Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-02-26
KNEW HE WAS SLATED As FOOD
ADMINISTRATOR BEFORE
APPOINTMENT.
SOUGHT PLACES FOR
FRIENDS ON BOARDS
Francis }. Heney Sets Out to Prove
That Packers PLOTTED to Cripple Ell.
cheney of Food Control Thru Hire.
linss Appointed to Places Of influence
Seized Documents Show Plot.


appointment of Herbert G. Hoover. as
food administrator, and that they used
their influence in Washington to OBJ
tain places for employees and friends"
on the food administration was charged
before Joseph E. Davis chairman of'the
federal trade commission in the gov
ing industry.
To prove these charges Francis J.
Heney, special counsel for the COM
mission, read a collection Of private
letters written to and from Louis F.
Swift, head of Swift & Co.. Arthur
Meeker, of Armour & Co., Thomas E.
Wilson. of Wilson & Co.. and other big
packers. The letters were seized in
Heney's raid on the correspondence
files Of the packers.
Mr.. Heney said that the letters
proved that the packers knew OF the
appointment of Hoover before the pub
lie had been appraised Of the event; that
they had inside information that
Joseph P. Cotton, New York attor-
ney. would be appointed head Of the
meat and live stock section Of the food
administration bereau even before off,
cial Washington was advised Of 1t, and
had confidential information on the at
titude Of the food administration before
it was announced to the public and act
ed accordingly.
Knew Four Days in Advance.
, The packers were informed. accord
ing to the letters, that Hoover was to
be appointed food administrator four
days before the announcement was
made public. The announcement was
made on May 19-the packers had the
in letter from Thomas
F. Logan, OF Washington, on May Is.
They also were advised of a private
night conference between President
Wilson and Hoover, during which
Hoover was offered the post, few
hours after the conference was held.
The letter written to Louis F. Swift
conveying the information that Hoover
would be appointed read in part:
Complete control of the distribution
of food supplies will be turned over to
Herbert C. Hoover in a few days. This
will be done directly by President Will
son, altho Secretary Houston. who has
been opposing the move. iS not yet
aware that the president has asked Mr..
Hoover to 20 ahead. Hoover was with
the president several hours last night
and the president approved all his
plans. Hoover was preparing to quit
Washington when the president told
him to 60 ahead on his own lines"
cined With Cotton.
When Mr.. Cotton was appointed to
nj 1.-Two or nN
section Of the food administration. the
packers had inside" information OF his
selection. Thomas e. Wilson. OF Will
son & Co., sent a confidential telegram
over Wilson & Co.'s private wire to ".
D. Shipworth, vice president Of the
company, on Oct 3. that Cotton would
he appointed. The. message was sent
from New York.
Il had luncheon with him today"
was a line in Wilson's telegram.
Mr.. Heney read a memorandum from
Louis F. Swift to n. A. Chaplin. dated
Oct. 7. 1917, directing that his yard
60 to the Chicago Club and
get Mr.. Cotton and take him to the d.
rectors' room at Swift g. Co. for pri-
waite conference. This was four days
before cotton's appointment was given
to the public.
Attorney Heney attempted to SHOW
duplicity on the part Of the packers. to
the governments food regulations.
Public statements by Louis F. Swift,
were read containing his approval Of
the governments plan to establish
maximum prices on food commodities
.and~then his private correspondence
was read to show him apparently op-
posed to the plan.
Mr.. Heney further charged that
while the packers were publicly OPP
posed to the practice Of re-selling food
stuffs. they themselves violated the