Thanks to Ann Mayhew for responding to my question about Veblen and Hoover.
However I am puzzled by her stating that both of them hoped for "more
coordination among firms" with "less use (of same) for pecuniary advantage".
Hoover might have deceived himself, but Veblen, like Adam Smith, wrote
emphatically that cartels (or merchant guilds) do not behave that way.

Is there any evidence that Veblen swung with Hoover? In his last years, the
Hoover years, Veblen was working with Stuart Chase on consumerism, which of
course entailed opposition to cartel pricing, and associated deceptive
advertising.

Mason Gaffney