Capitalizing

"How will the Congress work with Hoover?" The question was and is often asked. An inkling of an answer appeared last week while the House Appropriations Committee was considering the Budget Bureau's figures for running the Department of Commerce next year. As a rule, if Congressmen have fault to find with Budget estimates it is that they are too large. But at this hearing, the Congressmen listened respectfully to Director Julius Klein of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. Mr. Klein protested that the money set down for his Bureau in the Budget was too small. "The situation in South America," he said, "is getting much more important, as you all know, in connection with the trip of the President-Elect and also, more particularly, in connection with the drive of Europeans for those markets."

"South American markets will be closed to U. S. business within a year," said Mr. Klein, "unless we capitalize the present opportunity."

The Congressmen had heard often of Europe's competition in South America. But they cocked their ears at mention of the President-Elect and at "capitalize the present opportunity."

Mr. Klein's appropriation was raised to $88,500.