Evening star., 1935-12-06

Politicians and foreign diplomats
wonder to what extent current hesita-
tionS and antiquities in connection with
exports of American oil and other essen
tial war materials" may be due to plans
of the old anti-League irreconcilable
group to tear into the administrations
policy in the present international crisis.
There are advance warnings that SEN
atorS Borah and Johnson, among others,
are ready to don war paint as soon as
Congress reaSsembles, to demand aban-
donment of any and all measures that
link the United States with the Geneva
sanctions. Opportunity for attack will
arise as soon as the existing neutrality
resolution, expiring at the end of Febru-
ary, is up for renewal or modification.
While New Dealers are certain the coun-
try is for the RooSevelt-Hull neutrality,
peace and non-involvement program,
they know that anti-League sentiment
is still deep-Seated. Dictates of strategy,
with 1886 imminent, are therefore be-
lieved likely to diSSuade the admins
tration from committing itself to any
action which could be exploited to the
Democrats disadvantage. RooSeveltians
yearn for the end of the African war
before the presidential campaign gets
under way, thus closing an incident full
of political dynamite.
X X +
Iranian Minister Ghaffar Djalal's re-
cent encounter with the police of Elkton,
Md, recalls far graver incident be-
tween his country, then known as Persia,
and the United States in 1924. 1t was
the consequence of an assault which re-
crrlfod in fha doQth nf Pnharf Whiffaau
Imbrie, American consular representative
in Teheran. After vigorous remon-
strances by the United States, Persia
was required to pay Mr. Imbrie's widow,
now a popular figure in Washington So
ciety, an indemnity Of $4,000, in addi-
tion to accounting to the Treasury for
$4,000 for the cost of dispatching q.
8. s. Trenton to Persia for bringing the
consul's body home. The Teheran gov
eminent was also compelled to render
suitable honors in connection with re-
turn of the remains. The United States
further demanded adequate punishment
of the parties responsible for the attack
on the American official.
xx **
Washingtonians who attended the re-
cent New York banquet of the Associated
Presidential Candidate Frank Knox of
Illinois raked the New Deal fore and aft,
report that the show was dramatically
stolen by Henry F. Grady, chief of the
trade agreements section of the State
Department. Mr.. Gradys function was
to give factual account of the Canadian
reciprocity treaty, but after Col. Knox
and another speaker had lambasted the
administration the State Department
man varied his theme to rush valiantly
to the defense of Rooseveltism. He did
so in two-fisted manner that the big
dinner company thought was devastat-
ing, even though his hearers were mostly
Republicans. Grady came into the State
Department from the University OF Cali
fornia, where he was dean Of the col-
lege of commerce. He had previously
carried out Government economic mis-
sions in Europe During the war he was
attached to the Shipping Board and
later served in the research division OF
the Department of Commerce.
\
It's an interesting fact that although
the public debt has mounted to $30,0O0,-
000, 900, the cost of carrying 1t is not
much larger than the amount required
to carry the $21 ,0O0. .0O0, 600 debt of 1888.
and is actually about $500, ,00O,0O0 below
the cost Of carrying the war debt Of 1919.
This somewhat anomalous condition is
due to the Treasury's policy Of refunding
maturing obligations at progressively
lower rates of interest," Il b offered BY