Evening star., 1931-06-19
The Presidents Trip.

President Hoover is back in Wash
ington, heartened by the reception
given him in his trip through the
Middle West and particularly by the
prospect of better times in that section
Of the country, which will materially
affect the whole Nation. Big crops.
even with low prices, are expected. the
President was told, to give much wider
employment in the West this Summer,
and in the end to start the country on
its upward journey from the valley of
depression in which it has dragged for
several months.
The Chief Executive, 1t is said at the
White House, does not regard his trip
as political, and is surprised at the wide
spread political Interpretation placed on
his visit to the Middle West and on
his speech delivered to the Republican
Editorial Association of Indiana. He
Travelled and spoke, it is insisted, as
President Of the whole United States
and not as President Of the Repub-
lican party. That, Of course, Is true
But the President of the United States
cannot disaSsociate himself from the
leadership of his party or from his
prospective candidacy for reelection
unless he should issue, like his prede-
cessor, an "I-do-not-chooSe-t -to-run'
statement. There has been no indica-
ton so far that the President plans
such a statement. Nor should he. He
has accomplished much for the coun-
try, helping by his leadership to keep
it on an even keel when the most severe
depression in business and the greatest
degree of unemployment for years had
the whole Nation in its grip.
The Presidents reception in the
Middle West heartened not only him.
self, but leaders of the Republican
party. Many reports have come to
Washington that the people have no
feeling Of resentment against Mr.
Hoover because of the depression, and
that they are coming more and more
to realize that he has done a good job
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lizing influence, preventing much worse
conditions. They like the stand taken
by the Chief Executive against the
nostrums proposed by less responsible
political leaders.
If the President and his advisers
are right and the upward turn in bust
ness and employment in this country is
to happen soon, the whole people will
rejoice, despite the fact that such a
happening may crush the political
hopes of the Democratic party. And
if there Is an improvement in economic
conditions, the party which breaches
depression and gloom is not likely to
be looked upon with favor by a ma
jority of the voters. The constant re-
iteration Of gloomy prophecies leads
finally to the thought that a political
party which hopes to benefit by de-
preston is welded to depression, is
hugging 1t to its bosom and nursing it
until the country can stand no more
of it and kicks everything overheard
in its effort to escape.
The President, according to all ac-
counts, did receive a cordial reception
in the States he visited. Whether he
wishes this reception to be regarded from
a political angle or not, it cannot be
avoided. Had his reception been cold,
that fact would have been interpreted
from one end of the country to the
other as signifying his early political
demise. The President in his Indiana
speech discussed at length the economic
situation in the country and gave a
picture Of what the Federal Govern
ment is seeking to do to aid in this
period Of depression. He went further.
He suggested twenty-year plan of de-
velopment in this country. The prin-
ciples Of government and the sugges-
tions of legislation laid down in that
speech have been hailed by Republican
leaders as, in effect, a party platform
for next year. President Hoover may
rightly feel that In time Of emer-
gency like the present the Chief Exec
utiye and the country itself should lay
aside politics and work for the better
ment of all the people.
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