Evening star., 1944-11-05
Capital Sidelights
BIZ Will p. Kennedu.

Twenty-Five House veterans have seen
service on the District Committee The
senior among them Is Representative
Robert Crosser of Ohio, who went on
the committee 81 years ago, in 1913.
when Representative Ben johnson of
Kentucky was chairman and Senator
j. Walter Smith of Maryland was chair
man OF the Senate District Committee.
The late Representative Carl E. Mapes
OF Michigan, later chairman, went on
at the same time. He died five years
ago. At that time the late Senator
Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts
ranked second in seniority in the SEN
ate to the late Senator Jacob H. Gal
linger of New Hampshire. Chairman
Carl Vinson CKentucky) of the Naval
Affairs Committee, was a member of
the District Committee in 1915, when
Uncle joe Cannon was dean of the
House and had been Speaker in four
Congresses. The late George P. Darrow,
Pennsylvania, and George Holden Tink-
ham, Massachusetts,, were members at
the same time. Chairman Joseph j.
Mansfield, Texas, of the Rivers and
Harbors Committee, was on the Dis
trict Committee in 1917, and fellow
members were Milton j. Romjue, Mis-
souri,, defeated for reelection two wears
ago, and Stuart F. Reed of Virginia
later chairman.
Chairman Fritz Lanham, Texas, of
the Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds, went on the District Com
mittee in 1919. At that time the late
Frederick j. Gillett Of Massachusetts
was Speaker and the late Frank w.
Mondell OF Wyoming was House leader.
Chairman of the District Committee was
Carl Mapes. Former Chairman john
son and three subsequent chairmen
were members-Benjamin K. Focht,
pennsylvania: Stanley Reed, West Vir-
ginia, and Fred N. Zihlman, Maryland.
In 1921, when Mr.. Focht was chair
man, Representative Roy o. Woodruff
OF Michigan became a member, and
also "the Stormy Petrel," Thomas L.
Blanton of Texas, later chairman of
the Subcommittee on District Appro-
priations. In 1923, when the late
Mick" Longworth was House leader and
Mr.. Reed was chairman of the District
Committee, the baby" member of the
House, Representative Clarence j. Nc
Leod of Michigan, later acting chair
man and now candidate for reelection
to Congress, was an active District
Committee member.
Representative Mary T. Norton of
New Jersey first served on the District
Committee of which she was later chair
man-the first woman ever to be chair
man of an important standing commit
tee OF Congress-in 1925. That was
when Mr.. Longworth was Speaker:
John @. Tilson of Connecticut, House
leader, and Mr.. Zihlman of Maryland,
chairman of the District Committee.
Representative Thomas A. Jenkins of
Ohio went on the committee in 1927.
Nelson w. Aldrich of Rhode Island
was on the District Committee in the
Forty sixth Congress and then became
Senator as successor to Gen. Ambrose E.
Burnside who had received the thanks
Of Congress for himself, officers and men
who served under him. John S. Barbour
Of Virginia was chairman in the Forty
eighth Congress. His father of the same
name had served in the War Of 1912 as
aide de camp to Gen. Madison, served 10
years In Congress and was chairman
Of the Democratic National Convention
at Baltimore that nominated Franklin
K. Pierce in 1882 The son was president
OF the Orange g. Alexandria Railway
Co., and later, for more than 80 years,
Of the merger with the Virginia Midland
Railway Co., now part of the main line
of the Southern Railway Co.