The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1938-09-22
Observations
from Washington
Horizon Clearing
By Congressman KnXtsO7l

Since my weekly letter the
European situation has eased con-
siderably, thanks to the conference
between Chamberlain and Hitler.
Prime Minister Chamberlain de-
monstrated, when he broke all pre-
cedents by flying to Munich for a
conference with Hitler. that he is
willing to go to almost any length
to preserve peace and If peace is
preserved it will, in large mea-
sure, be due to his efforts.
The Czech-Sudeten controversy
might well have led to another
world war as did the assassination
of Archduke Ferdinand in June,
1914. but there were several factors
operating for war at that time
which do not now exist. First, there
was the growing jealousy among
the powers of Germany's rapid
stride toward commercial suprem-
acy; second, the feeling in France
and Russia that Germany must be
crushed before she became too
strong to challenge the balance of
Europe; third, there had been no
war for many years and the Eurcp-
can powers We're becoming inn
patient to test their strength. To-
day none CT them want war; Ger
many Is no longer menace to the
peace of Europe and the treasures
of all the countries are practically
empty.
The Roosevelt Administration has
been of little or no assistance in
quieting the troubled waters Of
Europe. Our ambassadors to Great
Britain and France in recon
speeches strongly animated that
this country would take its place
with our late war associates IL an
other war came, which strongly
leads to the suspicion that Roose-
welt and Hull have assured Great
Britain and France that we would
be found fighting on their side in
the event of another war. There
is no Disgusting the fact that Roose-
welt is just as strongly anti-Ger-
man as was Woodrow Wilson and
our foreign policy continues to be
dictated from Downing Street.
Roosevelt may have a secret under
standing with Britain and France
but, fortunately for us, it Is for
Congress to say when we shall go
to war and my guess Is that Con-
gress would not again commit the
colossal blunder that was m e
back in 1917.
Ask Another Vote
While in Aitkin last week the
County Agent Of Itasca County
tphoned and asked me to wire the
Director of the Agricultural Ad-
justment Administration and re-
quest that another vote be taken
among potato growers to put into
effect the potato control proposal.
I was glad to- do this because the
last proposal, when it was voted
upon several weeks ago. failed to
secure by less than two per cent
the necessary two-thirds vote. I
understand that the potato growers
of Colorado voted almost unanim-
ously in favor of the control plan
but the vote of that state did not
get to Washington in time to be
counted.
The potato growers have harvest
ed pretty fair crop but present
prices will hardly pay the cost of
handling. Proponents of the potato
control plan maintain that is opera
ton would raise the price to the
grower at least Is per cent so I
hope that the Director Of the AAA
other plebiscite.
Here we have another example
Of what a glutted market does to
prices and it further convinces me
that the government should i'm
mediately take steps to promote
the building Of commercial alcohol
plants in the corn and potato areas
to handle soft corn and unmarked
able potatoes. To my way of think
ing this would largely solve such