Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13
BY WILLIAM HARD.

Mr.. Hoover has spent all his time in
washington double-cros the blue
sky spectators and side-stepping the
deep-stuff plotters.
He has not asked one man to be a
member of his cabinet. He has not
filled one cabinet place. This is not
surmise. 1t is rock-bound fact.
There is good reason.
Mr.. Hoover has not yet made up his
own mind as to his cabinet. He has not
yet made up his own mind as to any
one single place in his cabinet. His
mind is open to further facts and
further thoughts as to each and every
post in his cabinet from Secretary of
State down.
This, again, is not a surmise. It is
certainty.
Mr.. Hoover has no intention of
naming his cabinet now and of set
ting up his nominees before the country
to be shot at for two months before
they could be sent to the Senate for
confirmation.
Frustrating Prophets.
He has no intention of making up
his mind now about his nominees when
he has so much time ahead of him for
additional reflection and additional adj
vice and presumably increased infor-
nation and wisdom.
He is engaged in frustrating all the
prophets who saw immediate head-on
collisions between Hoover, the "engi-
neer" and the politicians" in Con-
gress and in the Republican party.
7 Mr.. Hoover has done nothing In
washington but sit and listen patiently
and politely and painstakingly to
politicians"
He seems to be studying politicians"
the way an engineer would study his
materials before making bridge. That
is not what the prophets meant by IAN
engineer in politics" but 1t seems to be
what Hoover means.
Admitted to the august presence of
the great man for the humble purpose
Of propounding to him an automatic
journalistic inquiry about his plans in
Florida, this writer observed him dill
gently and energetically scratching
names off list. The list seemed to be
Of Republican Senators. The names
scratched off seemed to be those of Re-
publican Senators already seen and
heard. A little detection revealed the
fact that a count at the door of Hoo
yer's headquarters in the Mayflower
Hotel would show that he has already
SCCll uuu 1iCdk0 cOLilC tlil1Gy A1CPubiASesAl
Senators out of a total of forty-nine.
He seems to be on his way toward
seeing and hearing most of the rest be-
fore he starts for Florida and the sail
fish. RI
That wiz be probably along about the
middle Of this next week. BY that time
there will be hardly a man in Wash
ington with any slightest right to see
him who has not seen him and poured
enlightenment into his ears.
Donovan Question.
The biggest storm around him has
ragged over the name of William j.
Donovan.
Donovan is opposed for Attorney Cen
eral by numerous dry Protestant ele-
ments4 They are against him for rea-
sons which are not directly religious
but are indirectly associated with reli-
gion. They note that most Catholics
are "wet" and they cannot be brought
to believe that a Catholic would be an
enthusiastic supporter of the Volstead
law. Donovan Is a Catholic. AS
prosecutor, he has visited the laws ter
rors and punishments upon numerous
Catholics, including two priests. He Is
nevertheless q Catholic.
Just the same, he has strong Protes-
tant approval and backing even In the
bosom of the Ku Klux Khan. The local
Khan in his home town of Buffalo m
.dorsed him for his present post In the
Department of Justice because OF MS
vigorous enforcement of the Volstead
law in the Buffalo district. The nation
al Khan, after observation of his be-
havior in Washington, contains 1nfluen-
tial admirers of his who regard MIN as
Ahc al f,s,rc NJ nr0f11-
bition standpoint.
In such institutions as the Methodist
Board of Temperance, Prohibition and
Public Morals, which maintains large
and active headquarters in Washington
there is not the slightest inclination TO
influence Hoover against Donovan. Nor
Is there any such inclination in DR.. E.
G. DinWiddie, the secretary OF the new
! National Conference of Organizations
| Supporting the Eighteenth Amendment,
which is q compendium of all our dry
| forces.
/ 80; Free to Make Decisions.
This conflict of opinion for and against
Donovan among the drys leaves Mr.
Hoover absolutely free to make his own
| decision based on Donovan's merits and
on the place which Hoover would like
| Donovan to fill in the accomplishment
of the next administrations policies.
| 1t remains without doubt that there is
no one in public life toward whom the
! President-elect has warmer personal
| feelings than Donovan.
The next severest storm is over Mrs
Alvin T. Hert of Kentucky. vice chair
man of the Republican national COM
mittee and the candidate of many states
| men for Secretary of the Interior. In
ia So -
| Mrs. Hert will be quickly blown away
| ~ resentinents and hostilities among the
] Republican women themselves. The Gen.
exal Federation of Women's Clubs has