Evening star., 1934-07-02
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

hope that there would be mo news"
in Washington all Summer. That's
sentiment heartily echoed in the
business world throughout the coun-
try. All reports reaching here on the
state of the national mind since the
adjournment Of Congress reflect that
commerce, industry and finance con-
template with supreme satisfaction
the fact that they are about to enjoy
a prolonged ''rest from Washington" I"
They are particularly glad that the
law factory on Capitol Hill has put
up its shutters until enext January.
The consensus Is that times are sure
to improve with the cessation of 'un-
certainties" from the banks of the
Potomac.
Associate Justice willis Van De-
vanter of the United States Supreme
Court leads the annual exodus of Fed
eral notables to Europe, having just
sailed for a visit to his ancestral Hol-
land and other Old World countries.
Justice Van Devanter is the senior
member of the Supreme Court in
point of continuous service, having
concluded nearly quarter Of CEN
tury on the bench, following his ap-
pointment by President Taft in 1910.
He recently celebrated his 18th birth
day anniversary. Justice Van De-
vanter was appointed from Wyoming,
but is a native of Indiana. Mr.
Hughes was named an associate JUS
tice in 1910, just few months before
the Van Devanter appointment.
X X
Imminency of rigid Federal control
of the securities market has not weak
ened the value of memberships in the
New York Stock Exchange. There
have been no recent sales of seats,
but bids range around the price of
$4,000 paid in the last previous
transaction, while the asking price is
stated to be vastly beyond that figure.
The brokerage fraternity evidently
considers that its future is in no wise
jeopardized by Uncle Sans intention
to keep a sharp eye on the bulls and
bears.
Robert S. Lynd of the N. r. A.
Consumers Advisory Board has coined
a new word for members Of the late
national administration. He calls
them "Hoovercocci" and says the
Bureau of Standards is full of them,
At least, he's quoted to that effect in
a recent address before the American
Home Economics Association at New
York. Mr.. Lynd is reported to have
said that the present administration
has not had a chance to clear out
the bureaus ''timid personnel" which
he charged with ignoring consumers
interests. The N. K. A. advisory Of
fetal apparently thinks that the
Bureau of Home Economics in the
Department of Agriculture is the con-
sumers' only real friend in Wash
ington.
Nearly everybody in both American
official and foreign diplomatic circles
at Washington considers that the re-
cent British note drives the last nail
in the coffin of the war debts and
that they are now to be regarded
about as dead as mutton. The respec-
tive positions of the United States
and the debtor governments are at
length recognized to be irreconcilable.
Until craftsmanship here or in
Europe devises plan more accept
able than anything so far thought Of,
all concerned admit that bad matter
will only be made worse by q con-
tinued exchange of communications.
epithets and arguments which leave
things, in the words of the immortal
Irish witticism, mot only just where
they we're before, but more So" A
wiseacre who ranks as an authority