The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-11
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK STINNETT

sand more persons will have to stand at Presi-
dent Roosevelt's history-shattering third inau-
gural than had to stand at the other two and
those who take it on their dogs will either
have to blame Congress or the high cost Of
carpentry and lumber.
In 1886, David Lynn, Capitol architect and
the man who has charge of building the inau-
gural stands, got $4,000 from Congress for
the job. This year (back in June) he asked
$45, 000-but Congress, without recognizing any
new prices in carpentry and lumber, apparent
ly, said: 'You did it for thirty-two grand in
SO, now do it for that again."
AS a result, there'n be stands in front of
the east entrance Chats THE entrance, but
nobody much uses it, to the Capitol for II, 656.
Rising above them will be the Presidents
stand, with its fluted columns, three arm
chairs (for President Roosevelt, Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court Charles Evans Hughes,
and Vice President-elect Wallace) and 96 other
chairs for the presidential party. Stretching
away to the north will be the Senate wing
and to the left, the House-seats for 1874 per-
sons, all told-and beyond that only foot room.
In years past, there have been seats for
thousands built on the House, and Senate steps;
high up on the roof of the Capitol, in the
shadow of the Statue of Freedom; and across
the Plaza. But labor and lumber have this
year made that impossible.
PLANS INCOMPLETE
President Roosevelt's plans for the January
20 event when he will-the first man in his
tory-take the oath of the nations highest
office for the third time, have not been fully
announced, but indications are that it again
will be as simple as the Presidents wish can
make a highly complete ted CEREMONY h a
draws from two to three hundred thousand
visitors to Washington.
Out of such a mob of course, only a tiny
minority will be able to witness the actual
swearing in. The President, standing almost
over the same spot where Lincoln stood, with
out benefit of canopy, in 1861 and again four
years later, will repeat his oath after. the
Chief Justice, and following that make his
inaugural address. All of those who are seated
will, you can be sure, be friends of congress
men and senators, or political potentates of
some high order, for practically all the tickets
Tor seats are issued through the joint con-
gressional inaugural committee.
In January, 1887, President Roosevelt took
his oath in a downpour-but even then there
were no vacant seats and not much standing
room. That was the first time the Inaugural
ton was held on January 20 instead of March
4 and many were the murmurs that one of
the great benefits of the Lame Duck amend
ment would be that hereafter the inaugural
would be held indoors. Plans, however, were
made for the outdoor inaugural again this
year without any official suggestion of change,
but as the time approaches and stretches of
bad weather l%engthen, there is much unofficial
talk that this may be the last of the open-air
hoath-takings.
SAME L BOARDS
BY a coincidence, President Roosevelt will
be taking his oath from the same boards that
he did in 1882, but not in SO. The contractor.
who built the stands in 1882 missed the bid
in '36, but made it this year and announced
g%leefully to Lynn that he had the cut lumber.
columns and roof all in storage.
BY a coincidence, too, if the weather is
good on January 20, the assembled throng
may see a dramatic bit of ceremony which
the President himself planned but which didn't
come off four years ago: By prearrangement.
as the President started his oath, the Presi.
dents flag was to be run slowly up the flag.
pole that rose from the gable over his head
reaching the top of the mast as the last word
was spoken. The device worked perfectly and
so did the hidden attendant underneath the
stands. The flag went up all right. but in the
murk of one of the worst winter rains of tho
season, few persons were able to see il.