The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-05-28
years in which to make payments

men. ne tcstlmOney Iuftnef SHOWS
that, as a matter of fact, the. War
Department had commanded 40 pei
cent of all the foodstuffs of the
United States. Within six months
after the signing of the armistice.
more than 100000 men had b cen
demobilized and returned to civil
life. and yet, as the testimony
shows, the Was Department had
still retained and refused to release
upon the markets for the use of the
people of this country. the enormous
quantity of foodstuffs, which it held
Mr.. Hare, director of the War De-
partment. testified before the
committee that it was not until
June, 1919. that the War Depart
ment declared a surplus of foodstuffs.
Mr.. Hare was asked to state the
policy of the War Department in
disposing of it's surplus foodstuffs,
and in his reply said: 1t was the
policy of the director of sales to die
pose of the War Department so as
to disturb the industrial condi-
tions' of this country as little as
little as possible
The testimony shows that as late
as June. 1919, the department was
still debating the question as to the
best method of disposing of its
foOdstuffs so as to disturb in
dustrial condition" as little as
possible. and it appears that in
dustrial condition." as used by that
department. meant the prices of
fOodstuffs in the markets of the
United States. 1t was decided that
to releasesuch an enormous quantity
OF foodstuffs upon the market would
disturb " sndustrial conditions in
the food market.
Congress had voted 500. 900, 900
which the President placed at the
disposal Of Mr.. Hoover for the pur-
chase on food to iced the hungry in
Europe. and the War Department |
concluded that in order to dispose
OF the supply of foodstuffs without
industrial conditions"
in this country. it was advisable to
cable Mr.. Hoover urging him to use
the hundred million dollar ap-
by Congress for the pur-
chase of foodstuffs held by the War
thereby preventing
such foodstuffs from being sold into
he markets of the country, with the
danger of disturbing
such markets. And this was done
IN the face of the fact that the War
at that time had
hundreds of millions of dollars
worth of canned meats and other
oodstuffs already in France, and1
or which the army had no further
use.
CAREFUL MIR. HOOVER.
In response to this request Mr.
Hoover purchased 22.869 pounds of
cured meats from the War Depart
nent. and transported them from
his country to Europe in order not
o disturb industrial conditions"
n this country. And that at a
ime when the people all over the
country were pleading for reduct-
on in the high cost of Lying.
The testimony shows that when
he armistice was signed the war de-
,artment had 200, 100000 cans of
such as peas, squash,
:orn, tomatoes. pumpkins, etc. 1t II
vas urged by the war department.
hat it was not practicable to put
hese vegestables upon the market,
because it was said the army cans
we're much larger than those to
which the public had been accus-
omed. and hence they would not
,e salable, the army cans weigh
ng from two to five pounds each.
Republican Congress passed
calling attention to this
supply Of vegetables and
lreing that they be placed updn the
market. and pursuant to these
only a small portion of
his food was finally offered for sale
o the public. So eager were the
'eople to buy it that they almost
ore the doors from the store houses.
The National Gamers Association
'ecame much disturbed lest this
normous quantity of vegetable
market. and the testimony shows