Evening star., 1935-02-25
BY NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT.

OF 1888.
BY NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT.
The snow lies deep this Winter in
Minnesota, Wisconsin and parts Of
Iowa and Illinois. and the farmers
are talking hopefully of good year
to come Merchants report business
looking up and even the bankers in
Chicago are optimistic. Gone are the
despair and depression of a year ago.
No longer do people demand imitation
and other panaceas to help them out
of their troubles. Were on our way"
they say, echoing the Presidents ia
NOUS phrase. Only few of the more
thoughtful admit that they don't know
lust where this way" is leading. But
they regard even this as preferable to
the dark despair of 1892 and 1888.
These are, in brief, impressions OF
the Middle West, hastily revisited after
Is months. This year my range and
my time were more limited than in
the Autumn of 1888, but by sitting the
evidence of those friends whose anal
yses in the past have proved to be the
soundest, it is possible to generalize
about the present state Of mind.
Were on Our Way"
Where last Summers terrible
drought wrought destruction, there is
still acute poverty and distress. The
Dakotas and parts of Western Min
nesota, Nebraska and Kansas would
be in a bad way were it not for the
Federal relief moneys. Even the other
regions where the crops were good are
better off for the millions OF dollars
poured in by Uncle Sam. But prices
are up. debts are being paid of, new
cars are being bought and there is
hope in the air. From all sides come
the echo. Were on our way"
Franklin D. Roosevelt still is given
the largest measure of credit for this.
Now, as a year ago, the Presidents
popularity is immense. Paradoxlcally'
together with praise for him, goes
criticism of his policies. But with true
American generosity people blame his
advisers for what they dislike or dis
trust. Hes doing his best" they say,
and add, Thank God he's at least
doing Something!"
Three Unknown Factors.
While the cries of those wanting
radical reforms are less headed-de-
spite the spread of TownSendism and
the popularity of Father Coughiin ana
Huey Long-three unknown factors
obscure the horizon. All three are
directly connected with spending The
first is the enigma of the pump
priming' theory. The second is the
menace of the Governments ever
increasing deficit. The third is the
burden of relief.
In other words. the dangers TO-DAY
are less from untried economic ex-
periments than from policies already
in effect. We need no longer fear
such foolish fallacies as the warren
plan or other unsound expedients 10
tamper with prices. The N. r. A. Is
ceasing to restrict recovery. The
A. A. A. Is being modified. There is
little popular demand for new patent
medicines.
Santa Claus or Real Recovery?
But what no one knows is: How
much of the returning prosperity is
due to government outpourings OF
cash. and how much to the rise IN
prices Of farm products? What all
the thoughtful understand is that II
the present policy of Government ex-
penditure continues We cannot avoio
ultimate currency imitation. Wnat
only a few appreciate is that the pres
ent system of relief Is building up
class of entrenched dependents who
are coming to consider that they have
q vested right to be supported in idle
ness on a comfortable standard OF
living.
Uneasiness Caused.
These clouds on the horizon natu-
rally are causing vague uneasineSS. II
pump printing ultimately falls and
the improvement in business turns
out to be largely artificial, we shall
have a new and terrible crisis. II
the Government spends its way into
currency imitation, the number OF
sufferers will increase by tens OF mil
lions. Unless the relief problem Is
wisely solved we may see at the same
time the Government drawn slowly
toward bankruptcy and the creation
Of q permanent army OF idle millions
to the proletariat that
brought disaster to ancient Rome
an army Of unemployed living per-
of the employed.
But many people, even including
the bankers. believe that somehow
we shall pull out and avoid the
dangers. Except in so far
as these CANCERS are political the odds
seem to be on the side of the op-
timists. Whoever travels through the
Middle Western States cannot help
but be struck by the incredible basic
wealth of this region. Rich farm
lands stretch for countless miles in
all directions. They are connected by
excellent roads and railroads.
Farms Well Stocked.
Farms have splendid barns and are
stocked with the best equipment and
live stock. The farmers are descended
from q blend of the old Yankee stock
and the most industrious races OF
Northern Europe. Such combination
Of land, plant and race is not to be
found anywhere else in the world. It
cannot 60 down to defeat this early
In its history.
It would be mistake, however, to
pretend that the new optimism i'm
plies that the farmers problems are
solved. Far from it. Some Of his basic
problems are even further from solu-
ton today than they were before the
A. A. A. began its experiments with
controlling production. The difference
is, however, that year ago these ex-
periments were viewed uncritically
and were accepted in desperation. To-
day they are being weighed and dis
cussed and those parts which seem to
hold promise of usefulness will un-
doubtedly be retained. The very fact
that the farmers themselves are check
ing with their own practical expert
ence the theories of bureaucrats and
professors is q healthy sign. II the
uere IN IN nothing other