Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-17
c. O.P. To SIZE UP
HOOVER AS ORATOR
Trip to California Affordlng
Chance to Study His Cam
paigning Ability.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Herbert HooyefiS present uanScon-
tinental trip to California, marking his
debut as a candidate for public office,
is to serve two important purposes.
First, the Republican nominee wants to
see how he likes the new business of
campaigning. Secondly. the q. o. P.
MANAGEMENT is anxious 10 observe how
the country likes Hoover IN the guise OF
a candidate appearing before the peo-
pie lin person
On the conclusions 10 which both the
standard bearer and the national COM
rnittee come on those two scores viii
depend, to a large extent. Mr.. Hoover's
personal activities during September
and October. the closing and critical
months Of the 1928 contest
Washington politicians see special
Significance in the presence Of Repre-
sentative John c, TilSon Of Connecl-
cut in the Hoover party which lett
Washington. They attribute the Selec-
ton Of Tilson 20 accompany the non1i-
nee 10 the fact that he is an expert
es1ced "sizer up" Of the impressions
which candidate makes upon the vot-
ing community.
Tiison Report Expected.
Tilson is chairman of the Eastern
speakers bureau of the national COM
mittee. q capacity II which he has
functioned in other campaigns. No
Republican leader is capable Of bring
ing back TO Chairman Work more de-
pendable account OF how Hoover stacks
LID" as an advocate of his own election
on the rear platform of a special train,
on the platform of a formal meeting,
or. under the circumstances more i'm
portant than any other, on the occa-
sions when he brushes shoulders with
men and women. especially with the
rank and file Of party workers.
Hoover's friends conceGe that the
Californian will have to set about
learning to like the sort of things a
presidential candidate has TO do. They
are well known 10 be repugnant to him,
for he is Self-effacing TO the point of
snyneSs. and mixing" has never been
his long suit. No one ever saw him
slap a man on the back or grease an
others elbow with that captivating
style of which Jim" Watson. for in
stance. is a past master.
No one. either, has ever noticed Her
bert Hoover shaking hands as If he
relisted it. AS matter Of fact, he
doesn't Nor. finally. is there any liv-
ing soul who has observed Hoover en-
gagged in small talk or commonplace
pieasantries or idle chatter. just for the
sake Of making himself appear genial
Confident OF Success.
There seams to be complete conf
6ence in the Republican high command
that Hoover viii measure up TO all the
requirements of the biggest job he ever
tackled. Some think he will never try
to do SO, and will not seek to impress
the electorate with anything about him
self that isn't entirely natural. Hoover
is conscious that he's no Borah as a
public speaker.
It's before the niicrophone, In all
probability, that the Republican presi-
Dental nominee will do the lions share
Of his Spellbinding. There Hoover
shines, as Coolidge does He has given
a good deal of care. as Secretary of
Commerce, TO cuitivating "a radio
style" as the broadcasting fraternity
calls 1t, and has acquired one.
No man In America saw earlier than
Hoover the illimitable possibilities of
radio as a medium of idea-communica-
ton Addressing the New York radio
convention two years ago. he said
with what may prove 10 be prophecy
in his own case: so great has radio
become IN service that believe it
would be almost possible in a great
emergency for the President Of the
United States to address an audience of
o,o00 900 or 100000 of our people
Dawes Radio Views.
Perhaps when Hoover was at Dawes
place on Lake Michigan, on July Is, the
Vice President expounded his views on
what radio means to public man who,
like the G. o. P. nominee, is not an
oratorical star. Addressing the 1926 in
ternational oratoricaI finals meeting in
Washington, Dawes said:
The radio has interposed itself be-
tween the orator and our largest crowds,
running into millions, while the ex-
ceptional human voice unaided by this
device can make itself heard at best
by only from 5000 to 10000 people But
a fact Of immense significance is that
each man Of the larger number listen
ing 70 an orator over the radio listens
as an individual thinking man and not
as one Of an inpressionable crowd"
HooVer's appeal in 1928, bis support
ers say. is 70 the heads and not the
emotions Of the American electorate.