Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-05-06
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

mood over the League Of Nations lgno-
minious collapse in the Italo-Ethloplan
affair. If there were ever any chance
that the United States would reconsider
its action of Is years ago and JOIN the
League in some form or other, GeneVas
failure to check Mussolinis aggression
In East Africa has undoubtedly knocked
any such prospect into a cooked hat.
Ethiopia, having gone the way OF Man.
churia. is considered in Washington anti
League quarters as having completely
and finally demonstrated Genevas use
lessness as q war-preventing institution.
Even II the covenant is reformed in
accordance with proposals already put
forward In Great Britain, Capitol Hill
is convinced there's slender prospect that
American public opinion could be per-
suaded to approve entry into the institu-
ton which folded up so ingloriously when
II Duce defied it.
Senator Frederick Steiwer's recent
speech in New York, shifting the relief
system hip and thigh, has attracted wide
spread attention, especially in Eastern
Republican quarters. Hints are current
that the Oregonian, who will be the
@. o. p. keynoter at Cleveland, made
so striking an impression with his attack
on w. p. A. and all its boondoggling
works that he has now become the favor
lite son of certain influential party leaders
for the vice presidential nomination on
q Landon ticket, or for first place if
the convention is deadlocked into select
ing a compromise candidate.
%+*
Sir Bede Clifford. governor Of the
Bahamas, who Is q White House guest
this week, with Lady Clifford, is one Of
the typical younger British aristocrats
whom John Bull trains for the diplo-
matte and colonial service. He is the
Youngest son Of the tenth Baron Cliff
ford Of Chudleigh, and formerly was
captain in the Royal Fusiliers. His wife
Is an American, q former Miss Gundry
of Cleveland. Sir Bede represented the
British government in the Union Of
South Africa at Cape Town before being
assigned to the Bahamas where. on two
successive occasions, he and Lady Cliff
ford were hosts to Mr.. Roosevelt during
the Presidents fishing expeditions. Sir
Bede has also seen service in Australia.
i y \
Uncle Sans aviation experts are in
clined to think that the airplane played
the decisive role in enabling Mussolini
to wind up his campaign against Ethio-
pia in rapid-fire fashion, to the dismay
of European military experts who pre-
dicted that, between guerrilla warfare
and the handicaps Of climate and terrain.
it would take the Italians anywhere from
one to two years to do the job they
accomplished in seven months. Halle
Selassie's tribesmen found 1t impossible
to hide away from the enemy's bombing
and scouting craft. or congregate for
attack on any effective scale. When the
history of the Ethiopian invasion is
written, washington authorities feel sure
the laurels will 60 to the Fascist air force.
Il Il
New York newspapers have Just dis
covered whom J. Edgar Hoover, Oman
chief, looks like. They report that he
bears q remarkable resemblance to the
late Enrico Caruso, before the famous
tenor acquired his paunch. The New
York scribes also ind that the r. B. I.
director suggests IAN alert young busi-
ness executive rather than Sherlock
Holmes" Mr.. Hoover nowadays gets an
average Of 1900 applications month for
Jobs and selects about one man In 600.
lcooSTsshA 1850