Evening star., 1939-10-23
Annoyed by Senate
Neutrality Debate
DepIores Failure to Deal
Frankly With Issues
Of Importance

To the Editor Of The Star.
Yesterday, October 49, went to the
Senate to hear the neutrality debate I
am citizen. I am deeply interested in
the result Of intelligent discussion of
this question. I have stake in the
decision reached. being the mother of
four sons (my entire family who would
be called on the first draft.
At considerable pains therefore I
overcame the hazards Of distance, park
ing and admission and found myself in
the visitors gallery. I was sincerely de-
sirous of hearing what the Senators had
to say on this great issue both for and
against, as I am still Of an open mind
myself. Unlike most people know, I
am not sure I know, the answer.
But what did hear? A power-lunged
youngster just talking and killing time.
What was he talking about? He didn't
say. Like the children lost in the
woods, he wandered on and on. The
ASAlV AdAASCu oIA CAlC VI 10 VI lllS SpCC~
tacles; in fact at my distance, all ac-
tivity centered on their glistening disks,
the rotating mouthpiece. and the verbal
output rolling up into the galleries. It
filled the Senate chamber, too, but there
weren't any ears there to hear it-a
mere handful of ears whose bodies were
otherwise engaged in friendly chat and
reading newspapers.
During the two hours I sat there, the
galleries emptied themselves three or
four times-evacuated in blocks, the
evacuators all annoyed, as I was to
learn later. The person sitting next to
me said this valvular activity had been
turned on at IL o'clock and no one
had taken the trouble to turn it of. In
fact, almost all Of them had gone of
and left 1t running.
The arguments I was listening for?
They were like this one: Yes, Hitler is
going to come right across the ocean
and get us just as soon as he finishes
England and France! Inference: And the
goblins'n get you If you don't watch out!
BY what right does Senator assume
as foregone conclusion that repeal of
the embargo means war (all discussion
to the contrary banned, then with this
point fully established in accord with his
own sides propaganda, to open up on
this text and preach sermon on hell
fire and the horrors of war!
Do they ever assume that there is
single soul in the gallery with a mental
age above 7? Echo answers, no. Yet
the galleries moved out in a fury, so
much so that they talked freely to one
another as people do in the presence of
a calamity. Gist of what they had to
say: We pay the taxes to run this show
and they can't even debate the matter,
only buck the issue and balk the game.
II any hairs were found yesterday blow
ing about the honorable corridors or on
the steps OF the august Capitol, it was
the hair torn from galleryites' heads by
their own hands. THE "peepur ought
to do something about this right to
filibuster!" I listened silently and much
amused, being older than most of my
countrymen in the lather stage, for long
ago I had jettisoned enough of my
American illusions to keep the hair on
my head
But there you are! We elect them.
From long tradition we elect them. Our
ideal candidate is: Dirt farmer, one time
newsboy on the streets of New York,
self-made, self-educated, the norman.
never had-a-chance-to-get beyond the
thlrd-grade. We go back to early pioneer
days in our theology when one man was
as good as another, and better, too.
But when we get them in the Con-
gress, mind ye, like the man that marries
chorus girl and expects her to be
model wife, we expect them to be states
men. Our beloved "peepul" (the masses)
can always be counted on to roll up
huge bloc Of votes for these tick takers;
the mountain strains itself and brings
forth mouse. VICTORIA L. MUNRO.
Fairfax, Va.
October 49,