Evening star., 1933-03-03
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

veloping, the Californian did not shrink
from allying himself with some Of the
practical machinists Of the Republican
party, who, exploiting the widespread
popular demand for Hoover's nomina-
ton, easily accomplished it and sub
sequently his triumphant election. But
both nomination and election took
place without the enthusiastic support
Of G. o. P. leaders. They never cot
toned to Herbert Hoover, or he to them.
Even after he entered the White House
they remained more or less outsiders.
Now and then they were called into
conference, but they never ranked as
for-leather friends. Members
Of Congress ready to "go down the line"
for Hoover could have been counted
on the fingers Of one hand.
In addition to his unconquerable an
t1pathy to politics and politicians, Her
stoop to any Of their standardized
methods. He resisted all efforts to
dramatize him. He would never
burn red IRE, even when its display
might easily have been justified. The
tactics which endeared Theodore Roose-
welt to the populace were not In Hoover's
lexicon. He held fast to the theory
that as long as he was conscientiously
doing the best presidential job he knew
how, this was all he needed to do, and
the country could take it or leave it.
Herculean efforts were required to force
him onto the stump in self-defense In
1882. He at one time actually believed
direct appeal to the electorate was
unnecessary, Il not undignifed.
4
President Hoover Is q super-sensitive
soul. It cut him to the quick to think
that an ungrateful Republic, bending
beneath its economic distress, would
hold him responsible for it, instead of
realizing that less wise leadership,
especially one that succumbed to panic
amid the encircling gloom, would have
meant immensely more devastating
hardships. Yet Mr.. Hoover, disdaining
occasional advice to the contrary, ad-
hered resolutely to his non-spectacular
course. At the time of the August IL
acceptance speech and until the Maine
elections a month later the President
believed the Nation, bad as things were,
was with him and would re-elect him.
Were he more politically minded, he
would have known that disaster was
foreordained for him-for any Repub-
ncan-last year.
X 4 X 4
"He would never play politics" Is the
comment of an ADMINISTRATIONS who
betakes himself to the great outside
with Herbert Hoover at high noon on
March 4. AL the Presidents habitually
make liberal use of the executive order
for the purpose of covering" men and
women into the classified civil service.
It's one Of the little perquisites Of the
office, commonly utilized to do a po-
itical pal favor or personal friend
turn. Mr. Hoover Is said to have
issued 5000 or 1000 executive orders,
from any except routine motives. That
was a couple of months ago, when he
ordered that the son Of his old school,
teacher in Iowa should be appointed a
rural letter carrier.
It is the writer's opinion that time
will progressively mellow the American
peoples Judgment Of Herbert Hoover.
Their woes just now are too oppressive
he Is too intimately identified with
them-to permit the man and his ad-
ministration to be gauged impartially
at this critical hour. Other Presidents
before him left the White House low
recovered with the passing Of the years,
and grew Is time went on. Woodrow
Wilson is the most recent example.
Herbert Hoover, his host Of admirers Is
convinced, Is destined to be the next.
With one emotion this day his bosom
assuredly must throb- gratitude that
tomorrow he can 60 fishing for as long
as be pleases.
(Copyright. 1887