Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-09

1t is no inconsiderable asset for the
U. S. A. at this witching hour.
~ *#
Col. Charles Burnett, lately American
military attache at Toxic, and Mrs.
Burnett are playing highly useful role
at the conference. They were attached
to the United States delegation on the
eve of its departure at the special in
stigation of Secretary Stimson because
of the Burnetts' wide popularity in
Japan. The colonel has been stationed
in Nippon for more than seven years.
No foreign officer ever won the conf
dence and esteem of the japanese peo-
pie so completely as he has. Mrs. Bur-
nett too, has endeared herself to the
Nipponese in high degree, mainly be-
cause Of her proficiency in the Japa-
nese language. She writes poetry In
Japanese so beautifully that a couple Of
years ago she was awarded the En-
peror's prize for the most classic verse
Of the era.
Some folks think there Is magic and
significance in the number 10. No. 10
Downing street is, OF course, the most
important address in the whole British
Empire and No. 10 Stratton street Is
playing an important part in the Amer
lean affairs at the London Naval Con-
ference. At what the English would
call that very good address" Mr.. and
Mrs. Keith Merrill Of Washington have
taken a mansion for the duration of
this peaceful war. Nominally it's their
own menage. Actually 1t is to serve as
domestic retreat to which Secretary
Stimson may repair for heart-to-heart
confabs with the heads of other delega-
tions. The house is fully furnished
and stated with servants and entertain
ment is possible there on short notice
and elaborate scale. The Big Five" of
the conference-Stimson, Macdonald,
Tardieu, Grand and Wakatsuki-are
likely to forgather at No. 10 Stratton
street ever and anon. The heads Of the
non-BritiSh delegations can talk there
| amid surroundings less Stilted than those
which their hotel quarters afford. The
Merrill house, which may achieve i'm
mortality before many moons are past,
is just of Piccadilly, around the corner
| from the Ritz Hotel. It has already
been the scene of momentous pow-wows.
Mr.. Merrill is State Department ON
cial.
In Sir Arthur Willert, chief of the
press section of the British foreign Of
nee, American newspaper men and
others attending the conference dis
cover an old Washington friend. Sir
Arthur was the wartime correspondent
of the London Times in the United
States and was stationed at the Ma
tional Capital. No man in the entire
British service knows the needs of writ
Ing men, and especially Americans, as
WillCrt does. He sees the international
press brigade, contingent running into
the hundreds, twice day at st. James'S
Palace and sends its news-hungry
members away smiling, even though
sometimes copyless.
| X 4 y
It's the unanimous opinion of the en-
tire American conference colony that
the absence of the Prince of Wales from
London is a great pity. He sailed for
South Africa just about the time the
United States delegation was sailing for
England. Unless the naval parley pro-
jects itself into the Spring, the prince
will probably not be home until it Is
over. Meantime, the conference is
being held beneath his roof-St. James's
Palace. BY the way, 1t Is "St. James,
| and not est. James,"
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