The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-09-30
WNU Service, Union Trust Building
Washington. d. c.


Out of the part of the world farth-
est from the fighting, literally and
figuratively, has come an interest
ing international prescription for the
cure of the worlds postwar head
ache-the spell of depression that
we have to be ready for.
The formula is summarized in
43-page pamphlet that wish every
one could read. The title is The
Midcontinent and the Peace. The
cover is an earthly brown embel-
lished with alternating rows Of gold
en- grain sheaves. fat porkers and
trucks.
II is a report made jointly BY the
Universities of Minnesota and Mani
toba. It has nothing to do WITH de-
partments Of state. il has no official
status beyond the fact that the
American and Canadian governors
asked their respective state univer-
sites 10 do the job. II is splendid
down-to- brass-tacks example OF the
recognition of the common interests
OF two important areas lying on OPP
poslte sides of an International
boundary line
The gist of the report IS this.
|. Western Europe must arrange
greatly to increase its imports OF
wheat, lard and pork after the war.
II. Canada and the United States
must reorganize their automobile
producing industries so that a maxi
mum employment in Canadian fac
tories can be maintained. cost OF
autos be reduced to Canadian buy
ers and American car output IN
creased
III. Agriculture in the prairie
provinces of Canada and the central
northwest United States must con-
tinue along the lines of agrlcul-
tural specialization developed out OF
necessity during the war.
The Connection
Now, at first glance, the connec-
ton between these steps may not
be evident, but the report makes
the whole effort clear and also
shows how the program can be car
ried out. There is nothing new or
revolutionary in the methods dis
cussed, nor in the reasoning con-
corning their results, but striking
assemblage of data gathered and
arranged in such a manner that II
offers what appears to be logical
program of action.
In the first place. the report shows
how domestic economic policies
(the ones | briefly summarized II
the three points above) are. in fact
international policies. II demon
strates with figures and explanation
that sound and strong interna
economies in Canada and the Unitee
States must have "resoundingls
important effects on the externa
world"
Examples offered to prove this IN
clude the figures which show hov
the rise and fall of demand in Can
ada and the United States affected
other parts of the world up to ant
after the depression hit us in 1929.
In less than three decades, i'm
ports in the United States OF teI
different commodities Increase
from 800 to 1.700 million dollar
worth. Take silk. the yearly aver
age importation of silk bought by tn
United States from 190l-O5 amount
ed to as million dollars. In 1925
it had jumped to 1872 million do
lars. But when the depressio
struck, it fell to ia million dollar
in 1882.
The total imports Of the ten con
modities dropped from l,7l3 mi
lion to 534 million dollars-and yo
can imagine what happened in tn
producing countries when thes
markets disappeared.
One interesting point brought OF
IS that in this period Of expandln
trade (both import and exporD
which Canada and the United State
shared, the MUTUAL interests I
the two countries greatly IT
CREASED and their competitive il
terests declined.
Industry Predominant
TIRE report shows he4- aggFieH
tire has ceased to be our create