A MAN WHO FED THE WORLD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3140, 23 October 1922, Page 8

A MAN WHO FED THE WORLD.

"Send for Hoover." The suggestion made by Governor Cox that Mr Herbert C. Hoover, tho Secretary of Commerce in the United States of America, should lie invited to help in finding a settlement to the reparations question, brings once again into the limelight a man who has always shrunk from unnecessary prominence, and one who has made the world Ilia centre of activity. Mr Hoover ha* probably done nioro "world work" than any other living statesman. He was not content when the war was declared in 1914 to carry on in business. He quietly took upon himself the task of sending 100,000 Americans stranded in Europe back to the lUnited States. That was how ho tirst came into international prominence. Mr Hoover's love of organising w;is spurred on at his first world success. He bad previously been a, prominent mining engineer in London, and had 125,000 men in America, working on Iris manes, but there was not, in his opinion, sufficient work for him there. He accordingly offered to feed starving Before the beginning of 1915 he was managing a relief organisation which was feeding the starving, helping the helpless, and winning the admiration of not only the Allies but also the Germans. Mr Hoover was allowed by them to go anywhere he liked. To quote Governor Cox', "he holdh the confidence of Europe." Mr Hoover's personality it- one which inspires (rust and implicit faith. He is an extremely poor orator, but in ordinary conversation grips his audience. He if* a great lover of lnimanitv, and is utterly fearless. When the Belgian women and children were being fed by a relic! machine which was running smoothly and at little cost. Mr Hoover was appointed American Food Controller. 11 is task was to persuade America to cat less; that the Allies might live. America took him at bis word with absolute cheerfulness, and he was enabled to despatch continual shipments of food to England and France. His gigantic zeal for organisation was once again apparent in his position ;is Food Controller. The armistice signed, and food supplies in a less precarious condition, Mr Hoover was summoned to the Supreme Economic Council where be was appointed Director-General of Belief. His work in his new billet comprised food distribution in ten countries. As usual, his work was faultlessly organised. He would boast-not out of pride, but by good work—that be was feeding m these ten countries no fewer than three and a-half million children. Bussia was an opportunity for him to give vent to his humanitarian views, audi he collected £7,000,000 in America for her assistance. At 48 years of age Mr Hoover "holds the world's confidence." He is a born pragmatist. He recognises the value of theories, but insists on the practical working of any and every scheme before lit' is willing to consent to it. He knows tho practical conditions which must be faced in every international problem. He worships facts, he laces facts, be deals in facts. He is terse in him manner; he knows whom to help and when to help. Is the reparations question 100 lug for him te tackle?