Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-19
WHEAT FOR RELIEF
IN CHINA WEIGHED
Farm Board Considers Plan
to Sell Grain at Liberal
Terms in Far East.

Measures for disposing Of the Gov
| ernment'S stabilization wheat for the
/ relief of starving food sufferers in China
and the destitute and unemployed at
home during the coming Winter were
briught to the attention OF the Farm
Board today
| With the boards cotton destruction
plan apparently rejected by the South
ern States. new suggestions for solving
the planters low-price dilemma also are
| pouring into the boards Offices.
President Hoover, to whom the State
Department referred a copy Of the Chi
nese governments inquiry about wheat
| is interested in the situation. At the
| Farm Board it was expected the Presi-
dent would perhaps intervene with the
board in an endeavor to grant liberal
credit terms to the Chinese as q friendly
action to nation in distress.
Reaction Is Expected.
The. board was actively considering
the Chinese inquiry. having consulted
with Stanley X Hornbeek, chief of the
Far Eastern division of the State De-
partment, when a former board menu
Der, Samuel r. McKelnie, In a speech
at Lincoln, Nehr.. suggested that surplus
wheat be devoted to feeding the deSti-
/ tute and hungry Of this country.
The presence of thousands in dire
circumstances while the Government
holds nearly 100000 600 bushels of
! wheat. is bound TO have a reaction in
Congress this Winter as it did at the
last session In the last Congress the
| proposal that a part of the boards
| wheat be given to drought sufferers and
the needy in cities was made geveral
times in both Houses. A number of sim
liar suggestions have come from other
sources.
The Farm Board. however. is not en-
powered to give away any wheat or
cotton, either. The agricultural market.
ing act, under which it operates,
charges the board with making every
effort to realize a profit from its sta
biliza ton operations. Efforts to amend
the law may be made.
President Hoover is understood to be
anxious that this country do something
in a generous way toward the suffering
millions in China.
Chinese Situation Different.
In the case of the German offer for
the purchase of Sterilization wheat. the
President kept hands of, although he
had sponsored the negotiations initiated
| by Ambassador Sackett at Berlin. At
the same time 1t was announced at the
White House the President had no part
in the Farm Boards recommendation
| that third OF the cotton crop be de-
stroyed
The Chinese situation. however. is a
different one. It is solely as a humane
tartan move that the President is rep
! resented as interested in the successful
negotiations for the disposal of wheat
to China. The customary thing In the
case Of a country SO situated as China,
| 1t was pointed out in Government cir
cles, is TO allow the most generous long,
term credits.
There is need for haste in the nego-
tiations, for 100000 Chinese arg re-
ported utterly destitute and 80 COO 0c0
more homeless 1t is probable that the
board may take some definite action
/ before the week end
The Farm Board was asked t3Say
by Senator Nye. Republican FH-th
Dakota. to purchase some OF tie l-'v-
priced wheat to be held - re
drought-stricken farmers to use as seed
next Spring.
1t is the belief OF Senator Nra Eat
| wheat prices win be higher next Sc srg
and he wants the farmers to BE- n a
/ position to buy their seed from the
/ low-priced crops now available
Assurance was given the North Da-
kota Senator By John Barton Payne,
chairman Of the Red Cross, that this
| organization was prepared TO go the
limit in meeting needs In the Grousit-
stricken area. Nye pictured 20 him the
dire distress" prevailing in the North
west
The Senator also will confer today
with Secretary Hyde, who has just re-
| turned from survey of the drought
region.
Board Members Silent.
The numerous suggestions for ham
ding the cotton situation range from
leaving every third row of the present
crop unpicked to contracting with the
farmers not to plant next year. Whether
the board will formulate new pan
from these suggestions remains to be
seen. 1t is a question which board
members decline to discuss.
Representative Landlord. Democrat
Georgia, submitted proposal today
that the board buy cotton. tobacco and
turpentine and hold the purchases for
advanced prices. He said the time for
a great decision" had arrived. He
added it meant life or death" for the
farmers and for the Farm Board
Chairman Stone Of the Farm Board
today acknowledged the receipt of a
cotton proposal from Senator George of
Georgia. who also had teiegraphcd
President Hoover urging a special ses-
sion of Congress to consider the
| acute and widespread" cotton emer-
gency.
Suggests Purchase.
To the Farm Board Senator George
suggested that cotton of the 1881 crop
be purchased for II cents pound, 9
cents payable Immediately. and an adj
ditional cents III October. 1892 These
terms would be extended to farmers
who vii agree not to plant, finance or
permit to be planted to cotton any land
controlled by them in 1882"
Stone informed the Georgia Senator
that the proposal would be given full
consideration in connection with other
plans of the board with respect to the
cotton situation.
No other reply had been received
today from Southern governors regard
ing the boards plan to reduce the 1891
cotton crop by having farmers pillow
under every third row. Ten of the IA
cotton growing States to which the
proposal was made have either fatty
rejected it or made counter proposals.
The board has yet to hear from the
Governors of Tennessee, North Carolina
and Louisiana, as well as from South
Carolina, although Gov Blackwood Of
that State was heard from indirectly
through his secretary.
WOULD USE WHEAT IN RELIEF