Evening star., 1937-08-20
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS

Closing days in Congress are always
watched with unusual interest and curl
osity There is something dramatic and
spectacular about the final days of any
session. and to none of recent years does
this apply with greater truth than to the
one now about to come to an end. There
are many reasons for particular focusing
Of popular attention on the last days of
the present session. Events far out OF
the ordinary. some of them sensational
in their appeal, many of them of Nation
wide or international significance. have
been happening there during recent
weeks. They have given to these tense
and meaningful days an interest which
seasoned political observers say they have
seldom seen in the past In no previous
session that they can recall, furthermore,
has there been such a rush to get lot
of last-minute legislation through before
the final gong sounds and the sparring
political opponents 60 home to count up
their gains and their losses and to refresh
themselves for the next session.
Crises such as that which now exists in
the Far East, with Shanghai as the i'm
mediate center of alarm. entail heavy
burdens and a great amount of extra
work on officials of the State Department.
Messages from the theater of conflict
pour into the department at all hours
of the day and night, and to many of
these prompt replies must be sent. The
result is that many of these officials, even
after they have left their Offices late in
the evening, are not free from RESPONSE
bility and care and from the necessity of
responding to calls which come to them
for decisions on matters which require
immediate attention. Frequently they
are aroused from their slumbers to be ad-
viSed of the receipt of some important
message. If this is considered of suf-
ficient Importance by the official to
whom it is conveyed, the Secretary of
State himself may be acquainted at once
with the facts Otherwise one of the
officials gives instructions as to what
action should be taken. To certain ex
tent the department is always 'on
twenty -four hour basis" but in times of
emergency its watchfulness becomes
greatly intensified.
China is in much better position to
meet any national emergency than she
was two years ago, because of the sub
stantial progress she has made toward
creating a sound financial structure In
the opinion Of DR.. Ch'ao-ting Chi, writ
ing in the Far Eastern Survey, of the
Institute of Pacific Relations. He de-
clares that ever since China went off the
silver standard nearly two years ago, she
has been able to maintain exchange
stability to a degree previously unknown
Speaking of the recent visit to Washing
ton of DR.. H. H. Kung, Chinese finance
minister he says that the agreement con-
cluded by him with the United States
Government is expected to contribute
markedly to the success of Chinas new
monetary system, in that 1t provides for
the orderly disposal of large stocks of
Chinese silver without driving down the
price. He asserts that the statement of
DR.. Kung makes it amply clear that the
new monetary system in China is in
tended as an independent system and
that China's monetary authorities are
aware Of the necessity of maintaining its
independence"
Rivalry of a keen but friendly charac-
ter exists among the vessels of the United
States Navy to secure the recognition
which is granted to the winners and to
their commanding officers as result of
annual engineering competitions in which
they engage. Secretary of the Navy
Swanson has just sent letters of recogni-
ton to q commanding officers whose
vessels stood first, or second, in their
respective classes in such efficiency dur
Ing the past year. He states that this
rivalry has resulted not only in mate
nal increase In the efnciency Of the feet
% . whole, but In marked increase In