Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07
BOOK WILL REVEAL
HOOVER AS ANGLER.
Small Volume, Containing
Two of His Speeches, viii
Be Published This Month.

President Hoover like his predecessor.
Calvin Coolidge, is an old-fashioned
angler and as such is revealed in a very
human manner in his new book. a slim
volume of less than so pages. entitled
"a Remedy for Disappearing Game
Fishes" which the Huntington Press
will publish September 26.
The new volume reveals the President
as man seen through his favorite
hobby. rather than as a statesman who
speaks through his state papers or as
the engineer who translated Agricola's
de Re Metallica." 1t reveals also a
gentle touch of good humor that has
been the heritage of all true trout fish,
ermen and a calm philosophy undoubt-
edly inspired by fish-haunted pools,
Only 900 copies of the volume will be
printed on Worthy Hand and Arrows
paper and bound in boards with mar
BILE design by Douglas Cockrell. There
will be a foreword, 1t was said, by
French Strother, administrative assist
ant to the President, and illustrations
from woodcuts by Harry Cimino. 1t
was said the book will sell for 81.
Made Up of Two Speeches.
President Hoover's book is made UP
Of two of his speeches, revised for this
publication. The first. which bears the
same title as the book, was delivered
while Mr. Hoover was Secretary OF Conn.,
merce and when he was taxing for the
second time the presidency OF the LEAK
Walton League of America. 1t already
has been published in the Atlantic
Monthly in its unrevised form.
The other speech, An address to the
People of Virginia" was one Of Mr..
Hoover's first utterances as President
and is an expression of his contentment
for his newly acquired Summer camp
on the Rapidan in the Virginia noun
tains.
Fishing, the President says, is an
ideal sport for a democracy because
"all men are created equal before
fishes"
There are lots of people who COM
nitted crimes during the year who
would not have done so if they had
been fishing" the President writes, land
/ assure you that the increase in crime
is due to a lack of those qualities OF
mind and character which impregnate
the soul of every fisherman except those
who get bites.
"Unless we can provide at least so
fsh per annum, including the occa-
sional big ones for recounting and
memory purposes, we may despair OF
keeping the population from further
moral turpitude."
Seen From New Angle.
In another chapter the President APP
breaches the pastime Of fishing from
new angle THAT comprehensive list
of human rights, the Declaration OF
Independence" he said, lis firm that
all men land boys) are endowed with
certain inalienable rights, including
life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-
III AL.w @lxr fwa1 1RnH4a he
suit of fish. America is well watered
country and the inhabitants know all
the fishing holes"
The first article in the book, the title
article, is partly lament that the
distance between bites has been In
creased because of the rising ratio of
water to fish" and partly a suggestion
that this condition could be remedied
by the establishment of nurseries to
keep the infant fish, born In Govern
n1ent 1atcheries, until they had grown
to the stature of inches and were
thus able to fend for themselves.
Cites Improved Equipment.
Some millions Of fishermen have
invented new lures of a seductive order
and have devised many new and fear
full lamentations with hosts of new
kinds Of clothes and labor-saving de-
vices to carry them about" Mr.. Hoover
writes, in describing the modern dan
gers faced by fish. I'VE have in
deed made stupendous progress in physi-
cal equipment to overcome the mysteries
of fish. We have moved upward from
the rude but social conditions OF the
willow pole with butcher string line,
fixed with hooks 10 for dime, whose
compelling lure Is one segment OF an
angleworm and whose incarnation Is
splitting on the bait.
I'VE have arrived at the high state
of tackle, assembled from the steel of
Damascus, the bamboos Of Siam, the
silk of Japan, the lacquer of China, the
tin Of Bangkok, the nickel of Canada,
the feathers of Brazil and the silver
Of Colorado-all compounded by mass
production at Chicago and Akron,
Ohio. And for magic and lamentations
we have progressed to the application
of cosmetics to artificial fish, and to
wonders in special clothing with pigeon
holes for varied lures and liniments
and to calling bite a strike"
In his second article Mr.. Hoover says
that many Presidents have become fish,
ernen only after their Inauguration,
but that he could claim more than As
years of apprenticeship.
A Presidents Only Escape.
II have discovered the reason why
Presidents take to fishing-the silent
sport. Apparently the only opportunity
for refreshmept of ones soul and clari-
fcation of ones thought by solitude by
Presidents lies in fishing. AS I have
said in another place, it Is generally
realized and accepted that prayer is.
the most personal of all human rela-
tionships. On such occasions as that
men are entitled to be alone and un-
disturbed
Next to prayer fishing is the nc.
personal relationship of man, aEa G.
more Importance than the feet itself
everybody comedies that the fish will
not bite in the presence of the rub'ic.
Fishing seems to be the sole ave- "ie
left to Presidents through which they
may escape to their own thoughts and
may live in their own imaginings and
find relief from the pneumatic hammer
of constant personal contacts and re-
freshment of mind in the babble of
ripping brooks.
Moreover. it is a constant reminder
Of the democracy of life, of humility
and of human frailty-for all men are
equal before fishes. And it is desirable
that the President of the United States
VN--. a L