Evening star., 1924-12-14

mus no was in London at the out.
break OF the European war, when thou
SANDS or Americans were left stranded
without money in various parts of Eu-
rope, owing to the suspension of banks
ana interruptions in transportation and
communications. Another opportunity
10 serve! He organized a relief COM
mittee, which, through the personal
guarantee of himself and friends AT The
banks, advanced many hundreds of
thousands OF dollars to travellers on their
own checks. The committee established
metnoos by which Americans could cot
10 I>onoon from various continental con
ters, chartered entire hotels for ,ha.,
and provided their TRANSPORTATION bon,a
over 10000 Americans were thus aids,5
inen came the call to service in
devastated Belgium, and he organized
the rehe1 work that in five years ex-
pended almost a billion and hn1e
dollars. kept millions of men. wornan
and children from starving and is now
perpetuated In c. r. B. Education Foun.
oation, with MIR. Hoover as Chairman
ior scientific research and to endow
scholarships. providing higher educa
ton for poor students.
In the midst OF his work as direc,or
OF the Belgian relief. he was called mon
10 become also United States food ad
IlinIstrator' and from that time on mis-
activities multiplied until merely 70
enumerate them were almost q str,i,,
upon credulity. 1t is not too much to
say. however. that during the war and
postwar years his activities-and those
OF the 1orces he marshaled-touched I'm
helpful way the lives Of more hrm.n
beings than those Of any man who has
ever lived. A'
Does Not Claim the Credit.
MIR. Hoover is far from being the sort
OF man who claims credit for all this.
He passes that along to efficient. hard
working associates and subordinates
and says that without them not q fitba
Of what has been done could have been
accomplished. That is doubtless true
put the fact remains that his has been
the leadership that has coped with great
emergencies and under which others
have labored indefatigably and loyaIly.
AS Secretary Of Commerce Mr.. Hoover
mas found numerous opportunities to
carry forward his ideas and ideals of
service. Under him the department has
been reorganized and expanded, until II
is Of tangible benefit and assistance TO
American business and industry in
myriad ways, and demands on the part
or business men for the services of the
department have increased by Ieaps
and bounds until in the fiscal year 1924
the commercial inquiries answered to-
tailed 1,236,33S, aH increase of 131 per
cent in the last tno years
In addition to his efforts 70 make of
each bureau and division a practical
service agency for business, Secretary
Hoover Is much interested in the cul-
tivation Of a sense Of responsibility on
the part Of business and industry to
work together and with the Govern
ment in constant search for methods
by which the business world can develop
and enforce its own standards, and
thus stem the tide Of governmental reg
ulation.
"Thc question we need to consider"
he says, SIS whether these rules and
regulations are to be- developed solely
by the Government or whether they
cannot be in some large part developed
out OF voluntary forces in the Nation.
In other words. can the abuses which
give rise to Government in business be
eliminated by the systematic and vol
untary action of commerce and indus
try itself?
'T believe we now for the first time
have the method at hand for voluntary
organized determination of standards
and their adoption. would go further:
/ believe we arc in the presence of a
new era in the organization Of indus
try and commerce. In which II properly
directed lie forces pregnant with In q
finite possibilities Of moral progress. I