Evening star., 1928-11-10
A Trim of Friendship.

A Trip of Friendship.
President-elect Hoover could find no
better way to spend his time in that
long interval between November and
March 4 than by visiting, as he now
proposes to do, our neighborly and
friendly republics of the South. He will
be able to kill a number of birds with
one stone-or perhaps it would be more
accurate to say with one battleship. In
the first place, the trip he contemplates
will relieve him of the tremendous task
Of denying each day the rumors of the
day before regarding his choice of the
next cabinet, as we'll as correcting the
daily articles portraying in great detail
his exact plans for running the Gov
eminent after he enters the White
House. Safely tucked away in some fine
suite of Staterooms aboard the Mary
land, he will be free from the barrage
of flashlights now to dog his steps
wherever he goes, and for the time
being, at least, he will escape the crowds
of well-wishers and opportunity seek
ers who want to grasp his hand and in
form him personally that from the be-
ginning they have been Hoover men.
But, aside from the advantages that
may accrue to Mr.. Hoover personally in
this interesting trip, he will be entering
upon a valuable mission for his coun-
try as soon as he steps across the
gangplank and lands on Latin American
soil. This visit may be actuated partly
by a natural desire to rest after tire
some and arduous campaign. But the
Significance of the Prestdent-electS de-
cision to do his resting in South Amer
lea will not be lost upon the world.
There lies in it another of those steps
which have marked the Coolidge ad-
minlstration in bringing into closer con-
tact the two big sections of this Western
Hemisphere. The complaint has always
been made, and it is well founded, that
lack of understanding between the
United States and the countries which
to distance, and the ignorance which
lies in distance. When we know more
about South America, and when South
America knows more about us, much
of this ignorance will have been dis
placed by eye-opening knowledge and
understanding Mr.. Hoover's trip will be
a great publicity stunt" for South
America. Wherever he goes the army OF
correspondents travelling with him, and
their brothers-in-arms of Latin Amer
lea. will tax themselves to the limit 70
describe the places he visits, the people
who see him, what he does and what ne
SAYS. The United States and Latin
America will be joined by string CT
friendly words that will leave even
more solid and permanent connection
when they are at last broken of.
There is something about the abrupt
suddenness of Mr.. Hoover's announced
plans for his South American trip that
will have good effect. 1t has never
been done before. Roosevelt visited
Panama, and after he retired from the
White House went exploring and hunt
ing in South America. In 1909 Presi-
dent Taft stood in the middle OF the
International Bridge at El Paso and
shook hands with the President of Mex
leo, and he also visited Panama. Presi-
dent Wilson went to Versailles and
President Coolidge went to Havana. But
none of these trips compares with the
one proposed for our next President.
His visit is Official in sense, for he
now belongs to the Nation. The only
irons he has in the fire are those that
the world may see. He wants to know
South America as he knows every other
part of the world-a knowledge that Is
based on travel, work and personal con-
tact. He has never been to South Amer
lea, but it is about the only part OF
the globe that he does not know.
A knowledge and understanding OF
South America are of increasing impor-
tance to the Chief Executive of this
Nation. But all of that may be laid
aside. If Mr.. Hoover visits South Amer
lea for friendships sake alone the other
features of the trip may be classed as
merely incidental.