This is Herbert Hoover, in full Herbert Clark Hoover, (born August 10, 1874, West Branch, Iowa, U.S and died October 20, 1964, New York, New York), 31st president of the United States (1929–33). Most Americans think of President Herbert Hoover in relation to the Great Depression. His administration failed in its attempts to alleviate widespread joblessness, homelessness, and hunger in America during the early years of the Great Depression. Which is sad, because Hoover’s rise to the presidency was a direct result of his humanitarian work during and after World War I as he rescued millions of Europeans from starvation.
I was thinking about this paradox in relation to our Three Snowbirds series. In France, the ladies would have seen firsthand and also had great pride in the incredible effort ordinary Americans put into alleviating hunger in occupied Belgium and France. Herbert Hoover created the Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB) to help the victims of famine. At the time of the CRB's foundation, the United States had not yet entered the war, and Hoover was viewed as a neutral negotiator. As a result, he was personally able to deal with the English, French, and German governments, so that the CRB could bring aid to the famished citizens.
Food relief was essential, because 10 million Belgians and French were dependent on it during the four years of German occupation. The first ship to deliver goods to the Belgians carried 1,018 tons of wheat, rice, beans, and peas. Close to 2,500 other ships took 5 million tons of food to the innocent civilians. By working together, Hoover and prominent Belgian officials ensured that the acquired food was given directly to the citizens of the starving areas.
Even after the United States entered the war in 1917, Hoover still helped combat hunger. As the appointed head of the United States Food Administration (USFA), he encouraged Americans to conserve food. Through these efforts, there would be enough to send to Europeans in need. Once the war ended, he continued to help arrange relief as head of the American Relief Administration for all of the European countries, as well as defeated Germany and the other Central Powers. In this capacity, Hoover enabled 6 million tons of food to be sent to just about every European country.
Herbert Hoover is credited with saving close to 10 million lives in this region —about 2 million in northern France, and approximately 7 million Belgians. Belgians continue to honor him. On December 4, 1922, Belgian Senator Lejeune presented a statue of Isis, the Egyptian goddess of Life, to Hoover at the Stanford Art Gallery. In 1939, it was relocated to his hometown of West Branch, Iowa. Today, a Belgian museum is hosting an exhibit called “Remembering Herbert Hoover," portraying him as the "Great Humanitarian" and showing how he and the CRB helped them at such a critical time.
The Great Depression hasn't hit our Snowbirds yet. To Cornelia and Teddy, Hoover is one of America's greatest humanitarians. This is the reputation that led to his election as America's 31st president. Unfortunately, he was sworn in just a few short months before the bottom fell out of the New York Stock Exchange, plunging us into economic crisis. The organizational and logistical skills that made him a hero to millions failed to help him at home. He was strongly opposed to government "handouts" and called on business people to keep Americans employed, and he asked the American people to tighten their belts and make do in the spirit of “rugged individualism.” While Hoover’s philosophy and his appeal to the country were very much in keeping with his character, it was not enough to keep the economy from plummeting further into economic chaos. As Congress and the people urged him to do more he responded that “The spread of government destroys initiative and thus destroys character.”
Hoover's political career was wrecked by the Depression and his inability to realize that, in times of crisis, the need for direct government action is essential. The organized effort that fed millions in Europe was not applied to feeding millions at home. Even though he personally took no salary as President and donated thousands to charity relief efforts every year, he was unable or unwilling to do what had to be done to bring America out of the Depression.
I can't help wondering how this will impact our books. Do you think Cornelia will continue to believe in Hoover the humanitarian, or will she turn on him as so many others did?
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