Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-21
RY REX COLLIER.

- RESIDENT HOOVER has gath
~ cred around him one OF the
most athletic cabinets OF history.
VI A survey of the new DEPART
. mental heads discloses vir1e,
Active circle of lovers of outdoor LIE,
most of whom have distinguished them
kelves in various forms of diversion.
, Himself a leader in the back-to-
Aature movement, Mr.. Hoover has
learned with genuine pleasure or the
fecreational attainments OF his Official
family. It is a family composed OF
champions of one sort or another, al
though not all of its records have been
Recognized. Here is the list, anyway:
Z Secretary of the Navy Adams, Amer
Tca Cup yacht champion.
Postmaster General Brown, Taft Cup
katboat champion and, incidentally,
claimant of cabinet culinary champion
ship.
I Secretary of Agriculture Hyde. tar
BON fishing champion.
Secretary of the Interior Wilbur,
champion camper and chief challenger
Of Postmaster Generals cooking claims.
Secretary Of State Stimson and At
Sorney General Mitchell, contenders for
cabinet hunting championship.
Secretary of War Good, dirt farming
championship.
To which may be added Secretary
Eamonts non-athletic title of cham
.pion etching collector.
President Hoover can hold his own
IN virtually every one of these fields
of diversion. While he boasts Of no
yachting titles, he is veteran sailor,
to whom King Neptune has accorded
shellbacks." Any one who has crossed
the Equator can testify that this is a
rare tribute, not to be taken lightly.
The President received the royal
honor when the old man of the sea
boarded the U. S. S. Maryland at the
Equator during the recent goodwill
voyage to South America. Mr.. Hoover
has crossed the Equator Is times in the
past 80 years. He has served as senior
ofhcer of a battleship. and he has
manned an oar in rowboat.
Only once in all his colorful career
rs a sailor has he flinched in the face
Of maritime hazard. 1t was when a
gasoline launch developed a fuel leak
and caught afire during one of his flood
trips in the Mississippi Valley. It was
not the danger of the fire nor the i'm
minence of a plunge into the muddy
waters that daunted him. for he faced
these perils with true heroism. The
crisis came when, after the blaze had
been eXtinguiShed and the boat
grounded, the owner of the craft asked
the then Secretary of Commerce If he
had any chewing gum on him.
Chewing gum?" CALCULATED the baffied
master of emergencies. What on earth
do you want chewing gum for?"
"We-ell," drawled the native as he
looked up from the leaky engine. EFF
I had some gum I cd plug this hyah
hole in the tank"
Never mind about that" replied Mr..
Hoover. II haven't any gum, anyway.
I think we'd better wait until they
bring us another boat"
They waited.
AS for cooking, President Hoover is
well qualified not only to umpire any
contest between Postmaster General
Brown and Secretary Wilbur, but to
join in and make a three-sided tourna-
n1ent of it, should he so desire. Mr..
Hoover has had considerable experience
with the frying pan while "roughing it,
on fishing trips. He flips an egg like a
veteran, it is said. and can fry fish to
an appetizing crispness.
X
HE Presidents proficiency as a fish,
erman is well known, and Secretary
Hyde may be called on to defend his
reputation as an angler Of big game
fish. Mr.. Hoover has landed not only
tarpon, but sailfsh, sharks, dolphins
and other large members of the pisca-
torial family. His collection of rods,
reels and hooks is one of his proudest
possessions, and he is constantly add
ing to it.
President Hoover and Secretary Will
bur are oldtine camping partners.
They tramped the hills of the Golden
West together for years and now that
they are enjoying reunion they ex-