NEW PRESIDENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 4 March 1929, Page 2

NEW PRESIDENT

INAUGURATION OF MR HOOVER WASHINGTON IN THRILLS PICTURESQUE EVENT ANTICIPATED (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Australian Press Association) WASHINGTON, 2nd March. That curious aftermath of the national political campaign, namely, the Presidential inauguration, will'occur here on Monday. The outward vagaries, of the ceremonial itself are one tiling, the inner political manoeuvres and leanings are another; and iii the ease of Mr Hoover’s induction into ollice these latter are by far the most important and doubtless the most interesting. It cannot be forgotten that he is not a professional politician, and his choice of a Cabinet was more than faintly disconcerting to stalwart politicians who are the backbone of tiie Republican Party. His choice of an avowed Democrat for Attorney-General and bis searchings for fmures often little known although perhaps technically competent, are causing a ferment that bubbles deep within the inauguration event. Outwardly Washington is in the thrills of anticipation of a picturesque event. Mr Curtis will swear the oath on a German biblo 350 years old. The city itself is a mass of bunting interlaced with miles of reviewing stands. It was mooted that Mr Hoover deprecated an ostentatious display. There will therefore during the celebrations he only a touch of military, accompanied by airplane stunting. Mr Dawes to-day received a gift from Senate associates properly inscribed. It is reported that be was so affected by the speeches of eulogy that be was compelled to leave the reading of bis reply to the Senate clerk. Mr and Mrs Coolidge have packed their belongings, which fdled several railway cars, arid early on Monday they return to their house in Northampton. Massachusetts. Mrs Coolidge has been the recipent of a magnificent diamond brooch from a group of lady admirers. A large supplementary force of Prohibition agents lias been added to tlie regular corps to keep tlio city “dry.” Tickets, for a charity ball on tlie eve of the inauguration are now impossible to obtain. The city is jammed with visitors, particularly a large foreign complement which lias come to see tlie sights. Australia will be well represented by the young Australians, who have been given a prominent place in the reviewing stands, and Mr Dow, official secretary, who is tlie Commonwealth official representative. But what is tlie political reality behind the picture of outward semicarnival? The old Congress has been wrangling and lilabustering over little scandals involving wholesale frauds in administration and national banklaw, and Mr Coolidge lias been signing last-minute resolutions for inquiries into the activities of many well known Federal judges. Hundreds of measures have been jammed through in the last hours of the Legislature, and the mill continues to grind. Congress, will sit on Sunday ancl early on Monday to pass hundreds more similar laws that -will never receive too much publicity. There is, moreover, a great crowd in the city of not merely visitors. There are hordes of office seekers who. have been waiting impatiently for 4th March to descend upon the White House and demand a share in the spoils of victory. It is all a spectacle of uneven but arresting charactei, and in the words of one observer, “It’s a strange hippodrome of legislation and politics, of tinsel and trades.