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Show GRASSROOTS People Rank Herbert Hoover Greatest Statesman them out of the inflationary mess in which we are involved; would reduce the heavy burden of taxation; taxa-tion; would dispense with the larger part of the vast army of bureaucrats, bureau-crats, for which we are paying. Today he has the confidence and appreciation of the people as a competent com-petent leader, who could, and would, better than any other one man, solve our national difficulties. He would keep us away from any war with Russia, not by any policy of appeasement, but by a firm stand that would be typically American, and convince Stalin that it is time to stop Russian aggression, and Russian propaganda. But I am sure Herbert Hoover will not be the Republican nominee, or that he would accept it if such nomination was tendered. I believe he made the statement credited to him at Philadelphia, and if he did that statement was final. It meant he was out of partisan politics and would stay out. He is not the kind who changes his mind, with each change of the political wind. A great character has passed from partisan political life, much to the regret of the American people who first elected him by a tremendous majority and then as ruthlessly defeated de-feated him, because they credited him with responsibility for conditions condi-tions which in reality he had no part in creating.' By Wright A. Patterson THREE OR FOUR DAYS before Herbert Hoover moved from the White House back to his home in Palo Alto, Calif., I wrote him a note in which I said: "Regardless of the result of the last election, the historians his-torians will classify you as one of the great Presidents of America, and the people of the nation will accept the historians' verdict." The people did not wait for the verdict of the historians. Of their own volition they have accepted Herbert Hoover as the greatest of present day American statesmen. In every way they can show it they approve his policies. They accept him as an American leader far more than at any time in the past. They have written their own verdict. While I was visiting with Representative Repre-sentative Joe Martin in his office ta the capital building at Washington, Washing-ton, a few days before the convening of the Republican national convention conven-tion at Philadelphia, he asked, "Who is your choice as a Republican for President?" "My first choice is Herbert Hoover, Hoo-ver, my second is Joseph Martin," I replied. "I believe we could elect Hoover, but I doubt if we could nominate him. As for your second choice, I do not want to be President, now. I do want to be speaker of the house of representatives first." At that Philadelphia convention Hoover was scheduled to deliver an address. The Willkie managers were afraid of the result of that address. They were fearful it might sweep the delegates off their feet and result re-sult in a Hoover nomination, which I believe he would have accepted at that time. Not necessarily Willkie, but his managers, in an effort to prevent such a possibility, pulled the dirtiest political trick I have ever seen played in any of the more than 20-national 20-national conventions I have attended attend-ed as a reporter: The instant Hoover stepped to the loud speaker microphone, the system sys-tem was put out of commission, and it stayed out until the address was finished. Hoover's voice was not strong enough for an auditorium of that size, and no one of the delegates dele-gates or the audience heard any part of his address. There followed no demonstration as there had been at Cleveland four years earlier. Had Hoover not left the convention hall the instant his address was completed, he would have been the nominee. I know he did not want it at that time. He had told me so as he left the Philadelphia Philadel-phia convention hall. It was reported re-ported to me, and I believe it, that he said: "I will never again be a candidate nor will I -ccept a nomination nomi-nation for any elective political office." of-fice." Today, if it were left to the choice of the Republican voters, Herbert Hoover could be nominated and elected President of the United States. The people believe in the policies that as an elder statesman he enunciates from time to time. They would cheerfully follow his leadership, and believe he would get |