Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1920-05-13

istration, who wrote the following in
reply.
Taking Care of the Gamers.
"War Department,
Purchase, Storage and Traffic Dr.
vision, Officer of the Director of Pur-
chase and Storage,
washington, d. c., March II, 1919.
Mr.. Frank Gerber,
president National Gamers Asso-
citation,
Washington, d. c."
Dear Mr.. Gerber: Your letter of
March Is to Major General H. J.
Rogers has been delivered to me for
reply. l am glad to be able to relieve
your mind fthe subject of any sur
plus canned vegetables to be dumped
on the market.
"Acting along lines suggested by
you, canned peas, corn, squash and
string beans will be added to the ra-
ton list, which has always contained
tomatoes. This will entirely dispose
of our stock and eliminate surplus.
81 trust this letter will relieve your
mind and those of your associates in
the Gamers Association.
Yours very truly,
A. M. DAVIS"
Colonel, Quarrermaster Corps, Di-
rector of Storage.
Colonel Davis was called before
the committee Of Congress investi-
eating war expenditures, and was ask
ed to explain the meaning of such
letter. His testimony indicates that
it was the purpose fthe War De-
partment, in order to avoid the danger
of disturbing industrial conditions"
to dispose of this enormous quantity
of vegetables so as to prevent them
from coming upon the food market
in this country, and in connection the
following extract from his testimony
is interesting:
"Mr. Reavis-That is, you mean
that the American people would have
no opportunity of buying this sur
plus?
Colonel Davis-That is the point
exactly.
"Mr. Reavis-And that was done to
protect the Gamers?
Colonel Davis-Yes, sir.
"rhink of such evidence, showing
that officials in Washington We're
holding food and trying to sell it in
Europe in order to keep from reducing
prices of food in the United States.
And that at time when the people of
this country were led to believe that
the administration was doing every
thing within its power to reduce the
high cost of living.
During the summer and fall of
last year the supply of sugar in this
country was so short that sugar was
selling for 20 cents per pound and
the public was subject to rations even
at that price, and yet the testimony
taken by he committee shows that
during the same period the War De-
partment sold 100000 pounds of
sugar in France at 2 cents per pound
rather than hazard industrial condi
tions" by shipping it home and plac-
ing it upon the market.
"The testimony shows that when
the armistice was signed our govern
ment had in France foodstuffs, cloth
ing textiles, automobiles and other
supplies of an approximate value of
$1,000, 100000, and that the represen-
tatives of supplies to the French gov
eminent for $4OO,000,O00, or 20 per
cent of its real value, on longtime
payments, in order to avoid disturbing
industrial conditions" in this country.
"Food Spoiled to Keep up Profits.
"Not only has the administration in
power, and for which the Democratic
party is responsible kept millions of
dollars worth of foodstuffs off the Am
erican market in order to avoid dis
turbing industrial conditions" but it
has permitted large quantities fthis
foodstuffs to spoil, thereby depriving
the people Of its use. DO rot know
to what extent this was has gone, but
the evidence taken by the committee
on War Expenditures shows that g.
100000 pounds of ham were permitted
to spoil in the store houses atBalti-
more and 1,497, pounds of bacon were
destroyed in the same way at Nor
folk, Va.
eve have heard much concerning
the high cost Of living in this country,
We have read interesting accounts of
the administration, through the At
torney General and other Federal Of
ficials, to reduce the cost of living,
and the public has been led to believe
that they were really in earnest about
it, and yet, could any reasonable per-
son doubt, in the face of the testi-
mony above disclosed that if the en-
ormous quantity of foodstuffs, which
the testimony shows amounted to APP
proximately 40 per cent Of all the
fooJct,,{fr -, tho TIp.taI Cfatoc had