Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-02-23
.HOOvER'S MOTIVES
STILL IN DOUBT
Return to Arena of Public
Discussion Received With
Mixed Feeling.
BY David LAWRENCE.

Herbert Hoover's apparent return
to the arena of public discussion has
been received here by the political
folk with mixed feelings.
The Democrats are rather glad
they say satirically that he helps to
crystalline their own strength at q
time when they we're beginning TO
fall out among themselves. The Re-
publicans say privately that the wis
dom of Mr.. Hoover's move depends
entirely on whether he is seeking the
Republican nomination in 1886 or
whether the public will think he is.
The truth of the matter probably
is that Herbert Hoover has been keep
ing silent for nearly two years largely
because to speak would have been to
arouse precisely such doubts as have
now been expressed.
But it was a choice between speak
ing for about 1900. 900 or more who
voted for him in 1882 and voted for
his party again in 1884 and being
misunderstood, or keeping quiet and
doing nothing IN what Mr.. Hoover
regards as a challenge to liberty and
a fundamental struggle for the pres
ervation of the American form OF
Government.
Hoover to Make Comments.
Mr.. Hoover has already decided, no
doubt. that he will, as the country's
only living ex-President, be able to
exert an influence which few other
private citizens IN the Republican
party can exert. and also that when
the time comes he will reveal his lack
OF ambition to become a candidate
once more.
From now on the word here is that
Mr.. Hoover will make comment on
public questions and endeavor to dis
cusS them dlSpaSsionately but with
the same zeal for his doctrines which
ne expressed when he fought vainly
IN the last few weeks of the 1882
campaign.
What will be the political value of
his contributions? Certainly at the
moment the so-called right wing is
no better organized than the left.
The Republican party is fioundering
and has sort Of insurgency in its
own ranks. as the groups who think
liberalism should prevail look askance
at the older members of their party.
Strange as it may sound. Mr.. Hoover
never considered himself a conserya-
tive and was far from popular in Wall
Street. AS a matter Of fact, it vas
President Hoover who encouraged the
starting of the famous Stock Exchange
and banking investigation IN the
Senate which did more to arouse
popular prejudice against the con-
sentative forces than anything the
Roosevelt administration itself has
done.
Hoover Methods Used.
Mr.. Hoover would probably classify
himself as somewhere between the
New Dealers who believe in State in
PREVENTION. irrespective Of the Con-
stitution, and the conservatives who
want to stick 10 the Constitution and
the old order irrespective Of whether
the social order can stand the strain.
Under the Hoover administration.
State intervention, that is the creation
of the Reconstruction Finance Corp.
and the extension OF Federal aid to
private business institutions, was put
into effect far more than in any pre-
ce6ing administration. The r. p. G.
has been one of the principal In
Strumentalities of the New Deal, and
as for the farm policy, With its SUBJ
| sides and processing taxes, the old
Farm Board experiment attempted by
| President Hoover was not very much
different than present day agricultural
subsidies.
! Mr., Hoover's experience in ham
ding the problems Of the depression
| equipS him to discuss these matters
with more knowledge and background
than any man in the Republican
party, and it is reasonable to suppose
| that Of the millions who voted for
Mr. Hoover, many still regard him as
! their spokesman.
With Huey Long, Senator La Fol-
lette and others bombarding the
/ Roosevelt administration from the
left and Mr.. Hoover endeavoring to
arouse the right wing to greater re-
sistance and aggressivenesS, the cam
palgn of 1886 may well be said TO have
begun.
1t is very unlikely that the Repub-
licans would nominate Mr.. Hoover.
He has associated with him period
of great depression and IN the minds
of the masses of people the hard times
began under the Hoover adminlstra-
ton. So. as a vote-getting PROPOSE
ton, Republican leaders would hard
" at this time anyway. say the Hoover
name was going to be In 1886 any
great asset for the ticket.
Hoover Will Serve Purpose.
But MIR. Hoover will serve . pur-
nose in the fight. He will rally the
conservatives and keep them together
It is in the conservative group that
Mr.. Roosevelt henceforth must make
his greatest gains. For the Huey
Longs and the others who are ad-
vocating extreme programs from the
radical standpoint would hardly draw
to their banners any conservatives.
Mr.. Roosevelt's chances of reelection
would be enhanced If for every ex-
tremist he lost ON the left side he
gained q vote from the conservative
side. He has the middle-o the-road
vote already.
The administration political experts
| concede that the formation of flve or
six independent parties on the Town.
send plan or the share-the- wealth
ideas Of Huey Long would cause con-
siderable damage, but they are conf
dent Mr.. Roosevelt, as the master
strategist, will conquer all these
hurdles. For the moment the en-
trance Of Herbert Hoover into the
ring-and it Is understood he will
speak often and write comments fire.
quently on current iSSues-marks the
beginning Of q three cornered night
in American politics and not at all