Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-15

Representative FINS Garrett, Demo-
crat, of Tennessee, whom President
Coolidge has just elevated to the United
States Court of Customs Appeals, is one
Of Speaker Longworth's cronies. "Nicky"
has little gang. It's With him to and
fro. And everywhere the Speaker went,
Garrett was sure to go. The other mem
bers of the LcngWorth kitchen cabinet
are Jack" Tilson of Connecticut, G. 0.
P. leader in the House; Jack" Gar
ner. Democrat of Texas, the future mi
nority leader Bert" Smell, Republican,
of New York, chairman of the rules
committee; like" Bacharach, Repub-
lican, of New Jersey, and Jim" Begg,
Republican, of Ohio. Begg, who cap
tanned Longworth's forces in Nick's
speakership contest in 1925, retires from
Congress on March 4, because of his
unsuccessful bid for the Ohio governor
ship last Fall The seven Longworth
musketeers are immensely fond OF one
another. Political differences have
proved hopelessly incapable of dividing
their affections.
Mr.. Coolidge saves Mr.. Hoover the
trouble of taking care of Irving l.. Len
root of Wisconsin by sending the dis
tinguished 1925 senatorial lame duck to
the Court of Customs Appeals. The old
Progressive leader is sure to, be one of
President. Hoover'S behind-the- scenes
counselors He functioned in such a
capacity throughout the Californians
pre-convention campaign and especially
in Kansas City. Lenroots decision to
accept a place on the Federal bench
surprises some of his friends, who be-
lieved he was happy in his Washington
law practice and on the sure road to
big income. Evidently he prefers $4,000
year for life as United States judge.
X X X
President Coolidge has felt compelled
to refuse several urgent invitations from
the broadcasting companies to deliver
a farewell message to the Nation over
the radio. 1t was thought he might
care to discuss the human-int2rest
aspect of his departure from five and
half years in the presidency, leaving
politics and public affairs entirely aside.
But Mr. Coolidge let 1t be known that
he thinks his duty is to efface himself
as unoStentatiously as possible. The
thought in his mind seems to be that
nothing should be done by the retiring
Chief Executive to mar in any way
whatsoever the completeness of the
glory to which his successor IS entitled.
popularize broadcasting Of public ad-
dresses. His administration, of course,
fell in the midst of the magical radio
age He proved to possess exactly the
kind of voice, despite the New England
twang, that "cuts through" the ether.
The President learned to like broad
casting, perfected himself as micro
phone artist, and acquired a profound
respect for the value of radio as
afI ~ a
ideas.
If certain plans quietly maturing are
carried out, Mrs. Coolidge will leave
Washington the possessor Of magnif-
icent piece of jewelry, to be presented
by group of woman admirers. There's
a precedent for bestowing such gift
upon a retiring First Lady. 1t was set
in the case of Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt
in 1909 and repeated in the case of
Mrs. William Howard Taft in 1913. To
Mrs. Taft there was given diamond
necklace. No one can recall that the
two retiring Democratic First Ladies OF
modern times were similarly remem-
Woodrow Wilson.
If "Bilr' MacCracken, capable and
popular Assistant Secretary of Com
merce for Aeronautics, does not join
the Hoover administration, the expec-
tation is that he will be grabbed by
some of the country's important avia-
ton interests. MacCracken's job-he
was the first to occupy the newly Gre
ated assistant secretaryship in Hoovers
department in 1926-was to promote
the purely commercial development of
aviation. His work naturally brought
him into close touch with the industry
in all it's varied stages. both at home.
and abroad. Mr.. MacCracken Is a law
yer by profession and is still secretary
J Of the American Bar Association. He
could return to his old practice In Chi