The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1917-09-12

What sort of human being is Her.
bert G.. Hoover? SO long as the war
lasts Hoover will have more to say
about what we all eat and what we
pay for 1t than anybody else. Hoover
will be an unlimited guest ut every
American dinner table. lie will be a
steady boarder for the period of the
war in every American home.
Everybody knows something about
what Hoover has done. Books have
been written I'm praise of his work as
head OF the G. X. B.-the commission
for the relief of Belgium. The story
of his business career has been told,
with its last chapter, prior to the war.
locating him in London as mining en-
gineer, with branch offices in New
York and San Francisco and mining in
terests scattered over half the world.
But what about Hoover the man?
What does he look like, talk like. act
like? What are his pet amusements,
what are his chief faults, how are we
all going to be impressed by him when
he walks into every dining room three
times day until the war is over?
1t isn't easy to give any clear idea of
Herbert Hoover. There is no single
conspicuous feature to hang the pic
ture on. If Hoover only had long red
whiskers, IL he wore his hair long, or
had acquired mOnOcle or an English
accent during his long residence in Lon
don. the Job would be easy. But he
possesses none of those accomplish
ments or adornments.
He is Of medium height and his figure
is square and sturdy. He is smooth
shaven, his face is broad rather than
long, and his features are straight and
regular. He looks younger than his
years. which are only fOrty-three. He
has thick thatch of brown hair, and
he has not even begun to show the
slightest signs of becoming baldheaded.
Well Dressed American.
One would not turn to look twice at
Hoover In crowd. If he did he
would conclude that here was a well
dressed. well to do, good looking, young
American business man-his nationality
could not be mistaken. He looks, too
like a western man-which he is-and
not at all like which he also
is, by Inheritance, ut least.
Chatting with Hoover one needs lis
ten closely. for he talks in tone a
little lower than that usually used in
conversation. That is not an affecta-
ton. There is no affectation about him.
His chief Characteristic perhaps Is d.
rectness. lie seems to know exactly
what he wants to do and to have u
good idea of how to get it, And he
talks straight to the point.
1t was direct, straightforward talk.
in his low voice, that Hoover used I'm
persuading arrogant German generals
and naughty dignitaries of the British
foreign Office to permit him to buy.
ship and distribute food for the Bel
gians across barred waters and through
lines of battle
"What Is He After?"
So far Hoover has been distressing
puzzle to the cynics of Washington.
When a new man comes down to the
national capital the first question they
ask is "What is he after?"
They have no idea that Mr.. Hoover
is in search of social prestige, for they
have learned that no man is more care
less of social conventions. In British
social circles Hoover was known rs
the rudest man In London" In Wash
ingtOn, even when he has guests at din
ner, he is likely to leave the table sud
denly to telephone, and he not infro-
quently quits party Of guests without
explanations in order to write down
something that has occurred to him as
worth recording.
Declined British Post.
But the best proof Of all Is found In
the fact that his great abilities as an
organizer, being well recognized in
Great Britain. when In the early days
Of the war he was offered post Of
great responsibility in the British gov
eminent which would have necessi-
tated his giving up his American citi-
zenship, he declined the offer without
the slightest hesitation.
To have accepted 1t would have
meant a certain "Sir" before his name
and the probability of peerage after
the war. A man who turns down
chances of that kind has surely not
been bitten by the society bug.
And finally when 1t was learned that
HOover's oldest son. a boy Of fourteen.
is attending the public high school at
PalO Alto, Cal. the cynics gave up the
social prestige theory as an utter i'm
possibility.
Born on a farm in Iowa and left an
orphan when a small boy, he has sup
ported himself since he was thirteen.
At the age Of twenty-five. four years
after he had graduated from the Leland
Stanford university. he was appointed
director and chief engineer of all the
mines of the then empire of China. He
took a leading part In the defense Of
Tientsin during the Boxer rebellion. He
has m inaged mines In all the cOnti-
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