The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-03-27
Everybody Gums Hoouer--
NeW Commerce Secretary
Declared Close to People
Former Food Chieftan, Now Cabineteer, Regarded in
Many Quarters as One of the Genuine Supermen Who
Were to Constitute Hardings Official Family

bert Hoover at work as Secretary of
Commerce His initiation. ne himself
illustrated the other day with the story
of the negro soldier who declared bis
intention of returning to his native
town logged out so luxuriouSly that ne
could associate on equal terms with
anybody. drawing the retort from a
companion that he, too. was going
back similarly bedecked but in order
to attend his mates funeral. Thus did
Secretary Hoover point over what
might happen, namely the funeral OF
an over ambitious cabinet member. But
only part of the large assembly got the
point
HE CAN'T CRATE
With all his experience. Mr.. Hoover
tells story as if he were trying to
talk through a dentists mask. Public
speaking is not his forte.
But no matter how inarticulate, or
hide-bou he appears on the plat
form. Washington looks upon him as a
star in the cabinet Secretary Hoover
already is beloved by large circle
here who believe that his respect Cor
science will restrain him from request
ing sweeping designations in his de-
partment.
The capital doee not flatter itself.
moreover that it was the sole discov-
new Secretary of Commerce, as it
watches Hoover at work. 1t is well
realized here that Hoover is known in
the United States and much of Europe
more intimately than the republican
party, the personality of the new Pres
ideht, or any of the other cabinet
members.
This constitutes a certain disadvan-
tage. Mr.. Hoover is unable to be OBJ
II ic f{af ic
Hoover in the new role that Washing
ton can claim to sponsor. The only de-
tail unknown in the career of the new
Secretary is how he is getting on with
his work. He has been at it not quite
month now. The first impressio he
has made is this:
STRONG FOR DETAIL
Mr.. Hoover sits down at the table in his
office for the bi-weekly conference with
correspondents. Hedged in on all sides.
he begins to talk in a low. mumbling
tone, calculating. as to a technical So
ciety, the per diem condition of the COM
merce of the United States a9d the world.
Before him are charts. tables and figures
and memoranda. With a pencil tracing
the ups and downs of imports. exports
or whatever it is, he takes his class in
economics on trip around the world
with brief lectures on Argentine, France.
they appear in commercial relations.
The ports of call are as familiar to him
as Pennsylvania avenue is to those
around him. He sums up the economic
situation as if before him lay an engi-
neering problem, always figured from the
known instead of the unknown. His goal
seems to be a great feat of construction,
a cor-ordinating bridge from the depart
ment of commerce to every agency of the
government.
Washington is unaccustomed to his like.
AS a cabinet officer he is a brand new
line. He is shy 1t is hard to know just
what he thinks; or his reaction to new
proposition. The political pleasantly, US
ually the resort of cabinet officers dur
ing initiation, is lacking. He seems to
continue his practice and belief in the
method of consultation and conference
upon difficult problems, and shows high
ly developed the faculty of inducing in
terest and cooperation.
CAUTIOUS AND JEALOUS
He is cautious, diplomatic and eminent
ly thoughtful. He will not tread upon
the prerogatives of Congress. and he will
be Jealous of his own right to indepen-
dence. He does not believe everything
left by the old administration funda-
mentally askew, nor that civil service de-
velopment and other movements under
written by both parties should be levelled
to the ground and rebuilt for republican
credit.
Mr. Hoover emphasized again in his
stated plans for the department his
genius for organizing on big scale
Washington used to think that when cab
met officers were made in heaven, they
might come nearer to this independent in
tellectual form with established abilities
and achievements to help them get start
ed. even though the same old hot water
awaited them at the end. At the same
time, Washington always suspects some
thing that looks too good. Some of those
who are watching him are hoping he Will
hesitate little or make a few slight mis-
takes to discourage those who will go for
him lin the natural order of capital poll
ties The capital has. had its own PEN
alties in store for the righteous since the
time of Washington.