She had a sister ship, President Coolidge, that was completed in 1931, was made a troopship in 1941 and was lost after striking a mine while attempting to enter the harbor at Espiritu Santo in 1942.

[4] Décor was in contemporary Art Deco style and the First Class lounge was decorated with murals by the artist Frank Bergman of New York.

[3] On 30 August[11][12] the liner was moored in the Yangtze River, awaiting clearance to enter the Wusong River[3] to reach the Port of Shanghai when, despite a 30-foot (9.1 m)-long[2] US flag draped on her top deck abaft the bridge[3] to identify her to aircraft as a neutral US ship, the Republic of China Air Force mistook her for the Japanese troopship Asama Maru and bombed her.

[3] Despite her casualties President Hoover sustained only minor damage, but she aborted the rescue mission to Shanghai[3] and returned to San Francisco for repairs.

[2] Chiang Kai-shek, leader of China's National Military Commission, had known Robert Dollar and was reportedly furious that his aircraft had attacked his late friend's ship.

[2] Chiang's wife Soong Mei-ling had hired Chennault only two months previously, and the Generalissimo relented and instead paid the Texan a $10,000 bonus soon afterwards.

[2] During the voyage the Dollar Lines management signaled President Hoover's Master, George W Yardley, "You must be in Manila, absolutely urgent that you arrive not later than 6 a.m. 12th December,[3] make all possible speed".

[8] President Hoover's course from Kobe to Manila avoided Hong Kong, Shanghai and the Taiwan Strait in order to keep clear of the Sino-Japanese War zone.

[3] At about 0100 hrs on 11 December[2][3] (local date) President Hoover struck a reef about 500 metres (1,600 ft)[2][3] from the shore of Zhongliao Bay[2] on the north coast of Kasho-to (綠島),[8] a volcanic island about 18 nautical miles (33 km) off Taitung City in south-eastern Taiwan.

[2] The Hamburg America Line cargo ship D/S Preußen received the SOS and arrived around dawn, but the heavy sea[2] and shallow water[3] prevented her from approaching close enough to help.

[2][3] Thick black fuel oil spread over the sea and onto the beach,[8] either deliberately discharged[2] or through the reef damaging the ship's bunkers.

But as the monsoon continued to blow from the northeast, and lightening President Hoover only helped the wind and strong waves to drive her further onto the reef until she was only 100 metres (330 ft) from shore.

[8] Some passengers alleged that President Hoover's crew were inexperienced, and that when trying to get the wire cable ashore to prepare for the evacuation they capsized two of the lifeboats in shallow water.

[8] At about 1500 hrs the flagship of the Japanese 4th Fleet, the Myōkō-class cruiser Ashigara arrived with an unidentified Mutsuki-class destroyer to observe and protect President Hoover.

[3] According to Time, while the passengers were being taken ashore a small number[3] of the crewmen aboard President Hoover plundered the ship's liquor supply.

[3][8] On the morning of 14 December news reached Alden and Barker that two days earlier Japanese aircraft had sunk the US gunboat USS Panay in the Yangtze River near Nanjing.

[3] Alden and Barker discreetly prepared racks of ammunition for their 4"/50 caliber guns, but the IJN ships continued to stand by and assist.

[7] In February 1938 President McKinley returned, bringing Chinese laborers and Dollar Lines personnel who carried out some salvage and recovery work.

Members of the US public gave money to the American Red Cross for a lighthouse to be built near Zhongliao village on Kasho-to (now called Green Island).