New-York tribune., 1919-07-09
Army Directed
To Sell Food to
Smash Market
Continued from page I

spoil for which it had no use and
which private firms were trying 20 buy
7. That Mr.. Hare tried for five
months to "pry the government loose
on the food policy.
s. That Mr.. Hare blocked exclusive
clauses in a contract whereby the gov
eminent was selling s20,000.000 worth
of airplane material for s2.700.000.
Q. That horses costing 5000 have
been sold for $50 and at "ruinous
prices" in the South.
TO- That the only reason the War
Department has given for failure to
declare a surplus in stock foods long
ago was the uncertainty about the size
Of the army.
Size of Army Excuse
The chief of staff. Mr.. Hare told the
I sub b-committee, determines when a sur
plus exists in army food stocks. He
said he had tried to have surplus de-
clared long ago, but that the size OF
the army was the excuse given by the
War Department for its delay No
meat surplus was declared, he said,
until about May l. although six months
had elapsed since the armistice. A
start at declaring a surplus was mad"
early in March, he said, but it did
not develop.
Speaking of food stocks on hand, Nj.
Hare said that originally there were
about 100000 pounds of bacon, but
that now there were 75.000,000 pounds
because of new SURPRISES being de-
clared. OF ham, he said, there were
$4,000 pounds, S50,O00,00O worth of
canned meats and sl00,000,000 worth
of canned vegetables on hand. Port
storage stocks held for overseas ship
ment might increase these totals.
The biggest sales in bacon, he said,
had occurred at Baltimore. About
100000 pounds were sold at about
20 per cent Of their original value. He
was offered 20 cents ana got % cents,
although the government paid 80 to 40
cents.
An interesting phase of the tcsti-
mony concerned the matter Of food
purchases made in this country by Her
bert Hoover's European relief commits
sion through Edgar Richard at New
York. Mr.. Hoover had $l00.o00,000 of
American money to spend for food in
Europe. Mr. Hare said that when he
found he had a surplus of meats he
tried to interest Mr.. Hoover in army
stocks, feeling that the foreign mar
kct would be good place to sell, but
got no results. Yet Mr. Hoover, it
was stated, and Mr. Hare agreed.
bought in this country 100000
pounds of meat owned By the Italian
government. This meat was of better
quality than Mr.. Hare had and higher
priced. Mr.. Hoover bought for Euro
poan relief food which was better than
that furnished the American doughboy
why asked Chairman Reavis,
should our Sl00,000,000 be used to
buy better quality of food for Euro
pean relief than was bought for our
soldiers?"
MIR. Hoover's representatives re-
fused 10 buy from US" Mr.. Hare re-
Piled. We could not interest his rep
rcsoniatives in this country
Hccded Pleas Of Gamers
Hare admitted that it was fair
inference that the War Department,
needing the pleas Of the canning in.
:crests, had kept around 500 00000L
worth of canned vegetables from be
ing put on the market.
Mr.. Rcavis asked - il was not true
that the War Department had been
the market during the canning sea-
son.
The Gamers held meeting with the
Wax Department, didn't they" he
asked, and there was an agreement be-
tween tho War Department and the
Gamers that the government would
hold tho canned goods off the mar
kct?"
Mr. Hare said that was his under
standing.
as IS not true" Mr. Reavis con-
tinued, "tha. correspondence between
T. u. Davis. Of the Quartcrmaster'
Corps, and Frank Gerber Of the Can
ners' Association. shows that peas,
corn and squash were added TO the
army ration to protect the Gamers
from competition rathan than because
the soldiers needed these foods?"
Yes" said Mr. Hare.
Washington Being Favored
Discussion Of the plan OF selling
meat 10 municipalities brought out tho
fact that Washington il being favored
bv the War Department. in that the
latter stands the freight to that city.
Then Washington is being given
preference p said Mr.. Rcaris. Don't
you think the poor people Of other
towns should be allowed 20 buy this
meat as chcaply as the poor people in
Washington
81 certainly do" said Mr.. Hare.
Regarding the influence brought TO
bear on the government not 70 throw
Is surplus stock on the market. Mr..
Hare said that all the people likely to
be affected by the sales urged the GOV
ernment to store it," "1he govern
ment," Mr.. Hare explained, does not
want to put any man out OF business
ii it can help it,"
Mr.. Reavis attacked this view.
when the packers sold this food to
the government they got their profit.
didn't they" he asked.
"Ics"