The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-12-27
AMERICAN WAYS AND BYwAYs
BY J. e. Jones

Washington, D. C. December 23--
The American Red Cross reports
having spent millions of dollars for
relief in Europe this year and the
general public has such unbounded
confidence in the organization that
no one questions but what these vast
sums were well-spent. Next year we
must spend millions at home If we're
to play our part in quarters of the
Society in Washington.
The U. s. Bureau of Agricultural
Economics gives out statement to
the effect that export crops" are
bearing the brunt of effects of war;"
The Bureau indicates that principal
adjustments" are necessary in the
South, in the Great Plains, the
Pacific Northwest, the Corn Belt,
and the Northwest. Still another
official statement from the same
source says that any expected rise
in National income cannot be ex-
pected from farm SURPRISES. Notice
is served that social legislation in
behalf of agricultural labor" and for
other purposes will be needed. This
looks like another extension of Gov
eminent control over agriculture.
The elasticity" of the automobile
industry is one of a number of the
wonders of the new age--added to
the Old 7--judging from matter of
fact items in the newspapers. One of
the APP dispatches carried in z
| word headline, as follows: "Automo-
bile Makers Prepared to Meet De-
Tense Demands" The particulars
from Detroit relate in about z para
graphs that the normal production
facilities in the industry are "flex-
the right now, and that the manu-
facturers have made it clear that
the armament program comes first"
| and that all requirements Of the Gov
eminent will be met. 1t is explained
that small surplus of cars is
cushion against emergency needs
which means that motor vehicles will
keep right on rolling off the assem-
bly, lines, and dealers throughout the
country will be able to furnish the
latest models as usual.
In thousands Of ways the machin-
cry that operates in partnership with
the work of our people is kept in
motion producing airplanes, railroad
cars, household furniture, chemical
products, and clothing. Marvellous
transportation carries the products
of factories to market, brings us
fruits for breakfast tables, coffee
from Brazil, tea from distant lands.
We see moving pictures from Calf
ornia and listen to radio news from
Greece and China. 1t is all wonder
full and beyond human understand
ing. When one pauses long enough
to become retrospective he may dis
cover a satisfying continuity in the
story of our country, which receiv-
ed one of its first impulses when 101
passengers of the Mayfower landed
at Plymouth, Massachusetts. They
faced cruel hardships, but the Colony
pulled through and conquered a DESC
lutte wilderness, wild beasts, and saw
age men. They built houses to live
in, cultivated the good earth, and it
is recorded in the writings of their
Governor Bradford that they man
aged to get by in 1920 and in years
and centuries that followed. Thus a
strong nation was planned, and
built. There were many pessimists
Of different eras who thought that
progress has been frozen" But,
progress was only checked for brief
periods, and then it marched on.
Feeding Starving Europeans
There is no hard-hearted opposi-
ton in Washington against sending
food and relief to any of the coun-
tries that have been wiped out, and
their people impoverished by the
War. The real difficulty is that there
is a fixed conviction in the Admins
tration and legislative circles in
Washington that 1t would be impos-
sible to keep food from being cap
tured and used by Germans, and
that they would take it away from
countries like the Scandinavia,
France, Holland, and others.
In the World War terms were ar
ranged under which American food
supplies were distributed to certain
countries. There is only one reason
why that is impossible at the present
time. That one reason is that Hitler
controls the European situation
and is the Worlds No. liar.