Evening star., 1920-01-15
HOOVER CANDIDACY
IS |SUNAUTHOR|zED
BYH|M Up TODATE
Situation Which Confronted
Justice Hughes Faces
Former Food Chief.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWHENSE.
Herbert Hoover may or may not be
a candidate for the presidency, but he
has everybody in Washington up
tree" as to what are his real inten-
tions.
One would have thought that julius
Barnes. head of the United States
Grain Corporation and intimate friend
and business associate of Mr.. Hoover,
would not make a speech declaring
the former food administrator to be
progressive republican unless his
friend knew about it, One would have
thought that on an utterance OF Such
Importance Mr.. Hoover would natur-
ally be consulted, but the first i'm
pulse of the distinguished mining en-
gineer who is nowadays the victim OF
so much political publicity that he is
actually uncomfortable under the en-
barrassment of it. was to sauelch the
whole business.
He happens to be at work here on
the industrial commission. on which
Pre- esident Wilson recently appointed
him. and when news came over the
wires of the speech by Mr.. Barnes;
construed by many as formal
launching of the Hoover candidacy,
the individual most affected wondered
if there were some way he could
stop it.
Admits He Is Progressive.
He admits being a progressive with
small "p," and was sympathetic
with the progressive movement which
in 1912 manifested itself In the nomi
nation of Theodore Roosevelt on the
one hand and Woodrow Wilson on the
other, but as for being a party man"
either as to republicanism or democ-
racy, Mr.. Hoover SHES at the word
and naively suggests to anybody who
attempts to talk presidential politics
with him that the So-called movement
in his behalf, which appears to have
so much spontaneity throughout the
country, is really an effervescent pro-
test against the politicians in both
parties-a negative movement, born
more of resentment against the polit-
ical ring than particular knowledge
of Mr.. Hoover'S capabilities for the
high Office of President. And natural
ly enough, Mr.. Hoover can give you a
dozen arguments why he ought not
be considered or even bothered about.
Cites MIR. Hughes Modesty.
Political reporters are usually IA
miliar with the game of camouf1age
and modesty which would-be candi-
dates affect. The most puzzling case
of recent years was that of Charles
Evans Hughes. who was being
spoken of for Athe presidency while
he was still justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States. Of course.
nobody knew what was going on in
the mind of Justice Hughes, but he
gave every evidence Of sincerity in
the early spring months as he told
would be boomers and campaigners
that he didn't believe. first that there
was anything like the movement in
his behalf which was represented to
him, and, second. that he did not real
,Iy know what he would do if what
he construed as "a miracle in poll
tics did come to pass.
He imagined that to be nominated
a man needed a political organiza-
ton, and he wouldn't tolerate any
such thing. He was greatly embar-
rassed by certain political managers
who gave the impression he had au-
thoriZed them to start a campaign
for him.
similarity Of Hoover Case.
Now, the case of Herbert Hoover is
very much the same except that Mr..
was Gov. Hughes. Mr.. Hoover is only
sure of what he thinks ought to be
done in this country in the present
age of reconstruction, and he has not
any idea that his own suggestions are
the only ones that can be followed in
would honestly like to serve, prefer
ably in a private capacity. in the re-
establishment of normal conditions
throughout the world. He does not
think it necessary for him to run for
office to serve the public. and would
as soon be the appointee of any ad-
ministration or government in bring
ing such knowledge as he has to the
relief of Europe or American eco
nomic problems.
Herbert Hoover is by no means a
subtle person with a poker face"
that he is a candidate and leave you
with the impression that he would
be tickled to death to be nominated.
He is confident that the movement
for him, which seems to have gained
so much ground in the press, is only
enhemeral and thay in another six
months he will not even be discussed
for the Job, and will be free to work
out the plans which he has as a
private citizen for service in the in
ternational and national situation.
Nomfnators Unauthorized.
The truth is nobody has been au-
even Julius Barnes-to
launch the candidacy OF Herbert
Hoover. for if that individual has his
way there will be no Hoover cam
paign. But he cannot very well show
himself ungrateful to the men who
have been complimenting him in their
speeches and public references, and he
is inclined to think that even his
friends are wrongly constituting the
resentment against politicians as a
strong enough current to get for
person political nomi-
nation.
Plenty of persons are trying hard
to boom Herbert Hoover and get on
the band wagon" so to speak. of
movement that they think will mean
a winner But all this is only pro-
ducing discomfort for the former ad-
ministrator, who remarked to one
friend the other day that he had not
lived forty-six years, and been in
business as long as he has. in all
parts of the world, suddenly to get
his fingers burned" by the machina-
tions of politics.
Nothing would hurt him so much as
to have the public get an impression
of receptiveness on his part, and then
have the movement of today gradu
ally fade away, as he thinks it will.
by the time the conventions are at
hand. He would feel that his friends
had put him in the awkward position
of an office-seeker. thereby injuring.
perhaps, the very influence he might
have as a private citizen with the
in the future.
Under Two Illusions.
Herbert Hoover is under two illu-
sions-one that he is temperamentally
and otherwise unsuited to be a Pres
ident, for he regards himself as too
blunt and direct to get along with
the political persons in Congress and
elsewhere, with whom he imagines
he would be in an interminab BILE strug-
gle. and, second, that a movement
raised on the foundation of popular
against any class is the
most unsubstantial things to which to
tie an anchor. But every friend he has
believes Hoover wrong, while the