Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-28
BY WILLIAM HARD.

The saddest sight In town is the es-
arrangement between Smith Wildman
Brookhart of Iowa and Herbert Hoover
Of California. Senator Brookhart, con-
templating Herbert Hoover's rejection
Of the export debenture plan for the
relief of agriculture, feels that all his
trust in Herbert Hoover as q progressive
has been betrayed
For many months Senator Brookhart
has been telling his progressive and
radical colleagues in the Senate and
in the corn and wheat belts that Her
bert Hoover was the positive prince OF
progressives. He has been assuring all
skeptics that Herbert Hoover concealed
within his engineering exterior pro-
greSsive punch of superlative potency.
In q word, Senator Brookhart staktd
his whole reputation as o student OF
human nature upon Herbert Hoover's
hidden appetite for progressivism as
understood and as defined by the left
wing Of the Republican party In the
Upper House of Congress.
# r.
Now comes the painful process Of
establishment. At the first test
namely, the export debenture plan
Herbert Hoover thrusts the progressive
cup from his lips. The human ques-
ton Is:
Did Smith wildman Brookhart mis-
understand and misinterpret Herbert
Hoover, or did Herbert Hoover delude
and deceive Smith Wildman Brookhart?
Smith Wildman Brookhart ID in no
doubt. He feels wholly certain. His
speeches against Herbert Hoover on the
floor Of the Senate are In the tone OF
lady conscious of the full justice OF her
breach of promise suit.
Smith Wildman Brookhart is sure
that Herbert Hoover intended marriage
and intimated 1t. He is sure that he
had absolutely adequate. grounds for
looking forward to an altar and to
ring and TO seeing the progressive ele-
ments in the Republican party installed
as the political "official hostess" Of the
White House.
Now he finds himself merely part Of
the segregated spinsterhood Of the Re-
publican progressive convent in the Sen
ate wing Of the Capitol.
II
His complaints extend to the design
ing creatures who, In his view, havA
stolen his Herbert from him. AS the
chief among them he sees Eugene
Meyer, jr. Mr.. Meyer is the head Of
the Federal Farm Loan Board. Mr..
Meyer IL nuiti-millionaire. Mr. Meyer
is New Yorker. Mr.. Meyer is a Man
haitian Islander. Mr.. Meyer owns large
blocks, Of stock In corporations which
manufacture things which are sold to
our whole population, including farmers.
Mr.. Meyer, as Smith Wildman Brook.
hart seams him, thinks that he can adj
vantage himself by preventing relief and
prosperity from reaching the farmers
who are his customers. Mr.. Meyer, ac-
cording to Smith Wiidman Brookhart,
has such n desire TO spite his own face
that he does virtually nothing but try to
cut OH his own nose day and night.
"Co-operation" would help Mr.. Meyers
farm customers and increase their buy
ing power. Therefore Mr.. Meyer OPP
poses It. Mr.. Meyer, as Smith Wildman
Brookhart SAYS, is - Judas 1scaricE to
cooperation"
Rich men who sell the products Of
their factories to their fellow citizens
would naturally be extraordinary men
IL they sought to increase their sales
BY reducing their fellow citizens to
restitution. Such an extraordinary
man, however, according to Smith Wild
man Brookhart, Is Eugene Meyer, jr.
The poorer his customers get the
richer Mr.. Meyer gets, and II his Gus
toners never had cent with which
to buy anything from him, why, then
Mr.. Meyer would have all the money
In the world. Clearly, therefore, II
Smith Wildman Brookhart Is correct in
his diagnosis OF the economic views and
of the economic capabilities OF Mr..
Meyer, 1t follows beyond all doubt that
Mr.. Meyer is not merely q Judas
Iscariot, but q wizard and q sorcerer
and q necromancer, compared with
whom the man who could square the
circle or invent perpetual motion or
nothing at ell.
Against such a man, in the struggle
for the affections of Herbert Hoover, a
normal solid character like Smith Wild
would seem, have little chance. What
picture Of connubial bliss could Smith
Wildman BrookhArt paint for Herbert
Hoover that would compare for seduc-
tive beauty and for magical charm with
the picture that could be painted by a
man whose recipe for prosperity for
himself and for all concerned Is a
population writhing In the mire of
penury and sleeping at night only on
debated and empty pursep
The explanation then Of the break
between Mr. Brookhart and Mr.. Hoover
is simple. Mr.. Meyer, IL Mr.. Brook
harts account of him may be trusted,
had an economic system even more
wonderful and more stunning than Mr..
Brookhart's own. Mr. BrookhArt mere
ly proposes to enrich the farmer by
laying waste the Treasury. That Is q
small matter. Mr.. Meyer, in Mr..
Brookhart's view OF him, proposes to