Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
HOOVER'S FIRST 6 MONTHS
ARECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT
Summary by AL Smith Supporter Says
''He Looks to Us to Be Doing
One Swell Job"

| llcan party IN the South TO reOrganl2e
itself from top to bottom and put an
end to its scandals in patronage.
"Since that time we have had a
and prompt action; support of the con-
stitutional government in the Mexican
rebellion; shift Of policy at Geneva
to acceptance Of the French plan for
measuring in 'globap tonnage; inter-
vention In labor dispute to anticipate
strike on the Texas & Pacific Rail-
road; appointment without loss of time
and with wide popular approval Of
| commission to administer the new law
for farm relief; announcement of a
plan to summon in 1880 the first ma
tional conference on child health which
has been held in 20 years; an ap-
peal to the chief naval powers of the
world for action on arms limitation;
decision on the day of Mr.. MacDon-
AIDS address in the House of Commons
| to postpone construction on three
cruisers: a prompt defense of this
policy, in a letter addressed to the ma
tional commander of the American
Legion, and an equally prompt decision,
following the prison riot at Leaven-
worth, to place before Congress pro-
gram for the moderniZation of the anti
quated prisons of the Federal Govern
ment.
washington is a center Of news
these days, not because a corps Of
ents Is doing its best to pick up tidbits
out Of a great laissez-faire. but because
quick witted and aggressive Execu-
tive is plainly on the job"
Those summaries. in the nature /of
| them, leave little else to be enumerated.
One point not conspicuous in the sum-
maries above has struck the writer Of
the present article as very evident, and
extremely important. Throughout the
entire Government, not only in Wash
! ington, but in the Federal offices all
over the country, there is tonic quail
ity, difficult to describe, but easy to
perceive. Only in part does it flow
from the presence of new men APP
pointed by Mr.. Hoover to the public
service. It infuses the existing per-
sonnet as we'll. It is not a mere case
pride in work and a greater vigilance
and enthusiasm for the public good.
Federal judiciary Example.
An example is the Federal judiciary.
To say the Federal judiciary had be-
come in recent years less than 1t once
was would be misleading. Taken by
and large, the Federal judges have at
all times composed, on the whole, about
the finest body. of similar size, in the
country. In any body there are ex-
ceptions, and it is true that within the
| last few years rather more Federal
| judges than formerly have come into
| the public eye in connections not help
| full to their dignity. In some parts OF
the country, under the influence OF
| local politics. the standards for men
recommended by political sponsors W
be Federal judges, had relaxed.
af raStNratinn
of the standards of President Roose-
velt's day is not likely to arise <iocaiiy
among the Senators and other political
leaders who make recommendations. 1t
must proceed from whoever Is President,
and In part from whoever is Attorney
General. 1t can only come about al
one more draft in addition to tbs
many we have come to make on the
vitality and patient determination and
| Judgment Of whoever Is in the White
House.
An elevation Of standards, spirit OF
tonic in the air, Is a universal charac-
| teriStic Of the Government service under
| the new President. It Is as apparent
in the local Federal judiciary through
out the country, and the Federal Off
Gals associated with them, as anywhere
else. Part of the process through which
President Hoover is bringing this about
is alluded to in one of the summaries
above. 1t was a startling innovation
Mr.. Hoover initiated when he made
public the names of the sponsors and
hackers Of men selected to be Federal
judges. That practice will help a good
deal. But the whole of the process in
wolves much more. When the work has
been under way long enough for re-
suits to show, this elevation of the
personnel engaged may be the most
fundamental of President Hoovers
achievements. 1t is the sort of achieve
ment that does not make itself spec
tacular in single event It multiplies
itself as many times as there are men
In the public service. 1t goes farther
than that. 1t becomes benevolent
infection.