Evening star., 1934-12-02
BY ROBERT CRAWFORD.

When President Roosevelt returns
to his newly created executive offices
and looks around at the esthetic gray
green walls, the indirect lighting and
all the conveniences of a modern up
to-date business office, he will doubt
less feel like the old woman in Mother
Goose rhyme, who fell asleep on the
Kings highway and who on waking
found her petticoats cut round about
and exclaimed: rs this me or not
me. or has the devil got me?" Even
the old woman's little dog did not
know her.
Not so the Democratic donkey, for
he has been trundled over from the
White House temporary Office with
the G. o. P elephant, the ship models
and all the other gadgets the Pres
ident likes on his desk. The elephant
has to be in on the welcome home for
the official family, as it is about
equally divided between the two par
ties. The country has called all hands
to help in the war against depression
and put Uncle Sam on his feet again.
The lamb must lie down with the
lion-or vice versa-what you will;
and the ship models are kind OF
reminder, out of courtesy to Secretary
Of the Navy Swanson.
Newly created is the word for the
fine new Offices, for $4,000 square feet
has been stretched to 10000, and 1t
has all been so efficiently planned that
from the front elevation one would
scarcely realize that the big, bouffant
addition has been added to the back
When the landscape gardening is
completed it will be really beautiful
from all sides. and the fears of some
architects publicly expressed, that the
classic outlines of the historic old
mansion would be ruined by the new
addition. will be relieved. for it will
be an adornment and an addition to
the White House group.
Secretary Of Agriculture Wallace
says in New Frontiers"-that's one
of his latest, you know-and quote. "A
modern democracy, in my opinion. is
essentially graded hierarchy of New
England town meetings, with respon-
slble, democratically selected people
dealing with hard facts at every step"
The President, too, has hardened
back to the old New England town
meetings, when he says meeting places
are needed for the discussion of public
questions in the cities, hamletS and on
the farms throughout the land Those
old town meetings in the early days
helped to shape the policies of the
States.
So Washington has gone town.
ing-minded-in rather a smart,
expensive, elegant manner, with Mrs.
Roosevelt, Mrs. Braideis-wife of the
scholarly associate justice of the
United States Supreme Court-Sec-
retary and Mrs. Cordell Hull, Secre-
tary and Mrs. Ickes. the floor leader
of the Senate and Mrs. Robinson, Gen.
Pershing, Mr.. and Mrs Newbold
Noyes and Mrs. Truxton Beale. with
scores of other well-known folk SER
iously public minded. sponsoring
THE Town Hall of Washington
that's the title for this new organiza-
ton of distinguished founders, trus-
tees, executive committees and every-
thing which goes with well-thought-
out forum for public expression.
Some of the sponsors may be very
exclusive-what the society column
would announce as social register
ites"-but all sorts and conditions of
men have been invited to Join the
Town Hall" The meetings are to
be held in the beautiful auditorium
of the United States Chamber of Com
merce. There will be a scale of prices
for founder members, full season
membership, first half season men,
bership and on down the scale to sin
gle admission for 81.
Men-so far no women on the list
like Glenn Frank. Norman Thomas.
Sir Willmott Lewis, correspondent of
the London Times. Donald Richberg.
William Green, president of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor, and many
other men in the public eye-and
ear-will address the Sunday night
meetings. 1t is understood that a dis
cussion will follow. Those original
town-hallers of the early days would
rub their eyes at such an array of
gray matter.
Like all good business men, the Sec
retary of State sent out his bills last
week as just gentle, diplomatic re-
minder to II nations that on Decem-
Der 15-awfully near Christmas time