Morale Upped

President Herbert Hoover was informed last week that he may expect this week a visit, "strictly unofficial," from Canada's Prime Minister, Hon. Richard Bedford Bennett.

In several ways host and guest are alike. Both are rich, portly, pious and conservative. Last May the Canadian Liberal Cabinet (which preceded Conservative Bennett's) greatly obliged the Hoover

Administration by entering into a "gentlemen's agreement" that Canada would not clear liquor ships bound for U. S. ports. Last week it was announced in Ottawa that since May the Canadian Treasury has lost $15,000,000 in liquor revenue taxes, directly as agreement." a As one result of this gentleman to "gentlemen's another, President Hoover and Prime Minister Bennett may well mention liquor, must discuss the possibility of a U. S. embargo on Canadian wheat, will probably announce that they are talking about "the St. Lawrence waterway project." Indeed that stale red herring was vigorously bran dished in Government House at Ottawa to account for the Bennett visit. In Ottawa's Liberal Evening Citizen last week appeared this reference to Conservative Bennett : "A fine fleet of government motor cars -- all luxurious limousines of high power and speed -- are going on the market for what they will bring at the end of March -- the end of the fiscal year. "It was learned today the government has decided that when the spring opens, all Ministers and Deputy Ministers will have to discard their cars, which will go under the hammer. This policy is understood to embody the personal wish and instructions of the Prime Minister, who has a new car, but one which he personally paid for."

Promptly several Conservative Ministers scouted this Liberal story. But Mr. Bennett is second not even to Mr. Hoover in placing emphasis upon "the moral and spiritual values."

He promptly confirmed that the cars will be sold, declared that in ordering their sale "my concern was more as to the destructive effect upon the morale of the public servants than as to the actual cost of the cars."

Canadians recalled that two years ago a Minister took his official car and chauffeur with him to Europe. He retorted when questioned in the Canadian Parliament:

"Well, what are you going to do about it?"

Obviously, in the Bennett view, that Minister's morale had been grievously sapped. The 25 cars to be sold are Pierce-Arrows, Packards, Cadillacs. The car for which Mr. Bennett personally paid and in which he rides is a Pierce-Arrow.

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