• U.S.

THE PRESIDENCY: The Hoover Week: Apr. 27, 1931

3 minute read
TIME

Newsgatherers at the White House last week became aware of a new and determined effort to “humanize”‘ Herbert Hoover in the public mind. Whatever secrecy or subtlety there was in the attempt, was destroyed by Press stories citing items of a definite White House campaign.

Republican leaders anxious to enhance the President’s personal popularity for 1932 were responsible for the “humanizing” effort. It was with “humanizing” well in mind that Theodore Goldsmith Joslin, longtime Washington newsgatherer, was chosen to succeed George Akerson (who also was a journalist) as chief White House secretary and spokesman. Secretary Joslin was credited in last week’s stories with manufacturing news tid-bits to put President Hoover in a warm light, inducing him to do more new and friendly things for their publicity value. To Secretary Joslin were ascribed the White House invitation to Bryan Untiedt, 13-year-old Colorado blizzard hero; the opening of the rear grounds of the White House to tourists at noon each day with the President and Mrs. Hoover waving greetings from a balcony. To Secretary Joslin were traced Press items showing how much more President Hoover used the telephone than his predecessors, and comparing the first two-year Hoover speech making record (40) with the last two-year Coolidge statistics (52), scheduling President Hoover’s “busiest day” from 6:30 a. m. medicine ball to an 8 p. m. dinner with Secretary of the Navy Adams. Joslinized also was the invitation of women Wets to the White House last week after women Drys had been received by the President.

¶ The President conferred with his Secretary of State, altered U. S. policy on Marines in Nicaragua (see col. 3).

¶ For the first time this year President Hoover & friends motored to the Rapidan camp for the weekend. Gone were the effects of last Autumn’s Drought. The President caught the limit of 20 trout. Driving back to Washington his motor was stalled for 40 min. in a Sunday traffic jam over the Potomac bridge. Motorists greeted him with amused cheers and applause. When an old Ford, with an old Negro in it and a potato plugging the gas tank, stalled beside the way, the President smiled.

¶ Almost forgotten are the nine reports, besides the one on Prohibition, which President Hoover asked his National Commission on Law Enforcement & Observance to prepare on “all law.” Last week the first of these—”Criminal Statistics”— was handed to the President. He mulled over it, did not hurry to make it public* The commission has until June 30 to finish its other eight reports.

¶ To set chit-chat at rest, it was announced at the White House that it was most unlikely the President would take any extended vacation this summer, that certainly no plans for one had been made.

*The Prohibition report was published within 24 hr. of its receipt at the White House.

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com