The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-08-14
HOOVER NOW IN
CHARGE OF FOOD
On His FOrty-Third Birthday One
Man Becomes Dictator Of Amer1.
cas- Food
By D. M. Edwards

By D. M Edwards
Washington, August 10.-Heroe;r
C. Hoover, on his 43rd birthday, TO-
day, became the arbiter Of the A'ei OF
more human beings than any r.. n
Caesar ever dreamed of feeding.
Shortly after noon President Wilson
affixed his signature to the food con-
troll bill upon which the ink was hard
ly dry from the signature of Vice
President Marshall and Champ Clark.
At $50 this afternoon the president
summoned Mr.. Hoover to }le White
House, presented him with the pen
with which he signed the bill, ana
signed an executive order appointing
him to the place provided for him IN
the bill.
May Direct
Under the powers conferred upon
him he may advise every farmer and
breeder wi1at he should raise. He may
direct every distributor how all food
is to be handled. He is already teach
ing eyerv man, woman ana child in
the United States how it should De
consumed.
His will be the advice upon which
the United States will control its ex'
ports to the allies.
Thus munger or plenty for hall
billion of people, lie tonight IN Her.
bert Hoover's hand.
He realizes the hugeness of his 1oo
Months ago he said before a senate
committee:
sT don't believe can do It. de
not believe any nian can 90 it. I wonY
Aast much. more than six months: Blu:
# can last six months I will have
gone long ways toward the solution
of this problem and the next man can
carry It on
Mr.. Hoover has already started on
Sis task: He has already done every
Ing ne can do without official au-:
,ror,ty. Already his campaign Of voi-
unteer education has enlisted hun
dreds of thousands; Of housewives as
members of the food administration
following its instructions for economy
and has modified all Of the most pow
erful and most public spirited OF the
food raising and distributing agencies
behind him.
His Plans
MFR. Hoover tells more of his plans
sn a statement he issued tonight:
U .eThe food administration is called
INTO being to stabilize and not to DIS
turb conditions, and to defend honest
enterprise against illegitimate compe-
fition." he said. cit has been devised
to correct the abnormalities and aous-
es that have crept into trade by rea-
son of the world disturbance and to
restore business as far as may be to a
unreasonable basis.
f 'The hopes of the food administra-
ton are threefold. First, to- so guide
the trade in the fundamental food
commodities as to eliminate vicious
speculation, extortion and wasteful
practices, and to stabilize prices in the
essential staples. Second, to guard our
exports so that against the worlds
shortage we retain sufficient supplies
for our own people and to cooperate
with the allies to prevent imitation Ct
prices, and, third, that we stimulate
fr every manner within our power the
saving Of our food that We may m
crease exports to our allies to point
which will enable them to properly
provision their armies and to feed
their peoples during the coming win.
ter.
"The business men Of this country,
I am convinced, as result of many
hundreds of conferences with repre-
sentatives Of the great forces Of food
supply, realize their own patriotic OBJ
legation and the solemnity of the stu
alton and will fairly and generously
cooperate in meeting the national
emergency. do not believe that dras
tic,sforce need be applied to naiA
tain equitable distribution and sane
use of supplies by the great majority
of American people, and have learn
edaa deep and abiding faith in the in
telligence of the average American
business man whose aid We anticipate
and depend on to remedy the evils de-
relcped by the war which he admits