Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-18
Correspondence Says Presi-
dent Instructed Secretary
to Make Contact.
WRITER NOT CERTAIN
NEWTON EVER ACTED
Another Message Reveals Smoot
as Real Spokesman" for
Beet Sugar Interests

A letter saying President Hoover had
instructed Walter Newton, one of his
secretaries. to establish contact be.
tween members OF the House ways and
means committee and Cuban sugar peo-
pie was read today before the Senate
lobby committee.
The letter, written by H. c. Lakin
president of the Cuba company, to Ma
son B. Starring of New York. said sew
eral members of the committee had APP
pealed to the President, who had di-
rected Newton to establish a contact
between the committee and ourselves
Lakin, who was on the witness stand
said he did not believe anything had
been done about it.
You mean the President instructed
his secretary to do something and II
was not done?" Senator Walsh, Demo
crat, Montana, asked.
II am not sure what was asked" La
kin answered. Il don't believe anything
was done"
Lakin added that he did nothing as
result of the information and did not
remember whether Edwin P. Shattuck,
employed by Lakin to work for a low
sugar duty had done anything.
tanned the information, Lakin said, 1T
might have come" from Representative
Hull, Democrat, Tennessee, but he was
not sure. He said he was certain no
Republican member of the ways and
means committee had told him
Lakin previously had testified that
Shattuck had been employed partly
because of his friendship with PreSi-
dent Hoover and had had frequent con-
ferences with Newton.
The letter to Starring, who Is presi-
dent of the California & Pittsburgh
Utilities Corporation, was dated April
is. 1929.
The latter said that Lakin had beer
informed that an actual majority of the
committee now opposed any increase in
the sugar tariff.
Several members of the committee
have appealed to President Hoover" the
letter said. land he has instructed his
secretary, Mr.. Newton, to establish con
tact between the committee and our
selves.
1--WE are inclined" Eakfn continued
''to be little doubtful about this step,
but in the end would, of course. have
to do what President Hoover desires
especially as he seems to be genuinely
interested in our case. Heretofore our
work has been in the direction of leav-
ing final negotiations to Senator Smoot
who, after all, is the Spokesman for the
beet sugar interests.
Reed Influence Is Cited.
Among other things, we have been
informed that outside of Smoot SEN
ator Reed of Pennsylvania is the most
influential member of the financial
committee Of the Senate. / am very
anxious to establish an intimate con-
tact with him. 1 know that his sec
rotary has become an advocate of the
Cuban point OF view, and at Senator
Reeds request has been preparing a re-
port on the subject during Reeds alb
sence abroad"
The letter to Starring also said that
Il am especially interested in bringing
pressure to bear on Representative Es-
tep of Pittsburgh"
I'VE were informed by a member of
the ways and means committee yester-
day, while in Washington" it added,
that an actual majority of the COM
mittee now is opposed to any increase
in the sugar tariff, and that Bachrach,
Watson and Estep might be induced to
change their votes, which have thus far
been cast in favor Of an increase"
The Lakin letter to Starring said
I'VE feel much encouraged" and added
President Machado of Cuba had been
advised 1t would be better mot to inter-
vene, because Congress resents ap-
proach from foreign nations"
Lakin was questioned by Senator
Robinson, Republican, Indiana. about
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