The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-04-11
THE WEEK
Hurley Would Sell Ships
The Mills Acquittal
A New Chinese Wall
War for a Secret Treaty

| pen IHe SIupS, says chairman
Hurley of the shipping board, and
that gentleman thus makes his pres
ent record square with his past,
which past includes fighting against
investigation of the packing trust
and letting Diamond T'' Logan, spy
extraordinary for special interests,
dictate his speeches.
All the evidence of the case, un-
less public officials now introduce
some inefficiency to clinch Hurley's
arguments, is in favor of govern
ment ownership. In July, 1917, Wood
row Wilson told us, tor instance,
that with their high-handed meth
| DDS the shipowners were doing their
best to defeat US in the war. Years
before that private ownership had
practically driven our flag from the
seas-it sold out and boosted for
British companies.
What will our farmers do if they
have to compete with the Australians
and their government-owned ships
through another ocean combine? ?
How will our small manufacturers
export if they must ship through
companies controlled by the few big
trusts?
Hurley's speech produced profound
satisfaction in two quarters: The
Merchant Marine :, league, before
which he most appropriately deliv-
cred it, and in all monopolistic cir
cles which fear their turn might be
next if the government were to keep
its own ships.
The last of the cases trumped up
against Nonpartisan league men un-
der the federal laws has fallen fiat.
The evidence presented against Wal
ter Thomas Mills was so shallow and
malicious that the federal judge in
structed the jury to bring in an ac-
quittal. Four other attempts were
made to esablish League disloyalty
and they all have had Humpty-
Dumpty's experience.
Now, of course, we can expect
the anti-farmer crowd to apologize
for building nationwide publicity on
these frame-up cases. That is, we
can if we are simple-minded. There
may be that proverbial honor among
crooked politicians, but whatever
there is of it is never extended to an
honest political reform movement.
The latest big -Bolshevist sug-
gestion coming from Paris is to draw
a line from the Black sea to the
Baltic on the order of Chinese wall.
All Bolshevists, the theory is, will
be kept to the east Of it; all good
government to the west of it pre-
served. In the old days the Chinese
wall was of considerable use in keep
ing out the Tartars armed with
spears and swords, but walls don't
count for much these days, and least
of all in a case like this where the
enemy" is not from without but
springs up wherever autocrats and
plutocrats disregard the interests of
the plain people.
The "New Industrial Day" and
restoration of the conditions neces-
sary to normal prosperity would
turn the trick, but alas, these things
also are bolshevism.
A war for a secret treaty hardly
fits into the present-day declara-
tions and prtensions; yet that is pre-
cisely what we have on our hands |
in regard to Hungary.
Prior to March 25, when the work
ing people took over the govern
ment there, did the American people |
know that our peace conference had
decided to-: /. Use Hungary as the |
battle-ground against Soviet Russia;
2. Use Bohemian and Rumanian |
troops for this purpose; 8. Reward
these countries with large slices of |
Hungarian territory?
All of the Big Four. have SUBJ
scribed to the principle of open di-
plomacy and that of self-determina-
ton. Now, however, troops are NOV
ing against the Hungarians notwith-
standing the fact that even the
news reports of the big press tell US
of bloodless revolution, strict order,
cooperation of all wrkers of hand
and brain, and willingness to main
tain friendship with the allies.
Where are the IA principles? Is it
any wonder that the peace confer
ence is having troubles, internal and
external?