Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-29

It can hardly be said any longer that
President Hoover Il keeping out OF the
congressional campaign. Eyewitness
of his fighting demeanor at the White
House Yesterday, when he was blasting
the Kelley shale-oil scandal" gained
the impression that the Chief Engineer
has waded into the pending political
fray I'D to his neck. Seldom has Hoover
revealed in public such belligerency. he
bit out his words about kelleyS reck,
less. baseless and infamous charges
with almost Rooseveltian pugnacity.
The incident has political significance,
because Mr.. Hoover directly accused the
Democrats Of trotting out the shale-oii
affair for partisan purposes at mo-
ment when they figured 1t would do the
administration most harm. There Is
even still more politics In the circum-
stance that 1t Is the Presidents own
thrust at the Democrats. alleged CAM
paign Of personal viltfcation.
M
MANY q, o. p. leaders think Hoover
ought to have flung himself into the
1880 breach long ago. It Is an open
secret that he has had to resist q good
deal Of pressure in that direction. The
Democrats have not let the Republican
party get away with the fiction that
the Hoover administration Is not an
issue in the congressional campaign.
Day In and day out the RaSkobians ana
the Shouseites, from Al Smith down,
have rammed home the charge that
Herbert Hoover and his record In tine
White House are the things the coun-
try on November will judge. DR.. Ray
Lyman Wilbur, Secretary Of the Interior,
tacitly admitted as much in radio talk
this week. The Presidents closest cabi-
net friend appealed outright Tor Con-
press which would stand by the Presi-
dent. Achievements and Aims OF the
Hoover Administration" Is the theme
on which Secretary Mellon viii broad
cast tonight. Half q dozen members OF
the cabinet have been campaigning on
the same theme as the end Of the con-
test approached. 1t looks q little as II
the Republican high command had
come tardily to the conclusion that
Hoover, when alls said and done, Is the
party's best bet.
Al Smith put on his customary good
show on the air from Providence. The
listening audience must have noticed
that the Governor has apparently
abandoned his ''raddio" pronunciation
of 1928. He says radio" now. Tam
campaigns wtttiest wisecrack. The
Republicans" he says, call this thing
we're going through business de-
preston. II the Democrats were In
power, it'd be panic I've also heard
1t called q cycle I'm for cycle. The
whole country is getting a ride"
r 4 4
Judge John Barton Payne, who Is
completing his tenth successive year as
chairman of the American Red Cross,
Is Just back from Europe, where he at
tended important Red Cross meetings
In Paris and Brussels. The veteran
jurist- -philanthropist lived a
triple life "over there" He carried
credentials as q delegate Of the United
States Government, chairman OF the
American Red Cross and chairman OF
the Board of Governors Of the Inter-
national League Of Red Gross Societies.
Red Cross leaders in Europe, Judge
Payne found, are mainly concerned
with the use of chemical gas in future
warfare. Evidently they believe Cd
that there's going to be another war
some day and CD that belligerents will
not shrink from turning on the gas.
How to avert resultant terrors Is the
problem now agitating Red Cross states
. manship.
American womankind has : O. distan-
Rlatshed though wholly unofacial req