Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-31

President Hoover's feat in bringing
the four great Eastern railroad lines to-
gether for consolidation purposes por-
trays him in his favorite and probably
In his most effective role-that Of con-
ciliator. Temperamentally the Chief
Engineer vastly prefers Cancellation TO
conflict. That doesn't mean that ne is
given to running away from q scrap
when fighting would do good. But Mr..
Hoover chooses the peaceful path II ne
finds that eventual success can be pur-
sued in that direction. Authorities can
already be discovered in washington
who say that the Presidents rail- con-
solidation achievement is enough TO en-
title his administration to outstanding
distinction. He has won where Harding
and Coolidge in succession lost. victory,
moreover, comes at a peculiarly pSvcho-
logical moment. When the railroads are
sick. countless other tnterlocKlng IN
dustries, and especially labor, AL. NO
other single business in the united
states AFFECTS SO many other businesses
net directly allied with 1t. Among them
all. Messrs. Hoover. Crowley, Atterbury,
willard and the Van Sweringens nave
struck a mighty blow for national well
fare. Here's hoping the Interstate Com
nerce Commission will do the rest!
~ x X
One of the smoothest little PROPOSE
+ions in the whole Republican party,
DIR. e. B. Clements, national commlttee-
man from Missouri, gumshoed ms way
in and out of Washington the other Gay.
There wouldn't have been anything
especially notable about that, except
for the doctors ultimate destination,
which was Northampton, Mass. His pur-
nose in going there was to pay his re-
snects to the towns most distinguished
resident, a retiring gentleman named
Calvin Coolidge. Just what directed the
Missouri G.. o. P. leaders footsteps 10
"The Birches" is not offlcially disclosed.
Merely an inkling of his purpose was
revealed in an interview at washington
on his return, in which DR.. Clements
was quoted as saying that Coonoge
would not choose to run Tor president
in 1882, either. Reports are current
that cal" thinks Clements talked too
much.
The mysterious death of a White
House naval aide is being linked by
Washington gossips with tragic-comlc
incident said to have occurred at the
recent judiciary reception in the EX-
ecutive Mansion. It is narrated that
naval aide, not the suave Capt. Train,
who is 1.-The" naval aide to the Com
mander in Chief, made the break OF
announcing the President and Mrs
Coolidge" when Mr. and Mrs. Hoover
made their formal entry for the recep-
ton.
n n 4
Mai. Gen. Douglas Macarthur, the
new chief of staff of the United States
Army. was recently guest of honor at
reception rendered him by Mai. and
Mrs. Parker w. West at the Sololefs-
Home, in Washington. Maj West, re-
tired, is deputy governor OF the flne
establishment which Uncle Sam main
tains for retired men OF our military
establishment. There's a picturesque
link between Maj. West and the youth
full chief Of staff During the Russo
Japanese War, West was aide-de-camp
to MacArthur's distinguished father,
Lieut.. Gen. Arthur Macarthur, and
was with the latter during most OF
the campaign in Manchuria. When
young Douglas was graduated from
West Point, he became his fathers
| aide, eventually relieving MAJ. west
have come together again. after the
lapse of IS years. and nobody Is hap
pier over the meteoric career OF Gen.
Macarthur than the major, so many
years his senior.
David E. Finley, special assistant to
Secretary Mellon, has been entertain
ing a young Englishman, who bears
distinguished English literary name
/ Hon. John D. T. Pepys, a collateral
descendant of Samuel Pepys, the dia-
rist OF Charles's II reign. The immortal
Samuel had no children, but was a
brother of one of John Pepys' ances-
| tors. One of the things the visiting
Briton has accomplished since arrival
in this country, Mr.. Finley says, is
to bring about change in the common
pronunciation of his family name over
here. Most of us have been calling it
Peeps" but "Pepis" appears to be the
correct version. with the first syllable
| pronounced pep" Finley asserts that
his guest has plenty OF the last men
whole 'hally" United States, seeing It.