'"■v % -Li * i OUi'iUwU vJijj - l: /gO/c £ Good Evening* Everybody: Heel excitement in Washington today, (uncle SaBi1 s House oi Representatives came near giving an imitation of a session of the German Reichstag. The occasion* of course* was the debate over that S.S per cent beer bill. It's been a long time since there was such a boisterous scene in the United States Congress. A xzxjs description in the Brooklyn Times Union reports that parliamentary curtesy was thrown to the wind. Both personal and political prejudices were on their hind legs. Members booed and shouted and called each other names. 1 A In fact, did everything but come to blows. ) ‘hr '■•n-*-*; a- #atljy ssag . ( j u— a Representative Mouser .of Ohio said that Representative Britfcfcn of Illinois vas "daffy11. The gentleman from Illinois retorted that the gentleman - from Ohio xxxxax with the catty name* was bigoted and hypocritical and fanatical. Added to which Mr. Britten g threv/ the^ daffy back into Mr. Mouser's whiskers. 1&JL -Q^ras^Le. ~^> lHif.-~ LLHsfgqi?^: K.tri^ turned the laugh on Mr. Britten at one point. The anti-prohibitionist leader made the statement: "President Hoover will nox veto the beer bill." To which Democrats shouted "What ao you base that on?" ^r. Britten then replied that the President had written Senator Sheppard that £.75 per cent beer was not intoxicating. The then demanded: "When aid he write that letter?" And ^r. Britten replied: "In 1918." At that the while House burst into a roar of laughter. It seems evident that a final vote on the beer bill in the House tomorrowT will be RUU DL jj -. ii Meanwhile a disappointment is waiting for those enemies of prohibition who believe legalized whiskey is only a few away. This statement comes from an experienced 7S*a. Ttf. legislator, a lawyer, and a wet. I mean Congressman^Beck of Pennsylvania. Mr. ■beck*^ been one of the most tenacious enemies of prohibition ever since it started, or rather, ever since it was even proposed. He tninks t^ar- =cctfcw^ wets are fooling themselves if they think free liquor is anything like near at hand. Says Representative beck: nbiquor is not around the corner, or if it is, it must be playing with prosperity. There are numerous obstacles to its legalization. "People who think the end to prohibition is imminent ' iust donTt are either fooling themselves", adds sraea* or^ j- know anything about the united States Constitution or tne methods of legislators. John Bull it seems, is not entirely delighted over President HooverTs last message to Congress on the debt question. A disoatch to the wev; Yoris; Evening Post reports that the English consider the message encouraginsr in one way. They like the idea of reviewing the entire debt situation. But they do not care for the notion of linking it ud with disarmament. In other words, the Evening Post disoatch points out xfrKTKfrityry: they1!! be glad enough to pay less money on the debts. But they don’t care for having it made conditional on tneir paying less money --ri .—m*i -r?. j ^ to the manufacturers y\ oimunitions of war. Whet observers were wondering most suucrw-t today was • ~ what is th attitude of President-elect Roosevelt to ^r. Hoover*s idea about the bj:-partis©n delegation. So far no siBBOSiifcXEUDi official word has come from Albany. The grapevine report is that -r. Roosevelt does not think highly of the idea of a special delegation. /pe, " shpsfc*. has already expressed himselt to the exiect that he considers th tik—t&L u&nxu _ 2 entire question ofthe debts and disarmament can be quite adequately negotiated through our ambassadors. £U ixXiX Ana here’s an item which makes an interesting commentary on xhe money situation in France. Another story in the New York Evening Post relates that a French art dealer has arrived in America from Par:s with an object entirely different from that usually pursued by art dealers, from Europe. This art dealer does not want to sell paintings to Americans, he wants to buy them. This gentleman represents a syndicate backed by more than a million dollars. This money is to be spent in tne States buying works of art that ca ae across tne Atlantic from France. He told reporters that for twenty-five years French art has been coming to America. Now it is oing back. He points out also that this has happened before* It happened, ''or instance, fen after the Franco Prussian v;ar and after the French revolution. On every occasion there was a movement of French art back’ ards and forv.ards. "France”, he adds/*aiways^gained money on the transactions.” Ui- The National Economy Eea^ue is concentrating mqrA on reduction of Federal appropriations for veterans. A former Solicitor General of the United States suggests that there is no .£3 reason for continuing benefits to the veterans of the Spanish war who suffered no injury or disability from that war. i£ks£ He suggests that cutting this out would save Uncle Sam as much as one hundred and nine million dollars. ft There's a lot of discussion in Washington just now^e* whether there'll be women in . Hoosevelt's cabinet, and if so, how .any. Xt^i already been widely rumored and not contradicted that Miss Frances ^erkins, iaxatrsi Industrial Commissioner of New York State, will probably be the Democratic Secretary of Labor. A story in she New York Sun reports that not only women, but men in political circles are admitting that Representative Ruth Bryan Owen of Florida, the distinguished daughter of V.illiam Jennings Bryan, ould make an admirable Secretary of the Interior. Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Boss, former Governor of Dyomin -, Vice Chairman of tne Democratic National Committee, is also among those mentioned, and the colorful «*rs. Greenway of ife — • l 77a^n&ca \ wJL - * / " Ld^ear.' "*?;r ^ IMTRO TO Yi£AT6-BH0V^ About two months ago an English friend of mine, T^^v-tTV^t £)- Major 2 k Francis Yeats-Brown, the Bengal Lancer, arrived in A* this country, and was on the air with me one evening. Now tomorrow,the Bengal Lancer is sailing for home. In the meantime he has been travelling up and down America. Tonight he’s here with me again, and I just thought I’d ask him if there was anything soecial about his trip across America that he would care to speak about. Yi<hat ho, Major, how did you find things? mamm mmm m :m UiiJOL Yl:ATS-BIvO'.,I-] - 2 - wht-h mirrnnnrt rmr;----- f-iTin ulini ...... ji| i|^ ■aaa i.n s tsngBc <JW j ^ In order to keep *t= faasgog» engagement I had to use an A airplane, but a blizzard had come along so that the plane was cancelled. I found that by taking a train I should be only ten minutes late. oo I telegraphed to the committee,explaining the circumstances, hut in the train a terrible doubt began to come over me* I was In the Great Lakes region where your time changes from eastern to central time, *»ouid I be fifty minutes early or an hour and ten minutes late? I did^t know. I didn’t dare ask. But when I reached my destination all the clocks proclaimed the ghastly oroof. By the time I reached the Baptist Church where I was to speak, I was no less than an hour and twenty minutes late. ¥et the audience hadn’t gone home. They were waiting for me. When I reached the pulpit (and it was the first time I had ever been in a pulpit) , trembling like a leaf, they gave me a good hand, to put me at my ease. That is what I call real D i a Christian feeling. 1U 0'~ ■ j.-'.iiia ^.TOK YKAT£-rhJ,.N gg= L-. i 1 b'-T"- b11.... u-^uge^tj jrgft^ aadr^oxzd ezcd ■ * tg £r.-iii,\n—r-^-pcj' ^ / 1 j i T11 ^ i, I ■ ^ !"-! i-'-.j • gaagizgi tap. fefetg^a±±gd Steajbgg, LX, I n _d no idea until I sa. your great Middle test prairies how magnificently you were facing the xw present depression. I vas in a small tov/n in Illinois a month ago. the lecture committee seemed a bit worried, but I never guessed the true situation until I met a journalist who told me that the chief bank in the place had failed four days ago,owing five million dollars. The man v ho drove me to the depot thirty miles a way was working overtime. He said that the few dollars I paid him woulc tide him over mhe coming week, during which all he couldn’t get any money at all, because be £ his savings were in the bank. let he whistled and sang as if he hadn't a care in the world. That was an example of courage that I shall never forget. ■ ■ any— i>j S ^ f n ' ^ lirr U fui'~ ^ 1 I ' W MAJOR Y^ATS-BRQWM - 5 be on the ocean tomorrow and on Christmas Eve i*ll drink the health of all the kind people that I have met in the last * few months# And tnat,s enougjihealths even for a cavalryman to drink. unj2*f » ce ^ s ^ b d or him tin • story of an unusual sort, , | , ^ K A- I ;ji Its unusus.Iness,^.Lies in oho fact that a deer was shot, instead of one of the hunters. A party o; twelve veteran riflenen went out from Elv/ood, dew Jersey. They allowed the wife of o u of them who is also a moth r of five cnildren to 'Lunoiga.'iny r.nea. A smx But, says a dispatch to the Newark PJvening News, they left the lady as they expressed it, out or danger. Ghe did not accompany hr twelve hunters into th woo but was stationed in a clearinc. Hours later the twelve veteran hunters returned empty handed. There tney found thelady waiting for tnem. She had shot a fine five nron buck. Fred -^ieb in 5t the New York Evening Post tonight has an interesting discussion on the broadcasting of baseball games. Fred points out that the strongest supporter of radio is Bill Veeck, President of the Chicago Cubs. Incidentally, vhieago fans are going to be among the lucky ones next summer. Not only Ar. Veeck of the Cubs, but Louis Comiske# of the Vhite Sox, is also strong for allowing his games to be broadcast, Fred -uieb points out that the Chicago Cubs, at v.nose park broa dear tin will continue to be allowed, are today the most powerful club in the; National League. Not only are they league champions, but they pay visiting teams the biggest returns* how^ sever,- 1 other club owners have been trying to persuade Bill Veeck to bar the broadcasters om. from his park. To which ur, Veeck replied with a vociferous: "Nothing doing." Fred cieb suggests that the othf'r clubs, instead of tryin" to tell Veeck how to un his business, ’would find ir to their advantage to study Chica o Cubs and copy them. The Cubs are not content with havina; a *ooa team and let tin,: customers fina it out : or themselv s. They oractise an intensive selling campaign, v.hereas the other clubs, both American and nation?-i, confine their ads to a perfunctory six line card which nobody ever sees. The Cubs advertise baseball in Chica 'o as vigorously and effectively as a department store advertises stockings k pace riot is brewing to the Philadelphia Daily hews. in Alabama. This riot , if* it comes, ** 111 be the sequel to a battle last ni; ht in .vhich more than a hundred colored farm hands fought with the officers of the law. Three negroes were killed ana four officers of the county /ere wounded. The adjutant General of the National Guard is on the A scene today. He was ordered by the Governor of the State to prepare for the calling out of the troops in case it becomes necessary, tix negroes are under arrest, kv en poof vfhii-e men are sweeping the countryside in automcbile s. )nm&k .Dxu.i.x.^ri Here's another angle on the volume of bartering which is sweeping the United States. Some of my neighbors in Nyack, New York are now swapping things they need instead of exchanging them by the a usu; 1 medium of cash. A commentator in/ihE Philadelphia xxxnijix paper says: "V.e knov a couple of Congressmen we'd like to swap for a dozen eggs." And the Commentator adds: "They don't have to be awfully oog eggs." ' Here's another angle on the volume of bartering which is sweeping the United States, Some of my neighbors in Nyack, Nev. York are now swapping things they need instead of exchanging them by the a usual medium of cash. A commentator in/ihE Philadelphia fcXEJlinX paper says: ”i.e know a couple of Congressmen we'd like to swap for a dozen eggs.” And the Commentator adds: "They donft have to be awfully good eggs.” In. Pittsburgh over the weekend I learned many things that interested me. Here are two I thought you might like to have me pass along, Joe Ksterbrook, head of a large book shop, and one of the best-known book men in America, told me what people are reading these days. "There is a great falling-off of interest in fiction just now,” he said. Then he added: "Folks everywhere seem to be tremendously interested in books like Van Loon*s "Geography;11 James Truslow Adams* "The March of Democracy,^ and "bpie of America"; “'■ark Sullivan's "Our Times, and so on. Then he told me something that sounded strange. "The price of a book,*1 lie said, "doesn't seem to matter; if people want it, they buy it." Another interesting thing I heard was a remark by a gentleman whom the magazine Time would refer to as a tycoon. Mr, John Deasey, Vice President oi the Pennsylvania Hailroad system for the central region, told me that the Pennsylvania is not in the red, it*s in the black. An interesting adventure Is reported in the Jersey Journal. It seers that a Jersey City lady put her dinner on the fire and then went across the way to call on the neighbors, then she tot back she round she locked herself out. Fearful that the A house might burn up - and more serious still, the dinner might spoil - sue telephoned the police to help her get into her o>n house. It required not only the policef but the fire department. The fire department brought the tr»uo<r ladder wagons and with one of the A 4 ladders the sergeant climb d up on rn<r roof^^feafe from there climbed to ‘ ne lady1 s house, broke a window', and got inside. He found everything Okay except *&, .rt 4:he cabbage was slightly scorched^ was about to open the front door ’■hen he heard moans. Drawing his pistol tn sergeant went searching throughout the house. Finally hediscover m :1 th* moans c ' m > from the kam dumb '.v ate r . Opening the dumbWaiter he found the r ■ large, sto it bluc-coatcd policeman in full harness gaspingly wedged into th' dumbv/aitrr. iue moless cop, not knowing his chief was coining down over the roof, had got In through a basement window and into the dumbwaiter from which it required a rope fastened to a large truck to pull rum out. r - An exceedingly ancient joke -as pulled off in the lobby oi the •falirr v House in Chicago today - a joke just about as Ji'amG'asJ old as the/Falmor House itself. But it was done in such a fashion as to make it news, A dispatch o the dew York 7. or Id Telegram points our that it has also a touching side. It seems that years ago General Grant gave a cigar to Horace Norton, ounder of Norton College, ±Xxxsx Until recently that cigar has reposed in the museum of the college* But the othr day there was a reunion of Norton Alumni at the Palmer House and it y;as decided that it • ould be a picturesque stunt if that famous cigar were smoked by : ndA Norton, .grandson of the man to whom it was iven sy General Grant. So there you nave the scene of action. As he started to smoke that history weed Winstadl Norton said: ir.h 1 I light this cigar with & trembling hand it is not alone a tribute to the found^of the college, cut to di:.o liton among j- statesmen. General My Dlysses 8. Gran^" plum;. _ All eyes watched the grandson of Horace Horton as he applied a raajj^to General Grant * 3 cigar. There was a puff of smoke, Then another cuff in the best General Grant manner. Then^in the manner of General Grant’s artillery before Richmond - BOOM’,. JT1!,! Sage