The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-06-02

able to assume that 1t was in the
back of the official mind.
The question was put on Mr..
Roosevelt's desk. He decided that
the contract should be given the
Argentines. That happened about
the middle of April. There was no
furry about the matter then be-
cause few persons knew Of the
transaction. Eventually, however,
information about the award leaked
out and somebody asked Mr.. Roose-
welt in press meeting whether it
was true. That was where Mr..
Roosevelt really became tangled up
with the buzz saw.
Now, it is well to know that Mr..
Roosevelt likes to talk. He also in
sists on telling the news writers
all about a given situation-if he
talks at all about it. He is decidedly
fair that way. He talked at great
length about the problem and the
result of his speech to the writer's
was numerous headlines which read
something like this: President
Roosevelt Orders Navy to Buy Ar
gentine Canned Beef-Foreign Prod
uct Found Cheaper and Superior
in Quality, President Says"
Came Outbursts on Floors
OF the House and Senate
Within few short weeks, Mr..
Roosevelt's political hands were
torn and bleeding. He was being
ridiculed because he frequently re-
ferred in political campaigns to the
need for helping sour undernour-
ished one-third, our lily clad and
lily housed people. There were
outbursts on the floors Of the house
and the senate. The New Deal lead
ers in congress could do nothing
about it. The representatives and
senators from the cattle country
were denouncing his action and one
whole day was occupied in the house
Of representatives where the Presi-
dents political body was torn limb
from limb.
The heat of the battle became so
great that the house committee on
appropriations which happened then
to be considering the annual naval
appropriations bill took action. It
included in that bill, a prohibition
that will prevent such thing ever
happening again. They were shout
ing: "The idea, feeding our navy
men on Argentine beef" etc. OBJ
viously, under such circumstances,
the prohibitory clause was accepted
by the house and the senate and
it will be the law of the land.
This heat came Of two causes.
First, the cattle business is none
too good and the cattle producers
are politically powerful. They pro-
tect themselves, as they should. To
see even a small business contract
60 outside of the United States was
bad medicine, even though the beef
bought would amount to only about
rs steers. It was the principle of the
thing. Then, when you add to that,
the resentment engendered by Mr..
Roosevelt's statement that Argen-
tine beef is better quality-well,
you speak your own piece about it.
Explanation NeUer Caught
Up With Original Statement
Subsequently, Mr.. Roosevelt
sought to explain what he meant
by the statement that Argentine
beef is superior in quality. He
pointed out that the Argentine prac-
tice is to can better cuts of beef
because of the slack sale for fresh
meat in that part of the world. But
the explanation never has caught
up with the original statement, and
it never will.
When this attempted explanation
came from the White House, heard
an old time political battler at the
capitol observe:
"That is mistake No. 2. One of
the first rules in politics is never
make a statement that you have to
explain If you do, your explana-
ton will get you into trouble. It
is better never to explain anything"
Yet, in fairness, it must be OBJ
SGIVSQ tlldt tiAC PA1SC Al tilS OAAtC0
States and the price the government
must pay, therefore, results from
a combination of circumstances.
Our national policy for years has
been to encourage what we adver-
tise as the American standard of
living. To that end, congress has
passed laws, many of them. The
Walsh-Healy act, for example, says
that the government may not buy
from any manufacturer who does
not comply with stated require
ments as to hours and wages for
work There is the so-called fair
labor standards act-the wage and
hour law-for another. Fifty more
could be named. Nor do wish my
self to be placed in the position Of
condemning all of them. I point to
them merely as causes for the stu
alton in which Argentina underbid
our own folks because most of our
people on relief live better than the
employed workers in South Amer
lea. It serves, moreover, as an il
n -