Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1943-03-04

men or draft age !!E
in government en- m
ploy-18 to 81 - = Is
many of whom should be in the
service. Then, too, there are many
young lawyers in the government
service, with a deferred status or
account of being essential to war
work l doubt if there is one of these
young fellows who could not be re-
placed by competent lawyers who
are beyond the draft age.
The committee is going into the
college training program, which dis
closes that the War department plans
on sending 100000 young men be-
tween the ages of l8 to % to colleges
for specialized training in medicine
dentistry, chemistry, civil, mechan-
.ical and radio engineering and other
professions at cost of $2,O78 an
nually per student. This, of course
includes food, quarters, uniforms and
tuition. How long does the War de-
partment expect the war to last?
When Congress added the WAAC's
to the army the number was limited
to 10000 by law. Forty thousand
are now in service, of which number
$4,000 have already been sent to
colleges and the War department ex-
poets to increase the number to
$1,000, each one to represent an an
nual cost to the taxpayers of $2,O78
One of the colleges selected is Smith,
fashionable girls school. Incident
ally, Smith has been given priority
for new steel desks, yet the farmer
can't get steel for farm machinery
or brooder stoves.
The Red Cross is sponsoring a
course in art for military and naval
enlisted men which is said to be
quite popular. Last Wednesdays
Washington Times Herald had an
illustration showing class model
ing or painting youth female in
the nude.
1 do not know how my readers
react to these incidents but to me
they are most disquieting. Some OF
the same individuals who are re-
sponsible for inaugurating these ac-
'tivities have been among the loudest
in declaring that our people are not
Secretary Wickard Acts.
The farmers of the country will
generally approve of Secretary of
Agriculture .Wickard's action to- lift
the restriction on wheat production
as an emergency measure. Under
the operation of the AAA act wheat
grower was penalized 40 cents a
bushel on all wheat raised in excess
of the quota acreage production ii
the grower wanted to feed or sell
the excess wheat. The secretary
order means that there will be no
restriction on wheat production in
1943 providing the grower agrees to
raise war crops, such as flax, soy
beans, navy beans, potatoes, peas,
tomatoes, ETC., to at least 80 per cent
of the amount fixed by the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
lido not know how much the AAA
is going to cost the federal treasury
this year but be it much or little,
that activity should be discontinued
at least for the duration because
there is every indication that we are
going to have very serious food
shortage before the war is over. AL
ready large portions of the earth
are in the grip of famine and pes
thence. Under existing conditions
every encouragement, including ex-
emption of needed farm labor from
the draft, should be given to the
raising of more and yet more food
crops of all kinds. Many farmers
have written me about this and with
out exception all urged that every
restriction on production be removed
which would indicate that the .AAA
policy is not very popular.
A "Hoss" on Congress.
The military has pulled fast one
on the. legislative branch of the
government. Shortly after, the out
break. of the war the War depart
ment mounted anti-aircraft guns
atop the new house office building
and daily steel helmeted soldiers
could be seen silhouetted against the
sky. One day last week a colleague
from North Carolina, :. went up or
the roof to see how the boys were
getting along, only to find that the
anti-aircraft guns were not guns a,
all. They are of wood and those
steel helmeted soldiers that We have
been observing from the street and
plying in cold weather are not SOL
diers either, they are dummies. When
it comes to finding substitutes, take
my hat off to this Administration.
Rejects Butter Substitutes.
The hearings being conducted by
the House Eoreipn Affairs committee