Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-05
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

If anybody thinks prohibition isn't the
paramount issue In these more or less
United States, let him mark the bated
breath with which the country awaits
Dwight w. Morrow's views on the SUBJ
ject. Old political hands at Washington
can recall no occasion like it in years.
Not only New Jersey, which he aspires
to represent in the Senate, but the Ma
ton at large, Is burning with curiosity
to know whether Morrow Is wet, q
dry, modiflcationist or a repeater.
His attitude on the tariff, on the World
Court, on the League of Nations, on
farm relief, on water power, on war
debt cancellation, on disarmament, or
on any other subject under the sun is
a matter of no popular concern what
ever. What Jersey and everybody else
crave to learn Is where Morrow stands
on liquor. The Republic could hardly
have q more convincing object lesson.
It goes far to sustain the opinion, al
ready widely held, that prohibition Is
the thing most likely to divide the two
parties in 1892 and be the big bone Of
contention in the next presidential
campaign.
Vincent Massey, who is about to be
promoted from the Canadian minister
ship at Washington to the Dominions
missionership at London-rejoices over
his transfer for family reason. 1t
will mean q reunion with a younger
brother, Raymond Massey, who is
among the shining lights Of the stage
in Great Britain. One Of the reigning
successes Of the current London season
Is 1.-THE Man In Possession" racy
comedy which Mr.. Massey produced and
In which he plays the leading role. He
is an actor-manager at the head OF his
own West End Theater. The accom-
plished and popular Canadian envoy,
whose loss Washington deplores is him
self an amateur actor Of unusual talent.
X X
Perhaps never before was there such
o coincidence In washington as that
which one day last week marked the
simultaneous discussion in the Supreme
Court and in the Senate Of the issue
involved in the Parker case. While the
debate over the North Carolinian's
nomination to the Supreme Court was
raging in one end Of the Capitol, the
bench itself. a hundred yards away,
was hearing oral arguments ranging
around the same subject. The fight on
Parker concerned the yellow dog" de-
to prevent employees from joining
union. In the Supreme Court the
Southern Pacific Railway seeks to es-
tablish its right to restrain its clerks
from aff1liating themselves with any
thing but company union" instead
of with the Brotherhood Of Railway
Clerks. The brotherhood contends that
the Supreme Court Is called upon to
determine whether the railway labor
act "is law or a mere congressional
gesture" The Southern Pacific is at
lacking the act as unconstitutional.
Michael ]. McDermott, chief Of the
current information division Of the
State Department, Is touring Europe on
an off1cial mission, following his ardu-
lean delegation at the London Naval
Conference. Apparently It's the in
defatigable Macs" purpose TO acquaint
our embassies and legations on the
other side with the ways and means Of
publicity as Washington knows them.
The average Yankee diplomat abroad
Is gun-shy when a newspaper man
turns up in quest Of information.
Usually he succumbs to the foreign
tradition that diplomatic information
is q high and mighty state secret, no
matter how inoffensive 1t in reality may
be. McDermott will render an inter-
national service II he can knock that
theory into o cooked hat lover there"
\
Maj. Gen. A. W. Greedy, u. s. A., re-
tired, hero Of the first "farthest North"
Arctic expedition in 1881, has just told
how his earliest recognition" for that
immortal feat took the form Of demo-
ton while he was still In the polar re-
gion. He was due just about that time
for elevation from the rank Of Neuten-
nnt te that q captain. but tha War