The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 31, 1921, Page 8

| ‘) i | _ THEIR PURPOSE . one dollar either of interest or SR “sat in” when the American federation was formed. He told the same committee" rather frankly that he and the other national Bureau leaders were at- tempting to Jead the farmers away from the pro- grams of some of the progressive older farmer or- ganizations. He said he was being given credit by big men (he mentioned two governors, but not by name) for steering the Bureaus in a course which was “keeping down ‘unrest’ among farmers.” Just what does keeping down farmer “unrest” mean, in plain language? It means simply trying to defeat the fundamental political and eco- nomic reforms that farmers are seekmg, and to off- set the work of the older, progressive farmer or- ganizations for these reforms. Mr. Howard, following the suggestions of the monied and privileged groups who fear more than anything else co-operation between the farmers and working men, has kept the American Farm Bureau federation hostile to organized labor. He told a congressional - committee that 'co-operation with labor would be a_“socialistic affiliation.” He show- ed his contempt for the farmers when he told this same committee that farmers were being infected" with “Bolshevism,” and would follow _“almost any leadership,” if it wasn’t for him and the Bureaus. His function, he said, was to keep the farmers out of “Bolshevism.”" He thus falls easily into the lang— uage of the big business propagandists. ARE NOT AFTER BOLSHEVISM; USE THAT ONLY AS PRETEXT - The fight against farmers on the score of “Bol- shevism,” directed particularly against the Nonpar- tisan league, but often, too, against the Equlty, some of the state Granges and the Farmers’ union, has not really been a fight against Bolshevism. It has“been a fight agamst fundamental economic re- forms which various farmers’ organizations have been trying to bring about by lawful and orderly processes for many years before Bolshevism was invented. When pressed by questions at the com- mittee hearing as to what he meant by “Bolshe- ~ vism,” Mr. Howard let the cat out of the bag. . He said the farmer unrest, which he had previously - intimated was “Bolshevism,” or would lead to “Bol- shevism,” was not a desire to overthrow the gov- ernment by violent or otheér means, or a desire for a proletarian dictatorship. “They (the farmers) rather go off mto state Socialism, or something 'like that,” ‘he said. He used the pet phrase of :those who oppose state-owned terminal elevators, cold storage plants and warehouses, and state or government banks to handle money and credit for farmers and the people in general. He thus, after charging farm- ers with a susceptibility for “Bolshevism,” admit- ted that he didn’t mean Belshevism, but did mean some of the progressive and necessary reforms which_millions of farmers are working for. He showed it was his aim to lead the Bureaus into op- position to these reforms. How far can we get with such leaders? 3 These things show the mental attitute of Mr. Howard and the other high-priced national leaders of the Bureaus. 'What Jave been theit acts? Their acts have been what this mental attitude would naturally lead to. I believe it was the Nonpartisan Leader which first exposed Howard’s attempt to help big business by repealing the excess profits tax and ‘putting taxes on articles consumed by the people. Howard was forced to back up, after his representatives had sat in conference with big busi- . mess men to frame a taxation plan that would re- (Contmued on page 15) Beware the Disarmament Conference! Danger of Administration Selling Out the People by Permitting Cancellation BY J. A. H. HOPKINS Mr. Hopkins is a well-known publicist of liberal ideas. who has been active in various moves to promote a new, third lpzrtl:‘r that will give the Republicans and Democrats a real fight. E ARE familiar with the rules.of war under which the allies are collecting a huge indemnity from beaten Ger- many. But do the American people realize that unless they take active steps to prevent it victorious America may soon be paying a similar tribute to the allies, whom she rescued from overwhelming disaster at the most critical period in their history? The machinery designed to bring this about is al- ready in motion, and it is high time to tell the truth about the coming disarmament conference, in which the people as a whole are vitally concerned, and to determine what instructions the American people desire given to Messrs. Lodge, Hughes, Root and Underwood, whom Presi- dent Harding has appointed as the official representatives of the United States. Called for the purpose of " bringing about disarmament and world peace, and forced upon a reluctant and unsympa- thetic administration in re- sponse to popular. sentiment, the conference is fast being transformed into. a sordid ef- fort to further the interests of the international banking syn- dicate at the expense of our al- ready overburdened taxpayers. FRANKLY ADMIT How is this being accom- plished? The. situation is clear; the process is simple. The European nations owe America billions of dollars ex-— tracted from American tax- payers under stress of war, on which they have never paid principal. ~The English, French, Bel- gian and Italian delegates frankly admit that they are seeking to utilize this occasion .- to obtain a release from their debts. . Realizing that the public discussion of - this subject be-- fore the disarmament confer- ence would arouse a whirlwind of indignation, President Hard- ing announces that he is.op- lines. posed to any such course, but demands that congress without .(;’«-., : THAT'S THE NICE BOYS, GIVE UP . ALL THE BLOCS! ~ delay specifically confer upon Secretary Mellon full power to privately settle these obligations upon any terms he may deem advisable. lon has personally appeared before the ways and means committee of the house demanding imme- diate action. Coincident with this demand comes a suggestlon from the banking group (to which Secretary .Mellon formerly belonged) that a concurrent conference with the European delegates be held, while the dis- armament. conference is in session, to adjust the financial situation. Every angle of the situation bristles with deceit and secret diplomacy; every indication points to a betrayal of the just demands of the American pub- lic who “paid until it hurt” to assist our allies in their extremity and are now in imminent danger of being told that the money they generously loan- ed to England, France, Italy and Belgium in good No, No! MUSTN'T HA THE “BLOC (M N PAGE EIGBT And Secretary Mel-" | _THE CONGRESSIONAL “BLOCK” GAME | —Drawn expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris: The Harding administration is. attemptmg to break up the farmers’ bloc in congress, compos- “ed of western and southern members from agricultural states, organized regardless of party. .hBut other interests have their blocs. Baer shows the situation in this draw- . ing. Big business can play with all the “blocks” he wants, but the farmers and workers are asked. to mve up. their “block." of European Debts, Without Forcing- Adequate Peace Agreement falth will never be returned and. that for years to come they will be taxed to make up these vast sums, which the European nations with an almost un- believable affrontery are now seeking to repudiate. And it is proposed to bnng this about through a separate secret conference, under carte blanche au- thonty, in which the .American people will have no voice and of whose decision they will know nothing until too late. - PEOPLE MUST UNDERSTAND QUESTION IF PLOT IS BALKED Anticipating precisely the situation which has since developed,and foreseeing the necessity of fore- stalling the ‘action of the European delegates, I sug- gested to President Harding under date of Septem- ber 23 the desirability of ascertaining the wishes of the American people relative-to submitting an ulti- _matum to the European delegates to the effect that we would neither cancel their indebtedness nor longer post- pone the payment of the over- due interest thereon, but that if they would collectively agree to disarm—either entirely or gradually—we would conform to such an agreement and would remit their debts in pre- cisely the same ratio. It may well be that Presi- tion will find that the Ameri- can people are disinclined to consider the adjustment of our European -loans— iupon any terms whatever short of actual ‘payment. It is ‘even possible that our European friends will be con- _ strained to answer such an ul- timatum by disclaiming any desire to escape one jot-or one title of their indebtedness. It would certainly be an agree- able “evidence of. their fine sense of honor should they do S0 But it is well for us to fully understand the . question ~we will be called upon to answer, which is simply this: Shall we™ discuss disarma- ment updn its own merits and insist-upon Europe taxing their own “people to pay their own debts, or shall we hand them receipted: bills for what they owe us, and thus allow Europe : to bleed the American tax- payer and pay their European debts - with the American- ‘-l money so appropriated? . ' . ¥ dent Harding upon investiga- - X o