Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-07

Herbert Hoover Praised
As 18th Birthday Neors
Former Presidents Belated Popularity
Called Proof of Right Prevailing
By Frank r. Kent
Next Wednesday the only living express
dent of the United States-Heroert
Hoover-will be rs years old. 1t is an event
which justifies recalling certain facts and
rejecting upon certain things.
Too seldom in this troubled and imperfect
world does the right prevail or DO we i've 10
see justice done. Particularly Is this true IN
the case of our public men. Regularly. the
cheap and nashy triumph over the solid and
sincere Far too infrequently does retribution
overtake the selfish and shoddy and usually
appreciation comes too late to the truly great.
The present high position of Mr.. Hoover. in
disputably our most distinguished private
citizen. along with the great esteem and ap.
probation in which, regardless OF party or
class. he is held by the American people gen.
orally is a thrilling demonstration that oc-
casionally the right really does prevail and
this appreciation comes before it is too late.
Sixteen years ago when he left the White
House Mr.. Hoovers popularity was 50 low
as to be practically nonresident. He had,
Of course. many devoted personal friends in
the country but the masses Of the people
had been turned against him by a campaign
OF unprecedented malignity and unparal-
leled Misrepresentation. This, under the di.
rection Of the late Charles Nicholson, pub
licity director of the Democratic National
Committee. had been going on for three
years. The depression for which no informed
man believed Mr.. Hoover even remotely re-
sponsible. gave the left-wng columnists their
great opportunity to assail him from every
quarter.
Disgracefully, this continued with in.
creased malevolence in the Roosevelt adj
ministration and was enthusiastically Joined
in by the horde Of smart Alecs. cheap wits,
crackpots and Soapy Sans whom Mr. Roose-
welt brought to Washington. Mr.. Roosevelt
himself behaved with unbelievable small
ness. carrying his personal vindictiveness to
the point where with his country at war
and full knowledge of Mr.. Hoovers desire
to serve. he angrily refused to avail himself
of his outstanding experience and ability in
any capacity. BY that time popular opinion
had begun to turn toward Mr.. Hoover, but
in the first eight years after his 1882 defeat
the Roosevelt administration had made 1T
more or less popular pastime to disparaee
Mr.. Hoover. 1t seemed for while as if every
body was doing it. Even the suggestion Of
such tribute as that paid Mr.. Hoover last
week in Congress would have mortified" the
White House during the Roosevelt regime.
He was Missed in a New York theater and
booed at ball game. Even that incredible
piece of Roosevelt spite in changing the
name OF Hoover Dam to Boulder Dam
aroused no public protest, although the act
Of Congress in restoring the name in 1s47
met with overwhelming public approval.
However. long before that the tide had
begun to swing back to Mr.. Hoover. Moth
ing could be done about 1t, but there was
a deep public resentment over the failure
to use his unique abilities while the strug-
gle was on. Also the natural reaction Of
decent people to calumny and falsehood was
beginning to make itself felt. In the last
four years, of course, Mr.. Truman has called
upon Mr.. Hoover for aid and counsel num-
Der Of times. and both the President and
Congress asked him to take over the gigantic
task Of recognizing the executive depart
ment. As head of that commission, created
by joint resolution of Congress- he has per-
formed q monumental public service. He
has shown the way to reduce the vast.
swollen. Sprawling., wasteful Federal bu-
reaucracy to manageable proportions. He
has shown the way to end wild extravaganza
and inefficiency by cutting out duplication
and overlapping.
Against great Odds a considerable part
Of his recommendations have been adopted.
II all are eventually accepted, the cost Of the
Federal machine will be reduced about
$4,000 600, 900 year, its effectiveness vastly
increased and some sense and reason re-
stored to badly confused Government
about to bog down under its own weight.
However. long before this recognition Of Mr..
Hoover as an unselfish patriot and states
man. whose services to the country and to the
world were very great had permeated public
consciousness again. His prestige and repu.
tation are higher now than before he be.
came President.
Unscathed, he has survived a prolonged
attack of almost incredible scurrility. As
his 18th birthday approaches out In his
Palo Alto (Calif) home, serene, philosophy.
cal, untouched by hate or malice, physically
and mentally fit, beloved by thousands OF
personal friends all over the country, re-
spected and admired by the people gen.
orally, Mr.. Hoover is today a larger and
finer national figure than ever he has been
in all his long and eventful career. One
way or another the anti-Hoover liars and
slanderers have been silenced. The groups
of detractors who still keep it UP are dis
credited and Intellectual. Some few are
ashamed. At last the right has prevailed.
It was long overdue.
it is believed Washington furnishes as good
a field as can be found. At any rate, Mr..
Merritt wants to and out all he can on this