Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27
BY WILLIAM HARD.


Bishop Cannon of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South seems at this
moment to have taken considerable
strides toward being the Cardinal Rich
ellen OF the incoming Hoover admins
tration. It Is not that Mr. Hoover has
asked him to assume any such role;
but the bishop seems to feel that he has
a call to 1t and that he must 60 ahead
with 1t.
The bishop has taken an active hand
In arousing Protestant dry sentiment
against the appointment of Col. William
j. Donovan of the Department of Jus
tice to be Attorney General in Hoover's
cabinet, and he now is the foremost
figure in forcing 24,000,000 new dollars
upon Hoover for policing the United
States on behalf of the eighteenth
amendment.
These two activities by His Eminence
of Richmond. Va, have probably
caused Mr.. Hoover as much perplexity
as any OF the maneuverS of Cardinal
Richelieu ever caused Louis XIII in any
OF the novels or plays or movies de-
voted to the adventures of d'Artagnan
and the Three Musketeers.
The new elective ruler of the Ameri-
can Empire would like to be left alone
in selecting his own councillors of state,
and he has no desire at all to be load
ed with mound of new money for
federally closing little speakeasies in
Boston and for federally disclosing and
confiScating hip-flasks in Spokane.
x n II
The conflict of opinion in Washington
on this latter point is fundamental.
There Is one school of thought which
wants the Federal Government to do
the actual detailed policing of the coun-
try for the enforcement Of prohibition.
There is another school of thought
which wants to confine the Federal
Government to what might be called
the major operations of prohibition en-
forcement, and which then wants to
arouse our State governments and our
county governments and our city gov
ernments-by a vast educational" CAM
paign--to do their own police work
against their own merely local thirsts
and their own merely local springs of
alcohol.
Hoover seems to belong to the latter
school. The new king" does not wish
to be transformed into q centralized
universal Federal detective for turning
the pockets and pantries of his affec-
tionate subjects inside out. His friends
In the House of Representatives will ac-
cordingly resist to the death all efforts
In the House to accept and pass the
Senate appropriation Of 24,000,000 new
dollars ito be allocated by the Presi-
dent. as he may see At, to the depart
ments or bureaus charged with the en-
forcement Of the national prohibition
act"
The Cardinals" friends, on the other
nAnd will labor 1nitalxf n ~
the House to press the $4,000, 900 new
dollars by main force into the purse of
the King, whom the cardinal loves, and
whom he so greatly and Loyalty support
ca and promoted in the election of last
November in his diocese of Dixie.
The question is:
Does the King know best, or does the
cardinal know best what is best for the
King?
The chances in the House of Repre-.
sentatives at this passing moment are
that the cardinals friends will tri-
umph. The Kings Musketeers will per-
form, indeed, prodigies of valor with
Tilson Of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES floor
leader-leading In irspiriting them. Mr.
Tilson has been cast for d'Artagnan of
Qascony and will draw his sword from
Its scAbbard every minute or two In
most dazzling manner. The Cardinals
Guard, however, has been recruited by
q master hand.
It consists, first, OF Democrats who
pine to prove that It was only in abb
sent-inindedness that they followed the
heretical candidacy of Alfred Emanuel
Smith of New York.
1t consists, second, of Democrats who
pine to be able to say to the White
House a year from now: I'VE see by
the papers that man took drink In
Arkansas. We gave you $24,000,000 to
stop him. Why didn't you?"
1t consists, third, Of Republicans who
hate to annoy Hoover, but who would
rather annoy him than volsteadism
These Republicans are for the King,
but they are even more for the prin-
ciples-the principles of drastic and
detailed prohibition enforcement --
which they think the King ought to
have,
These three contingents of the Car
dinals Guard make 1t truly formida-
bic force. The Kings Musketeers will
have to fight at every street corner and
will even have to lock up great many
Of their own companions to keep them
from deserving to the friendly enemy
| and from donning the uniform Of our
new Cardinal In Black.
J The ffiusketeers, moreover, have
simultaneous second battle On their