Evening star., 1930-12-08
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Notre Dame happening to have been
the place where this observer wrote
his first newspaper story-for the
Scholastic, campus weekly-he feels
the urge, in light of current events, to
tell the world that the Irish" have
lot Of other things than their foot
ball team to be proud of. In the
first place, Notre Dame is French, not
Irish. Its corporate and official title
is ''Notre Dame du Lac" (Our Lady
Of the Lake., name derived from
on a small lake outside Of South
Bend, near the point where the
Indiana and Michigan frontiers meet.
Notre Dame was founded in 1912
through the efforts Of the Bishop of
Vincennes, one of the French pioneers
who blazed q trail through the then
widely Indian-inhabited Hoosier realm.
At the request of the bishop, Father
Edward Sorin came to America with
q band Of religious teachers from
France-young priests like himself
and the university of Notre Dame du
Lac" was chartered by the Legislature OF
Indiana in 1914. Father Sorin and his
comrades belonged to the French Order
of the Holy Cross Congregation Sacre
Croix). To this day all Notre Dame
priests, brothers and sisters, attach
the initials &C. S. c." after their
names, although the order was long
since Americanized and its headquarters
established In this country.
Father Sorin, in the SO years since he
invaded the Indiana wilds, lived TO see
Notre Dame grow from log-cabin
school for Indians into a flrst-class
university. When that white-bearded
patriarch passed from the scene in the
early nineties Notre Dame was only ap-
preaching its present dimensions-a
student body Of 3,100-odd, q campus OF
1900 acres, over 80 imposing buildings
used for university purposes, dozen
residence halls for men, library OF
$50 900 volumes, an art collection un-
rivaled by that Of any other college In
America and faculty of roundly 200,
more than half Of which Is made up of
laymen. The university comprises col
leges Of arts and letters, science, busi-
ness, law, engineering, education, flne
arts and journalism. Thanks to a $780,
600 gift from Edward N. Hurley Of Chi
cago, Notre Dame Is about to establish
q College Of Foreign and Domestic Com
merce. The university's mammoth new
dining hall, the creation of Ralph
Adams Cram of Boston, is conceded to
be one of the finest specimens Of col
lege architecture anywhere In the world.
r n n
An all-pervasive democracy and spirit
Of sacrifice characterize campus life at
Notre Dame. The university Is the
product of the sweat and prayers Of
three generations of men and women,
who dedicated their lives to its creation,
without remuneration except that which
springs from satisfaction in achieve
ment. 1t is they who constitute Notre
Danes principal endowment. Rockne
foot ball teams personify the self
abnegation that built Notre Dame.
1t has never been a college for rich
mems sons. Thousands Of It's alumni
worked their way through it. Two
young men who earned their edu-
cation at Notre Dame by waiting on
table in commons became in turn presi-
dents of the university in later life. All
creeds and many national origins have
always been represented at Notre Dame.
Today some 20 per cent Of the student
body Is non-Catholic. Notre Danes
probably greatest alumnus, the late Rev.
DR.. John A. Zahm, scientist and friend
OF Roosevelt, was of German extraction
He was once vice president of the uni
Versity. Notre Dame men rejoice In the
prowess of their gridtron heroes, but are
prouder still of the less transitory ira
ditions that cling to their alma mater.
Despite the prevalent theory that
Senator Dwight w. Morrow, Republican,
OF New Jersey, is in for a period of
'hazing" by colleagues said to be
"jealous" Of his presidential prospects,
''Lindy's" father -in-law is In fact mere-
ly up against the Senate's rigorous
seniority rules. That accounts for the
ex-diplomat's failure to be assigned to
the blue ribbon Foreign Relations Com
mittee. In 80 per cent of cases, COM
mittee plumS are handed out on the
seniority basis. The general rule Is for
the Committee on Committees to ask
Senators on what particular bodies
they'd prefer to serve. There'll be two
vacancies on Foreign Relations in
March-the places now held by Gil
lett Of Massachusetts, and Con of West
Virginia. At least one of them Is likely
to 60 to another "G"-Glenn of Illinois.
Senator Glenn's Chicago law partner is
3. o. Levinson, who claims authorship
of the Kellogg pact to outlaw war
Glenn's friends think that's an affllia-
ton which might result in occasional
light and leading for Senator Borah'.
committee.