Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
BRTTATN'S REVISED ESTIMATE OF
HOOVER IMPROVES RELATIONS
Feared President Would Go
to Extremes to Push
U. S. Trade.
MacDonaId's Projected Visit
Is Token of New Attitude
Toward America.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

| How Great Britain has completely
revised its estimate of Herbert Hoover
and thus made possible the Anglo
American naval agreement now APP
preaching final negotiation is disclosed
by Edward Price Bell, world representa-
tive of the Chicago Daily News. This
seasoned dean of American foreign
correspondents Is now in Washington.
He Is the man who receives chief credit
for originating the idea of Prime
Minister Ramsay MacDonald's visit to
the United States and persuading the
Labor leader to take it under favorable
| consideration. Mr.. Bell Is exploring
Washington's attitude toward the naval
situation, following his recent inquiries
into London's views earlier in the Sum-
mer.
At the beginning of 1929, and vir-
Itually from the time Of his election,
Mr.. Hoover was looked upon In Great
| Britain-Mr. Bell says In a special in
terview with this writer-as the incar-
I nation of American economic agrees
| sivcness. The British people knew of
| Hoover's achievement in building up
| the Department OF Commerce and ex-
banding the United States foreign
| trade. They were filled with q con-
viction that no sooner would Hoover
fierce, worldwide drive for Yankee
business drive of which John Bull.
still Keeling under the loss of his own
world trade through the Great War.
was persuaded he would be the chief
victim. Especially. according to Mr..
Bell, the British doubted the friendli-
| ness Of President Hoover toward them.
They had heard a good deal about the
pro British" inclinations attributed to
him by venomous political enemies like
Jim" Reed. They wondered II he
might not be impelled to go to ex-
! tremes to live down that fictitious repu-
tation.
All Fear Vanislles.
"All this miasma of fear and anxiety
about Mr.. Hoover has vanished" Mr..
Bell declares. 1.-THE British have aban-
/ doned the theory that he is markedly
nationalistic, with conspicuous bias
against themselves. Gone Is the alarm
that he would pursue fresh American
conquests in the commercial sphere and
| be all for Observation-Disclosures for Amer
| lea. Several things promptly happened
| to reverse British expectations. First.
President Hoovers inaugural address
| was an international revelation of the
| happiest sort. It was not at all ultra
nationalistic. It rang with the note OF
world fellowship. It was an utterance
worthy of our people. worthy of their
hearts, credit to their minds. Next, a
campaign of enlightenment about Presi-
dent Hoover and the feelings of tho
American people swept Great Britain
1t filled the press. It affected all
classes. Its reaction was recorded in
the newspapers of the entire world.
Finally. Ambassador Gibson expoundad
the real President Hoover in telling
words at Geneva, and the good, work
was done. The President was seen TO
be not narrow, not selfish, not econom-
ically blind. He had nothing but
friendship for the British. peoples. He
was for breaking the evil spell of Excess
| sive ornaments. He had pushed to the
very front of the van In the march for
! peace" a.
Mr. Bell was asked whether, in his
judgment Premier Macdonald should
come to the United States. whether a
naval agreement is reached or not.
Premier Should Come to u. s.
81 certainly do" he replied. why
not? Will the need for understanding
be less because the attempt to settle
the British-American naval question
temporarily has failed? Will the need
not be more? MY thesis is that. given
the intimacy of direct conversations be-