Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-11
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS

The collapse Of the projected court
martial of Gen. Smedley Butler leaves
both sides rejoicing over the outcome.
The severe reprimand" administered to
the general leaves him smiling from ear
to ear, and Secretary of Navy Adams is
the recipient of congratulations for ex-
Treating his department and the adj
minlStration from an awkward position,
which had been taken In haste to re-
pent at leisure. On all sides are pro-
found signs of relief. With public re-
action so overwhelmingly in favor of
Butler it became imperative to devise
formula that would permit retreat yet
save the faces of all concerned. The
generals regret" for embarrassing his
Government involved no withdrawal
or disavowal of his tale about Mussolini
and the generals punishment was akin
to the proverbial tap on the wrist"
Every ones honor and dignity is thus
preserved.
At least two members of Congress, to
say nothing Of congressional secretaries,
members of the diplomatic corps and
other influential persons, are hit by the
amendment to the deficiency appropria-
ton bill offered by Reed of Pennsyl-
van1a, and accepted without a roll call
by the Senate last week, which stipu-
lated. that mo money appropriated I'M
der this or any other act shall be avail
able for payment of retired pay, under
the disabled emergency officers retire
ment act, to any person who Is re-
ceiving a salary from the United States
which exceeds $4,000 per annum" This
was aimed at high-Salaried employees of
the Veterans Bureau who are recipients
OF generous retirement pay as disabled
emergency Army officers, but Is an all
inclusive proposition. If it becomes law
1t means that all who are now drawing
Government salary and retirement pay
must relinquish either the Job or the
pension. Beneath the surface of things
at the Capital it has stirred up big
ruction. The House has not yet acted.
y X
Bishop Cannon, jr., of the Methodist
Church South, though acquitted" by
the jury Of his fellow bishops at a Sc
cret trial here last week, is not yet
out Of the woods. His name is not yet
of the front pages. The Nye Senatorial
Campaign Committee is out to do what
the Caraway Committee attempted, but
failed, to hnish-namely, to get the
bishop on the witness stand under
oath, to explain, II he can, what hap
pened to the $65, 200 which he collected
in cash and cashiers checks from the
New York capitalist and Hoover hacker,
E. G. Jameson, in the 1928 campaign.
Bishop Cannon walked out on the Car
away Lobby Committee, defying its
authority to examine him. The Nye
Committee has been specially deputized
to probe 1928 campaign expenditures,
an authority conferred for the express,
though unstated, purpose of obtaining
an audit Of the bishops bank accounts.
A half dozen of Chairman Nye'S staff
80 I1ax haa of IN
Cannon evidence for several weeks. It
is an open secret that they have been
gum -shoeing for evidence that the
bishop used a liberal slice of the jane
son donation to square up his personal
debts. To avoid the contingency of the
bishop being overseas in Brazil or
Africa by the time process server set
out to look for him, Chairman Nye has
got his committee into immediate &C
ton. Bank testimony Is going into pub
lie record at once as the essential pre-
liminary to calling the bishop to the
witness stand.
4 y X X
The friends of Gov. Albert C. Ritchie
of the Maryland Free State are going
about the business of promoting his
boom for Democratic standard bearer
| in 1892 in methodical and thorough
going fashion. Branches of the Richie
for-President League" are already func-
tioning in a dozen States, and every
State in the Union is to get one-and
to get it soon. II an engaging person
atty with fine public record, skillfully
publicized, plus amply financed organi-
cation work, can be translated into
delegates, the Maryland Governor will
be factor to be reckoned with at NOM
nation time.
X n X y
The Congressional Club, famous
among other things for that best seller
| of q couple of seasons ago, the Congress
sional Cook Book, has many dinner par
ties at its magnificent club house on
New Hampshire avenues with menus
from soup to nuts right out of the cook
book Sometimes the Congressional
women invite their menfolk to these
dinner parties. At one such party held
last week some. of the husbands protested
that the dinner. though DELICIOUS was