New Britain herald., 1929-11-08
CUBA SUGAR LOBBY
 HIGH POWER BODY
Turns Out Tariff Propaganda for
 Itself by the Ton

Washington, Nov. S-The frank est and most adequate account of the workings of a 1929 tariff lobby which has been heard by the Cara z way committee was given by H. C. Lakin, president of the $175, 5,000,0O0 Cuba company and directing head of the lobby organized by Ameri- can capitalists engaged in Cuban sugar production to fight an in- crease in the sugar tariff as de- nanded by the domestic beet and can interests.
 The producers of Cuban sugar, supplying half the annual sugar. consumption in this country, felt that it would be unsafe to depend upon the mere wisdom of congress to give them a fair break. Theirs was a lobby organized especially for the occason and to which Ill large sugar concerns contributed about $10,00O each. After 10 months in and out of Washington on this job, Lakins said he believed lobbying was necessary for busi- ness, but that he hoped he would never have to do any more.
 The Uses of Propaganda
 Details of Lakin's story, which probably have not been hitherto widely circulated, demonstrate the emphasis which the successful modern lobby places upon the dis tribution of propaganda and the or ganizing of public opinion. For this sugar lobby has already been partially successful and 1t probably will be completely successful in de- feating the sugar rate increase be- fore any tariff bill finally becomes law.
 The sugar men got together n December. They joined with Presi- dent Machado of Cuba in urging ILakin to take over the defensive operations. They put up the money. .Lakin accepted.
 First off they hired firm of New York lawyers, of which one mem- Der, Edwin P. Shattuck, was as signed to the sugar job. Shattuck prepared the brief to be presented to the house ways and means com Imittee and Lakin made a personal appearance before that committee to present the views of his group. He talked to Senator Shoot, the chairman of the senate finance 'committee, who represented the beet sugar producers, for an hour and half. They were unable to reach an agreement. Then Lakin discov- cred that Shattuck was good friend of Shoots and so he turned Shoot over to Shattuck, who often visited the senator. Also early in the game Lakin recruited for his lobby the services of former Am bassador to Cuba Enoch Crowder.
 The negotiations with Smoot didn't pan out, so Lakin embarked on course of extensive action. H. had two or three classmates in con- gress and he went to them for ad- vice, He realized the difficulty of his job, he said, for the chairman of the house sugar subcommittee was a beet sugar grower and the beet lobby had been operating for 25 or 30 years.
 
 largest and perhaps most effective publicity barrages which Washing ton has seen in recent years. He hired bright young newspaper woman named Mrs. Gladys Moon Jones to put the Cuban argument before the public. Mrs. Jones opened an office. hired a staff and sent out pro-Cuban press releases under the names of the American Chamber pf Commerce. in Cuba, the All States N Bureau and the Per hnanent Committee on American Relations with Cuba.
 These releases were sent to 743 Newspapers and to about 100 Wash hngton newspaper correspondents. An editorial exchange service, carrying clippings on the sugar fight, was sent out to country news papers everywhere. Desk ma terial' was sent to 1900 publica- lions so that editors might not lack for ingredients for editorials on such subjects as sugar, woman's in terest in the tariff and child labor in the beet fields.
 Congress Didn't Object
 The carefully prepared docu- ments which Lakin had prepared for individual members of congress were largely used in the publicity campaign. But various members themselves contributed. Mrs. Jones obtained and distributed interviews on the Cuban side with President Green of the American, Federation of Labor, Congresswoman Ruth Pratt, Congressman Hull, LaGuar- dia and Schafer and Senators Nye. BrooKhart, George and Walsh of Massachusetts.
 There was plenty of cooperation In congress for this lobby because 1t represented opposition to higher sugar prices. The other lobby had It's men in members financially in terested in beet or cane sugar or