Evening star., 1937-05-23
GARNER GETSH
ATPRESS OUTING
Rain Halts Long Enough to
Permit Presentation
by Conna|Iy.
,, Stan Correspondent OF The Star.

President stood this afternoon on the
gangplank of the Presidents yacht
and was crowned with buff sombrero
by his fellow Texan, Senator Tom
Connally.
1t was just two years ago that Vice
President Garner lost his hat at the
Marine Barracks here at the first
biennial outing" Of the National Press
Club Today, during the second
biennial outing, after Senator Con-
nally had made his speech of presenta-
ton on behalf of the club. and Presi-
dent Roosevelt had applauded, Garner
replied
II hope to transmit this hat to my
descendants. 1t Is a precious thing.
am conscious Of the fact that l am
the recipient of a great honor. I
thank the press club for its donation.
and will try to be worthy of it."
Il think" remarked President
Roosevelt. who stood next to Garner,
that this should become an annual
custom. The Vice Presidents hats
look rather worn at the end of two
years
President on Cruise.
The President, who had motored to
Quantico, and his party stepped
aboard the yacht Potomac and sailed
off down the river for a week end
cruise. The Vice President stepped
into his car and was driven back to
Washington. Hopes that he would
umpire at baseball game between
members of Congress and members of
the press were drowned by violent
downpour, which covered the Marine
playing field with 4 inches of water.
The game was called off,
The managers of the two teams
agreed later to play their game at
Griffith Stadium as soon as arrange
ments can be made with Clark Griffith.
The rain began to fall just as the
sideWheel steamer Potomac reached
the Quantico dock, where it tied up
nose to nose with the presidential
yacht. Hopeful members Of the ball
team rode to the barracks in canvas
covered trucks, and hopeful potential
spectators, who had been training at
four bars aboard the ship for their
duties of watching the contest. re-
manned aboard the ship and laid bets
on how soon the shower would halt
The outing was to have been the
picture party of the week for a
national illustrated magazine. Almost
1000 newspaper men, Senators, Rep
resentatives and Government officials
were aboard the paddlewheel boat
when it cast off from the Seventh
street warf in Washington. Newsreel
cameramen looked with pleasure at
the sunny sky, and removed their
coats to bask in the 9O-degree tenn
perature.
Docking Brings Rain.
Radio announcers were planning
how to open their Commute broad
cast from the ball field when they
hove into sight of Quantico and
noticed that the sky had grown dark
and sullen, and when Bill Donaldson,
curator of the House press gallery
and manager of the press base ball
team, stepped to the dock, it was the
signal for the rain.
The outinggoers kept their posts
and heroically let ball players and
cameramen ashore first.
Even Garner. who was the leading
guest for the occasion, was held back
BY the rain But although he headed
for Washington as soon as he had
his hat, it was his day The Potomac
was scarcely out of Washington Chan
mel when 1t went into action
The United States Navy Band was
playing vigorously on the main deck
forward of the beams which revolve
the paddle wheels. Up stepped the
Vice President. He accepted the baton
from the blue-coated leader, Capt
George Benter.
I'VE will now have" announced
Garner, 1.-The Eyes of Texas Are
Upon You"
The band swung into the college
song Of the University of Texas. Gar
ner twirled the baton with agility and
leaped into Jig he learned as boy
when he rode the range in Red River
County in Western Texas His hat,
not the one the Press Club gave him,
bobbed on his head.
Holds Onto Hat.
Let me hold your hat suggested
Capt. Benter.
"Oh. no." the Vice President inter-
rupted his dance Somebody held
my hat once before and 1 never did
see 1t again"
The ceremonies of the presentation
OF the new hat were originally sched-
uled for the Quantico parade grounds.
They were to have been the feature
event of a review of the troops. But
the rain Cancelled the review, as well
As the ball game, and the presenta-
ton was moved to the dock
There, on the gang plank. Garner
stood, between Mr.. Roosevelt and Sen
ator Connally. The Senator received
the sombrero from President Charles
Gridley Of the Press Club. He held it
gingerly and turned to his fellow
Texan. The sun shone.
Il feel proud" said the Senator, "to
be party to this fine American oc-
Casion. We are about to crown you,
sir, with hat not of foreign fur. This
fabric is sheared from the fleece of our
own domestic flocks. / present you
with this hat, the like of which YOU
wore soon after you were born, the like
OF which perched above the sandy
locks of a boy who long ago roamed
Red River County and now is cur
Vice President.
Navy Band Braves Rain.
I'VE give you now this hat to pro-
tect you alike from the elements and
from the vicissitudes of politics 1
crown thee Jack Garner, Texan and
Vice President"
When the President and Vice Presi-
dent had gone, the rain began again
The Navy Band played bravely. The
master Of the bass horn tossed a rain