Evening star., 1928-12-18
BY REX COLLIER,
STAFF Correspondent OF The Star.
rrrrr n A rr,rr1I u


ABOARD GOODWILL BATTLE
SHIP, South American Waters, Decem-
ber 1O.--Members of the Hoover good
will mission are looking forward with
good deal of pleasure to crossing the
Equator on the voyage nothrward to-
| ward home. The fears and misgivings
that haunted them on the Pacific cruise
are happily lacking, for all are shell
backs now.
Those hectic ceremonies on the trip
south. when King Neptune, Davy Jones
and their royal retinue took over the
ship, still are vivid in the memories OF
all who went through them.
There had been feeling prior to
the ceremonies that Neptune would go
easy on the members of the President
elects encourage. The victims know
now that the old monarch Of the deep
plays no favorites.
Take the case of young Allan Hoover,
for instance.
In the terrninology of the sailors, he
"got the works." just as the newspaper
men and all the others did. In fact,
Allan was dealt with more severely
than many of the others, but he took
his dose like man and came through
with flying colors.
Major Crimes Charged.
Allan was served with Serious"
charges in q subpoena handed him the
day before the formal rites by Davy
Jones, that Ieather-necked, SwaSh-buck-
ling buccaneer of the kings royal do
main. Allan was accused of making
the royal baby jealous by crossing the
line when he was only 2 years old, of
burning the ear of the official inter-
prefer with SunglaSs and OF other
major crimes.
He accepted Cood-naturedly the sum-
mons to appear next day before his
majesty, King 1Teptune, and answer TO
the charges. He appeared, all right.
but he had no time to make a defense.
AS soon as he appeared on the quarter
deck that morning he was arrested by a
royal cop who was dressed in fantastic
regaIia, with blackened face and hands
and armed with a padded club.
He was taken forcibly to the forward
part of the ship, where were gathered
the whole royal household, including
the Queen and her attendants, the
royal bootle-~gers, the royal undertakers,
the royal policemen and a score OF
other royal freebooters. He was pro-
nounced guilty at once, and since the
offenSe was so grave, placed in stocks,
consisting of a 5-foot board with holes
cut in it for head and hands. The
stocks were sealed with paddock. Sim
liar punishment vas meted to William
j. McEvoy, assistant to George Aker-
son, and to half a dozen naval officers
of rank to commander.
Marched " Coffin.
Allan was marched in front of a
l1ao wi, he nf
captain. The honorary pallbearers were
six correspondents, whose subpoenaS
had charged them with the high crime
of going to sea in Silk-toppers and dress
clothes. The correspondents were Jim
West and Clarence DuboSe of the As
sociated Press: Larry Sullivan, Interna-
tional News Service; Arthur Hachten,
Universal Service; Ned Mcintosh, New
York Herald Tribune, and The Stars
correspondent.
With King Neptune at the head, the
long procession moved aft to the quar-
terdeck, where Mr.. and Mrs. Hoover
and Ambassador Fletcher awaited. The
official review over, the marchers re-
turned to the bow, and the King and
Queen took seats on q throne. Mr.. and
Mrs. Hoover, Ambassador Fletcher and
Miss Ruth Fesler, Mrs. Hoover'S secre-
tary, were given seats of honor on the
dais.
Then the festivities began in earnest.
Allan was among the first of the VIC
TINS. The stocks were taken off him;
he was grabbed by several policemen
and held while his face and white
clothes were smeared with heavy black
paint from big buckets. The paint was
mixture of engine oil, lampblack,
coal oil and other ingredients. His
~.
with the others.
Thoroughly painted, Allan was led to
an operating table presided over by
holding long bayonet-like knife Be-
fore being stretched out he was given a