The Washington herald., 1917-05-30
HOOVER MAGICIAN
in organizing MEN
Man Who May Be Food Dictator Has
Worked Marvels.
By FRANCIS GRTERsoN.

i NJ.
] tAuthor Of The Invincibls AIHAnca'1
II were asked to name the most I'M
Porhnt visitor to Washington since the
wsr began. knowing what do about the
aIars OF france and Belgium, in rela-
uoil 20 England and America and after
resluence IN London and Paris of twen-
ty-tour years, / should not hesitate a
moment in naming Herbert CLARK Hover
we near much about the potency of
What philosophers call the silent forces
Out mere We have a man who had ac-
So,hphsned wonders in the hard, practi-
cai "orId as a mining engineer, gradu-
auhg from the School Of Mines at Stan
iord University a the age OF q, year
later appointed assistant manager Of two
large Australian mines. then becoming
icmet-of-stan Of the British mining firm
OF Bewick, Moreing & Co, in Western
Australia. then taking charge Of the Bu-
reau OF Mines for the Chinese govern
ment, then becoming a partner Of Bewick
Moreing & Co, and director Of all their
mining interests-and all this al the age
of twenty-eight!
Herbert Hoover was born in Iowa IN
lSi4, OF Quaker parents. and Is a self
made man. He supported himself while
at college. and even then found means Of
ASSISTING otherr
Gifted with Clear Sight.
Before the war Mr.. Hoover was re-
Noiueu as Ihe greatest gold mining eN-
pert in the world. and because Of this
many would have placed him IN the cat
egory Of hard-headed men with hearts
V match the head. But the truth is,
| Hoover's way OF reasoning is both hu-
name and democratic. He is not a SEN
,timentalist, for IL he were he would not
be famous as the practical common
sense man We know him to be.
/ This remarkable personality. whose very
~
most critical juncture in our country's
/ history, belongs to the kind who think
clearly, act promptly and say little. I
never knew man with so much force OF
character. experience and ability who
was so reticent.
In my visits to the Hoover home in
. kensington. London, I was struck with
the clear vision OF this man from Iowa
who began life without any aid except
that Of character, good health and COM
mon sense.
England" I once heard him say. 'Is
on the verge NJ a great Industrial and
political unheavaI" For this American.
with his wide-world experience. and quick
perception. saw what no Englishman
could see. and this because he was not
! blinded by the financial calculations and
could sense the trend n events with
. cIear-seeing genius
/ Dining with the Hoover family one
evening. 7 listened to the most iIluninat-
ing talk on sOcial and political economy
. I ever heard in the same space OF time.
Here I saw a distinguished professor Of
political science from one Of our leading
/ universities sitting like a student in the
] presence Of this master in a science in
which the professor was supposed to be
. so proficient
KensinEton HOme Is Unique.
The Hoover home in KensinFton IS
unique among the private residences
in London. Built at a time when
kensinEton was a suburb OF London.
it is surrounded by a superb park
which has remained intact, quite un-
. like anything in the great city. Once
inside its walls one finds II hard to
believe that the bustling metropolis is
Just outside, and that Kensington
station. one Of the busiest points Of
traffic in London. IS only two blocks
away.
/ In this exquisite park ! have attend
: ed more than one garden party presid-
ed over by Mrs. Hoover who. like her
/ husband. was born in Iowa OF typi-
/ cal American parents. Mrs. Hoover en-
tertains the friends and acquaintances
Of the family but without any snob-
/ hish display. for the hostess Is as prao.
: tical as her husband. yet receiving her
guests with the native grace and
natural charm that belongs to Ameri-
cans born, bred and educated amidst
the best religious and social elements.
! At a Hoover reception. just previous
/ to the war. spoke with representa-
tive people in the world OF art. liter
ature, science, politics and religion. and
il seemed as II all intellectual Lon
don had given rendezvous there.
Success and wealth have left the
Hoovers simple in their tastes. demo-
cratic in their habits. and Americans
above all
II genius consists in knowing many
things well. Herbert Hoover is certain
ly both by nature and by experience
one of the greatest the world has had.
He is an author withal. and his hook.
The Principles OF Mining" is a reve-
Iation Of his own original methods in
complex and difficult science
He also found time for the trans
lation OF a book Of metals and mining
written in lI30 by George NCrIcols
nearly four centuries. owing To- the
doEgereI Latin in which Il was writ
ten. This work took all the time he
could spare for several years.
Has Done Vital Work.
Hoover's gift for swift and effective
organization is nothing short Of mar
vellous. Looking over the long list OF
the vital work he has accomplished
since the outbreak OF the war, one
, wonders how it was all done When
the war started 5000 Americans were
stranded in London, and IN two months
Hoover had sent them rejoicing on their
way home.
Then, several million Belgians we're
facing starvation, and this magician OF
organization was asked to handle the
vast relief work in Belgium and North
ern France. He started things with a
rush but without any blunderinE. Work
that usually took the British govern
ment weeks to perform, Hoover got
done over night. The conservative
English Easped for breath at such rapid
and effective strokes.
The volunteers under Hoover's direc-
ton numbered fifty thousand. Never in
history had anything similar been
thought OF or imagined. even in fiction.
Never had the most fantastic novelist
attempted to depict anything resembling
the conditions, the incidents and scope
Of such a work.
Herbert Hoover is, IN one word. the
Napoleon of modern organization and
scientific efficiency.
The war has brought America and
American efficiency to the knowledge
Of Europeans in a way that has caused