Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-16
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY common consent Watson's wind-up
speech on the eve Of the tariff bill vote
was one Of the f1nest-if not the finest
speeches delivered on the whole dreary
subject during a whole year of debate.
of course, Sunny Jim" has been orat-
ing about protection for the better part
OF . generation, including his services
IN both houses Of Congress. He knows
the pros and cons Of the subject as few
men still left In public life do Watson
glortfies the tariff with something more
than knowledge. He believes in protec-
ton to the marrow of his political soul.
It's been the fashion in Washington to
belittle Watson's leadership in the SEN
ate. 1t Is no mean tribute to his skill
that he held in line all the votes that
we're needed to pass the Hawley-Smoot
bill. Jim" had no votes to spare, but
he had enough to win, and that Is all
which mattered. His leadership of the
capricious Republican majority" in the
Senate met and survived its supreme
test.
Former Assistant Secretary Of War
Robbins, who halls from Iowa. has come
to town to take a hand in the fight
Senator Brookhart has launched against
Hanford MacNtder's confirmation as
Minister to Canada. Robbins Is a sup
porter of MacNider, whom the former
succeeded at the War Department, but
he also is on cordial terms with Brook
hart. To what extent the revenge-seek-
ing rif1eman- statesman can be per-
suaded to cease fire on MacNider is
very much of a question. Brookhart
considers the would-be envoy to Ottawa
as the architect-in-chief of the Sena-
tors woes when he was battling for the
contested seat finally given to Senator
Steck, Democrat. Borah's foreign rela-
tions committee Is the first arena
in which the Brookhart-M aCNider scrap
will have to be fought out. II "sena-
tortal courtesy" considerations prevent
the favorable reporting-out of the ap-
pointeeS name, MacNider Is probably
sunk. The young Iowa banker-farmer
Is one of the gods of the American Le-
organization will not forget the names
Of the Senators who vote against Mac
Nider. That's a factor which may i'm
press some Of them as much as "sena-
tortal courtesy"
On July 1 the Bureau Of Investigation
in the Department Of Justice will as
sumo new role In the program Of as
SiSting local police officers to detect
crime and apprehend criminals. The
bureau already maintains for the serv-
Ice of peace officers the worlds largest
criminal fingerprint bureau. Next
month it will take over the work started
last January by the committee on uni
form crime records Of the International
Association of Police Chiefs. This con-
sists of tabulating and publishing crimi-
nal statistics on a Nationwide basis
Monthly publication of these figures
will inform the public of the quantum
distribution and fluctuation of crime
and invite popular attention to the
specific conditions calling for study and
rectification. Such statistics will also
afford American criminologists the
same source material for study that has
so long been Of advantage to foreign
authorities in approaching their own
crime problems.
Eddie" Savoy. for whom Secretary
Stimson is seeking permanent COM
mission as dean of the State Depart
ment messenger staff, has guarded the
Office door of every Secretary of State
in succession since the Grant admins
tration. His first chief was Secretary
Hamilton Fish. sr. The 76-year-old
Negro. whose bow legs are as we'll known
a feature Of the State Departments
architecture as Its mansard roof itself.
has had a speaking acquaintance with
two generations of foreign ENJOYS sta
toned at Washington. He has q fabu-
lous memory. Eddie" has only to see
an Ambassador, Minister or a charge
d'affaires once to be able to welcome
him by name and with a courtly bow
the next time the diplomat shows up at
the Secretary of States Office. Savoys
job under ordinary conditions, should
have terminated years ago and ended In
his retirement. But Colby, Hughes,
Kellogg and Stimson in succession
found 1t was incompatible with the
public interest to let Eddie" 60.