Evening star., 1932-11-21
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Not only as late presidential cam
paign opponents, but in literal sense
as old friends, will Herbert Hoover and
Franklin Roosevelt stretch their respec-
tive legs under the White House ma
hogany tomorrow They have met
and conferred innumerable times before.
Probably their first contact was during
the Panama-Pacific International Ex-
position, in 1915. Mr.. Hoover was the
European commissioner of the exposi-
tion, and Mr. Roosevelt was the Amer
ican national commissioner. The
World War came, and the year 1917
found Hoover national food administra-
tor and Roosevelt Assistant Secretary OF
the Navy. Not only officially, but lar
oftener at Sunday evening social gath
erings in what came to be known as
the "S street group" in Washington, the
two men mingled frequently and in
timately. The late Franklin <. Lane
was the one who brought Hoover and
Roosevelt together, and their meetings
were generally at the Lane home. After
the armistice H. H" and IF. d. r.
crossed the ocean together, Hoover to
feed Central Europe and Roosevelt to
supervise rehabilitation Of the Amer
ican Navy in war waters. Four years
later. in 1923, the two men were thrown
together again on common work, When
they Joined in organizing the Ameri-
can Construction Council, OF which
Roosevelt became president.
** **
II the National Press Club dining
room had ten times its limited capacity,
there'd be not the slightest trouble III
filling it up for tomorrow nights BAN
uuet to Gov. Roosevelt. Applications
for places have streamed in from all
over Washington, but attendance Will
be confined exclusively to club members
Who've tumbled over one another TO
nav SIS a plate in the President elects
honor By Mr.. Roosevelt's request. the
party will be strictly informal. He'll
himself turn up in his working day
clothes, and so will all his hosts. the
hope is that the Governor will consent
to convert the affair into a Grldlron
Club function, as far as his speech Is
Overwhelmingly, when the rule Is;
Reporters are never present. he u
have an earful to give the scTlpes, II
! he decides to talk to them ON tne
record" as the famous Washington say
| ing is when public men commune with
newspaper men, but not for publication.
"F. D. r." had eight years OF that sort
| of relationship with the Washington
| CORDS, so he knows the game.
| Tt annears that the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation is responsible 1ol
/ at least one lame duck. i. e., Senator
| Tasker L. Oddie, Republican, OF Ne
ysda. Mr.. Oddie succumbed to his
Democratic opponent, Patrick II. NC
Carran. on November 8 by only l,30t
votes. His friends say Oddle was 9
| direct victim of the r. F. C.s fallure Io
come in time to the relief OF Nevaoa
banks, a dozen of which have closeo
their doors since election. The Gov
ernor of the state, Fred B. Balzar. flew
to Washington not long ago to make
an emergency call on the r. F. c., ano
pleaded the states banking needs pas
sionately. but the corporations heart
IL appears. did not melt soon enough
Looking upon the concern as a Hoover
administration agency, Oddie, stanch
Hooyerite, was made the goat, and was
defeated for reelection.
x X
Reports persist tt one OF tht
earliest and most t"astic changes ir
welt administration will be the recog'
milton of Soviet Ru@ "a. The Governor
was closeted at Albany several hours
during the late campaign with Walter
Duranty, famous New York Times cor
respondent in Moscow, who ranks al
the best informed American on pres
ent-day Russian conditions. Mr.. Du'
ranty, while frequently taking wholly
objective view of Soviet affairs, nov
and then reveals traces of favoring
Moscow regime, and he is believed TO b
a strong proponent of recognition. HI
and other Americans who share tina
view apparently consider diplomatic re
lations with the Soviet advisable OF
TIVE important scores-Q) for trad