The Washington herald., 1917-08-11
MAKES HOOVER
FOOD DICTATOR
President ally Ap-
points Administrator Of
Nation S Food Supply.

Herbert c. Hoover, on his forty
third birthday, yesterday became the
arbiter of the diet OF more human
beings than any Roman Caesar ever
dreamed of feeding.
Shortly after noon President Wilson
affixed his signature to the food con-
troll bill upon which the ink was
hardly dry from the signatures of
Vice President Marshall and Champ
Clark
At $50 yesterday afternoon the
President summoned Mr.. Hoover 10
the White House, presented him with
the pen with which he signed the bill,
and signed an executive order ap-
pointing him to the place provided
for him in the bill.
Powers Conferred.
Under the powers conferred upon
him he may advise every farmer and
breeder of what he shoud raise: he
may direct every distributor how all
food is to be handled; and he is al
ready teaching every man, woman and
child in the United States how IL
should be consumed.
His will be the advice upon which
the United States will control its ex-
ports to the allies.
Thus, hunger or plenty for a harf
billion of people. lie in the hollow OF
Herbert Hoovers hand.
He realizes the hugeness of his job.
Months ago he said before Senate
committee:
Impossible Task.
81 don't believe / can do it. don't
believe any man can do ii. / won't
last much more than six months.
But If L can last six months / will
have gone a long way toward the
solution Of this problem and the next
man can carry it on"
Mr.. Hoover has already started on
his task. He has already done every
thing that he can do without official
authority. Already his campaign of
volunteer education has enlisted hun
dreds Of thousands OF housewives
as members Of the Food Administra-
tion, following its instructions for
economy, and has modified all OF
the most powerful and most public
spirited of the food raising and dis
tributing agencies behind him.
Mr. Hoover thinks that he will have
to do little more. He will spare the
rod.
Hoover Tells Plans.
In a statement issued last night
Mr.. Hoover outlined the aims and
hopes of his administration.
The hopes of the Food Administra-
ton are three-fold. 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. 10
guard exports so that against the
worlds shortage, we retain sufficient
supplies for our own people and to
cooperate with the allies to prevent
imitation of prices, and third. to stim-
ulate in every manner the saving
of food in order to increase exports
to our allies to a point which will
enable them to properly provision
their armies and to feed their peo-
pies during the coming winter.
The terms OF the food control bill
also endow the President with power
over fuel. including coal. oil and
natural gas. 1t is likely that Mr..
Hoover will take a hand in the oil
and gasoline market. but the price
of coal is now being fixed, as under
the terms of the bill, upon a cost
investigation by the Federal Trade
Commission. The commission will
proclaim these costs and the Presi-
dent will require the miners to charge
a price that will yield only a rea-
sonable profit.