Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-01
BY FRANK II. SIMONDS.

w WHILE for obvious reasons
4 the foreign comment upon
AA the nomination of Hoover
serves rather to disguise than
reveal. it is no exaggeration
20 say that particularly in the official
and journalistic circles of France and
Great Britain the decision of the Kan
sas City convention awakens more ap-
prehension than enthusiasm. The rea-
son for this Is simple: While engaged
In his great work of saving lives in Eu-
rope, Mr.. Hoover was not deeply con-
cerned with sparing feelings.
In the postwar period he was, 20 an
extent hardly suspected in this coun-
try, the single absolute monarch left in
Europe Then a pass from him was
better than passport at any frontier
and trains moved across new boundaries
only at his direction. Then his tele-
graph lines alone functioned and his
devoted staff provided him with the
sole exact knowledge of conditions in
many capitals.
In this period Mr. Hoover saved lives
in numbers almost beyond calculation.
But in this same period he was engaged
in daily and hourly conflict not merely
with minor officials but with govern
ments and prime ministers. If the
plain and uncensored story of that
time could be written now or ever, 1t
would be one of the most astonishing
Of postwar documents.
Budapest Incident Recalled.
The Hoover of those critical months
was a boss and not diplomat. He
concentrated upon efficiency. Once
tarily mounted the vacant Hungarian
throne and all the allied statesmen in
Paris were in an uproar and having
vainly agreed to forbid the King the
throne, were just as vainly seeking ways
to get their message to Budapest
Hoover volunteered to send it on his
own WI IS.
In Budapest the message arrived, not
that the allied nations forbade. but that
Hoover said no" A few hours after
the Hoover dictum reached Budapest
one of his aides sent back to Paris this
message:
Archie came on the carpet at pm
He went through the hoop at 2:10,
central European time" And clear as
was the meaning to the simplest Amer
lean mind, all the European journalists
concluded that in addition to having a
telegraph system Mr.. Hoover had a
code very secret and confidential
But it is not because with painful
lack of concern Mr.. Hoover trod upon
all outlying toes that Europe is today
looking with anxiety at the possibility
that he will be translated before long to
the White House 1t is not what Mr..
Hoover has done, but knowledge of his
methods which inspires dread as to
what he may do.
Or one might perhaps in this case
say that the dominating dread of Hoover
in Europe Is due to the fear. or even
the conviction, as to what he will not
do. All of which comes down to the
single fact that Europe believes that
Hoover expects every debtor nation to
pay-to pay in accordance with the
ratified debt Settlements-and in the
case of France expects ratification,
The Paris press has not forgotten
that it was due to Mr.. Hoover that the
Caillaux debt settlement was rejected
in Washington, and it credits him with
opposition to the Italian settlement
which was made on much more lenient
terms 1t expects Mr.. Hoover, If he is
elected. to approach the whole debt
question without the smallest regard
for anything but the practical and ma
tGEtA1 dSDGCt-tAl6 ndhcu Va tlON
much the debtor can pay.
United States Back In Game.
And Europe is at this moment more
anxious about American policy than at
any time since the collapse of the whole
Wilsonian program in 1920. Europe
wants us back in the game. 1t has been
openly rejoicing that the Kellogg project
for outlawing war is one more of the
many signs IL has detected that We can
not stay away. But il is confident that
with Mr.. Hoover as President we can
stay away and will.
Every one in Europe believes the
Dawes plan Is going to reach point
next year where German reparations
will cease. Before that moment Europe
has been planning great international
conference to discuss the familiar sub
lect of the general liquidation OF debts
and PREPARATIONS and the launching of
a huge bond issue, based upon German
resources, to supply the victorious allies
with the final rewards Of victory IN the
shape of PREPARATIONS,
But Europe does not believe that an
American Government headed by Mr..
Hoover would consent to so TO such q
meeting, which Mr.. Hoover himself
or if there are a few who hold that
America might be represented, none be-
lieve that our policy would be other
than that of strict enforcement OF ex-
listing contracts. And they are fear
fully aware that. whether present or
absent. our Government would De I'M
pervious to all appeals based upon sem
timental circumstances,
The real gulf between Mr.. Hoover
and Europe lies In the fact that from
first TO last he has never been receptive
to or even patient with appeals based
on sentiment, Even in the days imme-
diately following the war. when the
attachment between the
comrades of the recent struggle was
still vital, Hoover was practically un-
touched by the thing.
Always during the heated days of the
Paris Peace Conference he insisted
upon weighing the evidence. not listen