Evening Star Newspaper, March 11, 1923, Page 41

EDITORIAL SECTION The Sunflny Star, WASHINGTON, D. O, SUNDAY MORNIN MARCH 11, 1923. EDITORIAL PAGE NATIONAL PROBLEMS SPECIAL ARTICLES Part 2—16 Pages “DRIVE ON IN CONGRESS FOR SOCIAL LEGISLATION , Child, Labor, Marriage and Divorce Amendments to the Constitution Are to Be Pressed. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. that affect the children—and the children yet unborn—of this country will be given attention at the coming sesslon of Congress. These measures include the proposed conmstitutional amendment giving Con- aress the power to regulate child la- bor; the proposed constitutional amendment giving Congress the right | 10 pass uniform marriage and divorce laws for the entire country and the proposed law to permit the dissemina- ¢lon of information relating to birth control. Tn the Congress which has just losed resolutions and bills covering these three subjects were introduced | in both Scnate and House, but, of | course, died when the Sixty-seventh | Congress passed into history a week ago. The proposed constitutional amendment for the regulation of child labor was reported favorably from the Senate judiciary committee | and was on the Senate calendar at the close of the session. The resolu- tions and bills on the other matters mentioned were introduced, but not reported to either house. Urged by President Harding. 1t has been conceded generally that the child labor resolution, propofing an amendment to the Constitution, will g0 through at the next session of “ongress and will be submitted to the states for ratification. President Harding has urged that action be taken in one of his messages to Con- gress. Tt is the only method by which ederal 1 an be enacted dealing w child labor, since the Supreme | Court has twice held child labor laws, der existing conditions, to be un- onstitutional. If the states ratify the proposed amendment, as it is expected they will, then it will be up to Con- &ress to put through the legislation. The fate of the proposal for a con- siitutional amendment giving Con- gress the power to enact marriage and divorce laws is more problemati- cal. and it is belicved that the pro- ponents of the legislation permitting ihe dissemination of information re- iating to birth control will have great iificulty in bringing about such ac- tion. Movement Gains Impetus. The movement in favor of federal, uniform laws relating to marriage and divorce has gained great impetus in the last few years. Statistics that are really startling relating to un- happy marriages, divorees, to diseased and unfortunate children of these narriages, have been gathered, and put forward by advocates of the legislation. The General Federation of Women's Club is strongly behind the movement, and, in fact, the bill \ for uniform marriage and divorce laws introduced In the Senate by Senator Capper of Kansas, and in the House by Representative Fairfield of ndianna. The American Bar Asso- clation also has gone on record in favor of uniform divorce laws. But Senator Capper and other sup- porters of the uniform marriage and divorce laws realize that they will have to contend with serious opposi- tion from a number of quarters. There will be those who hold that marriage divorce law" much of the romance of marriage will be thrown into the discard. On the other hand, there will be fewer cases of “marry in haste and repent at lelsure.” Under the proposed federal law, it will require persons desiring to be married to apply for a license two weeks prior to the issuance of the license. Furthermore, both parties must present affidavits to the effect they are not afflicted with communi- cable diseases and are of mnormal mentality. The application for a mar- riage license must be posted in the office of the clerk in his public record. So much for the marriage end of the problem. Where divorces are sought, under the proposed law, it is necessary for application to be made sixty days prior to the trial of the case. And after the granting of a divorce. a vear must elapse before a final decree is entered, and during that year neither party to the di- vorce may marry again. In case of reconciliation, the two may take up their married life together upon the dismissal of the suit during the year. In other words, there is to be a year of “trial divorce.” Enforcement With State Courts. The enforcement of the proposed federal marriage and divorce law is to bo left to the state courts, and no effort, it is said, is to be made to set up @ new federal bureau dealing with the subjects. The number of causes for which di- vorce may be obtained, it is proposed, shall be limited to six, as follows: Adultry, physical or mental cruelty, abandonment, failure to provide for; one year or more, incurable insanity or the commission of a felony. So diverse are the laws relating to di- vorce in the various states today that in one of the states divorce is not obtainable on any ground and in an- other a divorce may be had on evi- dence of bad temper. Marriage is forbidden, under the proposed law, to the feeble-minded, to those affiicted with epilepsy, insanity or communicable diseases and to those within the first degree of blood | relationship. With the consent of their parents boys may marry at the age of eighteen, and girls may marry at the age of sixteen. Without the consent of their parents, girls may marry at eighteen and boys at twen- ty-one. Thousands of boys and girls far below these ages are married to- day in the United States; for example, there are thirteen thousand girls fif- teen years old now legally married; sixteen hundred boys fifteen years old are legaily married and three thou- sand boys sixteen years old. | Child Labor and Non-support. In this connection it may be men- tioned that if the Congress is going to put through a law to prohibit child labor, it certainly seems neces- sary that a law ehould be put through preventing the marriage of children, since fn most cases a child husband would be expected to sup- port his wife. Senator Capper re- cently has called attention to the case of a fifteen-year-old husband who was haled into court in Detroit be- and divorce are matters that the in- dividual states of the Union should control; that the right of the states =0 to control ehould not be infringed. There are still others who will con- tend that divorce should be made easler than at present; that it should be easler to obtain a divorce in every part of the country than under the bill introduced by Senator Capper, which, by the way, was drafted by representatives of the General Fed- eration of Women's Clubs. ‘The women who prepared the bill made a careful study of conditions in this country, covering more than a year, ¢ and obtained competent legal advice n framing the measure. Tt is needless 10 say that those—and there are some who believe in abolishing the mar- riage ceremony and that the only eded ground for divorce is that two persons no longer care to live to- gether, will be opposed to the proposal Scrapping of Romance. 1t may be sald, also, that under the proposed uniform marriage and cause of refusing to support his wite. The bill proposing to repeal the ex- fsting law which prohibits the dis- semination of information relating to birth control was Introduced in the last Congress by Senator Cum- mins of Towa, and in the House by Representative Kissel of New York. It wasintroduced at the request of the Voluntary Parenthood League, with headquarters in New York city. It proposes to repeal certain sections of existing law, particularly the law enacted fifty vears ago known as the| Comstock act. The proponents of the Cummins-Kissel bill insist that Congress at the time it put through tho Comstock act did not realize that it was legislating against the proper | Washington Refuses to Yield Spotlight, Though Congress and President Are Gone l l BY N. 0. MESSENGER. T has seldom been known to fail that when news and incident at the National Capital seemed on the point of getting bogged down, something would break to arouse threatened flagging interest. Wash- ington has for so long been a center of world attention that it seems it cannot throw off the habit. Here comes now an irritating diplomatic situation between the United States and Great Britain over the cancella- tion by Britain of the exequaturs of this country’s counsel and vice counsel at New- castle-on-Tyne, England, and the declination of the American Department of State to send other officials to that post until the British government has made amends to the repre- sentatives of the United States. A virtual impasse between the two gov- ernments seems to have been brought about, each “standing pat” on its contentions in the premises. It appears to be a case of the irresistible meeting with the immovable. * ¥ ok ok What is it all about?> If you have not followed the case in detail nor had time to analyze the pronunciamentos issued from the British embassy and the State Depart- ment, a brief review of the circumstances may be of interest. Some time last summer the British government notified the State Department that Consul Fred C. Slater and Vice Consul Russell M. Brooks were no longer personae gratae. They were charged with having made difficulties over the issue of vises to the United States to passengers not traveling by American lines. The American government was notified of the dissatisfaction of the British govern- ment with the officials. Instead of canceling the cxequaturs at once, as it had periect right to do, the British held up the action for a month, to give this government time to take action. The State Department set on foot an investigation to determine the facts in the case and came to the conclusion that the consul and vice consul were not guilty of the alleged misconduct. The British gov- ernment then at the expiration of the thirty days canceled the exequaturs. The confi- dence of the State Department in the inno- cence of its two representatives was shown by their retention in the service and transfer to active duty elsewhere, One is in Ger- many, the other in Spain. A sidelight was thrown on the contro- ‘Within the past ten days; however, eral factories have had to slow down to half time because of in- ability on the part of rallroads serv- ing them to bring in needed supplies. Leading automobile manufacturers fear that the situation will become worse, and that the factories will have to turn away valuable business —and profits—because they can't get raw materials fast enough to suit their customers. The chances are re- garded as excellent for the greatest Note.—In_publishin, cle by the brilllant editor of the Emporia Gazette The Star does versy by a speech made in the Britjsh par- liament, March 8, by the labor member of parliament from the Newcastle district, who declared that he had personal knowledge that the charges against the two American consular officers had been “trumped up” on behalf, of a certain British steamship line. As the case siands, this government holds that it is Great Britain’s “next move.” * kK ok Senator Hiram Johnson of California has started the ball rolling in the expected con- troversy throughout the summer and fall over the administration’s suggestion that the United States participate in the international court of justice established by the league of nations. A fine old row between the propo- nents and opponents of this plan seems looming ahead, and the people’s interest will be aroused and maintained by frequent cis- cussions. i Senator Johnson declares that entering the world court is the first step to entering the league of nations. The administration stoutly resists the suggestion. Politicians are interested in the controversy, foreseeing the possibility of it being an issue in the pres: dential campaign. President Harding and Senator Johasou worked together against the league of na- tions in the campaign which resulted in clecting the republican ticket by a plurality oi seven million. The politicians are asking now whether the two leaders are to find themselves on opposite sides of a fence to Dbe built up separating republican factions on another league of nations issue? * I'he republican national committee is tak- g sides in the discussion which was started by the submission of the suggestion to the Senate by the administration, which is re- garded as indicative of zhcflubject entering into the~campaign. The committe insists that President Harding has not changed his attitude of opposition to the league of na- tions and that the suggestion of participa- tion in the world court is not an effort to come into the league through the back door, as alleged. Senator Johnson, speaking in New York last Thursday night, charged that “entering the court which some may believe to be of little consequence is, nevertheless, the first ialse step. There is no allusion about what “AS 1 SEE IT.” By William Allen White. this arti- nation has backers, the farmers' alliance, it means among advocates of the league. They understand full well, and their press boasts of the fact that it is the entering wedge, the first step which is ultimately to lead to full membership in the league. It has been a long and difficult fight to keep us from membership in the league of nations. Perhaps it must be fought again. If so, let’s fight it in the open, with full understanding and knowledge on the part of our people.” X % k ok The republican national committee, in a recent output from its publicity bureau, con- tended that “Neither President Harding nor his advisers have changed their opinion as to joining the league of nations.” The state- ment cites, in support of that assertion, the recent special message of the President, and says: “No amount of violence to the Eng- lish language can make anything else out of this statement than the plain, simple fact that the President and the administration recognize the sentiment in this country to be against the league of nations, and that the administration intends to continue, as it always has, to represent that sentiment.” * % %k % The national committee then points out the reservations to adhesion to the protocol recommended by Secretary Hughes, especial- Iy the first, which is as follows: “That such adhesion shall not be taken to involve any legal reclation on the part of the United States to the league of nations or the as- sumption of any obligation by the United States under the covenant of the league of nations constituting part of the treaty of Versailles.” The national committee’s state- ment also quotes from speeches made by President Harding, and declares that the record throughout amply shows the Presi dent not to have changed his mind on the subject American aloofness irom the league oi s * k% Many politicians foresee the probability of the league of nations contest, which was thought settled at the polls in 1920, bobbing up again as an issue in 1924. It is a commentary upon the outiook that one of the most ardent advocates of non- participation in Europe affairs in 1920, Sena- tor Borah, is now taking the position that the republican party must assume the lead in policy of aiding Europe in its difficulties. in his hands. And he would have to |get substantial results to pay him. | To draw La Follette in the cabal it |would have to be practical. No democratic promise of support for | legislation will fool La Follette. He is an old stager. He knows that it is | committees that count, and he knows |that mere, chairmanships are sound- tng bra La Follette would never | bred every political uprising that the | tic up with any crowd that could not witness®d—the 8Teen- | force the control of certain big com- the would have to take his political erl caravan movement out of Detroit this year ever witnessed. Delays in de- livery of automobiles may approach the situation which occurred in the spring of 1920, Iron and steel plants, according to merce, are wor = close to capas The demand somewhat wi coal T is slackening the approach of the made for the ensuing twelve months, Indications are, however, that the coal industry will increase its activitles after April 1 measurably, as compared with the average of previous years. ‘The railroads themselves report an increase in the number of cars short by more than 4,000 during the last week of which there is a complete record. At the present time the shortage stands at about 76.000 cars, with surplus cars, in sections where they are not needed at the moment, offsetting this figure to the extent of about 20,000 cars, From now on, however, railroad ex- ecutives believe that the shortage will increase. The carriers are doing all possible to mect demands, but dissemination of information regard- ing birth control. Furthermore, they insist that to keep this information from the people will result in tho bringing into the world of children whose parents cannot in many cases support or glve them proper care and attention which children should have. ‘Car Shortage Likely to Put A Damper on Building BY HARDEN COLFAX, The specter of a coming car short- 2ge of large dimensions Is casting its shadow over the building construc- tion boom, the automoblle boém, the coal industry, the lumber industry and tho country’s iron and steel plants, according to advices received hero by government and private agencles from many sections of the United States. In the building trades, apprehension of a car shortage is one of the chiet themes under discussion these days at meetings of trade organizations. The building scason really opens early in April and contractors are ing cn the greatest difficulty in obtaining rolling stock to meet their demands. Last year the coal strike placed all the open-top equipment in the country at the disposal of the buflding trades; this year the coal industry will require at least 125,000 cars weekly, according to calculations based on geological survey flgures. ' As a loaded car requiresan average of seventeen days to make a round trip, the coal demand will tle up nearly » 800,000 open-top cars, most of which Boom were utilized last year in hauling building materials. Bullding construction, with orders Diled up far in excess of those of last year, faces a car supply of about two- thirds of what it recelved a year ago. The resultant pinch {s regarded as likely to slow down actlvity poasibly to the point where last year's banner totals will stand as the record. With an ample supply of cars the bullding boom would surpass last spring's flg- ures handsomely. Reports show that more than $800,000,000 in new busi- ness was contemplated In January. This 18 more than twice the volume of actual bullding last April. Lumber manufacturers are reported as extremely nervous and apprehen- sive with respect to the car situation, Orders on their books are much in excess of output and prices are soar- g, In the automobils industry more cars were sold, according to statistics gathered by Automotive Industries, during the first twe months of 1923 than were sold in the first three months eof 1983, The factories have never experienced so busy a winter, neither their motive power nor their rolling stock\js adequate. Orders for new cars and locomotives continue, but they will not be completed in time to meet the present emergency. Embargoes in many cases are being put into effect by the roads as an expedient, but thesc are regarded as temporary makeshifts adopted only to got a breathing spell and in no wise calculated to meet the situation | squarely. | Loadings of commodities continue at & record rate for this season, the American Railway Association re- ports. Car loadings for the week ending February 24 increased more than 12,000 cars over the preceding weelk and exceed by 100,000 the num- ber of loadings during the corre- sponding week last year. The total for the week 18 given at 820,000 cars. Fix Steamship Lanes for Pacific Ocean The hydrographic office of the Thited States Navy has outlined the safest east and west bound routes for the transpacific ocean com- merce, The Increased transpacific shipping has so increased in recent years that steamship companies should make it obligatory upon masters of Ves- sels to follow definite routes, instead of going In any direction as is done at present, This suggestion fs made in order to avoid trafic accidents, It is noted in-Seclence Service that it 1s to mect this condition that the hydrographic office has made a care- ful study of distance, storms, pre- vailing winds, fogs and ocean our- rents, and recommends the lanes for both directions between Puget Sound and Yokohoma, Ban Franoisco and hHonollllu and Honolulu and Yoko- oma, ‘ reports to the Department of Com- | coal year, April 1, when contracts are not indorse the views he expresses. But Mr. White brings to the discussion of current events a fertile mind and_an entertaining style, and a discriminating public will place its own valuation upon the opinions he advances. necessarily HY,” asked Secretary of Agriculture Wallace of an old farmer friend in Towa, “did vou drive 130 miles down_to the state fair this year? Was the fair so much better than usual?” “Nope. It was not much good. But we all drove down—the whole neigh- answered the farmer, and “We wanted to see that big head-end railroad collislon they ad- vertised.”" “But they had it last year and the year befpre and it didn't draw a crowd. _Why did the head-end col- lision bring out the biggest crowd the fair ever saw. Now, tell me why did all you folks go?” insisted the Secre- tary of Agriculture. “Well, you see, it's this way: We felt funny this year. Weo just natu- rally had to see something knock hell out of something else. It made us feel easier.” iy * x % % Which explains the politics of the reglon—Brookhart of Iowa, Ship- stead of Minnesota, Ladd and Frazler of North Dakota, Norbeck of South Dakota, Norris and Howell of Ne- braska. and Capper of Kansas—seven Missouri valley senators that &re leading the advance in the republi- can party. ‘The advance portends revolution—not nolsy, bloody and dis- orderly revolution. That is not the American way. But a nice, deoent, dangerous . revolution that will take a long forward trek toward economic Justice for those who have that hank- ering to see something smash some- thing. Mostly they come from that trough in the continent between the west bank of the Misslssippi and the Rocky mountains. In that trough is a civilization that grows much and makes little. Tt produces and sells raw material. It buys from afar and consumes finished products. The raw material is shipped out. The finished product is shipped in. Frelght corrodes everything the peo- ple tWeh. And the rate is what fs known as the Missouri valley rate— often & high rate, sometimes a wick- edly unjust rate. It is frequently un- fairly higher than the Mississippt rate and generally shuts In competi- tion to the west because of the Rocky mountain rate or the Pacific coast rate. As matters haye stood for fifty years, the Missour! valley dweller is doomed to the farm by rallroad dis- crimination. So the valley produces & hunger for combat, and that in turn produces revolutionary statesmen. For half a century the railroad populists, the progressive party, the | Wilson liberals, and now the new rev- olution led by these embattled farm- ers, who gave color to the last elec- tion in the west. Gradually it is breaking upon the consciousness of the political and business captains' and commanders that the last election | handed to these revolutionists the balance of power in both houses of | Congress. Party lines are slackening everywhere. But if party lines are nothing to them, those five repub- lican eenators and Senator Shipstead, elected as an avowed independent, the six men who form the battalion of death, can organize the Senate. EE And certalnly the battalion of death will try. Nine men are easily possi- ble as recruits for the death squad— | Shipstead of Minnesota, who has nothing to lose; Frazler and Ladd, republicans, of North Dakota, who are Non-Partisan Leaguers and who came to the Senate as republicans for con-| venience, not from party principle Norris and Howell of Nebraska, Cap- per of Kansas, Borah of Idaho, who always plays a one-man game; Brookhart of Jowa and La Follette of {Wisconsin. Three other republican senators may be casily considered onl what the revolutionists call praying and interceding terms—McCormick of Tilinots, whoso election approaches, and who has hot, rebellious bull moose blood in his veins; Couzens of Michigun, who s for railroad legisia- tion of an advanced and radical type, and there’s half a chance each on two other men. * One is Nichélson of Colo- rado, on the surface as stralght-laced a party man as ever walked the deck, | but once he was a populist. He was chatrman of ‘the Colorado populist state convention that nominated “Bloody Bridles” Waite and he was a. friend of Roosevelt. Moreover, Colo- rado has just elected a governor who was Indorsed by the State Federation of Labor and the Farmers' Non- partisan League, and who is a mem- ber of the Interchurch World Move- ment. 8o Colorado would support Senator Nicholson if he pinned on a tail and ran wild. And once a popu- list always a populist. The other half chance is Lenroot. He was in ancient times—before 1912—a La. Fol- lette man, and La Follette controls the state. The senatorial election is drawing near, and Lenroot, after all, has no taste for an early political death. * koK K So behold a dozen men—a baker's dozen {f we ocount the two half chances—who might take control of the Benate of the United Btates. The republicans have a majority of five in the Senate. Six stalwart men vot- ing with the democrats could organ- ize the United States Senate. Natu- rally, i they voted with the demo- ‘Immees out of the hands of the con- servatives and into the hands of the dependable liberals—commonly -called the Senate radicals. Being a Mississippi valley rebellion, probably the first committee that would fall to the lot of the rebels, if they joined with the democrats, would be the committee on transportation. so they would dominate the thought |of the Senate on railroad legislation. After that rebels would demand finance, so they could frame up a tax bill that would meet the views of their farmers who wanted to see the raflroad wreck. And third, the revo- lution would take the judiclary com- mittee, which would force out a number of radical amendments to the Constitution that are sleeping in the judiclary committee, * ok %k %k They don’t want much—these insur- gents! All they ask is the control of the rallroads, the taxes and the Constitution of the country, To get the control they need only six senators, and they have five— five just elected upon revolutionary platforms — La Follette, Shipstead, Brookhart, Frazier and Norris. One more and they are ready to go. Surely from Ladd, Capper, Borah, Howell, Couzens, McCormick, Nor- beck, Lenroot and Nicholson they can get one more senator! And when they get him the United States Sen- ato will be under the control in its important committees, not of the re- publicans, not of tho democrats, but of the liberals of the middle west. But what of Senator Hiram John- son? Surely in any progressive movement he must be considered. A strange thing has happened. Hiram Johnson has become identified, not with the economic liberals of the mid- dle west, but with the isolationists, who are more conservative than lib- eral. Senator Johnson in any re- organization of the Senate would stress the committee on foreign rela- tions. Brookhart, Shipstead, Norris, La Follette, Lade and’ Frazier con- sider foreign affairs secondary to home affairs. They are interested in rallroad rates, heavy inheritance and income faxes and a lot of consti- tutional amendments more than they are interested iIn the league of na- tions, and they are so deeply inter- ested in home affairs that they will not let forelgn affairs divide their group. They are last-ditchers, for- lorn-hopers and mullocks! And if the democrats will have trafic,with thése six single-mind senators they will check up to the Senate for a record vote such“a lot of advanced legislation as_will make the con- servatives gasp. 1f the dembcrats caro to vote for it to tempt a presidential vote, well and good. 1If the democrats do not care to vote for it, the six senators of the sulcide clubs will go out into the question has been uppernfost in the [crats they would demand a good|states of other senators, chiefly of peolitics of the western Mississipp! valley. There has been born and ’ prics, For it would be a dangerous busines Every man of the six their beloved republican colleagues in (Continued on Third Page.) 'TO GET BOYS OFF FARM " BIG PROBLEM OF TODAY Increased Efficiency of Agric;llture Held to Have Resulted in Overproduc- tion of Foodstuffs. BY WILL P, KENNEDY. HAT plaint “How can we keep tho boy on the farm?’ or “How can we get the boys back on the farms?’ that we have been hearing for the last few years is all wrong, according to the inside views of officials in the Department of Agriculture, who have the best possible perspective of the farm situation. The big problem now is to get enough boys off the farm and get them started right in the citics. The real trouble that the farmers have become efficient that they are working emselves out of their jobs. Secretary Wallace supports this conclusion in his annual report, in which he says: “The greatly ac celerated movement of farmers, and especially farmers sons, from the farms to the citles and industrial centers {s one of the hopeful signs.” Facts n the Case. Here is the “showdown” on facts: | We are having an overproduction of food for this country, and that is responsible for economic conditions on the farm. About the only way that those who are trying to safeguard the future see to impreve the situation is to reduce the number of farmers. This country requires relatively the least number of people of any in the world to produce its food sup- plies. China requires about 75 per cent of its population in agriculture, while the United States requires less than 33 per cent. So, in China, it takes seven and one-half men to feed ten men, while in the United States three persons feed ten, with an abundance of overproduction. To Eliminate Poor Land. i Then the question ari “What acres must be eliminated?” for when we eliminate farmers we must elimi- nate acres, Answer—First, those that are far- thest from markets; second, the un- profitable small areas on farms, such as sandy hills. to happen to the farmer is that h will be forced to ship to market only jgraded and desirable or marketable i parts of his crops, for it will not pay {nim to ship the culls. We will be called upon to eliminate such things as dust and foreign seeds in his grains, so as to ship the usable portion at less cost and command bet- ter prices: If 10 per cent of the | wheat of North Dakota is dirt, the {farmer will have to take that out | before selling the wheat. llowing all this, production is go- |ing to move in closer to markets & |cause of the high rallroad rates, o 1(0&{ of transportation. And the com- i petition is going to be so keen that |nearness to market will be an im- ! portant factor. i Michigan as an Example. How do the specialists in the De- partment of Agriculture know all this? Take Michigan, by way of ex [ample. You'll find it has been pro- | corn, 20,500,000 bushels of wheat, 36.- 000,000 bushels of oats, 24,000,000 bushels of potatoes. The value of this crop is approximately $152,000,000. Now when that product was fed to Jve stock and placed on the market it brought less than it would have brought it sold oft the farm. In oth. er words, the more the farmer works to manufacture his product the lees he gets for it. If we want manufactured products from raw farm products—such us meats and dairy products—the prices will have to be raised sufficiently to pay the farmer for his cereals and allow something for his labor and risk involved, which isn't done now. In other words, all this brings out the fact that the great need of the farmer is not credit, as Congress de- cided. They may think it is, but it Latin Republics With the departure on Monday for santiago, Chile, of the members of the American delegation to the fifth international conference of American states, Col. William Eric Fowler, banker, foreign trade authority and archeologist and one of the dele- gates appointed by President Harding to represent the United States, will, it was understodyl, seek to establish as a part of the conference a pan-Ameri- can archeological soclety, to embrace all the archeologjcal societies of North and South America. The move is sald to be purely edu- cational and sclentifio in scope amd is intended to knit together the scien- tists 6f all the Americas and through their systematic and concerted co- operation secure the preservation and safety of all the archeological re- mains known to exist In the western hemisphere. Some of the most valu- able of these relics of prehistoric races are in a state of neglect in the jungles of Central America, and the hecessity for some plan by which they may be saved for further sclentific re- search has long been realized by archeologists in America. The ruins cxtend for a thousand miles along the Pacific coast, beginning in the southwestern United States, and as they "are found in at least half a dozen South and Central American countriéh, international action of some kind is imperative if they are to be saved from natural decay or the ravages of unsclentific relic hunt- ers and of natives who are carrying The next great thing that is going} {ducing about 45,000,000 bushels of! isn't. The rcal relief will come through having fewer farmers proe ducing what the people eat. Tha farmer has become altogether too ef- ficient, Speeded Up for ‘War. Now this super-cflicient farmer we liave, who is working himself out of Job, got speeded up during the war {and can't stop. We took from him | during the war practically all his | sons and many of his daughters, em- ploying the latter in offi and mue nitions factories. And yet without the youths on the farm the output was increased 20 per cent. This was partially due to increasing use of | tractors and other farm machinery | and labor-saving devices. But. most of all, s through distribution of crops go that the farmer could work |longer hours and work the year i‘aroumL | Another thing that the farmer has | done—ne's added many side lines, such | as poultry and fruit growing. In theee {he has become efficient that it { looks like he's going to flood the mar- | ket with poultry products. { So the question is large finding out who will quit. The same figures as quoted above on Michigan can be applied to prac- tically all of the states. You could take a state like Michigan and build a stone wall around it and the price of all food products would go down and the number of farmers would have to be decreased. The only items on which production would have to be increased are meat and wheat, which Michigan could do easily if there were a market demand s0 ¢ that of Fixed Charges Doubled. No. we have been hearing the fa er crying for more efficient market- ing and more credit and a decrease in taxes—and sum this all up and he's just acknowledging there are not enough consumers to take the food he's producing. All the time we mus eep in mind that the farmer is part of the public body and the cost of doing business lis increased in proportion to what he !has to par for doing business in town. His fixed charges are now dou- bled, having increased in ten years as much as they have in the cities. In | aaaition the mortgage on his farm has doubled in ten years. The number of mortgaged farms i this country in 1810 was 36 per cent, with 65 per cent mortgage free. In 1320 45 per cent were mortgaged and 52 per cent mortgage free. To com- plete the picture let us take Michigan | again for an ilustration. In Michi- gan in 1910 the average debt per farm i $£1,107, and in 1920 the average debt per farm was $2.147, or approxi- mately double. The New Farm Problem. | The 1 is going out on effic | production and a survival of the fit- | test. Will the same day come to the !m.’mufac!urcr'.’ | . Assistant Secretary Pugsley says: | “A great many in the Department of Agriculture fecl that we are on the eve of @ new consideration of agricul | ture. Heretofore the problem was to get every one on the farm and pro- duce all we could. Now the prol to make the farm produce efficient- 1y and economically and to keep on the arm only enough to produce what the world needs and to release the others so that thev can do those other things that the world finds should be done. “The interest of the business man heretofore,” Assistant Pugsley says, “has been in getting the farmer to increase his production, but now his interest must be in the prosperity of | the farmer, for if the farmer doesn't have anything after paying his costs {he will not have anything to spend { for what the business man has to sell. { The farm boy isn't going to stay on | the farm unless he has equal oppor- ! tunity with the boy elsewhere.” to Be Asked lem To Help Preserve Ancient Ruins oft the carved stones to build their huts. Robert Lansing, former Secretary of State, and president of the Archeol- {ogical League of America, is =aid to |have advised Col. Fowler that such a move would meet with the approval of all archeologists. All of the scientists with whom the matter was discussed were enthusiastic over the plan proposed by Col. Wowler, and are said to have pledged their full support of the project. Col. Fowler will endeavor to have the Santiago conference take up and consider a tentative plan through which it is hoped to effect a pere manent organization, According to the plan a body of scientists authore ized by the fifth international con- ference of the American states, would {meet at least once a year, in Wash- ington and in different countries in the Pan-American Union, to supervise general control of research work, etc., in the several countries and to coe ordinate the activities of all Intere { ested scientific bodies in all the Amer~ {ican countries. Also it was sald that !possibly the Pan-American Union | would be urged to call a semi-annual conference devoted to the same pur- pose, and which, it was expected, would recognize as official any body which might be uppointed at Santie ago. Scientists in Washington pronounce the idea proposed by Col. Fowler, sy most practicable, and all are h(pe ful of his complete succe=s in{ hi effort to bring the matter up fon'fave orable action by the confcrencey