Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-02-23
Capital Sidelights
By Viii p. Kennedy.

On Capitol Hill, in discussion of the
Townsend plan, sometimes Represent
alive John Stephen McGroarty, its orig
inal sponsor in Congress, is referred TO
as "a nice old gentleman, but poet
a dreamer" Well, poets always have
had vision. But this Poet McGroarty
writes real poetry that has lived-and
he is not in the superannuated class
waiting for any $200-a- month dole, and
he dislikes politics and is eager to get
out as soon as he has done his duty
by the social security legislation. Nor
is he in the poor poet class, living in a
garnet room and gnaWing bone. If
visionary, and with def touch on the
heartstrings, and delicacy of expression
he has been practical enough to do
pretty we'll by himself, establishing an
adequate competence to last him the rest
of his life-and he is still able to earn
$4,000 year at his trade, which is
literature"
His first experience in business was
in Anaconda, Mont, where the late
Marcus DAILY. the greatest of the copper
kings, imported him from Pennsylvania
and placed in his hands the full man
agement of the company's departments
of electric lights, street railways, water
works and town sites. These had been
showing regularly for years an annual
deficit of 100000. but the young poet
promptly, in the first year. turned that
deficit into a 100000 profit. He was
very successful lawyer in PENNSYLVANIA
for five years, never lost case, although
he handled many big ones. He owns
II, Co1ifor11io oY1tirnly
free from any membranes. He owns
his own theater and has been a Sue
cessful editor.
And Mr.. McGroarty points out that
it is not surprising to ind wealthy
poet. Shakespeare died rich, he points
out; so did Kipling, James Whitcomb
Riley, etc. He is poet laureate of Cali
fornia by act of the State Legislature
and is generally recognized as a grand
little gentleman.
Representative Allen T. Treadway,
who was born into historic family of
Sir Boniface's in the aristocratic Berk-
shires. called the attention Of the House
to the following:
NOTE TO A DIETICIAN.
Representative Blantion of Texas
offered to fight all of the physicians
of Washington one at time.
Representative OConnor of New York
expressed a desire to kick Father
Coughlin the length of Pennsylvania
avenue.
Representative Marcantono of New
York would like to meet Police Commits
sioner Valentine in a gymnasium.
The House Restaurant had better take
raw meat off the bill of fare.
Then facetiously his colleague from
| Massachusetts,, Representative Joe
| Martin quoted, upon what meat does
| this. our Caesar, feed?"-and reminded
| Treadway that he hadn't been any too
pacific himself in attacking Secretary
| wallace on the floor Of the House and
| over the radio.
Nancy Hanks had her day in the
| House. Representative Jennings Ran
dolph of West Virginia, in whose dis
| trict she was born, near Antioch, in
| Mineral County, emphasized that the
| mother of Lincoln typifies how mothers
have been the inspiration of American
leaders throughout the history OF this
| Republic. Mothers have always been
| the unapplauded molders of men. They
ask nothing for themselves. am think
! ing now of the modest marker covered
| with snow today on hillside in West
| Virginia where the mother Of Lincoln
| was born"
The doors of West Point Military
| Academy are hereafter to be closed tc
the youth of other lands aspiring to gel
training In the arts of war and inside
| information regarding the American
| system and scheme of defense-just a.
| soon as four present students, two from
South America, one from Siam and one
| from China, are graduated. This assur.
ance was given in the House while the
War Department appropriation bill was
under discussion by Chairman McSWair
of the Military Affairs Committee in re.
Spouse to questions by Minority Leade,
Smell. Col. Charles I. Faddis OF Penn.
sylvania, who was decorated with the
"purple Heart" for his distinguished
war record, also emphasized the de-
termination of the Military Affairs Com
mittee on this point. The foreign stu
dents were admitted, it was explained
| on the request of the State Department
to make good on certain promises"
Chairman McSwain pointed out thai
"as far as courtesy and exchange Of
privileges as between nations is con-
cerned, no American young men study
at any foreign military school which /!
comparable to the United States Military
Academy. That is purely an academic
and not professional institution" HI
and Representative Chester I. Boltor
of Ohio called attention that American
officers study at places like the Ecol'
Superieure In France and at Samur
l the French Military Academy.