The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-06-05
CHINESE STARVE WHILE WE
RETIRE FARM LAND

FIFTEEN MILLION men, women and
/ children are reported to be starving in
the province of Szechwan, China" says
Prof. Scott Nearing, in editorial feature in
the Federated Press. ''The people have ex-
hausted their normal food supplies, have
killed off their domestic animals, have con-
Surned all available moss, leaves, bark and
grass, and have taken to eating each other.
Parents kill children Families eat the
dead bodies of relatives. The famine is de-
scrlbed as the most widespread and devas-
Eating in the whole terrible history of Chi
neSe famines.
1.-The same newspapers that bring these
reports tell of the activities of the u. S.
secretary of agriculture. Wallace is doing
everything in his power to insure that
smaller crops shall be harvested in the
United States during this coming season.
He is mailing propaganda, giving inter-
views to the newspapers, urging potato
farmers to plant cover crops of SOya beans
and cotton farmers to conserve the soil by
retiring portion of their fields from &C
tive cultivation. Fertile land is being rented
by the government under contracts which
provide that it shall raise no crops. Sub
marginal land is being abandoned.
Con one side of the Pacific, millions
are starving. On the other side of the
same ocean, millions of producers are plan
nlng to raise less food. What more con-
vInclng proof could one desire of the in
effectiveness Of the existing system of
economy? The two billion people that are
now trying to live on the planet have been
kept apart through the centuries by. oceans
and mountain ranges. These obstacles
nave been SurmOunted in recent years bv
steamboats,, railroads, trucks and airplanes
Still mankind is not united.
Today the chief obstacle to united hu-
man action are class lines and political
frontiers. These artificial barriers are
bullt up and carefully maintained by all of
the articles of law and by the iron rules
OF custom and rich and powerful as a means
Tor increasing their wealth and power.
Divide and rule" is an old maxim that has
many modern applications
Ruling class interests know little Of
the needs OF humanity and care less. Rival
war lords OF China have devastated the pro-
vince OF Szechwan for the past 20 wears
anime is the logical result of their costly
struggle Tor power. The ruling class of the
= CnlCeo OCaCeS Is concentrating it's atten-
zion upon it's production induces IFS stoclr
it's sports, beauty narlore and
country clubs. while 20 million peonIn 1.-Two
on relief 1''0
~ Famine is not confined to Szechwan
mat is merely the point where it is most
m evidence at the present moment. PeonIe
are hungry in Japan, Italy and GERMANY
Malnourlshed children may be found bv the
ems OF thousands in Glasgow, London New
ork, Chicago and New Orleans.
: How long will it be before the Masses
u human beings all over the world will
make determined and united effort 70 ~;
themselves of class division and the tran an
olngs OF ruling class authority. do awsv
'n outworn political frontiers. and or.
, ,;Iil united world to cooperate in nro-
~ nuiL II Inc necessaries and decencies of life
VI "ii CnoSe who live on the planet? ?"