The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-01-03
SEEN and HEARD
around the
National Capital
= BY CARTER rYELDG

Washlngton.-The most important
pending political question In Washing
ton, In the judgment of at least three
Important figures. Is whether Comp
troller OF the Currency ]. F. T. O'Con-
nor takes the $4,000 Job as federal
agent at the Federal Reserve bank at
San Francisco. which Secretary of the
treasury Morgenthau has kept dan
Cling before him for the last month.
The three men who think SO are
members OF the Federal Reserve board
who made. that simple statement to the
writer, Mr.. horgenthnu. and. though.
this. OF course Is an assumption based
on the human tendency not to under
estimate ones own importance In the
scheme Of things. Mr.. OConnor HIM
self.
II O'Connor takes the Job. thus per-
hitting the naming Of new comp
troller who will be utterly subservent
TO Morgenthan, absolute domination of
the reserve board and comptrollers
officc-which means absolute DONNA
tion OF the banks OF the country-will
pass into Morgenthau's hands.
II he sticks. there will be a fight,
In which O'Connor will have some pow
erful support on Capitol Hill among
the conservatives. especially those who
Ike the original plan for an independ-
ent reserve board. which would run the
banks without regard to politics or po-
litical tendencies
The present battle, of course, is not
with regard to political" tendencies
In the ordinary sense OF the word. It
has nothing to do with patronage. or
whether those involved are members
OF this party or that 'politIcar In
this sensa merely means control OF the
banking system by an administration,
which would like to have the banks
OF the country spring into action
whenever the administration wanted
particular line pursued.
Japan's Bad Luck
japan seems to have bad luck In
retaining the services OF its diplomats
who acquire an appreciation and I'M
Outstanding Of Americans. The tragic
death OF former Ambassador HanIhara,
who died. according to friends, OF a
broken heart, is case In peint When
he was a young secretary at his en-
hassy In Washington. Hanihara was 4
great friend OF Richard v. Callahan.
then correspondent for the New York
Times. Samuel G. Blythe. great
friend OF culahan. mentioned him In a
Saturday Evening Post article, but sly
ly called him "O'Houahan."
Whereupon Haniharn. who was visit
Ing with his wife down In Texas, sent
n postcard to Dick with the words !:
The HAM O'Haras send their regards
to the O'Houlahans.p
1t was Hanihara's desperate effort
to convince Secretary of State Hughes
OF the seriousness OF the immigration
restrictions that cut short his political
career. Hughes transmitted HAM.
hara's note to congress to prove that
ne was not undertaking the case.
Members OF congressional committee.
with quite normal disregard OF conse.
qnences, made 1t public. Since then
ne has been Japan's forgotten man.
And he died In his early fifties.
Another Japanese diplomat who had
learned to understand Americans,
Sadao Saburl, feared that he had let
bis foreign office down In subsequent
assignment to China. He killed him
self In his early forties. These jan
anese take their mistakes. or their mis-.
fortunes. very seriously indeed. though
It Is difficult to understand their feel.
Ing that their honor is 80 compromised
by failure.