Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-14
BY MARY McGRORY

We don't know what your
favorite summer reading is,
but II it's the Congressional
Record, then you're lost. There
just won't be any more. until
next January, except for a
giant memorial issue, bursting
with revised and extended re-
marks, due on August 25.
Those members who were pop
ping up at the last minute for
permission to revise and ex-
tend remarks not even made,
are at this moment being
dunned by the Government
Printing Office for their mate
rial.
The final issue of debates
contained a tribute from
author to editor. These are
rare, Of course. except in the
case Of Maxwell Perkins, who
had to cut the manuscripts Of
Thomas Wolfe down to size.
Mr.. Wolfe appreciated this,
whereas most authors consider
editors chaps without soul or
taste. But in the last hours
of the saith Congress. Repre-
sentative Hoffman, Republi-
can Of Michigan. had kind
words to say for the GPO
that sturdy red building over
which the waves of congress
sional oratory break high every
day that Congress meets.
Words of Praise
Said Mr.. Hoffman, and his
words are much priced at
GPO: Il would not trespass
on the time OF the House were
1t not for the fact that we have
forgotten in approving resolu-
tons for increased compensa-
ton Of a small group Of en-
ployes. I refer now to those
who handle those illegible or
undecipherable manuscripts
that we send down to the
printing Office, and which
come back the next day in the
Record logical and clear"
The final issues of the Rec
ord, priced by those who face
a long drouth of fine print,
contained a few excursions
into side issues which have al
ways given the Record it's
charm for those who love it.
Senator Morse. Democrat Of
Oregon, led this one, and it
was occasioned by his discov-
cry that a candidate for pub
lie Office had at one time ap-
parently attempted to use state
funds for a cocktail party.
The Cocktail Party
This prompted Mr.. Morse to
make a few remarks about that
much abused but well attended
Washington institution, the
cocktail party.
He said: "One reason why
I steer away from Washington
cocktail parties as much as I
can unless I am required to
be present as an official rep
resentative of my State, is
that I cannot imagine
greater waste of human
energy than milling and null
ing around at a cocktail party
with a considerable number
or people always sufficiently
under the influence of liquor
so that they paw one around.
That happens to be a per-
sonal point Of view. I do not
find such occasions at all
pleasant"
Senator Smith, Republican
Of New Jersey. concurred. "A
great many of the Senator's
colleagues share his feelings
about the milling and null
ing around"
Little Literary Flavor
AS one of it's faithful read
ers, we cannot help noticing
how bereft the Record is Of
literary flavor. We do not
understand what can have
happened to political oratory
when no one is ever reminded
of something said by Dante or
Shakespeare or even Henry
WadsWorth Longfellow about
a comparable situation. In the
old days statesmen were al
ways quoting from the clas-
sizes in search of confirma-
ton. Today's crop, however,
seems to turn its back on the
wisdom of the ages. When
they look for something to
lean on in the way Of words,