Evening star., 1936-08-12
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS

wise. Through the crop shortage not
only the farmers, but practically all
other groups of the population, will be
affected. With food prices. markets
abroad for agricultural products and i'm
ports of such products. the tariff and
other related subjects of political char
acter springing from the unfortunate
aftermath of the drought. it is a fore
gone conclusion. in the opinion Of polit-
ical observers. that the pros and cons
of this problem will be the background
OF continuing debate during the cam
paign. 1t is probable that the President
will touch on this from the trade reci-
procity or foreign relations standpoint
in his address Friday night.
X X
Secretary of Agriculture Wallace,
speaking Of the forces of technology,
which have been particularly active in
agriculture, enabling the farmer to in
crease his production through the use
of various kinds of improved machinery,
declares that the drought this year, as
well as those experienced in several pre-
viouS years, have concealed the opera
ton of these forces, but certainly have
be in full swing again during the next
or 10 years, as they were in the decades
of the '20s. "Once again." he says,
they will bring us burdenSome sur
pluses; and again they will shove us
closer to the day when We must either
control them or be controlled by them.
The Secretary states that Government
intervention has helped and is helping
to protect farmers in the drought
stricken areas of the United States from
its full effects. and that without such
help the family-sized farm is bound to
lose further ground. He argues for
system which will enable the small
farmer to continue his operations
through a Government assisted, con-
trolled technology.
Miss Frances Perkins. Secretary of
Labor, is the center of much interest and
attention during her European visit.
She is now in Geneva, where she is
making a first hand study of the Inter-
national Labor Office, particularly as
to how the United States can cooper
ate further in its work and how the
department which she heads can utilize
more fully the expert services of the
Geneva bureau in drafting and admins
tering labor laws and in research. Miss
Perkins believes that this Government
can profit from the experience of other
countries in the labor field as revealed
in reports gathered from all parts of
the world and carefully analyzed by the
International Labor Office. Previous to
going to Geneva she addressed an in
ternational gathering of professional
and working women in Paris, and before
her return to the United States about
September /, she will visit Great Britain.
Critical situations ofttimes prove the
opportunity for young official to come
conSpicuouSly to the attention of his
superiors. This is the case with Eric G..
Wendelin, third secretary of the Ameri-
can Embassy in Madrid. Having been
left in charge during the absence of
the Ambassador on account of the Sum-
mer season. young Wendelin, ever since
the outbreak of the Spanish revolution,
has shown his ability to handle efficiently
and resourcefully the delicate and diff
cult problems which confronted him in
connection with the protection of the
large group of Americans who were
stranded in the Spanish capital, as well
as to look after all other embassy busi-
ness that required his attention.
(oopyrisht. 1850