13. Hoover publicly blamed America’s depression on Europe’s economy
European countries for the most part removed themselves from the gold standard in response to their own economic woes. Hoover refused to follow suit. Instead, he publicly blamed much of America’s industrial and agricultural collapse on the problems in Europe and their adverse effects on trade. He proposed a moratorium on the payment of war reparations by Germany as that nation’s economy fell into near-complete collapse, in order to stabilize markets. The action did little to shore up the German economy, which nearly collapsed anyway. The German democratic government collapsed with it as the Nazis gained strength.
By 1931, Hoover was the target of considerable disdain among the Americans most affected by the depression. Nearly 60% of the population was considered “poor” by government standards. Cardboard inserts for shoes to cover holes in the sole were called “Hoover leather”. Men sleeping on park benches and city sidewalks covered themselves with discarded newspapers and called them “Hoover blankets”. Still, the President’s mind remained closed to the idea of direct relief payments to the unemployed, the homeless, and the hungry. He continued to support the idea that such relief belonged in the hands of the state and local governments.