The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-12
SUGAR MEN ADMIT
LOBBY But DISLIKE
WORD '|NS|D|OUS'
Acknowledge COmprehen-
sive Campaign to Protect
the Sugar Industry
G
THE PROSPERITY OF
LOUISIANA AT STAKE
Plainly ResentfuI of VII ses
ments-Declare Wi aan iss
Never Given Sugas NaHees
Fair Hearing

Washington June 1I-Investigation ef
the sugar lobby" by the Senate lobby
committee today was to a marked extent
controversy over whether President
Wilson had given the sugar producers
reason to believe they would have moth
ing to fear" from free sugar under his
administration.
out of the days testimony. in which
Louisiana and Hawaiian witnesses re-
peatedly declared they had not received
fair treatment from the President had
been mislead by others as to his purpose.
the committee succeeded in drawing what
are believed to be some of the most im-
portant facts thus far developed
Some of the sugar men frankly admitted
they constituted lobby although they
objected to charge that any of their ac-
tons mad been 'insidious' or in any way
Legitimate or underhanded. They admit
led that comprehensive campaigns had
been organized and carried out to create.
backfires' on senators and representa-
lives from their own states. in the hope
of winning their support to the anti-fres
sugar side.
Prosperity at Stake
"'rhe prosperity of Louisiana was at
stake, said Jules Godchaux, u sugar
planter I'VE tried to get the people We
did business with to write senators and
representatives telling them that free
sugar would destroy the business OF the
state We asked them to wire and write
Washington and to ask the merchants
they did business within the United States
to do the same We tried to establish an
endless chain of letters ana kilograms to
draw attention of Congress to our argu-
ments
John f. Hamburg of New York, man
ager for large Hawaiian sugar firm.
admitted his firm had urged all of their
1900 or more customers to write to sena-
tors and representatives pointing out the
destruction 10 business that would follow
free sugar.
I'VE mad to do tnat to overcome some
OF the effects of the misstatements that
had been made in the free sugar CAM
paign." he said
Plainly Resentful
Plainly resentful of the Presidents re-
cent statements as to the operation OF an
"insidious lobby" in Washington, the
Louisiana and Hawaiian sugar men en-
liVened the hearings with frequent at
tempts TO tell of the pledges they believed
they had received that sugar would not
be made entirely free. Jules Godchaux
and Edward f. Dickinson. the two Louisi-
ana witnesses. declared they had tried
i'm vain to see the President and had been
Informed that he had all the information
ne wanted On the sugar tariff
Mr. Dickinson declared that the Pres
ident had never talked with a 'practi-
cal sugar man" about the Louisiana
situation and that he had secured most
of his information from national COM
Robert Ewing, a newspa
per man; Sol WeXler. "a b~ 1ker; Rep
desentative Broussard and Senator
Ransdell and Senator Thornton.
Il never have seen Mr. Wilson on the
sugar subject interrupted Senator
who was sitting in the com
mittee room.
Charges of the sugar men that they
had been given assurances of the Pres
idents sympathy on the sugar ques-
tion were based on statements Repre-
sentative Broussard is said to have
made to the witnesses, after visit to
President t-elect Wilson at Seagirt.
Il was assured by Mr. Broussard,'
said Harry Iron, representing the Iilo.
Hawaii, board of trade. that plan
indorsing a tariff reduction such as
would not destroy any legitimate in
dustry was prepared in Mr. Wilson's
presence and sanctioned by Mr.. Wilson
with direct reference to the sugar sit
uation.
Will Not IndOrse
The fact that the Baltimore conven-
tion did not indorse free sugar and other
of the campaign, the wit
nesses said. had led them to work for
the democratic ticket and support Mr..
Wilson in the belief they would have
nothing to fear" from any movement
for free sugar
I'VE cast $1,000 of 60. 900 votes for Will
son and subscribed money to his cam
paign in Louisiana said Jules Cod
chaux hotly, ION the assurance We
thought we had that he would not favor
free sugar"
After they got to Washington, Mr..
G GodchauX said the sugar planters made
vain efforts to see the President and
talk with him.
we went to the White House and
saw Secretary Tumulty," he added He
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