Evening star., 1936-08-14
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS

presiding over the struggle between the
Government and the Appalachian Elec-
trio Power Co. The Government has
retained Huston Thompson. who heads
a staff of 10 attorneys. as chief counsel
while the other side is represented by
Newton D. Baker. Secretary of War in
President Wilson's war cabinet" who
also is assisted by large corps of legal
aides. The issue. which will not be de-
cided for some time, is whether New
River is 'navigabfe." The power COM
panies have defied the Federal Power
Commission which insisted that the
particular company named as defend
ant in this case take out license from
the commission Holding that the Fed
eral power act is unconstitutional the
power company went instead to the State
of Virginia for it's license to build and
operate big power dam on New River,
at Radford, Va.
Hanging in a corner of the Office here
of Representative John w. Flanagan,
jr, of Virginia is clipping about
small boy and his dog and sketch in
which the artist makes the little fellow
say: Gee, I don't know what a fellow
would do without his dog" Mr.. Flanna-
gan shows his love of dogs in a speech
which he made recently at Bristol, Va,
which has been compared by some who
have read it to the famed jury speech
of the late Senator Vest on the same
subject. In his speech. the Virginia
Representative declared that many les
sons which have stood me in hand l
learned from old Ned" He had learned.
he said. the lesson of fortitude, the
lesson of loyalty, the lesson Of gratitude
from the faithful "Old Ned" Of his boy
hood days.
William Phillips, Undersecretary OF
State. who is to leave here shortly to
take up his duties in Rome as American
Ambassador there, entertained group
of officials from the State Department
and the Washington newspaper corre-
spondents who cover" that branch OF
the Governments activities, at a de-
lightful alfresco supper in the garden
of his home the other evening. Whlle
speechmaking was not the order OF the
evening, several representatives OF the
press took occasion to express their
appreciation of the help and co-opera-
ton which Mr.. Phillips has given them
in their service here. To this the Secre-
tary replied by stating that he had
found great pleasure in working with
the members of the press and that he
greatly appreciated the sincere. earnest
manner in which they sought to inter-
pret the information given them on for
eign affairs at the State Department
and the importance of this in our for
eign relations.
Final settlement of the long-standing
claims between the United States and
Mexico has taken another step forward
with the arrival in Washington yester-
day of Benito Flores and his stan OF
assistants from Mexico City. Commis-
sioner Flores was former justice OF
the Supreme Court of his nation, and also
commissioner of the British-Mexican
Claims Commission. Oscar w. Under
wood. jr., represents the United States
Upon the basis of a report which they
are to make on or before August next
indicating those claims on which agree
ment has been reached with respect to
| their merits, and the amount OF liability
| if any, the two governments are to con-
clude a convention for final disposition
| of the claims, either by agreement for
an en- bloc settlement, or an agreement
for the disposition of the claims upon
| their individual merits.
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