22684 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS September 11, 1991 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS JOE BARTLETT'S MEMORIES OF Now Mrs. Patman had sent word that her Prayer was offered by the Rev. Bernard THE HOUSE son, Bill, a Page in the House, was going Braskamp, a Presbyterian minister with a home to Texas for the month of August and strong Dutch influence. Later, he was to be­ needed a replacement for that period. The come Chaplain of the House and my very HON. WM. S. BROOMF1EID question being conveyed was, "Would Joe good friend. OF MICHIGAN Bartlett be interested in the appointment?" Visiting in the Gallery that day was Ser­ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Not only was I not prepared for this ques­ geant York. Not Gary Cooper, but the real Wednesday, September 11, 1991 tion, but my parents were taken completely war hero! He was there to have lunch with aback. They learned it even after everyone the Tennessee delegation, and his congress­ Mr. BROOMFIELD. Mr. Speaker, some of on our country party line had heard the man made a speech calling for York to be my fellow Members may fondly remember Joe news! made a colonel in the Army, with some none­ Bartlett, once the minority clerk of the House Sure I was interested! But I did some quick too-kind comparisons to Charles Lindbergh and always a wonderful raconteur with a great calculations, and I did not see how it could who had recently resigned his colonel's com­ institutional memory. be possible. I told Mrs. Brase I would call her mission in a dispute over preparedness. Since he retired, Joe has been writing down back as soon as I could talk with my parents. One of the first orders of business was to some of his memories of serving in the House. Our big family had assumed the debt of a permit the chairman of the Committee on new farm home just a year earlier. My older Military Affairs, Representative Andrew He recently sent a letter to the publisher of the brother was away at college. Dad commuted Jackson May of Kentucky, to report legisla­ West Virginia Hillbilly, recalling his first days to work every day as an official of the Hazel tion to extend service under the draft. This as a House page. Atlas Glass Company in Clarksburg. At 14, I measure was to come to be regarded as one Joe's letter describes the Washington, DC, was the oldest male at home, and I knew of the most crucial enactments of the pre­ he found 50 years ago, in August 1941, and much was expected of me. My hopes were not war period. Sadly, the respected chairman, some of the great names associated with this very high. Mr. May, was ultimately to leave Congress body: Sam Rayburn, Wright Patman, and Mom, however, was, as always, enthusias­ disgraced for having taken part in a war then-Congressman Jennings Randolph. tic and encouraging. But Dad would have the profits scheme. Joe, a retired brigadier general, calls himself last word. It took a couple of phone calls and The debate of that first day expressed the a "poor boy from the hills." That he may have lots of reasoning before Dad gave us a reluc­ unwillingness of many Members of Congress tant O.K. Dad drove me to the night train, to become entangled in the escalating war in been when he arrived, but he left with a bought a roundtrip ticket, and entrusted me Europe. And they were simply reflecting sen­ wealth of stories that I know will inform and with the twenty dollar bill. There were no timents throughout the land. It makes inter­ entertain those who were lucky enough to tears apparent at the parting, but hill folk esting reading. have known him, as well as those who would hide their emotions, as you know. The President sent to the Senate nomina­ like to learn a bit more about the history of this This was not my first trip to Washington. tions to 1st lieutenant in the Marines, a cou­ great institution. The Brase' had carefully taken me to rep­ ple of interesting names. one, Raymond G. I insert Joe Bartlett's letter in the RECORD: resent the school safety patrols of our area Davis, was awarded the Medal of Honor in at the national conventions the three pre­ Korea, and became a most respected Marine Mr. JIM COMSTOCK, vious years. The fertile imagination of general. Another, Jess P. Ferrill, Jr., was to Publisher, George Brase had sent me to march all alone be my commanding officer in Basic School in The West Virginia Hillbilly DEAR FRIEND, JIM: Fifty years ago today. I in the 1938 parade. The novelty of a very 1951. Incidentally, he wanted to court mar­ came to work for the Congress. small 11-year old, carrying a too-large sign tial me for smiling. But that is a story for At 7 a.m. on the morning of August 1, 1941, proclaiming him an "Official Observer" cap­ another time. I arrived at Washington's awesome Union tured the fancy of the media, and that pic­ You will be interested to know that Jen­ Station. I had left Clarksburg (WV) a little ture was reproduced in hundreds of papers nings Randolph, then a Representative in the after midnight on the B&O's National Lim­ around the world. The title of "America's House from Elkins (WV) extended some re­ ited, and had spent the night sitting in the Typical Schoolboy Patrolman" was be­ marks calling for converting the Army Air darkened coach along with passengers from stowed. Coming to work as a Page in Con­ Corps into a separate Air Force! Jennings St. Louis and Cincinnati and all points in be­ gress was a direct consequence. was often ahead of his time, especially in tween. Carrying all I had to bring did not make a aviation. We detrained, and moved through the mas­ very heavy burden, so I left Union Station The main business of that day, however, sive Station portals to behold the inspiring and walked to the Capitol. I had been in­ was the consideration of the Revenue Bill of vision of the Dome of the U.S. Capitol. structed to report to Lucille Spain in Con­ 1941. The economics of taxation caused a lot I had a twenty dollar bill in my pocket; the gressman Patman's office. Miss Spain was a of the congressmen then, as now, to view most money I had ever possessed. And here I large, cheerful, charming institution around with alarm. The dollar amounts are dwarfed was in the Nation's Capital, and I didn't the Capitol. She greeted me warmly and by today's budgets, but the debate is famil­ know a soul. took care of getting me on the roll. Then she iar. The most serious concern of that day Less than 24 hours earlier I had been on top sent me to keep an appointment with Ruth dealt with inequities caused by community of the barn, repairing the roof, when I was McGraw, secretary to Congressman Andrew property states on the joint filing of tax re­ called to the house. Someone was phoning Edmiston, who represented our part of West turns by man and wife. We have come a long for me. In my haste I tumbled off the shed Virginia in the House. My need for a place to way in refining our approach to that prob­ roof and hurt my ankle, but that was soon stay had been made known to Mrs. McGraw, lem, but the debate on the equity of taxation forgotten. and she knew just what to do. She sent me to is everlasting. On the telephone was Ethel Brase, wife of a rooming house out on Wyoming Avenue, As it turned out, Jim, this first day was a the managing director of the local Central where a Mrs. Fisher catered to people from prelude to one of the most exciting and most West Virginia Auto Club, who had sponsored Clarksburg. It was a very pleasant situation, momentous months of the pre-World War II me in several school safety patrol ventures, and everyone was so friendly, but that was to period. and who had become the closest of friends. be my home for only a month. With school One event of that first day that was mo­ In the course of one of those ventures, we starting at 6:30 a.m., I needed to be a little mentous only in a personal way, and very had been in the company of Congressman closer to the Capitol. traumatic, I might add, is almost too embar­ and Mrs. Wright Patman of Texas. The Con­ But on this first day, the 40-minute ride rassing to recall. We Pages sat on two long gressman and George Brase had been Army back to the Capitol on the streamlined Lin­ benches in the back corner of the House buddies in World War I. Although I had not coln Park streetcar was inexpressibly excit­ Chamber. The Overseer sat at a desk between known it, at some point Mrs. Brase and Mrs. ing. the benches and monitored the Page-call sys­ Patman had made a private pact to try to The House, as usual, met at noon. But un­ tem. Little electric lights indicated where obtain for me an appointment as a Congres­ usual by today's standards, this Friday was a somebody was calling for a Page. And the sional Page.