Of course there was opposition to a DC outsider coming in and having full control of the nation’s kitchen. Hoover was basically a stranger to America by 1917, and the country had changed greatly since he had last lived in CA. Hoover was a Traditionalist, and he returned to a US that was becoming increasingly Modernist. Hoover saw the changes as invigorating, seeing challenges to tackle of which he was well-suited. Hoover was desperate to be included and accepted in America, but there was no way of getting around the fact that he was an outsider in terms of US politics, missing an entire political generation (1901 - 1917).
Nothing in Europe prepared Hoover for Senator James Reed (D; MO), who was among the minority in Congress that had opposed the Lever Bill. Reed was not a Wilson Democrat, and he scoffed at the President’s idealism, which he saw as nothing but opportunism. To Reed, the Lever Bill was a declaration of war against American farmers and agriculture.
Reed went after Hoover hard when he appeared before a Senate agriculture committee, but the press believed that Hoover got the better of the Senator. Hoover kept his cool throughout, but Reed was undeterred. Reed firmly believed that Hoover would have total control over flour and sugar, that America’s menus in restaurants would become limited, and the Senator called Hoover the “greatest calamity howler”. Reed’s appetite for destruction was only whetted when Hoover came out of the committee hearing without any scars. The Senator accused Hoover of driving up the price of wheat in the US for the consumption of foreigners (apparently Reed was unmoved by starving Belgians). Hoover watched as the Senate debated and dissected the Lever Bill in June 1917, and Wilson advised Hoover to be patient and wait for the bill to be passed by Congress . . . Wilson’s advice proved to be sound.
Nothing in Europe prepared Hoover for Senator James Reed (D; MO), who was among the minority in Congress that had opposed the Lever Bill. Reed was not a Wilson Democrat, and he scoffed at the President’s idealism, which he saw as nothing but opportunism. To Reed, the Lever Bill was a declaration of war against American farmers and agriculture.
Reed went after Hoover hard when he appeared before a Senate agriculture committee, but the press believed that Hoover got the better of the Senator. Hoover kept his cool throughout, but Reed was undeterred. Reed firmly believed that Hoover would have total control over flour and sugar, that America’s menus in restaurants would become limited, and the Senator called Hoover the “greatest calamity howler”. Reed’s appetite for destruction was only whetted when Hoover came out of the committee hearing without any scars. The Senator accused Hoover of driving up the price of wheat in the US for the consumption of foreigners (apparently Reed was unmoved by starving Belgians). Hoover watched as the Senate debated and dissected the Lever Bill in June 1917, and Wilson advised Hoover to be patient and wait for the bill to be passed by Congress . . . Wilson’s advice proved to be sound.
Hoover surrounded himself with non-traditional problem-solvers who called themselves “The Firm”. Hoover worked hard with them each day, telling them he may call one or more of them during any evening. The first focus of “The Firm” was to enlist the cooperation of women in the conservation of food. Hoover’s goal was to get every housewife to become part of the US Food Administration by signing a pledge card, and to have “Meatless Tuesdays” and “Wheatless Wednesdays”. Hoover ushered in a great public relations blitz, which featured the slogan “Food Will Win the War”. DC was astonished that Hoover had started his efforts without permission from Congress.
Where Reed mocked Hoover however and whenever he could in the Senate, Supreme Court Associate Justice Louis Brandeis publicly supported Hoover’s initiative and bravado. Reed wanted Hoover’s past investigated, but there was little support in the Senate to do so. Reed also wanted a 3 to 5 member Food Board to oversee Hoover, and that demand was also defeated. Reed urged most Americans to ignore Hoover and his sloganeering, but what occurred is that most Americans ignored Reed. Hoover would have had smoother political sailing if he had the political acumen to involve Congressional leaders in his efforts, and more humility on Hoover’s end would have been beneficial.
Hurt and humiliated by Reed’s attacks, frustrated by the delay of the Lever Bill in the Senate, still without an official role to his liking. Hoover grew paranoid and desperate, making empty threats in the press in an effort to reduce the influence of his opponents in Congress, and muttering about quitting. On 4 July 1917, Hoover poured out his feelings to Colonel House, who told him that he’d feel better about the situation if he met with Wilson. Hoover was in the process of discovering that Wilson was not a detail-oriented President, who often golfed, went for daily car rides, and spent a great deal of time reading and answering letters. Wilson rarely broke his “Banker’s Hours”, and he refused to work weekends, habits of which Hoover simply couldn’t understand.
After their meeting, Wilson responded to Hoover’s concerns by writing to the Senate Majority Leader, wanting the Lever Bill passed without any amendments. Wilson told Hoover that the smart play was to simply endure and outlast Reed, and the Lever Bill will become law. Wilson’s prediction came true after two contentious months of debate on 8 August 1917, with only seven Senators voting against, of course including Reed.
Where Reed mocked Hoover however and whenever he could in the Senate, Supreme Court Associate Justice Louis Brandeis publicly supported Hoover’s initiative and bravado. Reed wanted Hoover’s past investigated, but there was little support in the Senate to do so. Reed also wanted a 3 to 5 member Food Board to oversee Hoover, and that demand was also defeated. Reed urged most Americans to ignore Hoover and his sloganeering, but what occurred is that most Americans ignored Reed. Hoover would have had smoother political sailing if he had the political acumen to involve Congressional leaders in his efforts, and more humility on Hoover’s end would have been beneficial.
Hurt and humiliated by Reed’s attacks, frustrated by the delay of the Lever Bill in the Senate, still without an official role to his liking. Hoover grew paranoid and desperate, making empty threats in the press in an effort to reduce the influence of his opponents in Congress, and muttering about quitting. On 4 July 1917, Hoover poured out his feelings to Colonel House, who told him that he’d feel better about the situation if he met with Wilson. Hoover was in the process of discovering that Wilson was not a detail-oriented President, who often golfed, went for daily car rides, and spent a great deal of time reading and answering letters. Wilson rarely broke his “Banker’s Hours”, and he refused to work weekends, habits of which Hoover simply couldn’t understand.
After their meeting, Wilson responded to Hoover’s concerns by writing to the Senate Majority Leader, wanting the Lever Bill passed without any amendments. Wilson told Hoover that the smart play was to simply endure and outlast Reed, and the Lever Bill will become law. Wilson’s prediction came true after two contentious months of debate on 8 August 1917, with only seven Senators voting against, of course including Reed.
On 10 August 1917, Wilson signed the Lever Bill into law, which was also Hoover’s 43rd birthday. The US Food Administration was now a government entity, with Hoover in charge, reporting directly to Wilson. Once installed, Hoover flexed his administrative muscles, starting with trying to stabilize prices rather than setting them, which he called “Constructive Regulation”. Hoover’s faith in volunteerism was not absolute, and he knew he would be blamed for any failures. The wheat market proved to be the first time that Hoover used aggressive interventions, in that unstable wheat prices led farmers to withhold their wheat from the market as well as to cut production. Faced with a national flour shortage, Hoover licensed all wheat elevators and flour mills, which gave him the power to shut down uncooperative elevators/mills that hoarded in order to inflate prices. Hoover created the Food Administration Grain Corporation, which was the first US government entity created by Presidential fiat (decree). The mission of the corporation was to buy, store, and sell wheat in domestic and international markets, establishing an initial price of $2.20/bushel, which was less than the price earlier in the summer. Hoover set that initial price per bushel at that level mostly to make sure that consumers were happy.
Of course the grain growers became furious, and protest rallies occurred from the Dakotas to New Mexico. Farmers continued to withhold wheat, hoping that the shortage would force Hoover to at least increase the price, if not destroy him. Hoover used propaganda techniques supporting his efforts as well as using the press to his advantage, and imported wheat from Canada to shore up the shortage. Doing so broke the protests, and farmers reluctantly played ball, but they never forgave Hoover. By October 1917, Hoover had established his hold over the nation’s food chain. Hoover’s influence was throughout the systems network of the production and distribution of food, and failure to meet the terms of the issued licenses meant that he would shut down the offenders, and even pursue criminal charges. Hoover’s critics feared that he would become a dictator without any checks basically came true.
Of course the grain growers became furious, and protest rallies occurred from the Dakotas to New Mexico. Farmers continued to withhold wheat, hoping that the shortage would force Hoover to at least increase the price, if not destroy him. Hoover used propaganda techniques supporting his efforts as well as using the press to his advantage, and imported wheat from Canada to shore up the shortage. Doing so broke the protests, and farmers reluctantly played ball, but they never forgave Hoover. By October 1917, Hoover had established his hold over the nation’s food chain. Hoover’s influence was throughout the systems network of the production and distribution of food, and failure to meet the terms of the issued licenses meant that he would shut down the offenders, and even pursue criminal charges. Hoover’s critics feared that he would become a dictator without any checks basically came true.
To Hoover’s brain, facts were like water to a sponge, such was his ability to absorb amazing amounts of information in a short period of time. Hoover’s 20+ years of administrative experience were on display as he pursued the goal of producing food for the US soldiers and Europe. Hoover’s biggest battle with the Executive Branch was with Secretary of the Treasury
William McAdoo, who was also the national director of the railroads, as well as Wilson’s son-in-law. McAdoo was in effect the nation’s “Railroad Czar”, which meant that he could be a major disrupter to Hoover and the Food Administration. Hoover publicly complained about the shortage of rail cars to transport food, whereas other segments of the economy (e.g. brewers) had not problem finding enough rail cars.
On 22 February 1918, Hoover brought the problem with McAdoo to a head by telling the press that the incompetence of the railroad director was about to cause an unprecedented crisis. Hoover lost support among his Executive Branch colleagues with his attacks on McAdoo, including the President, and Hoover had no choice but to back down. Hoover and McAdoo would never reconcile, in part because McAdoo suspected that Hoover was a closet Republican, and the SecTreas continued to scoff at Hoover’s humanitarian achievements in Belgium. Hoover hated McAdoo for decades, calling him a complete phony, and the “most arrogant person in Washington”. Like Wilson, Hoover was hyper-sensitive to criticism, with both believing that they were doing God’s work. Intellectually, Hoover understood that he would have harsh critics, but emotionally he more-often-than-not handled the criticism poorly.
Wilson relied on Hoover for all things food-related, as well as other matters, such as input for his addresses to Congress. However, Wilson tired of Hoover’s diva behavior and relentless pessimism. Colonel House agreed with Wilson’s views concerning Hoover, and added that Hoover’s self-centeredness meant that he thought his job was the most important in the entire Executive Branch, other than the President. However, those that actually worked with Hoover saw things very differently, viewing him as open and collaborative. Hoover often asked for input before making decisions, and most actually enjoyed being in Hoover’s company. There were those in “The Firm” that noticed that Hoover didn’t care for niceties, and very often he refused reasonable compromises, with some even viewing Hoover as a bully. But to the vast majority that worked with and under Hoover, none of his negative traits amounted to much since they knew his heart was in the right place.
William McAdoo, who was also the national director of the railroads, as well as Wilson’s son-in-law. McAdoo was in effect the nation’s “Railroad Czar”, which meant that he could be a major disrupter to Hoover and the Food Administration. Hoover publicly complained about the shortage of rail cars to transport food, whereas other segments of the economy (e.g. brewers) had not problem finding enough rail cars.
On 22 February 1918, Hoover brought the problem with McAdoo to a head by telling the press that the incompetence of the railroad director was about to cause an unprecedented crisis. Hoover lost support among his Executive Branch colleagues with his attacks on McAdoo, including the President, and Hoover had no choice but to back down. Hoover and McAdoo would never reconcile, in part because McAdoo suspected that Hoover was a closet Republican, and the SecTreas continued to scoff at Hoover’s humanitarian achievements in Belgium. Hoover hated McAdoo for decades, calling him a complete phony, and the “most arrogant person in Washington”. Like Wilson, Hoover was hyper-sensitive to criticism, with both believing that they were doing God’s work. Intellectually, Hoover understood that he would have harsh critics, but emotionally he more-often-than-not handled the criticism poorly.
Wilson relied on Hoover for all things food-related, as well as other matters, such as input for his addresses to Congress. However, Wilson tired of Hoover’s diva behavior and relentless pessimism. Colonel House agreed with Wilson’s views concerning Hoover, and added that Hoover’s self-centeredness meant that he thought his job was the most important in the entire Executive Branch, other than the President. However, those that actually worked with Hoover saw things very differently, viewing him as open and collaborative. Hoover often asked for input before making decisions, and most actually enjoyed being in Hoover’s company. There were those in “The Firm” that noticed that Hoover didn’t care for niceties, and very often he refused reasonable compromises, with some even viewing Hoover as a bully. But to the vast majority that worked with and under Hoover, none of his negative traits amounted to much since they knew his heart was in the right place.
Hoover’s magnetism transferred to the press, who portrayed him as a strong, passionate, and humane leader. The press admired Hoover’s insistence that every American should rise to the challenge of sacrificing for the war effort. Hoover appealed the most to Americans that had a progressive mindset, such as Jane Addams. In many ways, Hoover was a true progressive, and he was pleased to carry the banner, hoping that his efforts at political and social engineering would catch on after the Great War. During 1917, there was in effect a Progressive “Brain Trust”, featuring Hoover, as well as Felix Frankfurter, who was part of the War Department with Harvard’s blessing. Also included was the famous and influential journalist Walter Lippmann, who was the founder of the New Republic, and who boarded with Hoover at the same brick townhouse on 19th Street in DC, which became known as the “House of Truth” to the “Brain Trust”. Hoover dazzled Lippmann, and the New Republic was one of the most staunch supporters of the Food Administration.
Hoover became a national figure and a household name. To “Hooverize” meant to clean one’s plate, to have a meatless meal, and to basically sacrifice in some way for the war effort. During June 1918, Hoover met with House and informed him that there should be a bountiful crop in the 1918 harvest, which would supply the US troops in Europe and the Allies for a year. Then, to House’s dismay, Hoover announced that he wanted to return to Europe to personally spread the good news and to improve the morale of the Allies. To House, Hoover’s request sounded like self-promotion by the “greatest living advertiser”. Even so, House wrote in his diary some thoughts about how he would run a Presidential campaign for Hoover. So off to Europe Hoover went on board the British White Star Line's RMS Olympic with 6000 US servicemen. Once in Britain a special train took Hoover to London, where he was the center of attention in a media frenzy. After London, Hoover left for Paris, where he received another wild reception.
Hoover became a national figure and a household name. To “Hooverize” meant to clean one’s plate, to have a meatless meal, and to basically sacrifice in some way for the war effort. During June 1918, Hoover met with House and informed him that there should be a bountiful crop in the 1918 harvest, which would supply the US troops in Europe and the Allies for a year. Then, to House’s dismay, Hoover announced that he wanted to return to Europe to personally spread the good news and to improve the morale of the Allies. To House, Hoover’s request sounded like self-promotion by the “greatest living advertiser”. Even so, House wrote in his diary some thoughts about how he would run a Presidential campaign for Hoover. So off to Europe Hoover went on board the British White Star Line's RMS Olympic with 6000 US servicemen. Once in Britain a special train took Hoover to London, where he was the center of attention in a media frenzy. After London, Hoover left for Paris, where he received another wild reception.