The Washington herald., 1920-02-29

States continues to develop Its, ex-
port of industrial commodities at
the present rate We shall be faced
I within five years by the necessity
of importing foodstuffs. Dependence
upon overseas supplies for food
would then lead to the question of
dominating the seas, he declared In
q speech before the Western Society
of Engineers.
i Then. he said. unless the league
of nations serve It's ideal, we will
need to burden ourselves with more
taxation TO maintain great military
land naval forces"
Hoover explained that American
industries are drawing workers from
the farms because of more favorable
hours and wages, and added that
IF this balance In relative returns
decrease In our agricultural produce
tivity."
II Text OF the Address.
Mr.. Hoover said:
Il believe that ] appear before an
assembly of engineers In two as
poets: First. as a fellow engineer
of some experience in Industry; and.
second In the aspect of a citizen of
some experience In food problems.
! propose, on this occasion, to dis
cuss the interrelationship OF gen.
eral industry and food production
and distribution. Particularly as to
the necessity Of a fair balance be-
tween general industry and agricul-
ture and the need to maintain this
balance by securing to the farmer
more economy in the distribution "a
hfu
Engineering problems involved in
this relationship, but there are great
social and political issues of the
first Importance.
"In order to avoid repetition of
long phrases. propose to use the
term agriculture" as referring to
the agricultural industry, and to use
the term industry" as limited to
the production and manufacture of
nonfood materials.
The outstanding feature of civil
lization during the last century has
been the increasing growth OF In
dustry as distinguished from agri-
Iculture. Many states have stimu-
lated this side of national life until
they have built UP their populations
far beyond the capacity of their
land. We have the most profound
instances of this in England and
Germany. In these states. the pop
ulation is today dependent upon the
import, mostly from overseas, OF
from 30 to 20 per cent of different
food commodities through the .x-
change of industrial products. The
very life of their people Is thus de-
pendent upon maintaining open The
free access to overseas markets.
From this necessity has grown the
great naval armaments \of the
world and the burden that they i'm
ply on all sections of their popula-
ion. Such nations of necessity have
engaged in fierce competition for
markets for their industrial prod
tucts. They have thus built up the
background of world conflicts. The
Titanic struggles that result have
endangered the very lives of their
people from starvation. Their war
tactics have in large degree been
directed to strangle food supplies.
Congested Population Result.
One other result of this develop
ment has been the terrible con-
gestion of populations in manufac-
turing arsas. All such congested
populations are periodically sub
jected to low standards Of living, OF
housing and other conditions of
life. which make for physical and
moral degeneration. In times of in
idustrial prosperity. the standard OF
living increases in these manufac-
turing areas. but in times of indus
trial depression they only maintain
themselves by the practical sweat
ing of the workers. Beyond this.
there Is another jeopardy which
has received too little attention. In
times of industrial depression.
whether brought about by war or
by the ebb and flow Of world pros
perity. these populations. oppressed
with misery. turn to political reme-
l'dies for matters that are beyond
human control. They naturally re-
sent the lowering of their standards
of living and they inevitably resort
to industrial strife, to strikes and
disorder.
Their productivity, upon which
the very life of the nation depends.
again decreases, and their ability
to buy food from abroad decreases
i'm train with their fallen produc-
tivity. because they decrease the
production of goods to send in ex-
change. One other result of large
industrial development is that In
times of industrial prosperity when
the standard of living rises in gen.
eral industry, Ii attracts into its ra-
dus the agricultural population.
and Immediately creates inroads
Into agricultural production. To
some extent this Is a natural bal
ancing of forces which tends to
stabilize itself In time. But there
are social and political phases more
important than sheer economic bal
ances.
Agricultural Production Threatened.
Years ago our predominant export
was fod. Then we turned to i'm
porting mouths for an expanding
industry. and our net export food
surplus diminished to low ebb un-
I'll the beginning of the war, when 1t
received a special and temporary
stimulus. By and large our indus
tries have been in a high state of
prosperity. More favorable hours.
more favorable wages. are today Of
fered in industry than in agricul-
ture. The industries are drawing
1.-THE workers from the farms, II
this balance in relative returns is
to continue, we face a gradual de-
crease in our agricultural produc-
tivity. II we should develop our ex-
ports of industrial commodities dur
ing the next five years as rapidly as
we have during the past five years,
we shall by that time be faced with
the necessity to import foodstuffs.
| Some economists will argue of