Hoover vs. Sam'I U'myer

One of the really surprising features of the Teapot Dome investigation, thus far, has been the silence of Mr. Untermyer. But the New York lawyer has seemingly been laying for bigger game. No sooner had Secretary Hoover declared the need of organized purchasing in this country to offset foreign monopolies in trade than Mr. Untermyer went at him slam-bang on his attitude toward trade associations in this country, which has been with Mr. Untermyer a tender subject ever since the Lockwood Committee investigation in New York State.

Usually Mr. Hoover is calm and scientifically impersonal under fire. This time, however, his reply to Mr. Untermyer was quick on the trigger and vividly critical in tone. The Secretary, in fact, accused his assailer as "either engaged in slander or loss of memory" and branded his remarks as "reckless statements." The Californian followed up this slashing introduction by pointing out that the Department of Commerce has no authority to prosecute illegal combines; that he had made frequent recommendations for action against illegitimate trade associations, that he has never supported "open price associations," that the Webb-Pomerene Act was passed by Congress to avoid restraint of trade in this country, that Federal licenses are worthless in halting operations of foreign monopolies selling in the U. S.

Mr. Hoover is not simply a long suffering engineer and scientist. He has unexpected abilities as a controversialist.