Evening star., 1934-08-02
DROUGHT AID HELD
FARM SALVATION
Director christuau Tells
Radio Forum Listeners
of Accomplishments.

T1ne agricultural adjustment pro-
gram has proved the salvation Of the
farmer Ia the drought. Victor A
christgsu. acting farm administration.
aaid last night In a radio address.
Speaking in the National Radio
Forum. arranged by The Star and
broa6cast over a Nation wide chain
of the National Broadcastins Co.
Christgau said had II not been for
this plan Of production control with
its several avenues Of operation.
Farmers would be driven from the
land"
Pointing out that the dry spell
affects parts of % States, Mr.. Christ
Ran said that nothing demonstrates
10 clearly as drought the need Of
collectivs social action 10 meet the
complex problems Of this day and age.
The proposition that the Government
should stand aside and let farmers
meet nature on q rampage morgan
ized, unaided. ~ ndiyidusls--thst is
the proposition that was tolerated un-
til March 4. 1899"
Payments 10 3.eos, 900.
Benefit payments going 10 1000 600
farmers for acreage reduction--based
on past acreages OF production--he
said. means that for the first time in
history they have assurance Of in
come in q period such as that through
which they are passing.
To supplement the emergency cat
tle-buying program In the drought
area, the purchase Of 10000 sheep
"a being considered. and Controller
General McCarl has been asked to
pass upon the legality OF this move.
1nasmuch as sheep we're. not included
as a basic" commodity in the ad-
justment act.
Certainly IL costs money" Christ
eau said in summation, but in view
OF the human and social values that
are conserved, and In view OF the
great waste which would result II
such steps we're not taken. these
Separations seem TO us a iustifable
social effort. much less expensive, IL
you want TO look At 1t from a money
cost point of view. than merely letting
matters take their course and doing
nothing"
Text Of Address
The text OF Mr.. Christgau's speech
1ollo~s:
First OF all, on behalf OF the Agri-
cultural Adjustment Administration,
wish to thank The Washington Star
for this opportunity to talk to you
about the drought. / think that,
IN providing this forum for dts
cuSsion Of public questions from all
points OF view, The Washington Star
As performing real public service.
/ wish / could paint for you true
and adequate word picture of this
drought But words cannot do 1t.
They are not adequate. when Nature
snliles, 10 tell the beauty and richness
of the earth and its bounties. And
now, with Nature In an ugly mood,
there are no words TO portray the
cruelty and hardship wrought in the
worst parts of the drought area by
rainless skies, burning sun and
winds hot as II they we're blowing
from some big furnace. Drought like
this Is q calamity, like flood, or war
or peStilence.
ID StAteS AHcctcu
To-day, in widely varying degrees,
the drought Affects parts OF 23 States.
The total number Of drought coun-
ties now exceeds / 800 Some have
an actual shortage of water for
man and beast to drink, with reser-
voirs, normally brimfull, now empty.
Water is being shipped TO them in
tank cars, and the Federal Emergency
Relief Administration is digging wells.
In many States, with pastures gone,
the great task Is the live stock prob
leri-and. by that. mean the need
10 salvage animals which would starve
or die of thirst, and to provide feed
to maintain foundation herds so as
70 perpetuate the live stock industry.
which Is the backbone of agriculture
in much of the drought area In some
places. with flowers gone. farmers are
importing sugar as substitute food for
bees. This drought began in April
and became worse in May. That is
the month when all the small grains
get their start. In wide areas, these
grains this year were blasted beyond
recovery even with the scattered rains
OF June. These rains we're neither
generous enough nor general enough,
and the drought intensified and ex-
tended in July Drought this year
Is phenomenon found in many parts
OF the world, affecting countries
abroad as well as our own. In the
United States. We have to go back 40
years to 1894 for record of a drought
eirnilar to the present.
But along with the spectacle of
drought, there is another and a dif-
ferent spectacle of mans fight to
overcome its consequences. And where
one is picture OF the blind and heart