Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-15
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Seeing that the Republic in 1882 Is
invited to concentrate as much thought
as 1t can divert from the presidential
campaign upon George Washington,
Maj. Gen. Douglas Macarthur has
struck q useful note in quoting the
Father Of His Country on military de-
Tense. The War Department. the bril-
liant young chief Of STAFF told the War
Policies Commission on Wednesday, has
adopted Gen. WaShingtons precept, IF
We are wise, let US prepare for the
worst" Gen. Macarthur believes, heart
and soul, in that other Washingtonian
counsel, contained In the Farewell Ad-
dress, that the United States would al
ways do well Ito remain on Q respecta-
BILE defensive posture" Nobody who
knows Douglas Macarthur imagines that
his plan for an emergency draft Army
CT 1000, 600 men Is an expression of
militarist lust for battle. A lifelong
professional soldier, who knows war at
f1rst hand, he shares Gen. Shermsn's
opinion of 1t. Before he himself expert
enced wars horrors IN France, Gen.
Macarthur learned from his own father,
Lieut.. Gen. Arthur Macarthur, Just why
Old TecumSeh branded war as hell"
The chief OF Staf believes there's only
one thing worse than war, and that Is
Tor country TO 60 into war unprepared.
Although Commander in Chief Hoo
yer has given orders that War Depart
ment expenditure Is to be cut to the
bone, it can be said on authority that
he has no idea Of proposing any Teduc-
ton Of the Army below present strength.
BY act OF Congress making appropria-
tons for the current fiscal year the
strength in enlisted men Is 11e,75O, ex-
elusive OF GAS Philippine Scouts. Mel
Their President Hoover nor Secretary Of
War Hurley Is disposed to consider any
curtailment Of this total. Mr.. Hoover
on numerous occasions has proclaimed
that the United States Army is already
down to skeletOnic proportions. We
have many more policemen than SOL
diers" is one Of his graphic ways Of de-
plotting IL. Before the economy wave
has spent its force there may be some
important transfers of troops now doing
duty on certain soil far remote from
home shores of this country. These de-
tachmentS for some time have been
esFmaTked at Washington rs unneces-
sary in the service they've long been
rendering.
The Union League Of Philadelphia
which glor1eS in the fact that 1t was
born during Lincoln'S administration
and was founded especially to hold up
his hands, will keep up q record when
it entertainS Herbert Hoover on May
20. The stanch Penn q. o. p. organization
is proud of having been host to every
Republican President since 1865. Mr..
Hoover Is not to speak at the league
dinner on the eve Of Memorial day.
reserving his remarks for the com
memoration at Valley Forge the next
morning. HIS business in Philadelphia
is to unveil his own portrait which the
league commissioned for its famous OLD
club house on Broad street; There's
been q bit Of q hubbub over the picture
because an English painter was en-
gagged TO produce 1t.
At Geneva two weeks hence the
United States will resume its ancient
efforts to have the powers do something
about opium, especially in China. The
chairman Of the American delegation at
the conference on limitation of the
manufacture Of narcotic drugs IS Consul
General John X. Caldwell of the State
Department. Mr.. Caldwell has had long
experience in the Far East and knows
opium-as an isSue-from one end of
the pipe to the other. His associates
at Geneva will be Harry ]. Anslinger,
commissioner Of narcotics; DR.. w. l..
Treadway, assistant surgeon general of
the Public Health Service and head of
the Bureau Of Mental Hygiene, and
State Senator Sanborn Young OF Cali
fornia. China's proposed opium monop-
oily threatens to throw q monkey
wrench into the international machinery
for suppression of the traffic In that
particular dope. The Chinese prohibit
opium smoking by law just as we pro-
hibit liquor drinking, with about the
same results.
One Of the documents brought to
light in connection with next weeks
golden jubilee Of the American Red