Evening star., 1928-06-15

there for the annual meetings. Hi
home was In Palo Alto Calf. Londor
and other cities were only stopping
places.
During his years OF travel back ant
forth over the surface of the globe
Hoover standardized not only the ma.
chinery Of his companies. but his owT
rowing life. Years ago he realized how
much time man loses fiddling with his
clothes That accounts for the similar
ity OF his suits Some of his friend;
have thought he must have worn thu
same suit OF double breasted blue serge
with trousers slightly belled at the in
step, for the past Is years, but they
we're at loss to understand how hf
kept 1t so fresh, until they learned that
he left with his tailor permanent
order for one of those blue suits and
for equally standard full dress and din
ner clothes.
He left similar orders for shirts anc
shoes and underwear. During tho
period of his roaming he kept rooms In
shanghai New York. Melbourne, Sar
Francisco and London. and In each oi
these he installed set Of his standard
lied clothing. Whenever he arrived
all travel stained he found fresh out.
1T awaiting him.
Hoover has witnessed or lived more
stories than Kipling ever wrote. But
10 one who encounters him casually he
is about as unromantic a figure as one
would meet anywhere. Whenever his
work has permitted, his existence has
been as regular as q clock. He breatheS
an air OF friendly confidence. He has
never lost his American accent, and
he always betrayed his nationality In
the remotest part OF the English-speak-
Ing world. Those who know him best
say his capacity for friendship liz the
crown OF his character.
Wanted 10 Return Home.
His friend VIII Erwin says that In
his ways, and equally In his habits OF
mind. he has remained "as American
as the flag, base ball or corn on the
cob"
Whenever he could squeeze In a va
cation he went home to California. As
he approached his forties the game be-
gan TO pail upon him little. More
and more his country was calling. His
friends say he was getting tired OF jobs
that merely dealt with money and not
directly with humanity On his last
NlAIL LD kAkllEI1GM DGIOIG bIlV NOkAh WAA
he talked over his future with a friend,
Il want 10 come home" he said. Il
want to get into our own game-~and
not for money. am tired of fooling
with that"
But his associates in London say he
found 1t hard 10 let go, He had been
business builder. not mere Iuggier
Of profits He had made fortunes for
others. but he was not himself very
riGn. II he had dropped all Of his
other interests he might have made q
very comfortable living as consulting
expert, but he would have had 10 re-
main In London TO do the best at that.
and he wanted 10 come home.
~rhe World War eventually gave him
that opportunity II was his fate ia
, have only two weeks TO wind up his
affairs
Early In October 1914, the Germans
permitted Belgian delegation to visit
London and lay tho desperate situation
af their country before American Am.
bassador Page. The Germans, who held
The whole country had requisitioned all
the crops. They would feed the Beigians
only II England would lift the blockade,
and there was no chance of that. The
Germans then said they would permit
American charity supplies 10 enter Bel
glnm through Holland, II the allies
would permit, and II the work was done
and stated by Americans
Millard shaler. an American mining
engineer who had worked In Belgium
and The kongo, came with that dele.
CATION 10 London, Shaler had always
Insisted that Hoover was the greatest
mining engineer m the world. and h.
~ once suggested Hoover for the Job
Of getting supplies 10 the Belglans. Am,