Evening star., 1932-10-28
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Diplomatic circles in Washington are
buzzIng with the story that Gov. Roose-
velt, if elected President, will take leaf
out of the poSt-election notebook Of
Herbert Hoover and 60 touring for a
couple of months abroad preceding his
Inauguration. Mr.. Hoover went to South
America, but Gov. Roosevelt. according
to the tale, plans a trip to Europe. The
purpose would be. It's said. to pay his
respects to the rulers and statesmen Of
the Old World, in the same manner as
President elect Hoover bestowed his
upon the power-wielders of the Latin
republics. If there's anything in the
whole business, which European diplo-
mats seem to be taking seriously, the
supposed object of the Roosevelt expedi-
ton would be to lay the groundwork
for closer American cooperation with
the countries ''over there" To date,
Gov. Roosevelt's views on foreign af-
fairs, except a pre-convention declara-
ton against American entry into the
League Of Nations and his campaign
opposition to debt cancellation, remain
a good deal OF mystery. The Demo-
cratic nominee spent several years
abroad as a youth. He speaks both
French and German. As Assistant Sec
retary Of the Navy he crossed the ocean
wartime naval affairs.
President Hoover left the White House
for indianapolis last night, observers
said. with more fight in his eye than
they can remember having seen there
at any other time during the campaign.
The Republican standard bearer has
now accepted without reservation his
advisers counsel that brass knuckles
are the only things he can afford to
use from now on. There's no expecta-
ton that the Californian at any stage
Of these last rounds will stoOp to un-
seemly personalities, but he'll at least
wear no kid gloves and hit above the
belt as hard and as often as circum-
stances permit Hoover is quoted by
intimates as admitting that he is sur
prised to find himself enjoying the zest
of combat One of these days, If things
turn out disastrously for him on the
first Tuesday after the first Monday In
November. the President may have
something to say. privately but force,
fully. to g. o. p. managers who laid
down after the speech of acceptance,
thinking the battle was already won,
and did not come out Of their trance
until Maine was heard from month
afterward.
At Newark the other night Gov.
Smith made q special appeal for the
election of Representative Percy H.
Stewart, Democrat, as United states
senator from New Jersey. In doing SO
All stressed the fact that Stewart would
take his seat Immediately as occupant
of an unexpired term. /. e., when Con-
press meets in December, whereupon
his vote would just suffice to mske the
Senate Democratic right away. It's an
interesting coincidence, in view OF this
possibility, that it was Stewart's ar
rival In the House last December, as
the successor of the late Representative
Ernest r. Ackerman, Republican, that
lust gave the lower branch OF Congress
Democratic majority. subsequent
events, of course, swelled the majority
to an extent that made Democratic
control solid and led to the election OF
Jack Garner as Speaker.
y
One of the phenomena Of this phe-
nomenal campaign is the education
which the voters are undoubtedly getting
in the economics of government. It's
hardly supposable that the electorate is
able to lap up intelligently the myriad
of figures both presidential candidates
are .Ieeling off about Federal expendi-
ture. taxes, Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration loans, comomdity prices, tariff
revenue and all the rest Of it. But the
people who listen to the major speeches
as they drift into the sitting rooms of
the land by radio are grasping the fun
damentals Of national finance and ac-
quiring q familiarity with them which
few had before. Nowadays you can hear
folks who never knew anything about
Uncle Sans gold discussing it more or
less wisely. President Hoover's Des
Moines address, in which he disclosed
how close the United States was TO slid
ing Of the gold standard last Winter, was