©

, Ex-Senator Robert L. Owen ; Honored On 90th Birthday -'•f ______. _ . World Washington Bureau . v - WASHINGTON, Feb, 3.'—Robert L. Owen, who cahne to Wash­ ington as U. S. senator from 'in December, 1907, two months after the Sooner' state, joined the. union, was honored to­ day by the present congressional delegation/as he entered hisI! 90th year. M Hnnm nnn| Among those' present.; was Thomas P. Gore, who went to the senate with Owen. The men are the only living members of, the senate of 1907. ■ .■i' In The private dining room of the speaker of the house of representa­ tives, Oklahoma congressmen, their wives, and a few friends of Owen and Gore gathered at luricheon, to praise Owen and to reminisce of the days when there were no radio, electric light or automobiles. “Just as these came true,” Owen said, "so will a universal lan­ guage.” Owen thus used the op­ portunity to plead for the cause to which he now devotes all his at­ tention, a glpbal language. A large cake containing a Single red candle which Owen later, blew out, was brought into the room'.by three waiters as the guests sang, “Happy Birthday, Dear Senator.” Present also were- the wives of Owen and Gore,-the present sena­ tors from Oklahoma, , and Mrs. Thomas, Edward H. Moore, and former Sen. Josh Lee, member ROBERT L. OWEN of the civil aeronautics board. Among the major achievements of all > men ' could converse from one O w en was his work in guiding end of the world to the other. The through the senate in 1912 a bill to accomplishment of this is my ob­ create the federal reserve system. jective," Owen said.1 . Sen. Carter Glass, then a member The system, based partly on pho-, of the house,.led its passage by the netlcs, has been developed for Eng­ house. The bill was entitled the lish and Spanish. It is being worked Owen-Glass bill., ' out for Russian, Chinese, German “Senator Owen had his finger and other toungues, Owen said. prints on all important legislation After a few hours study a person that was passed through the senate should be able to make himself during the 18 years he was in of­ understood in any language, Owen fice,” Gore said in a brief tribute. said. - . , - 5, > Owen served in the senate until 1925 when he declined to run be­ Copies of the system for Chi­ G. Stigler of the second district; I cause, he explained today, “I had nese have been presented to Gen- Rep. Paul Stewart of the third dis- ~ some things I wanted to do.” eralissim o Chiang Kai-Shek, trlct; Rep. Lyle H. Boren, of the “He acted,” Gore said, “his belief through Gen.- Patrick Hurley, fourth district; Rep. Mike Mon- that the best way to kill1 time was Owen said. Premier Stalin soon roney of the fifth district; Royce to use it." ,. ’ ,/>•' will have a copy of the Russian H. Savage, U. S. district judge in Speaking briefly, Owen pleaded version, Owen said. Tulsa; Marie , Moore i Stewart,. of for a world based on justice, Owen said he had given Gov. , with the Democratic friendship and love. He said that Robert Kerr a medal .originally pre­ national committee; Harvey Walker, to ’ beget nobleness in others, one sented to his grandfather by Thom­ professor of political science at must be noble himself. as ‘Jefferson In 1809. Handed down Ohio State university, who said his “Just as hate begets hate, so to Owen, the medal is to be placed father homesteaded in Oklahoma in love begets love, and nobility be­ in the state museum by Kerr, Owen 1904 and his grandfather before gets nobility,” he said. said, so that its code should become that; G. H. Woodward, who works Owen listed material progress he a way of life for Oklahomans. with Owen’s law office in Wash­ had seen achieved as the develop­ The code lies in the enscribed ington, formerly of Tulsa;' Herbert ment of the railway, hard-surface words, “peace and friendship.” Brough tan a friend of Owen; Dr. highway, telephone, telegraph, radio, Rep. Jed Johnson of sixth district, Janet Meade, professor of languages phonograph, electric light, airplane. presided. Rep. at the University of Virginia; Lieut. He said that the biggest enemy fac­ of the seventh district arranged the E. W. Kingsbury; Miss Hazel Com­ ing the world is ignorance. , luncheon. Attending were Mrs. stock, employe of the Reconstruc­ To combat this, he said, was the Johnson and Mrs. Wickersham; tion Finance corporation and chair­ aim of his "global language." A plan Rep. Ross Rizley of the eighth dis- man of the music committee of to achieve "one language in which trlct and Mrs., Rlzley; Rep. ^Vlillam the Oklahoma State society.

Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis