in
one comprehensive national federation
failed. 1t was not until President Taft
and Secretary Nagel Of the Department
Of Commerce and Labor called a gen.
eral conference Of delegates represent
ing all types Of business associations
in the Spring OF 1912 that really ef-
fective steps were taken for the crea-
ton Of representative national or
ganizaticn of the business interests. Out
Of this conference came the appoint