Evening star., 1928-06-15

bassador Page already had the very
same idea.
| When they put 1t up to Hoover he
/ withheld his answer for two days while
| he thought it over from every angle.
II apparently meant that he would lose
| his chance to make fortune, and that
I he would have to start life over again
/ at 40 For Hoover realized the magni-
| tude of the task. There were 1000 900
/ people on the verge of starvation. He
/ knew he could do nothing else on the
! side. once he undertook the task. He
knew. too, that the difficulties would be
cnormous-that he would have trouble
| getting the supplies. and having them
| distributed. He knew that he would
have continual difficulties with the
Germans. the British and the French
Decides to Take Job.
When Hoover announced at the
American embassy on the third day
that he would tackle the Job he added:
Il guess I've got to let the fortune go
| to blazes."
| When he broke the news down In
the city to the directors. presidents and
managers of the principal companies
wnich ne was plotting. some Of them
TOOK 1t hard and said he was doing
tnem wrong. They declared they could
not carry on without the greatest
practical mining technician in the
world and the ablest mining financier 1"
But Hoover's mind had been made
up.
Gentlemen" he replied. "IIl advise
with you in what time I have, but
! shah take no responsibility for any-
thing but this Belgium job. Consider
me resigned"
The story of the Commission of
Belgium Relief. headed by Hoover. IA
part of the history OF the war II n
IeIl 10 Hoover, with no force behind
him but his own, TO open up diplo-
matte channels and get food into
Belgium within two weeks. How he
cut War once red tape and found
cargo space In vessels. how he virtually
stole the charters of three British
ships, how he built up his own
organization and soon had 1t working
with marvellous efficiency and speed.
Is story that would MI a book. Much
OF 1t has already been told, and much
more must await the time when his
tory can give the proper perspective
before the Winter Hoover had
onices or the G. r., b. functioning all
over the worid--even in places as re-
mote as Argentina and China. He had
learned how to buy during his career
as mining expert, and he always
bought ahead OF the market, So en-
cient was the work III the commission
mat the overhead charges we're only
!sIu OF ! per cent. One reason was
tllat ne got for nothing the services
OF many big mining men who COM
mandeu fancy salaries In the business
world.
At the end Of 10 months the busi-
ness OF The commission amounted to
81, 10000 a month and in the last
period OF the war II rose to 100000
900 a month. Even II those mining
engineers. who gave services free. had
been paid salaries running up to
SiOO'OO year, the commissions
overhead would have been only about
| per cent.
Genius Tor Organization.
Hoovers genius for organization and
setting things going appeared lin a
truly marvellous light. II was not long
before he had the machinery running
or It's own accord, and he was able 10
leave the details tu his suhordlnates,
while ne devoted himself chiefly TO
matters OF broad policy. Feeding a
whole country through public agencies
was q new thing In the world.
Hoover soon worked out It's alId-
Ing principles, The Germans had
ylsualiged something OF the sort for
their own country IN time nf war. but
their method of administration was 10
eentralize everything II proved 4 fall
ufe but before that failure was known
Hoover had worked out his nlan which
avoided the German mistakes. II waa