The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-26
White House Gives Publicity
to Statement Barred
by Committee.
SHIPMENTS ABROAD
CAUSED SHORTAGE
Food Administrator Denies
Charge of Spreckels
to Senate.

Washington, Dec. 25.---Food Admin
| istrator Hoovers statement on the
sugar situation, which he tried unsuc-
lccssfully 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 hemisphere 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 two hum
dred million dollars probably would
/ have been profiteered from the Ameri
can people by this time.
The statement contains the food ad
ministrator's reply To charges made be-
| fore the committee by Claus Spreckels,
president of the Federal Refining COM
pany, that the sugar situation was
mismanaged and sets forth in detail the
Administrations effort to keep sugar
prices down while supplying large
Quantities to the allies.
Ruled Out by Committee.
The committee, Of which Senator
Reed is chairman, not only had re-
fused to make the statement a part of
| the congressional record, but has de-
| clined thus far to permit Hoover to
take the stand to answer Spreckels
charges. When the hearing is resumed
Friday, however, it is understood, Mr.
Hoover will be permitted to tell his
story.
At the outset the statement presents
the world usgar situation as it existed
prior to the European war. The allies
then produced much of their own sup
plies and purchased the remainder
from Germany. Before the war they
took only 100000 tons annually from
the western hemisphere. This veal
they have taken 1,400,OOn tons.
THAT" says the food administrator
"is the cause of the sugar shortage
and nothing else
To Keep Prices Here Down.
The statement says the food admin
istration has handled the situation will
a view to sustaining the morale o
France and England, where the suga
ration has been extremely low fo
months and at the same time prevent
ling IA jump in price to 30 or 25 cent
here.
Since the food administration wa
created in August the United State
has exported to the allies 110,S56 ton
, of refined sugar and in the sam
l period Cuba has shipped to Europ
4 246,133 tons of raw product. This,
$ is declared, is just the amount of tn
0 shortage in the United States.
e Shipments Not Adequate.
Even with these shipments, it
pointed out, the supply in England an
France has been inadequate. Con
. sumption in England has been re
duced to "a pounds year for eac
Iperson and in France to IA pound
lagainst consumption in Americ
Of 55 pounds.
+ The shortage, the food administra
~ tor declares, will continue next yea
as it is the duty of the United State
to continue to feed the allies.
s. viii Be Shortage Next Year.
- Next year." he says, "our supple
'r will he short 25O,OOO to 100000 tor
- unless the allies go to Java for SUI
- plies. This amounts to an economy
=, about 10 per cent on our part. IL IL
- allies are forced to go to Java. it wi
:. require an extra amount Of shippir
move 10000 or 100000 American so
diers to France.
"If statements that there will be 6
q abundance of sugar next year are b.
iieved by the American public it W
do this country's war efforts incalc'
liable harm. The number of troops '
:" can send across is limited. II we.
>" our greed and gluttony. force the ALI
either to reduce their ration or to go
o. remote markets after sugar, We W
Us Ihave done tremendous damage to o
e. abilities to win the war;
T. Charges that the food administr
ty ton has permitted sugar stocks to r
Ia. main in parts of the country unmov
are denied. as are statements that su
ar was left in Cuba while an effort "
made to beat down Cuban prices: