Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-19
A. ?. NO PARTISAN
IN SUGAR QUARREL
Melville E. Stone a Witness
Before Senate Lobby
Committee.
BAN ON PRESS AGENTS
Is STRICTLY ENFORCED
Service Attempts to1Be Fair to All
Business and Other In
terests, He Says.

Melville +. Stone, general manager OF
the Associated Press. testified at his own
request today before the Senate lobby
committee regarding the claims contain
ed In some of the correspondence OF
clarence {. Hainln as to publicity beet
sugar men had hoped TO obtain through
the Associated Press
Hamlins letters had been read into
the committees record two days ago,
after having been eubpoenaed from the
files of the United States Beet Sugar In
dustry
Mr.. Stone Presents Records.
Mr.. Stone presented all letters and rec
ords bearing on the demands of the beet
sugar interests for publicity through the
news association.
Mr.. stone said that October l.. 1911.
John r. Arbucile. a sugar retiner. when
leaving for Europe, had given out
statement favoring free raw sugar This
statement was carried by the Associated
Press, he said. On October -, a short
statement given out by Clarence G. Ham,
lin at Colorado Springs, answering the
Arbuckle statement, was also carried by
the Associated Press. The Arbucke
statement, he said. was about l,0O0 words
in length; the Hamlin statement about
40 words
Mr.. Hamlin then wrote Mr.. Stone ask
ing that the beet sugar interest be gwen
as good treatment as the sugar refiners
Mr.. Hamlins letter was:
Hamlin's Letter to Stone.
Il am writing you as chairman of the
United States Beet Sugar Industry an
organization which includes practically
all of the beet sugar interests of this
country, and if anything further is nec-
essary to give that which l have to say
credit, 1 would refer you to any of the
papers in Denver, as We'll as to Senator
Guggenheim and Senators Clark and
Warren of Wyoming. Also to Mr.. Ches-
ter S. Morey of Denver, president of the
Great Western Sugar Company, the
largest beet sugar producer in the United
States with whom you are personally
acquainted. 1 might add l am a mem.
ber of the Associated Press. representing
| the Herald-Telegraph of this city.
Publicity is the last thing i wish to
seek personally. but in justice to the
great industry which / represent 1 feel
Justified in taking up with you in person
a matter which to us is OF the gravest
Importance October II Mr.. John A.
Arbuckle of Arbuckle Brothers gave out
a statement which was printed in full
in every Associated Press newspaper of
the United States concerning the sugar
situation. A copy of this statement Is
attached hereto. The matters contained
In this statement were of such great
Importance, and some of the miSrepre-
sentations gross, that i did not feel
that these statements should go unchal-
lenged | took the matter up with the
local representatives of the Associated
Press, who followed 1t through the ordi-
nary channels. and was assured that the
Associated Press would handle $50 words
representing the beet sugar mems posi-
ton upon these questions
Statement Was Abbreviated.
This statement / prepared, and you
will find a copy hereto attached. This
is from the Denver Republican, the Colo
RADIO papers having handled ii in full
The manner in which ii was handled Will
be disclosed by the attached clipping
from the Washington Post of October Ii.
Your long experience in newspaper work
will cause you to see Immediately that
We would have been much better salts
fed had the Associated Press refused 10
handle it entirely. rather than to have II
published IL this abbreviated and wholly
unsatisfactory manner.
"Of course, l understood the Associated
Press is in no sense partisan, and aims
TO be wholly fair to all Of the great i'll
terests of the country, and all that the
beet sugar interests ask is that they fe-
ceive the same treatment a the hands OF
your association as is accorded to GER
tain reiiners in New York who are push
ing the free sugar propaganda with the
avuwed purpose OF at least putting a
stop 10 the growth OF the beet sugar in
dustry.
Il do not have to emphasize the i'm
portance of this industry to you. There
Is invested in it in the vicinity OF
100000, 900. and from II nearly ~ per
cent of sugar consumed in this coun-
try is being produced. We certainly
have no desire to burden the Associated
Press with matter put out Tor the
purpose of boosting our industry, but
when attacked feel that we should De
given as much publicity as is given
TO our opponents. At least we would
like 10 know what our status Is so far
as your associa ton is concerned Of
course. there may be something or the
character of statement given out oy
me which would prevent its accept
ance in full. and If so, you Will be do
ing me a distinct favor by advising
me in what respect this is true.
Trusting you will give this serious
personal consideration and thanking
vou in advance for anything you may
he able to do in the direction of ac-
1.,r, ind of ~