Evening star., 1939-06-18

city room, came over to Vandenberg's
desk and informed him that from then
on he was editor and publisher of the
paper. For young man of % it was
great responsibility, but also for one
Of Vandenbergs background it was an
opportunity made to order. Under his
direction the paper reached a new peak
Of prosperity. The home town boy made
good on his own front doorstep.
He developed baroque editorial writ
ing style that colored his public speeches
and his public appearances In fact, he
had all the outward bearing of the ira
ditional Senator long before he was
named in 1923 to the seat left vacant
by the death of Senator Woodbridge
Ferris.
His manner was little too senatorial
to please his colleagues, who found him
bit on the pompous side. There is
nothing so likely, however, to deflate
an exaggerated ego as association with
veterans of what has been called the
worlds most exclusive club Vandenberg
discovered that it was considered bad
form to take oneself as seriously as he
had done. AS matter of fact, it is
one of the first things that intelligent
Senators learn-a little concealment of
the ego that has swollen to exaggerated
proportions in its native habitat.
Proved Himself Hard Worker.
What is more, Vandenberg proved
himself from the start to be a hard
worker. Mark Foote of Michigan's
Boothe newspapers estimated recently
that Vandenberg had answered more
roll calls during his time than any
other Senator. He was conscientious in
attendance on committees and almost
always in his seat on the floor when
the Senate was in session. The truth
was that he liked his job. He likes it
today more than ever, feeling that by
temperament and intellect he was cut
out to be a Senator
Too, he developed definite interests
and convictions. Vandenberg was one of
the tough, hard-working group that in
vestigated the munitions industry. The
others were Senators Nye, Clark and
Bone. They worked in remarkable har-
mony of method and objective. Some
top Republican campaign contributors
conspicuously the /Du Ponts-passed
across the witness stand in the course
of the investigation and Vandenberg
was no less hardboled with them than
other members of the committee.
He is said to have put some particular
ly embarrassing questions to members
of the Du Pont family concerning their
wartime profits on munitions. The re-
port is current that the Du Points as
result hold deep resentment against
Vandenberg and will do what they can
to prevent his becoming the Republican
nominee. AS heavy contributors to the
party war chest-there were four men,
bers of the family on the latest list
to be made public-this might be an
important factor.
During the New Deal the Michigan
Senator, who squeaked through by a
narrow margin in 1884 in campaign
in which he spoke we'll of New Deal
"objectives," has made himself conspic-
uous as an oppositionist. He has been
leader of the economy bloc, but, with
considerable shrewdness, he directs his
fulminations at the more obvious white
elephants such as Passamaquoddy and
the Florida ship canal. While he has
voted against every relief bill, he points
out that it has been because he has
favored a formula, based on grants in
aid to the States, establishing definite
standards for relief spending.
1t was after his latest success in de-
feating the Florida ship canal that he
made his statement declaring for Re-
publican candidate pledged to q single