Evening star., 1939-06-18
Capital SideIights
By Will P. Kennedy

Senator Key Pittman of Nevada, chair
man OF the Foreign Relations Committee,
who was in charge of the reception at
the Capitol on June to King George
and Queen Elizabeth, emphasizes that
this was the first time in the history of
the United States Government that the
House and Senate jointly rendered a
formal reception to the ruler of any
country. On that day there were ap-
proximately 300 men on guard duty at
the Capitol to protect the persons of the
King and Queen-422 Marines from
Quantico, 275 members of the metro
polltan police force, 10 of the Capitol
police force, besides Secret Service and
White House police. The physical ar
rangements for the reception were dele
gated by Senator Pittman to A. c. Cook,
the veteran Capitol engineer, who has
received this week letters of appreciation
from all groups with which he CO.
operated. The visit of the King and
Queen was but one-even if the most
lmpOrtant-of three big affairs on the
east front of the Capitol within a week
which kept Gus Cook, and his fellow
workers, busy night and day. On Sun
day. June II, the United States Flag
Association had its annual observance.
President Roosevelt is honorary president
OF this association, and Col. James A.
Moss, U. S. A., retired, is president gen.
eral This association has an honorary
order-The Order of the Flag, headed
by Col. Charles A. Lindbergh In recog-
milton OF his fine cooperation" Gus"
Cook was made member of this order.
Then, under the auspices of the Grand
Army OF the Republic. another Flag Day
service was held on June IA.
Representative Thomas L. Blanton of
Texas, former stormy petrol" of the
House for many years. was greeted at
the Capitol couple of days ago He
came to introduce and sponsor his Young
est son, William, for admission to prac-
tice before the Supreme Court of the
United States.
There are four seats in the front row
on the Republican side Of the House
which are seldom vacant. The biggest
men in the House vie for an opportunity
to sit there-and Miss ("The Judee'J
Jessie Sumner of Illinois, slips in when
she gets an opportunity. Among the big
men who have ousted such smaller fry
as stable House employees James P.
Griffin and M. L. Meletio from these
preferred seats are: Representatives
James c. Oliver, Maine; Paul w. Shafer.
Michigan; Cassius Dowell, Iowa. and L.
l.. Marshall, Ohio. The reason these
four seats are so popular is because they
are better cushioned. More than Is years
ago new seats were put in in the House,
But these four seats have more padding
1t was tribute day for the Taylors in
the House on Wednesday. Representa-
tive j. Will Taylor of Tennessee, extolled
law college classmate, the late Joe
Brown of Tennessee, active. in State
politics for more than a quarter of
century, who served in the Sixty-seventh
Congress and refused to be a candidate
again. thereby emulating his father the
late Foster v. Brown, who served In the
Forty-third Congress.
Representative Edward r. Taylor of
Colorado, chairman of the Appropria tions
Committee. in starting debate on the
work relief bill for 81 ATT 900 900, compli-
mented the subcommittee of II veterans
under the leadership of Representative
Clifton A. Woodrum of Virginia, who had
worked on the measure for five months
He referred to former chairmen who
had impaired their health by arduous
duties on appropriation bills-Good,
Iowa; Madden, Illinois; Anthony, Kansas:
Wood, Indiana; Byrnes. Tennessee, and
Buchanan, Texas. He thanked his COL
leagues for making his own duties less
arduous through their cooperation. OF
the committee clerks, he said: mo COM
mittee in the history of our government
has ever had finer or more capable set
Of clerks than the Appropriations Com
mittee has at this time"
The dean of the press galleries ut the
Capitol Is the universally beloved
Charles A. Hamilton, now S3 years
young" after IS years a. . Washington
correspondent. During the Spanish
American War hs supplied large string
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