Evening star., 1928-10-31
REED RAPS HOOVER
ON FARM CONTROL
Charges Candidate Sought to
DepreSs Prices of Products
During War.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, october 81 (P).-Senator
James A. Reed of Missouri spent an
hour last night flaying Herbert Hoover
for his activities in connection with the
control of farm product prices during
and after the World War.
The Senator's speech, the third he
has made in behalf of the candidacy of
Gov. Smith, was heralded by Democrats
as his most important utterance in the
campaign.
Perhaps the most insolent misrep-
resentation ever made in political con-
test is the claim in the Republican
campaign book that Mr.. Hoover sus-
tanned the prices of American farm
products both during and after the war,
and that he therefore has been the
friend and benefactor of American agri-
culture" declared the white-haired vet
eran.
'That statement has been repeated
to the press hundreds of times and bears
the sanction of a number of United
States Senators who know better, or
ought to know better"
The Senator said in previous speeches
he had demonstrated that Hoover came
to the United States at the outset Of
the war to regulate the price of farm
products and he would prove that
the Republican nominee persiStently
sought to depreSs farm product prices.
$40 Wheat In Prospect.
"On May l, 1918, Mr. Hoover in a
public address Said I agree with the
contention of some farmers that they
would be getting SIS and perhaps $40 a
bushel for their wheat if it had not been
for the restrictions imposed by the Gov
ernment,'" continued Senator Reed.
AS to claims of Republicans that
Hoover sustained farm prices after the
war, the speaker presented copies of
kilograms exchanged by Hoover and
George N. Peek to prove their falSity.
"At the termination of the. war;" he
continued, there was created the indus
trial board of the Department of Com
merce to cooperate with American in
duStry in bringing about a lower level
of prices of manufactured productS-not
farm products. Peek, who had served
during the war as a member of the War
Industries Board, was made chairman.
when the armistice was signed, the
whole world was clamoring for our
wheat and our farm products. Everybody
knew they would command high prices
i'll all European markets. Mr. Hoover
insisted on maintaining the high prices
H.
Peek was of a different opinion. He
wanted our farmers to enjoy the advan-
tages of the high prices they would
secure in Europe. Hoover was in Eu-
rope.
Pork Prices Jumped.
'Mr. Peek went to President Wilson
and induced him to order release Of
the control of pork prices. Hoover vio-
- &1@A oc
broken and Immediately hog prices ad-
vanced $3.50 a hundred. Thereupon
Peek sought to have -four taken from
under Hoover's control.
"As soon as Hoover learned of Peeks
attempt, he issued at Paris public
statement opposing any release of his
control. His exact words were: We
might see wheat at $3.50 a bushel, as
it was in the Spring of 1917, If there is
a free market in wheat and uncon-
trolled prices"
Senator Reed said Peek cabled for an
explanation and Hoover replied in
message which was never made public
although he requested his associates to
give it to the press. The speaker quoted
the telegram as follows:
Referring to the necessity OF main
tanning control of wheat, in order to
prevent higher prices before next har-
vest, earlN in March the war trade
board freed the expectation of pork
products The price rose rapidly. In
the month of March alone we shall kill
about 1000, 900 pounds of inspected and
country slaughtered hogs and the in
creased price will be fully 115 cents net.
""This action was taken against the
protest of my entire staff and myself.
If the control of wheat were removed
IA Tanyf fhTQn months
the face of the world situation, prices in
this commodity would advance mate
rally beyond the present level. 1 wish
to repeat that unless some superior
force intervenes we intend to hold the
price of wheat to the figure it was
during the entire war under congress
sional guarantee"