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AawiTe r beri Hoover
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Arthur L.Mille-fcr
its Bwfcor Herald
4
The American who fed stricken Belgium for three
years, and who now is head of the United States
Food Administration, makes us believe we can
do what we ought to do, as a matter of patri
otic service1-Here's a good pen picture
ASHINGTON. Tilings Imvo changed rapidly. The cap
Hoi and White House arc dimmed by a plain vine-covered,
filx-Htory brick building (evidently used to be an
apartment house or family hotelL on the corner of I
and Sixteenth streets tltat would pass unnoticed were
It not for a plain black and white sign over one of the
entrances which says In modest letters, "FOOD AO
MINISTRATION," and tho slght-seelng busses as they
roll by slack up for an Instant while the bally boo
through his megaphone Impressively announces, "this
Is whero Mr. Hoover Is."
That tells the story. To my mind congress may
rcsoluto and chatter, tho White House wires may whir
steadily with messages fraught with grave Import, but as I look at it
today, the fate of this nation and her allies, the success of our own
soldiers on the fields of France, depend In greatest measure on what Is
being consummated day after day In that unpretentious red brick
building wherein sit Food Director Hoover and Ills food generals. To
me that building appears as the very center of the world. I can think
of It In no other way.
I am a case-hardened newspaper man of 27 years experience. I have
participated In state, national and International conferences of grave
Import, but tho most serious session I ever sat In was that last week
1,10 food administration building In Washington and tho most
serious talk I ever listened to was that delivered to us by Mr. Hoover
at that time.
I have seen activity In many forms departments working at high
speed, great newspaper olllces at press time, firemen battling great
conflagrations, congress and parliament in session, but never have I
been so Impressed as with tho indescribable, noiseless, ceaseless,
feverish, methodical action I saw no, I didn't see It; I felt It -In this
building, where Is being mapped and planned and plotted the bloodless
food battle of tho world, a battle In which If wo will only follow as
good soldiers and patriots should, the orders of "General" Hoover,
victory will bo ours. Hero Is tho doctrine of "Speed up" that's tho
slogan of tho food administration, you know exemplified In tho nth
power. Wo were gathered In one of tho hearing rooms, 08 of us. Out
Bide of myself tho gathering wbh wholly comprised of fish producers and dis
tributors who had como for this conference at the behest of Mr. Hoover.
They represented tho largest fish centers and the largest fish concerns In
this country.
. Mr. Hoover quietly entered tho room; quietly I say, for no one noticed
his presence until ho had taken a seat near Kenneth Fowler, fish expert of
tho food administration. There ho snt, an Interested spectator, until two
speakors had finished tho thread of a discussion necessary to clear up a cer
tain point, and then Mr. Fowler, with no fuss and feathers, remarked, "wo
will now honr n few words from Mr. Hoover."
"A few words I" I wish every man, woman nnd child In the country
could Imvo heard them. Ho wasted no tlmo on preliminaries. Ho got down
to cases at once, no outlined conditions find then elaborated on every point.
With cold figures he Impressed upon tho gathering what tho United Stntes
had been doing In tho matter of sending Bupplles to tho allies and that tho
allies, besides doing tho fighting for themselves and us. had drawn upon their
own food resources to such n serious extent that tho continuation of tho war
and Its successful outcomo nctually depended on their receiving their main
food supply from tho United States. Then ho very quietly, but very gravely said,
with Just n perceptlblo lift of his eyebrows and n sweeping glanco that took In
every man in the room, that tho people of tho United States were not going
to fall down on the Job.
But beforo wo go any further let us tako a glanco at this wonderfully
resourceful man, who has become n world flguro; perhaps at this tlmo THE
world figure, nnd this Is said with all respect to a plentltudo of great men
I Imvo In mind, who linvo dono, are doing und will continue to do to tho end.
Imaglno beforo you n man of medium stature, well sot up, broud of shoulder
and thick of chest. Placo on this body, a well-rounded head, face full cheeked
nnd docp-sot eyca well apart; eyes that you can feel, eyes that you renltzo
nro Instantly helping a big brain behind to make a mental Inventory of you nt
first glanCo; eyes, tho heavy lines around which nro tho only Indication of
tho stress and strain tho man la working under; eyes that onco looked into,
givo na Impression of concentrated power, forco and nbsoluto confidence;
tho greatest pair of "I can, I will, I must" eyes I over gazed Into. Now
dress this man in an Immaculate suit of blue Borgc, double breasted coat and
tic to match; part a handsome head of smooth laid hair absolutely In tho
middle; fit tho whole being with n low Intensive voice, n volco wonderfully
oven In tono and seldom raised above the conversational tono, which lowers
rather than raises when ho makes his telling points; add for tho only ges
tures Just u now and then raising of tho eyes and n straight, boring look at
his auditors; hands resting easily at his side, In pockets or finger tipped on
tho tablo in front of 1dm that's Hoover as I saw him.
While wo wero nil forming n once-over mental Impression of tho man
beforo us, ho wasn't losing a minute. In detail ho explained In Just what
niensuro our allies were nulo to cater to their own needs and that measuro
wasn't unythlng reassuring, I can tell you. Ho then, always giving tho exact
figures to provo or back up or Intensify Ids statements, told us exactly of tho1
Immense quantities of grains and meats the United States had poured into tho
STATE NEKS IN BRIEF
Items of Interest Pertaining to tho
Affairs of Nebraska.
Evle Greene'o Qhost Story.
Miss Hvlo Greene, tho musical com
edy favorlto who has Just died, used
to tell a story about a ghost which she
firmly believed sho bad seen, says
London Tlt-Blta. Tho London corre
spondent of tho Sheffield Dally Tele
graph says the vision was at Sunder
land, when sho was playing principal
boy In a pantomime.
Miss Greene was lodging In a fish
erman's cottage, und ono night, when
sho and some girls from tho panto
mlmo wero going to her rooms for sup
per, there overtook them on tho stairs
tho transparent flguro of a little sailor
lad, his arms raised, his eyes closed,
and his body dripping with water.
Tho flguro hurried up to tho attic
of tho cottage, and Miss Grccno and
her companions ran trembling Into tho
henrest room. Afterwards they went
nil over tho house, but could discover
no trace of tho visitor.
Next thing Miss Greene found Iter
landlady grlef-strlekon. She had Just
received a telegraph from tho owners
of n ship In which her boy had sailed,
saying that the vessel had been lost
with all hands.
Platinum Decrease.
Notwithstanding present high prices
of platinum, production in tho Urals
during 1010 showed a rurther decrease.
The total output amounted to 80,503
ounces, as compared with 118.709
ounces In 1010; the production In Will
nnd 1011 was 158.034 and 150.755
ounceB, respectively, while In 1000 tho
outuut uraounted to 211.012 ounces.
Like tho Germans.
Apropos of the murderous Gcrmnn
air raids on open towns, Mayor Hdwln
W. Fisko of the Mount Vernon exemp
tion hoard said:
"Why, tho Germans hnvo no more
regard for women's and children's
lives than tho old California Justice
bad for tho Chinaman.
"This Chinaman had been killed by
a drunken rancher, and tho proof
against the murderer seemed Irrefut
able. Tho Justice, howover, wound up
the ciiso In short order.
"'There hain't no uso of this hero
case goln' to tho Jury.' ho said, look
tng up darkly over his spectacles from
u law book. 'I've studied all through
my Lnw Cyclopedy, and there ain't
no law nowhere ng'in' a man's klllln
a Chink. Turn tho prisoner loose,
sheriff. But, suy, young feller, don't
you go doln' it ag'ln'. Some Justices
Is moro ignorant than mo.' " Buffalo
Express.
But He Knew One Kind.
A school teacher had asked a class
of grade pupils for compositions on
tho violet. On looking over tho writ
ten compositions she found the fol
lowing: "Tho vlolot has sepals, petals, and
a gun."
l'erploxcd, sho called tho author to
her dusk and asked what hu mount by
Vaylug that tho violet hnd n gun. He
itvnlnlned :
"Why, you told us that the vlolot
hnd sepals, petals uud a pistil, uud I
couldn't spell pistil."
waiting mouths of our allies and Impressed on us that this procession of food
across the seas must continue In Increasing volume.
He explained nt length Just tho food supply condition of the United
States at the present time, and at what expense to ourselves we had been
supplying tho allies. Then again reminding us that the output to the friends
"ncross" must continue In Increasing quantities, In a quiet, but most impres
sive, manner, reminded us that now "our own people" wero over there, nnd
that soon there would bo moro of them. "And you know, gentlemen," ho
remnrked, "what you must do for them, what you will do for them. They
are lighting our battle on tho forefront. Our duty Is to keep them well fed.
Wo will do it."
Ho then went on to show exnetly the foodstuff condition ; thnt tho world
supply of wheat was short; nt the same time giving the encouraging state
ment thnt our corn crop probably would exceed last year. He cited the llesh
food status, giving in dctnil Just how we stood on our beef, pork nnd poultry,
nnd what portion of the whole wo must send abroad to feed our troops and
our allies. Ho showed, in short, that In order to live up to our food duty
abroad, we must eat less wheat and ment at home.
And right hero be got down to tho fish question. Lennlng the tips of his
fingers on the table and gazing at every man In thnt room nt once It seemed
so, nnyhow ho said quietly: You gentlemen here nro going to help your
country as n pntrlotlc duty. You must realize from what I have told you
today Just bow your own country and her allies stand in the matter of actual
food supply, nnd what we must do to keep up a food supply for them nnd
ourselves. You nro going to Increase the fish production of this country by
50 per cent. I nm not going to try nnd tell you how you nre going to do it. I
hnvo fnlth in you ns pntrlotic men nnd business men, who know your own
business to tho minutest point thnt you will mnko tho grent effort, nnd thnt
you will succeed. Remember that this is no personal call to you; It Is the
call of your whole country.
Now, these nro not exnetly Mr. Hoover's own words, but thnt Is tho way
n newspaper mnn remembers them, and those aro the Impressions this won
derful talk left In my mind. Ho was not demonstrative at any point. He
was cooler than n collego professor explaining a geometry proposition to u
class of beginners. Ho was calmly enthusiastic, If you can sense the scope
of that expression.
Ono or two points moro remain In my memory; not his exact words, but
what ho was driving at. He didn't try to tell us thnt wo were going to
stnrvo, but ho did try to tell us how to prevent ourselves nnd our allies from
sighting that danger point. Ho did claim that If tho advice, the appeals of
tho food ndnilnlstrntlon wero followed, our nrmles would bo nblo to fight
better, ourselves nnd allies In Europe, tho men, women nnd children nil
would not seo tho Bhndow of the gaunt specter of want In their door yards,
nnd that flnnl victory would bo ours: In Bhort, thnt "food will win tho wnr."
Ho did counsel us to eat loss wheat and wheat products, less beef nnd
beef products thnt they might bo sent to supply the nbnormnl demnnd abroad,
now made even larger by tho constant Increasing of our own armies ncross;
nnd to eat In their plnce more fish, poultry, fruit, vegetables and all cereals
except wheat.
Oh, tho words and thoughts ho crowded Into that hourl The former
none there can remember, but the thoughts they conveyed will never be for
gotten by tho men who heard him. Ho stopped ns suddenly ns he began,
smiled wlnnlngly; bowed nnd walked toward tno rear or mo room nnu tno
door, and then ns though Imbued with tho samo feeling of respect and con
fidence for tho man who Is carrying such u world-wide burden every man
In tho room rose to his feet, and as this food Atlas came down through them,
gnvo him a round of applause which must hnvo made him feel, "well, those
fellows will help me, I know."
And then thnt body of fishermen got right down to business, tnlked nnd
plnnned liko nil-possessed how to do the bidding of tho man who hnd Just
left tho room, nnd after two days of Intensive labor went their ways to their
vnrlous homes, ench determined that tho fish supply of the country should bo
increased or he'd know the reason why.
It was ono of those meetings that tells, wny tno noover way is winning
all over tho country, why tho Hoover Idea Is gradually forcing Itself on tho
public mind ns something thnt MUST be lived up to. why tho United Stntes U
im in keen on feeding herself nnd her allies, why "food will win tho war."
Every man In that asseniblngo went home "Ilooverlzed" nnd carried within
Ids busy bruin the slogan so aptly suggested by Mr. Fowler, "Catch 'em for
Uncle Snm."
I would like to quote a few renl Hoover pnrngraphs shot across tho tnblo
nf iih nnd which to my mind aro vital.
"In America there always has been n surplus of foodstuffs, and wo huv
pnntrllmted mntoHally to tho support of other countries, wo- navo never tint!
to make a particular effort to conserve our food supply or to avoid hunger
and starvation by thrift. We now find ourselves the ono great source of tho
surplus food that must reach Europe, If wo aro to win tho war. That surplus
will be scanty, particularly this year, because of the comparative uso of our
supplies and by the most restricted uso of food by our European allies.
"Tho problem of feeding ourselves and feeding our own army abroad nnd
of feeding our allies Is tho most pressing ono thnt Is Immediately beforo ench
fin ii everv Individual.
"I fool confident that the splendid volunteer spirit of service of tho
American people will demonstrate Itself In solving our food problem and that
all American producers, manuiacturors, mercunms unit consumers win worn
tntroiher toward a common end.
"Tho nvallablo supplies this harvest yenr nre less than last year; tho
demand upon us is greater than last year, and from tho Inst harvest we
nviHirtod more than wo really could afford. Wo can only meet tho call upon
us next year by euv'ng nnd by substitution of commodities which cannot bo
transferred."
Following n patriotic meeting nt
Seward under the direction of Major
M. H. Russell, chief recruiting officer
for the new Seventh regiment, 23
young Seward county men enlisted.
Major Russell advertised tho meeting
by mailing out speclnl enrds of Invi
tation to 1.200 ellghles for enlistment.
Of this number 030 responded. Major
Russell declares that this Is tho
largest .number of cllglbles ever as
sembled at one meeting In Nebrnskn.
State Fuel Administrator Kennedy
learned while In Washington thnt the
coal supply of Ihe country Is not be
low normal, nnd received assurance
from Administrator Garfield that Ne
braska will get Its usunl supply of
coal both bituminous and anthracite.
Rail congestion has hindered equnl
distribution to n great extent, says
Mr. Kennedy.
A report from Chicago says that the
police In thnt city are searching for
n gang of confidence men who swin
dled a Fort Wayne, Ind man out of
$15,000; a llloonilngton, 111., man out
of $80,000, and J. B. Ticrney, vice
president of the First National" bnnk
of Ansley, Neb., out of $40,000.
Praising the Knlser and throwing
slurs at President Wilson nenrly cost
Gun Stein, Omaha freight handler,
his life. Only timely Interference by
the police prevented fellow workers
from hnnglng him. Stein was order
ed held for Investigation by federal
authorities.
Ellsha Benjamin Andrews, former
chancellor of the University of Ne
braska, died at his home In Inter-
lachen, Fin. He was 73 years old
nnd well known In this state.
The Red Cross chapter at Peru bns
310 members, nnd to date reports
$1,370 collected for Red Cross work.
Of this amount there goes Into the
locnl work $405.
English-speaking members of the
Lutheran church of Lincoln are about
to establish a church of their own ns
tho result of friction over the ar
ranging of sermons.
After attempting to murder Miss
Esther Crltcs at Scottshluff, Lyle
Bishop, 23, shot nnd killed himself.
Miss Orltes mny die. Insanity Is bc
llpved to have ennsed the tragedy.
The Jefferson Connty bnnk of Day-
kin sold $20,000 worth of liberty
bonds. Dnykln Is In n strong German
community. The subscription nmounts
to $00 per capita.
Cattle raised on tho Gnge county
poor fnrm nt Bentrlce were sold by
the building nnd grounds committee,
bringing In tho county $780.
H. H. Pense, rural route carrier
from Beemer, hns resigned his posi
tion to nssume chnrgo of The Plnln-
vIpw Republican.
Mrs. Richard Westphnl nnd her
mother, Mrs. Fred RIckert, who were
badly burned when n can of gasoline
exploded in their home at Grand
Islnnd, died from the burns.
Six hundred nnd forty acres of lnnd
nenr Fnlls City sold for .$103,072 when
the estnte of Joseph Wntton wns settled.
At n snle of Polnnd Chlnn hogs held
nt West Point one litter brought
$1,800. The best Individual In tho lot
brought $700.
Students nt Bellevue college hnvo
pledged themselves In favor of seven
whentless nnd fourteen meatless
meals a week.
Dogs killed seventy sheep belonging
to B. Koehlor of Genevn. The sheep
were In the feed yard of Mr. TCoehler
nt thnt place.
It Is rumored thnt Alliance Is to
hnvo n potash plnnt. to be erected Just
east of the city limits.
Girls In the Kernny Normal school
have pledged themselves to each raise
$5 for uso In military training enmps.
Lincoln Is organizing n company of
home gunrds. None but men over 45
years old nre eligible.
J. Lee Dnlhy, a veteran newspaper
mnn of Nebrnskn. dlpd nt his home In
Shuberr.
Fuel Administrator Kennedy has
called In n fuel pxpprt to determine
retail cnnl prices In Nebraska.
A movement Is on foot nt Alliance
to build a n'ew up-to-date hotel In
the city.
The new St. Anthony's Catholic
church at Columbus will be dedlcntcd
next wppIc.
Commissioner!? of Rlchnrdson coun
lv have ordered a special election for
November n to vote on a proposition
to Issue Si no 000 In 5 per cont bonds
to pay the outstanding bridge debt of
about S7OO00 nd to repair 130 smnll
bridges In tho county.
A $50 Liberty bond for every other
man, woman and child In tho stnte,
and two and n fraction Liberty bonds
for every fnmlly In tl.10 state wns the
answer of Nebraska to the kaiser
when the smoke of tho second Liberty
loan drive cleared away.
Senator George Norrls made tho as
sertion while in Lincoln recently
that he will again be n candidate for
United Stntes senntor nnd expressed
surprise thnt reports hnve been clr
culnted that ho would not run.
For tho first time In months, Omaha
has outdistanced Dps Moines In ro
milting. From October 1 to 25,
Omahn reported 225 enlistments nnd
Dps Moines 181.
Cnttlo prices renched n new nltl
tudo In the South Omnhn market Inst
week when n car load of Angus year
lings sold for $10.75 a hundred.
Nebrnskans have reason for rejoto
lug for tho splendid showing made by,
this state In the Liberty lonn drive.
The stute, ns n whole, subscribed $33,
501,800, nnd surpnssed all other stntes
In tho Tenth Federal Reserve District.
Omaha and Douglas county led with
$10,430,000 In subscriptions, over
twice the allotment. Lnncaster coun
ty, Including Lincoln, subscribed $3,'
525,000, more thnn double its quotn.
The stnte subscriptions were nenrly
$4,000,000 greater than its minimum
quota, which was fixed at 20,002.000.
Twenty-four counties exceeded their
allotment. Counties mnklng the best
showing wero: Otoe, Cuming, Cednr,
Custer, Stanton, Gage, Dakota nnd
Butler, while Hownrd, Adnms, Buffa
lo, Johnson, Pierce, Plnttc, Sheridan,
Washington and Antelope fnlled to
rench their minimum. Two countlcst
McPhcrson nnd Arthur, failed to. re
port. People well acquainted In O'Neill
denounce ns n fake the story that
has been published In this part of the
county about Gustavo Ilendlnburg,
cousin of the famous field marshal,
coming to O'Neill and buying $25,000
worth of Liberty bonds. Tho Holt
county Illndenhurg wns represented
ns doing tho patriotic net nfter see
ing two Belgian children In Wyoming
with their arms severed nt tho
elbows.
Ten cents worth of sugar, or ap
proximately one pound, Is the stand
ard order to the consumers of Omaha.
There may be some relief soon, but In
nny case, the policy of close conser
vation of tho nation's sugar supply
will be urged upon distributor and
consumer alike for an Indefinite
period.
Responding to a letter sent him
with 187 pledge cards for food saving
by the superintendent of schools of
Vnlley, every home In which has
signed up, Gurdon Wattles, federal
food administrator for Nebraska,
sent n silk flag to flont over the Vnl
ley school with congratulations.
The Northwest Nebrnskn Teachers'
nssoclntlon adopted n resolution nt
their annual meeting nt Crawford
pledging themselves to co-opernte In
every way possible with Mr. noover
In the conservation of food, nnd of
fered their support to the government
In tho prosecution of the wnr.
The Liberty Clnss of the Ancient
Free nnd Accepted Mnsons, forty-two
In nil, which took the degree nt nes
tings recently, donnted n $100 Liber
ty bond to the grnnd lodge, which la
to be plnced to the benefit of Masonic
home nt Plnttsmouth.
Range cnttle from western Nebrns
kn nre pouring Into tho Omnhn mar
ket In lnrge numbers and It la assort
ed thnt tho nnlmals aro In better flesh
thnn usunl, duo to the excellent con
dition of the rnnge during the summer.
Approximately $200,000 has been
spent for Improvement In Franklin
since spring. A new $50,000 hotel, a
now school building which cost $35,
000, nnd n 10,000 bushel elevntor nre
nmong the new structures put up.
Fires hnve destroyed more thnn
$1,000,000 worth of property in Oma
hn so fnr this yenr, nnd n lnrge per
centngo of tho loss is attributed to
firebugs.
It Is estimated that 25,000 bushels
of potntoes were lost nt Amsworth
on nccount of the freezing weather.
Some cstlmnte the loss nt twice thnt
number of bushels.
Bank clenrlngs In Omaha for Octo--
ber wero $203,140,223.75, showing an
Increase of more thnn 50 per cent
over October, 1910, which wns $132,-240,303.29.
Wymore Indies hnve formed nn or
ganization to be known ns the "Dandy,
Six Comfort Corps," for the purpose
of knitting garments for Wymore boys
who nre In the service of Undo Sam.
Tho two electric light plnnts nt
Fremont will conserve fuel by using
only pnrt of the globes In the street
lighting system.
Rev. TL Krueger, pastor of the Ger
man Evangelical church nt Stelnnuer,
Pawnee county, was prespntpd with n
new automobile by his conrrreentlon.
Capacity of the Tablp Rock Brick
company will bo increased to 100,000
bricks dolly.
The Kcarnpy Morning Times, ono
of the oldest democratic pnpers In
south central Nebraska, has suspend
ed publication.
Polk county farmers have begun
to harvest their corn cron. which In
the best In Hip history of the country.
The Platto County Poultry and Pet
Stock Show will bo hold nt Columbus
Dpccmbpr 0, 7 and 8.
Thp sum of S334.47 was netted the
Beatrice .Red Cross society by tho
sale of nine pigs and n stipwr given
by the Indlps of Flllpy. Eight pigs
nnd ono hog wero donnted. Tho'swlno
hrought n totnl of $108.25, tho sum of
S100 wns colloctPd from the crowd
present nnd tho supper netted S75.22.
Dr. C. R. Ilnndenschleld nnd Mr.
and Mrs. Alva Wllgus, comprising the
evangellcnl party, opened the meet
ing In the Beaver City tabernacle.
Tho building seats 1.200 peoplo nnd.
the choir Is of 100 voices. "
Rov. John L. Barton, pastor of the
Eden Bnptlst church of Stromsburg,
bns bpen granted a three months
lenve of absence to do Young Men's
Christian nssoclntlon work nt Camp
Cody, Doming, N. M.
Lincoln has given X5.710.S70 for war
work In tho last six months, nccordlng
to figures compiled by tho Red Cross
nnd Liberty loan bond cnmpnlgn com
mittees. Fire, bollevcd to hnvo been of In
nndinry origin, destroyed tho Union
Pacific depot nt Belgrade nnd n trunk
containing $20,000 worth of dlamonda.
.,. t