The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-04-09

office Of director OF mines under tie
government. But when he found the
Chinese plans were mostly op Taper
he resigned and went 10 Tientsin, on
ly to be caught in the storm of the
Boxer rebellion.
Aided In Defense.
Instead Of escaping, as he might
have done, Hoover declared 1t was
his duty to stick to his employees.
They, however. were used in Hoover's
plans for defense, he instructinS
them to throw up defenses OF any
sort possible around his mines, thus
allowing the white soldiers to be
freed for service in the city.
Even now Hoover says his earnings
as chief engineer in China amaze
him. But in the midst of 1t all, he
found time TO sail the Pacific to San
Francisco to be married to Miss Lou
Henry, coed sweetheart, who lived
at Monterey.
In 1902 Hoover went to London
where he became partner in the
mining company for which he went
to Australia in 1897. Hoover then
spent six years in cleaning up a debt
OF honor which had devolved on the
firm when one of the directors ran
away with more than "a million dol
lars of the firms customers money
as well as all of Hoover's personal
cash. The claims were not such as
could have been legally pressed
against the firm but Hoover, insisted
on payment in full.
Built Large Business.
From 1908 until the war broke out
in Europe in 1914, Hoover worked in
various countries, and everywhere he
was known as bear" at organiza-
tion and at metallurgy. From the
United States, he travelled in China,
Malay Peninsula. Korea, Central AMI
South America, Australia and Russia,
co operating with local mining com
panies in efforts at greater efficiency
and production.
With connections IN all parts of
the world. and with offices in London,
New York and San Francisco, OBJ
stined to become Il multi millionaire.
His incomes doubled and trebled. His
services were sought wherever there
were minerals TO be drawn from the
earth.
Then suddenly in, July, 1914, his
plans crashed With the outbreak Of
war, in the panic that seized Lon
don. all mining and development
stocks lost value. OF course, HoOv-
cr's personal fortune was safe, and it
was Hoover who was equal to the
cans found themselves stranded and
penniless in Europe.
Aided Americans.
That was where his rescue work
began. Organizing fellow engineers
and raising $200.00Q in addition to
S25O,OOO the American embassy got
from home, Hoover established an Of
flee at London hotel and set about
to get succor to americans Wherever
they happened to be caught. The Of.
flee aided in cashing checks and
steamer accommodafions and such
other work as speeded up the return
to America of tourists IN war
throttled Europe.
But the experience ID london was
trifiing compared to (zft which he
inherited IN Belga.im The Belgians,
seeing German h0flcs over1unning
their little nation, sent an appeal to
London for aid, bob ID money and
food supplies. The american ans
bassador al London. remembering 50
wildly Hooyer's effdft< n sending
home Americans, Ted The BeI81ans
about the wizard 4f organic lon.
So Hoover was draf
Seeing his succeed q }IIu1--
where he spent upx ~ )l|o|
Zoo a north II 4. <ss3>ssffk
years OF war clothed and fed nearly
100000 persons President Wilson
called on Hoover to become food adj
ministrator for the United States. His
relief work, saving measures and or
ganization policies attracted the at
tention of the allied countries and
Hoover was made a member OF the
supreme economic council which vic
tualize the war-torn allied countries.
Keeps At, Work.
With the war now closed book
for more than a year, Hoover has still
kept up his relief work. In New
York he maintains an office for the
American relief commissions chill
dren'S fund. In addition his organ :
ization still sells Hoover food drafts"
to Americans for their destitute rela-
tives in Europe. s-.
Recently, when Hoover was busy
with the work of the Industrial con-
ference called by the president, he
turnedAover his relief work in Wash =
ington to Mrs. Hoover, who, with a
staff of stenographers, conducted q
good portion of the Hoover activities.
The Hooyers have always wanted
to move back to Palo Alto. Cal, to
live. Hoover likes the outdoors, and
enjoys the chance to get out into the
country with his boys-one sixteen
and the other fourteen. .-
Mrs. Hoover is quiet, retiring
woman. She has travelled with her
husband into nearly every country
his work has called him. She has
always taken a lively interest in his
activities, particularly in his relief
work and for months has actually
performed volumes OF work to relieve
Hoover.
At present the Hoovers live in
Washington.