Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-11

this obvious lesson. ." 81" The world
now knows the result and the Farm
Board confessed its abject failure when
| it announced that it would not repeat
the experiment this year.
mo one can now question that.
The Farm Relief Board has proved the
greatest failure, as it was the greatest
America.
Given Huge Power.
Certainly the Farm Board did not
fail because 1t was not given suficient
power by Congress or suflcient money
from the Treasury The statutes of the
United States from the beginning of
the Government can be searched in
vain for any such unlimited delegation
of power to a Government bureau. In
deed. it may be doubted whether in
the legislation Ct any other country
this side of Russia, a parallel could be
found except in times of war.
Tried by the arduous test of expert
ence, this essay in socialism has failed.
The Farm Board sought to minimize
speculation and became the greatest
Spectator in grain and cotton; it sought
downward until they are well below the
cost of production: it sought to prevent
a surplus and only increased the sur
plus; it sought to decrease the planting
acreage and only increased it; it sought
to secure orderly marketing and, with
the Government as the biggest specu-
lator in wheat and cotton with I'M
limited means, the orderly marketing
became disorderly past precedent. 1t
% nFaf nrriA ~ nnr-f
culture and it has brought about the
greatest depression in our history; 1t
sought to prevent wasteful methods of
distribution and only succeeded in i'm
posing upon the people of the United
States at least one-half of the present
Governmental deficit.
The effect upon our foreign markets
can be measured by single fact that,
whereas the sale of American cotton
has Shrunk from 5,053, 900 bales in the
season of l928-29 to 10,907 900 bales in
1930-3l, yet the sales of foreign grown
cotton have increased from 10000 900
bales in 1928-29 to 11.575, 900 bales in
19303l. In other words, partly iue to
the perniciouS effect of tine Farm
Boards operations upon the marketing
of cotton, America has lost over 4,000,-
600 bales as compared with the gain of
foreign growers of 775,000 bales.
recent radio address which the arch
charlatan of our age, George Bernard
Shaw, made to the American people.
Having spent 10 days in Russia and
never having been in America, he yet
impudently attempted to exalt the
Soviet scheme of government to the
prejudice of the American. Addressing
the American people as Dear old boobs'
and claiming that their mentality diff
fPrnH from air ek ~
self-adVertiSers proceeded to eXalt the
Moscow theory of government, where
bureaucracy has been carried to its final
and logical conclusion. His address was
not even consistent with itself, for, haV-
ing stated in one part that Russia had
abolished capital punishment, he then
told US that If subject of Russia has
succeeded-presumably by thrift and
industry-in saving little money that
his case is speedily reported to the
secret police, with the result, as Mr..
Shaw admiringly tells us, that the I'M
happy poSseSsor of property suddenly
finds himself in the next world and his
relatives are politely informed that they
need have no anxiety as the unhappy
victim is never coming home any more
The American people have not pro-
ceeded SO far on the road to Moscow
as to have lost their native relish for
lndlViduallsm Our Constitution
was conceived in the spirit of sleepless
jealousy of government. In its limited
grant of powers. and careful system of
checks and balances. it proclaimed its
belief that government was neither en-
niScient nor omnipotent. Its founders
believed that government was a neces-
sary evil, and that its only function was
to do for the individual what the indi-
vidual could not do for himself.
Made U. S. Greatest Nation.
Under this policy of ncn-interfer-
ence by government with the self "
velopment Of the individual, our coun-
try became the greatest nation in the
world. No better yindication of Ameri-
can individualism could be given than
that, with z per cent of the worlds
population, We Yet have half of its rail-
way mileage, three-fourths of its tele-
phones and nine -tenths of its automo-
bIes. Certainly no people in all his
tory have enjoyed so great measure
OF average comfort.
In view of such results, the spirit of
individualism needs no yindication at
my hands, even though George Bernard
Shaw, for purposes of self-advertise-
ment, affects TO prefer the slavery of
the Soviets to the freedom of the
American.
Nearly 80 years ago a portentouS
change marked the political philosophy
Of the American people. Individualism
began to yield slowly but surely to gov
ernmental collectivism.
This marked change in the spirit of
our people began with the creation of
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
We entertained the strange delu-
sion that, if the President would appoint
. commission of IL men, many of whom
rad had no experience whatever with
the operation of railroads. this inexpa-
rienced and irresponsible super board
of directors could govern the railroads
far more wisely than men who had
given lifetime to such work. It has
now existed for Al years, and it may
be questioned whether the commission
has not done more harm than good
to the railroads and therefore to the
public interests.
"A striking illustration Of its social
istic spirit is the recent decision in the
matter of increased railroad rates. 1t
permits increased charges upon certain
commodities provided that the carrier,
who transports the freight, will turn
over the amount of the increase to rail-
roads who do not carry the freight.
This seems to me an absolute
negation Of property rights.
Patriotic Coalition Urged.
THE coming Congress will be one of
the most critical in the history of our
country and it remains to b. seen
whether our representatives will con-
tinue on the steady march in the di-
rection of Moscow or turn TO the safer
paths of the fathers. Both political
parties were responsible for the agri-