El Nuevo mexicano., 1918-01-17
A. A. Jones Cheered
AS New Mexican De-
tends MIR. Hoover
(Christian Science Monitor)

Last Thursday was not altogether
a pleasant day for James A. Reed,
Democrat, United States Senator from
Missouri. What might be called tho
business part OF the day neither open
ed nor closed happily for that gentle
man. AS chairman OF the Senate com
mittee engaged in the investigation or
certain food and fuel shortages. he
practically assumed complete control
OF the inquiry and undertook the
"%grilling" Of Food Administrator, Mr..
Hoover.
Almost at the very beginning, Sena-
tor Jones, of New Mexico, risked re-
buff and rebuke by interrupting Chair
man Reeds line OF examination. The
New Mexico Senator produced, for I'm
stance, a stack of kilograms urging
upon the Food Administration, before
it was organized, the policy which Mr..
Hoover had later pursued. especially
with relation to sugar, adding that
this policy had since been overwhelm-
ingly approved by the nation.
Senator Reed, at this point, and
rather impatiently, asked Senator
Jones IL he thought that sort of testi-
mony necessary. Il do, or l would not
proceed along that line.'' replied the
gentleman from New Mexico, where
upon the $50 spectators in the com
mittee room applauded. ~Admonishing
them to preserve order, Chairman
Reed remarked. Such evidence would
not be permitted in a court ROOM
Possibly" said Senator Jones, 81
can frame my questions to conform
to a criminal court room, even in Mis-
souri," You have had no experience
in a Missouri criminal court room"
retorted Senator Reed, warmly. "And
! might say replied Senator Jones,
I'm glad | haven't" I
Then there was more applause. and
Senator Reed turned his attention to
Mr.. Hoover, questioning him on wheat.
to the end, the chairman said, that he
might bring out a point on sugar.
Senator Reeds evident purpose how
ever, was to show, il possible, that
the Food Administrator had acted il
To the latter's reply was unas-
sable. q take it." he remarked quiet
", that with the country at war the
people want results. 1t is not fair to
go into wheat conditions unless all
phases are discussed. and that would
take a week. One thing is certain, the
farmers are now getting more for their
wheat, and flour is selling for Less
For reasons apparently known only
to a Senator evidently out of sympathy
with nearly everything the nation is
doing, and trying to do, In order to
make the world unsafe for autocracy,
Chairman Reed was most insistent up
on proving that Herbert C. Hoover at
one time resided in London, England,
and, in reply to a direct question on
this point, the Food Administrator re-
piled, pleasantly: Il did have a home
in London at one time. You see, Sena-
tor, | have a family, and have to put
them up somewhere, sometimes" At
ter this, there was nothing further
for Chairman Reed to do but to let
Mr.. Hoover go his way, peacefully and
smilingly, which he did, the specta-
tors following him into the corridor
and giving him a hearty parting cheer.
Why. 1t may be asked, cannot Sena-
tor Reed awake as his colleague Sena-
tor Stone, seems to have awakened,
to the fact that willfulness, contrari-
ness, and perversity may be carried to
the point where the public finally re-
fuses to regard it seriously, or to re-
gard 1t at all, save, as in the present
phase.