Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-18
HOOVER DENOUNCES
SPRECKLES' CHARGES
ON SUGAR SHORTAGE
Food Administrator IntimateS
Refiner's Attack Was In
Spired by Fact That Profits
in Transactions Were Cut

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-Charges
made by Claus Spreckels, president of
the Federal Sugar Refining company,
before a senate investigating commit
tee that the food administration is re-
sponsible for a sugar shortage drew
from Food Administrator Hoover to-
night a vigorous attack on Mr.. Spreck-
els.
An open intimation is made by Mr..
Hoover that Mr.: Spreckers testimony
was inspired by the fact that the food
administration cut profits in sugar
transactions.
1T requires no proof from me- said
Mr.. Hoover, "to establish that NJ.
Spreckels, a leading sugar refiner, is
sore at the food administration and
would like to see it destroyed.
II realize that Mr.. Spreckels' balance
sheet will not look so good next year
as last, for refiners' profits have been
regulated Furthermore, his balance
sheet would have looked better this
year if the price of last August had
not been reduced and held fast, in the
face of a partial shortage that prom
Used fair opportunity for thirty-cent
sugar and much increased profits.
"Has Reason to Feel Badly"
"Mr. Spreckels therefore has reason
to feel badly. There are other citizens
who will feel the same way, no doubt,
and no doubt can entertain the public
by assaulting the food administration.
While many feel badly, still the vast
majority of men and women of our
business community and of our farmers
are sacrificing their profits daily to the
nations necessities without complaint,
for many are sacrificing more than their
money-their sons.
1--WE have had two months of partial
sugar shortage-October and Novem-
ber--and will also have December be-
fore relief by the new crop. The Am
erican people have had 100000 tons of
sugar in these two months-that is 20
per cent of their normal supplies in
each month, and if cars are available
they will have 20 per cent in Decem-
ber Owing to car shortages, the
shortage has been most acute in the
northeast and about 200 cars are today
blocked from that region.
This 70 per cent is twice the French
ration. In the meantime we have given
France a good part of the 80 per cent
and are proud Of it. This supply to
France was given deliberately and the
American people were told of it at the
time We have also agreed to draw
10, 900 tons for our friends in Canada.
L have yet to meet an American citizen
who would have had it otherwise.
All Available Bought In
"As to the food administration stop
ping the sources of supply. The fact
that all available supplies have been
brought here that ships and cars could
bring, and that it has already been
eaten is sufficient answer.
"Mr. Spreckles knows the bitterness
of the ten-year fights between produc-
ers and refiners-between different ref1n-
ers-and if he looks back over the last
three months he will observe desire
Of many of these elements to use the
food administration as a club to set
tie their long standing bitterness,
eff Mr.. Spreckels will tell us where
there is any sugar today that shios
can be obtained to carry or cars be OBJ
tanned to deliver IT will be delivered at
once with the same resolution that we
have vequisitioned or distributed over
so. 600, 900 pounds of enlarged sugar
since October l. In the meantime the
900 900 tons of sugar in Java is as re-
mote as cheese out of the moon-unless
we wish to take bread ships from our
own soldiers and the allies to provide
ourselves with candy"