Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-08-15

1t all came about through the crea-
tion of a series of dams which raised
the water to point where adjacent
lowlands became flooded and formed
=stagnant pools where the malaria
mosquito thrives and multiplies. In
deed, the situation in the upper
Mississippi basin has grown to point
where it has become necessary for
the United States Public Health Serv-
ice to put on five state malaria
control project, which includes Illinois
and Missouri.
According to the information that
I get the situation holds some serious
potentialities as there are rs man.
made lakes between the Twin Cities
and ST. Louis, all of which provide
breeding places for mosquitoes that
carry the disease from one individual
to another. In the early days malaria
went by the name of 'fever and
ague' and was largely confined to
southern states. The disease is both
dangerous and painful. l cannot re-
call that we ever had a case of malaria
channel project was completed.
Mans attempts to improve upon the
handiwork of the Creator are often
followed by serious consequences. The
blowing under of buffalo grass in the
arid states gave us the dust bowl,
which has destroyed thousands of
homes and cost the American people
hundreds of millions of dollars. Let
us hope that the malaria situation in
the Northwest will not assume equally
serious proportions.
May Hold Foreign Credits.
During the past two or three years
large quantities of gold were sent to
this country for safe keeping. The
total amounts runs into the billions.
Secretary of the Treasury Morgen-
thau has announced that no action
will be taken toward the release of
these gold holdings until the war
debt question is settled. Most of
the gold belongs to England, France,
Holland, Belgium and the Scandi-
navian countries. With the excep-
ton of England. Sweden and Finland,
the other countries are now occupied
by the Germans who doubtless would
seize the gold were it released.
1t would seem no more than right
for us to take what we have COM
ing to us for money and credits adj
vanced to them as long as 25 years
ago, before we release the balance.
All must concede that we have been
very patient with these accounts. In
the final analysis, it is our own money
that we are holding. 1 would sug-
gest this gold be used to buy food
and clothing for the needy people
in devastated Europe.
To Finance Aircraft Plants.
Aircraft production will become
one of our leading industries if Fed
seral Loan Administrator Jones has
his say. He told a House committee
last week that the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation has agreed to
finance half dozen aircraft factories,
to cost between $50 and 200 million
dollars, which will bring the amount
advanced by that organization under
the defense program to about 700
million dollars.
Mr.. Jones also urged that the capital
of the EXport-Import Bank be eX-
banded by 500 million dollars, to be
loaned to Latin American countries.
To me this looks like pouring money
into a rat hole. We have advanced
several billion dollars to Latin Amer
lea in the past quarter of century,
only a small part of which has been
repaid. Much of it has been repud-
lated. AS a matter of record, Latin
American governments and corpora
tons have defaulted on more than
rs per cent of their obligations held
by investors in the United States.
Why loan money to deadbeat nations?
We cannot hope to buy their good
will, neither can we hope to do BUSH
ness with them unless we are willing
to buy from them as much as we SELL
Unfortunately, all of their products
save coffee, rubber and tin, are COM
petitive and their importation would
but further depress American farm
prices.
Senate Passes Guard Bill.
The Senate on last Thursday, by
a vote of II to 7, authorized the
President to order out the National
Guard and Army Reserves for one
year of military training. The sole
restriction on calling out the Guards
and Reservists was the amendment
which permits men with dependents
to resign within 20 days after the
enactment of the legislation. A pro-
posal to limit the use of Guardsmen
to continental United States, its ter
ritories and possessions was defeated
80 to 38 after bitter fight. The bill
now goes to the House where it will
come up in few days. 1t is gen.
orally believed that this measure was
brought up before CONSUMPTION in
order to pave the way for that pro-
posal