Evening star., 1936-08-09
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

owen Johnson, best known Tor scores
of novels and dramas, personal friend of
President Roosevelt. who for years has
done important work on the organiza-
ton side of party politics, whose father
Robert Underwood Johnson-was AM
baSsador to Italy under the Woodrow
Wilson regime, is being urged as candi-
date for Congress. He is pitted against
the veteran Representative Allen T.
Treadway of Massachusetts, ranking
Republican member on the Ways and
Means Committee, who is rounding out
"a years of consecutive service, after hav-
ing served seven years in the State Leg
islature, the last three as president of
the Senate. He is also a member of the
Joint Committee on Internal Revenue
Taxation.
johnson Is a resident Of Stockbridge
Mass, and a prominent member Of the
Authors Club. New York. His nomina-
tion papers are being circulated in all
cities and towns in the first Massachu-
setts district, including the counties of
Berkshire and Franklin and parts Of
Hampden. Hampshire and Worcester.
During the Smith Hoover campaign
johnson headed the organization de-
partment in the Democratic National
Committee. He has always been liberal
and an independent. He was made
chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1919.
For more than 40 years Mr.. johnson
has been identified with Stockbridge
living in one Of the old estates, Ingleside.
Mr.. Treadway Is reputed to be the
largest taxpayer in the same tome. where
his family have been innkeepers since
stage coach days. operating the famous
Red Lion Inn. where the Congressman
was born. Mr.. johnson has been a
leader in numerous community move
ments, including the Berkshire SYM
phonic Festival and the Taxpayers
Association. He has been a fighter for
progressive ideas.
His novels on school and college life
are recognized as classics, and extracts
appear in various school readers. He
founded literary magazines both at his
preparatory school, Lawrenceville, and
at Yale University. Some Of his best
known novels are "Arrows of the AL
mighty" In the Name of Liberty Max
Fargus." "The Eternal Boy" THE Hum
ming Bird" THE Varmint," "The Ten
nessee Shad" "Stover at Yale" THE
sixty-First Second" THE Salamander," :"
Sacrifice" and Coming of the ANA
IONS" His dramas include THE Comet"
Comedy of Wives" Return from Jerus-
alem," THE Salamander," Spirit of
France" THE Woman Gives" "Virtuous
Wives" and Children of Divorce"
~ ~
This seems to be friends of Frank
lin" year in politics-not only did Gen
eralissimo Farley induce Frank Murphy
and some other next-friendS of the New
Deal administration to make big play
for party fireworks in some Of the tight
corners, but all along the line are bob
bing up candidates whose outstanding
claim on public attention is that they
are "a friend of the President" For
example, there is Norman r. Hamilton.
erstwhile newsboy and now publisher of
the paper he once peddled, who won the
Democratic nomination equivalent to
election in the second Virginia district.
Again, there is Owen johnson, who
walked out on the Republican party
within "a hours of Harding's nomina-
tion," going after the long-held seat of
Representative Treadyway in the Berk-
shire end of Massachusetts,. whom Frank
lin recently hailed at the White House:
Hello there. you hill-billy." Just check
your daily Star and notice how many
friends of Franklin" are in the cam
paign, and, also, it is worth noting how
many seats in Congress which for years
have gone without any serious contest
are being fought for this year. The
Democratic strategy seems to be: Worry
'em till they're afraid they'll lose what
they have"
Just now when students of military
preparedness statistics have discovered
that the United States, in all branches
of the military service, Is less prepared
for defense than before the World War,
the War Department has lost two of its
best fighters in the House for adequate
preparedness- Chairman McSwain of the
Military Affairs Committee, World
War veteran, member of the Sons of
the American Revolution, Sons Of the
Confederacy, American Legion and Vet
erans of Foreign Wars. and Representa-
tive Tilman B. Parks of Arkansas,
chairman of the subcommittee that
drafted the Army appropriation bill. Mr..
Parks has made an intensive personal
study Of conditions In all the important
United States Army stations.