Evening star., 1936-05-16

WllCu tIlC 4ICdSuy
ployes knocked of work every after
noon they were subjected to some
sort of microscopic test to see II any
20-dollar bills had adhered to them
during the day. This was just how
careful Uncle Sam was and also sug-
gestive Of how the Treasury employees
just wallowed in money. It sounded
romantic and adventurous. The fact
that the Treasury employees were SUBJ
jected to such minute search was
something that would naturally kindle
the imagination.
OF course, in later years in Wash
ington the writer has seen the Treas
ury employees pour out Of the building
at 5 o'clock and about the only ex-
change between them and the guards
on the door is some sort of pleasantly
as to whether the employe got his
butter all right. The Treasury en-
ployes, of course, are q big family
and their concern Is not about
whether dollar and 20-dollar bills
have adhered to their clothing during
the day, but the very prosaic business
Of whether the butter-or eggs, which
they get through cooperative mer-
chandising organization-is arriving
on time and fresh.
It wouldn't be surprising. however,
II lot Of modern day youngsters
aren't still envying these Treasury
employees. who just founder around in
money all day long because, for one
thing, whenever there Is convention
here of some kind it Is noticeable that
there are a couple of Marines guard
ing the Fifteenth street portals of the
building.
The mother, coming here with her
brood on a sightseeing trip and won
dering why on earth she thinks 1t
Is vacation, is bound to have the
experience Of the youngsters tugging
back and asking as she moves down
Fifteenth street: Mamma, look at
those Marines. They are guarding
the money, aren't they. Mamma let's
stop and look at the Marines"
THE truth, as we old sophisticates
- here in Washington know. is that
the two Marines aren't really guard
ing anything. that you can walk right
into the United States Treasury any
time you want to and that when you
come out no money will have stuck
to you. and particularly no gold. There
is gold In there now since Secretary
Morgenthau came along, but try and
get 1t. ~-
Anyway. this brings us around to
two places where precautions really
are taken. Although the workers are
not subjected to any searching process
there Is no great magnetic instrument
which will draw the unwilling or
there Is. nevertheless, much mystery
and intrigue and q reasonable sur
veillance. It is more as the housewife
watches the cook.
In the Democratic and Republican
National Committees there is the
eagle eye to see that you don't take
home any pamphlets.
Well, pamphlets or any other in
formation that might be of value to
the enemy. It isn't really question
Of q man standing at door, either,
as you can well imagine.
But If you want mystery and dis
discreet silence, walk into either of the
establishments, or If you are not
known, try to walk into them. If you
are known, you are tolerated and
treated pleasantly, but then ask more
than the commonplace question Of
whether it is thought the New Dealers
or the Republicans will win. It is
still called the Democratic National
Committee, although everywhere else
the people in power are called the
New Dealers. Ask question beyond
this and from the silence you get the
impression that you have spoken out
of turn or said the wrong thing on
. party. You are stared at in q way
to make you feel foolish.
THEY are places-these establish
ments-that should be drama
ti2ed. No Marines are outside their
door. But the guides on ,our rubber
neck busses could undoubtedly tell a
far more interesting tale about them
than they do about the Treasury or
Dewey's former tomb.
Imagine the wide field in the two
committees:
LADIES' and gentlemen, we have
now arrived at the National Press
Building, where, on the seventh floor.
you will find the Democratic National
Committee. where Mr.. Roosevelt's re-
election is being assured. The bus
stops here for 80 minutes for those
who want to make q tour.
= eyes, indeed, LADIES' and gentlemen,
these little girls whom you see work.
ing at their typewriters are dealing
with thousands Of words daily. 1t is
believed, ladees and gentlemen, that
every word in the vocabulary is han
died by them every day. Words Of
vitriol, LADIES' and gentlemen, words
Of satire, words of wonderment and
superlative words.
But 1t Is so arranged, ladees and
gentlemen. that no two girls are per-
mitted to handle two words In Sc
quence. The words are broken up by
Q master word handler, 50 that no
one girl will get enough words to-
gssher to mean anything. Over here
you see the word assembler. who moves
from one machine to another and
gathers together the words and pieces
them together. Then the words in Sc
quence are turned over to the distri-
button department.
Here. ladees and gentlemen, is the
distribution department. Only the
most trusted employees are permitted
TO work here because they have all Of
the words In sequence. Do you see
the vast distributing machine. Only
the machines know, ladees and gen.
tlemen, In what final forms the
words are put"
THERE Is no more important place
- In either Of the two committees
than that Of distribution. For ex-
ample, It would be . terrible thing II
the Washington correspondents were
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