Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-28
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Business executives throughout the
country who derive their inside knowl-
edge Of events at Washington from
confidential news letter." rather than
from the papers, have just received q
straight tip about prohibition. It's to the
effect that modification of existing laws
is probably 6 or 8 years distant. Another
arresting statement is that it will be 1888
or 1884 before Congress even begins to
get to grips with prohibition under any
conditions assuring legislative action.
Agitation, the same prognosticator con-
cedeS, will continue and become in
creasingly insistent. But he thinks it
will take at least two or three more
congressional elections to produce in
both houses ma joritieS capable OF up
setting Volsteadism. The Nations
principal financial and industrial cap
tains, it appears, maintain q STEADY
stream of correspondence with the
wiseacre here cited. His latest ency-
clical says he can no longer keep his
head above the food of inquiries pour
ing in about prohibition. They. indicate
that it is head and shoulders above any
other issue now before the country.
Herbert .Janvrin Browne, long distance
crop and weather forecaster, was chal-
lenged the other day to justify puoic
statement that he knows man whose
business has been steadily and consist
emily increasing eyer since the 1879
stock crash. who is he?" was the de-
mand of Brownies hearers. Hes y
manufacturer of red Ink was the
crushing rejoinder.
Henry p. Fletcher. chairman OF the
United States Tariff Commission, APP
pears to be after George Arl1ss laurels.
At any rate, the debonair Pennsyiva-
man turned up recently at fashion,
able bal masQue in washington SO COM
pletely disguised as Disraeli that II was
some time before other guests discov-
cred his real identity. Where the one
time Rough Rider and Ambassador
learned to twirl q monocle in the pest
Beaconsfield manner still remains TO De
explained. Fletcher had professional
makeup artist convert him lnto
counterfeit of the great Dizzy. WINE
the process was under way, ne says,
IT wasn't sure whether I was going 10
turn out to be William Jennings Bryan
or Tom Hefiin." Alice Roosevelt Long.
worth's appearance as F1orodora girl
was another Of the party's big hits.
Somebody was twitting Pat Harrison
In the Democratic cloakroom OF the
Senate about his party's search for
winning issue in 1882. The razzer Sug-
gested that in desperation the Demo-
Gratis might have to fall back on Tom
Marshall's theory that the procurement
of a good scent cigar IS the principal
question before the country. We al
ready have q good scent cigar, re-
torted Pat, only 1t sells TWO 1or
quarter"
y
"Cimarron," the stirring picture OF
the Oklahoma land rush OF 1889, whlch
recently had Its first official opening IN
washington theater the next night be-
fore President Hoover's guests In the
white House, has set Vice President
Curtis to reminiScing.. One DAY IN IN
the earlv COS" says the KanSan, II
saw a familiar looking nag hitched in
front of the court house at topeka.
AS its owner came up and called the
horse Ruth, was sure / knew that
pony. Partner asked, 'where'd you
get that horse?' He replied that he'd
bought it to make the dash across the
Kansas line when the Government
opened up the Oklahoma Territory ana
that the horse had carried him 3 miles
to A stake in record time. Ruth was
INV old racing pony, which I'd ridden
as a Jockey at a hundred county fairs
in the Southwest" One OF the big
lines in "Cimarron" runs, Hes the
only man I know who can strut while
sitting down" The quip Is famous in
Arkansas, where it originated with the
late United States Senator Jen Davis,
He applied 1t on q famous occasion TO
Lieut.. Gov. X. o. Pendan OF Chlcot
County.
Ralph Hayes, New York banker, who
Is to be the King Of Slams press
agent in the United States while that
Oriental potentate is in our midst, is
well known at washington. He was
Secretary Of War Newton ID. Bakers
private secretary for four years, and
| later the assistant of Will H. Hays,
car of the movies. In 1927, aged 20,
Raves became q vice president Of the
Chatham Phoenix National Bank g.
Trust Co. Bachelor, Phi Beta Kappa,
active service soldier IN France and