Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-04

deavor to rid himself of the temptation
to be prophet, and will leave that to
newspaper correspondents and editorial
writer's who are already busy at it all
over this and other lands. Yet certain
fats and conditions and their natural
cor sequences may be stated without
overlapping the bounds. @ -.
Prospects Are Bright.
That Hoover comes into the White
House with very bright prospects most
every one admits. There are many per-
sons who believe that his administration
OF four. or perhaps eight, years will be
one of the most successful and notable
IN our history. They can point to rea-
sons for their belief 4
But, lest this article become a mere
hymn OF praise Of man whose record
as President has only this day begun,
some OF the difficulties or pitfalls in his
path may be considered first, leaving
the brighter side until later.
Every one, or nearly every one--with
the possible exception of Jim Reed of
Missouri--seems to regard Hoover as an
honest. sincere, straightforward, red
tapeless and practically efficient execu-
tive, even though many who voted
against him do not agree with his po-
disclosed. 'N .At @-es s..s r2>
During the recent campaign some of
Hoover's closest friends declared-nay,
urged in his fayor--that he was not
politician. Today many of them will
tell you the same thing, and some who
are wisest in the ways of Washington
see possibility Of danger ahead in this
fact. They realize that to be success
full President of this republic a man
must be more or less Of politician.
The best Presidents have been the best
politicians-using that word in its
broader and higher sense
They have known how to reward ju-
diciously those who helped them into
the White House, how to weld their
party into a compact, working body,
how to give and take" in dealing with
Congress. They have learned from ex-
perience that all legislation is the re-
suit Of compromise
Some Of the best and most enthusi-
asticf friends of the new President are
wondering whether he realizes this suf-
ficiently to avoid clashes and congress
sional entanglements. They want Hoover
to be the leader. of his party, to domi-
nate Congress, as all our great Presi-
dents have done, but they want him to
know when to yield as well as when to
hold fast.
This is the great hurdle that Presi-
dent Hoover must get over to make a
success of his administration, said one
of his friends and admirers to the pres
ent writer few days ago. He was re-
ferring to the relationship between the
President and Congress.
Those who take an optimistic view
Will tell you that Hoover has had much
experience with Congress as Secretary
CnndNnnrNn h11f he
come right back with the statement
that dealing with congressional COM
mitteeS as a cabinet member and deal
ing with the whole Congress of the
United States as President are two en-
tirely different things-so different that
they can scarcely be compared with any
profit. ~. -
The supporters of the new admins
tration and the intimate friends of the
new President point to another thing in
Hoover'S character, often demonstrated
in the past, to which they pin their chief
hope. Many of them are so sure that
this trait will pull him through safely
that they are not worrying in the least
about the future. This Is Hoover's re-
markable capacity to learn how to do
every job that has had to be done.
When Hoover was first mentioned for
President at the close of the World War
he knew nothing whatever about poll
tics. His presidential boom for eight
years or more made no progress, or vir-
tually none. Then, according to his
friends, Hoover began to take the thing
seriously and decided to find out what
was the matter. They say he soon
found out that he must learn the "po-
litical game" as 1t Is played In these
United States or he never would have
chance to be nominated for President.
e. So he undertook the task of learning
politics He set to work at it, his friends
say, in just the same way that he would
; set to work to solve a problem in en-
{, gineering or finance. He may not have
enjoyed working out the problem. and
necessary to do, but he had an end in
view and he kept driving for it, doing
what was needed to achieve 1t.
How he did achieve 1t all the world
knows. His friends and well-wishers
| hope that he will bring to bear upon
| the present problem of dealing with
| Congress the same Hoover common
sense" which has served him SO we'll in
/ the past.
1t is no secret among those on the
| inside" in Washington that Hoover,
| when he first became Secretary of Com
merce under President Harding and be-
fore he got the presidential bee in his
bonnet" was not very popular on Cap
itol Hill. He was inclined to be the
| somewhat distant and the curt busi-
ness man, who could not be swerved
from his course by political appeals by
this man or that. He did not seem
to care whether he made friends or
not. He cared only about doing his
duty as he saw it:
But he changed in this respect. Not
that he became more pliable or willing
| to swerve from the line of duty, but
his friends say he discovered that a
politician may often be granted some
boon without danger to the Republic,
or, If he must be turned down. there
is way to do it that softens the blow
and leaves no hard feelings. Hoover