Evening star., 1919-10-05
HOOVER BOOM PUZZLES
PRACTICAL POLITICIANS
Can't Understand 1t at All, and Suspect, But
Are Unable to Locate, Clever
Propaganda.
BY SHELDON s. CLINE.

BY SHELDON s. CLINE.
| 'RACT1CAL politicians are
- scratching their heads in per-
plexity and rubbing their eyes
in incredulity as they contem-
plate the phenomenon of the Herbert
Hoover presidential boom 1t is with
! out familiar precedent and its genus
| is wholly beyond their ken.
1t would be understandable to them
were Hoover a military hero, but that
civilian who has no party record.
| whose political sympathies and con-
victions even are unknown, should be
considered seriously as presidential
| timber is to the politicians unthink
| able and unbelievable. Such things
simply aren't done. and that's all
| there is to it. They are as determined
| in their unwillingness to believe as
| was the old farmer who. gazing upon
| the circus giraffe, still protested to
Maria. his wife. that there amt no
such animule."
Not Like Other Booms.
But that there is a Hoover presi-
| Dental boom is fact the party man
ayers must face, no matter by what
devices they try to bolster up their
skepticism. And it is a growing
boom. Also 1t is a boom which either
is without organization and direction
or is being organized and directed
| more skillfully than any other boom
Of which political annals hold a rec
| ord. 1t has peculiarities and idiosyn-
| crasies which are utter strangers to
| American politics. constituting a puz-
zle to disinterested observers as we'll
as to the practical politicians.
The Hoover boom is sporadic It
finds its way into the editorial COL
umns of newspapers in the most un-
expected and widely separated places.
One day it will be a New England
editor. with republicanism stanched
in the memory Of Dingley and Tom
Reed. who bursts forth with a decla-
ration that Hoover is the one man
equipped to guide the nation through
the critical years Of reconstruction
and readjustment. Next day, perhaps.
the Hover for President" notion will
find editorial countenance in the mid
die west the northwest or the Pa
cific coast
l.
Following closely upon their heels.
some editor in the solid south, where
all politics and politicians not bearing
the democratic label are anathema.
will come forward with something
like this, from the Richmond Times
Dispatch: Modest though he (Hoover)
has shown himself to be-: retiring
though he is, his fellow citisens will
not allow him to remain in the back
ground of the nation's life and will
not forget for q moment that he is
today one Of the most useful servants
in the republic. Moreover. such man
must have a great deal more to con-
tribute to the well being and progress
Of the country, and 1t would be folly
for the United States as a nation to
allow his talents, his experience and
his great abilities to go to waste"
And hardly an editor among them
processes to know. or seems to care
a rap, whether Hoover is a democrat,
a republican, or whether he has any
politics at all
There are exceptions. Of course, to
this utter disregard of party consid-
erations. For example, the Syracuse
Post-Standard, in an editorial appre-
citation q few days after Mr.. Hoovers
return from Europe. had this to say
.Mr. Hoover is ono Of the great
figures Of tho war. He has been
tried in three positions OF great I'M
portance and power in which he had
no precedents to guide him. and he
has marvelously succeeded.
It is certain that he whose admins
tration in America Of department OF
vital Importance was without scandal
and without reproach. and whose
name in Europe means moro than
Pershing's or Wilson's. is going to be
considered as legitimate presiden-
tial prospect, provided that he. or
some one qualified to speak for him.
will define his party connections"
Indirect Booming Effective.
But what probably Ii the most ef-
fective of all tho Hoover booming
rnolaa M direcf YoAntfon Of him in
connection with next years presi-
Dental nomination. These editors
simply, exalt Hoover tho man. allow
ing readers to make their own con-
nection between SO great q man and
the greatest Of all offices q man could
be called upon to I'LL A fair sample
Of this sort of Hoover booming is tho
following. from the Baltimore Sun:
Herbert Hoover is man who
wears welr and Keeps his colors in
the wash as we say about dress
fabrics. We should say he is made
of unusually hne and strong material
and can be depended upon to tho
limit.
sHe possesses not only executive
ability Of a rare order. but an ext1aor-
binary sanity, calmness and bal
ance that enabled him to meet every
development Of changing situations
with unimpaired judgment. with all
his strength and with ready resource
fulness. He has performed the labors
Of Hercules without apparently turn