Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-16
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Washington's honored guests-Reijiro
WakatSuki and TakeShi Takerabe-
typify the very best foot Nippon can
put forward for the London naval con-
ference. Mr.. Wakatsuki is a former
prime minister of the Island Empire.
Admiral Takerabe is now naval minister
at Toxic. Between them they represent,
respectively, the shrewdest brains in
Japanese Statecraft and Seamanship. AT
London they will be joined by Japan'S
third delegate, Ambassador MatSudaira,
envoy to the Court of st. James, who
incarnateS the highest standards of
Japanese diplomacy. The Mikado's Big
Three will be about as formidable a
combination of talent as any country will
command at the conference. Suave and
conciliatory. when useful, silent and un-
yielding, when necessary, the world at
large long ago acquired an abiding re-
spect for Japanese negotiators on criti-
cal occasions. MeSSrS. WakatSuki, Take
rabe and MatSudaira are certain to be
impressive figures at London next
month. This observer is informed that
WakatSuki is pronounced as If the name
were spelled "WakatSki," the gu" appar-
emily being silent, while Admiral Take
RABIES name is accented on the final
syllable and pronounced as If it were
written "Tah-ke-rah-bay."
Now that the decks are cleared for
resumption of the tariff debate in the
Senate, predictions are current as to
when the boys on Capitol Hill will be
out of the Hawley-Smoot trenches.
Miracles sometimes come to pass even
In politics, and sunny optimiSts can be
heard lifting that the Senate may send
the bill to the House for conference by
the time Congress adjourns for the hol-
idays on December 81. 1t should not,
in any event, be many days or weeks
after January before the measure goes
to conference. A Republican Senator
in position to know is willing to risk
his reputation as a prophet in saying
that March at the latest will see the
Hawley- Smoot patchwork at the White
House ready for the Presidents sigma
ture. It will be bill-the same Sooth-
Sayer opineS-minuS debenture, inclu-
sive of modified" flexible provision
and containing rates, both for agricul-
ture and industry, which Hoover can
approve.
Probably because it has so we'll oiled
parliamentary machine, including
rigid rules for Harvesting debate, the
House of Representatives embarks on
the regular session of Congress with
tainly the branch which mick" Long
worth rules and Jack" Tilson runs is
nowadays built for speed which the
Senate never tries, and can hardly ever
hope, to approximate. House leaders Of
both parties resent little the superem-
phaSiS which the press and the public
habitually beStow upon proceedings in
the more talkative wing of the Capitol
They think 1t Is quaint comment on
the country's interest in public affairs
that the House, which does business
quickly, seldom gets the headlines and
the front page, while the Senate, Just
because 1t Is addicted to the habits Of the
snail, gets preferred position in the pa
pers and with the people on that &C
count.
Senator Smoot, Republican, of Utah
jumps from the tariff frying pan into
the French war debt fire. AS chair
man of the finance committee, he has
just asked the Senate to ratify the
Mellon Berenger funding settlement of
the $4,625 100000 $3.50 600 ,0O0 prin-
cipal and $685., 900, 900 accrued INTEREST,"
Although the settlement was made
more than three years ago, the French
Parliament approved it only last Sum-
mer. Approval of the United States
Congress, which is also necessary, was
deferred until after France had acted
She did so Just in time to avoid (by
agreement with Uncle SAM the pay
ment of several hundred additional mil
lion dollars which France owes us on
account of surplus war stocks which
she took over after the armistice. AS
soon as the Mellon Berenger agreement
takes effect, France will have to pay the
United States annuities commencing
with $50 900 900 for the first two years
increasing to $125, ZOO. 900 in the seven
tenth year and continuing at that fig
ure until the last payment in the sixty
second year, which is $117,675,000
X X X X
1t seems to be settled that the Ameri-
can delegation to the London naval
pow-wow will cross the Atlantic, after
all, under the Stars and Stripes, S. S.