The Hoover Week

One evening last week a voice in the ether declared: "The microphone for these few moments has been brought to the President's study in the east wing of the White House."

The voice went on, describing: "This room from which I speak was the scene of work and accomplishments of our Presidents for over a century. Into this room first came John Adams, who had taken over the reins of administration of the newly established republic from George Washington. Each President in the long procession of years down to Roosevelt worked at this fireside.

"It is here where the Adamses, father and son, Jefferson, Monroe, Jackson, Grant, McKinley, Roosevelt and a score of other devoted men worked. Here worked Lincoln. It is a room crowded with memories of the courage and the high aspirations and the high accomplishments of the American presidents. . . .

"Some months ago I proposed to the world that we should further reduce and limit naval arms. . . . And daily in this room do I receive evidence of almost universal prayer that this negotiation shall succeed."

P: Persuaded by President Hoover, Thomas Hildt, partner in an old Baltimore banking house (Alex Brown & Sons), consented to become financial adviser of the Federal Farm Board. His task: organizing a banking division to administer the $500,000,000 farm loan fund. His remuneration: nothing (by request).

P: Officers of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, busy in an international conference at Indianapolis did not open their mail for three days. When they did, they were excited. There was a letter from President Hoover, in which he regretted too great reliance on the Prohibition law to enforce abstinence, urged extended education in the moral, physical, economic benefits of temperance.

P: In the place of Lieut. General Edgar Jadwin, retired chief of Army Engineers, the President appointed Brig. Genera! Lytle Brown (see p. 12).

P: Once Secretary of Commerce Hoover met quarterly with editors of trade papers to answer their questions. Last week. President Hoover turned on the editors, asked instead of answering questions, was assured that U. S. business is prosperous and likely to continue so.

P: President Hoover sat at his desk, dictated a letter. His message was delivered not by post but by radio. He expressed hearty approval of nationwide "Constitution Week," designated Oct. 6 as the beginning of "Fire Prevention Week."

P: Odd Fellows at a world convention in Houston, Tex., mourned a 68,176 decrease of membership in 1928, but were consoled when their Grand Sire told them, "President Hoover is an Odd Fellow."

P: As President as well as parent, Mr. Hoover hastily despatched a telegram to a student at the Harvard School of Business Administration. It was addressed to Allan Hoover, carried the admonition not to speak for the "talkies" (see p. 62).

P: Herbert Hoover, chief municipal official of the District of Columbia, heard that Senator Howell of Nebraska, discus sing Prohibition in the Senate, had said: "Enforcement in the city of Washington can be effective. The President can dismiss any official in the city of Washington."

"If the President called the Commissioners before him and said, I have secret service officials at my command. If they discover something here in connection with the violation df the Prohibition law, before you discover it, you are out."

"There is no question about what the result would be. There should be one city in the country that could be cleaned up."

Next day the President issued an announcement :

"The President is glad the Senator has raised the question. He is confident that the Senator would not make these charges unless they were based upon definite facts with time and place, and if he will lay any such information before the Department of Justice, the President will have the matters vigorously investigated, for it is the intention not only to secure the fullest enforcement in the District possible under the organization of enforcement agencies as provided by law, but to make it a model in the country."

Next day Senator Howell explained:

"I wasn't attacking the President. . . . I have no quarrel with the President. I haven't seen much drinking in Washington. . . . We don't have bootleg in my house, but it is common knowledge that there is lots of drinking. I've been here six years and I've never been offered a drink more than once."

Senator Coleman Livingston Blease of South Carolina, next day, passed a few remarks on Washington drinking. Speaking in the Senate, he asserted that there are "four narcotic joints" in operation on Pennsylvania Avenue near the Capitol.

P: Three visitors were received at the White House with true California hospitality. Two came from Palo Alto (country seat of the Hoovers) with an introduction from D. C. Kok, a fellow-townsman. Their names were respectively Southboro Sunny and Southboro Markham, children of International Champion Southboro Savanna, English setter. The third visitor came without a card. His ancestry and antecedents were a mystery, but he was a handsome Eskimo sled dog.

P: The President made a brief announcement that following the recommendation of the Attorney-General he would issue no pardon to Oilman Harry F. Sinclair, in jail for contempt of Senate (refusing to answer questions) and of court (jury shadowing), or to Henry Mason Day, Mr. Sinclair's henchman. Day has a passport to go to Europe next month when he will be released in the regular course of events. Sinclair must wait till November, in spite of his plea that his weight has fallen from 200 Ibs. to 185 Ibs., that stockholders are suffering from his absence.