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Show I I National Topics Interpreted by William Bruckart National PrM Building- - Washington, Washington. In the last two weeks the National Capital has been under the tent clr-r- :, Three'Ring 0f a three-rincus, If ever one At the existed. Capitol building, there has been utter confuslou as Democrats fought among themselves and Republicans and Independents sat on the sidelines and said "sic 'em." At the other end of Pennsylvania avenue, business activity has been amazing. The President was beginning to start to commence to spend five billion dollars. In between has been the largest hangover of Easter visitors the Capital city has known In recent years. Mr. Roosevelt, having complete control of the largest sum of money ever turned over to one man, has been running his brain at lightning speed to make good on his promise that actunl spending will begin In two months. He has announced that some sixty agents of the government will participate In the spending function but roosting on top of the various spending groups are to be three newly created boards, each responsible to his direction and each enjoined to bear down In order that the public works and relief funds In his charge may flow freely. I hear general commendation of the President for selecting Frank ft Walker of Montana and New York to head up the spending operations. Mr. Walker, a lawyer, Is experi enced In a big business way and Is accepted everywhere as a man with capacity to do the job. The fly that la floating around and threatens to get Into the ointment, however, Is the existence of two schools of thought in the administration. This condition may undo the good work which Mr. Walker Is regarded as capable of doing. g By ELMO SCOTT WATSON IN MAY 22 the American people will celebrate National Maritime day. Its first observance took place last 111 11 year, so It fell to the lot of a sailor- President to add to our patriotic ,; 11 I I calendar a day which not only commemorates a great naval feat I but also Is designed to make this s and Dation more "martlme-minded- " ,0 spur il on t0 recaPturinS its wbJjQ, i rightful share of the world's sea commerce. ! For the voyage of the Savannah, which began on May 22, 1819, was a revolutionary event. Not only did it thrill and startle the world (including that proud "Mistress of the Seas," Great P.ritain) and doom the clipper ship of romantic memory, but it also marked a new era in water transportation and presaged the day when ocean greyhounds would make the shores of the Old and the New world only five days apart instead of five weeks. More than that, It Is altogether fitting that this new day on the American calendar should make the name of a real naval hero Eiore familiar to his n than it hitherto been. He was Capt. Moses Rogers of New London, Conn., the pioneer of a new era In ocean travel as well as a worthy exemplar of the best traditions of the old days of i i. I&- I I I 5 wiy (feJ I I I , fx' kJfity fotfW1 - .S''tL "vr.: "? - Vf 'f -- ,gStK T f4 fZ2 IpT livfe'4" B , f J Jf 7 fvj j&tf ? '4 1 v I ' w. T Sfc. 8 y red-lette- r fellow-countryme- seafaring. Even President Monroe Robert Fulton and others had tempt was made to cross the Atlantic ocean In a and vessel propelled by steam. We sincerely hope early the owners may reap a rich reward for their Nineteenth century regarded transatlantic voysplendid and laudable undertaking." ages by this kind of ship with a On May 1 the Savannah made a short trip to great deal of skepticism. So that "foolhardy Charleston, S. C, and there on May 11 she was Yankee," Captain Rogers, had considerable difhonored by having as guests I'resldent James ficulty In persuadine a erouD of Southerners to Monroe and a party who spent the day on the back his plan for building a steamship to cross new ship cruising to Tybee Light The Presi the ocean. He had commanded a steamboat on dent was much pleased with her performance the Hudson river and had brought another ves- and requested that she be brought to Washsel under steam from New York around to the ington on her return from Europe. head of On May 19 the Savannah Republican carried Chesapeake bay, a voyage considered wry dangerous In those days. But that was as this advertisement. "For Liverpool The steamnothing compared to the dangers which awaited ship Savannah, Capt Rogers, will, without fail, such a ship out on the high seas. proceed for Liverpool direct, tomorrow, the L'Utn. Finally, however, Rogers convinced them that nstant. Passengers, if any oner, can De weu ac he could make such a However, it Apply on board. voyage safely and in ISIS commodated. the lirst transoceanic was citizens of Savannah did not still the that seems company steamship organized and incorporated at Savannah by the have "the utmost confidence In her security for Georgia legislature. It ordered the construction none of them "offered" to become passengers on of a wooden vessel 98.5 feet long, 25.8 feet wide this historic voyage. The truth was, they were nd 12.0 deep with a gross tonnage of 319.70, to afraid that the ship might either be set afire which was given the name of the Savannah. by her furnaces or that she might be blown up financed by Georgians, built by Feckett and by an explosion of her boilers. Crockett of New York city and provided with a Nor did she sail "without fall" on May 20. iin engine" supplied by Stephen Vail of Mor- An accident to one of the crew delayed the start rlstown, N. J the ship was to be commanded by two days. So it was not until nine o'clock on the Connecticut Yankee. So this venture was an morning of May 22 that Captain Rogers' ship '" American affair with both the South and the hove up the anchor and started wun tne steam North from Savannah." represented In It The builders did not have the same faith In A week later, out In the middle or tne Atlantic,In the steam engine part of it that Rogers did, so the captain of another American ship, seeing to be on the Savannah was provided with masts and sails. the distance a vessel which he believed In his But the captain seems to have regarded them (ire, started to her aid. "But," he wrote fire and loir' with went ""ore as faster she found "we Insurance as and against auxiliary power discontent, or even possible mutiny, by the crew. smoke than we could do with all sail set I We Ne was nom-in- r arranged for protection of his Iron paddle then discovered that the vessel on nre western the 'heels by having thera made In detachable secsteamboat a crossing than ipsa as we Judge, for Eu tions and Invented machinery by which they ocean, laying her course, w'dd be switched on to the deck In case of a rope, a proud monument or ianK.ee skiiu tad storm. a similar Incident occurred on juue it wiien The log book of the Savannah, now preserved the boat was seen on me buuuiciu luom w on fire to the In the United States National museum, shows Ireland and reported as a ship that the Savannah left New York at ten o'clock admiral of the British fleet In the cove of Cork. one of the king's cutu the morning of March 28, 1819, and headed Thereupon he "dispatched was their wonder but great 'or the open sea, bound for Savannah, Ga. It Is ters to her relief; set. In a fast vessail all vldi-n- t with their men-llInability at no that the ship left under sail, for bare poles. under a with come ship up is made of steam In the log. But the next sel, to were fired from the cutter morning they "got the steam up and it began to After several shots and the surprise of her blow fresh; we took the wheels In on deck In the engine was stopped as well as 2 nilnutes." During the remainder of the voy-a8- e crew at the mistake they had made, ihPir curiosity to see the singular Yankee craft the steam engine was used only Intermit-jert!and on April 6, eight days and fifteen can easily be Imagined. Tbey asked permission "ours from New York, the Savannah reached the to come aboard, and were niucn grauueu cy me Port of its namesake. nRnppt ion of this novelty." "On her On June 20 later the "Yankee skill" of Captain citof hundreds to the approach city izens fiocked to the banks of the river and, Rogers brought the Savannah safely into port She had made the run In 29 days hlle she ascended, saluted with long and loud at Liverpool huzzas!", sayg an Item In the Savannah Reptib-"ca- and 11 hours but during that time the engine 40 hours. for April 7, 1819, which continues: "The had worked the paddle wheels only minAmerican which the a letter to utmost confidence la placed in her security. It According London wrote to John Quincy Adams, at ister when much to the honor of Savannah, jedounda l said that It was owing to the enterprise of then secretary of state, "She excited admiration ome of her astonishment as she entered port under the spirited citizens that the first at and (1 though proved that the steamship was a practical reliable means of water transportation, the "new-fangle- t ?! f J J :j j .J I I I j n y The spending machine will be guided first by the President, second President by Mr. Walker and Will Guide third by the varl-- . ous agencies now In existence. They are supposed to present plans and Mr. Walker will be expected to analyze and deter mine their values. Prof. Rexford Guy Tugwell, un of agriculture, will have something like nine hundred million dollars to spend in remaking the rural districts of the nation In a Job variously described as "rural re settlement" and other similar short titles. This program contemplates expansion and Intensification of work now being done by the Agricultural Adjustment administration and the Federal Emergency Relief adminis tration, Including attacks on the problem of dust storms and other types of soil erosion. Although Professor Tugwell has no plans complete, he Is working in the direction of transplanting many farmers from poor land where living Is hard to more fertile fields. Under his Jurisdiction also will be reforestation and a general examlnaton of. land uses. A second agency that Is new In the current set-uprovides for de velopment of rural electrification The third new spending movement Is directed at dangerous railroad grRde crossings. The funds that will be set aside for these latter two, however, will total only about as much as Professor Tugwell will spend In his orgy. Other scheduled programs for ex penditure Include: Assistance to clerical and profes slon&l workers the white collar folks. Loans and grants to states, cities and counties. Development of new housing con struction In cities and rural districts and general reconditioning and remodeling of homes already existing. Extension and expansion of the Civilian Conservation corps to a maximum of six hundred thousand workers. Further public building construc tion but In a less extensive manner than previously was attempted. p one-fourt- h President feoosevelt power of her steam. She is a fine ship, and exhibits In her navigation across the Atlantic a signal triumph of American enterprise and skill upon the ocean." The coming of the Savannah excited other emotions besides admiration and astonishment, however. Soon after her arrival It was learned that Jerome Bonaparte had offered a large reward to anyone who would carry oft his famous brother, Napoleon, then an exile on St. Helena, and the British suspected the Savannah of being concerned In some such plot So she was closely watched by the authorities all the time she was in port. On July 21 she steamed away Liverpool for a visit to Sweden and Russia and her visits to those two countries were triumphal processions during which she was visited by members of the royal families who joined In the praises of the daring Yankee skipper and his crew. On October 10 the Savannah sailed for her home port The voyage was a stormy one and the engines were not used on any single occasion during the trip until November 30 when, so the log records, "Capt Rogers took a pilot Inside the bar and at 10 a. m. anchored In the Savannah river and Arid sails on the flude tide, got tinder way with steam and went up and anchored off the town." Thus ended her historic trip. Again the people of Savannah made a holiday In honor of the ship which had carried the name of their city to fame across the Atlantic. The next year the city of Savannah was swept by a great fire and, because of the losses suffered by the owners of the ship In this disaster, she was sold, her engines taken out and she was used as a sailing packet between Savannah and New York. Later the Savannah was driven ashore on Ixng Island by a gale and pounded to pieces. Just 21 days after the death of her gallant captain whose enterprise had brought her into existence and who had shared In all tin ;lory of her great achievements of 110 years ag , IS ' t'itera Newipapcr Union. Although the President assured congress that he himself would ad minister the five- . , icttej a bllllon-dollarfun- d succeeded In Target quieting criticism to some extent by the statement official announcement of the allot ment board show the name of Sec retary ickes as chairman. Many caustic dart were fired at Mr. Ickes during the two months while the public works bill was held up In congress, because members did not like the Ickes policy as public works administrator. Of course, as now stands Mr. Walker the set-u- p will determine the character of spending and Mr. Ickes and his al lotment board will determine how much money each may have. That would seem to eliminate the causes of trouble experienced heretofore by the members of congress and the Ickes organization. Neverthe less, critics of the secretary have begun to suspect something. Mr. Roosevelt has said In White House press conferences several aD(l D. C. times lately that he would permit no delay In getting the spending machinery In motion. He assured he country In his radio speech the other night that his policy was to be speed and assistance where the money will do the most good. The President certainly has made clear that he Is anxious to get things going. Newspaper correspondents report ing Capital news had a good laugh the other day at Amutet the attempt of the the Prest Democratic national congressional committee to satisfy all sections of thecountry In an announcement made by the committee respecting Its organization. I can conceive of no better way to tell the story than to quote opening paragraphs from four Issued simultaneously statements by the committee on the subject mentioned. The paragraphs which follow are taken from statements which were delivered to my office In one envelope: 1 "The West will play an Important part In the direction of the campaign of the Democratic national congressional committee. now being organized by 'Chairman P. H. Drewry of Virginia. Representative Abe M unlock of Beaver, Utah, has been selected as a vice chairman of this committee, and, under plans proposed, will have general supervision over the cam paign In the West" 2 "lu the organization on for the coining campaign of the Democratic national congressional committer the South will play a very Important part Not only Is Congressman P. H. Drewry of Virginia chairman of this committee, but he has selected other southern congressmen to aid hira. 3 "Unless all signs fall, the Middle West will be an Important battle ground In the congressional elections of next year. Representative P. H. Drewry of Virginia has recognized this when, as chairman of the Democratic national congressional committee, he aided In the election of Congressman E. B. Crowe, Ninth Indiana district, as first vice chairman of the Democratic national congressional committee. Representative Crowe will have general supervision over Democratic campaign activities of congressional candidates throughout the central part of the country. 4 "In the reorganization of the Democratic national congressional committee Chairman P. H. Drewry of Virginia has sought to give additional prominence to members from the East Representative William J. Granfield of Massachusetts has been selected as one of the vice chairmen and will have general supervision over campaign activities throughout the North and East Associated with him will be Representative William N. Rogers of who has been New Hampshire, named a member of the executive committee. Congressman Rogers represents the district which boasts of Daniel Webster, the great orator of one hundred years ago." Of course, it was Intended that the statements should be distributed to correspondents from the various sections of the country so that western newspapers would have been told how Important their section was and eastern newspapers would have had Information to the effect that the eastern section was all Important It was not an unusual procedure but It happened that the statements were distributed together and that afforded the butt of the joke. - Senator Bankhead (Dem., Ala.), of cotton production control fame, has another Idea Bankhead' $ for legislation. Thl8 time the senIdea ator Is seeking to make It possible, he says, for every tenant farmer to become a land owuer. He has legislation pending In congress to carry out his program and It appears now that It may go through. It Is proposed to create another government-ownecorporation which would have power to Issue one and a half billion dollars' worth of government-guaranteebonds. These bonds could be sold by the corporation and the proceeds used to buy land for present landless farmers. They would become owners In name and would have the millstone of that debt around their necks for twenty years If they succeeded In earning enough Income to pay off the debt In that time. It Is true the measure would open the way for land ownership and would make the terms of ownership about as easy as Is possible when one borrows another's money. Those facts, however, do not remove the conditions which a good many observers hold are bad. For Instance, It Is difficult to see how the tenant can make a living and sufficient profit to pay ofT the debt to the government If he has been unable to accomplish that same purpose with money borrowed commercially. 6, WMtars Nawapapat Unloa. d d |