Evening star., 1919-12-27
B0THPART|ES HAVE
LEADERS Who ARE
HOOVER ADVOCATES
His Position as Independent
Maintained, But He Looms
in Presidential Field.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Said 4 democrat so prominent il.
the Wilson administration that were
his name to be mentioned he would
be instantly recognized as power in
the politics of his party: I
"If / We're not pledged TO McAdoo,
would openly work for the nomina-
tion Of Herbert Hoover for President
on the democratic ticket"
Said prominent republican whose
position must necessarily be neutral
at present. but whose desire for re-
snblican success in 1920 is equaled
by no one else in the republican
party today.
"If only we knew where Herbert
Hoover stood, IL we could make sure
of Eim--why we would win i'll a walk
II we nominated him for President"
These two quotations--un. ortunate-
ly their authors cannot at this time
be acknowledgements one of the
most interesting situations in pre-
convention politics in the United
States. On the surface. the workers
and organizers are sincerely laborinS
tooth and nail for their favorites
Sta andins apart froc. the active work
ers are certain wise leaders who pull
the strings at the last moment and
swing delegations into line SO that
the real nominee energies after the
favorite sons have been bal1otted out
of, consideration. s
Position in Large Affairs.
The men behind the guns, SO to. speak,
are looking Hoover over. The repubi-
cans and the democrats will tell you
the same tlling-that Hoover is about
as well advertised a personality as there
is in America. and perhaps in the
world; that he has the International
vision and the engineers scientific mind
in handling large problems of a dones-
tie character.
1t is significant that Herbert Hoover
has not said which party he would
afilliate with in the next csi,i,paign
, Hoover is no: seeking The nomination.
nor is he permitting his closest friends
TO start any boom or organization or
political machinery going ir his behalf.
de is simply exercising his right as an
independent citizen to say what he
thinks on public questions. and if
either political party wants oa,draft
him mis- terms are Contained in fhe
doctrines he has set forth in q recent
magazine article. If neither political
party cares TO take an independent tvpe
of citizen like that, Hoover will, not .i,e
M the ieast offended. but will continue
to work independently IN the public
service
An interesting fact IS that :afte,. a
close contact with government during
the war. and after an exec,lt;v. ioh
that made him respected by every. gov
ernnent 1T Europe, Herbert Hoover l,a g
enumerated some ideas about recons: r,1c-
ton that apply directly to the economic
HIS OF the country today.
Rights of Labor Unions.
In his magazine article Mr.. Hoover
comes out Iiatiy for the right OF col
iectlVe bargaining and also. for the
rlsht OF wage earners not only to or
sanize in trade unions. but to. emnIov
counsel and representatives of their
n
on this point that the first industrisI
peace conference was wrecked. Mr.
Hoover Is at present q member of
the industrial council which was an
pointed by the President to endeayor
to work out n PROGRAM to submit ID
the employers and the employees OF
the country. =;
Mr.. Hoover points out in his article,
however, that no com mbination of
workers or capitalists ought to be
permitted TO dominate the community
and dictate social and political meas
ures. Where the combinations are so
large. both of trades unions and can
ital. as in coal. transportation and
similar necessities OF life, Mr Hoover
discusses the need for compulsory ar
bitration. or alternatively the delay
of strikes and lockouts until some in
dependent body can determine the
right and wrong and submit it to pub
lie opinion. He also speaks of the
necessity of holding unions liable for
damages for failure to fulfill con-
tracts once entered upon.
The former food administrator
takes up successfully the problems
involved in the control of corpora
tions. plans for a better distribution
of wealth and co operative methods
in production between capital and Ia
Dor, control OF speculation and profit
eering, and While expressing an op-
position to the naturalization of in
dustry because government owner
ship Goes not furnish enough initja-
tive aud efficiency. he points to the
need for government control to the
extent that enterprises can be made
to serve the community and do not
violate the fundamental principles Of
equality.
Other pronouncements of policy are
bound to be issued from time to time
Nv Herbert Hoover. 1t is an alto
yether novel way of serving the pub
ic interest. Mr.. Hoover permits none
organize any boom for him, but he
having his say.
If any, considerable number Of the