Evening star., 1933-02-20
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE,

Repeats sudden victory in Congress
leaves the organized drys in confusion
and gloom, but they've determined not
to take defeat lying down. A desperate
attempt will be made at Washington on
March and 8 to rally the forces Of
prohibition for one more frontal at
tack on Demon Rum. The call to
arms which their leaders have Just
issued for consideration of the tenn
perance situation" describes the forth
coming conference as "the most i'm
portant and impressive meeting of its
kind in decade" The principal pur-
pose will be to map out the campaign
to prevent ratification in the States.
The strategy, Of course, will be to con-
centrate the fight in the 13 States be-
lieved the most favorable battle-ground.
The majority of them, in the opinion
of the dry high command, is in Dixie,
though the stampede of Southern Sen
ators into the repeal camp last week
holds out little encouragement to anti
ratificationists. Senator Sheppard Of
Texas, author of the eighteenth amend
ment, refuses to hoist the white flag.
He processes faith that the bakers
dozen of States sufficient to prevent
the kidnapping Of his legislative off,
spring can and will be found There's
just chance that Sheppards wish Is
father to that hopeful thought. On
the other hand, conservative vets like
Senator Walsh of Massachusetts, warn
against ratification overconfidence.
X y X
From hour to hour it looks more and
more as II Gov. Roosevelt had decided
to take leaf out of Woodrow Wilson's
notebook and keep his cabinet dark
secret until the eve of Inauguration.
That is exactly what happened when
the previous Democratic administration
took office in 1913. Bryan's Secretary
ship OF State was the only appointment
that leaked out in advance. That
Postmaster Generalship in the Roose-
velt cabinet-everybody knows it's going
to Jim Farley. But guesses and gossip
to the contrary notwithstanding, make
up of the rest of F. D. RS official
household is still on the knees Of the
gods. Probably Senator Carter Glass
indecision, as much as anything else,
is holding up f1nality. In this con-
nection, the report is now current that
considerations of health are not all
which is causing Glass to hesitate about
the Treasury portfolio. He is said to
be reluctant to join an adrninistra-
ton which may have to sanction at
least modified imitation.
" y n \
Radio broadcaSters have to watch not
only their step, but their stage whis-
pers, when they're on the air. During
last weeks broadcasting of memorial
| services for departed members of Con-
greSs in the House of Representatives,
one speaker was heard clearly by local
! listeners to expostulate: "Confound It'll"
The general impression was that he'd
either broken his spectacles or lost his
place in a manuscript. Sticklers for
propriety have been known to remon-
strate by letter with broadcasters who
subconsciously vented their emotions in
unparliamentry language.
X 4 X 4
North Carolina has an active and
able aspirant for appointment to the
United States Civil Service Commission
| in the person of Mrs. Lyman A. Gotten
of Chapel Hill. She is backed by her
States highest officials as well as the
Tarheel delegation in Congress, espe-
cially Representative Doughton, in
whose district she lives and who Is in
line for Craftsmanship of the Ways and
Means Committee. Mrs. Gotten, a
Washington society belle when she was
Bessie Henderson, daughter of the late
| Representative John s. Henderson of
| North Carolina, is the widow Of Capt.
Gotten, U. S. NJ, who died Of pneumonia
contracted from exposure while on duty
aboard his ship In a severe Winter
storm. Capt. and Mrs. Gotten spent
several years in JAPAN where the for
mer was American nav1i attache. Mrs.
Gotten Is an active Democratic or
ganization worker In North Carolina
and stumped the State for Smith in
'28 and Roosevelt in '32.
n
Among the remnant Of Republican
Governors expected in Washington on
March 6 for the conference to which
President -elect Roosevelt has invited all
State executives, are two men widely
looked upon as G.. O. P. white hopes
! for 1895. They are John G. Winant
of New Hampshire and Clayton Douglass
! Buck of Delaware. Both of them are
young. personahle. capable and po-