Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-20
WHY THE BELGrASs,

l.
There has been much talk of late
about bringing many ship loads of Bel
gians TO Iowa. to teach our farmers
intensive farming. That again in some
Of the bunk perpetrated By seif-ap-
pointed advisers Of the dear public,
who grow very eloquent over matters
about which they know nothing.
The fact is that we have one of the
best agricultural colleges in the world
which is constantly going out among
the farmers and is teaching them
modern scientific agriculture just as
rapidly as the farmers are ready to
accept such teaching. Hundred thou
sand Belgians who can not speak
American would probably teach the
Iowa farmers less than do the Ames
people and the count agents, who
arg busy in some OF the counties.
And then, there are the boys. In
almost every county OF Iowa there
are boys corn clubs and IN some the
girls go into corn growing contests.
1t is regular thing for boys in the
different counties to grow more than
a hundred bushels of corn on an acre
Of ground. That seems to indicate
that the Iowa boys and some of the
Iowa girls areI well up in modern, SCI
entitic farming, and of course, IL these
boys know how II is done, and demon
strate the fact that they know how II
Is done by doing it, then 1t is fair to
presume that their parents know how
1t is done. No doubt, they are proud
OF the youngsters and the records that
they are making. And no doubt, by
and by they will get busy and show
that they can do just as well as the
little shavers and even a bit better.
Until the Belgians can demonstrate
that they can grow more corn on an
acre Of Iowa land that school boys
are actually growing IN every county
in the state, then there seems to be
little need OF bringing them to Iowa
to teach the farmers Of the leading
agricultural state in the union some
thing about their business. If the Bel
gians must be brought to the United
States, and must teach farming to the
American farmer, who is feeding
good part of the world, outside of our
own United States. then send them to
some state where agriculture Is not
far advanced. 1t is not at all likely
that our farmers would take kindly to
the idea that a lot of Belgians could
teach them something about farming.
GRANDFATHERSIN THE DISCARD?
tCedar Rapids Republican,
In his Jackson day speech Wood
row Wilson said, You will notice that
most of the advice taken by the re-
publican party is taken from gentle
men old enough to be grandfathers."
A few days before that we read in a
| society" item in Washington that the
present Mrs Sayres. daughter of the
president, is in Washington with the
purpose Of having her first child born
in the White House. That pending
event will make Woodrow himself a
! grandfather. Are we to understand
that the democratic party can not take
advice from him after ne has become
q granny" Even Colsne. Roosevelt Is
old enough TO be grandfather, and
he il one. So II the kaiser Of Ger
many a grandfather, several times
over. Lincoln was old enough to bs
grandfather when he sat In the presi-
dents chair and Washington might
/ nave been one when he was president
OF the United States. We might null
ltiply illustrations without end.
i Woodspw's statement contained no
argument, not even ress9n or 1rdlnar3
I Ssxeyyaticn sas merely 4 saeer-