Evening star., 1946-06-20
Hoover Sees Truman
To Report on Survey
In South America
Former President BIumes
Telephone Mixup for
Dispute With Clayton

Former esident t Herbert
Hoover discussed his just-com-
pleted food mission to South
America with President Truman
today and the President was
represented later as being "very
happy over what Mr.. Hoover had
accomplished"
Press Secretary Charles G. Ross,
telling newsmen of the conference,
recalled that as a result of Mr.
Hoover's mission for the President S
emergency relief program more food
will be made available from South
America for the sufferers in other
lands than had been anticipated.
MI. Hoover told newsmen on his
return here yesterday that the Latin
countries had pledged more than
10000 tons of food to fight fam
inc overseas.
Twenty Nations Represented.
The conference with Mr.. Truman
came as representatives of 20 ma
tions prepared to meet here this
afternoon to plan joint action in
combating world famine for the
next 18 months. Without Russia
the delegates will bring the Inter-
national Emergency Food Council
into being and disband the Com
bined Food Board, a wartime agency
composed of the United States,
Canada and Great Britain.
sWhile Mr.. Hoover refused to dis
cuss his conversation with the Pres
ident, he told newsmen that he
wanted to straighten up seeming
conflict with Assistant Secretary of
State Will L. Clayton, which grew
| out of a long-distance conversation
when Mr.. Hoover was in Brazil.
Mr.. Clayton early this week had
said that he discussed pending OPA
legislation with the former Presi-
dent, but Mr.. Hoover told newspa-
permen yesterday that he had not
talked to Mr. Clayton or anybody
else on the price-control bill OF
which he was reported to be critical
Mr.. Hoover said today that SEEM
ingly both of them were right. As
the former President explained it
he was in conference with Ambas-
sador William D. Pawley in Rio
when a question arose about the eX-
change of Brazilian rubber fol-
Argentine wheat. It was necessary
to get the rubber released by the
American Rubber Board headed by
William L. Bait and Mr.. Pawley put
through a call to this country fol
Mr.. Hoover, which the latter
thought was going to Mr.. Bait.
/ Case of Misunderstanding.
! The connection was none too clear
J Mr.. Hoover explained, and he said
that he discussed the proposed COM
modify exchange and that at the
end of the conversation the person
on the other END OF the wire said
something about legislation. Mr.
Hoover said that he was not inter-
ested in that and that with some
inconsequential remark, he handed
the receiver back to Mr.. Pawley. He
said he was not aware that he had
been talking to Mr.. Clayton until
he saw the latter's assertion that
he had talked to MIR. Hoover.
| Declaring it was "a case of COM
plete misunderstanding" Mr.. Hoover
declared that Il have the greatest
esteem for Mr.. Clayton and I would
like to see it the dispute) cor
rected." Mr.. Hoover emphasized
that Il don't want to be put in the
position of mixing in legislative
talks in the United States" because
as he added, he did not think it
would help the work in which he is
engaged.
Il am not engaged in domestic
talks" Mr.. Hoover said, and added
that he didn't intend to be.
The former President said he did
not know what had been worked
out in the proposed exchange OF