Semi-weekly herald., 1915-06-17

He wanted to know that was get
ting out. The staring looks and
frowns which an American gets in
Berlin are sufficiently suggestive to
cause him to want to get out.
Hoover an Organizer.
But it is scarcely remembered that
it costs s7,O00,0OO per month to feed
the poor people of Belgium. In other
words nearly a hundred million dol
lars per year. do not believe there
is a man living except Herbert Hoov-
er, who could secure this amount Of
money. He is the best organizer that
l ever knew and I think in this re-
spect he is the equal of John D. Rock
efeller.
He is mining engineer by profess
sion and was born at West Side,
Iowa. He is reputed to be wealthy,
For number of years he has resided
in London. He is the man who took
charge of things in London when sew
eral thousand Americans were strand
ed in that city upon the declaration
of war, August 1, last. When the
American association for rlief in Bel
gium was organized, naturally enough
Hoover was selected to take the man.
agement. His wife is brilliant or
ganizer as well and makes a first
rate lieutenant colonel. At times /
think she is colonel. Together they
make great team. Hoover is in cor
respondence with some government
functoinary all the time in regard TO
his trouble. The German authorities
arc all the time changing their regu-
lations and making them more severe;
then Hoover gets busy with letters
and messages.
Germans Denounce Him.
The German governor of Belgium
pronounced him a CRATER also de-
nouncing the whole system Of Belgium
relief as American graft. This has
since been denied, and the friends
of all will hope the denial may stick.
The Belgium Relief association has
a wheel within a wheel. The inner
wheel is what is called the Commit
tee Rationale" of Belgium. The
Committee Rationale" is an incor-
porated organization with a paid up
capital stock of $5,0O0,000. This
capital stock was all furnished by
rich men in Belgium. Belgium, like
Holland, was full of money. The peo-
pie were economical and thrifty. The
banks of Belgium were gorged with
money and the interest rates we're
low. The Committee Nationale," be-
ing Belgian organization could not
conduct the relief work satisfactor-
lily. The Germans would not issue
passes and credentials to Belgians.
This was afterward modified so that
Belgians might act as chauffeurs in
driving cars for the relief associa-
tion. It may have been waived also
in regard to limited number of
prominent Belgians. At any rate, a
considerable number of leading Bel
gians give attention to the work of
receiving and distributing of supplies
at Rotterdam.
But it was found that Belgium
could not pay all the expenses of the
relief system and it was evident that
the work must be carried on by and
in the name of some neutral country.
This meant that the United States
must do the work. Holland is a neu-
trail country, but such neutral coun-
tries as Holland and Switzerland are
so near to the warning nations that
all men coming from either of them
are looked upon with suspicion. 1t
is charged that Holland and Switzer-
land are the general retreat and home
office of spies.
Henry Van Dyke Alive.
Hoover being a mining engineer,
has been able to call to his support
large number of other mining en-
gineers, who would otherwise be out
of work until the war is over. The
Headquarters office in London is man.
ned by mining engineers. If you
know anything about mining engi-
neer you will know that he is COM
hination of scientific education and
common sense. At least, these ought
to be his qualities and must be if
he succeeds. Hoover has carried on
mining operations in all parts of the
world and has employed young college
men in his work of discovering gold
fields
In Strengthening out things between
t g German government and the Re-
lief association, the American ambas-
sador at The Hague, Hon. Henry Van
Dyke, has been Indispensable. He is
a big man intellectually and morally,
tho a small man physically. He has
manifested splendid powers in adjust
ing difficulties. To start with he has