Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-17
President Formally Welcomed
to Rapidan Camp in Dig
nified Celebration.
RECEPTION VOID OF ALL
REFERENCE TO POLITICS
Chief Executive Speaks in Humor-
Gus Vein After Praising Hos
pitality of People.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

MADlSON COUHI HOUSE, va,
August 17.-President Hoover today
paid tribute to Virginia hospitality and
pledged himself to be good neighbor." :"
The Chief Executive and Mrs. Hoover
and their weekend party motored to
this little county seat early today, where
several thousand persons, many Of them
travelling from distant parts of Viz
ginia, gathered to make them welcome.
They came also to celebrate the fact
that the President of the United States
has selected camp in the beautiful
Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia as
his Summer weekend home, a camp
which ultimately is to become a part Of
Shenandoah National Park and to re-
main a retreat for future Presidents.
Reception Nom Political.
Despite the fact that Virginia cast
its electoral vote for Mr. Hoover last
November, and even now a campaign
for the election of governor is under
way in which the issues of last year are
being fought out again, there was moth
ing political in the reception given the
President and Mrs. Hoovs' today. Nor
did the President make reference in
any way to politics in his brief address
Rather, after expressing his deep ap-
probation for the kindness of the
people of Virginia to himself and Mrs.
Hoover, the President spoke in
humorous vein. He said that the hardy
Virginians, among them George Wash
ington, who picked out Washington as
the site for the Capital of the Nation,
perhaps had overlooked the fact that
the city of Washington might be hot
in the Summer time.
"But Virginia herself now offers the
antidote in the wonderful mountains
which you have dedicated TO national
park and the access to 1t that you
have provided by your newly improved
roads, he continued.
Virginia, the home of Presidents in
the early days of the Republic, Mr..
Hoover said. now fittingly provides a
Summer home for the Chief Executives
of the Nation.
Equal Before Fishes"
"All men," said the President, "are
equal before fishes" and for that rea-
son it is well for the heads of the Ma
ton to take up fishing and to be re-
minded periodically Of the fact that
the forces of nature discriminate for
no man. Further, he said fishing offers
to the President of the United States
a chance for quiet and thought, per-
haps the only opportunity, for fish
will not bite in the presence OF the
public
The reception to the President sug-
gests a big family picnic in the coun-
try. In the great crowd assembled were
many farmers, who laid aside their
harvesting and brought their families to
this celebration.
1t is rare for a town the size of
Madison to be fortunate enough to
entertain any one so important or cele-
brated as a President, but this little
community accepted the big response
bility with a courage and determina-
ton that assured success.
Participates as Neighbor.
The Presidents address follows:
Both Mrs. Hoover and I feel greatly
honored by the generous reception you
have extended US today. 1t is welcome
as one of your neighborS. and it is as
a neighbor that participate with you.
In the early years of our Republic,
Virginia was the home of Presidents,
and it would seem appropriate that with
the changing years the President should
at least have a week end camp in Vir-
ginia. There are other sound reasons
why such connection should be main
tanned between the Presidents and Vir-
ginia. The fact is that those strong
Virginians who selected the site for
our National Capital were apparently
imperviouS to heat and humidity, or at
least they were unaware of how much
pavements and modern buildings can
contribute to raise the temperature.
But Virginia herself now offers the an
tidote in the wonderful mountains which
you have dedicated to national park
and the access to it that you have pro-
vided by your newly improved roads.
1T has become habit and neces-
Sity for our Government officials, who
have te:a major anxieties in National
affairs, to seek some other place from
which to conduct their work for pro-
longed periods in the Summer time.
But the press of public business and
its execution in the National Capital is
so necessary that we must face the fact
that these periods must gradually be
shortened. Therefore I have thought
it appropriate to accept the hospitality
of your citizens and your mountains for
one or two days each week and thereby
combine both relief and work without
cost to either. And I have discovered
that even the work of Government can
be improved by leiSurely discussions OF
its problems out under the trees, where
no bells ring or callers jar ones
thoughts from the channels of urbanity.
Prove Good Hosts.
"You have demonstrated yourselves
good hosts and good neighbors with
that fine courtesy for which Virginia
Is known to the whole Nation. 1 often
think the test of good neighbors is
whether one can always be sure when
the family meets an emergency it can
cheerfully borrow half dozen eggs or
few extra dishes. In this emergency
you have proved this sentiment of
neighborliness by lending me part of
your park, by improving road, by Sc
curing the fishing rights on a beautiful
mountain stream and even providing
me with fishing tackle. I, on my side,
am glad to lend my services as good
neighbor to you by acting as a sort OF
sign post to the country of the fine
reality of your proposed new national
park.
II fear that the Summer camp we
have established on the Rapidan has
the reputation of being devoted solely
to fishing. That is not the case, fol
the fishing season lasts but a short
time in the Spring. It is a place fol-
week end rest-but fishing is an ex-
cuse and valid reason of the widest
range of usefulness for temporary re-