Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-22

This Spring, the cherry blossoms
next Winter, the cherrieS-not the
fruit that never sprouts from the nom
bearing trees which fringe the Potomac
at Washington, but the cherries destined
to sour debates in Congress. Along
with cherries, there will be tomatoes
It will all be due to recent action OF
President Hoover in refusing to act on
the United States Tariff Commission S
recommendation of lower duties on i'm
ported cherries and tomatoes, The
stage is being set for congressional
Touchdown and dragout. which may
ramify into one of the roaring tariff
issues of the 1892 presidential cam
paign. The old tariff on pitted cher
ries was 3 cents a pound. The Hawley-
Smoot law raised 1t to 92 cents. The
Tariff Commission, having been directed
by the Senate to review, among other
rates. the duties on cherries, made a
rapid-fire investigation and advised the
President to slash the cherry tariff to
6 cents. This about split the difference
between the old and the new rate. But
Mr.. Hoover demurred. He said some
thing about this not being the right
moment for reducing tariffs. He also
rejected the Tariff Commissions recon-
mendation to cut down the rate on to-
matoes.
Here's where the Democrats come in,
or are preparing to wade in. horse, loot
and dragon. They are going to point
out % that the Presidents reluctance
to tamper with the cherry tariff may
be due to the coincidence that the
Italian fruit, which Is mainly in queS-
ton. happens to compete with Califor-
MIA cherries; and 90 that it also COM
petes with fruit grown in Oregon, the
home State of Chairman Hawley OF
the House Ways and Means Committee,
and of Chairman McNary OF the Sen
ate Agricultural Committee. The heart
less opposition also intends to remind
the country that President Hoover &C
cepted the tariff bill he VIGOROUSLY
disliked because it gave him the right
to deal with inequalities" through its
flexible provision-for which he was
ready to fight, bleed and die. Having
called attention to that little detail,
the Democrats then will ask how come
that Mr.. Hoover, at the first hexing
crack out of the ffexing box, turns
thumbs down. Italy is hard hit by the
high cherry tariff. In 1929 she sold us
So, 1927. 900 worth of cherries. The to-
mato rate affected her, too. We bought
canned and paste Italian tomatoes to
the amount of $9,928000 in 1929.
X
No foreign envoy ever stationed at
Washington quits these shores with
more poignant feelings than Don Ale
iandro Padilla, who has just re-
linuuiShed the ambaSsadorship of
Spain. It is not only because of revo-
lutionary conditions at Madrid that
Senior Padilla leaves us tearfully. He
has known Washington for more than
IS years His ambasSadorship began
IN hut ho hnFn
long before that, as secretary of the
old Spanish legation, in pre-Cuban war
times. Senior Padilla remembers when
the Chevy Chase Club, just across the
District of Columbia line, in Maryland,
was the center of a picturesque and
primeval hunting country. With Padilla
Washington loses its most marvellous
collection of pipes. Assembling pipes
of all countries and designs, especially
ancient types, is his hobby.
From Arkansas City, Kans home
town of the late Maj. Laban j. Miles,
Herbert Hoovers old Quaker uncle, who
recently passed away comes a quaint
tale of family happening after the
barefoot boy with face of tan began to
achieve fame. Uncle and Aunt Miles
had charge of young Herbert when he
was 7 years old. He lived with them
almost till college time. When Hoover
became food administrator during the
World War, Aunt Agnes called fam
ily council at the ranch home, near
Pawhuska, Okla. Our nephew and
cousin" she said feelingly, now is one
of the great men of the country and of
the world. I do not believe it proper to
do anything or say anything that would
imply familiarity. So / ask thee all
never to refer to him again as Bert. He
is to be Mr.. Hoover or Herbert Hoover"
Il 4
Like the fame of Lincoln, that of
Grant grows with the flight of time.
There is just off the press volume
on the Union commander in chief,