New-York tribune., 1918-02-18
Australia Knew
Hoover When He
Was Young Miner

Was Young Miner
Australia has discovered Herbert
Clarke Hoover, the United States Food
Administrator. 1t remembers that Mr.
Hoover began his career in Australia
so FAR as high finance and big business
are concerned. Men who worked with
him in the Commonwealth many years
ago recall with pleasure to-day the
keen, reliant, youthful American who
saw vast potentialities in the tailngs
dumps Of Broken Hill, says "The Chris
tian Science Monitor" Among these
friends is W. l.. Baillieu, NJ. L. c., one
OF Australia's foremost mining and
commercial leaders.
From different sources an interest
ing story has been gathered of Mr..
uoover's early days. His ability was
noticed in 1898 by C. A. Moreing, Of the
firm of Bewick, Moreing 4 Co Mr..
Moreng brought Mr.. Hoover to Austria
liza and gave him the management of
Nannan's Broken Hill, at Kalgoorlie
cSt AUSTRALIA.
Mined Also in China
In 1901 he left Australia for China,
still under the direction of the same
firm; obtained valuable mineral conces-
sions and qualified for the partnership
which the firm granted to him in 1908.
1t was while paying q special visit 10
Australia as a partner in the firm Of
Bewick, Moreing & Co. that he became
aware OF the possibilities of the fiota-
tion process for making valuable the
unused zinc tailings dumps at Broken
Hill. He secured options over the great
accumulations of Zinciferous ore and
tailings available. His firm, in con-
junction with other firms, formed the
Zinc Corporation, Ltd, which to-day is
sald TO have an ore reserve of 100000
tons.
A personal description of Mr. Hoover
IS given by w. J.. Baillieu, who saws:
''I first met Mr.. Hoover about twelve
years ago. and regarding him from a
business standpoint, he was one of the
most capable men have ever encoun-
tered. His business and economical
sense was Of the highest order, and he
always got right to the heart of the
matter under consideration By the
shortest route. Having heard his
views, which were almost always CON
rincing, one felt that the ground had
been covered completely. and that there
was little else to be said concerning it
Maker Of Business Maxims
'The business under consideration
having been concluded. it was Mr.. Hoo.
ver's habit to call in his typist and die
tate while walking restlessly up anG
down the room. Then he would have
the typed script read over and, turning
to his business associates, would ask il
there was anything to add to il. From
mat moment the business in hand
however important, was fixed and put
behind him, and his mind became cen
tired on the next problem to be dealt
WITH
Il often felt in talking with Mr.. Hoo
yer that it would have been a gooC
thing for the business world if a
gram ophone with a receptive RECORD
. could have been on hand to register
some Of the many excellent and origi-
nal business aXioms he so frequently
voiced. He was eminently logical, anl
his ability for lucid expression was
complete.
81 cannot claim personal friendship
With Mr. Hoover. for tho reason only
that he did not make intimate friend
ships. We We're associated in business
dealings essentially; otherwise he was
a man apart. But one could not heiI
feeling interested in the man: there
was so much that was original in him
His outlook on life was 50 thoroughly ly
sane, and his manner of going through
it at times amazingly quaint.
He Repaired Own Car
'lis hobby was motoring, and il
anything went wrong he attended to il
himself for in addition to being theo-
rctical he was also a practical cngi
neer- practically in everything was
his strong point. Dressed in correct
attire, he would get out and get un-
der and reappear from beneath the
with a spanner in his hand, and grin
ming with the pleasure of having con.
quered a difficulty. Just az likely as
not he would not bother to remove
from himself the traces of his honor.
able toll. Some called him morose, but
he had a keen sense of humor, anC
when it bubbled up he got it off as
soon as possible and never let i inter.
fere with the serious business of life
when calling on man to do busi-
ness he would walk in with his hands
deep IN his pockets, regard the person
with q direct and earnest ioook, put
his questions, receive his answers, an(
walk out.
in business he was cold, keen, alert
and | know of no one who understood
better the basic fact that people car
better themselves only by the produc.
tion of labor properly and economically
applied.
81 think it adds to the wonderful,
acumen and foresight displayed BY
President Wilson that he should have
picked out from a hundred million peo-
pie the man who is so eminently ftteC
successfully to carry out the great
work with which he has been intrusted
}llS career is an exemplary ono 70,