Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-12-07

cost of prepared ~
ness. Mrs. Roose-
veltS statement
came on the heels '''s'''' :
of the Treasury Departments an
nouncement that our national debt
has passed the Al thousand million
dollar mark.
If it is desirable, and I believe it
is, to make the American people truly
conscious through immediate taxa
ton of what we are spending for
defense, would it not also be good
idea to make the American people
conscious of the tremendous sums
that have been spent for pump prim-
ing by the Roosevelt Administration?
Let me break down the national
debt burden so that the people of
Minnesota and the Sixth district may
know just how much they owe:
Total United States population
(l938 estimate), 13O,215,O00; Mime
sofa population (1938 estimate),
1852 900; Minnesota percentage, go.
Total national debt, Sal, 900, 600, 900;
Minnesota's proportionate sh a r e,
$3.50, 100000; per capita debt of Min
nesota, $3O9.2O Sixth district, Min
nesota, population 1880 303,242;
sixth district, Minnesota, computed
1888 estimate, 313,552; sixth district,
percentage of Minnesota population,
1872. Proportionate share of the
national debt burden for sixth dis
trict, $96,76O,0OO; per capita debt for
sixth district $308.60.
A study of the above figures should
convince the most obtuse that our
national debt is essentially a local
problem. Minnesota's proportionate
share of that debt is $50 million dol
lars. If we add to that huge sum
the debts of the state and its political
subdivisions it will probably bring
Minnesota's public debt to one bill
lion $50 million dollars, the interest
on which amounts to about 80 mil
lion 500 thousand dollars annually or
S12.25 on each man, woman and child.
Comes to America.
The Bata Shoe Company of Czecho-
slovakia, is putting in large shoe
factory near Baltimore. They will
manufacture shoes in mass produc-
ton and it is planned to ship the
product all over the world. The Bata
Company is $50 million dollar con-
Germ and it is expected that they will
give employment to 10000 Americans,
using production methods that proved
so successful abroad. The Bata Com
pany was induced to move to Amer
lea because of the war. 1t is possible
that other large European concerns
will also transfer their activities to
this country. We may hear more
about this from time to time.
An Interesting Letter.
The other day I received letter
from very prominent English states
man whose name, for obvious reasons,
cannot give. He wrote in part:
"*&*%I see that the neutrality bill
has now received the signature of the
President, after having passed
through Congress. No doubt it will
help the Allies and enable us to buy
aeroplanes and munitions in your
country, which will assist us in car
rying on the war. But really this is
the darndest war have ever heard
of. They just stand up and walk
round each other like two terriers,
growing and snarling. 1 don't know
how long this state of affairs is going
to last but it seems to be getting on
peoples nerves."
That letter was written on Novem-
Der 6. On November 81, a United
Press dispatch from London stated
that: 'Women arose in the House
of Commons today shouting they
wanted peace. They scattered prop
uganda leaflets from the gallery until
attendants elected them" 1t is sig
nificant that this demonstration took
place in the House of Commons on
the same day that Premier Chamber
lain addressed that body.
1t is my guess that the people of all
the countries at war are weary and
tlIeu VI IL dill. L lie ledQeTS SIlOulO
get together and work out a basis
for peace that will be permanent and
reasonably satisfactory to all con-
cerned. War rarely settles anything.
We can only hope that out of the
present turmoil confederation of
European states will emerge Such
a confederation, to endure, would
have to give due consideration to
chronological and economic differ
ences. Until something like this is
brought about poor Europe must re-
main battle-ground with devastating
wars at frequent intervals.
Plan to Dodge Debt Limit.
The present national debt limit is
As billion dollars. That limit was
fixed in the Second Liberty Loan
law. Last summer there was talk of
the Administration asking Congress
to raise the limit to an undetermined
level. Immediately, protests poured
in from all sections of the country
and the plan was abandoned.
1t now appears that the Admin
istration's financial experts have
worked out new scheme for getting
round the statutory limitation, which