Show 1111 11 WHO'S NEWS THIS WEEK II By Bv Lemuel F. F Parton NEW YORK One One of this depart depart- departments department's departments department's departments department's ments ment's favorite monarchs has long been Jeff Davis king of the hoboes of America who now leads his following of Hoboes rr w Will ff nearly in Pay Honor to a plan to erect a an aj aBard aBard national memorial Bard n j of t Home u to John Howard Payne author of Home Sweet Home There is perhaps a bit of personal pride involved as your correspond correspond- correspondent ent helped establish sh the dynasty That was many years ago when a 8 I series of of hobo stories in the Chicago Tribune elevated Dr Ben Reitman to the kingship Dr Reitman how how- however however however I ever was a backslider turning at first furtively and then brazenly to regular work went into politics in in Chicago and became a cautious and solvent citizen too fat to ride the rods I saw him last at the house of the late Jack London in Sonoma coun coun- county county county ty Calif and if I remember cor- cor correctly correctly correctly Mr London reproached him himas himas as one recreant to his ideals and andin andin andin in danger of succumbing to industry and ambition Until a few years ago I used to get letters from the hoboes of America on letter-heads letter like those of any national bank carrying the names of the jungle judges shacks organizers and track walkers and supreme knights of the road TJ They ey y had to do with some mis mis- misunderstanding understanding in the organization over the lingering King Jeff Is sovereignty of Dr Elected to Reitman but that thatis is all cleared r y r up Job J o b for f or Life L I f e now Mr Davis Davis' rule is undisputed and his name ap ap- appears appears ap- ap appears pears on the letter-head letter as Jungle Judge King of the Hoboes elected for Life Mr Davis now three fifty-three years old has covered his first miles on the road and plans to start his second million on an organizing ing trip in Europe early this year His father fathe James Davis who died in Cincinnati Cinc mati a year ago at the age of ninety had been vaguely identified identified identified fied as a newspaper man working on several Cincinnati newspapers but with no news as to what depart depart- ment Young Jeff born in Cincinnati started rambling when he was thir thir- thirteen thirteen thirteen teen and now fetches up with a around around around round forty years on the road Bald and genial working harder at the hobo trade than do most men on their regular jobs he campaigns for better migrating and loafing condi condi- conditions conditions conditions for his subjects He wants the railroads to establish establish establish lish a one-cent-a-mile one rate for box boxcar boxcar boxcar car passengers He says the plan has worked fine in France He moves about the country fighting the bum blockades set up by various va va- various various I rious states He denounces the in his ho hoboes tails fuzzy following following ho boes who talk a lot but never toss anything into the jungle stew 0 CORRESPONDENTS C CORRESPONDENTS on the Brit- Brit Italian ish-Italian radio war front in Arabia report a victory in iii i the first engagement for Abdul Wahab the desert Rudy Val- Val Italy taly Wins lee iee crooning for Radio Duel Italy The sheiks in n Desert D according to news accounts tuned out Britain's broadcast which in included in- in included included news of a death sentence for or an Arab found in possession of arms and tuned in Italy's cheerful crooner The Italians also were up one-up on the he Britons due to the fact that the he former had supplied many of the he radio sets and taken precautions precautions ions to rig them against Britain's thirty one wavelength Sir John C. C W. W Reith grim pur pur- purposeful purposeful purposeful and incidentally Scottish director general of the British Broadcasting corporation led off for or England paced by Big Ben and God Save the King Abdul coun coun- countered countered with Just uJust a Little Oasis for Two and Aldebaran and You in in Arabic It was no contest after that say the news reports Sir Johns John's last appearance was at Edwards Edward's solemn valedictory The tall bald frosty mogul of British Broadcasting lord of the empire air airwaves airwaves airwaves waves takes the microphone only when imperial interests demand it Recently he said To uTo set out to I I give the public what it wants as the saying is is a dangerous and fallacious policy Those who know him say he will go on giving the Arabs what he thinks they ought Lord of Air to want and Keeps BBC ably get away Out Oat in Front with been th iU lambasted it K He has as asa asa asa a dictator all over the empire but has ridden through labor and con- con conservative administrations and keeps the B. B B. B B C. C steadily ing He is the most inaccessible man manin manin manin in England seven forty-seven years old the the son of an old-line old Scotch clergy clergy- clergyman man trained in engineering at the Royal College of Glasgow success success- successful successful successful ful as 83 an engineer in London be be- before before before fore becoming general manager of the B. B B. B C C. in 1922 His salary is a year C 3 Consolidated News Features Service c |