The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-01-17
TREND OF WORLD AFFAIRS
Prepared by
Lucy Meacham Thruston


Who owns the earth? Man, says
the worker who is thinking of the
earth, its products and his needs.
"The earth Is the Lords" says the
psalmist and though the fullness
thereof belongs to the Divine 1t must
be distributed among the earths oc-
cupants and huge land areas must
not be owned by any one man. II
was the vast estates of France under
by the peasant which was the major
factor in the French revolution at
the close of the eighteenth century;
the great ownership by few of the
forest and field and stream in Russia
which was major factor in the revo-
luton in that land of the early
twentieth century. And since the
World War estates in Britain and
Germany have been broken up into
smaller holdings. These are all old
records ancient stuff, they might be
dismissed.
But there is new land movement
which Is startling in its significance.
1t is in China. Most students of
China or travellers there are i'm
pressed with the tiny holdings called
known along the eastern coast, in
the Yangste valley. This movement
is in the west, the far western dis
tricts, where communist doctrines
have gained most power. One strong
factor of the communist propaganda
is the statement that every man
should and will have his own piece of
land. To Offset this the Chinese
Central Government is working out
this plan. The plan calls for the
purchase of privately owned land
and the transference of it to village
community ownership. When this
transference has been made, every
able-bodied villager of working age
is supposed to be entitled to an equal
share of land. Although this plan
has not yet gone into effect, it is
being seriously considered by the
central government at Marking.
Such an arrangement or rearrange-
ment would bring about a contented
peasantry. And contented peasan
try would not be swayed by commun-
list doctrine. Then too it is claimed
the land would be better cared for
when more people possessed owner
ship in it. There would also be a
more united from. against banditry
and looting when every one who re-
ceives a share of land will have
personal interest in defending it
against attack. This will promote
social peace. The sight of few
wealthy lords living in idleness and
luxury creates envy and hatred.
In the Eastern sea-coast districts
and the valley of the Yangste the
population of China is crowded, with
But the vast plains of the far west
ern districts are the ones being CON-
sidered in this redistribution plan
The Chinese central government is
realizing that fairly contented people
is he best barrier to Russian infiu-
ence on the west and north and bet
ter than the famous Chinese Wall to
the constant push of the Japanese.
This is the new lesson the lands are
learning: justice and peace at home
are a country's best safeguards.
Public opinion is the mos power
full factor in any country-this has
long been preached. 1t has been
believed in, but now has proven it.
self. The horror of the world at the
Hoare-Laval offer to Mussolini Of
over two-:hirds of Ethiopia, which is
in itsef an Independent country, has
brought about the resignation of Sir
Samuel Hoare in the face of much
Indignation at home and abroad, the
weakening of the present British
ministry, the tottering of Laval's in
fiuence in France. Says the Chris
tian Science Monitor of December
18th, 1.-THE nations were made to feel
through the failure of men who did
not rise to their opportunity that one
of the greatest moral prizes-the
outlawry of aggressive war-had
been lost. London and Paris and
Geneva know today that there is not
likely to be any loss except of states
men whose eyes have not actually re-
statesman nor laymon should be