Show HOOVER FREED FREEDor or OF BLAME IN SUGAR R PORT Director Klein of Commerce Commerce Com Corn merce Department Bureau Bureau Bureau Bu Bu- Bu- Bu reau Says Statement Did Dic Not Predict Shortage W WASHINGTON ASHINGTON March 24 By A A AP P Replying I Replying to what he characterized charac charac- l s ns false Innuendos against Secretary Hoover in connection con con- with the sugar price controversy controversy controversy con con- Director Julius ullus Klein of ot the commerce departments department's bureau of foreign and domestic commerce declared in a 0 statement today th tint that t Hoover had no knowledge of the departments department's s announcement of sugar production and consumption until after It had had- been given to the public The director himself assumed run Lull responsibility for tor the announcement announcement announce announce- ment which he reiterated did not contain any prediction of ot a sugar shortage and the accuracy of which ho he declared no one had challenged Director Kleins Klein's statement was in reply to several issued by Basil Manly of ot the peoples people's legislative e service an organization under who whose e auspices the progressive bloc In congress recently was wag or organized organize or- or by Senator Lafollette and others TEXT OF STATEMENT The text of the statement follows fol tol- fol- fol lows The statements and Innuendos of ot Basil Manly publicity agent of ofa ofa ofa a political organization with re regard regard regard re- re gard to Mr Hoovers Hoover's relation to a a. world survey of ot sugar published by this department on February are absolutely false I wish to state as asI I have done previously t that t Mr Hoover never saw the statement in question un un- un un- un tit til after it was in the hands of ot the public nor hoc did he ev even n know it was In the course of or preparation ThIs bureau Issues several thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand letters statistical and trade statements weekly in response to the public demand and the sole responsibility for such documents is mine The physical possibility of ef f Mr Hoovers Hoover's auditing them is out of ot the question No one has c challenged the accuracy of ot this sugar survey and it was correct A press resume mistakenly Interpreted interpreted In- In that statement to mean a shortage in sugar which was vas frankly acknowledged b by the press organization In a n statement today and when this Incorrect press re resume resume resume re- re sume came to Mr lIr Hoovers Hoover's attention attention atten atten- tion he Immediately Instituted a departmental Investigation into the matter At his instruction I co cooperated cooperated cooperated co- co operated with the press In correct Ing this mistake and in emphasizing emphasizing emphasizing sizing th the fact tact that the survey showed a surplus not a shortage and did not in its text use any such term This misinterpretation did give speculators a a temporary advantage and nd a rise of 1 cent a pound In raw sugar took place before the correction correction correction cor cor- had been circulated The price went back a cent upon the correction The rise since has be been n due to speculative and other causes and to the persistent circulation of ot the misinterpretation by persons who know better and choose to use use I it for their own purposes The flat and repeated the de department department do- do and of ot Mr Hoover that I there was was a surplus could give no basis for the rise since th the correction tion tion for tor if It they had an effect it must have retard the rise In price The subject was disposed of by full and frank statement of ot the In Incident Incident incident In- In over a month before Mr Manly came upon the scene all aU of which he persistently Ignored and 1 misrepresents as that Is not good political bunk bunko I |