P. 5., P. P. S.

Nominee Hoover found it necessary to add postscripts to his Tennessee speech of the week previous.

He had said: "I do not favor any general extension of the Federal Government into the operation of business in competition with its citizens. . . . There are local instances where the Government must enter the business field as a by-product of some great major purpose, such as improvement in navigation, flood control, scientific research or national defense."

A "local instance" not far from where the Nominee was speaking was the Federal power-and-nitrate project at Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee River. Whether the Government shall sell Muscle Shoals, or lease it to privateers, or keep and operate it itself, has been a hot question in the South for ten years. It is still such a hot question that Editor Edward John Meeman of the Knoxville News-Sentinel thought Nominee Hoover's government-in-business passage did not tell the South enough. He asked the Nominee point-blank what it meant. Then came the first Hoover postscript: "You may say that means Muscle Shoals."

The News-Sentinel is one of the 26 Scripps-Howard chain-papers. All the young Scripps-Howard editors are supporting Nominee Hoover this year.-- All the young Scripps-Howard editors are also supporting the government-ownership-and-operation side of the Water Power question. Editor Meeman of the News-Sentinel was apparently satisfied that Nominee Hoover's first postscript implied govern ment ownership and operation for Muscle Shoals.

But other newsmen were not so satisfied and at a press conference back in Washington, Nominee Hoover found it necessary to make his second postscript. This time he said: "There is no question of government ownership about Muscle Shoals, as the government already owns both the power and the nitrate plants. The major purposes which were advanced for its construction were navigation, scientific research and national defense. The Republican Administration has recommended that it be dedicated to agriculture for research purposes and development of fertilizers in addition to its national defense reserve. After these purposes are satisfied, there is a by-product of surplus power. That by-product should be disposed of on such terms and conditions as will safeguard and protect all public interests.

"I entirely agree with these proposals."

There Nominee Hoover left the matter. The Scripps-Howard newspapers accepted it as fine and final.

The arch-Democratic New York World pointed out, however, that Nominee Hoover had not yet said flatly that he favored Federal operation. The World laughed at the Scripps-Howard chain-papers and called the Hoover postscripts "shadow-boxing." Vexed but honest, the chain-papers admitted that the Hoover candor had not been perfect. They said: "It is difficult to understand why Hoover didn't say he was for government ownership and government operation of Muscle Shoals, or either or neither, instead of saying something else, then pointing to it and saying further, 'that means Muscle Shoals'; then, two days later, interpreting what he meant by "that."

But the chain-papers excused Nominee Hoover on the ground that "there seems to be something about political campaigning that just naturally breeds circumlocution. The roundabout instinct gets into the blood." They cited Nominee Smith's parallel vagueness about the Equalization Fee, which he avoided naming by name in his farm relief speech at Omaha. Finally, resorting to Hearstlike capital letters, they said: "Throughout this campaign the Scripps-Howard newspapers have believed WITH Hoover some of the time. We have believed IN him all of the time. . . . What the World's candidate says as to power -- or any other subject -- is right per se and must be accepted by the World as holy writ."

*Writing in Collier's a fortnight ago about the meeting last winter at French Lick, Ind., where the Scripps-Howard editors voted unanimously to support Hoover, Chairman Roy Howard of the Scripps-Howard board of directors said: "The average age of the 26 men was just a trifle over 30 years."