Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-12-27
WINE AND WAR B

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the United States was due from our sister republic of
France. Some time ago, according to Washington dis
patches, our government notified the French authorities
that this payment was due. This was done, not because
we believed the French were unaware of the debt, but
simply to keep the record straight. So far as we can find
out there was no reply from Paris regarding the sum due.
Since other payments are in default, and since the French
government has been making no provision in its budget
for any sums due the United States, it may be taken for
granted that the country into which we poured millions
in money, and thousands of soldiers for its defence at a
critical period of its history, does not intend to pay more
on this debt, IN spite of the fact that all Of the debt in
Cured before the armistice has long ago been cancelled.
1t is not to be taken, however, that France has forgotten
us. This is by no means the case. In fact, since the repeal
of the Eighteenth amendment French interest in the
United States has been greater than ever. This has come
about through no desire for neighborliness, but because
France wants to sell us as much wine as she can induce us
TO take.
So, we are told in dispatches from Washington, the
French ambassador called at the State Department a few
days ago, asking for concessions for the importation Of
French wine into the United States. OF course, we are
now getting some wine from Paris but the French want
us to take a great deal more. What they want us to do is
to forget about what they already owe us, and spend more
money with them. This time they will give us champagne
instead of promises, though of course they expect to make
a fat profit on the deal.
It is said that at the State Department the French am
bassador was informed that the United States could not
increase its French wine quota unless the French in
creased their purchases OF agricultural products in the
United States. This is a step in the right direction, but
we think it would have been advisable to go further.
Why not notify the French and other foreign govern
ments which owe us money they will not pay, that we can
not purchase any wines or other liquors from them at all,
unless they will credit the cost on what they owe us? Ger
tainly there is nothing unfair about that. Transactions
of that kind are frequently made in private business. Of
course we realize that it is unethical for a government to
insist on business principles in carrying on it's activities.
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debts that would be simple enough even for a government
to try.
We were told that one of the reasons for repeating the
Eighteenth amendment was that it would revive industry
in the United States, that it would help the grape indus
try in the United States and would create a new market
for the grain Of the American farmer. Without going in
to the pros and cons of this proposition, the amendment is
now repealed and certainly Uncle Sam ought to give the
American grower the benefit of the experiment.
Unless we are mistaken, the public is going to hear a
lot about the connection between liquor imports and for
eign debts when Congress meets again.
When a man goes out on a spree he is practicing infla-
ton. And he gets the inevitable deflationary headache
the next morning.
Prof. Julian Huxley says that ants have vices lust like
humans, in that they drink, employ child labor and are
too fond of sweet things. But they don't buy on the in
stalment plan and they never play the market.
" rs
IHeIe may pe several ways OF reducing the corn sur
plus, but it would occur to us that the way NOT to do it
would be to slaughter four million young pigs, who
might have had a good time eating it.
Secretary Wallace admits to the Mildly Western gov
errors that the job of fixing agricultural prices by the
licensing system is too big a job even for the A. A. A.
Worlds fair officials have decided to reopen the fair
in 1894. We presume this means that Sally will have to
go shopping for a new fan. n
nv
We can't see the consistency of the governments pay
ing a farmer to destroy part of his crops and then giving
him free seed and loans for fertilizer in order that he can
raise bigger and better crops.