Evening star., 1944-10-03
Hoover Con Smile
At Compoign Trend
Former Presidents Experience
Exceeded That Of Roosevelt
By David Laurence.

AWHiSI AISsioeHtS Experience
Exceeded That Of Roosevelt
By David Laurence.
There is one man who must be get
tiAg good deal of satisfaction. If not
vindication, out Of the presidential CAM
paign. That is Herbert Hoover, who
undoubtedly is reading with avid in
terest the argument that experience in
the presidency is important.
Mr.. Hoover probably is arching his
eyebrows as he reads that, in order
to be good President, Chief Execu-
tive should have occupied the White
House at least four years and maybe
more. 1t win be recalled that Mr..
Hoover labored faithfully to transmit
to President-elect Roosevelt informa-
ton concerning the basic preparations
that had been made for the London
Economic Conference Of 1898. It will be
recalled also that Mr.. Roosevelt, dis
carding the advice of Secretary Hull,
suddenly torpedoed the conference In
June, 1s33-a step which many inter-
nationally minded persons think was
the beginning of the economic collapse
OF Europe that gave Hitler his chance
to rise in power
Back in 1888 Mr.. Roosevelt had had
little experience in national affairs.
having devoted himself primarily to
the ofice Of Governor of the State of
New York for four years-an Office
which Is an excellent training place for
the presidency. Gov. Dewey, who has
served nearly three years in Albany.
too, will doubtless concur In that ap-
praisal.
The argument Of experience did not,
however, impress the voters in Noyem-
Der, 1882, though the period was a very
critical one in American history. A
worldwide depression, which began with
the failure of the big bank in Austria,
and which was alleviated somewhat by
the moratorium on war debts, produced
crisis in this country of major pro-
portions.
Bank Closing Treasury Idea.
1t is a matter of record that the
Treasury Department, under the Hoover
administration, prepared the steps
necessary for the closing of the banks
early in 1888, and it was Undersecretary
Arthur Ballantine of the Treasury who
stayed on after Mr.. Roosevelt was
inaug'lrated and did most of the work
In connection with the banking holiday,
Tor which, incidentally, the Roosevelt
administration subsequently took credit.
The public generally did not realize that
President Roosevelt was really too un-
familiar with national problems to act
OF his own knowledge on many of the
pressing questions OF that time.
Experience in those days was con-
fined to the subordinate oficials of the
Government and, despite Mr.. Roosevelt's
lack OF knowledge of Washington ad-
ministration, these same officials car
ried on and helped in the transition
period. Mr.. Roosevelt found, for in
stance, going concern in the Recon-
struction Finance Corp, where Eugene
Meyer and Jesse Jones were striving To
bolster up the economic system with
| Government aid.
The same would be true of other aov-
ernmental agencies II Gov. Dewey should
be elected, because, while he has made
an excellent Governor of the State of
! New York, he probably would be as
handicapped in January, l945, Is Mr.,
Roosevelt was in March, 1888 He would
have to depend on the non partisan per
sonnel Of Government to carry on for
while the burden of preparing admin
istrative orders and fulfilling many
emergency requirements Of govern
mental policy.
Experience Argument Fallaeious.
II the precedent of 1882 is accepted,
then man who has been trained as
Governor OF the State Of New York-the
most populous In the Union-and who
has dealt with legislative and economic
problems in that powerful area. is
eligible for the presidency even with
out experience in Washington.
The experience argument is a fall
lacious one. Mr.. Hoover undoubtedly
knew more about the presidency by the
beginning of 1893 than he knew when
he took ONCE in 1929 He was one of the
ablest administrators but poorest.
politicians ever to sit in the White
House. He was defeated for a second
term largely because of unemployment
and the depression. Experience did not
count then, but the protest vote did
| History could repeat itself this year If
the protest vote outweighed the ex-
| perience argument. Republicans in 1886
and 1910 were not able to mobilize
sufficiently big protest vote to defeat
Mr.. Roosevelt, but they are counting on
such a protest vote this time. Anyway
Mr.. Hoover can look on effectively and
smile when the very experience areu-
ment that should have given him an
other term in a crisis is being used as
an argument for fourth term.
He can smile, too, If Gov. Dewey
should be elected because, If that event
occurs, he will doubtless feel it was not
because of the Republican nominees
knowledge of national affairs, but be-
cause OF, the Nations protest against
the excesses of the New Deal.
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