The Washington herald., 1917-02-25
Interesting Chats
From Hotel Lobbies

= r - ~ Z
The reports Of vast damage to Florida
crops have been enormously overesti-
mated; the frost did some damage but
not one-tenth of what some newspapers
claimed for IL" said H. NJ. Stokes, OF st.
Petersburg. Fla, stopping at the Shore
ham. This is the same old story" said
Mr.. Stokes, that some one starts every
year. doubtless with the idea Of boosting
prices. Things are bad enough now with
our adding any false alarms to our woes.
A certain amount of money is lost every
year by frosts nipping fruits and vege-
tables. but II You are TO believe what you
near about the damage, Florida would be
completely put out Of commission and the
State would have a panic.
Unfortunately the eatables arriving
from Florida this year will have little or
no euect on the market. save to boost
prices. Many a farmer who Is holding
his potatoes, with the hopes of gouging
pe public, would get it in the neck II
reliroad conditions were at normal. There
are millions of bushels of potatoes that
are oeing held in sthe North. and these
would be a total loss II cars were to be
had to bring new potatoes I have been
told since my arrival here that there are
az least 100000 bushels within radius OF
my my miles around this city that are being
held for the top price. !.
AN because cars to haul Southern DO
tatoes viii not be available No matter
now congress howls. these cars will haul
munitions and the devil take the hind
most. IL Southern growers had the car
service they should have, they would be
the means OF teaching certain classes OF
Iood spectators lesson that they would
NOT Forget as long as they lived. There l.
no reaI 1000 shortage; there Is a car
shortage, and very soon we will have to
eat our money. If we have any to eat.
More acreage was planted by South.
erhers TINS year than ever before and
mere is no reason why they should not
pe permitted to send their stuff out and
better conditions"
am sorry to say that certain narts
tne Miadie West have experienced a
change of heart regarding the eIection oi
President Wilson," remarked Georgf
collins. of Kansas City. Kan, stopninp
at the Willard. I'VE people in the WesI
ana Middle West were very strong for
WILSON," said Mr.. Collins, but there ba
been reaction that is not at al;
negligible l voted for him along with
thousands of others, and a lot of us are
wondering II we had our wits about us
THE peace idea deceived n great mass
OF Westerners who had not the least idea
that there are even worse things than
dishonorable peace or a notorious mis-.
management of affairs in a time that nc
one knows whether war or peace is tc
follow.
Some of US have discovered that WI.
son did not keep us out of war that II
was the Kaiser who decided not to fight
and now he has said that he does moi
care whether we want war or not. Still
we have no better understanding of just
what our flag has to bear than we die
three years ago. No one knows just wha:
the meaning of overt act was intended
to be. Ask any one in the West and ht
will say, ask WILSON,
Il am not arguing for war. but I be
lieve. along with the millions in the
West. that this country has no business
malOinss bluffs and not being able to hold
her cards when a show down comes
Western people do not make bluffs anC
hate to see any ono else do 1t. II W,
threaten any one. you can bet your last
dollar we are ready to back ourselves
up and not run away.
81 am a Democrat and do not hesitate
to say that many a Democrat is getting
dose of medicine he never calculated
to have to take. This method of tho
present administration is making more
recruits for the Republican party thar
all their mistakes of the past four years
1t looks as though the country is beinG
punished for ignoring Wall Street ant
electing a Democrat"