Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-29

When President Hoover is at Valley
Forge tomorrow, to deliver his Memorial
day address, 1t wouldn't be strange If
his thoughts bark back to the role
which Congress plays ''in the times that
try mems souls" as Paine described
Gen. Washington'S six months of. crit
ical vicissitudes. 1.-THE poor soldiers,
a popular history of Valley Forge mar
rates, were the helpless victims Of
meddling Congress and an incompe-
tent commissary department. While the
whole country was fairly prosperous,
the men at Valley Forge starved" 1t
is estimated that 5000 soldiers persisted
at Valley Forge during the six months
of the encampment. while in the 26
principal engagements Of the Revolu-
ton the number of killed and wounded
did not greatly exceed 5000. ''The
weakest point was Congress-" the his
torian continues. ats best men were
in the Army or at home busily engaged
In an effort to establish State govern
ments. A mere handful Of men gath
cred in York, often not enough for a
often less Judgment. They could only
advise the States and their advice was
not much needed. There was in fact
no central Government"
\ X X \
Possibly this additional bit Of re-
corded Valley Forge history may have
certain up-to-date analogy for Mr..
Hoover: "As the silly intrigues against
Washington recoiled upon their authors,
men began to realize that it was far
more upon his consummate sagacity
and unselflsh patriotism, than upon
anything that Congress could do, that
sthe country rested its hopes Of success
in the great enterprise which 1t had
undertaken. AS the nullity of Congress
made it ever more apparent that the
country as a whole was without gov
eminent, Washington stood forth more
and more conspicuouSly as the living
symbol of the union of the States. In
him and his work were centered the
common hopes and the common in
terests of all the American people,"
X X X X
Chief Justice Hughes reveals In his
arduous work in the Supreme Court
buoyancy and verve that are the adj
miration and envy of all who come
in contact with them. A day or two
after the recent decision concerning
citizenship and rms-bearing
Holmes, -Brandeis and Stone dissenting
"a friend said to the Chief Justice that
1t was gratifying to see him poisoning
out as liberal. 1--WE been blossom
ing for long time" said Hughes, with
characteristic chuckle, "but the trou-
BILE was, it didn't bear fruit"
X X X X
This Is the season of the year when
Senator Borah annually f1irts with the
idea of trip to Europe, but never gets
any further than that. The Senate
Da1 hoi vyIn hoe
never been abroad, heSitates to emulate
the Marines and see the world mainly
because he thinks he wouldn't be able
to do what he pleased when he gets
there. The sun nowadays never sets
on his reputation. However much
Borah might want to see things for
himself, the chances are that he'd be
| taken and kept officially In hand from
morning till night "over there" That
isn't the Idahoan's idea OF voyage Of
discovery.
One wonders If at least three mem
beers of the Supreme Court aren't bound
| to feel themselves In q bit Of quandary
when Albert B. Falls petition for q
review Of his conviction Is up for, a
ruling, as it presently will be. By q
| strange coincidence, Chief Justice
Hughes and Justices Stone and Roberts
| were all associated, in one way OF
another, with the man and matters at
ISSUE Hughes sat in the Harding cabi-
net with FalT.\ Stone went into the
| ATTORNEY generalship to purge the De-
partment of Justice of ''Daughertyism,
| following the oil scandals. Roberts Won
his Supreme Court appointment as. q
result Of his prosecution Of the Doheny-
Fall oil cases.
| y =
DR.. Charles r. Marvin, veteran chile!
Of the United States Weather Bureau
is en- route to Europe, but not IN hi
capacity as Uncle Sans rain and sun