Evening star., 1928-11-20
Would Permit Him to Add
More Countries on Good
Will Tour.
KEEPING IN TOUCH
WITH WORLD BY RADIO
Planning to Lissen in on Details
of California Game
Saturday.
BY REX COLLIER,
STAFF Correspondent of The star.

ON BOARD THE BATTLESHIF
MARYLAND, November 20.-Equatol
bound on frank, unself1sh pill.
grimage of friendship, President-elec'
Hoover's good will battleship Mary
land today was cleaving steadliy patf
through the trackless, sun-lighted Pa
cific toward her first port of call
Corinto, Nicaragua. This powerful elec'
trically driven colossus of the seas, one
of the newest and largest American
warships afloat, had forsaken American
waters and today was parallel1ng along
Mexicos peninsula, Lower California.
Incidentally, she was entering the
very finest fishing grounds on earth u
the Gulf of California, and strong lndi-
cations are that prospective problems
of international diplomacy might be
forgotten a few hours while Americas
next President tries his luck casting
for tarpon, sailfish and other monsters
of the deep. They don't grow any big
ger anywhere than down here.
He has plenty of lines and hooks IN
his baggage and may use them from a
small launch while the battleship heaves
to at sea. Recreation, however brief,
would benefit Hoover, for he has ahead
of him a strenuous 15,000-mile journey
through perhaps dozen Central ano
South American countries, a Journey
that may sway the course OF future
pam American relations.
Hoover believes many diplomatic
niceties, to be worked out, requiring
mature thought and cautious handling
of problems, will affect his itinerary.
Confers with Fletcher.
Hoover and Ambassador Fletcher to-
dav were in conference on them ano
to contemplate change in schedule
time. =.
spect the Panama Canal In order tc
save three days by cutting stralgIi,
from Nicaragua to such port OF cal
as Peru. He has learned navigatloll
difficulties loom at some otner portS
because of shallow waters.
THE President-elect called corresponds
ents into his honaelike spacious quar-.
ters aft and discussed the whole proJec'
as he termed the trip. From his discus
sioy, IL is an apparent extraordinary mis-
sioy, not for political or personal pur-
noses. but a sincere, grandiloquent ges-
ture of cordiality by Uncle sam to SIS
ter republics.
Thoroughly az home.
Hoover chose a battleship because
he couldn't AFFORD to charter a ship, ana
II costs the Navy no more to cruise
south than other directions. Mr.. ano
Mrs Hoover and son, Allan, are
thoroughly at home in their sumptuous
presidential five rooms. Hoover sur
rounded himself not only with COM
plete library on Latin America, but TWO
sheaves of lighter literature OF undlplo-
matte nature. including the latest oe-
tective stories interspersed with DO
graphical works-"Life of Lincoln" etc.
A strangely feminine touch on the
battleship is an abundance OF yellow
roses. maroon chrySanthemums aIio
other flowers in his suite. to say notnins
IF a dozen pink ribboned boxes OF cnoco-
lates. M.
sjer thrilled at the majestic gray dreao-
naught. Hoover spent YESTERDAY aICea
noon and evening on his private sec
tion of. the quarterback chatting with
can't. Victor Kimberly and newspaper
men.
Watches Escort Squadron.
He watched an escort squadron of six
destroyers leave as he passed san Diego
late Yesterday afternoon. The destroyers
accompanied the Maryland from San
Pedro. tnrottling to the 15-knot pace OF
the battleShip.
Hoover stood, overcoated. last night
and gazed at the star-studded sky ana
also listened to radio music from the
dining room, and said he plans to
listen-in on the Stanford = California
game Saturday. He read the ship S
dailv paper. the Evening Hurricane.
containing the last news of the Worlo
by radio and also took crack at a
correspondent who nistook the range
indicator on the mast for clock:
Members of the party attended a
movie show with the crew.
The San Pedro farewell was poign-
ant. Ten battleships fired presiden-
tial salute of 81 guns as the party came
aboard in tenders, and planes in V for
nation swooped above. Bands on each
battleship played the national anthem
as the Maryland passed, and the Mary
land band replied each time. Passen-
gers lined the rails of all ships and
pennants fluttered in the warm breeze.
Commercial planes with photographers
zoomed around. Mr.. and Mrs. Hoover
stood at the rail of the quarterback
and waved good-by.