Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-15
Trust Chief. Doubts
Word of Spreckels
Continued from Page One

Continued from Page One
plated.
This compares with 2.S9 cents in 1907,
2,I4 three years ago and 4.16 last year.
Spreckels stated.
The Hoover committee. which created
sugar shortage" according to Claus
Spreckels. is packed with former en-.
y Dyes of the Sugar Trust" was also
charged.
Even the watchmen are for.
mer watchmen for the American
Sugar Refining Company" said Spreck-
els, ''and T.. T.. Hooker. former trust
employe, is n steering committee OF one
to whom all persons having business
with the committee must apply when
entering its Offices"
Among those whom Spreckels named
as holding important positions with the
sugar committee were Harry G. Mott,
formerly buyer for the sugar trust"
now buyer for the committee, and l.. r.
Gibson, former private secretary to Earl
Babst. head of the sugar trust and
now secretary to the sugar committee.
Spreckes said he had protested
against having refiners fix the price of
sugar and against Hoover's appointment
.
the international committee.
Spreckes said he had declined to head
a syrup price committee because he was
an interested party.
Spreckels produced u letter from
/ George Rolph. chairman of the Hoover
committee. dated December 10. in which
Rolph stated the state Department had
been negotiating with the cubln Coy
ernment regarding price and supply of
b This tha Gnrapisalc la al
heard of such negotiations. he said
Judge Iindley. counsel for Hoover. in
timated that the high price for Cuban
sugar was being arranged for some dip
lomatic reason Lind ev also denied that
the food administration had fixed the
price of beet sugar.
I'VE have no control of price. only
/ under licensing of wholesalers" he said.
/ Chairman Reed tried to get I.indey TO
admit the coercion used by Hoover was
virtually price-tiXing.
Rolph. Hoovcr's sugar expert. who was
in the room, was asked by Lindley to
/ clear up the cuban sugar situation
/ Rulph admitted to Senator Lodges Ques.
/ tionlng that he had several interviews
with the state Deparnent and the
Cuban commission on the, lbject,
Questioning by Senator J, 4 empha-
sized the fact that all the so. price,
fixing was done without consuh any
representatives of the consuming n Nlic
Great Indignation was manfesteh )y
Rolph and other representatives of b
food administration at the hearing over
the committees refusal to let them cross
examine SprecSels.
Turning from the Cuban cane situa-
ton t. domestic beet sugar Reed brought
from SpreCkels the statement that beet
farmers are not profiting by the price
fixed for beet sugar.
"The beet-sugar factories are getting
tho profit" said SpreckelS
lie produced telegram from Food
Administrator Merrill, of California. to
Hoover. stating that California beet
sugar growers would not plant their
usual acreage unless The food admihs-
tration prevented the factories from
grabbing all tho profits.
The Sugar Trust has big interests in
the beet-sugar industry" Sprecllels
added.
The next chapter in Spreckels's revela-
tons concerned alleged Throwing down
of the Allied Governments on sugar con-
tracts by the sugar trust"
Spreckels read correspondence show.
ing that Babst and Rolph had tried to
get Spreckels to cancel,a contract for
sugar with the British Royal commits
sion, through which France and England
were being supplied. on the technical
ground that the commissions agreement
had not provided tonnage to transport
the sugar within a specified time.
Spreckels refused to cancel his con.
tract and was told, he testified, that he
IN ght as well release 1t for the domestic
market because there would be no ships
to carry it abroad before January l."
81 did release the sugar" said
Spreckels, "and was notified by the royal
commissions agent shortly thereafter
that ships would be provided In Decem-
Der to ship the sugar"
why did the Sugar Trust, through
Babst, try to get you to cancel your con.
tract?" Reed wanted to know
We'll, the Sugar Trust had Cancelled
it's contract. 1t stood to sell the sugar
in this country at higher price than
that for which the royal commission had
contracted to pay. The trust wanted my
moral support. They wanted to be able
10 tell the royal commission that all the
| American reflners felt the same way
about shipping sugar abroad at this
time"
Was that sugar needed in this coun-
try?" asked Senator Jones, of New Mex
leo.
"Yes. it was" said Spreckels.
WAS it needed in France asked
Reed.
Even more urgently than here" said
Spreckels ~ pointed that out in my
letters. In addition | had signed a con-
tract to deliver that sugar to the royal
commissions agents and | simply would
rot throw up that contract on wretched
technicality."