The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-07-31
WNU Service. 1343 Fl Street, N. \
Washington. D. C.

"dSIIiiSto As ~. y.
Today there r hungry millions
in Belgium. France. Spain and else
where. For many people in the
world there is starvation just
around the corner.
At the same time. in the United
States, Canada, Australia. and Ar
g%entina, there is a wheat surplus
for export or carry-over Of l.l37.-
000. 900 bushels-an all-time high.
But there is little chance for many
Of the hungry mouths to be fed by
the surfeit. That is the topsy-turvy
worlds answer to mans ancient cry
for bread!
Haltingly, gropingly. with small
hope for any answer to the surplus
problem, except pillow it under"
the representatives Of the four
wheat powers" have met again in
Washington for the first wheat con-
ference since 1888. They examined
the question from the production
point Of view, for distribution Of the
earth's abundance to the worlds
starving is a problem too compli-
Gated for any one group to solve.
It Is quite probable that the con
ference will have dissolved with
out taking any constructive action
by the time this appears in print.
Before long. however, it is expected
that there will be an International
agreement on world quotas. Unwill-
ingly, perhaps, Canada, Australia.
and Argentina will be forced to
join with the United States in a
division Of such world market as
exists. I use the word forced"
purposely, for it is the big stick
labeled export subsidy in Uncle
Sans closet which will bring the
competing nations to yield to the
American farmer his share Of the
world market. An export subsidy
would permit the American farmer
to sell his wheat regardless Of the
world price. for he is then paid the
differential by the government. This
means that as much American
wheat can be sold as the govern
ment is willing to substitute and the
market can absorb.
U. s. Subsidized Export.
Although it was not expected that
an agreement on quotas would come
out Of this summers conference,
such an arrangement is assured be-
fore long for one was on the point Of
consummation when the war inter-
rupted. Why? Because, when the
United States, in 1898. subsidized
the export of a million bushels of
wheat. just one million bushels had
to remain unsold by the other
wheat-growing countries.
Unless, by mutual agreement, the
world market is shared, Uncle Sam
"a again cut under his competitors
and make up the difference to the
American farmer out of government
funds.
But ever if an agreement on world
quotas is reached, that does not
solve the problem of surplus wheat.
To raise prices substantially, pro-
duction will have to be cut down.
And as for the hungry consumer.
then even the faint hope Of obtain
ing his daily bread is removed.
The farmer in the United States
at the present time is able to make
up in part for the loss of foreign
markets and low prices by obtaining
government loans on his wheat crop
at higher than market prices.
Wheat Prices Higher.
According to the report Of the
department Of agriculture for June.
Computed on the basis Of export
values. current prices (of wheat)
are now about 40 cents higher than
existing export price levels . . at
the present time market prices in
the United States are below the loan
values established for the 1941
CROP"
But no government can go on for
ever taking the surplus wheat crop
and piling it up-there are not suf-
ficient storage facilities. On the
basis Of the new crop prospects,
stocks will be increased another 200
million bushels to a quantity almost
equal to a whole years domestic
needs.
And SO. as you know, the depart
ment of agriculture is encouraging
the reduction Of wheat acreages, en-
couraging the raising of other prod
ucts instead and establishing wheat
quotas within its own boundaries.
1t is hard enough to carry out
such a policy of controlled produc-
ton and distribution in our own
country. How much more difficult
it is to obtain such a working ar
rangement where clashing national
interests interfere! In spite Of ma