Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-01-23

7 h e first witness
was Secretary of
State Cordell Hull, So, IEsZsE--u
one of the slipperiest witnesses ever
to hold his right hand aloft and
swear to tell nothing but the truth.
AS usual he replied to every question
with speech such as they love to
hear on the hustings down in his
native state of Tennessee, where they
yet vote the D e ocratic ticket
straight, providing the head thereof
has never heard of Rome or had
anything to do with that wicked
burg.
Hull is for giving Britain every
thing, even to the clothes on our
backs. He believes, or at least so he
told the committee, that we are fac
ing the greatest crisis of our COM
paratively short national life. He be-
lieves there is a Hitler under every
American bed and if or when the Brit
ish lose we will be gobbled up next.
Evidently Mr.. Hull has not put in
much time studying his geography for
he never once, as recall, mentioned
either the Atlantic ocean, which is
5000 miles wide, or the Pacific, a
much larger body of water. Like
his brother interventionists, Secretary
Hull conjures up dangers that mill
tary men refuse to admit exist, but
they are useful here at home. They
knocked the third term tradition to
smithereens last November and it is
safe to say they have lost neither
their usefulness nor potency for the
time being.
Another witness was Secretary of
War Stimson, the chap who as Secre-
tary of State in Hoover's cabinet
back in the early 1905, invited
Britain to join us in setting Japan
in her place. If anything, Stimson is
even more blood-thirsty than Hull.
Between cabinet jobs he is one of
the country's most successful cor
poration lawyers and sees eye to eye
with the international bankers, who
thrive and wax fat on conflict, con-
fusion and chaos; who 60 in after the
carnage is over and salvage the things
that are worth saving, and the saw
ing of which is nearly all velvet.
The hearings will probably con-
tinue another week, after which the
measure, with some slight changes,
perhaps, will go to the House where
an obedient and subservient majority
will II Of thu hohncf 90 %Lo
master" who yet has a few good
jobs to give out. Yes, we're NOV
ing fast, but where?
Yet Unsolved.
While the new Congress will give
right of way to defense matters, it
is almost certain that the farm prob
lem will come in for its share of
Congressional attention. None of the
remedies heretofore tried have given
us the solution. There was Hoover's
Farm Board, which was followed up
by the triple "a" and the killing of
pigs and blowing under of cotton,
reduced acreage, crop loans, soil con-
servation-none have done the BUSH
ness. In my opinion the various
programs failed to help the farmer,
largely because they refused to recog-
nize that the cause lay in under
consumption as well as in over-pro-
duction. If every American were to
have what he needs it would take
up much of the slack all along the
line, assuming, of course, that there
were proper planning of production.
Who's Telling the Truth?
That is a question we are asking
ourselves these days. In appearing
at the "Lend-Lease" bill hearings
Secretary of the Treasury Morgen-
THAI last week stated to the commit
tee that Britain has only one and "a
billions in this country that are avail
able for war material purchases. The
Federal Reserve Board and the Com
merce department have set the figure
as between 31a and billions. Until
Mr.. Morgenthau's appearance la S
week the latter figures were general
ly accepted.
There is little doubt that Great
Britain will need substantial credits
in this country before peace comes
but there is general feeling in Con-
gress that she should not be given
such credits so long as she has large
cash balances upon which to draw
and then we should give her the
money outright so we won't have tc
waste postage on dunning letters aft
er it is all over. 1 yet do not know
who was telling the truth but have
a good idea.
A Good Measure.
The country has lately witnessed
several strikes in industries essential
to national defense, more particularly
in the aviation field. It is believed
by many that these strikes were fos.
tered by "reds" and the demand fol
drastic legislation to prevent further
labor disputes during the presen
hysteria is becoming more and more
pronounced. In times like these thu
tendency is usually to go too fal
and too fast. Labor has certain in.
alienable rights that must be respected
but, conversely, labor also has certain
obligations that cannot be. shirked
Senator Ball has introduced bill