Evening star., 1938-04-20
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

his wartime boss, invariably addresses
him as chief The ditor-diplomat will
be Is years old next month. He some
times claims to have been the original
patentee of the Franklin Roosevelt for
President movement
Marguerite Sylvia. prima donna of the
Strauss Three Waltzes' musical ro-
nance now playing in Washington, who,
in her Metropolitan Opera days was ac-
claimed In America and abroad as one
OF the great Carmens of all times,
recalls with pride her part in the at
tempted creation of the washington
National Opera in 1920. A prime mover
in that enterprise was Mrs. Robert
Bacon, wife Of former Secretary of
State. To help the cause. Madame Sylvia
gave three performances of Carmen
gratis and brought along as her
Don Jose a famous Czechoslovakian
tenor, with whom she had sung in grand
opera at Berlin and Prague, Otto Marak.
A native of Belgium, Madame Sylvia in
private life is the wife of Maj B. L.
Smith. United States Marine Corps, of
Richmond, Va.
No one of the many addresses sched-
uled for the forthcoming annual meeting
of the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States will deal with a more
vital subject than the one assigned to
Rear Admiral Emory S. Land, chairman
Of the United States Maritime Commis-
sion. On May he will discuss Pres
ent Plans for Rehabilitating Americas
Merchant Marine" Like his prede-
cessor, Joe Kennedy, "Jerry' Land holds
strong views on the urgency of combat
ing unbridled unionism in the shipping
industry. The major evils are the bitter
jurisdictional Quarrels between C. I. o.
and the A. F. of L. and the Communistic
influence at work in the Lewis maritime
union. Until ways and means are dis
covered for making Uncle Sam the boss
Of his own ships, Land sees little use for
the Nation to embark upon an expansive
and expensive merchant marine pro-
gram. Labor, the chairman is persuaded,
holds the key.
Non-aggresSion treaties recently con-
cluded between Brazil and Bolivia are
the latest examples of inter- American
good neighbor policy and peace machin-
cry. They contrast currently with the
reign Of force and disregard of law
prevalent in Europe and Asia. Instead
of one big neighbor swallowing a small
one, as in the case of Germany and
Austria, Brazil, the largest American
republic, declares it regards as definitive
and not subject to notifications the
territorial status of Bolivia. which is
surrounded by neighbors militarily more
powerful than herself. AS to that part
Of Bolivian territory still to be defined,
the blood-soaked Gran Chaco, which is
now under discussion with Paraguay,
Brazil will recognize and respect only
that which is accorded peacefully by
juridical means and in keeping with
the United States doctrine of nom
recognition of territorial gains by force.
Rio de Janiero Is thus insuring dip
lomatic and legal settlement of the most
dificult South American controversy.
Brazil's own peace policy, Latin Amer
ican commentator has just pointed out
Is manifested by non-fortification Of her
5000 miles of frontier, which is as
devoid of guns and forts as the Cana
dian-American boundary, although the
Amazon colossus abuts every country in
South America except one.
It was unquestionably the quality Of
mercy which impelled F. D. r. to pardon
DR.. Townsend. But the inventor of the
revolving pension plan still marshals
a host Of hun1 eds Of Thousands Of sup