Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-06
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Lieut.. Col. Campbell B. Hodges, u.
S. A., who is investigating drought con-
ditions in the Southwest for President
Hoover, was born and reared in the
stricken region-in a northern parish
of Louisiana, adjacent to the Arkansas
border. In addition to that qualifica-
ton for the job, Col. Hodges is one OF
the Presidents favorite fact-finders.
He has functioned in that capacity re-
peatedly since he became the chief
White House military aide. One OF
Hodges most important activities on
Mr.. Hoovers behalf was to assist in the
reorganization Of the veterans admin
istration, with resultant economies OF
far-reaching magnitude. The bachelor
colonel is one Of the brains" OF the
United States Army. He narrowly
missed becoming president of Louisiana
State University three or four years ago
by a set of circumstances which were
largely controlled by military red tape.
But they directly brought him TO Her
bert Hoover's attention ana led 10
Hodges eventual selection as the Presl-
dents military adjutant.
Col. Hodges was conmandant Of
cadets at West Point, following a tour
of duty as American military attacile in
Spain under the picturesque Madrld
Enthusiastically of the late Alec Moore.
The Louisiana University authorities
knew Hodges as former teacher OF
Snanish there The colonei'S Spanish
by the way, has made him valuable
White House liaison officer on Latin
American occasions. In 1927 the uni
versity elected Hodges president, flglr-
ing that his retirement nom the army
or at least an indefinite leave Of absence
L.
combined efforts of Senators Ransdell
and Broussard and other influential
Louisianians could not move Secretary
of War Davis to establish the precedent
of relinuu!shing so valuable an officer
Former Gov. John NJ. Parker, Rcose-
velt's Bull Moose running mate, I'M
availingly enlisted Secretary of Com
MERGE Hoover's influence. The War De-
partment was adamant. Thereupon
81. S. u" reluctantly gave up the idea
of capturing Hodges and elected an
other president. The colonel has a
brother in Louisiana who's an active
anti-Huey Lcng Democratic politician.
The probability is that if Hodges had
taken the office Gov. Long would have
Unanswered him out of the job by this
time.
owen D. Young, towering and smiling,
coyly put the presidential crown away
from him when Washington newspaper
men besieg-d him at the Capitol this
week. The New York corporation mag
nate will continue to rank as Democratic
national timber, for all that. The Gen
eral Electric chairman said he is not a
candidate for the presidency. Nobody
heard him declare that he would not
become one unGer any circumstances.
Democratic behind the-scenes gossip at
WASHINGTON for weeks has en- that
the Smith Raskob-Shouse faction pre-
fers Young to Roosevelt, If New YORK
is to name the 1882 standard-bearer.
While his alliance with big interSs SITS is
eyerybody's secret, Young'S home back
ground is that of an upstate New YORK
country gentleman. He is near dirt
farmer, with an estate at Vanhornes-
Vile. There he's fondest OF living,
though he also has skyscraper apart
ment in the heart of Park avenue,
Manhattan.
There may or may not presently
emerge from the Democratic side OF the
House of Representatives a compromise
bonus payment schsme, which its pro-
ponents think might be an acceptable
solution of the adjusted compensation
crisis. The suggestion is that the
Veterans Bureau should determine just
how many unemployed eX-service men
there are, and the Treasury then b.
authorized by Congress to cash the
certificates which these men hold. It
is estimated that perhaps as many as
100000 World War soldiers come within
the category in question, and that a
sum of 100000 coo might meet their
immediate needs.
X X X +
Representative Richard N. Elliott, Re-
publican, cf Indiana, who fell by the
wayside in the 1880 congressional cleo
ton in the midst of his seventh consecu-
tive term, spins yarn illustrative of
economic conditions in the Hoosier
South. 1t appears that depression in
his Connersville industrial district,
where unemployment was already con-
siderable, was aggravated by the arrival
of jobless men from the neighboring
Blue Grass State. The Connersville
folks were checking I'D enc cay on who
was among the unemployed, and en-