Evening star., 1937-09-26
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Not only did the plans for establish
Ing the Thomas Jefferson Memorial on
the TIDAL Basin site in Washington meet
with thou shalt not" objection from
congress. but the proposed $50 900 900
second st. Louis Jefferson Memorial was
called "a dirty spot on the magic carpet
OF America" by Representative William
+. LambertSon Of Kansas At the same
tlme ne lauds the present beautiful JEFF
lerson memorial structure in Forest
Park, tract Of 1900 acres-"a magnifi-
cent structure of Bedford sandstone.
classic In design and wonderfully adapted
10 the purpose OF housing historical ex-
hlplts OF the Louisiana Purchase DAYS.
Through interchangeable efforts of the
Missouri Historical Society it is to be
the nome OF the famous collection of
trophies given to Charles Lindbergh
after his epoch-making solo flight from
New York to Paris" Representative
Lambertson says: This magic carpet
We call America is thrilling in it's grand
eur, boundless in its opportunities, and
shameful in its inconsistencies" He
calls the proposed s3000000O jefferson
Memorial on the 81 block river-front
site in downtown st. Louis "a dirty spot
because this memorial was conceived to
deceive, was prompted by fraud and will
Wlnd up, predict, in disgrace"
t~
The attention of Congress has been
directed to the work being done by Mrs.
Halle Flanagan, formerly a Vassar Col
lege teacher. in developing the Federal
theater project, which has given en-
soyment to more than 10000 900 persons.
nnnSt pf u-hnvV1 y
ter-bringing the drama to the masses.
Her actors were all taken from relief
rolls. but most of them are now earning
their way as thespians in a wholly CO.
operative effort. Designers carpenters.
electricians, scene shifters. technicians,
actors, as well as many in the audiences
nave been P. w. A. dependents She
herself expresses the motif: at is a
tlmlo wasting OF an unprecedented
chance to regard the theater only in
terms OF what we have hitherto experi-
enced. We must see the relationship be-
tween the men at work on Boulder Dam
and the Greek chorus; we must study
Pavlowa SIS we'll as Pavlov, Einstein as
well as Eisenstein, must derive not only
from ancient Baghdad but from modern
Ethiopia"
She caused the Negro unit in Birm-
lngham. Ala, to produce a comedy Of
local life, Home in Glory; in Reading.
Pa, she produced Feet on the Ground"
concerning the life of the Dunkards.
early Dutch settlers Of that region: in
indianapolis it was play of Hoosier
nfe-"The Campbells Are Coming; In
Asheville, N. c., it was Smoky Joe" a
portrait OF the mountaineers. She has
revived and preserved folklore and sagas:
she revived for the masses many old sue
cesses THE Old Homestead" THE
Texas Steer" The Octoroon." Secret
Service" and "Everyman." Her COM
mercial touring companies penetrated
into the Far West and the deep South.
where the drama was as extinct as the
dodo. She engaged 12,5O0 theater
people, divided into nearly 27O units.
playing to weekly audiences of 500, 900
persons, of whom about 100000 paid ad-
mission fee. Her theater project, which
started as partial succor for the un-
employed, has awakened esthetic values
In the minds of countless citizens, Rep
resentative Emmanuel Cellar told his
colleagues.
In commemoration of the 155th anni-
versary Of the Military Order of the
Purple Heart, Representative Frank j.
G. Dorsey Of Pennsylvania, who 20 years
ago was captain Of the University of
pennsylvania track team, and two years
later discharged as lieutenant after
valiant service overseas. explains
In the old Roman days, being born
TO the purple meant becoming one Of
the ruling or responsible class. The word
heart used in figurative sense denotes
courage mingled with tenderness. When
we merge these two thoughts we get a
total that reads responsible courage"
The Order of the Purple Heart is as
old as 1882 (the Revolution) and as new
as 1882 (the World War;.
The Purple Heart badge of military
merit, Mr.. Dorsey explains, was created
by the general order of Commander in
Chief of the Continental Army, George
Washington, on August 7, 1882. 1t was
the first honor badge for the enlisted
men. BY order of the President the
Purple Heart award was revived on Feb
ruary %. 1882, during the George WASH
ington Bicentennial celebrations, making
no distinction between enlisted men and
commissioned officers.
R* +
Even in these days of preponderant
Democratic majorities in Congress. one
of the outstanding Republican members
has received an extraordinary tribute
Representative Allen T. Treadway of
Stockbridge, Mass, dean of the Repub-
licans in the House. His home folks re-
Gently celebrated his 10th birthday ami
versary and completion Of Is years in
Congress by big affair" at Mountain
Park, Holyoke, on September 10, planned
by a committee Of leading men and
women from ten Of the largest cities In
his district.