Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson
Title
Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
Identifier
WWP19419
Date
1918 May 17
Description
Herbert Hoover writes to Woodrow Wilson about the plan to divert ships from the Cuban sugar trade to sending food for Belgian relief.
Source
Hoover-Wilson Correspondence, Hoover Institution, Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford, California
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
United States Food Administration
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964--Correspondence
Language
English
Text
Mr. President
Please find attached hereto copy of a telegram sent to Mr. Poland, who is Director of the Belgian Relief in Europe. I have seen Mr. Hurley this morning and he has given directions that such ships as can be diverted from the Cuban sugar trade shall be assigned to the Belgian Relief, as we shall have to justify this further shortage in sugar supplies on the basis of a contribution of the American people to saving life in Belgium.
I am in hopes that Mr. Lloyd George will see to it that the British authorities provide at least an equal amount of tonnage to that which will be supplied by these and other means on this side. I feel sure that we have an issue here that transcends in its moral and, therefore, in its eventual military significance the earlier despatch of soldiers to France and I am confident that on a definite consideration of the problem by Premiers Clemenceau and Lloyd George they will again adhere to this conclusion which has had to be debated in each crisis of the Relief so often in the past.
Yours faithfully,
[Herbert Hoover]
Please find attached hereto copy of a telegram sent to Mr. Poland, who is Director of the Belgian Relief in Europe. I have seen Mr. Hurley this morning and he has given directions that such ships as can be diverted from the Cuban sugar trade shall be assigned to the Belgian Relief, as we shall have to justify this further shortage in sugar supplies on the basis of a contribution of the American people to saving life in Belgium.
I am in hopes that Mr. Lloyd George will see to it that the British authorities provide at least an equal amount of tonnage to that which will be supplied by these and other means on this side. I feel sure that we have an issue here that transcends in its moral and, therefore, in its eventual military significance the earlier despatch of soldiers to France and I am confident that on a definite consideration of the problem by Premiers Clemenceau and Lloyd George they will again adhere to this conclusion which has had to be debated in each crisis of the Relief so often in the past.
Yours faithfully,
[Herbert Hoover]
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Citation
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964, “Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson,” 1918 May 17, WWP19419, Hoover Institute at Stanford University Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.