out for the interests of
stranded Americans. Page kept a close eye on its operations, and soon
his attention was attracted by the noiseless efficiency of an American
engineer of whom he had already caught a few fleeting glimpses in the
period of peace. After he had finished his work with the American
Committee, Mr. Herbert C. Hoover began to make his arrangements to leave
for the United States. His private affairs had been disorganized; he had
already sent his family home, and his one ambition was to get on the
first ship sailing for the United States. The idea of Belgian relief, or
of feeding starving people anywhere, had never occurred to him. At this
moment an American, Mr. Millard K. Shaler, came from Brussels and gave
the most harrowing account of conditions in Belgium. Mr. Hoover took Mr.
Shaler to Page, who immediately became sympathetic. The Ambassador
arranged an interview between Mr. Hoover and Sir Edward Grey, who
likewise showed great interest and promised government support. Soon
afterward three Belgians arrived and described the situation as
immediately alarming: Brussels had only food enough to feed the people
for thirty-six hours; after that, unless help were forthcoming, the
greatest distress would set in. Five men--Page, the three Belgians, and
Mr. Hoover--at once got together at the American Embassy. Upon the
result of that meeting hung the fate of millions of people. Who before
had ever undertaken a scheme for feeding an entire nation for an
indefinite period? That there were great obstacles in the way all five
men knew; the British Admiralty in particular were strongly opposed;
there was a fear that the food, if it could be acquired and sent to
Belgium, would find its way to the German Army. Unless the British
Government could be persuaded that this could be prevented, the
enterprise would fail at the start. How could it be done?

"There is only one way," said Page. "Some government must give its
guarantee that this food will get to the Belgian people." "And, of
course," he added, "there is only one government that can do that. It
must be the American Government."

Mr. Hoover pointed out that any such guarantee involved the management
of transportation; only by controlling the railroads could the American
Government make sure that this food would reach its destination.

And that, added Page, involved a director--some one man who could take
charge of the whole enterprise. Who should it be?

Then