The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-24

name you like to call them are meet
ing TO protest against the govern
ment reducing the cents per bushel
wheat handling charge. Mr.. Hoover
is there"
Six Hundred Words to Explain.
Townley sent Hoover q 6OO-word
dispatch in reply, the gIst OF which,
! despite Mr.. Hoover's statement that
he was not at Chicago was that there
was nothing in his original state
ment requiring retraction. He quoted
from kilograms sent Hoover inviting
Messrs. Hoover and Garfield to at
tend the meeting, and Hoover's wire
in reply regretting that they could
not leave Washington.
TownIey then says that on learn
ing that Hoover's representative,
Julius Barnes, was to meet the Chi
cago grain dealers, he wired Barnes
asking IL our representative" could
not attend the Grain Exchange meet
ing in Chicago.
Mr.. Barnes wired in reply that,
since the meeting had been arranged
by the grain dealers themselves, he
felt a deIicacy in issuing any invita-
tions on his own responsibility.
However, he told TownIey that he
would be in Chicago Tuesday and
that he-would meet Townley's repre-
sentative there but outside the grain
dealers meeting.
Hoover There BY Proxy.
Discussing this situation Townley
says:
meeting / know OF in Chicago was
one held by my associates am
loath to believe that you mean by
your associates the men whom you
say / termed grain gamblers. But
Barnes says the meeting was held
by the grain exchanges. You say
| 1t was held by your associates.
Whom shall we believe? If by your
associates you mean Mr.. Barnes.
then you were represented at the
grain exchange meeting, and you
were not represented at our meeting
in st. Paul. Therefore. know of
nothing in my statement that re-
quires correction. II however.
shall indeed be glad to rectify and
repudiate such misstatements on the
part Of the press"
Has "Tried to Cooperate"
He adds that the Nonpartisan
league, las the representative of the
northwestern farmers" has tried
and intended in every way to coop
crate with you as food administra-
tor" but that I'VE have experienced
some dfficulty in making this under
stood"
This difficulty, Townley says, is
perhaps due" to false reports ema-
mating from a venal press" This
wicked press, he continues, has per-
haps been able to persuade you of a
lack of loyalty on the part of north
western farmers and the league"
But No Apology.
But nowhere in the 600-word tele-
gram did he make any apology for
saying that Hoover was in Chicago
last Tuesday at a meeting of the
grain gamblers despite Hoover's en-
phatic assertion to the contrary.
Whether Hoover proposes to take any
further steps in the matter, of
course. Is not yet known
Senses Rising Storm.
Conscious of the rising storm of
public denunciation following the Sc
ditious outburst at the auditorium
under Nonpartisan league auspices,
and desperately endeayorinR to turn
the public eye away from the speech
es made by Senator La Toilette.
Mayor Van Lear and himself, to the
resolutions of loyalty passed by the
gathering, Townley Saturday refused
to answer any questions with refer
ence to the speeches in question.
Refuses to Answer Press.
Six written questions on the sub
iect were addressed to him by local
paper with an invitation to reply in
writing, but he declined the invita-
ton. ..r.s. ..-...-.
His desire to attract public atten-
ton from the speeches to the resolu-
tons, however, led him to publish
the latter as a paid advertisement In
a morning paper, despite the fact
that complete synopsis OF them had
previously appeared.