Evening star., 1933-07-16

requirements OF the pIeSlOeHClal OAlCc,
and without any doubt the American
taxpayers would be virtually unanimous
in their approval, but if the tastes of
the Presidents Of the past are any cri-
terion, such a thing will not be realized
for long time to come.
One fact in this connection has been
established and that is that Presidents
like having a yacht at their disposal
President Hoover was the only one in
recent years who cared little for this
form of diversion and recreation. It
was very shortly after becoming PreSi-
dent that he ordered the famous old
presidential yacht Mayf1oWer out of COM
mission. This historic vessel, with a
proud record dating back to the Span
ish-American War when it distinguished
itself as a gunboat, in Cuban waters,
afforded many happy and reStful hours
for all the other Presidents as far back
as Teddy Roosevelt.
Col. Roosevelt acquired the Mayflower
for the use of the occupant Of the White
House With the Spanish War over,
there was really no good purpose for
this luxurious, trim craft in the Navy
establishment, and he had no trouble
having it turned into the presidential
yacht.
T. R. spent many pleasant week ends
aboard the yacht with members of his
family and an interesting company of
friends When Taft became President
he very soon displayed an even greater
fondness for the Mayf1ower. Woodrow
Wilson, who succeeded him, is believed
to have enjoyed the use of this boat
more than any other President. He
did not confine its use to mere week
end cruises. He frequently stretched
such excursions into cruises of four or
five days, and on several occasions took
trips of more than two weeks. Harding
did not use the Mayf1ower so frequently,
but he took several long trips along the
coast aboard it. Coolidge had fond
ness for the famous old boat and used
it many times, but he never went beyond
the Virginia Capes Personally, it was
of little consequence to him where the
Mayf1ower went while he was aboard,
just so long as it stayed out of rough
water and did not get out of sight of
land
He was just as content to confine his
week end cruise anchored off HainS
Point, East Potomac Park.
The Mayflower had become a real
presidential tradition and much disap-
pointment was expressed by the public
of Washington when President Hoover
had it taken out of commission. The
stanch old yacht was burned while at
the League Island Navy Yard, Philadel-
phia, and later was sold for junk.
While all of the Presidents during the
past 80 years, with the exception of Mr..
Hoover, found the Mayfower an excel
lent means of taking brief rest out
in the open air, and frequently as a
means of mixing business with pleasure,
by holding important conferences on its
shaded decks amid cool breezeS, they
all looked elsewhere when it came time
for real extended vacation spot.
AS further evidence of the varied
tastes and ideas of Presidents re-
garding vacation, it is not difficult TO
go back as far as Lincoln. The White
House records indicate that he was kept
so busy holding the Union together
during the strife of Civil War that he
had little time to be bothered with the
heat of a Washington Summer or TO
think about leaving town for vacation