Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-14
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

President Hoover's mailbag this week,
and especially his. press clippings
should cause him to grin from ear to
ear, If he were given to registering
that particular kind Of emotion. They
are the result of his most recent fisti-
cuffs with the Senate. The chorus
OF approval of the spanking to which
Mr.. Hoover subjected the Upper House
on the Power Commission episode is
loud, almost universal AND knows no
geographical limitations. Callers at the
White House this week are echoing it.
Through the song OF acclaim, like the
leitmotH of musical theme, runs one
pretty general note It Is the hope
that, having once again rolled up his
sleeves in combat with the Senate, the
President will keep them rolled up.
washington politicians are. watching
with lively interest to see if the Cali
fornian remains on the aggressive, or,
as the language of pugilism puts It..
pulls his punches" Both pro-Hoover
and anti-Hoover authorities are in fair
agreement that the Chiefs best bet.
'twixt now and 80, is to force the
fighting all along the line.
+ X x*
Some administration we'll wishers are
so persuaded that in systematic bel
hgerency lies the Presidents surest
salvation that they think it would be
shrewd politics to manufacture oppor-
tunities for exhibiting it. Current
events are proving afresh that Nick
Longworth's and Jack Tilson's branch
of Congress Is the house of Hoover's
friends. Instead of obstructing such
legislation as the $4,000 900 900 soldiers
bonuS-certiflcate scheme or Govern
ment operation of Muscle Shoals, why
wouldn't it be a bright idea-certain
Machiavellian strategists Suggestion
the House to pass those bills and give
the President a chance to barge into
them with his veto AK? The danger of
their enactment over veto would be
remote. The country, it's argued, would
applaud HooVer'S action and his pres
tlge would be correspondingly enhanced
There is at this broadcasting no known
plan to carry out such program But
little birds are whispering it.
x X X
One Of Uncle Sans ablest seamen in
the foreign service is in Washington on
leave, for the first time in nearly four
years. He's Edwin L. Neville, counselor
OF the American embassy in Japan.
Neville is completing % years of activ-
ity in the international field, most of
which has been in the Far East, IN
which he ranks as class A authority
Since 1907 he has held with distinction
dozen different posts in the consular
and diplomatic branches all over Japan
Korea and China. Neville speaks Japa-
nese fiuently. He has seen several
American Ambassadors come and go at
Toxic since he himself went there in
1925. During the interregnum between
Messrs. MacVeagh and Forbes, in 1880,
Neville was charge d'affaires in Japan,
and conducted for the United States the
delicate preliminaries leading up to the
London Naval Conference.
X X X X
Printers ink has certainly been doing
its bit for farm relief. Public Printer
George H. Carriers annual report, just
submitted to Congress, shows that the
Department of Agriculture was far IN
the lead, among the Government Print
ing Ofice's customers, in number OF
publications turned out Secretary
Hyde's branch of the administration
accounts for no fewer than 36,734 ,346
of the total number of documents that
rolled of the G. P. o. presses during
the fiscal year ended June 80. 1880.
That was nearly so per cent of the en-
tire output. The War and Commerce
Departments came next, with 10000, 900
odd apiece. Secretary Lamont's people
spent the most money with Mr.. Carter
81, 572 ,597. In previous years, Congress
and the Post Office Department were
yearly rivals for first place in the
amount of Government printing ordered
Mr.. Carter on April 5 will complete a
record of 10 years as Government
printer, a longer consecutive period than
any Of his 10 predecessors.