National Affairs: Eligible

. . . Neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have . . . been fourteen years a resident within the United States.

So says the U. S. Constitution, "that office" being the Presidency. Amid last week's boomings was heard some shrill, legalistic pop-gunnery to the effect that Herbert Clark Hoover was ineligible for the Presidency because in 1914 and for several years thereafter he was directing war relief work in Europe.

Such friends and worthy opponents of Mr. Hoover as could take such trifling seriously, soon showed that if the 14-year residency required could disqualify Mr. Hoover, then the following U. S. Presidents, all of whom lived abroad within 14 years of taking office, were illegally elected: John Adams, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, James Buchanan.