Evening star., 1937-10-25
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

conscience, has swung into action again,
after nearly years silence, with his
famous weekly encyclical 'Dispelling the
Fog" The biting irony with which No
/ of the new edition briStles shows that
the old master has not lost his cunning.
His hottest shots are reserved for pet
aversions among Washington columnists
who produce what he dubs "hot-weather
stuff" According to the gospel of st.
Charles, "a columnist has to print some
thing, regardless of thermometer read
ings." Once upon time. before Charlie
degenerated from one of Washington's
most brilliant political observers into a
mere Democratic official. he was COL
umnist himself, so he ought to know.
Secretary Ickes. pleading his right TO
talk with the brutal frankness of blood
relation to the National Association of
Real Estate Boards at Pittsburgh the
other night, disclosed that by far the
greater proportion of the modest worldly
goods I possess is invested in real estate"
The P. w. A. administrator, whose theme
was housing. said he was "as interested
as any one present in maintaining real
estate deterioration" because, he ex-
planned my investment income depends
upon maintaining those values and pre-
venting that deterioration" The Sec
retary of the Interior might also have
revealed that the real estate he's fondest
OF cultivating is his home patch at
Winnetka, outside of Chicago, where
he raises dahlias. Honest Harold's"
latest acquisition is the picturesque
acreage Homeland Farms, at Olney, Md,
just outside of Washington, which he
purchased from the estate of the late
Dick" Probert, c. & o. Railway execu-
tive and one-time Capital Associated
Press chief.
Soviet Ambassador Troyanovsky Is
back from Moscow with a good tip for
BARRIERS looking for a profitable opening
in foreign climeS. While in Russia the
Ambassador encountered the former
Counselor of the Soviet Embassy in
Washington. Boris Skvirsky, now the
Red Ambassador in remote Afghanistan
Although the capital city, Kabul. has
100000 population, it contains no barber
shops. When Mr.. and Mrs. Skvirsky
need hair cuts, the former told Mr.
Troyanovsky, they operate on each
other
Senator Maloney of Connecticut is one
of the upper house Democrats up for
reelection who does not boast a con-
sistent New Deal voting record He
opposed the bill to extend the Presidents
trade treaty authority and the bitumi-
nous coal act, and was against the
Supreme Court program. Evidently to
remove the impression that he carries
anti-administration colors Maloney Is
now circulating 67-page pamphlet en-
titled Radio Talks of Senator Francis
Maloney of Connecticut in President
Roosevelt's 1886 Campaign" 1t con-
sists of Is broadcasts previously repro
duced in the Congressional Record and
which reveal him as an enthusiastic
supporter of the abundant life a year
ago.
Sea Power, official organ of the Navy
League, reproduces some timely figures
OF interest at this moment of world
crisis. Great Britain has 285 warships
OF l,216,398 tons, with 96 Of SAL 900 tons
under construction. The United States
is second, with 325 ships Of ,083 $3.50 tons,
and 81 of 335565 tons under construc-
ton. Japan has 200 ships of 745,604
tons, and % of 1922 tons under con-
struction. France has 162 of 1863, ,346
tons, and AZ of 174,143 tons under con-
struction. Italy has 206 of 396,683 tons,
and 81 of 147 500 under construction.
Germany has n of 1882 tons, and 38
of 262, ,482 under construction. The Nazis
rank third in ships being built, and
virtually will soon double their present
fleet.
lCepyrisht 1870