Evening star., 1932-10-12
Hoover Des Moines Speech
Creates Focus of Campaign

beyond question that the measures used
were Of inestimable value"
The President" in the Judgment of
the Chicago Daily News tindependent).
has given the American public a true
perspective of the great crisis now hap
PLY past" and that paper declares that
his presentation of the facts affords a
picture of efficient leadership in a time
of extraordinary peril that will stand
in history as a statesmanly achievement
of the first order" TIE Cleveland News
tRepublican) sees the Executive stand
ing forth stronger figure in the ma
tlonal life than. perhaps, at any other
time in his career" The Akron Beacon
Journal independent Republican,
states that "he has changed his strategy
from that of an individual who was the
meek and passive target for brickbats
thrown from every quarter to fight
ing and challenging defender of his
own record ana achievements"
The Presidents speech, contrasted
with that of Gov. Roosevelt at Topeka"
according to the Los Angeles Times
tRepublican), gives the best oppor-
tunity that has yet been afforded in this
campaign for comparison of the capa-
bilities of the two men, of their quail
flcations for the post which both seek,
since these utterances throw into genu-
inely sharp contrast their conceptions
and proposed solutions of the very diff
cult problems of agriculture. The con-
traSt is as sharp as between sunshine
and fog"
Criticizing Mr. Hover's position. the
Houston Post (Democratic) contends
that the attempt to claim credit for
every constructive effort made to restore
economic and financial stability in the
country will ALLEVIATE rather than create
public sympathy for Mr. Hoover" That
paper also declares: He failed to 90
into detail as to how he would turn war
debt payments to agriculture's benefit
and expressed no opinion as to whether
there would be any more war debt pay
ments-an important question. His
speech revealed that he still is singu-
larly blind to the disastrous effects of
the Smoot-Hawley tariff and that he is
still laboring under the delusion that a
high tariff helps the farmer. No doubt
was left in the mind of any one that no
hope of relief from the tariff may be
expected from his administration if it
should be retained in power"
In its entirety" according to the
Galveston Daily News (Democratic1
the speech supports Democratic charges
that Mr.. Hoover has utterly failed to
grasp the fundamentals of the agricul.
tural problem" The Meridian CMiss.)
Star independently holds that he offers
more promises added to promises al
ready unfulflled." The proposal for
employing the foreign debts as a means
OF increasing the European markets for
American farm products is credited to
former Gov. Smith by the Roanoke
World-News Democratic) and the
Scranton Times tDemocratic), and to
members of the Democratic party by
the Charlotte Observer independent
Democratic) and the Norfolk Ledger
Dispatch independent Democratic).
The Asbury Park Evening Press (in-
dependent Democratic) holds that
those who heard him will admire his
humility; they will show compassion as
he recalls his futile struggle; they will
hail him as a man who has done his
best, but who has not done well
enough" The Columbia CMo9 Daily
Tribune Oemocratic) argues that the
speech amounted to plea Of confess
sion and avoidance, with q promise to
do better next time-f there be q next
time"
"The medicine administered in lib
eral amount for the last IL years" saws
the Richmond News-Leader dndepen-
dent Democratic) has made the pa
tient very i'll. but. says Mr.. Hoover, If
the patient will take larger doses he
will recover" The Louisville Courier
Journal independently concludes: at
Is the desperate defense of q man at
bay. which in most particulars falls
short because those to whom 1t was
addressed know from unhappy expert
ence how short it falls"