Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-02

President Hoover began the New Year
exactly the way his political friends
think he should have done. He did a
peculiarly human thing by inviting
two strangers, who'd been waiting in
the morning cold to shake hands with
him, to breakfast in the White House.
Now, there's nothing unusual about
that, as far as Herbert Hoover is con-
cernsd. He's done plenty of things
like it, habitually, long before he ever
became President and often since. The
trouble is nobody ever hears about them.
Thereby hangs a tale. The tale is that
the Chiefs" light seems to be systemat-
ically hidden under bushel, as far as
Hoover, the man. Is concerned. BY and
large, the country is a lot more inter-
ested in the everyday events that re-
volve around the President Of the Unit
ed States than in portentous affairs OF
state. This radioscribe does an occa-
sional BIT of spellblnding before out
of-town audiences. He invariably finds
people hungry for news about the pure
" personal side of Hoover = what he
eats. what he wears, his friendships,
his hobbies, his pastimes, his working
habits, his favorite reading, and host
Of other uncons!dered trifies.
x 4
Here and now the guess is ventured
that the Presidents kindness in Did
ding his New Year visitors to bacon and
eggs stirred the imagination of millions,
where Mr. Hoover'S statement on rail-
road consolidation earlier in the week
interested merely hundreds. 1t had the
Ape Lincoln touch. 1t was downright
human and therefore downright good
politics. When the cabinet next meets,
it should tell the big man at the head
of the table that he hit the nail right
on the head, and ought to do so again
and often. One hears that the Presi-
dent himself is the principal obstacle to
a publicity system which would permit
typical "Hooverisms" like the New Year
breakfast episode to make the front
page, as they would be sure to do. A
Democratic press agent of renoWn voices
the view that there has never been a
President in our time who could he
more easily and successfully drama
tized" than Herbert Hoover. But from
all can gather" the mimeograph eX-
pert fastened to add, the hardest JOB
would be to persuade him to let himself
be sold
~ H
Bob" Lucas, executive director Of the
Republican National Committee, Is a
man not easily budged from line Of
action he's once decided to pursue.
Hence, apparently his leechlike de-
termination neither to resign nor be
fired" at the behest of Messrs. Norris
ct al Lucas was collector of internal
revenue at Louisville when appointed
commissioner of internal revenue in
1929. He turned up in Washington in
response to a summons which gave him
definitely TO understand that the COM
missionership would be offered him.
When Lucas arrived, he learned, to his
establishment, that he was to have an
other post He fatty said he wouldn't
take It, and arranged to return to Louis
vile Word was carried to James Francis
Burke, general counsel of the Repub-
lican National Committee, who appar-
emily relayed it to the White House.
Later in the day and just before Lucas
was leaving fer the train, message
came, saying: 20. K. You'll be COM
missioner of internal revenue"
Tidings of revolutionary discomfort in
Turkey interest DR.. Julius Klein, Assist
ant S cretary of Commerce, just back
from trip to the Near East. lie had a
great con-ab with President Mlstapha
Renal at Angora and was immensely
impressed with the Ottoman dictator's
personality, patriotism and progressive
ness. KemaPs obsessing ambition is to
take Turkey as rapidly as possible into
the family of modern nations. The
master mind of our foreign trade also
hobnobbed with the two Balkan Kings
Boris of Bulgaria, at Sofia, and Alex
ander Of Jugoslavia, at Belgrade. Boris,
agsd &C., and Alexander, who is AZ, are
described by DR.. Klein as extraordinarily
we'll poised young monarchs of ultra
twentieth century ideas and immensely
popular with their people When King
Boris returned to Belgrade few weeks
ago with his Italian royal bride, the
PEASANTS hoisted his majesty onto their
shoulders and carried him ia fren2ied
triumph through the streets. Klein Is
enthusiastic over American trade pros
poets in the Balkans.
Sir Wilinott Lewis, American cor
respondent of the London Times, who