Evening star., 1943-05-30
Capital SideIights
By Will P. Kennedu.

House members and veteran Capitol
employees are boasting these days of
another page boy and active member
of the Little Congress who has made
good in a big, patriotic way-all within
20 years. He is David Lynn, 5th (now
81 years of age), nephew OF David Lynn.
architect of the Capitol, who also is
an example Of the principle OF working
ones way up by industry, devotion to
duty and courtesy. Young Dave Lynn
was House page in 1919 and 1920. He
next served as clerk in the Office of
the Architect, from 1922 to 1880, during
which time he attended Emerson Insti-
tute, George Washington University and
the National University, from which he
graduated in 1929 with an IL. B. degree.
BY extra studies and intensive work he
completed his course in March, 1929,
ahead of the rest of the class. As soon
as he was admitted to practice before
the District Court of the United States
for the District of Columbia and the
United States Court Of Appeals for the
District, in 1880, he went to st. Louis
where he held legal positions with vari-
Gus insurance companies and indepen-
dent adjusters. From December, 1896,
until March 16, 1912, when he was in
Quoted into the military service, he was
actively-and uccessfully-engaged In
the practice of law in California. After
three weeks basic training, he was Sc
lected to join the regimental headquar-
ters Gilroy Calf. While at the head
quarters, he assisted the trial Judge
advocate, Maj. Des Roster. He was
chosen regimental War bond salesman
June II, 1912. and on June % was pro-
noted from private to corporal and Sc
lected to give series of orientation lee
lures to the men of the regiment. On
July II he was promoted to sergeant and
on August 4 was transferred to the
Service Company to work in the plans
and training section. On August 20 he
was again promoted to master sergeant
as regimental operations sergeant in
the plans and training section. He was
promoted to first lieutenant on october
10 and a week later was sent to Ann
Arbor to attend school at the University
of Michigan Law School. He reported
for duty December 26 to the command
ing general, northern section, Western
Defense Command, Presidio Of San
Francisco. Calf, which is present head
quarters. Since then he has been serv-
ing as assistant sector judge advocate Of
the Northern California sector, Western
Defense Command.
Just to keep history and science
straight-and to give credit where
credit is due: Recent newspaper and
magazine articles have heralded the
news that research workers are now
setting the stage for the debut of the
castor bean as wartime American
crop" Experiments it seems, are being
made by research associates in the Bu-
reau Of Plant Industry, Beltsville, Md.
These statements are quarter of a
century late, for during the First World
War the growing of castor beans for war
use was started on big scale in this
country, a special crushing plant was
set up at Gainesville, Fla, and the credit
for the entire procedure goes to the
initiative of DR.. w. w. Stockberger, then
in charge of the Office of Medicinal and
Oil Plants, Department of Agriculture,
and later peronnel officer of the depart
ment for many years. At that time the
castor oil was produced for fabrication
OF rotary engines on airships. Ship
loads of castor beans for seed were i'm
ported. One Of the major contracts for
growing them went to B. L. Hammer,
then general development agent Of the
Seaboard Airline Railroad, who sublet
contracts to growers in some seven
Southern States. Another master con-
tract went to D. G. Gillett, then owner
Of the largest citrus fruit nursery in tho
world. It was Mr. Gillett who estab-
lished the crushing plant in Florida.
The question OF sabotage had to be
fought in those days, as we'll as now.
One shipload of the seed beans was
sunk, other supplies were tampered with
or promising crops destroyed by low
flying airplanes scattering pests over a
large acreage. Official confirmation Of
this can be found in the records Of the
War and Agriculture Departments and
in the history Of the vegetable oil IN
dustry.