Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-24
PRESIDENTS TRAIN
MENACED BY AUTO
Obstruction Moved From
Track Hour Before Hoover
Special Arrives.
Continued From First Page.)

for less than half an hour, during
which time he evinced a keen desire to
receive their opinion of how his water
ways speech would be accepted gener-
ally, and then excused himself and
turned in for the night. He slept
soundly and was up at his customary
early hour this morning. He made no
secret of the fact that he was eager to
get back to his desk.
Climax of Celebration.
The Presidents address in Louisville
last night was the climax to several
- DAYS celebration in the Ohio Valley Sec
ton of the completion of the locks and
dams on the Ohio River, thereby max
ing that historic waterway navlgable
throughout its full length. The Presl-
dents remarks on this subject had been
anticipated with great interest but 1t Is
doubtful If any expected him to commit
himself SO definitely or to speak so can
didly.
Mr.. Hoover was at home with the sub
1ect of treating the country'S waterways.
It is a subject near to his heart and one
with which he is thoroughly familiar.
He took great pains in the writing OF MS
speech He composed it as an engineer
and he delivered it as one. 1t was the
most important speech made by him on
this trip.
AS outlined by him. his policy calls for
che development in 10 years, at cost
of about 81 900, 100000, OF network OF
finland waterways covering practically
the whole of this Nation. His ambitious
plan in its entirety is more stupenoouS
than was the Panama Canal-three or
four times bigger. AS described by him
last night he is proposing program
larger undoubtedly than any single I'M
dertaking of a similar nature ever con-
kemplated in. the history OF the world.
Development Plan Definite.
There is now every reason to expect
that Mr.. Hoover will incorporate in his
annual message to Congress when 1t
convenes in regular session in De-
cember, recommendations of very
specific nature for carrying his water
ways program into effect. His develop
1nent plan is simple and definite, and,
although it would involve an annual
increase of $10,000,O00 In Government
expenditures for rivers and harborS, not
Including the proposed st. Lawrence
waterway, which project he strongly
favors and which he said last night
would require another $10,000,000 an
nual outlay, Mr.. Hoover feels confident
that the people will support such an
apparently huge expense as being in the
nature of capital investment more
than justified by the prospective return.
Aside from his engineers logic and
vision, Mr.. Hoover added persuasion to
his proposal by linking 1t UP with his
administrations policy Of naval dis
armament when he remarked in his
speech thai Sais annual increase in
waterways lopment is equal to the
cost of Of. III of one battleship.
IF We are SO fortunate" he stated,
~as to save this annual outlay on naval
construction as the result of the forth
coming naval conference in London
nothing could be finer or more vivid
conversion of swords to plowshares."
This statement called for considerable
applause on the part of those in the
new Louisville Memorial Auditorium.
Peculiarly enough there was very little
other applause during the course of his
remarks, regardless of their significant
nature. Another disappointing incident
TO this great speech was the number Of
empty seats in the big auditorium, but
this was easily explained by the heavy
downpour of rain and the fact that
there had been last-minute change
In the Presidents schedule in Louis
vile, and the fast that many persons
remained home to hear the President
on the radio.
Held an Endorsement.
However, the manner in which the
Presidents reference to naval diSarma-
1nent was received last night was ac-
cepted as a genuine Endorsement of his
aims to reduce nav1eS as step toward
international peace and Government
economy.
Considering the tremendous ovation
IN his honor during his visits to Dear
born and Detroit, Mich, and Cincinnati,
Ohio, just previous to his going to
Louisville, it is quite natural that the
President today should have conflicting
emotions while rejecting upon his re-
ceptton at the Kentucky city.
Among the changes in the arrange
mentS for the President while in Louis
vile was the place for the delivery of
his waterways speech. Originally it
was planned to have him speak from
the deck of the river boat which
brought him from Cincinnati He had
been exposed to the rain and the raw
winds SO much during his trip that it
was decided to save him from further
exposure by having him speak indoors
thus the shift to the auditorium.
Before making his speech last night
the President was the guest of honor at
banquet at the Brown Hotel, given
by the Louisville Board of Trade. He
made no address, however, at that
gathering.
AmpHnerS ran.
A really disturbing factor during the
Presidents speech in the auditorium
was the Inability of the amplifiers to
'3unction properly. During half Of the
Presidents talk his voice was not am
plifted at all, and he was talking in a
1ow conversational tone, so typical of
him, ne could not be heard by those
more than 100 feet away from him.
When the amplifiers did work they
threw his voice out with bang. So
great was the bang that there was
constant reverberation which suggested
the echo of ones voice.
Regardless of these several disap-
pointing incidents in Louisville the
President is credited with not only
laying definite waterway program be-
fore the public, but with starting a
movement to make the country water
way minded"
This movement was initiated when he
left Cincinnati Tuesday afternoon at
the head of a colorful and impressive
hotilla which in pageant style steamed
down the Ohio to Louisville.
Attention on River.
BY showing his own personal interest
IN the river and by his waterways
speech he has focused attention upon
the Ohio River canalization scht>Je-
ment and the enormous practical oene-
fits already flowing from it. The be-
lief today is that Mr.. Hoover will not
be back at the White House very long
before he receives evidences of the slim
ulating effect his own river journey
and his speech have had toward max
ing the country more waterway
Speaker Longworth, who joined the
Presidents party at Cincinnati and ac-
commanded If Tn louisville did NOT ar