Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-02
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

When the cream OF Washington So
ciety assembled at the brilliant recep-
ton and ball in the Italian embassy
Saturday night Ambassador Mobile
Giacomo de MARITIME probably came in
for some cordial congratulatory bou-
quetS. His achievement in persuading
the United States Government to
apologize without ado for Maj Gen.
Smedley D. Buffers references to Mus
solini is almost a record breaking bit
OF rapid-flre diplomacy. In the local
international set you can hear men
saying it's enough to earn the indie
fatigable Italian envoy the highest
honor in II Duce'S gift-perhapS even
the foreign Secretaryship, when young
Dino Grand sometimes dubbed Mus
solini's heir apparently relinquishes it.
Another form of reward might be a
transfer to a conspicuous European
ambassadorial post, like Paris or Lon
don. De MARITIME is sleepleSs in guard
ing the fame and name of Benito and
of Italy in the United States. He was
an official of the Rome foreign office
long before Fascism came into power,
but is now one of its Enthusiastically
jealous field marshalS With roundly
six years of service to his credit here
de MARITIME is the ranking member of
the diplomatic corps, being only one
rating behind the dean, Senior Teller,
Ambassador of Mexico.
PartiSans of Gen. Butler are hint
ing that his court-martial will net be
in progress very long before he name
OF President Hoover will be dragged
into 1t. If that occurs II VIII not con-
Germ the irresponsible allegation that
Mr. Hoover instigated disciplinary pro-
ceedings against his brother Quaker
The episode in question is of far more
ancient vintage. 1t runs back to 1900
and the Boxer rebellion in China
At that time Mr.. and Mrs. Hoover
we're living in Tientsin, where the for
mer was at the head of important
foreign mining interests. Butler, then
daShing young Marine officer, was
conspicuously identified with the Amer
lean military forces that protected the
lives and property of the Yankee resi-
dents of Tientsin. If the generals
memory fails him as to exactly what
happened on that occasion, it can
easily be refreshed by his counsel, Maj
Harry Leonard, who lost an arm in
the Tientsin fighting.
~
George Rublee, one of Washington's
leading international lawyers, is in the
thick OF things in Colombia, which held
Wild West congressional election yes
terday. An authority on land and
petroleum laws ever since he served at
Ambassador Dwight Morrow's elbow in
Mexico for two years, Mr.. Rublee has
been at Bogota, Colombia'S capital,
since November He was commissioned
by President Olaya's government to
draft a new code of oil laws. The work
is about completed and awaits ratifica-
ton by the national Congress. Mr..
Rublee accompanied the American dele
cation to the London Naval Conference
a year ago in the capacity Of special
adviser.
When Gen. Pershing was at the Co
lumbia Broadcasting Systems Wash
ington studio the other night to make
Red Cross appeal to the country
Harry Butcher, Columbia representa-
tive here, asked the commander in
chief of the A. E. F. how he liked
being an author. I'D rather fight two
or three wars" Pershing replied, than
write the story of one"
4 n
william N. Doak, Secretary Of Labor.
goes to bed three times a day and
doesn't care who knows 1t. His first
land longest) sleep is the one for which
he turns in, like most mortals, late In
the evening. After he's had his midday
meal, Doak undreSSes and snatches
an hours snooze before returning to his
work Then, at the end of the day and
before eating dinner, he piles into bed
again. The former official of the Train
mems Brotherhood Is certain that he's
hit on the right way to keep happy,
physically wealthy and wise. Secretary
Doak Is out with his maiden autobiog-
raphy-in the January edition of the
| Congressional Directory. 1t proudly
records that he is the son Of a Confed-
crate s ldier attached to Pickett's Di-
vision.
~ r
A thirsty New Yorker, disappointed
over recent events in Washington, writes
| this observer Il hear that every
bridge in the country is going to be re-
named 'Wickersham Bridge because II
| goes from one side to the other