The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1941-04-10

program which II Is intended
to effectunate Is efficiently and
economically carried out" Mr.. Cox
made his significant remarks
during the discussion on the pro-
posal to empower the Military and
the Naval Committees of the
House to act as a supervisory
body in the preparedness program.
Congress Is very much wrought UP
over the strikes and inexcusable
extravaganza and waste that per-
meates the entire program. The
Legislation referred to passed the
House by a vote Of 326 to 1 which
shows that Congress does not view
the defense program in a partisan
manner.
The Coffeepot OF Democracy
A short time ago the President
termed America the arsenal of
Democracy" It now appears that
we are destined to also become
the "coffeepot of Democracy"
/ This is the how of it: At the
Havana Conference Of American
Republics THE State Department
entered into a tentative agreement
with coffee producing Latin Amer
lea that we would assist in stabiliz.
ing increasingly the price Of coffee
by placing coffee imports to the
United States on quota basis. A
formal treaty was later entered
into ratified by the Senate, which
carried the agreement into effect
State Department officials, ir
appearing before the Ways and
Means Committee in support OF
the legislation necessary to make
the agreement effective, said that
the scheme would increase the
price of coffee to the American
consumer by perhaps Sc per pound
which would be equivalent to ar
add volorem tax of 16 2-3T on 49,
coffee. The American people
annually consume billion pounds
Of coffee, which means that the
coffee that goes on the American
table will hereafter cost us 81
million dollars more each year
It surely requires money to play
the role of Santa Claus. It is MOI
white chip game.
A Disgraceful Situation
The Military Affairs Committee
Of the House is holding hearings
on Army contracts. Here is an ex
ample Of what they are uncover
ing: Sometime back man from
Missouri breezed into the War
Department that he could secure
the land needed, amounting tc
something like $4,000 acres. A
contract was entered into between
the War Departmnt and this in.
dividual whereby he was commiss
toned to buy land, his compen.
sation to be $50 Of the purchase
price, pus NV to the individual
that he might select to help him
Instead Of going around and dick.
ering with each owner he sent out
400 letters which were so phased
as to encourage the land owners tc
run the price up, and that they
proceeded to do. Fifty and sixty
dollar land jumped to as high as
SIPS. OF course, the higher the
price tthe bigger his commission
which finally reached the respect
able sum Of 95 thousand dollars.
Incidents like this, without mum
Der, can be found all over the
country It Is now learned that the
General Staff of the Army die
very little between the last ant
this war to prepare us for al
emergency of this kind. No plans
no nothing, and the result is tina
everything we do toward getting
ready for war must be don'
hurriedly and is costing the Amer
lean people sums far in excess o
what the cost would have been hat
the General Staff been on the job
Little wonder it, is going to cost u!
more to get prepared for the mex
war than it cost to fight the las
war. 1T is mass anyway we lool
at It.
A Generous Foe
A few days ago the Republican
! National Committee was presented