Leader Watson

On the first morning of Herbert Hoover's administration, the Republicans of the Senate caucused to choose a new floor leader in place of Vice President Curtis. It had all been threshed out beforehand and the election fell upon the senior Senator from Indiana, the Honorable James E.

Watson, and not upon the more Hooveresque candidate. Senator Wesley Livsey Jones of Washington. Senator Watson is 64. Two-thirds of his lifetime has been devoted to politics. The measure of his greatness is that if one were asked to pick a man in Washington who best typifies the popular idea of an old-style politician the choice would almost inevitably fall upon him. The Watson handshake is magnificent. The Watson cordiality to constituents, the Watson geniality towards colleagues, are vasty and impressive. The Watson oratory has been variously and unkindly described as "gusty," "oleaginous" and even "blowsy," but its author is undismayed. His every moment is instinct with the dignity of high office. Even in physique he is a great man. His head is large, his neck short, his body ponderable. His hat, his collar, his necktie are all in the grand old tradition. The only small thing about him is the eyes, which peer keenly and patriotically through pince nez. Crowning all, he comes from a pivotal state. That usually accurate and sometimes acid correspondent, Frank R. Kent, has written of Indiana's Watson: "By outstanding men of his own party he is privately pictured as a blithering blatherskite, the most blatant bluff any state has sent to Washington in years--a disgrace to Indiana, a fraud and a faker." But Senators pay small attention to the strictures of the press and no one can fail to recognize the high esteem which Mr. Watson enjoys in Indiana, which kept him first for twelve years in the House and then elected him to terms aggregating 16 years in the Senate. Although Mr. Watson fought Mr. Hoover in the preconvention campaign, Leader Watson and President Hoover now agree that that was "all part of the game," the splendid game of politics. The Senate's leader is now the President's loyal, large-hearted supporter and will undoubtedly so remain, at least until next election.