The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-02-20


 Since assuming command of the Finnish relief drive, Hoover has carefully avoided political activity. But under cover he has both hands deep in the Republican pie in pursuit of his ambition to wipe out his crushing 1882 defeat, This ambition, as described by a close friend, is aimed at three ob- jectives in the following order:
 l. To secure adoption of a Re-
 publican platform vindicating
 his economic and fiscal theories, particularly on gold. To this end, he has already chalked up one
 significant victory in the still
 unpublished report (Merry-G Co.,
 Round, Feb. D of the Glenn
 Frank Program Committee
 which shows every evidence of
 having been strongly influenced
 by Hoover.
 2. To have a controlling voice
 in the selection of the party's
 standard bearer.
 5. IT possible, to capture the
 nomination himself.
 No. and No. 2 are MT. Hoo- ver's primary aims, according to his friend, and he is concentrating his major efforts on them. He ap- preciates that the odds are heavy against his capturing the nomina- ton himself, but he doesn't con- slider this impossible.
 If he can shape the platform and be in a position to swing dele- gate strength, then he might, in the event of a deadlock, pull g stampede and grab the prize.
 ABORTIvE 193e COUP
 Only a few insiders know 1t, but Herbert Hoover attempted exactly that strategy at the 1936 Cleve- land convention.
 He had come to Cleveland with a speech calculated to WOW the delegates. Also, his lieutenants had spotted four bands in the Hobbies outside the hall and had a large corps of clackers with duplicate state banners all ready for a tum- ultuous Hoover demonstration. Furthermore, his einissaries had buttonholed New York and Penn sylvania delegates that morning and urged them not to caucus tin-. til after Hoover made his speech that night.
 Things may be a lot different after that speech" they argued.
 But alert Landon managers got wind. of these plans and swung into action. They persuaded New York and Pennsylvania to hold their caucus and pledge their big voting blocs for Landon. Landon men also took measures to see to it that there would be no run away Hoover demonstration.
 The precautions were effective. Hoover made his speech, irrev- erently tagged by some as "H0Over's Cross of Gold" He got big hand. But that was all. When later he tried to return to the roStrun he was courteously but firmly stopped by Landonites and his planted demonstration never materialized. Hoover returned to his hotel and, cancelling train reservations, re- mained over night, hoping against hope that his break would come.
 But the LandOn forces were too we'll organized. They had the convention firmly in hand and Hoover didn't have l0OIIin. They wrote the platform as they wanted 1t and picked Ais run. ming mate. . DIFFERENT THIS YEAR
 But this year, with the race wide open, Hoover is maneuvering SO that things shall be different.
 He will be at the convention in person, will marshal his own forces, and intends to have . big say i'm everything that is done. Behind the scenes, he and lieu- tenants all over the country have been busy for weeks quietly m0bilzng ther forces. They are particularly active n the Mid West where the lack of favorite son candidates and the desire of state leaders to % to the con- ycntion with free hands are playing into Hoover plans.
 Hoover leaders secretly are urg. ing uninstructed delegations head cd by men known as friendly to him.
 MERRY-GO-ROUND.
 when the President makes 6 snAech he keeng his msnne 0n the