The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-18
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK

WASHINGTON, Jan. ia winter day in
Washington:
The sun thumbs a ride upward on the crest
of mists rising from Chesapeake bay. The Nor
folk boat whistles low and cold as it rounds a
bend in the Potomac to come in sight Of the
Capitol dome.
Ten thousand starlings, strung like a solid
| black belt around an out-thrust coping on the
new postoffice building, break away in swarms
at the first appearance of the sun to huddle
| for a moment of frigid chatter in the trees
around the Pulaski monument. A few early ris-
ing pedestrians give that corner a wide berth
while the starlings are overhead.
Three men rise to their launches on a steel
grating where they have huddled through the
night in the heat which has oozed upward from
the department of justice heating system. Carv-
ed in cold stone over the entrance are the
solemn words: Equal justice under law"
Clerks Go to Work
The sun is an hour high. An automobile
whisks out of the White House. 1t carries Mrs.
Roosevelt across the Potomac to the Virginia
side where she will take her early morning
canter. The chauffer waits to take her back
soon to begin a schedule that would bewilder
a time clock.
Street cars and buses come in with the first
Of the hundred thousand government clerks
who will fill the ranks of government buildings
along Pennsylvania avenue and its tributaries.
They will keep the government going from 9
to 4:3O. Nine-to-four-thiry Those are the gov
eminent working hours. Lads and lassles from
Tucson, Seattle, Hartford Wilmington, Biz
mingham snatch a last bite of toast and a
gulp of hot coffee and dash off to nine-to-
four-thirty in a government building.
r r
FDR Breakfasts
Flags over the Capitol tug at their ropes.
Winds always seem to whip around the capitol
dome. Flags are lofted over the White House.
Inside the White House. the President eats
his breakfast in bed. Toast, coffee, fruit, an
egg if Doc McIntire hasn't found him over
weight these days. Probably not. The President
cuts his rations from time to time at Doc Nc
Intire's suggestion. No protest.
Across his bed are spread several neWspap-
ers, brought in by Secretary Steve Early. Some
stories are marked for special attention. They
go over a list of things to be done. In another
half hour the President will dress, then go to
the adjoining executive offices along a connect
ing runway fully exposed to the chill air. He
may be busy until midnight or later, with a
brief interruption for afternoon swim.
Snow fell yesterday and city streets are a
glare of white. Virginia and Maryland scrape
the highways right up to the District line out
so far as snow is concerned, Washington IS
on the conservative side. 1t hasn't enough snow
removal equipment to brush a cat.
q
Garner LimOuSineS
The worlds worst daily traffic jam is in full
swing along Fourteenth street, off Pennsyl-
vania avenue. This is the bottle-neck through
which 40, 900 government clerks pour in half
an hour from northwest Washington, where
the salaried brackets live. Thirty street cars
are deadlocked end to end loaded to the plat
forms with
Rosy-faced Senator Byrd of Virginia gets ros-
Ter still from a brisk walk in Rock Creek
park. Senator McNary of Oregon strolls a natty
path down Pennsylvania, avenue after break
fast at the Lee House. Vice-President Garner,
at II or a little before, will be driven to the
senate office building in a shiny sleek official
car so long he never would have dared to cam
paign in Texas in tin the days when he had
to campaign.
Miles of frosty-toned chandeliers glow along
miles of government corridors, row after row.
Noon time comes and congress members
dribble out Of their offices for the roll call In
chambers
Washington is at work.