Evening star., 1941-08-10
Capital SideIights
By Will P. Kennedy.

Members Of Congress are making
conscientious effort to tune in on the
voice of the people" to see how they feel
about prospects of the United States en-
tering the war Many members have
made polls of their own districts. For ex-
ample, Representative Paul Shafer, Re-
publican, of Michigan told the House
on Friday: Il have recently taken poll
of my district and the tabulations show
that of a total OF 44675 who have an
swered the questionnaires, 1606 are
against participation in the European
war, while only 3,069 are in favor of en-
tering it. On a percentage basis, 93l
are looking to this Congress to keep this
Nation out of any European mess" And
Representative Stephen A. Day, member
at large from Illinois, who received 2050,-
493 votes last November, is making an
even more pretentious canvass He has
sent out letters to persons whose names
appear in such publications as Who's
Who"-'the names of outstanding peo-
pie of the day" In his letter he says:
Every one realizes that we are face to
face with war 1t is the greatest issue
with which the American people have
been confronted since the birth of this
Republic. 1t transcends all political, So
cial and family affiliations.
In order that I may have an express
sion of opinion from all over the United
States, I urge you to mark the inclosed
ballot and return it to me at once You
need not sign your name just vote and
drop your ballot into a mail box.
This is not done because I have
changed my views. They are the same
as they were. I merely want to know
how American leaders stand"
A true "son of the soil" who has come
up from cornfield to Press Gallery
and now is serving his seventh consecu-
tive term in the House, Representative
Louis Ludlow, who, nearing his three
score years and ten, HAS carried through
life his human touch" treated the House
to q jeremiad the other day-to which
the historic lament of Job was tame by
comparison. He bemoaned the deletion
vi dppiduoSy dpPlauoCS AoUSiA-
ter" and "boisterous laughter" which
members have been accustomed to insert
parenthetically with the corrected copy
of their speeches. All applause" and
similar descriptive notations have been
ruled out by the Speaker with the result
that for nine weeks now there has been
an "applauseless" Record. In his con-
tAy1 IS for
years, Mr.. Ludlow said, he has witnessed
two exhibitions of superlative honesty"
one was 35 years ago when Represent
ative John F. Shafroth of Colorado arose
in the House and presented his resigna-
ton to the Speaker, stating that he had
been studying the evidence in his case
and had come to the conclusion that the
other fellow was elected. The other
rare instance of self-abnegation" was
on June 10 when Representative Glare
Hoffman of Michigan asked to have the
Record corrected and the word "ap-
plause" at the end of his speech be de-
leted. It was then the Speaker ruled
that such words as applause are not
part of the proceedings of the House
and should not be put IN tne RECORD.
aHt&
How the United States postal service
has expanded since the first postmaster
was appointed in Boston in 1889 and
Benjamin Franklin was appointed first
Postmaster General in 1853 is en-
phasized by Representative Writ Court
ney of Tennessee. He recalls that just
before the Revolution Postmaster Cen
eral Franklin was dismissed from that
office by King George for insubordina-
ton. but when he left the office post
roads were running from Maine to
Florida and from New York to Canada
and mails were being carried to and
from the British Isles on monthly
schedule. At the time. of Washington's
Inauguration there were post offices in
only rs towns and the mails were carried
by post riders over 1,785 miles of post
roads. There were then no envelopes
r,or hostage stamps Among the extra