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.