Evening star., 1922-12-04

!, Ten years ago the American consul
general at London was a fine old gen.
; tlenan named Griff1ths. Mr.. Geif-
fths numbered among his close
! friends an outstanding young Ameri-
can who was famed for two traits:
| his wide knowledge Of engineering
and his euperlative diffidence.
There was also a Navy League Of
the United States in London at that
time-it was before the world war
and the honor of being toastmastef
at the Navy Leagues big dinner on
! Washington's birthday fell to the con-
sui general. And the consul general
/, coaxed his dif1ident young friend to
consent to make his maiden speech a;
| the dinner.
The dinner was served and was well
along in the steenth course, when the
toastmaster discovered that the bash
full young American hadn't shown up
One more course. he waited. Then
! he went by taxi to the rooms of his
absent friend.
Mr.. Griffiths found the young man
sitting comfortably before his fre
his shoes of, toasting his feet. Also
he was enjoying cigar and working
! out difficult problem In engineering
What in the world began the
consul general.
The young man pulled out Lis
watch, scrambled into his evening
clothes and In about two minutes was
on his way with the toastmaster back
to the dinner.
Sorry, awfully sorry" he apologiE-
ed Il clear forgot the time. Was
busy working out a problem"
The young man was Herbert
Hoover.
That is Hoover's way. Give him
a big problen1-and he has been given
some tough ones during the ten years
that have elapsed since he made his
maiden speech-and he forEets the
world. He goes to the heart of the
problem and sticks at 1t till it's soiv-
ed.
He disregards non-essentials. He
is somewhat impatient of petty details
that don't bear on the subject under
discussion
He regards the business OF what to
wear as a sort Of annoying detail. So
he set to work to settle that. And
he did it. Howf
Well, he went to a good tailor and
looked over the various kinds of
clothes this tailor could make. He
decided that . double breasted coat
would be about the thing-s6methine
in blue serge or worsted.
Make me . dozen of EN-" he or.
dered.
The tailor was ashas. "All the
same style?" he asked.
Hoover nodded. WELL" said the
tailor, what kind of cloth do you
wish me to use In the other elerenc p"
"Blue SERGE" directed Hoover. And
that settled the problem Of what kind
OF clothes to wear-settled Il for life.
Mr.. Hoover wears only double.
breasted blue suits. He has been do
ing 30 for years and hopes to be
spared many years to come during all
Of which he will continue to wear
only double-breasted blue suits. None
other.
Last fall when the straw hat sea-
son ended his secretary reminded him
day in advance. She reminded him
somewhat pointedly by sending out
and getting half a dozen different
kinds Of felt hats from which he
made a selection. Then she kept the
old straw, Otherwise, the chances
are iifty-fifty that the Secretary of
Commerce would have worn his straw
hat long after the deadllne date.
Mr.. Hoover smokes necessarily. The
buster he is, the more he smokes.
When he is overwhelmed with work.
one cigar replaces another almost
without interruption.
AS director of the American relief
work in Belgium during the early
days Of the world war, Hoover WAS