Evening star., 1937-10-13
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

conflicting emotions. In the past Chief
Executives who attended the annual
Army-Navy classic preserved neutrality
by occupying boxes on the respective
West Point and Annapolis sides of the
gridiron in different halves AS COM
mander in chief of the Navy, Grand
Admiral Roosevelt could hardly root for
fair Harvard, despite his Crimson loyal
ties. According to the latest from the
bridge. he'll cut the Gordian knot by not
going to the game
Vice President Garner, far from the
madding crowds ignoble strife in this
community of rumor, recrimination and
remorse, continues to drive dull care
away down at Uvalde. He writes his
friend, Col. Ed Halsey, secretary of the
Senate, that he hasn't blessed thing on
his mind these salubrious Texas days
except to reduce as rapidly as possible
the visible and invisible supply of trout
in his favorite river fishing grounds
Cactus Jack" gives no indication of
early return to Washington. but will,
OF course, in accordance with custom,
turn up betimes in advance of the
November is special session of Congress.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur's decision to
leave the Army at the end of the year,
on the verge of 58 with six more years
to go before reaching retirement vintage,
took all Washington. especially his serv-
ice cronies, completely by surprise While
many think the general probably has
the choice of some attractive business
offers, there are some who believe he
has political aspirations. As his resi-
dental status is that of his native Wis
consin, Macarthur faces the necessity
of storming the La Toilette heights if
he throws his hat into the ancestral
arena. More than once the brilliant
soldier, famed at West Point for having
been No. l man of his class in each of
four years at the academy, has been
touted by admirers as presidential tim
Der. About the only mud likely to be
slung at his escutcheon in a political
campaign would be his leadership of the
armed forces which routed the WASH
ington bonus army in 1892 MacArthur's
supporters always contend the records
show he did nothing more that i'll
starred July day than what a soldier
is supposed to do-obey orders.
r X
Authorities addicted to the art of put
ting two and two together profess to
see rather direct connection between
President Roosevelts visit with Cardinal
Mundelein at Chicago on October and
Father Coughlins retirement" from
radio day or two later Archbishop
Mooney of Detroit, the caustic-tongued
air priests new superior, is within the
jurisdiction of Cardinal Mundelein,
which extends all the way from the
Allegheny Mountains to China. Arch
bishop Mooney happens to be an old
New York State friend of President
Roosevelt, having been Archbishop
bishop OF Rochester previous to his re-
cent assignment to the Detroit see.
X X
Current demands for national
plebiscite before the United States goes
to war, as provided by the pending House
resolution of Representative Louis Lud-
low Democrat, of Indiana, leave out of
account the contingency that Uncle Sam
might wake up some fine morning and
ALREADY find himself at war. Japan, for
example. doesn't bother much about the
outmoded technique of declaring war
before waging It, How much referendum
sentiment would there be left even in
this pacific country if. for instance, the
papers should suddenly flash the news
that Japan had seized Manila, sunk
Admiral Yarnell's flagship. or bombed