The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1942-07-23
Day Term As
Senator Reviewed
In Speech Here


government from buying cloth
made from foreign grown cotton
was of the outstanding agricul-
tural achievements in Washington
Of the year 1914" Jim Eastland,
candidate for the U. S. Senate, said
Friday in a campaign speech at
Goodman in Holmes county.
He recounted details of the
fight he made as interim senator
last year upon discovering that
brazilian cotton was being shipped
through the port of Boston to Cam
ada, there to be manufactured in
to military equipment and clothing
for the American forces.
II found that the Canadian cot
ton markets had accumulated a sur
plus for this purpose of zoo, 900
bales of Brazilian cotton, about six
months supply. / brought the mat
ter to the attention Of the senate
and the bill l introduced was re-
ported out f~avorably by the Sem
ate Committee on Agriculture.
"The State Department stepped
in, stating that the legislators
might hurt the good-neighbor poll
cy with Brazil, and after confer
ences with the department repre-
sentatives, it was agreed to hold up
| the bill provided an export Subsidy
was placed on export cotton to save
this market for cotton-growers Of
the South. ~
The export was put o., and Al
a result we sold 100000 bales to
Canada. AS the representative Of
the second largest cotton produce
ing state l felt it my duty to act,
in defiance of the political custom
that a new senator must keep sic
lent for the first. year or two. The
South was being taxed to buy the
product of its competitor; it was
beig taxed to dig its own grave,
he added.
We were paying a bounty to de-
crease acreage in the United States
on n hand, and on the other we
were paying a bounty to increase
Brazilian acreage. With our for
eign markets gone and our exports
at the lowest level in history, Bra
lillian cotton was being used to
make clothes for our armed forces.
Should l have kept silent?
"By permitting the use of Bra
lillian cotton, we not only encour-
aged but caused the expansion of
cotton acreage in that country,
while at the same time it would
have brought about a further re-
duction of cotton acreage in the
South of 100000 acres. Here we
were with the bigget cotton sur
plus in history, buying the product
of u competitor, made from Bra
lillian cotton"
He added, zone of my opponents
charges that my bill to prohibit the
use of Brazilian cotton as / have
stated, was never brought to a vote,
but he doesn't tel you why. 1t is be-
cause we accomplished our objec-
tive, brought about the sale Of 3o0,-
600 bales of cotton to Canada, and
at the same time cooperated with
the State Department to foster the
good-neighbor policy"
Mr.. Eastland reviewed in detail
his fight with Price Administrator
Leon Henderson who fixed the
price of cottonseed at the lowest
possible price for the month. Be-
cause of this policy, stated Mr..
Eastland, the southern cotton
farmer stood to lose forty million
dollars. After the fight put up by
Mr.. Eastland for the farmer Mr..
Henderson admitted that he was
wrong on the proposition and knew
nothing about it, according to the
daily press reports.
The same fight took place on
price-fixing for pine lumber. The
price administrator showed that he
did not know what he was doing
when he placed the same price
ceiling on virgin long-leaf timber
and loblolly pine, said Mr.. East
land. Appreciation for his efforts
on behalf of the lumbermen n
sawmill operators will be seen
when the election returns from
south Mississippi come in, the
speaker claimed.
Mr.. Eastland came out in avor
of paying the soldiers their army
nav for six months after the war
to help them get acclimated IN
civilian life again. He said the Unit
cd States must win the peace that
follows this war and the world must
be reorganized on a basis of coliec-
tive security. For this reason 1t is
more important than ever for the
people of the United States TO send
10 Congress men who are fearless
and free, independent thinkers
who are not "yes" men to any poll
AL fan&;on NJ Easflad aaid