Evening star., 1928-11-08
HARDING IGNORED
ANT|-HOOVER TALK
Gave Californian His Chance
and Coolidge Continued
to Push Him.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Eight years ago lacking a month, a
President-elect was choosing his cabi-
net. From practically every one OF his
advisers came objections to the selec-
ton of Herbert Hoover. 1t was argued
that he had served under q Democratic
President, that he had wavered in his
RepublicaniSm and had publicly urged
the election of a Democratic Congress
in 1918
Warren Harding, elected by lands
Slide listened patiently to the protests.
He was strict party man himself. For
days the argument and discussion went
,, on. Finally, as George Christian, his
private secretary. related it to this cor
respondent today, the PreSident-elect
remarked
George, I've just got hunch that
it's the best thing to do and big thing
to do-to pick Hoover. This fellow can
be big factor in a big constructive
way in this reconstruction period"
Ignored Partisan Advice.
Thus against the advice of his friends
and political henchmen, Warren Hard
ing gave Herbert Hoover his opportunity
Had it not been for the determination
of Mr.. Harding it is difficult to say
whether Herbert Hoover would have
been President-elect today. His chance
to show his ability came in the free
hand given him in the development of
the Department of Commerce, which he
transformed into one of the most i'm
portant Government departments in
American history.
AS the months went by, Mr.. Harding
came to rely more and more on Herbert
Hoover, and when Calvin Coolidge came
into Office he knew already of the indis-
penSable activity of the Secretary of
Commerce.
But If Warren Harding gave Herbert
Hoover his first chance to do con-
Spicious task, it was Calvin Coolidge
who permitted him such free rein in
governmental affairs that he came even
more frequently into the limelight. Mr..
Coolidge always trusted his Secretary of
Commerce implicitly, not only as a
friend but as judge of the right thing
to do in economic policies
Mr.. Coolidge gave Mr.. Hoover the
chance to go to the Mississippi flood
district when politically ambitious
individual anxious to succeed himself
might have sent member OF the cabi-
net less prominent in politics to organ
ize the relief work. But it was this
kind of special assignment which Presi-
dent Coolidge was always giving to Mr.
Hoover.
Hoover Favored Coolidge.
1t is we'll known that Mr. Hoover
wanted to see President Coolidge re-
nominated and reelected. More than
year before the I-do-not-chooSe-t to-
run statement, Secretary Hoover was
writing his inquiring friends who want
ed to begin organizing for him that he
felt Mr. Coolidge was entitled to sue
ceed himself if he wished. And even
when the statement of remuneration
came on August 3, 1927, Herbert
Hoover publicly stated his hope that
the President might consent to be
drafted.
1t was only after the announcement
in December, 1927, in which Mr.. Cool
idge told the Republican national COM
mittee to begin looking for suitable can
didates that Secretary Hoover author
lied any activity on his behalf.
So the spectacle Is presented of a
President-elect who preserved all the
amenities in his relations with his
predecessor, whose administration poll
cies were so much factor in giving
Republicanism its large vote. And that
same President-elect could hardly have
had an opportunity for political ad-
vancement If another Republican Presi-
dent, Warren Harding, had not had
the courage to suppress partisanship In
the interest of what he believed to be
the welfare of the country.
tCopyright 1927