Evening star., 1947-12-31
Anderson 10 Ask
End Of Publicity
On Traders Lists
'Heortoches' of Small
Investors Given as
Reason for Action
BY the Associoted Press

|
Secretary of Agriculture Ans
derson said today he will recom-
mend soon that the Government
cease publishing names of grain
and other commodity traders be-
cause of the "heartaches" and
injury it is causing small in
vestors.
Mr.. Anderson told this to reporters
at the White House after a call on
President Truman.
Mr. Anderson said he would
recommend an end to publishing
the names as soon "as everybody Is
satisfied we are not trying to shield
any one"
Speculation is not illegal, but
President Truman has spoken out
against gambling" in grain.
Case of Doctor Cited.
Mr. Anderson made it clear that
he had not discussed his proposed
recommendation with the President
this morning.
One hardship case cited by the
Secretary was that of small town
doctor who has written Mr.. Ander-
sen intimating plainly that he will
commit suicide because OF the dis
grace if his name is published.
The letter from the doctor, whose
name was withheld, closed with
these words:
Il am sorry I am not extroVert
enough to take this in stride but
life does not hold the promise for
me to try to live down this public
stigma after losing the money.
MY family will have my insur-
ance at least. and they can move
elsewhere. My wife says I act like
man condemned but she does not
know it is only a reprieve until the
day my name is published.
"You hold much potential hap
piness or heartache in your hands,
Mr.. Secretary May God guide and
have mercy on us both
Hundreds of Letters Received.
Mr.. Anderson said he had hum
dreds of letters from people all over
the country-small fry-who had
invested small savings in COM
modities with no intention of doing
wrong.
The accumulation of such invest
ments, he said, had caused rises
in prices and in making public his
list, it had to cover traders as they
| were found.
| Mr.. Anderson said he hopes that
. a list to be made public in few
rir al 1n kiey fro darc IN
all commodities" will be the last
) one. He said the list will contain
more than 1000 names.
/ Expressing hope that everybody Is
convinced that I'VE are not trying
to protect any one" the Secretary
said that Il don't care to go on
with this if the people are salts
fed"
Mr. Anderson. in telling about the
small town doctor, said the man
had told him he had lost money on
dealings in corn and cotton, and
urged that his name not be made
public The Secretary said he re-
piled that "the rain must fall on
the just as well as the unjust" and
that he had no alternative.
Deplores Paving" Over Names.
Secretary Anderson, referring to
the lists that have been published.
said "I hate to have these names
paved over" and recalled that in
the latest list the names of a Robert
T. Patterson appeared and people
were likely to jump at conclusions
and assume that this was former
Secretary of War Robert P. Pat
terson.
Il hope we have gone far enough
to show we are not trying to shield
any one," Mr.. Anderson said.
Congress, shortly before adjourn-
ing its special session, adopted a
resolution authorizing Mr.. Anderson
to make the names public.
There had been public charges
that Government insiders" were
profiting from grain trading.
Truman Backs Graham.
Mr.. Truman at news conferences
earlier today had said he does not
think Brig Gen. Wallace H.
Graham, his personal physician. did
anything wrong when Gen. Gra-
hams broker speculated in wheat
futures on his account.
Il Gen. Graham's name was on a
list made public Monday. Gen.
Graham said his broker bought
wheat for him without his knowl-
edge.
Reporters brought up that fact at
1See SPECULATION, Page A-5D
.