Montpelier Mutterings

Vermonters are used to hearing people talk through their noses, but they hate to hear people talk through their hats. Last week Vermonters in the State capital, Montpelier, thought they were hearing just that kind of phony talk. The U.S. Navy, having named a light cruiser after the city, rather expected that (according to longstanding Navy custom) Montpelier would buy a silver service for the ship's wardroom. That little gesture would set back the 8,000 Yankee citizens of Montpelier $2,000.

Columnist Vrest Orton, syndicated throughout Vermont, did his Green Mountain best to voice the Vermont view. Said he: "Apparently the wearers of the old school tie still think war is a tea party for they want a $2,000 silver service on the cruiser Montpelier for which the citizens of Vermont's small capital . . . have got to fork out. If I were the Mayor of that city, I would send a wire saying 'To hell with it.' "

A committee of 100, appointed by Montpelier's Mayor William F. Corry, mulled the whole thing over. Mutterings were heard: Why not raise the money, but spend it on depth bombs or an antiaircraft gun?

About half Montpelier (including most of the women) muttered even more loudly: the Mayor had a nerve, appointing his wife as christener of the cruiser. Silver services aside, wasn't the Mayor aware that many a descendant of Admiral Dewey still graces Montpelier?

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