1030 i GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



STATEMENT OF JOHN WATTS, PUBLISHER OF TUNG WORLD 



Mr. PoAGE. Mr. Watts, on page 14 of this brief there is the following: 



Mr. And Mrs. Watts visited Washington in October 1948 and conferred with 

 Frank Woolley, Deputy Administrator of the CCC, George L. Prichard, head of 

 the Fats and Oils Division of the Department of Agriculture. Asked the point- 

 blank question if the statement above referred to — 



that statement is that Commodity Credit Corporation decided "some 

 time ago" against a price-support program for the 1948 crop of tmig 

 nuts — 



asked the point-blank question if the statement above referred to was the official 

 attitude of the CCC, Mr. Woolley admitted that it was. Asked by Mr. Watts if 

 it was a recommendation of the CCC that the American tung farmers abandon 

 their orchards, Mr. Woolley refused to comment. He expressed himself as being 

 opposed to the entire support -price program, and declared that it was the spine- 

 lessness of our Congressmen in being unable to say "No" to the Nation's farmers 

 that had gotten this country into the price support program in the first place. 



You were present at this meeting and you are sure that that was 

 Mr. Woolley's statement? 



Mr. Watts. That is a correct statement. 



Mrs. Watts. I was there, too. 



Mr. Watts. Mr. Prichard was there, too. 



Mr. PoAGE. Did you make notes or did you take any record of 

 what happened at that time? 



Mr. Watts. I did, I took it down, ^Vlien I was in Mr. Prichard's 

 office, I told Mr. Prichard I was taking notes and went back later for 

 a notebook that I had left there. Mr. Prichard did not comment on 

 the spinclessness of Congress, but he told me when I first asked him 

 why he did not get a support price, and I argued with him a while, 

 "Well, the Department has always been opposed to support prices." 



Mr. PoAGE. As I understand, this is a transaction that took place 

 with Mr. Watts? 



Mrs. Watts. That is right. That was a later meeting. 



Mr. Poage. Between Mr. Watts and Mr. Woolley? 



Mr. Watts. We went in to see Mr. Woolley last October. We told 

 Mr. Woolley whatever he said would be for publication, because we 

 own and publish a magazine, a trade magazine of the tung industry. 

 My wife, who is associate editor of the magazine, took out a notebook 

 and a pencil and she said, "Wliatever you say will be quoted." 



I read Mr. Woolley a statement that had appeared in the Oil, Paint 

 and Drug Reporter. If you want the quotation in the magazine, I 

 would be glad to get it for you. I have it here in my brief case. 



Mr. Poage. I am not asking for that now. This seems to me to be a 

 situation that raises a question concerning which Mr. Woolley probably 

 should be invited to appear before the committee and present his 

 views. I am not here to argue the question one way or the other. 

 I simply want to find out if we have such an irreconcilable conflict 

 of views as to what happened — — 



Mr. Watts. I think it would be a very good idea to call Mr. Woolley. 



Mr. Poage. If we do have such a conflict, I think Mr. Woolley 

 should have an opportunity to appear before the committee. 



Mr. Watts. I think Mr. Woolley should be called before the com- 

 mittee because I do not believe in an official who is not in sympathy 

 w4th the program administering that program. 



