Gibson wrote this daily journal when he accompanied Herbert Hoover around the world on the so-called food mission to assess needs and coordinate efforts in alleviating the famine caused by severe droughts and the devastation wrought by World War II. After Hoover’s successes in similar humanitarian ventures decades earlier, he was the perfect choice to head the Famine Emergency Committee established by President Truman on March 1, 1946. Hoover and his delegation traveled to nearly forty countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America between March and June 1946 (and again to Europe in February 1947). As Hoover’s close associate, Gibson provides a fascinating and lively account of the mission, making incisive comments on a wide range of topics, from their meetings with heads of state and other prominent figures to the general political situation and overall living conditions.

Beyond the focus on food, these fascinating and lively diaries cover a wide range of political and social issues. In the words of his son, Michael Gibson, “The result is a dizzying cross-section of the world just one year after the war ended.” Gibson often relates Hoover’s state of mind and some of his conversations with various heads of state and did, on occasion, paste newspaper clippings and menus into his diary.

ITINERARY

India (continued): Bangalore (continued) (April 27)—page 1

Thailand: Bangkok (April 27–28)—pages 1–10

Philippines: Manila (April 28–30)—pages 10–19

China: Shanghai (April 30–May 4)—pages 19–28 and 33–36

Nanking (May 3)—pages 28–33

Korea: Seoul (May 4–5)—pages 36–42

Japan: Tokyo (May 5–7)—pages 42–53

Midway Island (May 7)—pages 53–54

Hawaii Territory: Honolulu (May 7–9)—pages 55–57

United States: San Francisco (May 9–11)—pages 57–59

Washington (May 12)—page 60

New York (May 12)—page 60 [page 61 is a map of Latin America]

break (May 13–24)

New York (May 25)—pages 62–63

Washington (May 25)—pages 63–64

Dallas (May 25–26)—pages 64–66

Mexico: Mexico City (May 26–29)—pages 66–85

Panama: Panama City (May 29–30)—pages 86–88

Colombia: Bogotá (May 30–31)—pages 88–95

Ecuador: Quito (May 31–June 1)—pages 95–101

Peru: Lima (June 1–4)—pages 101–20

Chile: Santiago (June 4–6)—pages 120–26

Argentina: Buenos Aires (June 6–11)—pages 126–46

Uruguay: Montevideo (June 11–12)—pages 146–53

Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (June 12–16)—pages 153–69

Belém de Pará (June 16–17)—pages 169–73

Venezuela: Caracas (June 17–18)—pages 173–85

Cuba: Havana (June 18–19)—pages 186–91

United States: New York (June 19)—page 191