Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-02-01
Head of Packing Company
Closely Questioned Regard
ing Identity Of Man Who
Knew White House Secrets,
INSIDE INFORMATION
ACCURATELY DISCLOSED
Purpose Of President to APP
point Food Administrator
Told Days in Advance of
ANY Publicity,

I washington, Jan. 3l.--N hiIe UNI
successful efforts were being made
| before the senate agriculture CONF
mittee today to develop the identity
/ of person who sent Swift and Com
pany advance information regarding
! government activities affecting the
meat packing industry, the house a.
| terstate commerce commission was
| informed by the federal trade COM
mission that it would furnish the
names of witnesses upon whose testi-
mony it had made charges of collu-
sion among the five big packing
! firms.
! Louis r. Swift, president of Swift
and Company and Henry Veeder
/ counsel for the company were ques-
! toned before the senate committee
| about the writer referred to during
! the hearing as Diamond r." one
(; letter from Thomas +. Logan of
| Washington, and another letter and
several memoranda unsigned, but
! purporting to be from Diamond t.,
relating to plans of the federal trade
commission and the food administra-
! tion had been read by Francis J.
Heney, who was conducting the cross
examination of the witness for the
| committee. Both Mr.. Swift and Mr..
| Veeder said they could not recall
| having previously seen the Diamond
r" correspondence. This designation
of the correspondence was given by
reason of the fact that the one letter
had n ''r'' inside q diamond at the
| top of the page. This letter was
1..ts ,t,t w.t., T,,,,p nd
told of plans for investigation of food
prices. 1t was marked Private" and
bore the stamp, Louis f. Swift,
with a date two days later AT the
| top was the notation information
received by Mr.. Veeder this morning
! from Diamond TT >" Initials of six
! officials of Swift and Company at
the top indicated that copies had
| been sent to them, Mr.. Swift said
Not Destroyed As Asked.
The letter said
at a meeting of the commission
| today Mr.. Davies was placed in
charge of the meat packing end of
| the food investigation; Mr.. Colver i'm
charge of wheat and wheat products
aud the members allotted other
! phases of the inquiry.
This is under the resolution and
! appropriation recently passed by con-
gress.
"1'he work is to be done as plan
ned in conjunction with the Hoover
food administration. Mr.. Davies will
shortly wire for a conference in Chi
cago. He will outline the procedure
and ask for assistance. There will be
enough delay to give plenty of time
for readiness. 1t might be suggested
that you have in readiness everything
bearing on high prices and their
causes, even though it should not be
precisely what is desired. With your
knowledge you should be able to give
some good leads and suggestions for
further inquiry.
"Mr. McManus could be helpful at
this end if he could get back imme-
diately Exchange, of kilograms m
advisable. Please destroy this imme-
diately."
At the bottom of the letter written
in ink and enclosed in a rough square
was the name Hurley"
who wrote the name Hurley on
there?" asked Mr.. Heney.
1T looks little like my handwrit-
ing" Mr.. Swift responded.
when you got something of that
sort were you in the habit of con-
sulting Mr. Hurley" asked Senator
Kenyon of Iowa.
Might Have Written Anything.
"No, might have written Armour |
or Smith ON that letter just as well,
said the witness.
Isn't that the kind of information |
you paid Mr. Logan to get for you?' !
continued the Iowa senator.
Mr.. Swift denied this.
do you know of any letter in |
which Mr.. Logan advised you about |
what went on at the White House." |
asked Mr.. Heney.
MIR. Swift said he did not.
A letter from Logan to Needer was !
then read. In it the future activities |
of the food administration were de- |
tailed several days in advance of the |
announcement that a food admins |
traitor was to be appointed. Refer |
ence was made to the alleged antago- |
nism of Secretary Houston to the APP |
pointment OF Herbert c. Hoover and |
to the mad scramble for power |
among cabinet members.
When Mr.. Swift concluded, Mr.. |
Veeder was called to testify. He said |
he was unable to say who had writ |
ten the Diamond IT, letter.
at may have been anonymous"
he SdIu, OF IL HldN nave Soiils iipiI /,
our office in Washington, but | doubt |
very much If it was Tom Logan who |
wrote that letter"
Mr.. Heney contended that the let |
ter could not have been anonymous |
as reference to Diamond IT, was !
noted in other correspondence.
did the '1' mean Tumulty?" asked !
Senator Norris of Nebraska.
II don't know what it meant" re-
piled the witness. II don't think IL
meant Tumulty.'
Mr.. Veeder said he had met Secre-
tary Tumulty once as we'll as Joseph
Davies, a member of the trade com
mission.