Imperial Valley press., 1932-01-14
Don't
Quote Me-
United PreSSl


WASHINGTON. Jan. 14-Sen.
Hiram W. johnson (the wv"
stands for Warren) of California is
in his element these days. He is
having another fling at the In
ternational bankers. President
Hoover, on whom Johnson wastes
no affection, Is beset by many
troubles. Everything that happens
seems to be down Johnson's alley"
They are even asking him TO run
for president-and the lowdown on
that is that he'll let them ask him
but he doesn't fool himself for a
moment into thinking he can win.
johnson is one Of the most in
teresting men of the senate. He
comes from n politically minded
family out in California. His
father, the late Grove L. Johnson,
was Republican wheel horse for
years in the California legislature.
When johnson first ran for gov
ernor OF California. his father, then
still active in politics, did not look
with favor on the onslaughts of
his son upon the existing Republi-
can organization.
johnson started as a court re-
porter. He studied law in his
fathers office. After the San
Francisco earthquake and fire there
came a political and social reaction
which resulted in the notorious
San Francisco graft prosecution.
Johnson follows the old California
name for 1.-THE Doodle cases"
He was on the prosecutors staff.
Then Francis J. Heney, special
prosecutor, was shot in the court
room one afternoon. johnson, who
until then was chiefly known as
"a pretty good lawyer" stepped
into his place and he has hardly
been off the front pages of the
newspapers since. He sent Abe
Ruef, the California bass, TO
prison.
In 1910 he ran for governor Of
California. He had little financial
backing but he charged up and
down the state shouting that he
would kick the Southern Pacific
out Of politics." He won and did
as he said he would do. The rail-
road company, which had doni-
mated politics in California for
years, has never been able to come
back.
Speech Impeded
johnson was born with an i'm
pediment In his speech. He calls
1t tongue tied" His uncle, for
whom he was named, spent hours
drilling him in the pronunciation
of sibilants. Now he has the fast
est and one of the plainest deliver
les in the senate. The senate
stenographers like to take John
sons speeches because of the
clarity of his pronunciation, his
clear rhetoric and his knack of
rounding out completely every
sentence.
He uses long sentences, but they
are we'll spoktn, with the em-
phasis in the right place. He fans
the air with outStretched palms
and waves his arms like a shadow
boxer. He has tremendous endur-
ance. He spoke twice a day for a
fortnight during the London naval
treaty debate without, as one man
who heard it all describes it, drop
ping a syllable or misusing an
His office is one of the ideal
"hideaways' of the capitol It can
be reached only through a tortuous
with an entrance so
obscure it is impossible to direc.
anyone to it-they must be led the
first time.
In the senate his seat is In the
middle of the first row. He is
more than average regular In at
tendance and is attentive to what
goes on. His brain works so fast
and his tongue is so sharp that
none in the senate ever deliberately
invites tilt with him.
He doesn't have very high re-
gard for Sen. Samuel Shortridge,
his colleague from California.