Williston graphic., 1918-03-07


the Food Administration really set
about in earnest to do this. The Food
Administration has been altogether
too solicitous about protecting the
profits of the miller and the distrib-
utor and too indifferent as to whether
the price received by the farmer nets
him a profit or a loss. The fact is,
Food Administrator Hoover does not
seem to be greatly concerned about
the farmer, as long as it appears to
him that the farmer will keep drudg-
ing away. The prices of the products
of other industries which the wheat
farmer must buy, continue to soar
skyward. There has been great
deal of talk to the effect that these
prices ought to be controlled, but
what is the Food Administrator, or
anybody else for that matter in au-
thority, doing to correct the inequali-
ties which are so evident? Nothing
much but talking. Six to ten dollars
day is being paid and approved by
the government for common laborers
in industries less necessary to the
success of the war than the industry
of wheat raising. l have wondered
whether Mr.. Hoover or any other Of
fetal of the Food Administration
could make a profit on raising wheat
at $500 a bushel, even in the rich
est wheat raising region of the Uni
ted States, if he were obliged to pay
anything approaching the same price
per hour for labor that is being paid
by flour mills, railroads, steel plants,
or ship building yards throughout the
country.
Most gratifying is the good news
given out today by Secretary of War
Baker, that General Squier Chief of
the Signal Corps, is now five months
ahead of the program decided upon
last summer for the manufacture,
equipment and manning of American
aeroplanes for the campaign against
the enemy in Europe. 1t is especial
ly pleasing, coming at time when
the press dispatches carry reports to
the effect that for the past week the
Germans have been concentrating
their flying forces over the American
battle front and have been able, on
account of the superior number OF
their aeroplanes, to pass back and
forth over the American lines and
make observations Of the American
defences, without much danger of in
terference. Aircraft guns are not an
effective defence against scouting
aeroplanes. An artilleryman has about
as much success shooting an aero
plane out of the air as the Eastern
tenderfoot sportsman has In shooting
geese on the wing in North Dakota
with a high power rifle. The only
successful defence against modern
type well-manned aeroplane is an
other aeroplane of superior type and
better manned. The first shipment
of Liberty engines, the new type of
twelve cylinder engine to be used in
American aeroplanes, is. now on the
way to France. From this time on
these engines will be manufactured
in largely increased numbers each
week. In trial tests in aeroplanes,
the Liberty engine has developed
more power and more speed than any
other engine now used in fighting
aeroplanes and has broken all records
for heights Of ascension. During the
past three years of war, $500 aero
planes is the greatest number that
either the Allies or the Central Pow
ers have been able to place in the air.
With the rapid progress that General
Spuier is making in his work, it
promises not to be long until Ameri-
can forces will be able to comr;and
supremacy in the air on the western
front.