Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-22
BY REX COLLIER.


continue In The Star until completed.
BY REX COLLIER.
- LANDING on the dock at San
Pedro when the goodwill party
set sail that memorable Autumn
~ day was the forlorn figure OF
newspaper man who had dashed
vainly 5000 miles across the continent
in the hope of joining the press con-
tingent.
He had arrived on the Pacific Coast
in ample time to meet the party before
it left Palo Alto, but he had found the
doors closed against him. There was
just no room for any more press repre-
sentatives, he had been advised by
George Akerson, secretary to the Presl-
dent-elect. There were accommoda-
tons on the battleship for only 20 cor
respondents, and the 20 had been
chosen.
The newspaper man did not give up
hope, however. It was the news as
signment of q lifetime, this goodwill
tour, and he persisted in trying to find
way to "get in on it." A personal ap-
peal to the President-electsga gained him
no satisfaction. AS last resort, 1t is
said, he sought the aid of the State
Department. All his entreatieS were in
vain.
He was the picture of disappointment
as he waved a reluctant farewell to
members of the party as they LETT the
dock.
Regrets His Exclusion.
President elect Hoover regretted the
necessity for excluding this newspaper
~
Strange as 1t may seem to those aware
of his aversion for personal publicity,
Hoover wanted to take along with him
as many correspondents as possible.
Nor was this desire inspired by COM
passion or a sense of obligation.
Americas future President, be 1t
known, has faith in the press. He has
profound respect for its powers In mold
ing public opinion, in clearing away
doubt and misunderstanding under the
glare of journalistic inquiry and en-
lightenment.
What Latin America sorely needed.
he felt, was modern press agent. Her
true story was not being told TO the
world. We were learning all about her
revolutions and banditry and plotting
but scarcely anything at all about her
peace-time pursuits, her domestic tran
quillity.
Although he never had visited Gen.
trail or South America, Hoover was con-
WINGED there was a brighter side to the
Latin American picture than that
painted by the meager news dispatches
which filtered northward by cable and
radio. There arose in his mind con-
viction that the distorted vision of our
southern neighborS conjured up by the
daily run Of news was raising an inviSi-
BILE but menacing barrier between the
two continents. He reasoned that II
North America was gaining an erroneous
impression of conditions below the Rio
Grande it was likely that South Amer
lea was forming similarly unfavorable
conception of Uncle Sam.
Needed Better Acquaintance.
What the Americas needed, he de-
cided, was to get better acquainted
There had existed too long an atmo-
sphere of formal aloofnesS that could
not but encourage suspicion, distrust
and general Ill will. Conditions such as
these were not conducive to peace and
prosperity in the Western Hemisphere,
A way must be found to introduce these
other in friendly, informal way.
What better way was there to spread
this knowledge and understanding to
all Of North America than by sending
to Latin America a delegation OF news
paper correspondents and photog-
raphers, serving not only the leading
press associations, feature SyndicateS
and dailies, but also the principal news
reel services? There seemed to be only
one way to effect so drastic a journal
istic mission, Hoover unused, and that
was to take the newspaper men down
there himself.
It becomes apparent, therefore, that
the press was an integral part Of the
goodwill mission. It's representatives
were not on the trip by sufferance, but
by personal invitation of the President
elect. The correspondents may not
have sensed it at the outset, but Hoover
has assigned to them large portion
Of the task which lay ahead.
Hoover's invitation to the press had
proved to be wholly superfiuous. He
had found himself confronted with a
barrage OF kilograms from associations,
SyndicateS, newspapers and magazines
requesting permission to send staff or
special representatives on the trip. His
fondest hopes were being far exceeded.
Great Tact Required.
In fact, he was in q dilemma, for
there were not accommodations enough
on q battleship for all who wished to
go. Even South American newspapers
were clamoring for recognition. 1t re-
Quired the greatest tact on the part of
the Hoover staff to select from the
scores Of applicants the 20 writer's and
photographers for which the Navy
had made provision. The rule Of FIRST
come, first served" was adhered to rig
idly, and it was decided, Furthermore,
to exclude the Latin american papers
from representation. The latter ruling
naturally caused some discomfort in
South America, and Ell Diario, in
Buenos Aires, characterized the exclu-
sion of South American writer's as "the
first mistake of the Hoover mission" It
is significant, in passing, to add that
this same journal later was carrying
columns Of news and editorial comment
Of the most favorable sort.
AS a matter of record, 1t is pertinent
to give the names of those comprising
the press delegation on the trip. There
were the three well known war corre-
spondents-Will Irwin of the North
American Newspaper alliance and au-
thor of Hoover's campaign biography,
william Philip Simns of Scripps-
Howard alliance and Edword Erica