Evening star., 1936-07-02
R0MNEY LAUDED
FOR Z|0NCHECK AID
"Just Stepped in to Do
What | Thought Best"
He SAYS.

IL [1OuoC 0CIS ISCdAI az al LlLo 1ASLAAC oAA
Romney had any doubt that his
handling of "Laffaire zioncheck'
would meet with approval. sheaf of
congratulatory kilograms and stesdy
stream Of telephone calls yesterday
and today diSpelled them.
Seated at his desk again after day
spent in recuperating from the elects
of dealing with battalion of assorted
police, District officials, newspaper re-
porters, photographers and aewsreel
camera men, while at the Ssme time
making arrangements for getting
Representative z:oncheck OH to
Seattle, Romney read over the tele-
grams from Senators, congressman
and even former Congressman.
One from former Representative Up
shaw Of Georgia, read: Bravo, Ken
meth, princely job yor did for Zion
check. Bully stuff"
Nobody seemed to have any idea
on what to do, so just stepped in to
do what thought was the best thing
for all concerned Romney said. Il
thought things had reached the point
where Zioncheck was being prosecuted
and the best thing to do was to get
him home among his friends. I'm glad
so many members of Congress think
! did the right thing"
Always Close to Mother.
Zioncheck, Romney pointed out, has
always been very close to his mother.
who lived with him for several months
during the first session of the present
Congress, and the only time during
the day he broke down was when he
learned she was in a Seattle hospital
in nervous condition as result OF
reports on his adventures here.
When Romney stepped into the
breach Monday afternoon, it was not
the first time he has assumed the
role of protector for a member of the
House But it was the first time, per-
haps, that he has assumed the role
of diplomat with the spotlight of pub
licity full upon him. He prefers to
work behind the scenes.
How many congressman Romney
has extricated from embarrassing cir
cumStances, how many situations in
volving names that would have made
news he has Smoothed over without
ever getting into print during the %
years he has held his present job. only
Romney himself knows And Romney
is not communicative man. when it
comes to the private affairs of his
particular charges, the members of the
House of Representatives.
All I can say is that zioncheck is
not the f1rst-well, let's say, man in
public life. who has driven his car up
the sidewalk" the sergeant at arms
said with a smile II didn't believe
he got a square deal all around, and I
wanted him to have one"
Took Charge Completely.
All who spent Monday on the Zion
check case, however, will readily agree
that when Romney decided to take
charge. he took charge.
When Zioncheck. worn out from his
spectacular escape from the Shep-
pard and Enoch Pratt Hospital at
Towson, Md, had barricaded himself
in his suite at the House Office Build
ing, it was Romney who placed a
guard of Capitol police at the doors
and prevented District police from
arresting him on the assault warrant
sworn out by the Representative for
mer landlady, Mrs. Benjamin Scott
pamela Schuyler Young.
1t was Romney who told two Bal
timore police officers. who came here
to persuade" Zioncheck to return to
the institution from which he had
just escaped by jumping over an
eight-foot fence. that. in effect, they
were wasting their time. AS they
emerged from Romneys Office, they
admitted laconically, mo, we didn't
get him." and went back to Balti-
more
1t was Romney who then went to
Zioncheck's Office and had long talk
with the Representative, whom he had
known only since he first came here
a year and half ago, although both
are former students of the University
of Washington. and soon gained his
confidence and persuaded him the
best thing to do was to return to
Seattle
That battle won, 1t was Romney
who convinced officials in the district
attorneys Office that he would keep
Zioncheck in his Office, outside their
jurisdiction, all Summer to prevent
his arrest, if necessary, and won their
consent to permit his protege to cross
the strip of non-Capital property
between the House Office Building
and the Union Station without being
molested.