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Show Washington Comment The war menace crowded out every other topic, interest or angle around Washington. Reminescent of 1918 were the little groups gathered on downtown corners from which floating scraps of conversation dencted that popular interest was centered in the doings of Messrs. Chamberlain, Deladier, Benes and Hitler: even the impending im-pending world series played second fiddle in the audible speculation. At fashionable parties around town, the entire company settled down in front of the radio to listen to the international broadcasts , while "swing" orcjhestrtis playted to an empty dance floor. One of , the most curious angles to the cur-t cur-t rent war scare was the lack of I self-consciousness among the diplo-t diplo-t mats from the countries most vitally vit-ally concerned: during the World war, hostesses were hard put to it to keep separate the representa-! representa-! tives of the "combatants", what with new nations tumbling into the scrap overnight. Today, nobody no-body seems to feel any embarrassment embarrass-ment about taking tea, and openly (and somewhat violently) expressing express-ing partisan opinions in front of foreigners who may tomorrow be at each other's throats nor are they themselves, embarrassed, reticent, re-ticent, or even militant. It is the I sole indication we have that the j world has progressed in civiliza-! civiliza-! tion, along one front, at least! |