The Caldwell tribune., 1919-09-26
THE OBSERVATORY
THE OBSERVATORY

IN tne springfield. (MaSs.) Republi-
can of the 18th we find the followinp
about man Americans are proud Of
and who they love and will delight 10
honor. He is too big a man to be
hidden under bushel.
A GREAT CITIZEN
.... ...-., Herbert c. Hoover.
Probably no Ameicran except the
president of the United States is
better known throughout the world
than this young mamie is only
45-who has just completed his
work as chairman of the American
commission for relief in France.
Comparatively few people probably
know that he is mining engineer.
and genius in his particular pro-
fession; that he was earning a
salary of $4,000 year as empioye
of a British syndicate in Australia
at "a and at 08 was a milliopaire
and head of his own company in
China, after having lost nearly ali
his fortune in the Boxer rebellion
1t is Hoover the great administra-
tor of relief whom the world knows.
Happily the time is, in all human
probability, far distant when the
obituary" of this famous American
must be written. The practical com
pletion of his war work makes the
time opportune, however, for recall
ing something of his patriotic and
humanitarian service Nobody asks
now '"Who is Hoover" as some
members of congress did two years
ago, wnen it was proposed to in
vest him with the tremendous re-
sponsibility of national food ad-
ministrator during the war. He had
at that time already become famous
for his achievements as chairman
of the commission for relief in Bel
gium. displaying executive ability of
very high order.
But the work in Belgium was not
the beginning. When the war broke
out Mr.. Hoover was member of the
American colony in London, where
he was looking after his mining in
terests in China, India. Russia
Mexico and California. AS chairman n
of the American relief committee ne
assisted thousands Of Americans in
getting home and with his associates
served as the clearing house for the
Germans in England and the Eng
lsh in Germany. This work COM
pleted, Mr.. Hoover moved on toI
bigger fields, dropping all his pri-
vate interests to devote himself,
without pay, exclusively to the re-
lief work which events proved him
to be the man of all men to per-
form. These private interests, it is |
said, included more than so diff
ferent corporations. that have thus
been deprived of his services during
these five years of the whole-hearted |
devotion . of his organizing and ad-
ministrative genius TO the cause of
the country and of humanity
The after-war work in Europe
which Mr.. Hoover has just completed |
has been the greatest and the most |
difficult Of all To accomplish it he |
became, as the Manchester Guard
ian puts it, the nearest approach |
to dictator Europe has seen since
Napoleon" He has had the advan-
tage of experience and of the con-
fidence of the people of all the coun-
tries in his ability and fairness, but
he has had to perform his task in
the midst of chaos; to make order
out OF chaos. as starting point
Some of the difficulties he has had
to overcome are obvious from the
briefest outline of the task accom-
plished by his commissions: 1t fed
the population of more than 20 coun-
tries; 1t aided in the rebuilding of |
industry by shipment of necessary
material; il organized bases of ex-
change or barter between neighbor-
ing countries to assist them in trade
OF commodities; it took care of the
work of exchanging and repatriat-
ing prisoners; it sped up production
and assisted in the settlement of in
dustrial disputes; it organized COM
mnnication facilities; re-establishing |
railroad systems and reconstructing
teiegraphs; it cared for under
nourished children.
This last-named service especially |
enlisted Mr. Hoover's interest, and
although he retires from the chair
manship of the commission, he re-
tains his Craftsmanship of the chill
dren's fund of the American relief
administration, private benefaction
organized to help feed the children
OF Europe until their own people are /
able to. One of Mr.. Hoover's as
sistants says of his child-feeding /
program: "All ever got out Of him |
was sort of indignant statement
that the allies didn't fight the war
to punish women and children, and
ANYBODY could see that a starving
child ought to be fed" During his
farewell visit of inspection In east
ern Europe. Mr.. Hoover was en-
barrassed by the effusive warmth
with which he was everywhere
greeted. He did his best to keep
away from Il. At home he has put
aside all proposals Of political
preferment. But he has not been
backward when he has seen some.
thing to be gained for the public
service by outspoken word. as
witness his statement to the peace
council regarding the Rumanians
and the Hapsburgs in Hungary, He
has known now to cut red tape, to
take risks in emergency. to go fear
leSslx ahead Ia anita af criticis.n or II