Evening star., 1931-06-22
sniping Hoover's Proposal.

President Hoover'S proposal for q
one-year moratorium on all tntergov-
ernmental debts growing out Of the
It was made by the President Of the
United States after he had first OBJ
tanned the approval of leading Demo-
scrats as well as members Of his own
party. The President has emphasized
the fact that it is not partisan po-
litical problem, but national problem.
Yet the anti-Hoover political snipers
are already seeking to belittle the plan
advanced by the President of the United
States to help lift the world out of the
economic morass into which 1t has sunk
in the last few years. These snipers
merely belittle themselves. Their criti-
cisms will have been forgotten long,
long before the statesmanlike proposal
now advanced by the American govern
ment.
Fortunately for the country, indeed,
the leaders in the Democratic party
have not let themselves be led away
from approval of the plan proposed by
the President, merely because the sue
cess OF such plan might rebound to
the credit of Republican Chief Execu-
tive. The plan is designed to help the
American people through helping the
peoples of other nations in the present
situation. Probably the Democratic
leaders remember that the late Presi-
dent Woodrow Wilson had in mind
easing the burdens of the peoples Of
the world Immediately after the Great
War, and that his idea of what was
best for the peace Of the world was not
continued and seemingly perpetual
grinding down Of any people econom-
ically for the benefit of any other peo-
pie.
But the snipers are insinuating that
the motivating purpose behind the pro-
posal made by President Hoover to give
the next year to economic recovery
throughout the world through mora
torium of international debts IS de-
sire to strengthen himself as a candi-
date for reelection next year. That,
they insist, IS what the President really
had in mind, not the relief of the peo-
Piles of Europe as well as the people of
the United States. And thereby the
snipers reveal their own caliber, which
Is small indeed
Other critics, like Representative La
Guardia of New York, find it cause
for grief that President Hoover has
undertaken to advance this plan of re-
lief without calling Congress together.
Mr.. La Guardia'S contention Is that
this was function for Congress to per-
form. Judging from the past perform
ances of Congress, however, speedy action
on such a proposal, not already formu-
lated and offered to the world, would
be highly problematical. Mr. La
Guardia, who aspires to the Progress
sive" leadership in the House, is mourn
full because Progressives were not con-
suited, although he admits that Sena-
tor Borah of Idaho and Senator Wag-
ner of New York were among those
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Presidents announcement was made.
But Mr.. La Guardia does not say that
he would not have given his own ap-
proval of the plan if he had been con-
suited, too. Indeed, he says that the
Congress undoubtedly will pass the
necessary legislation when the time
comes next December.
President Hoover has put forward,
with the consent of all political fac
tions, an American plan for aid to the
world in the present depression, plan
which may make it possible for the
German republic to survive despite cir
cumstances which have threatened the
overthrow of government in that coun-
try. 1t is time for the country as
whole to advance the cause, not to en-
gage in picayune politics.