WASHINGTON, March 4, 1929 (UP) -- President Herbert Hoover took up his duties in the White House today with the conviction that the great need of the hour is a new spirit among the American people which will wipe out a growing disobedience of law.
With sweeping strokes, the new president painted in his inaugural address a dark picture of present conditions, to which disrespect of the 18th amendment and the Volstead act has contributed, declaring that the "most malign" of the dangers facing the country today is "disregard and disobedience of law." Crime, he declared, is increasing.
But affecting the 18th amendment, in particular, he told the country, in effect, that there never will be respect and obedience of this law as long as local and state officials wink at its violation and law abiding citizens, themselves, continue drinking.
"Our whole system of self-government will crumble either if officials elect what laws they will enforce or citizens elect what laws they will support," the president said.
"The worst evil of disregard for some law is that it destroys respect for all law."
He reiterated his intention to appoint a national commission to make "a searching investigation of the whole structure of our federal system of jurisprudence, to include the method of enforcement of the 18th amendment and the causes of abuse under it.
He announced he would transfer a large part of prohibition enforcement responsibility from the Treasury to the Justice Department, "as a beginning of more effective organization."
President Hoover's emphasis upon prohibition overshadowed other parts of his address, but he coupled with his pledge to do everything possible to advance world peace. Indicating this will be one of the chief aims of his administration, the president said:
"I covet for this administration a record of having further contributed to advance the cause of peace."
He offered to the rest of the world the sincere aid of the United States in further reducing armaments, but made no specific proposal.
Hoover predicted success for the present movement for revision of the protocol of the World Court so that the United States may enter it without further Senate action, a movement which he sponsored. No more "potent instrumentality" for world peace ever has been conceived, the president said.
"The reservation placed upon our adherence should not be misinterpreted," he declared. "The United States seeks by these reservations no special privilege or advantage but only to clarify our relation to advisory opinions and other matters which are subsidiary to the major purposes of the court.
"The way should, and I believe will, be found by which we may take our proper place in movement so fundamental to the progress of peace."
Hoover praised the Kellogg antiwar treaty.
"Its acceptance should pave the way to greater limitation of armaments, the offer of which we sincerely extend to the world."
He dismissed the League of Nations, by saying that the people of the United States "have determined that we should make no political engagements such as membership in the League of Nations, which may commit us in advance as a nation to become involved in the settlement of controversies between other countries."
"Peace," the president said, "can be contributed to by respect for our ability in defense."
This was his only reference to national defense.
"Peace can be promoted," he continued, "by the limitation of arms and by the creation of the instrumentality for peaceful settlement of controversies. But it will become a reality only through self-restraint and active effort in friendliness and helpfulness."
The president said he leaves discussion of farm relief and tariff revision until his message to the special session of Congress he will call.
In a survey of the country's general economic situation he found satisfaction. As during the campaign, he opposed government ownership and operation, but advocated government control of big business and public utilities privately owned and operated.
