The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-14
HOOVER SUREOF
CHEAPER PRICES
OF STAPLE FOOD
Returns From Europe Con-
fident World Will Re-
turn to Normal
WAITING ONLY ON PEACE
Asserts That He Will Not En-
ter Politics but Will Rest
i'm California.

foIt chuCut ms OHlg pitSChA dhivieioh
being to get back to his California home
for rest with his family, Herbert Hoo
yer returned to New York yesterday on
the Aquitania with his wife and his son
Allan. He made il clear that questions
Of political import were distasteful to
him. Reminded that he had been men
toned" in relation to the Presidency he
said II am not in politics in any shape
or form. i have not even speaking
acquaintance with any political ma
chine
Otherwise Mr.. HooEer's most interest
ing observations were that he stands
for the League of Nations as 1t is; that
the delay in making peace has had ter
rible effect on~the economic and social
life of Europe; that the danger of Boil
Hhevism has passed: that the price OF
food staples In America and all over
the world soon will begin to fall and
that the price of wheat, s226 n bushel,
fixed by the American Government.
should be maintained for the time being.
Speaking of the League of Nations
Mr.. Hoover said: 1T do not believe 1t
will change mems characters over night
Very possibly nations will attempt to
make alliances and effect balances Of
power even though the League of Ma
tons Is adopted, but 1 believe such sf-
forts will fail. 1 stand for the league as
II is. This treaty is constructed around
the theory of the League of Nations
and not on the theory of balance OF
power The league and the treaty are
interdependent There are more than
thirty references to the league in the
treaty"
He said that peace was now needed
more than anything else in the world,
and that Americas task was greater
now than It was when the armistice
was signed.
All Europe Seeks Peace.
'The dominant thought among all
European peoples" he continued. ''is for
peace. There is economic friction on
every boundary line in Europe Trans
portation between nations is only posi-
BILE through agreements obtained by the
American Economic Commission. Until
peace is declared all life In Europe
must be based on the hand to mouth
principle, because no definite plans Of
a constructive nature can be made
In answer to a question about the
German indemnity Mr.. Hoover said
mo living soul now knows whether she
can ever pay. but 1t is certain she can
not unless she can obtain credits with
which to purchase raw materials in
American and other countries. She can
not pay cent of her indemnity unth
she gets her industries going"
Inc IOOu pTODiciH III EuTOpty ne
added. sis a problem of credits. The
Governments have the means OF trans
portation. We must help to restore nor
NAL economic relations. There is far
less food production in Europe now than
there was at the time of the armistice.
Since the proclamation of the armistice.
America has supplied Europe with 81
ZEE, 900, 900 worth of supplies. During the
next year America must supply Europe
with so per cent. Of it's food necessities.
All the great countries and all the
neutrals VIII need assistance. Bulgaria,
Serbia and Hungary practically will be
self-supportihg However"
In Mr.. Hoover's opinion the danger
OF Bolshevism overrunning Central Eu-
rope passed in February when supplies
OF food were definitely assured by the
American Relief Commission. He said
that Bolshevism, both as a philosophy
md as fact, was losing ground in
Russia.
THE crest of high prices in this coun-
try has been passed." he continued.
"Prices from now on must fall of tn Nv
own weight. With new production COM
ing on there should be a very material
reduction in prices. There was a vast
spd to large degree an innocent spec
ulation in food following the signature
Of the armistice. This was based on
two grounds: First. the fear that Eu-
ropean demand would cause a real
shortage in America, and, second, the
desire of spectators to take advantage
Of the expected demand from former
belligerent nations. This demand has
not materialized, however, becar sc of
lack of funds. Nations that have mo,ny
ere buying materials for manufacturing
Most of the great European nations will
ration their population for the next year.
Huge Accommodations here. added to our
greatly increased production. will force
prices down not only here but all over
the world.
World short of Sugar.
''The sugar supply here is ample until
January l. but our purchase of the
Cuban crop leaves the rest of the world
short. The present price is 5 cents
lower than it would have been had not
the Cuban purchase been made"
After expressing his belief that the
price of wheat should pc kept at S2.26
temporarily Mr.. Hoover pointed out
that this was lower than the European
price to-day
Z He said that of the 500. 200. 900 APP
propriated by Congress for European re-
lief s90.OO0,000 was lent for that pur-
pose abroad on good security and would
be repaid to the United States, leaving
$l0,000,000 as gift OF charity.
As to his own feelings he said: 81
hope I shall never go back to Europe.
IN five years / have had only nine
months with my family"
On Tuesday night Mr.. Hoover will at
tend reception and dinner given in his
honor at the Waldorf Astoria by the
American Institute Of Mining and Metal
lnrgical Engineers On Wednesday he
Will leave with Mrs. Hoover and the boy
for Palo Alto, Cal. where he has a
home in the foothills of the Coast Range,
overlooking Stanford University, of
which he is a graduate and trustee.
herbert Hoover has known hardly a
moments let up since August, 1914,
when he. a mining engineer of world
vide repute in his profession, helped
stranded Americans to get out OF Eng
land and then jumped over to Belgium
= As head of the Commission for Relief In
Belgium and later OF the American Food
Administration and since the armistice
bead of the American Relief Commission
he has been one of the worlds busiest
men. Throughout all this he served as a
volunteer, declining compensation. He
continues to be chairman of the chill
dren's fund OF the American RELIEF Ad-
ministration, established by private ben
efaction to carry on the task OF keeping
the children of Europe fed until their
0wn reoplo can do It.
lorraine Roads Resume Operation
By the Associated Press
METz, Sept. 13.--Service was resumed
to-day onNthe railroads In Lorraine Of