Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-26
HERBERT HOOVER
TALKS OF SUGAR
Unsuccessful in Testifying Be.
fore Senate Committee
Issues Statement.
SEND TOO MUCH TO EUROPE
Claims Announcement That
There Will Be a Big Sup
ply Next Year Erroneous.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 25.-Food Adj
ministrator Hoover's statement on the
sugar situation, which he tried unsuc-
cessfullv to get before the senate COM
mittee investigating the sugar short
age. was made public tonight by the
White House. 1t attributes the short
age here to the heavy movement of
sugar from the western hemisphrc to
Europe. and asserts that without the
fixing of prices. by agreement sugar
would have been selling for % or 30
cents pound and more than $780,
100000 probably would have been
profitecred from the American peo-
pie by this
The statement contains the food ad-
ministrator's reply to charges made be-
fore the committee ny Claus Spreckels,
president of the Federal Refining
company, that the sugar situation was
msmaraged and sets forth in detail
the administration efforts to keep
sugar prices down while supplying
large quantities to the allies.
Hoover Can't Testify.
The committee. of which Senator
Reed is chairman, not only had re-
fused to make the statement IA part
declined thus far to permit Hoover to
take the stand to answer Spreckles''
charges. When the hearing is resumed
Friday, however, it is understood Mi.
Hoover will be permitted to tell his
story.
At the outset. the statement pre-
sents the world sugar situation as 1t
existed prior to the European war.
The allies then produced much of their
own supplies and purchased the re-
mainder from Germany. Before the
war they took only three hundred tons
annually from the western hemisphere.
This year they have taken 100000
tons.
THAT says the food administra-
tor. sis the cause of the sugar snort
age. and nothing else"
The statement says the food admin
istration has handled the situation
with a view to sustaining the mo-
of France and England, where the
sugar has been extremely low for
months and at the same time prevent
ing a jump in price of 20 to 20 cents
here.
As to the fixing of sugar prices, the
food administrator has this to say:
ain order to prevent profiteering
ont of the situation the food admin
istration considered strong action was
necessary, and imposed IA maximum
profit on refiners and wholesalers.
The refners margin was Sl.s4 per
hundred and nine months before the
food administration came into exist
ence il was reduced to s1.3O and a
saving of more than $25,00O,000 per
annum was effected.
Manufacturers Cooperate.
7 "As further precaution against
profiteering. the administration OBJ
tanned voluntary agreement with
the beet sugar factories that they
would not sell sugar at more than
S7.25 a hundred pounds seabcard.
Some who already had contracted al
80 rescinded their contracts. This
was followed by similar agreements
ns to Louisiana. Cuban, and Hawaiian
arrivals.
'The net result of these voluntary
agreements was to reduce the ruling
price of sugar 1 34c west of the
Mississippi and north of the Ohio md
/ cent on the Atlantic. R'd these
arrangements not been made, sugar
CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT