Evening star., 1939-05-07
Capital SideIi9hts
BIZ VIII P. Kennedy

BY viii P. Kennedy
When Congressman goes to college In
his 65th year that should be news-espe-
cially when he has been an educator all
his life and was for IA years president Of
a university-Norwich University. That's
exactly what Representative Charles A.
Plumley of Vermont intends to do. When
he returns to the Capital next fall he
proposes to matriculate at George Wash
ington University-and Herr Hitler is re-
sponsible. Recently, Mr.. Plumley heard
a speech in German over his radio and,
although he studied German for four
years at college. it had slipped away from
him and he missed some Of the prin-
cipal sentences in the Hitler broadcast
II was chagrined," he said, that I
couldn't know first-hand what was being
said about my country, about my Presi-
dent and about myself as an American
so am getting out my school books and
going back to college to brush up on my
German"
The Army, Navy and Marine Corps
have issued orders for participation In
the celebration on June Of the 309th
anniversary Of the settlement Of Dor
chester, Mass and the 300th anniversary
Of the establishment there Of the first
free public school in the world. This &C
ton was taken by Secretaries Swanson of
the Navy and Woodring of the War De-
partment and Rear Admiral r. r.
Waesche, commandant of the Coast
Guard, at the solicitation of Representa-
tive John w. Mccormack.
Representative Louis Ludlow, formerly
a veteran Washington correspondent and
then known as one of the best "legmen''
in the profession, is enjoying new dis
tinction. He is having a speech he re-
Gently made placed in schools all over
the country to be memorized for ora
torical contests and school entertain
ments by the youth Of the land. In his
speech he eulogized Thomas Jefferson as
"the greatest humanitarian since Jesus
of Nazareth" Moved by that speech,
Representative E. E. Cox Of Georgia said:
II trust copy Of this very wonderful ad-
dress may be placed in the hands of every
schoolboy and schoolgirl in America, that
they may learn it and be able to repeat
it for the remainder of their lives" This
wish is now being fulfilled.
Congressman come and go-but they
retain their rights to visit their colleagues
and successors on the floor Of the House
or Senate chambers whenever they may
be in the Capitol-and frequently come
back" after many years absence. But
there is one pioneer in Congress, who is
about the Capitol almost daily, still very
active and devoted to q cause" who
does not take advantage of former
member privilege. That is Miss jean
nette Rankin, trained social worker
for more than 80 years, pioneer in
promoting the cause of woman suf-
frage" and the first woman ever elected
to Congress. She served in the "War
Congress" and has twice been an unsuc-
cessful candidate for the Senate from
Montana
The cooperation of West Virginia,
Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania In
a permanent Potomac Valley Conserv-
ancy Board, with the States ratifying
the compact and the President appoint
ing three members to represent the Dis7
trict of Columbia, In an anti-river-
pollution campaign, is an important sec
ton of Nation-wi effort. Sixteen
States are thus endeavoring to correct
the flow Of sewage in four Of the major
river basins-the Ohio, Delaware, Po-
tomac and the Red River of the North
Nine States are cooperating on the
Ohio River project-1ndiana, West vir-
ginia, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Vir-
ginia. Four States-New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware-are
working on the Delaware River drain
age basin. Water conservancy as well
as prevention Of pollution is the objec-
tive on the Red River Of the North,
which separates North and South Da-
kota and Minnesota.
At this season members Of Congress
are extolling the outstanding advantages
Of their States for health building and
vacation Fairgrounds. New England
members joined with business leaders
from the six States and with railroad
and steamship on1cials In . conference
here during the past week-with the