The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1934-08-30

Ger Cne new
Deal. ~
Mrs. Kent ',~'''''.' ''' ''''''''
went touring Helen Essary
about the continent and Eng
land, looking at the cathedralS
she had not seen before.
I hope she recognized the
cathedrals when she saw them.
Not that I am catty, but I hap
pen to remember that time the
League of Nations was meet
ing at Geneva, and Elizabeth
Kent and I went sailing up
Lake Geneva to see the Castle
Of Chillon. You know of course,
about the Castle of Chtllon
Complete with prisoner) Of
which Byron wrote so romanti-
cally.
The day Elizabeth and I
searched for poetic memories
was as blue and white and clean
as a Swiss housewife. Grey days
had preceded it for week.
We had decided that Mont
Blanc, the high priestess OF
Geneva was, like other high
prieSteSses, a myth. But on this
particular morning, high above
the other snowy peaks of the
Alps "the white lady appeared
listening, aloof and miraculously
beautiful. :,
"What luck we're having!
Mont Blanc and the Castle OF
Chillon in one day." Mrs. Kent
and I remarked to each other
as we boarded the lake steamer.
We felt pretty sorry for the
Great Minds shut up in the
council chamber of the League
of Nations and we're remarkably
pleased with ourselves.
Our little steamer went plac-
cidly I'D the lake, away from
the Rhone River which is its
source. Elizabeth and talked
enthusiastically of the scenery
and civilization of practically
=, the entire world of which we
knew almost nothing and OF
the meeting of the League OF
Nations of which we knew
nothing at all.
The shore passed us slowly.
A contented picture. Narrow
roads winding to chalets over
looking cliffs. Neat clumps OF
trees. Trim pastures and low
white houses zigzagging down
the hillsides.
On the French side of Lake
Geneva were the distant noun
tains, changing brown and
green in the shadows OF the
low hanging clouds. At the end
Of the lake our steamer turned
back toward Geneva. Elizabeth
and I continued our sympa-
thetic conversation. BY this
time it included fashions, friends
and scandals.
Suddenly it occurred to us
that we had not yet seen the
Castle of Chillon. Elizabeth,
ever an enterprising character
hurried to consult a nearby
ships officer. Would he be
good enough to point out the
castle as we approached it. We
must have missed it on the
way up the lake.
do you see that low grey
building, way back there?" said
the officer in the perfect Eng
lish which in a foreigner is al
ways q reprOach to an Ameri-
can. He pointed at a vague
shape far behind us.
"That's the Castle, Madame.
You've passed it twice. Once
coming and once going. Pity
you missed it. That is, if you
were really looking for it."
AS soon as we reached Geneva
we rushed to a post card shop,
and bought two blue and white
water colors of the Castle of
Chillon. Whenever anybody
mentions my picture-it hangs
in the family library-1 say
oh, very convincingly.
"My dear, it's the most faS-
cinating and romantic place. 1
assure you it is worth trip to
Switzerland-merely to see it."
Here's a little secret about
the erudite ex-Yale professor, ex-
Connecticut governor, ex-Sena-
tor Hiram Bingham of Connecti-
cut, who is now in Washington
as the head of the Aeronautical
Association.
He just can't pronounce pro-
hibition-on the air. Many have
been unable in the past to say
the word-comfortably. But
nowadays people trin the Sylla-
bles with ease.
A certain senatorial secretary
who ghost-writeS speeches for
learned citizens says that he
once wrote a radio speech for
the Connecticut gentleman re-
Wiling prohibition and advocat-
ing beer. The speech lasted for
Is minutes. Not once was the
word prohibition" spoken.
The secretary had struggled
with the Senator for half an
hour practicing the word. The
Senator had spoken it over a
(cors;ru.J nm PAGE 22. Col II