W

IV

The C. R. B.

HEN in Rotterdam Major Winchell prepared a survey for the "Commission for Relief in Belgium." It was difficult to grasp its immensity.

"This is the modern miracle of the loaves," he remarked to Mr. Hoover, its organizer and director. "The feeding of Belgium, day after day, month after month, is an achievement that lifts America as the Angel of Mercy above the smoke and din of battle and makes it immortal in the world's supreme moment of hate and strife."

In Europe he found that President Wilson's administration is praised for this organized outpouring to little Belgium. The business men of that country appealed to Mr. Brand Whitlock, the American Minister, and to the Marquis de Villalovar, Spanish Minister, in Brussels, who in turn discussed the matter with Dr. Page, American Ambassador in London. Our honored President of the United States consented to head the movement which action on his part has facilitated immeasurably its success. Some one they must find with the influence and capacity to organize, and some

one who would be acceptable to Germans and Allies alike. Dr. Page named Herbert Hoover, an American, and it was for America as a nation to lead in the great work of succor. The name of Herbert Hoover will be written with the illustrious names in the annals of both America and Europe for what has been done in Belgium.

Before we tell of the work that he has directed during the past year, it will be interesting to recall the help that he gave to his fellow countrymen at the outbreak of the war. When hostilities were declared there was a stampede from the continent. England was swamped by stranded Americans, not stranded so much for lack of money but because no business concern or railway or steamship would recognize paper fiat or letters of credit. Gold or silver were the only things that would count. These Americans, not having either, were up against it,” as the vernacular goes. England had declared war. They all wanted to go home. But how could they get across the sea?

Herbert Hoover, whose mining interests have offices in London, saw the plight of these Americans. He had confidence in the integrity of his countrymen; whether or not this confidence would prove misplaced was not the question. They must be helped out of England. So he assisted one and all, white and black, by loaning gold on their personal notes. His faith in Americans was justified for, after the lapse of a year, he found that he had lost less than one per cent. The United States

battle-ship Tennessee soon bore relief to the situation. Every State in the Union organized, the governors appointing representative men as chairmen to arrange appeals for funds, food and wearing apparel. Headquarters were established in London, New York, Rotterdam and Brussels. Other neutral governments, notably Spain and Holland, followed the example, and the response from everywhere has been unprecedented.

The entire movement directed by Mr. Hoover must of necessity be unselfish, unbiased and uncompromising in accomplishment of one taskfeeding the starving of Belgium. Were anything to distract from this purpose, it must utterly fail. The work of relief was not to be of a day or a month, as in case of earthquake or flood disasters, but of one, two or more years until the war should end. Had the work been in the hands of a man less fitted, it would have been wrecked long ago.

Major Winchell recently discussed the matter with Dr. Henry Van Dyke, at The Hague, who described how many times the movement had glided narrowly past the danger rocks. Here be it known that Dr. Van Dyke's counsel has been of inestimable value to Mr. Hoover and the Commission.

Such a Commission, it was early realized, must necessarily embrace two distinctive organizations working in perfect harmony, hence these were formulated:

First: The Commission itself, the "C. R. B.," to