Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-24
BY WILLIAM HARD.

The third week Of the Hoover ad-
ministration ends today on a new note.
In the first two weeks the President
made it clear that he was quite willing
to accept the responsibilities of his office
and to issue the decisions Of the exec
utive branch of the Government IN
his own name. In this third week OF
his administration the President has
made it equally clear that he has no
intention whatsoever Of undertaking
the responsibilities of the Congress or
of issuing dictatorial mandates to the
gentlemen who are serving him as
cabinet ministers. He considers that
those gentlemen have their response
bilities too.
A tiny incident occurred the other
day to illustrate that last point The
President wished to consult a certain
subordinate official in certain depart
ment. Many Presidents would have
seen nothing untoward or aggressive in
telephoning to the subordinate OIL
cial direct. Hoover, however, has been
q cabinet minister himself. He has
some personal appreciation Of a cabinet
minister's feelings. He did not tele-
phone the subordinate oficial at all.
He telephoned the cabinet minister in
whose department the subordinate OH
cial occupies distinguished position.
He asked the cabinet minister II he
would be good enough to send sc-and-so
over to the White House for a few
minutes.
Naturally the cabinet minister liked
that courtesy It showed that the Presi-
dent was not underwriting him in his
department and was not trying TO
change his bureau chiefs into White
House employees.
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The fact is that people keep forget
ting that Hoover Is a practiced public
politician. There has been so much
ballyhoo-and even hooey--about his
being '"an engineer in politics" that
hardly anybody seems to drop to the
encouraging or discriminating - fact
that pretty nearlv half actually. Of his
whole working life has been spent not
in engineering at all. but In midst OF
practical political public affairs.
He was an engineer from 1895 TO
1918. 1S years. Then he went to Europe
to deal with foreign governments as a
representative Of the San Francisco
Fair: and then he continued. as Belgian
Food Relief Commissioner, to give most
of his time really to political diplomatic
negotiations with the foreign govern
ments of Belgium, France, Britain and
Germany.
Returning from international politics
abroad to the CITY of Washington. he
became United States Food Admins
traitor and then United States Secretary
Of Commerce. dealing with the Federal
bureaucracy and with the Federal Con-
oress ever since. It is therefore literally
true that his sole occupation since 1913
has been the doing of things in direct
connection with governmental circun-
stances and political necessities.
Tn other words. his working life has
been 10 years in engineering and 10
politics. 1t may be
TOO bad to blow IN the campaign argu-
nent which exhibits the President as
An innocent and guileless engineer: but
truth In truth. and sometimes has
value Of its own.
This special sample Of truth is In
harmony with a narrower fact. which
seems, however. to have been similarly
almost universally overlooked. Mr.
Hoover. as President. is extremely ex-
ceptional in his experience with cabi-
net manners and methods. President
James Madison and President John
Quincy Adams came to the White
House after eight years apiece OF cab
met service. Barring them, Mr.. Hoo
yer arrived at the Presidency with more
cabinet service and with more cabinet
northumberland him and within him
than anv other President that we
have ever had.
How rnptv then is the theory that
we are to expect orr new President to
behave as a political amateur and
novice and tyro! Hoover knows his
wav around in cabient relationships and
in congressional relationships as init
matelv as he knows his way around
among the keys that he Is always jim
Cling in his pockets.
He NAV deserve praise then. but GER
tainly not surprise, II now in those re-
lationships he displays touch which
Is so professionally sure and so pro-
fessionally adroit.
From the Secretary of State this
writer learns the circumstances which
attended the issuing of the presidential
decision regarding our policy toward the
revolution in Mexico. The Secretary
Of state took the data of the matter
to the White House. The President
read and listened, and said in effect
IT agree with you. think we ought
to 60 on with our support Of estab-
lished government In Mexico. Will
you announce it,"
Right there was the stroke Of the
man familiar with the proper mainte-
nance Of cabinet harmony. Would Mr.
Kellogg do the announcing?
In return there came a natural re-
Spouse. No. The subject was too
momentous. 1t deserved presidential
authority. Would not the President
himself do the announcing?
He did. He did it, however. at Mr.
Kellogg's suggestion and with Mr.. KEEL
logg still feeling himself wholly in
charge of his own department.
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