Evening star., 1932-04-10
Capital Sidelights
by WILL p. KENNEDY.

ers participated-folks who are doing
, most serious work for the Nation, and
see how they can lay dull care aside
| and make merry over some of the
thorns- s-m-the-f1esh Of their daily grind
The Society of Federal Translators
Of the National Federation of Federal
Employees recessed its regular order of
business last week while the histrioni-
cally inclined members of the society
donned the masque of comedy and pre-
sented before an appreciative audience
of nearly 100 members and guests a
short, Snappy playlet Of two acts en-
| titled Tine TranSlator's Dream" writ
! ten in delightfully."- humorous vein by
Mr. Burton II. Lamore, chief TRANSLATOR
! OF the State Department, ana PLAYED
under the able dictatorship of Mr.. y.
| Lebei
Both acts were introduced by pro
| logue, this portion OF the program be-
ing rendered by Miss Ida May StoCker
VINO charmingly prepared the mood OF
the audience for the lines to follow.
The scene of the first act was laid
! in Merrie England, the events occurring
any time between 1400 and 1900, and
the tale told in old English character
| istic of the times of odds bodkins !"
! The hero, a meritorious Government
translator sore beset by those who hold
the reinS of petty power within the
modern state" falls into a troubled
sleep and begins to dream a most un-
happy dream with strange ending
induced by the exacting demands
made upon him during his Wakeful
moments fragments of The dream are
subconsclously magnifiad into a series
! OF horrible situations wherein gross in
| Justice mounts the throne OF reasGy
/ and a Freudian King of England, SYM
bolic OF thcughtless authority, diSpenses S
robust Injustice in rollicking mood,
even to the inclusion of the unhappy
! translator for being unable, upon de-
! mand, to inStantaneously translate into
| Muscovite a most recent speech de-
| livered from the Kings throne.
The poor translator seeks to rea-
son with the King, explaining that
what he really needs is an interpreter,
one who concentrates on one tongue
only The King listens not, again de-
manding the translation but denying
him the right to use his books OF
"heathenish characters" or even to per-
NIT him some moments reflection con-
| a language 50 OlICICIlL. OudDle
| to accomplish the task, the King states
his sentence shall be light one, being
| inclined to mercy, viz, that he be
! flogged through the streets of London
| behind a cart covered with posters pre-
/ claiming his guilt in many tongues
| later to be hanged and his feet well
| weighted with foreign books. And to
| his doom thus does go the unfortunate
| translator while the King makes merry
with his mines.
The second act, taking place some
time later, finds all the characters
and others in the satanically lighted
audience room of Lord Lucifer Satan.
| who is attended by his secretary. One
by one the characters are called be-
| fore him to receive the benefits of
Luciferian justice, which, strange to
say, excels earthly justice To the
king who greets him with a warm
, expression Of delightful surprise, Luci-
| fer Is torridly cool
Demanding of his secretary the rec
ord Of the Kings career, he is informed
that among his outstanding sins was
| the execution of a poor linguist who
| could not translate instantaneously his
/ bombast into the MuScovite tongue. Sa-
| tanic punishment is meted out at once
and the Luciferian scales of justice
balanced accordingly. The hard char
acterS Of earth follow one another. re-
ceiving condign punishments, including
that hardest boiled character Of earthly
/ governments, known as the controller
general, whose specially is the disal-
lowance Of expense accounts.
Thinking to receive Lucifer's hearty
appreciation. he stated that he hac
avoided sticking his head out of the
window at right angles. SO that hC
| could make his trip to the Satanic
kingdom by the most direct route. HI
presented to Lucifer his expense &C.
count on a small slip of paper In the
simplest form, but Lucifer ruled Dis
| allowed" TO his everlasting and eterna
| horror.
Finally, the translator was sum.
moned before Lucifer, who regarded
him long and flxedly Then he said
| Translator, you have had your hel
on earth. You may have ticket fol-
the celestial regions, but you are vel.
come to the coolest room in the place
while you remain" Said the trans
lator: Your majesty. I am getting q
square deal" AS Cicero would have
said: 'Trahit sua quemque voluptaS,
or, in other words, Let well enough
alone I'm staying here"
-.
King of England, speaking sonorouSly
and ma ajestically as BELTS king, whose
work was eXcellently supplemented by
K. F. Rogers playing the part of the
Jester and by his Page, Miss Blanche
! S. Pollock, who skilifully rendered hel
lines. r. True performed the diff
ficult feat OF carrying five different
roles in very good style, while A. j
Gallant did equally well in assuming
four other roles. A. Lebel made
very convincing Controller General with
the efficient manneriSmS characteristic
of that Office. P. Vogenitz and Mrs
A. E. Warthen gave very entertain
ing Interpretation Of Satanic judicia
life. I. Jawney played the part of the
| Translator in a most realistic manner
and brought the playlet to happy
ending.
The performance as a whole was ex.
cellently done and, because of the alb.
sence of theatrical facilities and cos
TUNES made one think of the days
when ShakeSpearean theaters were nc
better equipped and when actors mus
have possessed most excellent ability
! to held and entertain the audience b;
mere acting alone.
x X X
REPRESENTATIVE Louis Ludlow of In.
| diana, who recently shook the gold dust
of lucrative Washington correspondence
from his homespun clothing and is now
suffering in the depression of dirt.
farm and running away from it to leg
! islate, told his colleagues the Other
day that he is doing his part to swell
the profits of certain manufacture,
whom friend of his named Jerry
! Dugan claimed was making so much
money he could not count it.
II cannot believe it." said Bill Hall
another Hoosler friend, every manu-
facturer I have talked to tells me he
has lost his shirt in the last year What
does this friend of yours manufacture?
All" said Jerry, smiling sweetly. 'it
told you what he manufactures you
would know why he is getting rich. He
manufactures red ink"
| X
George r. Farnum, former assistant