Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-17

Editorial Digest
Who Will Help the farmeri


Federal loans for farmers. resurree-
ton Of the War Finance Board and
credits for foreign countries which
are potential buyers Of food stuffs
have not proved popular demands
among most editorial writer's who
comment upon them. despite the
pressure that 10 being brought to bear
in the west and south to secure Pro.
the depredauons of def1ation Al
though nearly all the newspapers de-
mand that Congress rush through
legislation now pending. few are able
to offer concrete suggestions ana
fewer still place much faith in what
has already been outlined.
THE United States government has
neither money nor credit" says the
wall Street Journal (ind3; which.
and burrows, is. at least close to the
nations purse. ito extend to farmers.
comb ming to influence unfairly
world market which is--and ought to
be-beyond this nations control.
failed. 1t adds. because they attempt
ed this very thing. Nor does the Jour-
nal believe in the War Finance Board
as friend in need for the farmer;
It is not peace-time necessity" In
News Gnd) declares. would be the
least reasonable" OF all the plans
brought forth. while. the best one
would be extension Of credits in Eu-
foreign customers who haven't the
price to pay their bills, the Spring.
fcld Republican Und) points out, is
that the new tariff policies would con-
money from abroad the Europeans
must be allowed to sell their goods
here and the republican west and
the democratic south must oppose the
movement for a higher tariff"
The st. Louis Star Gnd) does and
farmer. for. though it admits he may
be suffering from price reductions the
public is still suffering from high
prices. The essential need is ITO pass
the farmers price reductions On to
the consumer" In sum
'The farmers ought to have credit
enough SO that they will not have to
sell their goods when Spectators or
glutted market has depressed prices.
They should not have credit to en-
able them to defy natural conditions
or create an artificial shortage. But
that is what they are asking for"
What they are asking for. If the
Nom Partisan League organ. the Fargo
Courier-News. can be taken as their
spokesman. is a credit for Germany,
pa6e0. Tor instance on the $4UU OnO.-
900 realized from the sale Of German
property in the United States" per-
mission ito federal reserve banks to
extend credit Of agricultural paper"
and farmer representation on the
Federal Reserve Board.
The Boston Transcript Gnd. rep.),
while 1t does not express much en-
thusiasm over the idea. grants tia
ut may be necessary" to revive the
hoard. for it considers that there is
mo question about the seriousness of
the crisis in the country's agricul-
ture" and "the Intervention Of the ma
tional authorities seems to be due
somewhere"
From Ohio and Alabama come two
voices Of protest against the theory Of
federal assistance. The Birmingham
News fdem.) believes that:
I'VE have become too accustomed to
looking to the federal government to
do things for us-from telling us how
to raise babies to singing songs and
entertaining the proletariat.' 1t has
got to stop some time-and we must
get back to self-help, self-reliance,
and take our losses manfully."
Self-help Is also the keynote sound
ed by the Columbus (Ohio) State Jour-
nal (rep.l. which admits that the gov
eminent may be able to give some
help TO the farmer. but thinks that in
the Last analysis he must Eight his
own battles"