Evening star., 1935-12-04
GEORGIA FARMERS
VISIT ROOSEVELT
Land Bank Interest Rate
Reductions Asked-Mes-
sage Is Started.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG,
Staff CORRESPONDENT of The Star.

WARM SPRINGS. Ga, December 4.
In the library of the Little White
House here today President Roosevelt
sat down with dozen well-to-do
farmers of Meriwether County. in
which Warm Springs is located, for a
talk dealing principally
with farm problems.
Like all farmers, whether well-to-do
or poor, these Georgian agriculturists
came to the President seeking favor.
Many of the farmers owning land,
this delegation pointed out to the
President, are struggling today under
burdenSome debts contracted during
the prosperous years of unrestrained
expansion. Their purpose in calling
upon Mr.. Roosevelt was to tell him of
the necessity of further reducing In
terest rates on Federal land bank
loans. In their opinion these rates,
which now average 6 to per cent,
should be reduced to 2 per cent. They
admitted, however, that they would be
very happy to get q reduction to 8
per cent, as that would help them ma
terially. They pointed out to the
President that their interest rate trou-
BILE could be remedied by changes in
the Frazier-Lemke farm mortgage bill.
No Promise Given.
These well-to-do farmers we're with
the President an hour. They found
him very agreeable, attentive and SYM
pathetic, but. according to their
spokesman, received no definite prorf-
ise from the Executive.
It is understood that the President
took the occasion Of the call Of these
large land-owning agriculturists to
question them about various agricul-
tural problems, which subjects he will
discuss in the forthcoming address he
will make to the American Farm Bu-
reau Federation in Chicago next Mon
day. The President has started the
writing of his speech and hopes to
have it completed and ready for the
press next Sunday He admitted yes
terday that he expects to devote con-
siderable portion of it to the discus
sion of the Agricultural Adjustment
Administration.
At the Presidents biweekly confer
ence with newspaper correspondents
yesterday afternoon he appeared
greatly amused when asked If he'd be
a candidate to succeed himself. 1.-THE
convention will decide" he smilingiy
responded.
When asked if there was anything
to reports out of Washington that he
favored holding the next Democratic
National Convention in some Eastern
city, preferably Philadelphia, so that
he might attend personally, the Presi-
dent, assuming a most innocent look.
replied to the effect that the selec-
ton Of the convention city remains
entirely with the committee. He jok-
ingly suggested that Warm Springs or
Pine Mountain Valley, near here,
would be ideal for such a gathering.
William Jennings Bryan was present
for his nomination as presidential
nduinee In Chicago, In 1895. Theodore
Roosevelt was in Chicago when the
Bull Moose nominated him In 1912 to
run against Taft and Wilson, and
Franklin d. Roosevelt fiew to the Chi
cago convention in 1892 Just after he
had been nominated to deliver his
acceptance speech.
Origin Of Report.
Talk of Philadelphia as the next
Democratic convention city emanates,
40 doubt, from the remarkable showing
made by the Democrats in Philadel-
phia In the elections last month and
the optimism on the part Of Senator
Joe Guffey, Democratic leader in Pen
sylvania, and other prominent Demo-
Gratis in the State regarding the pros
poets in their State for next Fall.
Mr.. Roosevelt is known to have
looked upon the Democratic gains In
Philadelphia in the elections last
month as being of the greatest signifi-
canoe. Postmaster Jim Farley has no
hesitancy in claiming this State, at
this early date, for Roosevelt. Mr..
Roosevelt is not ready to make public
the names OF the bankers referred to
by him in his Atlanta speech last Fri
day, as proposing to him, early in mis-
administration, that the Nation could
stand public debt Of IS to 10 billion
dollars to meet the emergency prob
lens without inturing the national
credit.
Mr.. Roosevelt could reveal these
names If he wanted to. Maybe he will
later on If pressed hard enough. When
asked directly who these bankers were
the President said he had a list him
self, as well as some letters. but that
he had received no requests for max
ing the names known and indicated
that he Wss not proposinr to do so.