Evening star., 1934-01-19
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Not much L. said about it, but the
suggestion Is encountered around Wash
ington that q dollar of reduced gold
content means a correspondingly auto
matte cancellation Of the war debts.
Our European debtors borrowed 100
cent dollars, but will now repay us,
II they ever do, with dollars worth
anywhere from 40 to so cents less than
the kind we loaned them, and will thus
be just that much to the good. This,
Of course, has been the debt situation
ever since depreciation Of the dollar
set in last year. Congress remains
thoroughly opposed to debt cancellation.
Being in that mood, a majority in both
houses undoubtedly is friendly to Sen
ator Johnson's bill to outlaw future
American borrowings by nations now
In default in the United States. One
of the ticklish angles Of the johnson
proposal would be its effect upon the
big trade credits the Soviet Union seeks
over here. While the Soviet is not
technically in default. the old Russia
is, and the latters debt figures con-
spicuously in current negotiations with
Moscow.
Senator Pittman, Democrat, Of Ne
vada, chairman Of the Foreign Rela-
tions Committee, wants the State De-
partment to assign one Of its officials
to the committee, with the right to sit
on the floor Of the Senate, for the pur-
pose Of supplying information when
ever international affairs are under dis
cussion, especially treaties. Such an ar
rangement would approximate the sys-
tenn long in vogue in European parlia-
mentary governments, especially Great
Britain. Every once in while the
proposal is revived that members of
the Presidents cabinet or other repre-
sentatives Of the executive branch
should sit in Congress and be subject,
from time to time, to personal inter-
pellation on departmental business.
It was University of Chicagos profess
sor Of sociology, DR.. William F. Ogburn,
who had q run-in with Gen. johnson
over consumers affairs last Summer.
A faculty colleague Of DR.. Ogburn-Dr.
Paul H. Douglas, professor of political
economy-is now chief Of the Bureau of
Economic Education at N. r. A. He is
engaged IN organizing consumers coun-
cllS by counties all over the country.
Grafton Of Labor, home economists,
library associations. the League of
Women Voters, farm bureaus, women's
clubs, educational institutions and other
local bodies. The work is purely educa-
tional in character and aimed exclu-
Sively at the protection Of consumers
interests.
Joshua Evans, Sd, Washington school
boy, has just had an honor which any
youngster in the land would have
envied. He was asked to pinch-hit for
Babe Ruth-not on the base ball dia-
mond, but over the radio. The home
run king was to have been interviewed
before the microphone, but there was
a slip-up at the eleventh hour and
substitute had to be drafted. young
JOSH" being an alumnuS Of Warm
Springs Foundation, was asked to take
Ruth's place and talk about the insti-
tuition so close to President Roosevelt's
heart. Evans bore up modestly under
his sudden glory. Gosh" he said,
when It was all over, "how disappointed
when it realized the Babe wasn't at
bat"
It was purely out Of the goodness OF
his heart that Attorney General Cum
mings responded to the request of the
Senate Banking and Currency Com
mittee for an opinion on the consti-
tutionality Of the Presidents plan to-
impound Federal Reserve gold. There
is no obligation upon the Attorney
Generals part to supply opinions to
anybody except the executive branch Of
the Government. Over at the Depart
u1ent Of Justice they recall that an
Attorney General once refused to fur
nish an opinion even In response to .
joint resolution Of Congress.