Telegram Denying Association of Admiral Hilary Jones With William B. Shearer in Activities Against Naval Reduction.
I HAVE your telegram of September 7. You are entirely mistaken as to any connection between Admiral Hilary Jones and the gentleman you mention. They have never even had acquaintance and I have ample reason to know that there could not possibly be such a relationship as you suggest. I do hope that you will accept my assurance that there is a mistake. Admiral Jones deserves the highest appreciation for his public service.
HERBERT HOOVER
[Honorable J. V. McClintic, Altus, Oklahoma]
Note: Representative McClintic's telegram, dated September 7, 1929, follows:
The revelation with respect to the activities of William B. Shearer, who under cover, has represented three private shipbuilding corporations and is suing the same for more than $250,000.00 for balance due for services for spreading propaganda favorable to the largest shipbuilding program, is, in my opinion, one of the most important steps you have taken and I hope as a member of the House Naval Committee that you will cause a full and complete investigation of all activities in this connection. It will be remembered that William B. Shearer was in daily attendance at the Geneva Conference called for the purpose of agreeing upon a shipbuilding program between certain major nations and that his activities while [p.280] at Geneva received nearly as much publicity as others combined. His statement that he was in these shipbuilding companies' employment during this time shows conclusively what steps they will take to prevent agreements between nations and is one of the darkest pages ever written affecting peace and humanity of the world. On many occasions during the consideration of the last House shipbuilding bill he presented to me various arguments used at the Geneva Conference in support of a bill that would have cost the government more than one billion dollars and never at any time let it be known that he was the paid lobbyist of these three companies. Because of his cooperation with Admiral Hilary P. Jones and the announcement of certain officers in the Navy that the Geneva Conference, although it failed, was the most successful ever conducted, I made a speech last year on the floor of the House advising the public that no good result could or would come from any conference in which this Admiral was the chief adviser. I shall be very happy to cooperate with you in any way I can in this connection.
J. V. MCCLINTIC
[ The President ]
Herbert Hoover, Telegram Denying Association of Admiral Hilary Jones With William B. Shearer in Activities Against Naval Reduction. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/208047