Evening star., 1935-05-15
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC ELLIAH VILE.

At Fond du Lac, Wise, next Sunday
the La Toilette brothers Progressive
party will hold birthday party" in
celebration of its foundation on May
10, 1884. Washington politicians will
watch the love feast with interest be-
cause Of the possibility that from il
may emerge a third party ready to
take the national field next year and
designed to attract left-wingers Of all
hues. That is not the avowed purpose
of the conclave, but it is taken for
granted that plans for the 1885 presi-
dental campaign will be its conspicu-
GUS feature and that certain decisions
will be made There are many in the
La Toilette camp who would like to
see what IS now merely a Wisconsin
proposition converted into a Nation
wide movement. The views of Senator
Bob La Toilette and Gov. Phil La
Toilette on this score have never been
formally avOwed. Among those in
yited TO Fond du Lac are Senators
Costigan, Democrat. of Colorado: Nye
and Frazier, Republicans. of North
Dakota Norris, Republican, of Ne
braska, and Shipstead, Farmer Labor,
Of Minnesota, along with Farmer
Labor Gov. Olson of Minnesota and
Clarence Darrow of Chicago. Mayor
La Guardia of New York has also
accepted an invitation. In a Mil
waukee speech last Fall La Guardia
said that the Progressives are destined
to become a national party and re-
cruit their strength from among pro-
gressives now in both Democratic and
Republican ranks.
Norman Armour, until recently
American Minister to Haiti, is to
succeed the late Warren Delano Rob-
bins as our envoy to Canada. Now
on a vacation tour in Europe, Mr..
Armour is expected to assume his
duties at Ottawa during the Summer.
His promotion is fresh recognition by
President Roosevelt and Secretary
Hull of the career principle in the
diplomatic field. Mr.. Armour. gradu-
ate of Princeton University and Har-
ward Law School, has been in the
foreign service continuously since 1912
including successive tours of duty in
Austria. France, Russia, Belgium. The
Netherlands, Uruguay, Italy, Japan
and France. He became Minister to
Haiti in 1882 and made a notable
record there in negotiating the treaty
which ended American occupation of
the island republic by the Marines.
A strenuous siege Of diplomacy con-
fronts Mr.. Armour at Ottawa in con-
nection with the st. Lawrence Water
way and reciprocal tariff treaties.
Today marks the seventeenth ami
versary of the United States airmail,
founded in 1918 on the occasion of
the first postal flight over regularly
established route - the New York
Washington run inaugurated by Army
planes and pilots. The event is being
commemorated at Newark airport in
conjunction with the dedication of a
new $50O,O00 airmail administration
building. Airmail routes in the
United States today total 28.967
miles, In comparison with frag-
mentary 2l8-m1le service In 1919. In
the service are now 4O8 modern planes
and 645 pilots Existing flying sched-
ules. the House of Representatives has
lust been informed by the Post Office
Department, provide for 10000, 900
flying miles year. Seventeen years
ago the first planes took from two
to three hours to negotiate the
stretch between New York and Wash
ington. Today the route is covered
in 80 minutes. and mail planes travel
it several times day.
Wall Street Is evidently persuaded
that the goose hangs high IN the
brokerage world. despite the rigid reg
ulations of the Federal securities law
IndicattNns of optimism are reflected