Evening star., 1930-05-23
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

"Jim" Davis stunning victory in the
pennsylvania senatorial primary has
showed him away out in front at Re-
publican Washington. OF course, ow-
Ing to the rock-ribbed Strangle-hold
the @. o. P. has on the Keystone State,
the Secretary of Labor is already as
good as elected. If he doesn't care to,
Davis need hardly spend a dollar or
q day in Pennsylvania between now
and November, though he will probably
have to put in both q little money and
time on the formality of becoming
Senator-elect. Grundy's conqueror sue
cessfully met the charge that he's only
Pennsylvania by proxy. AS matter
OF fact, no fewer than three States lay
more or less claim to "Jim's" alle-
glance. He was labor leader and local
politician in Indiana. He has been
"moosing" In Illinois for years. Then
he established Pittsburgh as his official
domicile. Since 1921 he has resided in
Washington. The greatest Of mixers,
Davis thus has carried his principal
talent into his residential habits through
the years in which he has so irresistibly
come up from behind. Reports of his
proposed change of address from Pitts
burgh to Philadelphia are in line with
"Jim's" migratory record.
xx X Il
Penn's next Republican Senator has
deep and abiding reverence for his
parents, but he has never quite for
given them for not emigrating from
Wales q year or two sooner. If they
had done so, Jim" would have been
born in the United States and now
would have chance of aspiring at
least to the vice presidency, for the
Republican party isn't likely ever to
waste a presidential nomination on q
State so safe as Pennsylvania. Davis
administration supporter, II not Spokes-
man, in the Senate. He Is capable Of
making a rafting good speech. It may
not always bristle with high-browed
intellectual points, but it Is usually
convincing and appealing from hui
man standpoint. Davis prides himself
on tackling labor questions from the
heart, rather than from the head. :
X ~ X X
For the same reason that "Jim" Davis,
II eligible by birth, could never aspire
to Republican presidential nomina-
ton, clifford Pinchot,s Pennsylvania
origin bars him, too. It's no incon-
siderable feat that the one-tine chief
forester Of the United States has just
accomplished - this back-from- -Elba
achievement of his In capturing another
Penn State gubernatorial nomination
Pinchot's triumph fills national drys
with JOY. They consider it more than
q counterblast to Dwight Morrow's wet
manifesto In New Jersey. Many OF
them think 1t is handwriting on the
wall, which spells MorrowS doom in the
primary, and, if not then, in the Novem-
ber election, should the Ambassador be
the senatorial nominee.
~ X
One of the diverting tales now kick
ing around Capitol Hill In connection
with naval legislation Is that certain
member of the House, who has q good
deal to do with the money spent on
the fleet. has a woman for his naval
expert" She Is said TO be one Of the
congressional lobbyists of the national
paciflst organization. One of her
gentry was at the London Conference.
X X X
Out in Joliet, ILL.,, there lives q
highly respected business man and
banker once known to prize-ring fame
as "Packy" Mcfarland, an unbeaten
lightweight champion of his day. One
| Of "Packy's" lawyer friends was In
Washington this Spring, attending to
some Supreme Court business. From
an acquaintance in the Senate the
friend obtained q card of admission to
the reserved gallery Of the chamber
dated it March II, 1880, st. Patrick'i
day." filled in McFarlands name, and
then had entered in the proper space
Good for and during the season OF
Lent" To cap the climax, the card
was forwarded to "Packy," signed u
Thomas Hefiin."
|
Senator Arthur Capper, Republican
| of Kansas, was a recent week ent
visitor to the Presidents fishing camI
on the Rapidan. Capper confesses N
rainbow trout. Catfish have alway
been my speciality" the Kansan plead
In piscGkoRial axkeuua<ion