MR. HOOVER MALIGNED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20131, 17 December 1928, Page 14

MR. HOOVER MALIGNED.

BASELESS CHARGES. "EMPLOYMENT OF SLAVES." [KIIOM OUR OWN C'OHItESrCNDENT. ] NEW YORK. Nov. 14 During the latter stages of the Presidential campaign, two officials of the New York Federation of Labour, Messrs. Sullivan, the president, and John O'Brien, charged Mr. Hoove, with having employed slave labour in (he mines of Burma, North China and Russia. Mr. O'Brien, who formulated the charges by way of questions for Mr. Hoover to answer, also charged that the authorities in India, fearing his efforts might cause a revolution, directed Mr. Hoover and his brother to leave India.

Mr. Hoover did riot need to reply to the charges. This was dono by officials and others who wore associated with him and his work thirty years ago in the countries mentioned Tho American Federation of Labour, which is tho sanest workingmen's organisation in all countries, discredited the charges as of a "completely untruthful and malicious character."

Mr. E. P. Mathewsoii, Deau and Director of the College of Mines in tho University of Arizona, said he spent months in these mines ir his official capacity. Mr. Hoover had, he said, raised wages to a pitch not before known and had established housing, schools, sanitation, hospitals and othor civilised influences for a people that had hit herto not known I hem. Mr L. J. Mayreis, who was for six years employer' 'i. mines in Burma under Mr. Hoover, concurred in this statement after reading it

Mr Charles Uenby, lormei American Consul-Genoral in China, said there was no truth in tho charges. He rernarkod that Mr. O'Brien had, for campaign pur poses, distorted evidence Mr Hoover had given before f.ht* Senate Committee in 1920 in his capacity of vice-chairman of the President's Industrial Conference. The repoit of the committee, which Mr. Hoover was mainly responsible for preparing, was ''one of the landmarks of human progress."