The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-06-21
BY RODNEY BUTCHER
Correspondent for The Times
and NEA Service

and NEA Service
fcopvrirht. 1882. NEA Service. Incl
A MONG all the issues which
II Herbert Hoover has had to
face during more than three years
in the White House, there is
scarcely one on which his record
has not been used as base Of
attack by political enemies.
On the other hand, the Repub-
lican party can't find an item in
his record concerning which 1t is
unable or unwilling to boast.
In most cases the Democrats
say he has been timid, evasive,
stupid, or impotent and the Re-
publicans contend he has been
brave, fortnight, farseeing, and
constructive.
Well, as Al Smith used to say,
let's take a look at the record"
In a previous story we consid-
cred Mr.. Hoover and the depres-
sion-what the depression had
done to Hoover and what he had
done to it.
This piece takes up problems,
issues, and phases which we would
have had if economic conditions
had been as usual, although one
finds that the depression has had
some sort of relationship with
all of them.
THERE was the Hawley- Smoot
Il tariff, which Hoover signed
and which the Democratic pub
hcity office has attacked day in
and day out as one of the depres-
sion's important contributory fac
tors.
The Republicans, of course, say
it saved various industries from
ruin-and that most Democrats
voted for some of the new duties.
Mr.. Hoover called his special
session of congress in 1929 for a
limited revision of the tariff" as
well as his promised farm relief
measure.
Later he explained that he
meant there were some industries
which needed special aid and that
it was one way to help agriculture.
But the lobbyists ran wild and
so did congress. The President
held completely aloof during the
many months of lobbying and log
rolling which preceded the laws
passage.
1t finally came to him with
nearly thousand increases and
he signed it, admitting that there
were some bad spots in it which he
thought could be fixed by use of
the laws flexible provision.
Recently he has vetoed a Demo-
critic tariff which would have re-
duced no rates, but purported to
lay groundwork on which prohibit
tive tariffs might be reduced recip-
rocally later on.
lie took no position when tariffs
on oil, coal, copper and lumber
were written into the new tax bill
DROHIBITTON has continued
l. to bother Hoover as well as
other politicians. He never has
SAID publicly what he thought of
the dry laws.
AS to enforcement, he has been
neither more fanatical nor more
lax than his predecessors, but he
mas made strong declarations
against lawlessness, which he said
IN his inaugural address was our
most important unsolved problem.
He appointed the Wickersham
commission to investigate prohibi-
ton along with other problems of
law enforcement. After nearly two
years of close study, eight of its
eleven members reported in favor
OF revision or repeal of the eight
zenith amendment.
Hoover passed the report along
10 congress without recommended
ton.
A dozen other WickerSham COM
mission reports, most of them VAL
liable as vel as expensive-and
containing important recommen-
dations-have been ignored both
by the White House and congress.
The theory that repeal or a beer
tax would help alleviate the de-
preston has helped make prohibi-
ton an increasingly pressing issue.
Mr.. Hoover, who always has
been regarded as a dry rather
than a wet, remains noncommit-
tai.
Foreign relations have presented
one problem after another, includ-
Ing many of vital Importance,
World peace and disarmament
are among Hoover's cherished
ideals. Even as president-elect he
was off on good will tour" to
Latin-America, which he designed
to overcome a rather general dis
like for the United States in those
parts and to smooth the way for
more trade.
HOOVER was instrumental in
Il Il getting the London naval
arms conference actually called
and followed its progress closely.
The United States and Great