Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-07-20

When Miss Frances Perkins became
Secretary of Labor in the Roosevelt
cabinet there were loud lamentations
and misgivings in many quarters, in
GLIDING organized labor, on the
ground that the portfolio called not
only for man, but one of the two
listed variety. During the current
conflict on the Pacific Coast Secre-
tary Perkins has had her first oppor-
tunity to grapple with a major labor
controversy. New deal industrial war
fare hitherto has come almost exclu-
sively under the jurisdiction of N. r.
A. or the National Labor Board. Miss
Perkins had supreme charge of Fed
eral activities In connection with the
coast troubles. All communications
with President Roosevelt on the SUBJ
ject went through her office and she
had a directing hand in the various
negotiations leading up to arbitration
When the curtain is rung down on
the San Francisco turmoil the record
win show that Mount Holyoke's most
famous alumna played an effective
role in the preservation of peace and
developed all the punch necessary to
deal with labor situation of critical
magnitude.
No one can be happier than F. D. r.
himself that his personal interven-
ton in the Pacific water front strife
proved, after all, not to be necessary.
It's long been an open secret in ad-
ministration quarters that the Presi-
dent doesn't regard with enthusiasm
the inclination of capital and labor to
deposit their differences on the White
House doorstep instead of settling
them themselves or utilizing regular
Federal Cancellation machinery. Had
matters plunged to a perilous point
on the Coast, no one doubts that the
President would have broken off his
vacation and rushed to the trouble
zone. Even at long range. his prestige
and influence are known to have been
weighty factors in Fastening the COL
lapse Of the general strike.
y 4 X
II there were a congressional medal
of honor for servants of the Republic
who refuse to be bowed down by fall
ure and disappointment, Special Dis
armament Ambassador Norman H,
Davis would have an indisputable
claim to such a distinction. He's
about to return to the United States
from London after a series of futile
conversations respecting the 1885
Naval Conference. Through no fault
of his own, it proved impossible for
Britain, America and Japan to agree
on preliminaries for a new naval
treaty next year. Since early in 1882
Mr.. Davis has been trying to pro-
mote disarmament at Geneva, with no
more satisfactory results than his re-
cent naval efforts in London. Nobody
in Washington blames him for the i'll
success that dogs his disarmament
footsteps. On the contrary, there's
high praise for his never-say-di
spirit. Davis is ready to go on try
ing to save the world and optimis-
tically believes that some day enlight-
ened self-intereSt will impel the ma
tons to mend their naughty ways and
get together on a plan TO assure a
more or less warless future.
Joseph B. Eastman, Federal CO.
ordinator of transportation, is one of
the most accommodating men in
Washington. Recently a group OF
trade journal editors invited him to
speak at an am. breakfast meeting.
Although Eastman habitually burns
the midnight oil while toiling in his
office. he turned up at the appointed
hour, fresh as daisy. The railroad
boss keeps fit by walking several miles
day TO and from his headquarters
and by regular exercise at hand ball
d p 4
Students attending the Summer
session Of the Catholic University In
Washington recently listened 90 a
lecture by one Of the very few men
Of Hindu birth who are American