Evening star., 1937-06-28

that distinction: that his nephew and
private secretary. M. Van Bellenghen,
who is with him in America, took a
graduate degree at Princeton in 1885,
and that the youngest Van Iceland, the
premier's 2-year-old heir, is already
scheduled to enter the university as
soon as he's eligible, prospectively with
the class of 1857.
Harry j. Anslinger, commissioner Of
the narcotics bureau in the Treasury,
has just returned from Geneva. where
he attended conference which dealt
with international control of opium pro-
duction. He was quoted on arrival in
New York as saying that the United
States is second only to China in the
Illicit traffic of narcotics generally"
Efforts at Geneva were devoted mainly
to bringing about curtailment of the
growth OF poppies for opium manufac-
ture. Mr.. Anslinger is hopeful that the
chief sources of poppy supply, Persia
and Japan, will eventually be induced
to restrict production through united
pressure from western nations. A pYe-
New Dealer, Uncle Sans narcotics chief
has been on the job since 1890 Previ-
ously he was in the diplomatic and con-
sular services. Anslinger ranks as a
world authority in the war on the drug
traffic.
Announcement that II directors of the
closed Hartman National Bank of New
York have just agreed to make a $780,
900 compromise settlement for the
benefit of creditors lends interest to a
recent disclosure by Controller of the
Currency j. F. T. O'Connor regarding
national bank directors responsibilities.
Within approximately one year, O'Con-
norS of1lce has compromised and settled
by amlcable adjustment claims against
directors of inSOlvent banks in excess of
$40 ,0O0, 900. The controller points out that
perhaps in the majority of cases neglect
Of duty was neither fraudulent nor dis
honest, but resulted primarily from in
fringement of prohibition in the ma
tional banking law against the doing of
particular acts" Regardless of whether
or not loan is made to a debtor of
ample financial responsibility, if the
amount exceeds 10 per cent OF the
banks unimpaired capital and surplus
any director who participated in the
loan or approved it in any form can be
held liable for the full amount of en-
suing loss.
When somebody asked the President
at the White House the other day
whether he had any notion of suggest
ing that Congress adjourn for 80 days,
to dodge Summer heat, and then re-
sumo business about October l, he
laughed and said that gave him an idea.
Then he explained that he thinks it
would be funny as crutch" If he
should devote whole broadcast fireside
chat some day to narrating the wild and
weird things he's supposed to have done
from time to time or to contemplate
doing now.
Women are marching on in Congress,
despite the fact that they number only
q mere half doZen-flve in the House
and one in the Senate. Their latest
achievement is the appointment of Rep
resentative at Large Caroline ODay,
Democrat, of New York to head the House
Committee on Election of the President
and Vice President. She thus becomes
the second woman congressional chair
man, Representative Mary T. Norton,
Democrat, of New Jersey having been
chairman of the House District Commit
tee and now become chairman of the
Labor Committee. Her friends are con-
fdent Mrs. Norton preferred to retain
the District post, but the Capitol hears
| that Boss Hague was anxious to have
the gentlewoman from Jersey City
accede to the House labor throne. Secre-
tary Perkins is also said to have evinced
the wish that a woman member should
embrace the opportunity afforded by
the labor chairmanship.
(Copyrtsht, 1879