Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-23

What event is Of paramount impor.
lance, in these days, to the American
people? The press devotes columns
to the browning of a 6-year-old boy
King of Rumania. and the open. dec
laration of the child's father, Carol.
that he, the father, will eventually
take the crown off the head of his
infant son and place it on his own,
although the father had formally re-
nounced his claims because he pre-
ferred the privilege Of Haunting his
liberty" to live without marriage
with a woman for whom he had
deserted his wife-the child's mother.
So, eventually, there is to be revolu-
ton in Rumania, and probably it will
involve all the Balkans, if not all
Europe, in another war. That is the
outstanding news from Europe.
Compare that, however, with the
Dempsey-Sharkey prize fight, which
drew $4,000 fans" to the ringside to
see two men pummel each other.
Surely that was important, else
Americans would not have paid the
pummelers and their managers" a
million dollars for less than half an
hour of sport aside from an un.
known sum lost and gained in the
betting and travel expenses. That is
the great news of America.
y Y X Y
But what is the great news of the
world? Neither the fate of one royal
child nor the success of one heavy
weight fighter. Rumania Q22,O00
square miles,, is the size Pennsyl-
vania. Virginia and North Carolina,
and it's population, 931 900, is not
double that of the District of Column
bia. Maybe as a kingdom it is about
boys SIZE" but as potential starter
of war in Europe, it is as big as
Dempsey and Sharkey combined.
Yet neither Rumania nor the big
prize sluggers are of as much real
importance to Americans as the
flooded Mississippi Valley, and we
hear very little about the flood since
more sensational events have per-
sisted in crowding it off the front
page of the press. What is the real
story Of the flood?
Secretary Hoover has made a re-
port of conditions to President Cool
idge concerning the f1ood-and the
reporters give us columns of how
that must mean that Mr.. Hoover is
about to resign from the cabinet in
order to become a candidate to sue
coed Mr.. Coolidge. The flood? Oh.
yes! This is part of what Secretary
Hoover reports:
1t covered 100000 acres of rich
farm land, of which nearly third
Q.3O0,Q00 acres) are thrown entirely
out OF production this year, and as
to the rest-2, 900 acres-it all de-
ponds on the weather the rest of the
Summer. If the Summer is long and
hot some crops may mature, other
wise there will be total loss.
This is very different evaluation
Of current effects from what was
forecast month or so ago by the
optimistic Department of Agricul-
ture. The loss has multiplied since
the public ceased to find thrill in it.
Farmers in the flooded region have
tried various experiments. Some have
broadcast cotton seed upon the wet
mud as soon as the ground began to
show above receding waters; others
have experimental with unfamiliar
crops, and the majority of farmers.
upon returning to their flooded farms.
have found it impossible to do any
thing beyond clearing away the debris;
most of the soil is still water-soaked
To sum it all up, the flooded region
is larger than all Of Rumania. and it
is almost a total loss, so far as this
years productivity is concerned. The
victims of the flood outnumber the
Rumanians. and the dependent refu-
gees exceed 100000. Many thousands
of them are impoverished, broken in
health through exposure to weather.
homeless and discouraged. II they
were victims Of some calamity in
Europe or Asia, how long would 1t be
before American liberality would be