Evening star., 1936-03-18
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

AS F. D. r. starts on his annual fish,
ing vacation signs multiply that while
the Democrats are assembled in national
convention Philadelphia may fully de-
serve its title of the City of Brotherly
Love- Simultaneous announcements that
that stalwart Jeffersonian constitution
alist and occasional New Deal critic,
Senator Tydings of Maryland, is now
aboard the Roosevelt bandwagon and
that former Gov. Ely will not seek to
prevent a Massachusetts, Roosevelt dele
CATION are significant indications that
the President will be renominated with
out the semblance of opposition worthy
of the name. That outlook is made
more certain by the fact that two men
who might have had it in their power
to stage a protest and contest-Huey
Long and Albert c. Ritchie-are no
longer on the scene. Gov. Talmadge OF
Georgia has come to be rated wholly
negligible anti-Roosevelt influence. Few
expect Col. Henry Breckenridge to make
any serious headway. AL Smith will
be at Philadelphia, but with the crystal
lizing harmony movement the prospect
grows that if he takes walk 1t will be
a fairly lonely promenade. AS OF TO-DAY,
Philadelphia looms as Roosevelt love-
feast unlikely to be marred by anything
but the most desultory discord, II any.
It was Just about at this stage OF the
Republican 1920 pre-convention sltua-
tion that the Senate investigation OF
campaign expenditures played major
part in blowing up the presidential hopes
of various contenders, especially FRANK
o. Lowden of Illinois In his recent
charges that the STANDARD Oil Co." has
sought to influence selection OF Okla
hona delegates to the Cleveland con-
ventiop Senator Borah recalled that
there is q committee to look into cam
paign expenditures and he "presumes"
that the Oklahoma facts" brought to
his attention will be sent to the COM
mittee." Oklahoma Republicans have
Just instructed their delegates for Gov.
Landon. Senator Borah denies that
in denouncing the Standard Oil co. tor
its activities in seeking to control the
Oklahoma delegation he Is attacking
Gov. Landon. The Idahoan says that
some of Landon's jealous Kansas friends
are making "blundering defense" OF
him when no defense is called for"
Prank Knox, Americana Short
Biography" is the title of 183-paged
book Just issued by the Knox-for- -Presi-
dent organization. It discloSes that one
of the keynotes of the Chicago pub
lisher's bid for the Republican nomina-
ton is that he "was the first editor
to sound a warning against A. A. A
in March, 1933-before that unconstltu-
tional measure became the law OF the
land" Another claim on Col. Knoxs
behalf is that it was his editorial, Face
the Facts!" on August /, 1888, which
marked the beginning Of the end OF
unconstitutional N. r. A." Incidentally.
Knox is glorified as "the man who in
duced r. r. to tilt with Taft In 1912
and who made the political surveys that
forced Col Roosevelt to throw his hat
into the ring"
Recent upheavals in Japan, especially
the retirement of seven generals from
the highest brackets OF the army, nave
brought promotion to Col. KenJi Mat
sumoto, Japanese military attache in
washington. He has just received WORD
of his elevation to major generalship.
It's expected that his new rank will
before long result in Gen. Matsumotos
return to TOXIC, because 1t is not usual
in the Japanese service to station an
oficer of such high grade as military
attache abroad. Germany's attache
here u . lieutenant Senersi-Frederich