Evening star., 1933-01-13
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE,

Mussolini told Rabbi Silver of Cleve-
land one day this week that what
America needs Is master mind. With
the Rome that Is Washington burning
in a dozen directions, while the scene
swarms with fiddling Neros, there's
more truth than poetry in what II Duce
says, as far as the political situation
Is concerned. OF course, the Fascist
chief means that what the United
States needs is good 10-cent cigar
like him. The Mussolini brand Of die
tatorship Is neither wanted nor required
in Washington, but not in a long time
has there been such a general craving
or opportunity for leadership worthy of
the name. If things congressional were
ever at SKIES and Sevens, that moment
Is now The budget-balancing problem
Is mess. It's reached point where
ones afraid and the other daren't.
President Hoover essayed leadership in
war debt matters, Government re-
organization, economy and taxation.
Congress will have none Of it. Then
came President-elect Roosevelt'S maiden
venture in Capitol Hill leadership, on
budget affairs, and that was ship
wrecked. The Senate Is tied in knot
by a filibuster on the banking bill. The
two houses are at loggerheads over beer
and repeal. Time marches on, but
statesmen in charge of the United
States Government refuse to keep step
with 1t.
Franklin D. Roosevelt after March
will be man Of many homes-no
fewer than five, In fact, and probably
more than any other President ever
had First, there'll be the White House;
then the ancestral country place at
Hyde Park, N. Y; then the town house
at 49 East Sixty-fifth street, in New
York City, and finally the two vacation
homes, at Campobello Island, Me,
where the PreSident-elect was stricken
IL years ago, and at Warm Springs
Ca, site of the Little White House"
If the Roosevelts decide to use the
Hoover camp on the Rapidan, the new
Presidents various vines and fig trees
will number an even half dozen. Rep
resentative-elect Utterback of Bangor,
Me-, has just visited Gov. Roosevelt in
Manhattan, to urge him to spend his
presidential Summers on Campobello
Island.
Since his recent political intimacy
with President-elect Roosevelt loosened
his once tightly tied tongue, Col. Ed
W.
for the first time, his authorship OF an
anonymous political novel, written some
IS years ago. The book Is entitled
Philip Dru, Administrator. This OBJ
server once upon time hit upon the
cipher by which he convinced himself
that woodrow Wilson's gumshoe artist
was the writer of the book. In Ger
tain chapter the hero establishes his
headquarterS-he Is the commander In
chief of the army bent on capturing
Washington and setting up new deal
there-at a tavern called "Mandell
House" The colonel's name Is Edward
Mandell House. His book is an mag
NATIVE dip into the future and con-
Germs a political movement that had
to resort to military tactics to accom-
plish its purpose. The incumbent regime
at Washington, facing certain defeat,
bowed to the inevitable and instituted
sweeping governmental reforms.
n n n X
II the sun Is shining in Washington
on March smoked glasses will be the
order of the day, provided any con-
siderable number OF Governors staff
colonels come to town in their official
war paint. The knockout contingent
Of them all promises to be the battalion
of colonies which Is coming to the
| Inauguration with Gov. Park of Mir
souri,. Advance reports indicate that
Solomon in all his glory was not ar
rayed like one Of these. Regulation
Army full dress Is set of by the addi-
! ton Of red star on each sleeve The
great seal of tho United States SHIN
mers from the belt buckle. The coat
Is emblazoned with double row of
gold buttons and on the cap giitters
sthe great seal Of Missouri. According