ed them Communists. He put the police on twenty-four hour a day guard of the White House, making sure that all entrances were secure. They prepared for an attack and it occurred on July 28, 1932. The veterans had become restless, and they were ordered to leave. A police officer was hit by a brick, and the police retaliated with open fire. A veteran was shot down, and then the rioting started. Federal troops were called in by the President to control the rioters. They were ordered to use force, if necessary, to disperse the veterans. They fired tear gas into the crowd and marched with swords. Two babies died from the effects of the gas. President Hoover and a General in the army considered the defense a success. They declared that the conspiracy to take over the government of the United States of America was stopped just in time. A similar situation occurred later in the year. In December of 1932,about three thousand hungry, jobless people marched into the nation's capitol demanding some relief to their suffering. In response to this, Hoover had nine thousand police officers, as well as U.S. troops, standing by just in case things got out of hand. President Hoover, in his mind, could not find any legitimate reason to give into their requests. He declared that it was not the government's responsibility to give relief to its citizens, believing that once having started this practice, it would never end. The year 1932 was drawing to a close, and that meant that it was time for the presidential election. The Republicans nominated Herbert Hoover to run for reelection. They called themselves the party of prosperity, even though the nation's economy had devastatingly plummeted while Hoover was President. The Democratic nominee was Franklin D. Roosevelt, the crippled governor of New York. Roosevelt had a friendly face and attitude, and when he promised a "New Deal" for the forgotten man, the voters listened. He understood the terrible times that...
