The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-24
STUNNED
PENF|ELD
LOVE TALE
Continued from First Page)


participate in selecting, and which
could determine this viIaf question
without publicity or notortety."
Do ] need to remind you that
on October last I tried to secure
a personal interview with you at
your country home, and you refus-
cd to see me, or to grant me an
appointment the following day at
your office, sending. word, as you
did, that should write you a note?
Do need also to remind you
that I sent you personal notes on
October 81, November 8 and
November 10, to none Of which you
replied. and the last Of which was
returned to me unopened, thus
making 1t necessary that / take up
with you, In your official capacity,
the features Of this mater which
affect the United Fruit Company;
and although 1 have written you
repeatedly requesting an interview
with you, and also requesting an
opportunity to present my evidence
before the board Of directors, you
have ignored me.
Told Him to Be Frank.
You may probably remember that
after my election about four years
ago as a director of a prominent
financial institution you wrote me
4 personal letter congratulating me
nd pointing out my duties as such
irector. You then said that i
should not hesitate at directors
meetings to ask questions and re-
quire explanations of the acts and
conduct Of officers. and you
further stated that honest officers
# any corporation would court
,lvestigation.
Did you mean what you said
when you made that statement, or
,loes a different set of principles
apply to the United Fruit Company
than to other corporations? Or Is 1t
that through favOrtism you are try
ing to maintain i'm office, immune
from investigation, your sOn-fn-law,
Eugene w. Ong, who, 1 am inform
ed Is receiving an annual salary OF
$4,000.
If this be the situation, is 1t ad-
ministering the affairs of the COM
pany honestly, fearlessly and with
out favoritism, and is it worthy OF
your past record as president OF the
company? Will your ignoring all
my letters and your callous indif-
ference to my request as stock
holder for a hearing satisfy the
other stockholders of the company?
Promised Amends.
Were you sincere when you told
me in your office on December ~
last that had done the wise thing
and had shown excellent judgment
In, 70 CO.
was best that the Ong matter be
kept as quiet as possible. and that
il Mr.. Ong We're responsible he
would have to make amends? II so,
then why have you so ignored me
in every effort / have made. to dis
pose of this matter as quietly as
possible?
II you were not sincere in that
statement, then 1t is evident to me
that the only thing that can bring
about a just solution, which will
promote the best interests of the
United Fruit Company, Is pitiless
publicity.
Therefore, unless within a week
from today / receive a satisfactory
answer to this letter, and to my
prior letters of November II, No
vember % and December /, l shall
submit to each member Of the
board of directors copies Of my
correspondence with you, and shall
appeal to them for an official in
vestigatiOn of this entire Ong af-
fair.
Very truly yours,
WALTER S. PENFIELD.
Why He Resigned.
IT, auarxy Iixaotor ayoant Onu
Penfield one week later sent this
letter:
December 10, 1921.
am a stakeholder of the United
Fruit Company, and from January
/, 1912, to July %, 1920, 1 was the
regularly retained attorney here for
the company on questions of inter
national law and legal matters per-
tanning to Latin-American, receiv-
ing at the time of my resignation
on July %, 1920, an annual salary
of $4,000.
On account Of the acts and con-
duct of Eugene w. Ong as an officer
Of said company it became impos-
sible for me, with any self-respect,
or with the best interests of the
company at heart, longer to con-
tinue serving under him as head Of
the legal department, and I there
for resigned. because I did not
then have sufficient documentary
evidence and witnesses with which
to make a showing as to why said
Ong's resignation should be prompt
ly requested or he should be at once
dismissed from office.
Since then have secured
material evidence bearing on the
question, and I have tried I'm every
way possible to secure a hearing
and an investigation, as is shown by
my letters of November IT and %
and December l and s, sent by me
to Andrew w. Preston, president Of
the United Fruit Company, copies
of which are attached hereto, and
to none Of which I have received
reply.
Board Responsible.
The stockholders did not elect Mr..
Preston as president of the COM
pany, with an annual salary of
800 900; nor did they elect his SON.
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