Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-11-12
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VIE.

1t is the tweny-fourth special session
of Congress since the foundation of the
Union, that will be called to order on
Monday The first extra aSsemblage
of House and Senate was called in 1897
by President John Adams, to consider
suspension of diplomatic relations with
France. Presidents Jefferson, Madison,
Hayes, Taft, Wilson and Harding each
called Congress into special session twice
during their respective terms of Office,
as President Roosevelt has now done.
Other Chief Executives-Van Buren,,
Polk. Taylor, Lincoln, Cleveland Nc
Kinley, Theodore Roosevelt and Hoover
each summoned Capitol Hill for ex-
traordinary service once. Most famous
special coverings were those of 1903,
dealing with the cesSion of Louisiana
to France by Spain; of 1887. which was
concerned with suspension of specie pay
ments, and Abraham Lincolns call of
Congress on July 4, 1861, to consider in
surrection in certain Southern States"
and the Civil War which was already
raging.
Our naval authorities have more than
passing interest in the political revolu-
ton in Brazil. Specially remembered
now is the State Departments Inflated
proposal of last summer to loan the
Brazilians half dozen de-commissioned
United States destroyers. The project
aroused so much protest in other Latin
American nations, as we'll as in this
country, that an enabling bill, which had
been introduced in Congress, was quietly
pigeonholed. Critics in both South
America and here opposed the plan on
the ground that it was inconsistent with
pan-American disarmament ideals and
might lead to revival of a naval race
among the A B countries. At various
times since 1922 the United States has
sent naval missions to Brazil for adj
viSory purposes, under authority of Con-
gress. Sixteen officers are there at pres
ent, headed by Capt. S. B. Mckinney.
Argentina and Peru in the past have
also periodically drafted American naval
aides. Germans and Italians, too, have
internationally served in similar capaci-
ties in Latin America. An Italian naval
aviation commission is soon to be on duty
in Peru.
Under the Roosevelt-Hull good neigh
Dor doctrine of non-intervention, Uncle
Sam will carefully watch his step in the
matter of the Fascistification of Brazil.
Until and unless developments at Rio
de Janeiro impinge upon American in
terests in some way now altogether I'M
expected, Washington's policy will be
strictly one of hands OF, much as we
may deplore that "it can happen here"
on this side of the Atlantic. Neverthe-
less, there are authorities who contend
that we are not only permitted, but
actually obligated, under the Monroe
Doctrine, to take notice of the constitu-
tional CONFUSION on the Amazon. They
point to these pertinent words in Presi-
dent Monroe's famous message to Con-
gress in 1928: THE political system of
the allied (European powers is essen
TALLY different from that of America.
We owe it, therefore, to candor and to
the amicable relations existing between
the United States and those powers,
to declare that we should consider any
attempt on their part to extend their
system to any portion of this hemisphere
as dangerous to our peace and our
safety" Sticklers for literal interpreta-