Evening star., 1939-04-23

0OF. AlOyQ NTOW oIATk CI N1lSSOuTl
came here the other day to be received
as something like a conquering hero.
Cabinet members. Senators, politicians
sought him out. Headlines In Washing
ton newspapers hailed him as the boss
buster"
But all this was.not 50 much in tribute
to his recent victory over Boss" Tom
Pendergast Of Kansas City, Mo-, as In
anticipation Of how he may spend the
political capital accumulated by virtue of
that victory. No city in the country is
so quick to recognize the attributes of
power. Washington was looking to Gov.
Stark's future. and with the realization
that anything may happen to Missouri's
man of the hour.
Will he sit in the Senate after 1910? Or
will that other miraculous thing hap
pen? Will the remote presidential light
ming strike? Will he be the surprise
Democratic nominee? Will he come back
with his family to live in the White
House? These questions were behind
all the stir and interest that Gov. Stark's
visit occasioned.
And in the midst Of this speculation
Gov. Stark himself appeared calm and
unconcerned, moving through the froth
of Washington attention with the de-
hberate, even tempo that is so charac-
teristic. In the suite at the Mayflower
Hotel that he occupied with Mrs. Stark
the Governor was besieged by newspaper
and magazine writer's. He could not
possibly comply with all the demands on
his time. During five crowded days he
saw virtually every one of importance
from President Roosevelt on down.
Is Friend Of Roosevelt.
The President and the Missouri Gov
ernor enjoy a warm, friendly relation
ship. One reason is that they nnd many
things to agree about. But more impor-
tant perhaps is the similarity Of the
background from which each man comes.
The Starks are to Pike County in Mis-
souri, what the Roosevelts are to Duchess
County in New York-country squires.
They have the same pride of place, pride
of tradition and ownership. And with
this is linked = strong sense of COM
munity responsibility, keen realization
of the democracy that unites the man in
the big house with the man in the cot
tage.
1t is on this sense Of community re-
sponsibility, essentially, that Roosevelt
has built his public career. Similarly 1t
is behind Gov. Stark's approach to pub
lie life. Like President Roosevelt, he Is
country gentleman. He Is = country
gentleman who has been catching up in
the past four years on his political edu-
cation. Mr.. Roosevelt, Of course, Is far
ahead Of him in that respect, although
the President is only two years older
than the Governor, who Is 81.
There is another important difference,
one which Mr.. STARK himself would
stress, and that Is the Governors long
business experience rs active head OF
Stark Bros Nursery, said to be the
largest business Of its kind In the world
If he were to criticize the Roosevelt ad-
ministration-and he is very careful not
to-it would be in the light of this ex-
perience in big business. He makes it
plain that he goes along wholeheartedly
wtthe the Presidents humanitarian aims
end the New Deal measures intended to
carry them out.
There are thousand employees on the
pay roll of Stark Bros. at Louisiana, and
the Governor, Is businessman, Is aware
OF what it means to meet that pay roll
from week to week. He takes . pride In
having balanced the budget for the bi-
cnni,m in Missouri. That meant at the
outset Of hts administxatioa hiking up
the sa1os tx 70 bging IN enoush added