Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-20
BY WILLIAM HARD.

The focus Of national and ilterna-
tionaI interest for the Federal admin
istration Of the United States of Amer
lea at this week end is undoubtedly the
State of Kansas, involving, for in
stance:
The palpitating peak Of the wheat
problem.
The behavior of Alexander Legge as
head of the International Harvester Co.
in manufacturing combines" where
with the Kansans have greatly multi
piled their wheat reapings.
The subsequent present hard-hearted
behavior of MIR. Legge as head Of the
Federal Farm Board in refusing to buy
up all the excess wheat produced by the
Kansans with the combines" he sold
them.
The revival In Kansas Of talk about
the equalization fee and the debenture
plan and other ideas for feeding wheat
into the Europeans by means Of gov
ernmental facilitating Of wheat ex-
ports.
The emergence of high tariffs against
foreign wheat in France and Germany
and italy and other European coun-
tries.
The appearance In Kansas OF the
proposal that American manufacturers
Vi 1hILH 1llO(lAhlCAJ oAASNAA ~
den to increase the wheat production OF
Europe through continuing their pres
ent practice Of selling farm machinery
to Europeans.
The Approaching converting In Lon
don of the British Imperial Economic
Conference, in which 1t Is hoped by
some Britons that way may be found
to favor Canadian wheat In the British
market at the expense OF the wheat OF
Kansas and OF the other sovereign
States of this Union.
The demand thereupon by Gov. Reed
Of Kansas that Mr.. Legge buy 2S,OOO'-
600 bushels of wheat and the instant
superior demand by Senator Capper OF
Kansas that Mr.. Legge buy 1OO, OOO,OOO
bushels of It and the emotional inter-
est of all true adminiStrational hearts
in the efforts of Senator Allen OF Kan
sas to be renominated next month IN
Kansas to succeed himself next year
in the Senate.
y 49,
The tense conflict in the administra-
ton between the hearts, which wish
Senator Allen WELL and the minds which
hold that 1t would be foolish and dis
astrous for Mr.. Legge to buy more
wheat even II it secured also the re-
turn of Mr.. Allen to Capitol Hill.
The triumph of alleged economies
over warm and beautiful human emo
tions and the iron refusal OF Mr.. Iegge
and of Mr.. Hoover to buy more wneat.
The uncovering of the distressing TACT
that the wretched plight OF some
American wheat farmers Is caused IN
large degree by the ruthless conduct
of some other American wheat farmers
and that a lot Of the latter live IN
Kansas.
This final aspect Of the Kansas situa-
ton is indeed the browning stage OF
the whole development of the farm re-
lief movement to date. Western Kan
sas seems to be just about the prize
champion loW-cost wheat-produclng
region of the country at the moment.
While for 10 years the agrarlan sen
ators at Washington have been telilng
the world about the IMPROVEMENTS
and of combines" have been going
ont into the Western Kansas cow
country and changing it from pastures
into wheat fields. They can grow
wheat there, often at cost OF nov
more than 40 cents a bushel. II tney
ret a price of even as mucn as 90
Cents a bushel, which they 40, tney
make money. Meanwhile their gear
brother farmers elsewhere, VINO are
ploughing and reaping with horse .,t, miSS
be losing money violently ana pi'1u''''
II was essentially on behalf OF those
other farmers that Mr.. Legge ana o.
retary of Agriculture HYDE appeaLe1S
the other day in Western kansas .sS %,s
implored the local patriots 70 reouco
the;r wheat acreage. Stupefied admira-
ton expressed in washington Ior W.
Tegpe and Mr.. Hyde on the asseIICo
historical fact that they are poSsioy
the only two public men who ever iett
washington to 60 to tell farmers WnaC
the farmers did not want TO near. Ane
Western Kansas farmers IN eHect t &c.
buked Mr.. Legge and MI. nSue ,,o,o-
hrained economists. which the farmers
there wished them to be. . ,s
The Western Kansas argument 10
really this: Wv.
We are growing the stun cheap. ISnt
il a grand thing for the WorIo 10 nav
it cheap? Why tell us to stop? why
not put the stopper. on the hsL-SOSU
growers somewhere else?
Mr.. Leege and Mr.. Hyde were greatiy
rrieyed to meet human beings so utteriy
economic. Their feelings were the orr
gin of Mr.. Legge'S homely inquiry as 70
whether or not Kansas was going "
initiate traditional habit OF the tattesG
| hog on the farm ana lie IN the trough
Mr.. Legge was appalled, by the expan-
sion of the trough.
In 1925 the Kansans added almost
million acres to their wheat endeaVors.
In 1925 and 1927 they added more tnan
| a million more. They today nave TWO
| and a half million acres more OF WneaC
than they had in 1924. They bring 70
a climax the most crucial phase OF the
whole wheat relief augmentation.
Is the Federal Government to try
| to see to it that all wheat farmers are
| relieved and are enabled to remain
wheat farmers; or, are the hlgh-cos
wheat farmers TO be driven out Of
business by the low-cost wheat farm