Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson
Title
Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
Identifier
WWP19259
Date
1917 November 19
Description
Herbert Hoover informs Woodrow Wilson of the resignation of Gifford Pinchot and E.C. Lasater from the Food Administration due to their disagreement with him over propaganda over meat production.
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
COPY
Mr. President
I have unfortunately had a tea-pot storm in my department. Mr. Houston and I appointed a joint committee to undertake propaganda for the sitimulation of animal production and I selected, amongst others, Mr. E.C. Lasater, a Texas cattle-man, and Mr. Gifford Pinchot for the committee. Mr. Pinchot, whose views are followed by Mr. Lasater, instead of confining himself to stimulation of production in a patriotic way, and devising methods for a better distribution of our yooung cattle and other portions of the programme, took upon himself to advise me with regard to finanacial measures to be undertaken and more especially that we should take over the packing plants in the country and operate them for the Government, and other radical measures. These measures were practically all outside the powers of the Government aside from their visionary character. After some time he resigned and his resignation was followed by that of Mr. OLasater on the ground that we were not conducting the Food Administration for the public welfare. I have declined to answer any of the newspaper propaganda.
The fault is of course mine for having even placed them on a propaganda committee although my one justification was that their personalities could be turned to good account in this emergency
.I merely wished to inform you of this as I do not propose to take any action whatever in the matter.
Your obedient servant,
[Herbert Hoover]
Mr. President
I have unfortunately had a tea-pot storm in my department. Mr. Houston and I appointed a joint committee to undertake propaganda for the sitimulation of animal production and I selected, amongst others, Mr. E.C. Lasater, a Texas cattle-man, and Mr. Gifford Pinchot for the committee. Mr. Pinchot, whose views are followed by Mr. Lasater, instead of confining himself to stimulation of production in a patriotic way, and devising methods for a better distribution of our yooung cattle and other portions of the programme, took upon himself to advise me with regard to finanacial measures to be undertaken and more especially that we should take over the packing plants in the country and operate them for the Government, and other radical measures. These measures were practically all outside the powers of the Government aside from their visionary character. After some time he resigned and his resignation was followed by that of Mr. OLasater on the ground that we were not conducting the Food Administration for the public welfare. I have declined to answer any of the newspaper propaganda.
The fault is of course mine for having even placed them on a propaganda committee although my one justification was that their personalities could be turned to good account in this emergency
.I merely wished to inform you of this as I do not propose to take any action whatever in the matter.
Your obedient servant,
[Herbert Hoover]
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Citation
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964, “Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson,” 1917 November 19, WWP19259, Hoover Institute at Stanford University Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.