The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1943-04-01
Tough Job For A New Man
Washington, March q

Washington, March 27.
Mr.. Chester c. Davis, head of the
new food-control agency which the
President has just set up, told the
story probably more fully than he re-
allied when he somewhat ruefully said
of his new post: II would a whole
lot rather be tackling it as Of two
years ago thon now. A fellow had a
clean sheet to write on then. Now
there are so many complications that
teamwork will be quite a job"
$3.50
Truly Mr.. Davis has been given a
tough assignment and whether he is
the best man for it or not everybody
should wish him success. We would
be fools not to, for there is no use
Disgusting the fact that the food crisis
is real and grave and that it is going
to impose privation upon us all. No
one will starve, but everybody will
have to tighten his belt most uncom-
fortably. There is no doubt of that.
As Mr. Herbert Hoover, who knows
more about food distribution than
anyone else, said some weeks ago:
"There are symptoms of a dangerous
ly degenerated agriculture" His words
were echoed by the Governors of two
great agricultural States-Governor
Green of Illinois and Governor Brick
er of Ohio The first said, eve are
about to witness the greatest crisis
that has ever confronted the agricul-
ture of America. The other said, "un-
less something is done Immediately
America will be hungry" A dozen
other Governors of mid-Western
States, Democrats and Republicans,
agreed substantially with these state
ments.
As Mr.. Davis makes plain, for two
years we have been drifting with no
war food policy worthy of the name.
The result is tragic. Talking big about
feeding the world the stage has been
reached where we are having trouble
feeding ourselves. Primarily, this is
an indictment (perhaps unconsciously
but nevertheless clearly made by his
own appointee) of the Presidents in
competency in dealing with a problem
equally as basic, so far as war is
concerned, as the production Of mu-
nitions There is no sense in blaming
subordinates The responsibility is Mr.
Roosevelt's and no one else's. For two
years he has fooled and fddled with
this vital matter until control both as
to food production and food prices has
all but been lost. Neither his press
conference talk of a great land army
ncr his plans for fulloughing farm
hands nor his citation of production
figures alter the facts.
1888
SO far as prices are concerned, the
situation in Congress, where the out
rageous Bankhead bill has passed the
Senate and the Pace bill, which Price
Administrator Brown says would be
even more disastrous, still threatens
| is directly traceable to the Admins
tration's feebleness in dealing with
| the demands of organized labor. Agar
and again and again the President
has yielded to these demands-even
in earlier days, encouraged them. lr
| consequence, the farms have been
drained of labor not only by the draft
! but by the lure of high wages in the
defense plants. This not only has left
the farmer without adequate help bu
forced him to pay more for what ht
has. Naturally, this makes him re
sentful of the special favors shown
labor unions and restless under thu
price ceiling established over him
The farm bloc bills are the inevitable
consequence. Now the President i
caught in the position where, if h
yields to the present wage demands
the farm demands cannot be resisted
and, if he permits the farm ceilings
to be lifted, then flood of irresistibl,
wage demands will follow.
Both the labor lobbyist and tn
farm lobbyist proclaim this. So doe
the Presidents price administrator
SO does practically every informe
authority. What it means to the anti
imitation fight is too clear to nee
statement. Under these circumstances
a Grover Cleveland would know hoy
to act. But while Mr.. Roosevelt ha
displayed as President many quail
ties-some of them admirable-h
has at no time shown the least trac
of that rugged and unshakable powe
TO resist pressure which is linked wit
the name of Cleveland. Perhaps h
will do so in vetoing the Bankhea
bill. 1t seems the only course he ca
take if he is not to yield again a
around. So much for food prices. A
to food production, Mr.. Roosevelt
failure has been due to two things
first, his inability to provide a firm
clear manpower policy; second, hi
insistence upon keeping as food &C
ministrator a Secretary of Agricu
ture whom everybody knew was nc
up to the job. Mr.. Wickard is wei
MEANING corn-and-hog farmer frol