The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-09-18
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

WYE have read much in the papers of late
w about the human side of the drought prob
lem, bringing to us wildly the spectacle of
parched prairies, gaunt faces, dead animals, and
the like.
This is all to the good, but this drought
should teach us how to prevent the return of
any such calamity. We had a drought from 1884
to 1883 which ~geographerS believe to be nearly
as severe as the present one, but we prohted
very little from its horrors.
We are fortunate, therefore, to have an
article on 1.-THE Drought-Act of God and Free
DOM" in the Survey Graphic by Professor j.
Russell Smith of columbia university.
The author is one of the most eminent of the
worlds geographerS and also is known for his
remarkable grasp on the economic history OF
the United States.
'The United States is suffering from drought
as never before. There are three different
aspects of this catastrophe. One is the absence
of rain in places where the record of the past
gave us reason to expect rain sufficient for agri-
culture.
THE second element of loss and misery re-
suits from our widespread establishment of ex-
tensive agriculture in places where the evidence
and record did not give reason to expect the
farmer to make an enduring success.
Il u
"THE third factor, new to most minds, has
l. shocked millions-the destruction of lands
by wind erosion.
THE second and third of the three troubles
properly may be said to result from a national
land policy that additionally has been but little
above the level of economic idiOcy."
We commonly aScribe most of the blame for
the drought to the lack of nth so-called
act of God, but its disasters have been due as
much to our insane public land policy, particu-
larly since the Civil war-a product of our def
erence to the ideal of freedom and rugged indl-
vidualism.
Not only has our government let us, it has
helped us, to do as we pleased, especially with
land. Our land policy has been: Give it to the
people; hurry up and give it to the people. They
know what to do with it. Any and all know
what to do with land-any landau land.
I'VE have, in effect, grabbed this continent
without restrictions. We have done with it as
we pleased, and now the consequences of this
~grab-and-kill land policy are beginning to show
up"
The final straw that broke the camels back
Of sensible American agriculture came as the re-
suit of the war boom and the introduction Of
the tractor and other manifestations of mechan-
ical agriculture. These led to the blowing up
Of vast regions Of pasture land which never had
been used for agricultural purposes at all.
TIN recent dust storms have blown the most
l. valuable topsoil off of no one knows how
much Of our western grain lands which prob
ably never should have been plowed at all be-
cause they really were only pasture lands-so
the experts. and the record say.
Il still am free to buy land and do with it
as I please. I can cut it. I can burn it. I can
do as farmers did in the now furnishing vest
drain lakes that never should have been
drained I can pillow arid pastures and let them
blow away. I can pillow fertile hills and let
them wash away, and can in a decade, or half a
decade. ruin the land that might support a
family for a millennium.
Il am beginning to have misgivings about
allowing Tom, Dick and Harry to misuse their
land and destroy the United States, even if it
may pay them personally to do So"
Are these three brethren to continue free to
commit follies for which our taxes pay, and
which in addition ruin the land on which fu-
ture generations might live?
i still may want to do as I please with my
own land, but I do believe the United States
needs a land policy which even I. liberty-loving
Smith, should obey in the interests Of preServ-
ing the United States"