The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 11, 1921, Page 3

IN THE INTEREST OF A SQUARE DEAL FOR THE FARMERS Entered as_second-class matter at the nostoffice at Minneapolis, Minn., under the act of March 3. 1879. Publication address, 427 Sixth avenue S., Minneapolis, Minn, Address all remittances to The Nonpartisan Leader, Box 2072, Minneapolis, Minn, Nonpartisan Teader Published at Minneapolis, Minn., Evgry Two Weeks Ageney, advertising representatives, New York, Chicago, = OLIVER S. MORRIS, Editor. St 1 City. A MAGAZINE THAT DARES TO PRINT THE TRUTH One year, $1.50, Classified rates on classified page; other advertising rates on application. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. Beckwith Special Louis, Kansas City VOL. 13, NO. 1 MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, JULY 11, 1921 WHOLE NUMBER 276 ~ Help Save the Federal Trade Commission! you one of his speeches or a package of seeds, write him a letter thanking him. But don’t stop there. Tell him you know there is a move of sinister forces under way to abolish or cripple the federal trade commission, and tell him you want to see this useful and important body kept intact by the government. For unless public opinion asserts itself and brings pressure on congress during the next few months, much will be done to cripple the trade commission, and it may well be, Ig lY(})lUt SLEEP, that they will even venture to abolish it. f NEXT time your United States senator or congressman sends Now’s Time to Spike This Move Why do certain interests want the trade com- mission made harmless or actually dissolved? Turn to page 5 of this issue and read one of the latest reports of the com- mission. After reading it you will know the reason. The commis- sion has been investigating terminal elevator companies and finds them profiteering and gambling on the future grain market, losing millions of dollars a year of the farmers’ money thereby. The com- mission has dared to get and publish these facts about terminal elevators. 3 The Leader not long ago ran a series of articles on the commis- sion’s investigation of the grain exchanges. A couple of years ago we published their findings after investigating the packers. The commission has done more than any other body, public, semi-public or private, to obtain and divulge facts about business and industry, knowledge of which is aiding in the great work .of bringing about needed changes. ) 3 The commission is an official government body, eareful and scrupulous about its facts. But every crooked business man, every profiteer, every monopolist, every interest benefiting from an indus- trial or commercial abuse, is down on the commission -and doing the utmost to have it crippled. Great in- fluence is being brought on congress at this time against the commission. A big part of the big busi- ness support President Harding got in the cam- paign came from interests which fear and hate the federal trade commission, and which believed that Harding would have its powers curbed or its char- ter revoked. They got comfort from the presi- dent’s declarations that I “PLEASE MAY I GO SWIMMIN’ TOO?” l T 14 I \HE Leader was one of those who, while believing in a world . association of nations, disapproved of the so-called “league of nations” formed at the Versailles peace conference. That was not a “league.” It was an alliance of the victorious powers againststhe defeated powers. It promised no good results. But an association of nations on a democratic plan of management, to bring about an agreement to arbitrate international disputes and to limit and ultimately abolish armaments, would be an insurance against wars. It was that kind of %Iore I%lllmk an association that President Harding, in his cam- rom the paign, led the American people to believe he stood White House fop. The president has been in office four months and he has not announced any plans for an association of nations, nor has he consulted with representatives of other nations regard- ing any such plan. On the" contrary, his ambassador at London, Colonel Harvey, has made public speeches which have led the world to believe that President Harding will have nothing to do with any kind of an association of nations. The other day Hamilton Holt, prominent magazine editor and one of the leaders in the move for a world association of nations, wrote an open letter to the president, accusing him of dodging the issue and sidestepping his campaign promises. The president did not reply directly to this letter, but he caused Washington news- baper correspondents to send dispatches in which it was said that, “according to reliable information,” a plan for an association of na- tions has been drafted at request of the president. The wording of this dispatch, inspired by the president, confirms rather than dis- proves Mr. Holt’s charge of sidestepping. It appears to us a weak attempt to squirm out of campaign promises. The adminis- tration - inspired dispatch says that the plan which the president has had drafted “covers several typewritten pages.” That is all the information we are given. “It is said,” ac- cording to the dispatch, “that the president order- ed the drafting of this plan shortly after his elec- tion last November.” It is not stated who drew the plan for the president, but he is “a man well versed in international law.” Why all this mystery if the president is in earn- “business shouldn’t be in- terfered with,” and many members of congress be- lieve, or profess to believe, that it is “interfering with business” when the trade commission apprises the public of some dirty deal pulled off by some crooked business man or industry. The trade commission was built up to its present efficiency under the Wil- son administration, one of the things which that ad- ministration should have full credit for. It is looked upon by the Republicans, therefore, as a Democratic party institution, and they count on the repudiation by the people of the Dem- ocrats as sufficient man- " |zt ‘/{\ U 7 S ~ J T RA A e N x{ est? But he is not in y earnest, as the concluding inspired passages of the dispatch plainly ‘show. “Administration friends,” it says, “explained that there will be no haste in attempting to put the plan in effect. * * * The president is said to feel that it is wiser to wait un- til the auspicious time ar- rives than to risk an im- mediate attempt which might fail because of tem- porary restrictions abroad.” This is political trim- ming and hedging of the worst kind, unworthy of a president of the United States. Will the American people who voted for the president because he said '7-:«‘ o o = P S pas Lir = 2 LEY date to cripple the com- mission. The danger is real. Every man’s aid is needed in the fight. those who organized the projects. their wheat. AR AT - o S S T N s e (G T : k —Drawn expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris. The way the farmers are going into the grain pool movement ought to be encouraging to Progressive farmers in all states are going in with Morris’ cartoon shows the dilemma of the unprogressive farmer. PAGE THREE ’ : * / e T e O 0 A 2 3 A S RS A he would forward plans for an association of nations be put off in this way without a protest? e —