GRAZING FEES GUARANTY PKICB ON WHEAT. 23 



Mr. Wilson. "We did not know anything about it either, until after 

 this idea developed that that would be a good way to help the Ar- 

 menians. 



Mr. Clement. I think it is very humane to feed them. 



We make the point that we used every diligence to find out what 

 was going to be the attitude of the Grain Corporation and the Food 

 Administration. We abosolutely left nothing undone. We dis- 

 charged our duty to ourselves as business men to find out what sort 

 of hazards we were taking. We could not learn. We could not 

 learn from those charged with the responsibility to advise us. We 

 have since talked to one of the zone agents, and he told us we must 

 have known they were going to fix the price of wheat, notwith- 

 standing Mr. Hoover said on July 10 they would not. 



Mr. TiNCHEE. Who was that ? I want to get that in the record. 



Mr. Clement. That was Mr. Piazzek. When we were in Wash- 

 ington at that time that was one of the very vital factors we dis- 

 cussed and one of the things we were fully agreed upon. And not- 

 withstanding that fact when we pressed them for a statement that 

 would have confirmed that objection, they gave us the opposite in- 

 formation. They did that because they knew they never would 

 have passed the bill through Congress if it had been the intention 

 of those vested with that power to fix the price of wheat. We know 

 that. You all know that was the reason. 



We ask that we be reimbursed, on the theory that the Government 

 of the United States in the exercise of its power placed a loss upon 

 us that was in a measure confiscatory. We ask that we be reim- 

 bursed because the American people profited to the extent of our 

 loss. We ask to be reimbursed because we know that the farmers 

 received the money that we paid them for the wheat and that they 

 did not suffer by reason of the fixing of the price on this wheat. We 

 ask that we be reimbursed because those who were charged with 

 the authority and the power to give us information failed to do so 

 in time to prevent us from making these, losses, and they were the 

 agents of the United States Government. 



Mr. McLaughlin of Michigan. You have quoted, have you, all 

 the statements that have come to you that were made by Mr. Hoover 

 previous to August 10, 1917? 



Mr. Clement. Yes, sir; and subsequently thereto. 



Mr. McLaughlin of Michigan. I think you have not read all the 

 statements that Mr. Hoover made or that were attributed to him. 



Mr. Clement. Oh, no ; I misunderstood you. There were a great 

 many statements put out that we did not think would be pertinent 

 here. We know there were numbers of statements by him. 



Mr. Dorset. We have a number of letters. 



Mr. Clement. We even have numbers of letters that we have not 

 presented here, showing they did take this very same view. 



Mr. McLaughlin of Michigan. Did you hear any statements that 

 were not of a reassuring character ? 



Mr. Clement. Only this 



Mr. McLaughlin of Michigan (interposing). I mean, emanating 

 from Mr. Hoover? 



Mr. Clement. Not from Mr. Hoover; no, sir. 



