Source: Kenneth Whyte. Hoover -
An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times (2017)
An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times (2017)
Hoover didn’t think that the
assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 would amount to much, believing so as late as 23 July 1914. Hoover viewed the situation as a regional affair, and while he was aware of the intense rivalries, hatreds, and massive weapons buildup, he thought Europe was too civilized and enlightened for a catastrophic war. Hoover finally became nervous when Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia on 28 July 1914, in that he felt that his planned future would be on hold. Hoover watched helplessly as orders to his business plummeted and production was suspended, and he had a very hard time finding a passenger ship to take him to America.
On 4 August 1914, Hoover went to the US Consulate to speak with Consul General Robert Skinner, and that visit would change his life. Hoover would be launched into the Big Game of public service in a far larger way than he ever could have imagined. Hoover was a welcome sight at the consulate, since it was under siege by US citizens wanting to leave Europe. The amenities the Americans were used to were nonexistent, such as transportation, banking, and telegraph services. Most US citizens in Europe fled to London, and thousands surrounded the US Consulate wanting assistance in order to return home. When Hoover arrived, over 1000 surrounded the building, and Hoover knew what Skinner wanted him to do before he entered the compound.
After talking to some businessmen at the edge of the mob, Hoover determined that the first order of business was to extend short-term loans for US citizens without cash. Hoover called his business and home to scrape up some funds, and Hoover told Skinner that he would exchange small amounts of money for British pounds. Hoover also said that those that had no money would be issued interest-free loans with IOU’s; several hundred US citizens were delivered from immediate distress.
assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 would amount to much, believing so as late as 23 July 1914. Hoover viewed the situation as a regional affair, and while he was aware of the intense rivalries, hatreds, and massive weapons buildup, he thought Europe was too civilized and enlightened for a catastrophic war. Hoover finally became nervous when Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia on 28 July 1914, in that he felt that his planned future would be on hold. Hoover watched helplessly as orders to his business plummeted and production was suspended, and he had a very hard time finding a passenger ship to take him to America.
On 4 August 1914, Hoover went to the US Consulate to speak with Consul General Robert Skinner, and that visit would change his life. Hoover would be launched into the Big Game of public service in a far larger way than he ever could have imagined. Hoover was a welcome sight at the consulate, since it was under siege by US citizens wanting to leave Europe. The amenities the Americans were used to were nonexistent, such as transportation, banking, and telegraph services. Most US citizens in Europe fled to London, and thousands surrounded the US Consulate wanting assistance in order to return home. When Hoover arrived, over 1000 surrounded the building, and Hoover knew what Skinner wanted him to do before he entered the compound.
After talking to some businessmen at the edge of the mob, Hoover determined that the first order of business was to extend short-term loans for US citizens without cash. Hoover called his business and home to scrape up some funds, and Hoover told Skinner that he would exchange small amounts of money for British pounds. Hoover also said that those that had no money would be issued interest-free loans with IOU’s; several hundred US citizens were delivered from immediate distress.
By the next morning, Hoover had given additional thought to what else he could do to help Skinner and his fellow citizens. Hoover wrote to a well-connected associate in the US that he was available if the US government wanted a special commissioner in Britain to assist citizens. Hoover, not waiting for a reply (no reply came), organized 20 US businessmen in Britain, most of them in the mining industry like him, and they created the Committee of American Residents in London for the Assistance of American Travelers, with Hoover appointed chair. The committee raised money from other Americans in London in order to make loans to fellow citizens that were desperate for cash. Hoover personally gave $6000, which was the largest donation from an individual American.
Through his business connections, Hoover was able to use a Trans-Atlantic cable line so citizens Americans could wire money to stranded family/friends in London. Hoover reserved about 2000 hotel and boarding house rooms for stranded Americans, and he issued a press release that stated that his Resident’s Committee had assumed charge of the relief work in London towards US citizens. Hoover went further, stating that the committee had the blessing of US Ambassador in Britain, Walter Page, who was the honorary chairman of the committee. Hoover’s announcement was a total surprise to Page, but he was far too busy and beleaguered to privately or publicly object.
Hoover’s announcement was also a surprise to another group that was formed at about the same time for the same purpose, also originating from the mob scene at the US Consulate. Hoover must have known about that group, and he almost certainly made his announcement in large part because he viewed that group as a competitive threat to his committee and his public service ambitions. The initial panic subsided when Congress allocated $2.5m for the relief of stranded US travelers. However, the basic problems still existed, such as temporary housing, and thousands more Americans entered London daily, many without possessions and desperate.
Through his business connections, Hoover was able to use a Trans-Atlantic cable line so citizens Americans could wire money to stranded family/friends in London. Hoover reserved about 2000 hotel and boarding house rooms for stranded Americans, and he issued a press release that stated that his Resident’s Committee had assumed charge of the relief work in London towards US citizens. Hoover went further, stating that the committee had the blessing of US Ambassador in Britain, Walter Page, who was the honorary chairman of the committee. Hoover’s announcement was a total surprise to Page, but he was far too busy and beleaguered to privately or publicly object.
Hoover’s announcement was also a surprise to another group that was formed at about the same time for the same purpose, also originating from the mob scene at the US Consulate. Hoover must have known about that group, and he almost certainly made his announcement in large part because he viewed that group as a competitive threat to his committee and his public service ambitions. The initial panic subsided when Congress allocated $2.5m for the relief of stranded US travelers. However, the basic problems still existed, such as temporary housing, and thousands more Americans entered London daily, many without possessions and desperate.
Only $300k of the appropriated $2.5m was available to Hoover’s committee, which meant that he had to work even harder to help his fellow desperate Americans. Hoover’s self-image and self-worth were sky-high, having always believed that he was the smartest and most capable man in any room he entered; and with rare exceptions, Hoover was right on that point. Hoover had supreme confidence that he could create a master land and finalize it to the smallest detail, and then execute every aspect of that plan. Hoover knew that he cold bully, improvise, bluster, and bluff his way around any obstacle, human or environmental, feeling entirely capable of getting 100k US citizens back home in the midst of the start of the Great War.
After the lines of transportation opened up enough, the rival committee in the assistance efforts packed up and left. The Assistant Secretary of War and the Ambassador Page then authorized the rest of the $2.5 million to be used by Hoover’s committee, which meant that Hoover was finally in charge of an official US government organization as a public servant. All US citizens that entered London were met by members of Hoover’s committee. Hoover did his best to make sure that the committee ran as smoothly and efficiently as one of his mining ventures, and he made sure that he made the major decisions for the committee. Among Hoover’s first decisions was that US citizens traveling back to the US would do so in steerage (3rd Class), not in 1st or 2nd class.
Two months after the start of the Great War, 120k Americans had been assisted by Hoover’s committee and returned to the US, and more than 42k had registered with the committee for some sort of assistance. More than $400k had been distributed, most of it in loans, and the committee’s overhead costs were negligible since almost every aspect in play, e.g. workers and facilities, had been voluntary. Hoover had also won over Ambassador Page, which would prove to be critical for Hoover’s career in public service in the years ahead.
The first two months of the Great War featured unimaginable casualties, such as 500k soldiers killed in action (KIA) out of 2 million in the 1st Battle of the Marne. Hoover saw his vast potential profits from his mining ventures vanish, and he needed to salvage what he could from his mining empire, which delayed his return to the US; but Hoover made sure that his family made it back to California.
After the lines of transportation opened up enough, the rival committee in the assistance efforts packed up and left. The Assistant Secretary of War and the Ambassador Page then authorized the rest of the $2.5 million to be used by Hoover’s committee, which meant that Hoover was finally in charge of an official US government organization as a public servant. All US citizens that entered London were met by members of Hoover’s committee. Hoover did his best to make sure that the committee ran as smoothly and efficiently as one of his mining ventures, and he made sure that he made the major decisions for the committee. Among Hoover’s first decisions was that US citizens traveling back to the US would do so in steerage (3rd Class), not in 1st or 2nd class.
Two months after the start of the Great War, 120k Americans had been assisted by Hoover’s committee and returned to the US, and more than 42k had registered with the committee for some sort of assistance. More than $400k had been distributed, most of it in loans, and the committee’s overhead costs were negligible since almost every aspect in play, e.g. workers and facilities, had been voluntary. Hoover had also won over Ambassador Page, which would prove to be critical for Hoover’s career in public service in the years ahead.
The first two months of the Great War featured unimaginable casualties, such as 500k soldiers killed in action (KIA) out of 2 million in the 1st Battle of the Marne. Hoover saw his vast potential profits from his mining ventures vanish, and he needed to salvage what he could from his mining empire, which delayed his return to the US; but Hoover made sure that his family made it back to California.
Hoover thought it would take 5 to 10 years for him to make money again, but he had no interest in trying. For the first time in his life, Hoover wasn’t certain what direction to take in his life, but Hoover never stopped working. For every ounce of pessimism in Hoover, there were at least two ounces of mental and physical vanity; running at full capacity was Hoover’s natural default.
During the first week of October 1914, Hoover was presented with another opportunity to serve. At first glance, the opportunity did not appear to be a game-changer, but a colossal chore. Hoover had been introduced to Millard Shaler, an American engineer, who needed help shipping 1500 tons of grain to Belgium. Before the Great War, Belgium was a thriving nation of 7.5 million with the sixth-largest economy in the world. When Belgium was invaded by Germany, that was the point at which Britain entered the war, since the Belgian port of Antwerp was now closed, the major entry point for imports/exports for Britain with continental Europe.
The stoppage of food imports to Belgium would prove to be far more consequential to the average Belgian than military defeat. The densely-populated Belgium only produced 20% of what it ate, and had to trade for the balance. The German army took most of the Belgian harvest and livestock, and Britain’s naval blockade targeting Germany also included Belgium, since it was occupied by Germany. The Germans refused to do anything to assist the desperate Belgians left in their wake, blaming the British blockade for the misery of millions of Belgians. By early-September 1914, women were begging for food in the streets of Brussels.
Shaler had been appointed by Belgian businessmen to bring $100k of food to Brussels, and Shaler made the purchase on 26 September 1914. Shaler sought an export permit to get the food to Belgium, which was no sure thing since it would violate the British blockade. After much sturm and drang, the British government decided to grant the export permit, but on the condition that the US government, as neutral third party, would supervise the shipment.
During the first week of October 1914, Hoover was presented with another opportunity to serve. At first glance, the opportunity did not appear to be a game-changer, but a colossal chore. Hoover had been introduced to Millard Shaler, an American engineer, who needed help shipping 1500 tons of grain to Belgium. Before the Great War, Belgium was a thriving nation of 7.5 million with the sixth-largest economy in the world. When Belgium was invaded by Germany, that was the point at which Britain entered the war, since the Belgian port of Antwerp was now closed, the major entry point for imports/exports for Britain with continental Europe.
The stoppage of food imports to Belgium would prove to be far more consequential to the average Belgian than military defeat. The densely-populated Belgium only produced 20% of what it ate, and had to trade for the balance. The German army took most of the Belgian harvest and livestock, and Britain’s naval blockade targeting Germany also included Belgium, since it was occupied by Germany. The Germans refused to do anything to assist the desperate Belgians left in their wake, blaming the British blockade for the misery of millions of Belgians. By early-September 1914, women were begging for food in the streets of Brussels.
Shaler had been appointed by Belgian businessmen to bring $100k of food to Brussels, and Shaler made the purchase on 26 September 1914. Shaler sought an export permit to get the food to Belgium, which was no sure thing since it would violate the British blockade. After much sturm and drang, the British government decided to grant the export permit, but on the condition that the US government, as neutral third party, would supervise the shipment.
Shaler discussed the matter with Ambassador Page, who then communicated with the State Department, who then communicated with the German government, all of which took a lot of time. By the time Hoover met with Shaler and was apprised of the desperate situation, he was appalled at the delay. Hoover used his contacts in the US to send another request to the State Department, and he also made sure that newspapers loudly proclaimed that it was US bureaucratic delay (“red tape”) that was starving the Belgians. However, the State Department didn’t budge from their normal diplomatic procedures. Meanwhile, 1500 tons of grain sat on British docks, and Hoover realized that even that huge amount of food wouldn’t provide much overall relief for Belgium; a much larger relief effort was required.
During October 1914, Hoover told Ambassador Page that he was considering various options to provision Belgium. With Page’s support, 48 hours later Hoover submitted a comprehensive plan to provision Belgium, and Page invited a prominent Belgian in London to discuss Hoover’s plan. Page was impressed with Hoover, who was at his best in small meetings. Hoover offered clear and thorough answers to each question and problem posed by the Belgian. Hoover didn’t anticipate any problems with getting enough food through his US contacts, citing that the main problems were to convince the British to allow the shipments through their blockade, and then to keep the German army from stealing the shipments.
Hoover knew that Britain needed US shipments of regular cargoes and military material, and that Germany wanted the US to remain militarily neutral. Hoover stoked international opinion with a massive public relations campaign that focused on the plight of the Belgians. Hoover’s goal was to have the US government put pressure on Britain to allow the food shipments through the blockade, and for the Germans to leave the shipments alone.
During October 1914, Hoover told Ambassador Page that he was considering various options to provision Belgium. With Page’s support, 48 hours later Hoover submitted a comprehensive plan to provision Belgium, and Page invited a prominent Belgian in London to discuss Hoover’s plan. Page was impressed with Hoover, who was at his best in small meetings. Hoover offered clear and thorough answers to each question and problem posed by the Belgian. Hoover didn’t anticipate any problems with getting enough food through his US contacts, citing that the main problems were to convince the British to allow the shipments through their blockade, and then to keep the German army from stealing the shipments.
Hoover knew that Britain needed US shipments of regular cargoes and military material, and that Germany wanted the US to remain militarily neutral. Hoover stoked international opinion with a massive public relations campaign that focused on the plight of the Belgians. Hoover’s goal was to have the US government put pressure on Britain to allow the food shipments through the blockade, and for the Germans to leave the shipments alone.
Ambassador Page’s meeting with Hoover created the Commission for the Relief of Belgium (CRB). In Hoover’s charter of the commission that was submitted to Page, he asserted that the CRB was a private neutral organization made up of volunteers based in London, focused on the commercial procurement of food, with no official ties to any government. The CRB would raise money from governments and private sectors to buy food from around the world, and then ship it to the neutral port of Rotterdam, and then by canal to Belgium. Hoover would be the chair of the CRB, working with his Belgian equivalent, who would actually distribute the food where it was needed. Hoover insisted on absolute command of the relief effort, and he wanted the smaller relief organizations to be part of the CRB; both of those decisions would prove to be sound strategies. The CRB would be run by men of commercial backgrounds on a voluntary basis, and Hoover made sure that there were no
dilettantes among those volunteers.
Hoover’s goal was to supply enough food for 7.5 million Belgians for an indefinite period of time. Nothing of this sort in terms of a humanitarian venture had been done on a scale such as this in all of history. By then, Hoover decided that his fortune would have to be sacrificed for the good of the people of Belgium. Hoover pressured and played-off politicians by dropping hints that other states had done more to help Belgium, and he kept providing information about the misery and horrors in that nation to US newspapers. Hoover personally arranged for a film crew to capture footage of the food lines in Brussels. Hoover hired famous authors, including George Bernard Shaw, to plead for public support. The US public was predisposed to sympathize with Belgium, having read for weeks what the German army had done to that small nation. On 21 November 1914, the first shipment of food, 3500 tons of beans, arrived in Rotterdam, with many more shipments to follow.
dilettantes among those volunteers.
Hoover’s goal was to supply enough food for 7.5 million Belgians for an indefinite period of time. Nothing of this sort in terms of a humanitarian venture had been done on a scale such as this in all of history. By then, Hoover decided that his fortune would have to be sacrificed for the good of the people of Belgium. Hoover pressured and played-off politicians by dropping hints that other states had done more to help Belgium, and he kept providing information about the misery and horrors in that nation to US newspapers. Hoover personally arranged for a film crew to capture footage of the food lines in Brussels. Hoover hired famous authors, including George Bernard Shaw, to plead for public support. The US public was predisposed to sympathize with Belgium, having read for weeks what the German army had done to that small nation. On 21 November 1914, the first shipment of food, 3500 tons of beans, arrived in Rotterdam, with many more shipments to follow.
Hoover convinced two of the largest British shipping companies to transport food free of charge. In exchange, Hoover arranged for their ships to not be charged for using telegraph lines, rail lines, and piers to offload their shipments. Soon Hoover had a global systems network in place with a very low overhead, and the CBR did a masterful job of helping distribute the food within Belgium. To Hoover’s dismay, there were rival relief organizations, such as the Rockefeller Foundation, which Hoover viewed as a major threat to his efforts. With Page’s assistance, Hoover was able to obtain written confirmation from the US government that his committee was the only official conduit into Belgium, which almost entirely eliminated the competition.
Hoover’s original estimate of 20k tons of food per month proved to be woefully low, with at least 80k tons required to be effective. Hoover began to buy food on credit without worrying about how to pay off the debt. Hoover’s initial cost estimate of $1 million a month was also too low, knowing he now needed at least $4 million a month, which meant that the CRB needed government subsidies. All Hoover could squeeze out of the British government was a one-time subsidy of $500k. Hoover was very disappointed, but he didn’t give up on Prime Minister Asquith’s government, which also included First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill.
Hoover decided to travel to Belgium and see the misery for himself. Hoover booked a passage to Rotterdam, and he was treated like any other passenger in terms of being strip-searched and being made to wait. Those that were with Hoover in Brussels felt that he was an uncaring bloodless man when he saw the misery of innocent people. In reality Hoover’s brain was on fire, taking in information and processing solutions, such as how to bring more food into Brussels since only one-third of the city was receiving enough. Hoover appeared to those that were with him as a “Numbers Man”, instead of a humanitarian. Hoover’s reticence was a major feature of his personality, in that he could spend 3+ hours on a train with people he knew and not say a word, and it was difficult to know if his off-putting behavior was due to manners, callousness, anxiety, or an effort to control his emotions, or perhaps a combination of all. The sights in Belgium deeply bothered Hoover, and he strove to improve the efforts of the CRB on all fronts. On 3 December 1914, Hoover returned to London.
Hoover’s original estimate of 20k tons of food per month proved to be woefully low, with at least 80k tons required to be effective. Hoover began to buy food on credit without worrying about how to pay off the debt. Hoover’s initial cost estimate of $1 million a month was also too low, knowing he now needed at least $4 million a month, which meant that the CRB needed government subsidies. All Hoover could squeeze out of the British government was a one-time subsidy of $500k. Hoover was very disappointed, but he didn’t give up on Prime Minister Asquith’s government, which also included First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill.
Hoover decided to travel to Belgium and see the misery for himself. Hoover booked a passage to Rotterdam, and he was treated like any other passenger in terms of being strip-searched and being made to wait. Those that were with Hoover in Brussels felt that he was an uncaring bloodless man when he saw the misery of innocent people. In reality Hoover’s brain was on fire, taking in information and processing solutions, such as how to bring more food into Brussels since only one-third of the city was receiving enough. Hoover appeared to those that were with him as a “Numbers Man”, instead of a humanitarian. Hoover’s reticence was a major feature of his personality, in that he could spend 3+ hours on a train with people he knew and not say a word, and it was difficult to know if his off-putting behavior was due to manners, callousness, anxiety, or an effort to control his emotions, or perhaps a combination of all. The sights in Belgium deeply bothered Hoover, and he strove to improve the efforts of the CRB on all fronts. On 3 December 1914, Hoover returned to London.