Evening star., 1934-09-28

analysis OF the political philosophy
behind former President Hoouer's
ne,D book.
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
EMPORIA, Kans, September %
N.ANAD Herbert Hoover's book,
THE Challenge to Liberty" is first
of all a message to posterity. Some
editors, realizing that the former
President at this time has little trade
in value for the presidential cam
paign two years from now, are sure
the book is a bid for the Republican
presidential nomination. Their ia
vorite Joke Is that about the old
darky, who, seeing decapitated tur-
tie still wiggling and kicking, cried:
Dat old fool doesn't know he is
daid!"
Now, If Herbert Hoover knows one
thing better than any other, it is
that he is for the moment, and maybe
forever, politically "daid." Certainly
this book is not intended as a pull
motor, but as a posthumous protest
a record that will place him in his
tory on the side of democracy.
Lost "Old Order" Record.
It is conceivable-indeed, many
people hope as many fear-that
America is about to depart from the
ancient ways which have guided the
English-speaking people for thou
sand years in the struggle for liberty
BY liberty those who agree with Mr.
Hoover mean the rights of free
speech, free press, free aSsemblage
trial by jury. the writ of habeas
corpus. majority rule and the orderly
well-established form of parlia-
mentary government. If we turn the
corner either into modified Fascism
or diluted sort Of cooperative
Communism, history will wonder
what the last President under the
old order thought and said and did
about 1t. Or if, on the other hand
conflict arises to uphold the old order
history in another century will ask
Where was Herbert Hoover in that
contest?" This book will be the
answer to both of those questions
He goes on record for democracy.
The excerpts from Mr.. Hoover's
book printed in the Saturday Eve
ming Post, during August and Sep
tember. were naturally selected by
the editor of the Post with reference
to their militancy. And the Post
may give a somewhat unfair i'm
preston of the book. The Post serie.
is a fighting series. The book itself
by its dignity, by its scholarly atti.
tude, by its obvious, conscious under.
statement. will tell posterity. not 6
fighting Quaker's story, but will re.
veal a Quaker's philosophical idea
of the power of reason over force
in government.
Moved by Danger.
Here posterity will see, not a Draw.
Ter in the hustings. but a man pro.
foundly moved by danger threaten.
ing his country. Posterity will set
q man who has gone with meticulouy
pains into the history of the growth
of liberty. who weighs the practica
as well as the philosophical benefits
of liberty and who uses the circum.
stances Of the present challenge t
liberty only as an example of wha'
menaces liberty in any worldwide
rush and clamor for economic Sc
curity- as the paramount issue in 6
time Of economic panic.
One who reads Mr.. Hoover's book
closely will find here no hard anc
fast enemy of the objectives of the
New Deal. He is critic of methods
rather than Of objects. The Object
of the New Deal Is obviously a re.
adjustment of our national income
under the modern ideals of justice
an adjustment which will guarantee
economic security to the average mar
of no acquisitive talents. Such ar
adjustment will also guarantee to the
other man, the man with talents. q
his qualities honestly make take hin
under a redefinition of industrial
honesty.
No one who knows Herbert Hoover
can doubt that he believes in some
such reconstruction of the American
economic system. 1t is obvious to q
casual reader of the book that Mr.
Hoover would retain the profit system
as a spur to individual initiative
But he would redef1ne honesty ir
proflt-making as closely as the mos
ardent New Dealer who does moi
attack the problem upon the premise
that profits should be abolished.
Real Liberalism"
But in his book, Mr.. Hoover is NOR,
interested in lie philosophical aspect
of democracy than in the New Deal
Within month in letter to me h,
wrote:
IT hope some day our people viii
learn that the property rights are no
the foundation of human liberty
Those foundations lie in the othe
rights which free the spirit of men
free conscience, worship, thought
opinion, expression. creativeness, Sc
curity Of home, family and justice
The property rights are a downright
question of human behavior in sup
port to and subordinate to the othe
rights. When open to the individua
they stimulate initiative and enter
prise and give impulse to creativenes
and security Of home. When govern
ments take or destroy property right
they not only extinguish these mo
tivations but they invariably use eco
nomic power to stif1e the other rights
and they employ lot Of bureaucrat
to rub 1t In. But unrestrained us
of property rights by the individua
can also abuse. dominate and ex
tinguish the more precious nbertie
and securities. Therefore govern
ments must enact laws against abus,
and Nominations and must umpir,
these matters. The activities of gov
ernments must be limited to that.
1T is again the distinction between
real liberalism against both reaction
and radicalism."
One must not forget that in th'
latter half of Mr.. Hoover's term a.
President he had assembled more col