Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-08-29

must be centered around a East
West coalition. Senator McNary, co
author of the McNary-Haugen plan
for farm relief. frankly admits that
the issue will be settled in the West,
comedies that the South will be De-
mocratic and declares that the bag
Of wheat and the hogs must be got
back to the Republican party to
win" He believes that this can be
done only by Offering a farm pro
gram that will satisfy the farmers as
more to their advantage than the
AAA. He hopes TO force discussion
OF a new agricultural program among
farmers and to secure such wide ap-
proval that the Republican conven-
ton VIII adopt it as a plank.
Undoubtedly the party that can
make the strongest appeal to the
farmers of the West will have the
best chance to win, insofar as the
present lineup car predict the re-
suit Politicians do not forget that
the Republicans from ten States,
meeting IN the Grass Roots conven-
ton In Springfield, H., hoped on
every New Deal policy without re-
straint except the farm policy. The
processing taxes may be unpopular
in the East, where the benefits are
small and where the manufacturers
are kicking about them, but farm
ers, West and South, are generally
behind the AAA and the processing
taxes and rtady to battle for them.
The gravity of the situation In
Europe, with Mussolini determined
to absorb Ethiopia, has not been In
derestimated by officials in Washing
ton, who realize the serious threat to
world peace, but the view is that the
matter is one for Europe to handle
and that this country will make nc
commitments or become entangled in
the row under any circumstances.
Action of the Senate, last week, in
adopting the se%yen-point resolution
to safeguard American neutrality be-
fore war began and thus made any
action here unlikely to be miscon-
strued is indicative of sentiment
generally.
OF course, economic sanctions may
be applied by members of the
League of Nations, if that is decided
upon but this country is not oblig-
ated to join in such a move which, it
is thought, would eventually embroil
the United States in another step to
avoid war or end it. Under the Kel-
logg-Briand pact. which this nation
signed, there is nothing to require us
to unite in any action against a vio-
latOr.
The more exact definition Of our
neutrality stand has been under
study for many months. 1t is a sub
ject of considerable moment. Take
for example, the possibility that the
members Of the League may exert
pressure upon Italy. In such an event
would the United States, under its
often proclaimed doctrine of the
freedom of the seas, buck the League
nations by insisting upon its right to
trade with Italy? Would this coun-
try, on the other hand, abandon its
rights in the interests Of the world
as upheld by the combination Of
powers?
Great Britain, it is known, would
welcome our participation in some
step to curb Italy but this will come
rather poorly from the nation that
did little to back up Secretary Slim
son when he boldly proclaimed a de-
termination on our part not to rec
ognize any gains made by Japan, in
China, in violation OF treaties signed
by the nations. While many obser-
vers believe that the life Of the
League, or certainly its effective
ness as an instrument of peace is at
stake, they feel that the opportunity