Nought on Stumbles

Senator Pat Harrison (Democrat) leaped to his feet, last week, and electrified his Senatorial peers. Not since the green legal shingle of young lawyer Pat swung in the breeze at Leakesville, Miss., has he spoken with more vigorous abandon. He flayed the Administration for what he called its "dark lantern diplomacy." He referred slightingly to President Coolidge as "Careful Cal." He openly derided Secretary of State Kellogg as "Nervous Nellie." All this he did because the press of the world became excited about an alleged report on the European situation in general, said to have been made by a gentleman whom Senator Harrison referred to as

"Gloomy Gus." The gentleman was, of course, Mr. Alanson Bigelow Houghton, chubby, rotund, 62, late U. S. Ambassador to Germany, now U. S. Ambassador to Britain, sine? birth destined to his present industrial mogulship: Chairman of the Board of the enormous Corning Glass Works, which the Houghtons of Corning, N. Y., have controlled for three generations.

"Spokesman." Mr. Houghton was summoned from London to the White House (TIME, March 29) to give the President what is sometimes called "the low down" on Europe. Senator Harrison found no fault with that. He called the move "all right . . . well, proper and good." What caused the Senator anguish was an interview which Mr. Houghton gave to the press, in accepted White House fashion. That is, he spoke through a "spokesman," a mythical third person whom the President invokes as his mouthpiece, in order that what the "spokesman" says may be contradicted next day, if necessary.

"Gloomy Gus." Mr. Houghton's "spokesman" interview roused the Senator from Mississippi to fury because Mr. Houghton allegedly said a great many desperately important things, if they are true, which the Senator felt the Administration should either stand behind or keep secret. Cried Senator Harrison: "There is no one who does harm and injury that can be condemned more than the assassin who conceals himself behind some bush and fires unnoticed the shot into the back of the passing victim."

The semi-official Paris Journal des Debats agreed, called Mr. Houghton's alleged report "impolitic . . . defamatory to French policy . . . without precedent." The London Times backed up the sobriquet "Gloomy Gus," saying: "Mr. Houghton has apparently told his Government that the present state of Europe is hopeless."

What Did He Say? The Senator read into the Record a version of the Houghton interview with the press which had not been declared erroneous by the Administration, late in the week. Indeed, Senator Moses of New Hampshire (Republican) declared, apparently referring to the version in question, "I know, or at any rate firmly believe, that what Mr. Houghton has said publicly describes truthfully the situation in Europe."

In effect according to the version read into the Congressional Record by Senator Harrison, the Ambassador said:

1) Europe is today in the same position as before the War, with each nation jockeying and intriguing for its supremacy.

2) The Latin nations are attempting by fair means or foul to gain control of the League and administer it solely in their own interest.

3) The preliminary disarmament conference scheduled for Geneva, May 18, will accomplish only negligible results. It would be better for the U. S. to abstain now and offer to mediate between the European nations later, when their economic distress will make it necessary for them to disarm. They do not intend to disarm now.

4) Mussolini is taken seriously by all well informed European diplomats, who regard his activities with alarm and distrust.

5) A war between Russia and any of the Eastern European nations is out of the question at present. Russia will not constitute a real menace to any nation or nations for some time to come.

Unprecedented. The Houghton incident was rendered the more remarkable by the fact that during his tenure of the Ambassadorship to Germany Mr. Houghton achieved a notable reputation for discretion and even for a certain taciturnity. He knows the political ropes well, having been twice a Congressman and twice a presidential elector. As a Harvard man with an added background of post graduate work at Paris, Berlin and Gottingen, he is no blundering shirtsleeved unsophisticate. Therefore considerable interest was aroused by a rumor that his speech to the press was made at the direct instigation of the President.

Ignored. At the President's press conference, last week, questions dealing with "the Houghton incident" were pointedly ignored by "the White House spokesman" (i. e., Calvin Coolidge). The "spokesman" did disclose, however, that the administration has not been dissuaded from its announced intent of sending a U. S. representative to the preliminary League disarmament conference.

Joy. All over the country little knots of pressmen guardedly voiced their secret glee at what they considered a body blow to the Administration's "spokesman" system. Famed Washington correspondent Frank R. Kent of the Baltimore Sini, who has consistently twitted Mr. Coolidge on one ground or another ever since he appeared at Washington as Vice President, was openly delighted last week. He gloated: "Mr. Kellogg had a nervous fit. There was perturbation in the Coolidge circle. The trouble was they had been thinking in terms of domestic publicity, not world publicity. What they got was world publicity, and a large dose at that."

Throughout newspaperdom the elated cried: "No, indeed; Mr. Houghton did not throw stones! Pat was right! Houghton threw a monkey wrench!"