Evening star., 1932-01-20
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS

Drafting of Gen. Dawes to head the
Hoover Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration, the two-billion- dollar steel
beam" with which Congress at the
Presidents behest is reinforcing the
country's credit structure, is the sensa-
ton of the hour Not since the eventful
day when the White House simultane-
ously announced the resignation of
Chief Justice Taft and the nomination
of Charles Evans Hughes as his sue
cessor has the Capital and the country
been so taken by surprise. And, as in
that case, the Presidents present action
is accorded spontaneous and Wellnigh
universal acclaim. In upsetting the ad-
vance representations which slated
Bernard M. Baruch, Wall Street Demo-
crat and plutocrat extraordinary, as the
head of the Finance Corporation; IN
relegating to second place IN the
Finance Corporation Set-up GOV. Eugene
Never of the Federal Reserve Board,
whom many we'll informed observers
were quietly certain was Mr.. HooVers
choice for the chairmanshlp, ana IN
canceling the assignment OF Gen.
Dawes to the headship of the American
delegation to the Geneva Disarmament
Conference less than "a hours before
Dawes was scheduled to embark Tor
Europe the President acted in character
istic fashion. Mr.. Hoover Is known to
feel that at the present juncture OF
affairs financial deStinies Of Welinlgh
incalcL' able consequences rest in the
hands of this huge Federal finance
agency. Its success is the uppermost
consideration, TO which all else should
be subordinated. And so reaching the
unpremediated decision that Gen.
Dawes was the psychological choice Tor
the finance post, the President did not
hesitate to revise his plans.
X x X x
Barney Baruch was reputed to be Mr.
Ffopvers constant adviser during the
early stages of the formulation OF the
Finance Corporation plans. His friends
were sure he was in line for the chair
manship He confided in them that the
post had not been tended him. He m
timated that no subordinate role IN tne
corporation would have an appeal. 1t is
now being assumed, therefore, that
Baruch will not have a place on the
board of directors. Gov. Eugene Meyer,
who with Secretary Mellon and Under
secretary of Treasury Mills are the ad-
ministration'S financial triumVirate,
goes in as chairman of the Finance
Corporation Board, as per schedule, but
with a highly important reservation.
Gov. Meyer and his friends had as
sumed that Craftsmanship Of the board
meant the head of the organization. All
save Mr.. Hoover entertained similar
assumption The bill creating the cor
poration has no mention OF "presl-
dent" No suggestion of such an Official
A,.l Nf N q
House announcement Tuesday giving
Gen. Dawes this place. SO Gov. Meyers
astonishment may well be imagined.
x * x
"see America First" was taken to
heart very literally by Richard L. Riedel,
the tall and ever smiling young man
who WIN despite his years Is already a
veteran in the Senate service, and in
the capacity of liaison officer between
the press gallery and Senate Chamber
is known as Richard" to every Sen
stor and every newspaper correspondent.
When Congress adjourned last March
Richard set out with his widowed
mother for an auto tour of the con-
tinent. He arrived back in Washington
on the very day Congress reconVened
in December. In the meantime he had
travelled total of 10000 miles, had
VlSlteO every 0thle III ILIe OLlOll, WV
states In Mexico and portions OF
Canada He had inspected 13 national
parks and had been entertained by
Senators Wheeler and Walsh in Mon
tana, Dill in Washington, johnson in
California and Oddie in Nevada.
Publication of a commemorative edi-
ton of the writings of George Wash
ington complete In 25 handsome vol
| umes, undertaken by the Washington
Bicentenary Commission, is proving to
| be herculean labor-and prospective
ly lifetime task. The initial volumes
| have already issued from the Govern
ment presses, but distribution is to be
postponed until the work Is completed.
Members Of Congress are to receive sets
with the compliments of the commits
sion as a souvenir of the Bicentenary
| Public libraries are to be permitted to
| subscribe at the rate OF $50 per set, a
! figure Just one-half of the estimated
production cost. Unless there be q
change OF plan, sny remaining sets will
be sold to the nllhlia af nast-nn tha