Evening star., 1938-07-17

yll Circus has been
forced OH the
road and into
winter quarters
in the middle OF
r-..l,-- w~,.- its season. VIC
tim of hard times.
Apparently not even the greatest
show on earth" could compete with
the New Deal circus.
But to return to Mr.. Roosevelt. Like
the illustrious Barnum, the President
frequently is far more entertaining
and diverting than he is accurate. Like
Barnum, Mr. Roosevelt is not above
pious humbuggery and hokum-not to
say political ,hypocrisy-in order to
hold the attention Of his audience.
Hokum at Oklahoma City.
Mr.. Roosevelt's recent barn-storm-
ing trip across the country affords
several Illuminating examples of how
much like Barnum his methods and
technique are. In his Oklahoma City
speech Mr.. Roosevelt professed to RE
member" and not too accurately, events
In the history of that State which
occurred when he was and 3 years
old.
1t Is odd that Mr.. Roosevelt's men,
ory goes back so far when it fails him
miserably regarding events Of less
than six years ago. For instance, in
his speech at Covington, KY, Mr..
Roosevelt said:
"On my Kentucky visit in 1882 my
train moved slowly from Covington to
Louisville and then in a southeasterly
direction through villages and farm
ing sections and mining districts. As
we stopped at small stations crowds
congregated. Hunger stared out at
me from the faces Of men and women
and little children.
TT was q chill day and for the act
ual want Of clothes people stood there
shivering"
Tears in Our Eyes"
Mr.. Roosevelt went on to assert that
as he and dear Alben" Barley on
that day IN 1882 stood on the rear plat
form of the campaign train looking on
these scenes tears were in our eyes"
As Mr.. Roosevelt's voice, quivering
with pathos, over the radio, described
the scene I was deeply affected until
suddenly I remembered that as q
newspaper reporter I was OF, that trip
with him. At once the events of that
day stood out in my mind-and. I could
not recall such details OF misery. a..
Indeed, I remembered IT. was o
bright day. marked by warm sun
shine. could not recall any tears in
Mr.. Roosevelt's eyes. although I had
observed him at each stop We made.
recalled him as his usual gay, smil-
ing self. Moreover. I remembered, we
did not come to Louisville on that trip
by way Of Covington We came into
Kentucky from the West, en- route
from st. Louis.
Memory, however, sometimes plays
tricks on one, 50 I went to the news
paper files and re-read the stories that
some Of my colleagues wrote of that
days trip. Their accounts conceded
with my memory of that day.
What Reporters Wrote.
Walker s. Buel. the veteran and
able Washington correspondent Of the
Democratic Cleveland Plain Dealer,
wrote that Mr.. Roosevelt received q
typical Dixie welcome while he ira
versed Kentucky and that "he had 4
day Of brilliant sunshine and bright
blue sky after crossing the Ohio River
this morning."
James A. Hagerty in the New York
Times described the trip through
Kentucky IS "a cheering Journey"
Ernest K. Lindley, Mr.. Roosevelt's
campaign biogra pher, in the New York
Herald Tribune. reported that Mr..
Roosevelt concluded his Louisville
speech that day with the line: "The
sun shines bright on my old Kentucky
home"
Most convincing of all, however, is
the account of Uric Bell of the Louis
vile Courier Journal, one Of the most
ardent journalistic supporters in the
country, then and now, of Mr.. Roose-
welt. Mr.. Bell wrote that "the swing
through the State progressed under
smiling skies" and he further report
ed that "all members Of the Roose-
velt family expressed delight over the
cheerful warmth of Kentucky's greet
ing"
Graphic substantiation of Mr.. Bells
description was found ON other pages
Of the Courier-Journal in photographs
showing in the crowds greeting Mr..
Roosevelt men in shirt-sleeves and
without vests and in the weather re-
port showing the temperature was
above 81 degrees--and as high as II
degrees-during the entire time Mr..
Roosevelt was in Kentucky, hardly the
temperature Of chilly day.
None Reported Any Tears.
Not one of these able newspaper
men-all friendly toward Mr.. Roose-
velt-reported the scene of misery he
described six years later and not one
reported detecting any tears in his
eyes. What q crowd Of punk reporters
we must have been!
But they did report that on that
day Mr.. Roosevelt at one of his stops
told a story Of hitch-hiker whom he
said he had met and who claimed to
have managed to get from coast to
coast in 10 days by holding up sign
which read: IF you don't give me .
ride, I'll vote for Hoover"
Today the same story is being told
about Mr.. Roosevelt, except that now
this mythical hitch-hiker Is said to
have Travelled from the Atlantic to the
Pacific in four days by threatening to
vote again for Mr.. Roosevelt.
Harry Byrd. II he had appointed the
49, ranoxo rnandad hu thu CAna tors