Evening star., 1940-01-02

Like backstage activity before the
start of a theatrical production,
the hustle that precedes opening
of session of Congress began this
morning.
Presidential candidates among the
players occupied the center of at
tention. Senator Taft, Republican,
of Ohio held a press conference.
Vice President Garner greeted the
newspaper writer's in several groups.
Painters put on the final touches
around the Railways of the Capt.
tol Building. Ladders were propped
against walls, janitors saw to it that
all the windows were properly
locked against winter winds.
Kenneth Romney, sergeant at
arms of the House of Representa-
tives, and Chesley Jurney, sergeant
at arms of the Senate. were busy
with preparation for the police
guard that will surround the Capt.
tol.
500 Police to Be Assigned.
When the curtain goes up at noon
tomorrow the greatest number of
uniformed and plain clothes police
men in history will be on hand.
Close to 500 minions of the law
will be present, according to the
estimates. Maj. Brown is sending
$50 men-mostly for outside duty.
Capt. William S. Orthman, chief of
the Capitol police, will spread 1856
men through the grounds and build
ings.
Clocks were being wound, too.
Everything has to be on time. One
old clock had stopped at 20 minutes
to tone day after Congress closed.
1t still showed that time this
morning. but it will be at IL o'clock
when both houses convene tomor-
row. And it will be on time at 2 pm.
when the President of the United
States arrives for his address.
The historians got busy and dis
covered that this session, inciden-
tally. is the 178th in the history
of the Congress. That takes care of
every session ever held. There have
been 26 extra sessions of Congress.
South Trimble, clerk of the House,
was so busy this morning he could
not see half the persons who want
ed to see him-including the news
papermen.
Press Galleries Busy.
In the two press galleries the old
time superintendents-Bill Collins,
for the Senate, and Bill Donaldson,
for the House-had their stats
run ragged" getting ready for the
huge corps of correspondents ex-
pected to cover" what promises to
be an all-important session.
Joe Hanson, the old messenger in
the House press gallery, who has
handed out copy paper to the boys
these last 81 years, was weary at
noon from stacking paper.
Only quiet in all the building was
in the old, deserted Supreme Court
chamberS-noW a museum piece.
The Capitol guides, threading their
way between cleaners buckets of
water and posts being strung with
red rope to block of the crowds,
tried to carry on their work, for
visitors were still permitted in the
Capitol. Harry Nash and Jimmy
Connell, who have been down there
on the Hill these many years, claim
they never saw such crowds on the
day before an opening.
AS the order of procedure was
outlined today, the program tomor-
row will be somewhat as follows:
The session will be called promptly
at IL o'clock.
Prayer will be offered in both
chambers.
Then the call for a quorum.
A Senate committee will notify
the House that the Senate is in
session, awaiting the arrival of the
President of the United States.
When the Chief Executive appears
at the door of the Capitol the Sen
ate members will march, two abreast,
stances, Justice Black said, "the
board justiflably drew the inference
that this company-created union