The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-08-15
A CAMPAIGN OF MISREPRESENTATION

"A lie travels on horseback"
Two have been galloping up and
down the country now for months.
One is the statement that Amreice
farmers, due to economi conditions
in Europe, have lost their foreign
markets.
The other is the statement that
farm prices go up or down as exports
of farm products go up or down,
and the presently of the American
farmer depends upon increase in his
exports.
These lies originated with the adj
vocates of the league of nations and
Americas becoming involved in Eu-
ropeaR affairs. They were invented
in order to deceive the agricultural
sections of the country, which are
strongly against becoming involved
in Europe's quarrels.
They are being kept in the saddle
largely by that group of propaganda
lists who through the press and from
the platform and pulpit are waging an
incessant campaign in favor Of a de-
parture from American traditions and
a reputation of American principles,
and our involvement and entangle-
ment in the age-old q~uarrels of Eu-
rope.
Every official document touching
upon the subject of foreign markets
issued by any department of u gov
eminent furnishes conclusive proof
that the farmer today is selling Eu-
rope vastly greater quantities of ag-
ricultural products than he did in
any year prior to the world var.
The American farmer is selling
more to Europe today than he did
prior to the world war because Eu-
rope is not yet back to its normal
agricultural production. The nearer
it approaches the production of crops
and livestock of pre-war days, the less
the American farmer will sell to
Europe.
Those who hold out to him the hope
of increased markets in the event Eu-
rope is upon it's feet are doing him
the worst possible injury. His trOu-
BILE today is over-production, and TO
ask him to stimulate production in
the expectation of getting a mar
ket which he never will have, is to
add to his misfortunes.
The truth is, the American farmer
must face the fact that he will sell
less and less to Europe from now on
His problem is either to increase his
domestic market or decrease his own
production.
The lie that farm prices go up OF
down with farm exports is wen more
~inexcusable than its running mate,
There never has been any ground fol-
such a statement. The records OF
farm prices and farm exports for over
a generation show that there is not
the scintilla of truth in this allega.
ton.
To the contrary, the years of great
est exports have, as a rule, been year.
Of lowest prices in tn earticles ex
ported. No better illustration can b,
offered of the fact than the relation
between cotton exports and prices
For a period of years prior to tn
world war, cotton exports al from
$500, 900 to 100000 bales a year
and the prevailing price was IL to 1
cents a pound. Today cotton is sell
ing at % cents a pound, and our ez
ports are only half the pre-war rec
ord. Two years ago this month, col
ton was selling at II to Is cent.
while exports were I'VE a milliO
more bales than they are today.
We are exporting more pork pre-
ducts today than Il year ago or tina
the average of any of the past thrt
years, while hogs are selling at les
than they did a year ago or tn cave
age of the last three years.