Evening star., 1920-03-17
HERBERT c. HOOVER
SEEN NGUNN|NGF0R
c. G.0.P.NOM|NA1|0N
Foreign Affairs Letter Cited
as Proof of Repub-
IiCanism.
BIZ DAVID LAWRENCE.

| BIZ DAVID LAWRENCE.
| Herbert Hoover is cunning for the
! republican presidential nomination.
| or. rather-to use political vocabu-
, lary-his friends are doing the gun
ming. The latest proof Of Mr.. Hoovers
republicanism has just been issud in
the form of hitherto unpublished
letter. dated April II, 1919. which
shows that the former food admins
TRAITOR approximates the position of
, Senator Lodge il not Senator Fall. on
many phases of international policy.
and that, while he advocates league
Of nations. his conception of what the
! measure Of American participation
shall be differs considerably from that
Of President Wilson.
Just what is the purpose of these
revelations of letters written year
ago, but bearing on the situation to-
day. cannot be discovered from the
Hoover supporters, but other revela-
tions are promised. Before long it
will be disclosed.
Is Not an Englishman.
That Herbert Hoover 10 not IAN
Englishman,'' as the Hearst press has
branded him. but. on the other hand,
fought the British more bitterly than
anybody in Paris and at one time
threatened complete exposure of his
negotiations with the British over
food matters unless pledges which
MIR. Hoover considered had been given
by Great Britain were kept.
That Herbert Hoover is not the foe
Of the farmers. but that he is their
friend. and that he had nothing to do
which act was the work of commits
sion appointed by President Wilson
and which was entirely Independent
Of Mr.. Hoover's control or influence.
That Herbert Hoover doesn't ap-
prove Of the seven years Of Wilson
administration. especially it's domes-
tic policies. and especially its Post
Office Department and other branches
Of the government.
And, finally, 1t is averred that Mr..
Hoover is more closely identified with
the republican than democratic point
Of view.
II Not Defining Now.
Now it must be clearly understood
that Mr.. Hoover is not defining his
He has naively asked. What is going
to be the difference this year between
the republican and democratic plat
forms? I shall wait and see which 10
progressive and which Is reactionary."
But the politicians in both parties
knowing what Mr.. Hoover thought or
did in the past. So the record 10 be-
ing unfolded. The unpublished letter
is more effective argument, than
any member Of the republican party
in the Senate has made for a dissocia-
ton by the United States from Euro
pean entanglements.
Mr.. Hoover wrote his views to Pres
ident Wilson In Paris in April. 1919
long before he could be suspected OF
cunning for any nomination. He said
In part:
Text Of Letter.
"I feel strongly that any continua-
tion of the United States In such an
allied relationship would initiate
Of nations. Ny reasons are as fol-
lows: First. These commissions are
primarily to secure the enforcement
Of reparation and other conditions i'm
posed upon the central empires. AS
the United States is not calling for
any form of reparation that REQUIRES
continued enforcement. our presence
on these commissions would be for
one of the following purposes:
"(a) To give moral and political
support to the allied governments in
measures generally to their benefit.
It cannot be conceived that In the
the allies will require any physical
assistance to the enforcement Of their
demands. In this event the United
States will be lending itself to the
political and financial interests of other
that must be entirely repulsive to
our national interests. traditions and
ideals.
Still Another Objective.
"(b) Another objective might be that
we should remain in these commissions
with view to securing justice and
moderation in the demands of the al
lies against the central empires. We
would thus be in the repulsive posi-
tion Of the defender Of our late enemy,
in order to secure what we would con-
ceive to be constructive and states
manlike rehabilitation In Europe. Our
experiences during the last few months
have shown US bitterly that we thus
subject ourselves to complaint and at
tack from the allied governments, and
such a continued relationship should
only breed the most acute interna-
tional friction"
Mr.. Hoover goes on to say that the
practical result of our experience al
ready is that the Americans who sit
on such commissions, II they don't
acQuiesce and assist in enforcing any
propositions from various govern
and personally subject to attack as
being inimical to their interests. and
with the powerful engines of propa-
ganda which they employ in Europe
and In our own country no such man
can endure for long"
Felt Embittered at Paris.
1t was known to newspaper corre-
spondents at the Paris peace confer
ence that Mr.. Hoover felt particularly
embittered over what he believed to
be a hostile British propaganda
diHorgfod rH him nd ho,1
doubt he had this in mind when he
wrote the foregoing passage in his
letter.
Mr.. Hoovers communication does
not oppose a league of nations. but
says: III we can bring to an early
end our whole relationship to these
political combinations in Europe,
, which grew up before and during the
| war. and can lend our strength to
the league of nations. that body will
,, it could not otherwise attain
Mr.. Hoover sees the league as "a
strong and independent court of ap-
Il peal that will have our authority"
He concludes with this observation:
Takes Rap at Europe.
"I am convinced that there has
] grown up since the armistice the pol
Icy, perhaps unconscious, but never
! theless effective. Of dragging the
United states into every political and
| economic question in Europe and con.
( stantly endeavoring to secure pledges
! Of economic and political support
! from us in return for our agreeing to
matters which we consider for their
! common good. where we have no in
| terest. and constantly using US as a
stalking horse. economically and po-
| litically. solely in the interests of in
! ternal political groups within the al
lied governments.
| 'Tfese objectives and interests may
be perfectly justified from their point