The Hoover Week

Over the White House lawns one day last week swarmed hundreds of dentists, delegates to the American Dental Convention at Washington (see p. 18). Not to risk missing a handshaking appointment with the President, they had come early. In the White House, President Hoover was talking with Prime Minister MacDonald. The babble of the dentists came disturbingly to his ears. He frowned and excused himself to Mr. MacDonald, who smiled understandingly at this inconvenience of Democracy. Out the President hastened, grasped a few dental hands, posed hastily for photographs with a few of the nearest dentists, then retreated into the White House. Miffed were the officers of the Dental Association. President Hoover had not got around to shaking their hands.

P: At six o'clock Wednesday afternoon the President and the Prime Minister bade their official farewells. That evening, unofficially, they disported together at a stag dinner given by Secretary of State Stimson. Contrary to precedent is it for U. S. presidents to accept informal social invitations, but President Hoover, to make a final friendly gesture, flouted the ceremonious rule.

P: Later in the week the President, like millions of other U. S. stay-at-homes, fiddled with radio dials, inclined his ear to a loudspeaker. Not a word did he miss. He was listening to the now familiar voice of Prime Minister MacDonald speaking before stiff-shirted notables and receptive microphones at a dinner in Manhattan. Told that there was a telephone call from an intimate friend, the President said: "Tell him I'm too busy."

P: Irwin Boyle Laughlin, longtime diplomat, was appointed by President Hoover to succeed Ogden H. Hammond, resigned, as Ambassador to Spain (see col. 3).

P: To the White House the President summoned High Tariff Lieutenant-General Watson and Generalissimo Smoot. He asked first one, then the other about prospects of Tariff Bill early passage in the Senate. Mournfully Senator Watson predicted that the special tariff session of the Senate would end without passing any Tariff Bill. Less pessimistic. Senator Smoot conceded a "chance" of a final Senate vote on the tariff next month (see p. 16).

P: Northward in a special car journeyed President & Mrs. Hoover, the Attorney-General Mitchells, the Secretary of Agriculture Hydes. and few more. At Philadelphia they detrained informally and proceeded to Shibe Park to see the fifth game of the world series (see p. 66). As the party entered their bunting-draped box, a victrola attached to an amplifier blared "Hail to the Chief," while the crowd cheered. When in a pandemoniac last inning rally, the Athletics won the game and series,' the President smiled, clapped politely.