The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-20
while CONGRESS
FUSSES NEUTRALS.
BUYING UP Grain
New Scare Apparent in United
States Food Crisis.
Meanwhile Senate Engages in
WOrdy Combat on Bill.
BUYING ON GIGANTIC SCALE
While Allies Expect U. S. To
Buy for Its BeIligerents.
Gore and Reed Block Game,
Offer Substitute Method.

washington. June 2O-While allied
food buyers remained idle and neutral
nations continued contracting for
grains, and food, debate began on the
food control bill in the senate today.
The few senators who oppose II
denounced the measure which would
permit the president to conserve the
nations food supplies for the allies
and America.
Neutral countries are draining the
United States of it's wheat supply and
unless some food control is instituted
by July l, American wheat will be eX-
hausted by spring.
With this startling admission. the
administration today pressed on in its
efforts to force congress into prompt
action on the Lever food control bill.
Grain Already Moving.
II was pointed out that the early
southern grain is already beginning to
move and that by July /, most OF 1t
will be on the way. Meantime, neutrals
are buying on gigantic scale, while
the allies are waiting on congress pc
fore setting up a food department and
Joint purchasing agency here. But IL
is pointed out, the allies armed with
plenty of money-American money
can scarcely be expected to delay buy
ing grain if neutrals continue it Hence
experts see the prospect of their rush
ing into the market soon to beat the
neeutrals to the prize
Reed and Gore in the senate and
Representative Joe Cannon in the
house employed all their oratory to
block the measure.
.'BilI Will Bring Famine'-GOre.
This bill will bring famine in
1918" shouted Gore.
Hoover admits wheat and Hour
didn't go up until last years crop was
used up and until men of his ilk be-
gan their cry of famine" Reed shout
ed.
wheat growers S25O,OO0,000 and the
corn growers $5OO,0OO,O00. To the
argument that the president could
stop shipments of food to neutrals who
are trans-shipping it to Germany thru
execution of the embargo section OF
the espionage law, which he has now
signed, advocates of the food control
measure replied:
~But he canrot stop such agents
even German secret agents, from buy
ing up vast quantities and holding it
in storage Under the food bill and
only until the food bill is passed is
this impossible"
Cham berlain, Kenyon and other
supporters of the mtaSure pleaded for
speedy action.
Delay Means Famine" say Others.
~DeIay immediate passage of this
measure and we will indeed have fam
inc and worse turnout the land" they
declared. They pleaded for the peo-
pie 10 get Denlnu hoover ana 1OICe
reoalcitrant members of congress to
pass the bill.
fSpeculators are allies of the kali
serS' declared Kenyon. I'VE can kill
them off if we pass this bill quickly.
one should apologize for calling
these spectators highwaymen, for
highwaymen and sea pirates of the
lowest type are Christian gentlemen
compared with them.
1--WE are contending the babies OF
the poor shall have food; that no
huge fortunes shall be made of it
either.
"Foulon may sneeringly say, Let
the people eat grass Marie Antoin-
cite may jerr. Let the meat cake
l say they do not purpose to eat
grass and they have no chance to eat
cake.
Replace the Middlemen.
THE government must replace the
rufddlemen When we are paying
mere for food than they are in Lon
don, something is wrong. l would
far sooner have a food control dicta-
tor than to have the food gamblers
dictate to us"
.This bill was not written by the
Almighty, but in the departments
here" answered Gore. 1T will be no
sacrilege to change it. Let us have
a central food purchasing board in
stead of what this measure proposes.
such a program would pass quickly
Borah Udaho) declared the meas
ure has enough generalities to bring
on the millennium"