The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-20

which he had selected the chairman. was
not q spontaneous organization Of the
wholesale grocers Of the United States,
but simply the creation Of his own active
mind and that OF Claus A. Spreckels,
president of the Federal Refining Com
pany. Mr.. Lowry went on to explain his
own activities in behalf of the free sugar
propaganda.
Senator Cummins produced bulletin
after bulletin, issued by the committee
of wholesale grocers, which Mr.. Lowry
identified as his own work. Finally, a
little green leafet stating the position
of the free sugar men and bearing
across the back the legend, Vote for
Wilson and Marshall" was produced.
who published thisT' asked Senator
Cummins.
why, furnished the matter for that,
but il was published by the National
Democratic Campaign Committee during
the 1912 campaign" replied Mr. Lowry.
ION whose authority" demanded
Senator Cummins.
Secretary Daniels Mentioned.
II went up to the Democratic head
sephus Daniels, the gentleman who is
now Secretary OF the Navy" said Mr..
Lowry.
And how many copies of this leanet
did the Democratic committee print
and circulate?" asked Senator Cum
minis.
Mr.. Daniels said he thought he
would print about a million OF them"
said the witness.
1t had previously been discussed that
in the Republican campaign textbook
used in 1912 the sugar beet industry
and the other leaders of the sugar in
70 M fttrn feha 1
all the matter dealing with the sugar
question. In order to balance matters
Senator Cummins questioned Mr.. Lowry
with regard to the authorship of the
Democratic textbooks section devoted
to the sugar problem
Therefore, the Democratic textbook
was written by the free sugar crowdT
questioned Senator Cummins.
Yes; and the Republican textbook
by the sugar protectionists."
We'll, they went to the people who
knew, anyhow" said Senator Nelson.
Mr.. Lowry explained that his expenses
for the past four years in pursuing the
free sugar propaganda were in the neigh
borhood Of $4,000.
Sprec<eIs Gave to Democrats.
C. A. spreckels had contributed $500
to the Democratic campaign fund in 1872.
but II was a voluntary and personal con-
tribution. Senator Nelson was anxious to
know what the result of Mr. Lowry's own
idea of so cents per hundredweight tariff
on sugar would be-
How would this be received by the
sugar protectionists?" he asked.
They like that less than anything"
answered Mr.. Lowry, for the reason
that they could exist on that, but not
make the huge profits they do now. They
would rather see free sugar, for, accord
ing to their notion, free sugar would close
the beet sugar factories, spread wreck
and ruin In its train, drive the Demo-
cratic party out of power. and restore
the Republicans with their high tariff
views
Charles B. Warren, of Detroit, next
called, related the circumstances of the
organization Of the Michigan Sugar Com
pany and explained to the committee
how the ownership of shares In that or
ganization came to be held by the Amer
lean Sugar Refinery Company, the sugar
Trust, so called.
Trust Reduced Holdings.
The holding of that company, Mr..
Warren said, had been In the neighbor-
hood Of q per cent Of the total capital
stock Of the organization up to 1910 Then
there had come about a reduction. The
trusts holdings had been absorbed bv
himself and other officers OF the company.
The interest of the American Sugar Re
finery now in the Michigan Company
was about 50 per cent. Slightly over that
Mr.. Warren thought. The reduction
had been made as the result of numerous
conferences. The trust had not wanted
TO give UP its holdings In Michigan sugar.
but had thought II best to comply with
the generally accepted Interpretation of
the Sherman antitrust law that owner
ship Of less than one-third In q corpora
ton did not mean infringement of the
law.
1t was to Mr.. Warren that the letter
suggesting the acquisition of the Chicago
Inter Ocean az the organ of the beet
sugar interests was suggested in letter
discovered among the papers Of Mr.. c. C