Evening Star Newspaper, July 29, 1923, Page 29

’ EDITORIAL PAGE NATIONAL PROBLEMS" SPECIAL ARTICLES' S EDITORIAL SECTION e Sandy St Part 2—24 Pages WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 29, 1923. AGENCY TO BRING PEACE + TO WORLD KEENLY SOUGHT No More War Demostrations in 19 Coun- tries Today Bring to Light Chief Stumbling Block. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. NINETEEN natlons, great and small, demonstrations are being staged against future wars today —the ninth anniversary of the outbreak of the world war. A thou- sand citles in forty-four states of the United States are taking part in the demonstration—the National Capital is one of them. Every one—or nearly every one— it appears, desires peace. Few, if any, will admit they belleve war a 800d thing—certainly as it is earried on today. The great stumbling block, however, is the means to be adopted to assure international peace. The league of natlons created by the powers under the terms of the Ver- sallles treaty is the panacea advanced by some. An association of nations, advocated by President Harding be- fore his election, is the goal of others, The world court, the outlawing of war, total disarmament, a “league of free peoples” proposed by the farmer- labor party, an “international par- liament” put forward by the soclalist party, are some of the measures pro- \posed to preserve peace. Demonstrations Non-Partinan. The demonstrations today in this oountry—and abroad also—are non- partisan in that they are seeking to advance primarily the idea of world peace. The National Councll for Pre- vention of War has taken the initia- tive In staging the demonstrations in this country. Thirty-five national or- ganlzations, representing a member- ship of over 10,000,000 men and women, are affiliated in the council. The council has taken as its slogan for the demonstrations “Law—Not War." Political leaders are insistent that the coming national campaign in this country will be fought out purely on Momestic lines—that the league of nations and the world court are not to be issues, or. in any event, major issues. They may be wise, however, if they give heed to the demands of the peace advocates and do not over- look international relations in their platforms. The substitution of some method of peaceful settlement of in- ternational disputes for war has been the dream of many Americans since the founding of the republic—in fact, since the colonization of the North American continent. It may be well to remember also that Woodrow Wil- ®on was re-elected President of the United States in 1916 on the theory N that “he kept us out of war.” More powerful than any other plea ad- vanced by his adherents was this, The Natlonal Council for Preven- | tion of War and its member organi- rations have devised an efficiency plan for advocating world peace. They have organized a movement ex- tending from the individual to Con- gress and the administration. The lever they propose to use is public opinion. They are using the local peace dommittees, the the libraries, ministers, the press. the teachers, the children, labor organizations, farm organizations. women's organizations, commerclal, fraternal and church or- ganizations and state legislatures in their drive upon Congress and the ad- ministration Harding Has Support. There 1s no doubt but what Presi- dent Harding will have ‘fuch of this support when he undertakes at the next session of Congress to bring about the adherence of the United States to the world court. It is true that advocates of the world court be- Neve he weakened his position in his recent utterances proposing to re- vamp entirely the court as now con- stituted, so as to prevent a split In the republican ranks—or so it ap- peared. But the effort in the Senate for some kind of a world court is to be a great one, it is said. The out- standing feature of the Harding ad- ministration has been its success at the Washington conference on limita- tlon of armaments and problems of the Pacific. The final ratification of -y ! the naval limitation treaty and the four-power Pacific treaty by all the powers affected is a real accomplish- ment. This success, it is expected, will give added impetus to the Presi- dent's plan for adherence to the world court. Voters' Interest Arouned, The organizations affillated with the National Council to Prevent War are being urged to ald in the election to Congress only of those candidates who are in favor of having the United States take an active part in interna- tional co-operation to prevent war. The League of Woman Voters is a prime mover in this selection of can- didates. It is proposed to put all the candidates on record prior to the coming elections. The National Peace Council in Great Britain did much in the last parllamentary elections, it is sald, by drafting a questionnaire for candidates and educating the voters. Among the questions which the candidates were called upon to answer are found: “Will you favor the submission of international dis- putes to the Permanent Court of Jus- tice, and will you promote the imme- diate prohibition of private manufac- ture of armaments with a view to thelr progressive reduction?” There were seven other quections along similar lines. The efforts of the British peace council bore .results, too, for Ramsey MacDonald and many other strong advocates of the peace program were elected. The great difficulty faced by the peace movement in this country, as has been indicated, is the fact that all those favoring the movement sp far have not been able to get behind a single, concrete plan. It is, per- haps, due to the fact that the proper plan has yet to be evolved. It might pay the country If Congress, which is so prone to Investigations df all kinds and descriptions, would undertake through a special committee or, per- haps, the foreign relations commit- tees of ! the Senate and House, to evolve a nl-n that would meet gen- eral apJo But partisan politics would hive to be laid aside 1f any progress is to be made. It is idle to speculate now on what would have been the effect on world conditions hdd the United States thrown in its lot with the league of nations. But it is none the less a fact that partisan politics played a tremendous part in the fallure of the Versailles treaty in the Senate. And any other plan for international peace would fall under similar conditions. Poliey In Approved, The major political parties in this | country for more than half a century have gone on record in their plat- forms in favor of International peace and the settlement of disputes through arbitration and mediation. The league of nations and the world court, for all the fallure of the United States to join in them, had an American origin. Tt is popular today to declare how wige this country has been not to become entangled in forelgn affairs through the league. A The nations of Europe for the most part have been bankrupt, or well nigh bankrupt, through the world war. The United States is prosperous, though the peo- ple feel the burden of war taxation. It would be difficult to convince the directors of & prosperous railroad sysstem. that they should merge their property with that of a weak and impoverished system, and then it is just as dificult to' convince Amerl- cans today that they should merge, to the extent joining the league of na- tions would effect such a merger, with | the nations of Europe. It appears that the people of America. or some of them, are anxious to bring about world peace, but they are not willing to pay for it. It.is difficult to get something worth while for nothing, however. And in-any international peace plan that eventually is worked out—if ever—America must be will- ing to do her bit, or it will amount to nothing. Common Sense Held Best Aid In Seeking F. oreign Trade Truth and common sense are the very corner stones on which success- ful advertising campalgns must be built. This has recently been em- hasized in reports from all over the world which various government de- partments, particularly the Depart- ment of Commerce, have been receiv- ing. Government trade experts point out to American manufacturers and exporters that ‘larger opportunities for trade development in the markets of the world are before them {f they live up to the slogan, “Let the buyer believe.” The greatest enemy of truth is half truth in its various forms—exaggera- tion, understatement and misleading presentation of facts. Truth begets confidence. Half truth breeds suspiclon which (rnws into disbellef. Tn the priniltive iformia: ot Assding the callous principle prevafls: “Let the buyer beware” In enlightened commercial intercoyrse the guidfg principle is: “Let the buyer belleve.” Half Trath at Times Tolerated. Slowly but surely the first of these principles has been discarded by mer- chants of integrity and vision. In the enthusiasm of publicity promoters the “fanciful touch of half truth has at times been tolerated in advertising. But the good sense of those who are building advertising into a most po- tent selling force now rejects any de- parture whatever from fidelity to fact. “Truth in advertising” has come to stay. It is nowhere more vital than in publicity designed to sell goods abrom The message that is to live and hear iruit must be indisputably true. Truth is the very foundation of sound mer- chandising at home and abroad. The confidence that arises from it is the prime essential of succes sin foreign commerce. Commereinl Film Makes Headway, It is for this reason that the com- mercial film {s making headway as ‘an advertising medium in forelgn trade. The foreigner who has ruefully found from time to time a discrepancy be- tween promise in print and perform- ance in practice finds proof and con- firmation throughout his own' sense of sight. It {s gratitying to riote that the export publishers of ‘the country, true to their tradition as ploneers in for- elgn trade promotion, have banded to- gether to banish, to the best of thelr ability, conscious misstatements in copy accepted by them. for their ad- vertising pages. These “shop wihdows of Americ: scanned by forelgn buyers, will have nothing exhibited that is not as repre- sented. But the same standard must be applied to circulars, catalogues and travelers’ words. There must be no sales talk that is not true, An American exporter often finds it advantageous to adapt his'adver- tising to thé local conditions of the market in which he advertises—not only in preparing advertising copy for export publications which circu- late in those markefs, but also by taking advantage of peculiar cus- toms which serve to bring hi ucts before the people, . For example, in, most of the islands of the.West Indies and on the main- (Continued vn Third Page.) - | l Republicans Heartened in Northwest As Result of President Harding’s Visit| TR RESIDENT ~HARDING'S satisfactory political conditions Washifgton. time, the republican party i are all on their taes at this time for action. * X % X pargies, and the prev: ‘nausea with existing pol ling same con In the regions between. St. gruntlement of shippers. ,COTTON CROP IN PERIL FOR LACK OF PICKERS BY HARDEN COLFAX, HOUSANDS upon thousands of acres of cotton in the south now whitening in the summer sun probably will rot in the boll this year because of lack of hands to gather the crop, according to wopd reaching the Department of Agriculture from Texas last week co- incident with the opening of the cot- ton picking season there. The south {s pictured in these re- ports as being in the throes of the worst labor shortage in its history. In a few communities. it is reported. commen labor has virtually moved away, migrating north of the Mason and Dixon line.’ In other sections from one-quarter to one-half of the negroes are said to. have gone north to mills and factories of industrial states, lured by wages the like of which no cotton picker ever saw be- fore. In all sections the shortage is plctured as being of distressing pro- portions. Exedus at Flood Tide. Four hundred thousand negroes have moved north since the beginning of the year, according to estimates sent the department, and the move- ment appears to be increasing at the present time. One estimate states that from 2,000 to 3,000 megroes are leaving: the south dally. These figures probably are.high, but there appears little doubt that the migration ap- proximates 50,000 a month. They go mostly into the ml.nufac- turing plants of the middle Atlantic states at wages double and treble those ‘they’ have recelved in the past on southern cotton farms.. In one case, it fs reported, a single big plant in Philadelphia has Imported 8,000 negroes from southern states at wages ranging from $18 to $40 a week. In another case, one company in Pittsburgh is said.to have employed anout 2,000 southern negroes since April 1. One big establishment in Chicago is £aid to have sent four agents recently into southern states to get workzr!. Ku Klux a Factor. A factor of secondary importance, although one to be reckoned with, the department is adviked, is the growth of the Ku Klux Kian. The departure of. negro laborers_is reported to have been on the greatest scale in corfmuni- ties where the Klan is active. A minor factor Is the negro's experience in the world war, which afforded thousands the first opportunity in their lives to leave the nelghborhood where they were born. As a result of the shortage of labor, cotton growers are offering higher wages than ‘ever before to the remain- ing workers, and are employing women on a scale unequaled in the past. Even at the high wages, the necessary labor supply is reported-to be unavailable. The cotton fleld of the South meas- ures more than 33,000,000 acres. Placed all in one, it would cover every fobt of 1and in Pernsylvania ind New Jer- sey and overflo# to the extent of a few timated that about four million work- ers are enzaged {n gathering the croh cuch yedr. A shortage of 400,000 BY N. O. MESSENGER. SEATTLE, Wash,, Seattle, following his stop in Tacoma, is recognized-as having accomplished wonders in amending heretofore un- In this state, at the present in much the same condition as I have found it elsewhere —apathetic, torn by local feuds and jeal- ousies, and all that kind of thing. President Harding came here and reassembled the dis- organized units, placated the factions and in- spired them with a different spirit entirely. It was refreshing to the non-partisan ob- server, holding no brief for either of the three parties in Minnesota, the scene of the late republican massacre—neither republican, democratic or farmer-labor parties—to come to a section where there seemed to be some nucleus of a political organization, or, should it be said, two nuclei, for the democrats are well organized here, too. Then there are the radicals, and also the farmer-laborites. They Those of you who may have done me the honor of reading lucubrations of this west ern trip may recall repeated animadversions upon the decadence of party spirit as ex- hibited in the western country; the upspring- ing of the spirit of revolt against both old tendency al conditions. Seattle there was found something of the ons, but due to another cause. Paul and the coast the republicans were losing heart be- cause of the economic situation. price of wheat, the dissatisfaction of the farmers, a restlessness on the part of the general electorate, the grumpiness of labor, especially the railroad employes; Arriving here and gunning around among July 28. visit to in western that result. trolling the state. advantage. and girding tents. to ously. In political. The low from the people. the dis- other sources, Due to Northern Exodus of Negro Field Hands. workers means a deficit of 10 per cent in the crop-gathering force. Opening in Texas last week, the cotton-picking season soon will be in full swing throughout the rntire south. The department’s estimate of the yield is 11,500,000 bales, but that estimate makes no allowance for cotton remain- ing unpicked at the end of the season. According to advices received here, it 1s possible that the labor shortage will result in faflure to gather from 230,- 000 to 500,000 bales—possibly more. Department officials belleve that the result of this situation will enhance the price of cotton, at present. lower than the level maintiined for months past. Certainly it ‘will increase the price of production, and if the market price’ does not swing upward in re- sponse the grower's profits this year will be considerably smaller than they were in 1922. The southern cotjon grower, seeing his farmhands leaving, is wishing hard for one thing to happen. That one thing 1s an old-fashioned period of ice and snow in the north next winter. The colder the winter, the better he will like it. For one cold winter, just one, he figures, will send his 400.000 truants scampering back down south, permanently and completely cured of all desire 10 leave the cotton fleids of their youth. the politicians, it was found that there was another reason for apathy. * k k % You know, of course, that in the election of last year this state reversed its political form of many years heretofore, and sent a democratic senator, Mr.. Dill, to succeed Sen- ator Poindexter, republican, who had for so long represented Washington in the Senate. In part, that result was due, in a measure, to republican factionalism, it is explained in Seattle, where this dispatch is written. The democrats were mightly heartened by They saw the prospect of get- ting the governorship next year and con- They had a compact or- ganization, they were aware of the disaffec- tion of the radical element, of the inroads of the farmer-labor party, and they sought to make the best of conditions for their own * % ¥ ¥ The outcome of the senatorial election in Minnesota was a great shock to the Wash- ington republicans, who were sulking in their It was a dash of cold water in their faces, to arouse them from their stuper en- gendered by factional visualized the extending power of the farmer- laborites and they were already aware of the strength of the radicals, grading down from the parlor socialists through the regular radi- cals and then to the . W. W, in power they are btgmnmg to regard seri- - President Harding came along, stopping at Spokane and Tacoma, and he met all the republican deaders in those places. them do the talking, for his trip is non- Then he let them do the thinking when they saw the reception he received * ok k% And right here I would pause to say that all reports which come to the writer from assiduously cultivated and from personal observation, in part, it is evi- UNRULY BRITISH SOLONS MAY HAVE PAY CUT OFF ing states. sota. Seattle. forth on animosity. They whose advance He let keting bill. tions.” INCE James Ramsay MacDonald, the leader of the opposition in the ‘British house of commons, has thus far found himself powerless to control the unruly be- havior of the soclallst elements of the labor party in parliament, whose attitude throughout the sessions is at all times aggressive, offensive to their fellow members, deflant of the aythority of the speaker, and grossly insulting to the reigning famlily, which they lose no occasion to revile, and since they seem to imagine that by deliberately creating scenes and interfering with the legislative busi- ness they are pleasing their constitu- ents, the government and the major- ity of the house have decided upon more drastic steps than those hith- erto employed in dealing with the trouble. A number of the oftenders have been suspended by the speaker and deprived of their seats in parifament, and of their vote for a more or less protracted period. But the penalty of suspension seems to have lost its terrors, and is looked upon, at any rate by the soclalist members, as an easy form of political advertisement, carrying with it an envied perfod of tempor: leisure, during which the |Japanese Banks Sensitively Reactmg to World Conditions With the meteoric rise of Japan in the family of nations came develop- ments in the banking and business structure of the island kingdom which have brought it, since the European war. closely into line with Amerlea. American eyes have been cast with growing curiosity at the leader of the orient, as at arms, at commerce and at diplomacy it has registered one success after another. And now the financial machinery of Japan be- gins to react to world conditions In many ways like that in this country. Both countrles, according to the federal reserve board, after the war went through - period of great busi- ness prosperity followed by a gen- eral depression, .and both had an excess of -merchandise exports ac- companied by an inflow of gold un- precedented In modern history. Suftered by Depreasion. Activities of the banks in both countries were to a large extent in- fluenced by these developments. On the basis of their increased specie re- serves the banks greatly increased thelr loans during the period of busi- ness expansion, and after the collapse of prices & portion of thelr loans were frozen. ‘They were pot pald at ma- turity, and some loans could not be patd at all. In the United States, however, after thousand acres in New York. It is es-|a certain-period the banks were able to liquidate their frozeg loans and to write off bad debts. while Japanese varks are’ still to a certain extent Republicans of the state of Washington are setting out to take the lead and set the pace for a stiffening-up of the party in the western country and as an example fof the party organization in ncighboring states. The writer attended a meeting a day or two ago of the Young Men's Republican Club of The speeches made there showed that in this locality the republicans are going an aggressive campaign. policies are these: To stand up for the platform and prom- ises of the republican party and to uphold them in defiance of all farmer-labor and radi- cal doctrines. To point out what the party has done for the farmer since this administration came in, beginning with the emergency tariff act; following with the tariff act, which contains protection for the farmers’ amendments to the war finance act; amendments to federal land bank act; agricultural credit bill; the co-operative mar- The slogan of the Washington republi- cans, offered as a,suggestion to republicans of neighboring states, is to “Demand the people listen to the truth about the Con- gress and administration, combat the here- sies of the farmer-laborites and the radicals and play the game squarely, eliminating fac- South Now Facing Critical Situation,| House of Commons Under Necessity of Devising Way of Controlling Obstreperous Socialists. 1 dent that the President has made a wonder- ful persenal impression all the way along. His reception at Seattle I described to you. He is a winner with the rank and file on his personal attributes. The result of his visit to the state of ‘Washington is also going to be a political asset to the republican party in this section, which may also react favorably in fieighbor- He has bucked up the party here, and the organization will benefit, taking into account also the scare which has been thrown into it by the happenings in Minne- * % k * Their products; the the the offending member proudly wears & halo eélt- satisfled martyrdom. Plan to Cat OFf Pay. It ‘has now been declded that the rules governing the debates in the | house of commons shall be so amend- ed as To deprive any member thus barred from parliament both of his salary and of his fees. The soclalist, and even communist members of par- liament, of much-advertised and are to a far greater extent dependent upon their legislative sal- aries and fees than the maljority of thelr colleagues in the commons. It suspension from henceforth involves the docking of their pay, they will be obliged to call upon their con- stituents to subscribe the money of which they have been mulcted, which will render them unpopular with their electors, or else they wiil be compelled to give up their life In London and to seek some more useful and remunerative means of labor. The only remaining alternative within the reach of the speaker and of the house is by committing the of- fender to prison within the precincts of the palace of parliament, namely, in the Victoria tower. But that im- ! for the wheat crop means purchasing prisonment could not extend beyond the length of the parliamentary ses- sion, during which time the prisoner would be well fed at the expense of the state, provided with a handsome room‘and a magnificent view, with nothing to do excepting to draw his salary and allowances. The only real punishment that suffering from the price decline of |would mean anything to the unruly 1920, and the readjustment of busi- |soclalist members of the labor party ness, although far advanced, as yet completed. is notin parliament would be to deprive !them of their pay and fees. Once There is a_fundamental difference ithis is put in force there will be a between the "status of banks in the |cessation of their' attempts to con- United States and in Japan. In Japan, banks are not régarded as quasi- vert the house of commons, the moth- er of parliaments, with all its time- public institutions and are not lub-’hol\ored traditions of national digni- ject to such close supervision by the,ty, |swinging of fists, government as in the Uhited State Japanese banking laws have no defi- nite provisions as to captial, surplus, | into a beer garden, with the the striking of blows and the hurling 'of vile epithets peculiar to.the very worst slums of par value of shares or the character!London and of the Clyde side. of incorporators. While the government control of banks. in Japan has thus not been developed to the same extent as in the United. States, has endeavored through special legl: Power Vested in Speaker. In every country where parllamen- tary’ government exists the executive the government | 2Uthority of the legislature is vested in the speaker, whom the members lation to create banks which would |€lect to preside over their|delibera- serve all classes of the population and the various business needs of the country. Banks in Japan may be divided into two distinct classes; those established under the general banking laws and those created by special charter of the government. The number of special banks is fitty-two, ‘the most important of which are the Bank of Japan, the Yokohama Specie Bank, the. Indu trial Bank of Japan, the Bank of Chosen_ and the Bank of Talwan. Forty-six of the fifty-two specially chartered banks are provincial, in- dustrial and agricultural-mortgage banks. The central bank of fssue is the Bank of Japan. l iment and his order cannot be con. {tlons. Thereforé, when the speaker decrees suspension for violation of the rules of the house he Is acting in behalf and in' the name of parlia- strued in the light of an arbitrary de- cree on the part of the government He is often called upon to s lan members. But nowhere has it hith- erto carried with it the suspension of pay and the loss of fees, of allow- ances and of prerogatives. If that reform were inaugurated in varlous foreign legislatures, notably in Paris, Rome, Madrid and Pesth, there would be far less of that obstruction and of intolerable ¢isorder by poisy minorities who are intent only upon bringing contempy, ‘disrepute awd. impotency. i entary government into ejght different languuges. WHEAT MARKET ALARM LESSENED BY ANALYSIS Sound at Bottom and Fear Is Declared Based Largely on Unfounded Rumor. ~ BY WILL P. KENNEDY. HAT of wheat, out of which is made “the staff of life"? So many~ important moves have been made re- cently by conspicuous officlals and agencles that all American business and the public generally has become alarmed. But when you study out the causes and effects you find the situation is} really much the sume as the grave concern over next winter's coal—it Is all really a false alarm, and the calamities predicted will not mate- rialize. The grain market has gone flat be- cause there is too much pessimism over an excess of supply over de- mand—a prospective production that can't be sold. Faflure of Market. This pessimism grew out of re- ports that Russia is to dump great quantities of wheat in the markets of the world and that the rest of Europe is in such financial straits that it will not be able to buy, while the United States has a bumper crop coming along that it will not be able to find a market for. o So this general alarm was really born in soviet propaganda seeking to make the best possible economic showing. This propaganda has spread and deceived even astute public men, until we see such men as Senator Brookhart of Towa, coming back from Europe, urging that the President should call a special session of Con- gress to deal with the wheat crisls. Like many another false alarm, the wheat scare is having a great influ- ence on American politics and busi- ness. It had much to do with the defeat of the administration’s candi- date for senator from Minnesota, Gov. J. A. O. Preus. It has so agi- tated all business by painting a pic- ture of dire distress for the farmers that all industry in this country has become worried. If the farmer can't buy, then the manufacturer might as well shut up his shop. So the Cham- ber of Commerce of the United States, representing some 1,300 organizations and an underlying membership of 760,000 business men, has taken a hand to determine all the facts in the situation. Called Conference. Facing, as they supposed. a big; surplus production and foreign mar- kets cut off, the wheat growers sought to stimulate consumption of wheat, and though the governors of seven wheat-growing states, headed by Gov. Preus, and with the heads of the “Big Four’ farm organizations and some farm bloc United States senators, issued a call for a wheat conference. In this cali it was em- phasized that more than 10,000,000 people in this country are Interested directly in the production of wheat, and that a market at a fair price i i | | power for the farmer, smoking chim- neys for American factories and a full dinner pail for American workers. The Wheat Council of the United States was organized, headed by Representative Sydney Anderson of Minnesota, with headquarters at Chi- cago. The wheat problem came up for consideration at a conference of 583 delegates In Chicago last week. Although the president of the Far- mer's Union of Kansas urged a reso- lution asking that Congress be called in session to fix the price of wheat at $1.50 a bushel for 1923 through crea- tlon of a wheat corporation financed by the federal government, this pro- posal was rejected after long debate. Opponition by Barnes. Julius Barnes, president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, probably knows more about the marketing of wheat than any other man in the country. He has had forty years' experience. He was director of the grain corporation dur- ing the war, and handled this coun- try’'s wheat under the government fixed price for three years and through agreement with 60,000 dealers during the war He opposed price fixing as impracticable, and an- nounced that the National Chamber of Commerce would pay the expenses of a fact-finding commission made up of ‘representatives of the four big farm organizations and thres busi- ness men selected by the chamber. This plan has been agreed to, and Dr. Alonzo E. Taylor, who did notable work in this country and throughout Europe for the food administration during the war, and who is now direc- tor of the food research institute at Leland Stanford University, will head this joint commission. THe investigation is to determine the fundamental facts regarding the production of wheat in the United States, with a purpose of endeavoring to arrive at some means of putting production on a sound basis. It will try to get a true cost of producing wheat in different areas. Recommen- datifons are expected to be made for 1924 and succeeding years to prevent & recurrence of the difficulties of wheat growers. ‘Economists in Conference. In the meantime the Department of Agriculture had called a number of economists into conference here, and following the announcement of thelir findings a number of alarmist storles were glven wide circulation all over the country, which fed the flames of alarm and kept industrial leaders and the general public on the anxious seat. Carefully studied, however, the re- port of this advisory council is op timistic and encouraging rather than alarming. It shows that the - wheat crop will be about $21,000,000 bushels in this country, as agalnst 862,000,000 last year, a falling off of 41,000,600 bushels. The pre-war production was 690.000,000 bushels. It shows that Canada, contrary to reports, cannot have a large increase in wheat pro- duction, and will probably have a { much smaller crop than last year. It Is shown that the total acreage in wheat in eleven countries of rope, exclusive of Ruesia, that gave . per cent of last year's European crop shows about £00,000 acres increase and a total production of 118,000,000 bushels, while last year's crop was 200,000,000 bushels below the previous vear. Argentina and Australia show & decrease of about 12,000,000 bush- els. The best available figures on Russia’'s wheat crop shows that only about one-half the pre-war acreage is planted, while the population to be fed from it is about two-thirds the pre-war total. So that it seems pretty certain that Russia will no: export grain in large quantities to Europe or anywhere else in the im- mediate future. Caused by Fear. So it all boils down to a fear that we would be without a market for some 200,000,000 bushels of wheat. and the necessity which forced a cer- tain percentage of wheat growers (o throw their crop immediately on the market has caused all of this gen- eral fear and trembling for an indus trial calamity and general bard times and high price: Even If there should develop & real disabilty for wheat farmers, it would not mean a natlonul disaster. There is the large so-called “dr: farming area,” formerly known us the “great American desert.” This is a highly speculative area, or bonus land, on the outer rim of farm pro duction Here u wheat crop is a bix gamble. If they hit a big crop In a vear of high prices, it carries them over three or four years of crop fallures. Statistics show that a bushel of wheat is brought to the harvest witl an expenditure of about ten minutes of human labor. but even double of that for sake of argument. In this dry-farming ed, where only one crop is produced, 1t will be seen that the farmer musi make 100 per cent of his family upkeep out of such : small proportion of his time. Con trast this with 100 per cent of his time being used for profitable pro- ductfon by farmers in other stat where wheat growing is incldent. and other crops are grown in rota tion. Growing Speculative. Mr. Barnes figures that in th more secure areas of production even $1 wheat in Chicago can return a profit to the grower. He argues that in the one-crop dry-farming reglon not suited for diversification, the growing of wheat is speculative and not occupational. One of the reme- dies that must be found is how these speculative wheat growers can be glven more steady employment. Statistics are found to show that wheat furnishes only a little more than 5 per cent of the annual farm 5 production, only about $1,000,000 oit of $14,000,000. ‘When all the facts are on the wodle —and here only flashlight glimpses of them are given, without the intric- acles of miraid detalls and compli- cated statistics—It appears to those who have been following wheat pro- duction and marketing for many years that the situation confronting the American people is not as: bad as propagandists would make it appear. There is to be no iIndustrial or business debacle on account of wheat, even if the supply is greater than the demand and conditions abroad make a short market for exports. Indians Are More Numerous In U. S. Than 10 Years Ago How about “Lo, the poor Indian,’ the native redskin, driven westward with the advancing tide of “Dllehce immigration? He has not disappeared, by a good deal, and he Is a pretty decent citizen, as a rule. We have today men of Indian blood in both houses of Con- ress and holding other important official positions in the federal gov- ernment. There are 340,907 Indians in the United States today, which is an in- crease of 13,5600 in the last ten years. Two-thirds of the Indlans of all ages are American citizens, and there are about 50,000 Indlan voters of both sexes. During the world war 12,000 Indians served under the flag There are 200 Indian reservations and 371 Indian tribes, speaking fifty- Of these 371 Indlan tribes still re- maining there are only twenty tribes where the majority of Indians and their families are dwelling in tepeesd, wikiups or hogans. Those Indians who have not yet abandoned their primitive life as far as modern homes ure concerned are living on reservations in six different states. Arlzona has the largest num- ber of reservations, where the ma- jority of Indians have not abandoned their tepees or hogans, while Call: fornia and N¢w Mexico come second. There are 44,200 Indian familles }v- ing in permanent houses. Indian farmers number 40,062, and they are cultivating 890,700 acres of land. The value of all cattle owned by the Indians is $35,000,000. The value of all Indian property is estimated at $1,000,000,000. (Continued on Third Page.) 5