Evening star., 1931-05-20

Hugh Gibson, American Ambassador
to Belgium, who Is in Washington this
week, Is in reality Uncle Sans Foreign
Minister for Disarmament Affairs. He
spends far more of his time in Brussels
in keeping his eyes on the rest Of Eu-
rope than In attending to our diplo-
matte business in Belgium. Gibson has
been acting for the United States al
various Geneva disarmament pow-wows
ever since they set in eight or nine
years ago. Once upon q time he was
only an unofncial observer. Later
when Uncle Sam esSayed more formal
role. Gibson became our official spokes-
man. He aStutely led the American
delegation at the abortive Coolidge
conference" in 1927, which tried to
settle the cruiser controversy. At the
five-power naval conference IN 1880
Gibson was oyershadowed by the GALAXY
OF United States Senators, cabinet ON.
GERS ct al. whom President Hoover sent
TO London, but the shrewdest of our
career diplomats was always the power
behind the delegation throne because
Of his unique and complete knowledge
Of the questions at issue. Ambassador
Gibson is In position TO give the PreSi-
dent, his long time personal friend, the
low down" on the European situation
and tell Mr.. Hoover just what the
chances are Of leading the Old World
horse TO the disarmament trough and
making him drink.
Nobody Is q 1.-THE as keen ever the
great maneuvers of the Army Air Corps
as the man who is their daddy. Tru-
bee Dawson, Assistant Secretary OF War
in charge OF aviation. Ever since ne
went to the War Department in July,
1925, Dawson has concentrated on the
progressive development Of the Army
fYe-year air plan. If the United States
Is on the way to an effective SKY oe-
fense, the credit is largely due TO MN.
Dawson has worked like a beaver Tor
the better part Of year to bring about
the first divisional exercises OF the Army
Air Corps. Opposition confronted hanl
at many stages, both from within ano
without the service. But he stuck TO il
valiantly. The armada soon to dot the
District OF Columbia heavens is the re-
suit OF Davisons driving persistence
Talk about the "perilS" involved in the
maneuverS Is particularly tiresome to
the man who still wears and bears the
scars OF an almost fatal airplane acci-
dent when he was training for war
| service on Long Island in 1917.
n X
Even a popular comedian, 1t would
appear is not without honor, save in
his own home. Al Jolson was recently
! visiting his aged parents IN Washington
After supper one evening he sat down at
the piano and reeied off for the family S
benefit the song hits from his latest
Broadway show. The original patentee
Of the Nanny" lullaby found himself
interrupted by some loud speaking. To
his CONSERVATION AL discovered that his
father had tuned in en- the radio enter
| tainment number which dislocates the
country's life At q certain early evening
/ hour.
Boris Bskhmeteff, "Kerensky Ambassa-
dor" from Russia in Washington during
the years 19l7-lS22. has Just Joined the
faculty OF Columbia University at New
York. A hydraulic engineer by profess
sion, M. Bakhmeten will flll the chair oi
civil engineering at DR.. Nicholas Muir
ray Butler's richly endowed institution
on Morningside Heights Before Ke-
rensky sent Bakhmeteff to the United
! States the latter was a professor In the
| Polytechnic Institute Of st. Peter in St
Petersburg. He Is native Of Tlflis
Russia. In 1904, as a young graduate
| engineer, young Bakhmeteff worked or
the New York State Barge Canal. Dip
lomats at Washington credited the
| "Kerensky Ambassador" with having
had much TO do with shaping the 1926
Colby policy Of non-recognition of So
| Wet Russia, which remains the AmeTi-
can program, unalloyed, IL years after
| Col. Woodcock, director of prohibi-
| ton, has decreed that the enforcement
authorities don't want Federal docket;
clogged up with minor violation cases
| These. the colonel thinks, should be
dealt with on the spot-thoueh not in 6
gangster sense. To Woodcock's atten-
| ton has been brought yarn which In
dicates that his instructions were taker
rot only literally, but wittily, by a po.
hceman in . Northern city. The COZ