The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-04-21
URGE LIMITED PRODUCTION

Next WOrlQ wheat Conference
Will Be Held in 1882, Prob
ably in Canada
London, April 21.- (NEA) -"Givc
us this day our daily bread"
For l 1881 years this prayer has risen
from the lips of all Christian peoples.
And. in a lesser degree. from nom
. Christian folk as well.
And the striking fact in the world
OF the present hour Is that the busy
farmers of the grain-raising countries
of the world have raised 80 much
wheat that the supply exceeds the
demand, although In many places on
the globe thousands are hungry for
lack of just this daily bread. The
wheat farmers of the United States,
Canada, Australia. India and the Ar
gentine cannot dispose of all their
supply. On the other hand. in a
country like England. wheat is down
40 per cent compared with pre-war
prices. while flour is is per cent above
those prices, and bread Is per cent
above.
Everywhere the wheat = producing
countries are vastly troubled by the
plight of their farmers and every
where some solution Is being sought
Already three great international
conferences have been held and two
more Of Importance are on the sched-
ule. There has been much eloluence,
much production Of figures-but 50
far nothing in the way Of a solution
has been found.
Danubian Nations Confer
In the first place, some months ago
the Danubian embarrassing countries
held a conference. It was stated that
the combined debts Of the small grain
exporters of the Baltic states. Poland
Hungary and the Balkan countries
amounted to nearly a billion and a
half dollars. These countries lived
mainly by agriculture. Their confer
ence wound up by an appeal to the
other European countries 10 give
them preferential treatment n their
purchase of grain.
Next. a European conference was
held at Paris under the indirect aus
pices of the League of Nations. It
really was part of the series OF con-
ferences started by Aristide BRAND
Foreign Minister of France, IN his
scheme for a United States Of Europe.
Ali European countries except Russia
were represented. The plea OF the
Danubian conference was listened TO
but it was at once objected thai
preferential treatment could not be
given the Danubian countries, be-
cause many of the European nations
in their commercial treaties with the
world, had clauses for the most Ia
vored nation. Thus, If Belgium had
such a clause in a treaty with the Ar
gentine, it could not bar Argentine
wheat for the benefit Of Danubian
wheat. The conference wound up by
adopting some pious resolutions.
Next, a conference was held at
Rome under the auspices OF the In
ter%national Institute Of Agriculture
an institution which grew out of the
money, the dreams and the lifelong
work of an American, the late David
Lubin. This conference was far moro
representative than the one IN Paris,
because not only val Russia heavily
represented, but SO were three OF the
four countries which account for
about 80 per cent of the surplus
wheat now in the market-Canada,
Australia and the Argentine. The
United States had an observer. As
was caustically said-"Thc American
attended, but did not pay for his
seat"
Limited Production Urged
The Rome conference Immediately
showed the enormous difficulties to be
encountered in seeking q remedy for
a world situation. The French thesis
was stated by M. Masse. who said tina:
dumping and similar evils could only
be solved by limiting wheat -roduc-
ton, beginning by stabilizing 1t in
the great producing countries. He
was Immediately put In his place
when other delegates pointed out the
insuperable difficulties Of getting
wheat countries to agree on a fixed
program. Each would want TIE max
imum allotment of acreage eor its
own country.
M. Perez, representing the Argen-
tine, said M of the great troubles
was that Russia was dumping In the
world market wheat at a price lower
than the cost Of production, owing tn
its system Of forced labor. Professor
Kritzman, chief of the BOlshevik
delegation, at nee took up this chal-
lenge. He denied that there was
forced labor on Russian wheat farms.
He said wheat was suffering from q
general world crisis. Coffee, sugar
cotton, rubber were all in a bad way
and nobody could say Russia was
producing and dumping those prod
ucts. Actually. Russia was EXPORTING
only about so per cent Of what 1t did
before the World War and only about
one-tenth of its actual present crop
Russia could not limit its production
in view Of its rapidly growing popula-
ton and also in view Of the fact that
by the sale Of its wheat 1t secured the
industrial products that It needed
from other countries.
fixtures Reveal Situation
Louis Dop, vice president Of the In
ternational Institute Of Agriculture
rave the conference some actual fig
urea. He said the needs OF the wheat
importing countries Of Europe were
some 900 quintals. The Oanu-
bian countries could supply Q per cent
STl(kfhS
ADVANTAGEOUS.
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