The Beaver Man

P: In the Hoover camp, a Problem arose. Should the Candidate, who still is director of the Belgian Relief Commission, go to Belgium to dedicate the restored Louvain Library on July 4? Sentiment, of course, said Yes. But perhaps politics would dictate No. If Hoover should be nominated in June, what about the German vote in November?

P: An inscription proposed for the restored Louvain Library is "Destroyed by German fury; restored by American gifts." There are nearly two million German-born persons of voting age in the U. S., more than any other national or racial group except Jews and Negroes. The German vote, well organized, is potent. It is greatly influenced by the dignified nine-year-old Steuben Society of America, one of whose objects is to alter current ideas about War Guilt. There was, therefore, more than one reason for last week's headlines: "Hoover is Undecided on Visiting Louvain."

P: Victory without opposition is a hollow thing. But an excess of popular support where little support was necessary is not hollow. That is why Hooverites rejoiced last week when the Republican Party's busy Beaver man, unopposed in the California primary, obtained his home State's 29 delegates by virtue of some 600,000 votes. Though many a Republican cast his vote in the Democratic primary for strategic purposes, Candidate Hoover's total was larger than the combined totals of competing Republicans in California's last two presidential primaries. That Candidate Hoover is the Favorite Son of California did not explain it, because California's Hiram Johnson used to run for president and California's votes for Johnson never approached this year's Hoover total. Hooverites called it a great demonstration of the Beaver man's popular appeal.

P: Besides California's 29, there were added Tennessee's 19 during the week, bringing the actually Hooverized delegates to a total of 407, leaving 138 to be found to transform Hope into Nomination.