The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-02-13
Washington Letter.
HOOVER-THE MODERN
CARPETBAGGER

SARI FL DAUUEh
Washington, Feb. 8-The Repub-
lican Publicity Association, through
it's President, Hon. Jonathan Bourne,
Jr., today gave out the following
statement from its Washington head
quarters:
The serious mention of the name of
Herbert Hoover as a Presidential pos
sibility is one of the unexplainable
political phenomena with which the
American voter is frequently regal
ed. Mr.. Hoover was practically un-
heard Of in this country until the
European war furnished his vehicle
of publicity. He did yeoman service in
handling the Belgian relief work, and
from his Office in London came to
supervise the production and dstrbu-
tion of our food supplies. Whether
he executed that commission efficient
ly or not is beside the question The
fact remains that practically the only
act of Mr.. Hoover's life that identifies
him with America is his work for the
food cc>amission.
In 1897, when Mr.. Hoover was only
twenty-three years old, he moved to
Australia to engage in mining activ-
tiles. In 1899 he removed to China
and became the chief engineer of the
Chinese Imperial Bureau of Mines.
In that capacity he explored the in
terror of China and in short time be-
came associated with private COM
panies formed for the exploitation of
the mines of that country. For sew
eral years he resided in London and
acted as director in a number of Brit
ish corporations engaged in Asiatic
development. A list of the concerns
in which Mr.. Hoover's interests are
now centered sounds like quotations
from the London Stock Exchange.
For practically twenty years Mr..
Hoover has concentrated his energies
on the development of foreign proper
ties Deserving the country which
gave him birth and an education he
went abroad and stayed there. Now
when the emergency of war, rather
than any voluntary desire on his part,
has brought about his return to his
native land, he seems to entertain the
notion that the voters will select him
to direct the destinies of the Nation
for the next four years. A more pre-
posterous supposition could hardly be
conceived.
1t is said that Col. House is ready
to back Mr.. Hoover. The fact alone
should be enough to snuff out any
hope Of success that the rest of Hoov-
er's friends may cherish. The coun-
try has had enough of Col. House and
his clandestine and pussy-foot meth
ods of doing things. Once it becomes
known that he is actively working
for the Hoover boom no other candi-
date need have any fear from that
source.
The New York World, after years
of fiattering laudation, suddenly dis
covers that Mr.. Wilson is political
accident" and indicates it's willing
ness to work for Hoover. If through
| out the seven years of his reign the
world has been blind to the true
character of the man in the White
! House, there is reason to believe that
its present estimate of the qualities
Of Mr.. Hoover may be open to ques-
tion. Even the world is silent on the
fundamentals of Mr.. Hoover's faith.
1t describes him as a great admins
traitor, which must be conceded, but
man of forty-five who has spent
the last twenty years of his life under
the influences of foreign business
thought, principally British, can hard
ly be considered as fitted to admin
lister the American Government.
The Democrats claim Mr. Hoover
as a member of their party, but the
fact is that nobody knows to what
political faith he belongs. Doubtless
he has been in this country such a
short time that he is still undecided
what faction he will affiliate with, if
any. He seems to be a sort of non
descript, somewhat of the type of
Mr.. Ford, willing to accept any and all
support that will aid him in attain
ing his goal. But the American peo-
pie will not stand for that sort of can
didate moment. The man who gets
their votes is the true American, not
afraid to extol his own country above
every other in the world and to prove
his words by living here and contri-
buting his best to the upbuilding OF
our institutions. Carpetbaggers have
no place in American campaigns.