The Washington herald., 1918-03-26

Viscount IshiI has done a wonder
full work in bringing Japan closer
TO this country, and this country
closer TO his country.
But there Is much yet to do. And
during the coming months when the
viscount arrives here, We are sure,
the work will be continued in way
that will be approved by the people
OF this nation and acceptable to the
people OF the Orient.
Basically there are vast differences
between the japanese people and the
Russians, whom the German propa-
gandists loved TO liken to them in
their siren songs to us endeavorinG
to infiame us against the Japs.
The latter are educated and refined
to a much greater degree than the
Russians, and they are lovers Of an
idealistic art which hardly concords
with the restless tempetuosity OF the
uneducated Russians.
Education is the ambition of most
Japs. Many hundreds of thousands
Of Russians are without it-many hun
dreds of thousands wilfully pass 1t by
when the calls come to fields more
physical than mental in their ap-
proach.
Russians once educated 20 forward
with amazing ease. however. Their
knowledge of the languages is quite
profound at times. If the many
could grace themselves with the arts
and sciences as well as some Of the
few have In that country. there would
be a more general trend toward
stability in government than under
present conditions
No student of government has yet
accused Japan of permitting anti
patriots to flourish with any degree
of success. The unity of the nation
seems to be one of its most notable
assets. And that. too, in spite of the
fact that an unusually large number
Of the leaders of the nation have OBJ
tained their education in several other
nations and have settled in their
native land after giving the balance
OF the earth quite a general and
painstaking survey.
David Lubin. this Country's dele
gate to the international agricultural
institute at Rome, writes here sug-
gesting to members OF Congress a
plan for increasing agricultural pro-
1ilC VI NilC
farmers of this country, and reduc-
ing the cost of living.
The words are magic-if they could
be written into actual deeds what
a boon they would be, anyway.
Mr.. Lubin says the big trouble
with present conditions is that the
farmer buys much of his personal
property on credit. This is expen-
-, H. - -INaa
be done away with. and supplanted
by a system permitting farmers to
put themselves on a cash basis by
simply running open accounts at the
Federal Farm Loan Banks.
This would call for an enlargement
Of the rural credit banking system
and amendments to the law to pro-
vide for the new steps
A certificate plan. he thinks. could
be worked out which would permit
a farmer to have a checking account
equal to one-third OF the amount Of
money he could borrow from the
bank upon his land-or one-sixth of
what his land is valued at under
the proper appraisals.
Recourse to this checking account
would directly encourage production.
MT. LuDln lnslsts, ana would reduce
living costs thirty to fifty per cent
and maybe more. and would eventu-
ally do the same thing for US town
folks.
Congress may not take kindly to
the plan, but there is no question
but what the members would like
to find something which would achieve
the ends which Mr.. Lubin claims
would result from its operation.
Word from Western Russian that
Germans are studying Spanish SO as
to launch large commercial inva-
sion OF South America as soon as
the war is over may be taken two
ways. -...
II we want to be exceedingly sus-
piclous OF the German people we can
say that they want to get into South