Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-02-21
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Washingtons annual Midwinter pas
time-guessing when Congress will adj
journ-is in full blast. AS usual, OPP
timists like Speaker Byrns are talking
about a Wind-up as early as April Is.
while others, like House Majority Leader
Bankhead, somewhat more conservative
ly minded. mention May ! as likely
date for the folding of tents on Capitol
Hill. It's the 'unexpected burst of speed
which House and Senate developed in
connection with farm and neutrality
legislation that generates hopes of call
ing it quits before Spring is far adj
vanced. The wish is father to the
thought. But New Deal history teaches
how easily adjournment desires and
representations can go awry. A thorny
issue has still to be tackled and settled
new taxation for farm bounties. relief
needs and possibly bonus amortization.
No other proposition is so productive
of delay-breeding controversy as revenue
legislation. There is in addition the
eagerness of the Republican opposition
to enjoy as long as possible the advan-
tages of the congressional sounding
board for 1886 campaign purposes. no
matter how anxious candidates for re-
election may be to get back home for
fence-repairing purposes. The White
House favors adjournment as soon as
possible. Its influence will be exerted
100 per cent in that direction.
X X
Reciprocal trade agreements with the
United States are so popular that the
State Department has had to establish
waiting list for nations anxious to
enter into tariff discussions at WASH
ington. Ten agreements have already
been signed. Seven uncompleted pactS
are in negotiation. Other countries urg-
ing their desire to embark upon give
and-take commercial relations with
Uncle Sam have been informed that they
must await their turn. Secretary Hull,
exponent in chief of the program, is
highly gratif1ed by evidence of world
wide readiness to abandon economic
nationalism." Before the present ses-
SIGN of Congress ends proposals to repeal
the reciprocal trade agreement act may
be put forward, but there's no likelihood
that administration forces will permit
it to be overthrown.
Considerable popular misapprehensio
prevails about the record peace-time
Army appropriations act recently passed
by the House and awaiting action in the
Senate. While it provides for roundly
$545, 100000, nearly $l70,000,000 is for
non-military purposes. Only 1915, 100000
is earmarked for actual military eX-
penditure. The increase over current
Army expenditure is only about s25, OO0,-
900. The bills big increase is for rivers
and harbors improvements.
X X *
Former Secretary of the Treasury
Ogden l.. Mills, in his new book, Lib
eralism Fights On" pays his respects
to the New Deal as follows: "In it's pres
ent state it Is a mixture Of idealistic
aims, false economics, impractical ex-
periments and revolutionary dogma
dressed up in the language of social re-
FORM" A friendly reviewer observes
that "it would be interesting to learn
what line Mr.. Mills own experiments
would take and what adjectives New
Dealers would find for them"
X y X
Official Washington mourns the passing
in London this week of Baroness de
Cartier de Marchienne, American wife
of the Belgian Ambassador to Great
Britain and diplomatic hostess here
from 1920 to 1927, during her husbands
incumbency of the Belgian ambassador
shin, Born Marie Dow Of Boston, she
married Baron de Cartier at Paris in
1919 following q period Of war service
in France. He was her third husband.
Before their transfer to the Court Of