Evening star., 1928-12-10
BY REX COLLIER,
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

Staff Correspondent of The Star.
WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT HOO
YER IN SOUTH AMERICA (By maiD.
Americas President-elect Is a good
sailor. He likes the smell Of the open
sea. the rolling of ship. the restful-
ness of a steamer chair in shady nook
on the quarterback.
He is entranced by the Splendor Of a
Pacific sunset, the beauty Of tropical
moonrise over silvery-splotched waters,
the grace of soaring gulls and leaplng
porpoises.
IT is a foregone conclusion Ghat when
he gets into the White House, not long
hence, he will make full use of his prlvl-
legeS as commander-in- n-chief OF the
NAVY It is a fairly safe prediction that
rext four years will be decided in the
cozy seclusion of a cabin on the PreSi-
Dental yacht.
There. during one of those pleasant
week end cruises down the Potomac
for which President Coolidge has be-
come noted, the next President un-
doubtedly will gather around him his
friends and official advisers and map at
least part of the course of his admin
istration Of the affairs OF government.
Herbert Hoover is a veteran OF the
seas. He Is visiting now the only con-
tinent he never has set foot upon. In
his EARLY days as mining engineer ne
had occasion to cross and recroSs both
oceans and many seas. He became a
hardened 'shellback," fully initiated
into the mysteries of King Neptunes
royal domain. He was immune to all
the equatorial rites arranged aboard
the Maryland for those who had never
crossed the line.
He is enjoying every minute OF this
cruise of good will. Not only does he
relish the life at sea, but he looks for
ward eagerly to the chance to study
new lands and new peoples. He loves
to travel far afield. to add to his al
ready remarkable store of knowledge
about foreign governments and customs
and methods Of living and articles OF
commerce.
Never Bored.
Mr.. Hoover has not been bored for
an instant since setting sail from San
Pedro aboard one of Uncle Sans larg-
est warShipS. The officers and crew OF
the big ship soon found he was pleased
easily when at sea. They had made
elaborate preparations to provide for
his comfort and entertainment while
on the ship. but he would have been
satisfied perfectly had he been assigned
an ordinary room in the officers quar-
ters.
AS it was, a suite of four large rooms
and bath was set aside for him and
Mrs. Hoover and their son, Allan, in
the extreme stern, beneath the quar-
terdeck. There was a private ott1ce,
with library furniture and desk; a large
living room, comfortably but not too
extensively furnished; spacious din
ing room, with one long table, sever
al smaller ones, bookcase, a built-tn
lounge of leather and numerous arm
chairs, and cozy, airy bedrooms.
Most of his waking hours are spent
on deck, however. Attired in petty
officers cap, without insignia, white
suit and white shoes, he emerges from
a hatchway before breakfast, usually
accompanied by Mrs. Hoover, and walks
briskly up and down the quarterback
for preliminary bit of exercise. Some
times the pair are forced to dodge
around the mops of barefooted sailors
at work. Noting the flash of flying
fish or sportive school of porpoiSes,
they will halt and watch the playful
piscatorial antics. g,
Breakfast is served at 8. Mr.. and
Mrs. Hoover never are tardy at meala
time. At each meal they have two
guests. invited from tha press person.
mel. That means six correspondents a
day, taken in rotation. There isn't room
at their table to take more than that
number. The table conversation is of
the most diversified sort. At one meal
the topic will be fishing, at another
politics, at third customs Of Latin
America, or the future of radio, or avia-
ton progress, or detective stories or
whatnot.
The Hoover of after-dinner mo-
ments is not the reserved, untalktative
Hoover pictured by some of his casual
acquaintanceS or critics. He wakes
actually voluble in circle of good
friends.
Knows Many Stories.
He is well stocked with stories of the
campaign, just as he is full Of remi-
niscenceS of his flood experiences, or war
work, or engineering travels. Passing
cigars to his guests, and lighting one
himself, he will move his chair back,
rest an elbow on the table and chat
of things commonplace or extraordi-
nary, as the mood may dictate. The
conversation is just as likely to turn to
a discussion of the latest movie or novel
as to such heavier toRicS as tariff re-
vision, codifcation OF the laws or the
trend of foreign trade.
Mrs. Hoover, without perceptible ef-
fort. keeps up her side of the converse