Evening star., 1934-01-29
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

he may be. the talk now is that the
mantle of the Democratic leadership
in the Upper House is destined to fall
either upon Senator Alben w. Barkley
of Kentucky or Senator James F.
ByrneS of South Carolina Both of
them played important roles during
the activities incident to passage of the
gold bill. Barkley was principal spokes-
man for the Banking and Currency
Committee in support of the bill, while
to Byrnes, who is also a member of the
committee, fell some of the strategic
work behind the scenes. Byrnes is
coming more and more to be looked
upon as a Roosevelt mouthpiece.
**
Senator Carter Glass did not reg
lister the slightest perturbation upon
discovering that he occupied a lonely
eminence of Democratic opposition to
the gold bill As the outstanding mon
etary authority in Congress it was ex-
pected that before the fight was over
the uncompromising Virginia veteran
would win some Democratic support to
his side Of the argument. but the spirit
OF party loyalty was invincible, and
deseItions from the Roosevelt standard
were conspicuous by their absence. 1t
is almost everybody's secret now that
the reason Glass declined to enter the
cabinet as Secretary of the Treasury
was his unwillingness to sanction Just
such legislation as is about to become
law. including abolition of the gold
standard.
President Roosevelt celebrates his
SD birthday anniversary in amazingly
good health. He has withstood the
rigors Of year in Office in splendid
fashion. Some Of the inevitable tell
tale signs of responsibility are visible
few burrows around the temples. ac-
cumulating gray hairs, a wee bit of
baldness-but otherwise F.. D. r.
emerges from the opening phase of
the new deal paragon of physical
v1gor and spiritual buoyancy Probably
the President himself would account
for his excellent condition on the
ground that he has forgotten how to
worry. Certainly no one who has reg
ular contact with him. like the news
paper men and women who see him
twice a week, ever observes the slightest
variation in his bearing. His radiant
smile Is in incessant action. his laughter
as Joyous as ever. No one can remem-
Der encountering him in petuhnt mood.
Mr.. Roosevelt faces a new milestone in
1uIl prime. In every way and every
day he cuts the figure of another
Roosevelt who is having "the time of
his life" at the helm of the Ship Of
State. The rougher the going, the
better he seems to like it.
y * X
Uncle Sam having made this Winter
the open season for recognition of
foreign governments-theS Soviet Union.
Cuba and Ell Salvador having received
approval in the order named during
the past two months-Manchuku it's
said, hopes to be next on the list. Little
foundation as there is for it, the sug-
gestion is encountered that the ap-
preaching coronation of Japan's Mr..
Henry Pu-Yi as Emperor may be the
occasion for recognition. Washington
official quarters snicker at the idea.
To continue or not to continue c.
w. A. indefinitely may at any moment
become the paramount political issue.
The President Is determined to wind
up c. w. A. not later than May, but
is under terrific pressure to keep the
dollars rolling long after that. He has
only to ask Congress for all the money
he wants for such purpose. If the
initiative doesn't come from the White
House, 1t may be taken at the Capitol.
Copyright. 1934.)