The Hoover Week

To improve the quality of U. S. diplomatic representation abroad was one of the prime aims of President Hoover on taking office. The impression grew that, all other things being equal, he would favor career diplomats in appointments over politicians or their friends. Until last week the President had made 26 appointments, of which the career men had secured twelve (including China, Venezuela, Guatemala, Santo Domingo, Costa Rica et al), noncareer men eleven (including Britain, France, Germany, Cuba, Austria) and men betwixt-and-between three (Spain, Holland. Italy).

Last week noncareer diplomatic appointments went definitely into the lead when President Hoover nominated John Motley Morehead, Mayor of Rye, N. Y., electrical engineer with the Union Carbon & Carbide Co., to be Minister to Sweden; and Henry Wharton Shoemaker, publisher of the Altoona (Pa.) Times Tribune, to be Minister to Bulgaria.

P: President Hoover last week approved installation in his executive offices, now being rebuilt after the fire, of an air-filtering and cooling system similar to those in the House and Senate chambers. In torrid weather all windows will be kept closed while machinery in the basement supplies air cooled by the equivalent of 30 tons of melting ice per day. Meanwhile builders on the $160,000 reconstruction job were trying to earn the $200 bonus they will get for every day they lop off on the 90-day contract schedule, to avoid a $200-per-day forfeit for overtime.

P: Following the nation-old practice of dining with Cabinet members in order of precedence, President & Mrs. Hoover were last week guests of Secretary of the Treasury Mellon.* Mr. Mellon's daughter, Mrs. David K. Este Bruce, was his hostess.

P: Last week President Hoover gave a state dinner to Vice President Curtis, escorted Mrs. Edward Everett Gann to the seat of honor at his right. Present were many distinguished guests. Absent were all government officials and their wives.

P: Into a Memphis, Tenn., department store walked James D. Smith of Corinth, Miss., asked for credit and a charge account. For reference he gave "Herbert Hoover, the White House." The President, queried by the store, responded that Mr. Smith was a "good risk," that he was the contractor who had built the Hoover home at Palo Alto.

* The President would have dined first with statesman Stimson, No. 1 Cabinet Man, had he not been in London.

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