Evening star., 1948-09-02
Stassen Charges
Brannan Tries
To Raise Prices
Says Statement Sent
Foods Up When They
Should Have Dropped
BY the Associoted Press

old E. Stassen today accused
Secretary of Agriculture Charles
F. Brannan of a "deliberate at
tempt to stop the downward
trend of food prices"
Mr.. Stassen, former Minnesota
Governor, who was defeated for the
Republican presidential nomination
by Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, told a
news conference that the Agricul-
ture Department, with Mr. Bran
mans approval had issued state
ments intended to raise food prices
when they should be shaking down." "
The Minnesotan talked to report
ers after concluding a conference
with Gov. Dewey about a speech
opening the COP campaign which
Mr.. SUassen will make in Detroit
next Tuesday.
1t will be a reply to President lru-
mans Labor Day address in the
same city.
When a reporter asked Mr.. Stas-
sen whether Mr.. Brannan himself
had issued the food statement, Mr..
Stassen said he believed it had been
issued by the department but that
the secretary had supported 1t later
at a news conference.
Mr.. Stassen described the state
ment he attributed to Mr. Bran
nan as very nebulous," and pro-
vided no detailed information about
it when reporters pressed him for
specific details.
Believes Prices Can Be Lowered.
Mr.. Stassen said he was convinced
that food prices could be lowered
within the next two or three months
if these conditions were met:
|. IF the Government itself does
not abuse it's food purchasing power
in other words, if the Govern
ment does not pull another Pauley.
(This was a reference, Mr..
Stassen said, to Edwin w.
Pauley, former special assistant
to Secretary of the Army
hennSII y. rtOydll
Mr.. Pauley figured in Senate
investigation several months ago
after Mr.. Stassen had asserted
that Mr.. Pauley had proflted in
the grain market on the basis OF
inside" information.
Mr.. Pauley, in testimony to the
committee, acknowledged hav-
ing made nearly a million dollars
in the commodities market but
insisted he had no inside in
formation to guide his buying
and selling)
2. Careful consumer purchasing,
with emphasis on the cheaper and
more available foods.
3. Combat profteering in food.
We must be alert against creating
false Scarcities.
Doubts Inside Speculation.
He added, however, that Govern
ment food purchasing. if not ham
dled wisely, could have the same
effect of forcing up prices as was
the case with grain speculation.
Mr.. StaSSen was asked whether
JIlc lOSl dlll llC oul1lllCI az IllI Az %
. conference had been approved by
Gov. Dewey.
The Minnesotan replied that Gov.
Dewey had expressed approval of
checking up con Government food
purchases and asked that l express
to you what l expressed to him.
Mr.. Stassen said he believed there
no longer was any grain speculation
being carried on by Government Off
cials on an inside basis. He said the
congressional investigation had put
a sCop to that.
To Outline G. o. P. View.
At last nights news conference
Gov. Dewey, flanked by Mr.. Stassen,
said the Minnesotan in his Detroit
speech would outline the Repub
lican point of view on a number of
issues, and specifically answer the
President. at least in part"
How. reporter asked, could Gov
Dewey and Mr.. StasSen plan an
answer to Mr.. Truman without
knowing in advance what he would
say?
We know the general approach
of the Democratic Party" Gov.
Dewey replied. 1T has been pretty
we'll stated and is pretty thin soup"
The COP candidate added, in re-
sponse to another question, that the
StaSSen speech might deal to some
extent with the issue of high prices.
Discussion of Spy Probe Planned.
Gov. Dewey also indicated again
that the Republicans were planning
to hit back during the campaign
at Mr.. Truman'S criticism of the
congressional investigation of Com
muniSt spy activities.
Gov. Dewey said that the job of
cleaning Communists out of Wash
ington would start "as fast as a
Republican President can be elected. -
He made the statement after his
attention was called to a statement
by Republican National Chairman
Hugh Scott that Gov. Dewey be-
lieveS driving Communists out of