Women's World

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 27, 31 January 1920, Page 20

Women's World

. H. C. HOOVER. PERSONAL REMIXISCENCKS. The name of H. C. Hoover rose to ■world fame with a bound. Famine was creeping upon a fighting world with stealthy tread, when one man stepped between. That man was 11. I. Hoover, a reported candidate for President. He organised America to feed the nations. It was an amazing feat. In nothing so amazing as in the ready response made hr a great people to the appeal of this <nic man. Xapoleon was great in organisation, great for destruction. This man. modern of the moderns, was great in reorganisation, great for construction. Little has been heard of the private life , which lias built up such a remarkable character. U was therefore unusually, j interesting to meet in Auckland a \i-i- , tor and his wife who have been assoei- ; atrd in friendship with II- f. Hoover j from his .-arli.-st Australian day. For j it was tm the goldfields of West Australia that Hoover first showed his ability in organisation and finance. Horn and educated amongst the Society of friends, he graduated at Columbia University, and from there was appointed to tlie position of advising geologist under Messrs- Berwick, Moi-eing and Co.. West Australia. When he appeared the principal was not only astonished but also alar.no.! tlwt such power should be in the hands of one so young. They tried to sever ihe connection, but' Hoover had foreseen that. as in after years lie foresaw greater thinos. and he iiad made preparation. The contract he had signed proved equal to any strain and h<- remained. This tales are told of his unconventional ways. but this did not prevent him from making a fortune in mining, which he put to a remarkable il-c when one of the members of a firm defaulted to a sum. computed in the neighbourhood of £300.000. Hoover and another stepped into the breach, and wade £uod the deficiency to the shareholders. About this time he left Australia and went to London. Thence he joined Govett, and started out to inspect the whole world from a mining point of view. Hoover was the representative cf the firm. There was no part of the world he did not visit with interest. Eventually Hoover and Moreing took over the oil interests at "Rakti and established the Indo-Persian Oil Companies, and from these speculations he bec-sme a millionaire three times over. When war broke out he tras in Emrlimd. and grateful history Tecords how he came to thp rescue of bis distressed countrymen. and women who had been travelling in Kuropc nnd England when the economic unset of war swept them aside and .left them stranded, moneyless, for what they hwas of no value, neither could they get any more. Pitiful scenes were witnessed

of wealthy people struggling for traas- . port and "shelter. How Hoover seize*! the situation is well known, but what is leas* known is that he organised the relief of Belgium entirely by the aid ot the mining experts by whom he was surrounded. How successful that was, grateful Belgium will always tell. Prior to this he had just completed a trip round the world, and it was while in .Sydney that an amusing incident of nic adventure is told. Like Lord Kitchener, Hoover is a great collector of China. When be was in Sydney the whole contents of a big house were offered at auction. Hoover, who is always on the look out for "pieces"' walked in and -aw on the mantelpiece a. little bit of China. He lifted and examined it. and then approached the auctioneer. 'How much do you want for the place as it I stands - :" lie asked. The auctioneer, : flustered, said that lie would have to 1 consult the owner. '"Consult him." said ' Hoover. The price was named. Hoover ! drew his - chequebook and bought the 1 place. Handing the cheque to the asI touiehed auctioneer he approached the ! mantelpiece and lifting the piece of ' china put it in his pocket, turning to I say as he left the place. 'That was all ! I 'wanted, now sell the rest in my ! name." The china was a Aery rare px- ! ample of the earliest blue Xankin. Ali though Hoover is known chiefly as a I man of affairs, he also is a scholar and i a distinguished student of -Latin litera- '■ ture. a taste which i., shared with his i wife, who also is a line Latin scholar. j The transition of the first work on j mining written in the Latin tongue, was I their conjoint work. An amusing tale :is told by Hoovers friend of his cas-ual i ways when travelling. He was in Mclj bourne, and was due on the express for' ; Adelaide within twenty minutes, yet. to I the horror of his friend and his private | ] secretary they found the great onranj iser serenely at work in hie office. The j car wae at thp door, and at last he was 1 persuaded that time was really drawing : short, so he threw himself into the car. : and was whirled to the Trotel, opened I his trunk, tipped his pet-sessions into it, I and actually stamped them down with 1 his feet. Then he pulled out a couple of bags of sovereigns, aud stuffing each I pocket full, intimated that he was J ready, and he calmly stepped on board ! j-.ist 'as the train was going out. It is i these amusing tales that endear him to his Australian friend, who years ago foresaw the ability that lay hidden in j the ordinary looking man who now ; beam a name known world-wide—the j name of 11. C. Hoover.