Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-09-14

PIC ScIl w lllOl "lCii t1ASJ AAs~'S ~
than when they don't, especially
when there Is some extraordinary
urge such as war. Take our own
case: with thousands of farm boys
in the munitions factories and with
the armed forces, what did America
do?
American farm production in 1914
was increased, despite its handicap,
36 per cent beyond the 1885 to
1889 level.
Britain's Farm
Output High
But what about England where the
boys were in the army and the NUM-
tons factories, too; where farmers
had to farm in the blackout and
around the shell-craters in their
fields? The British increased their
production IS per cent - they were
nearer to the front than we were.
They had a greater incentive.
For the same reason, the distribu-
ton was far better than in Ameri-
ca. RECOMMENDATION was more strin-
gent. The government in England
bought all the food and distributed
1t itself. It cracked down hard on
the black markets. In this country,
popular opinion prevented such in
reference with private enterprise.
And so in America we permitted
the processing and distribution in
dustries to operate at profit. In
Britain, 1t was a non-profit, govern
ment operation. Rationing was
stricter, too.
So much for Britain's wartime ef-
fort. Now, what about the efficiency
of her production in normal times?
My informant gave me some i'm
pressive figures.
He pointed to Americas two typi-
cal farm states which taken together
are just about equal to Britain in
area: Iowa and Indiana. Believe it
or not in normal times Britain pro-
duces more wheat, barley and oats
than those two states combined.
Britain also produces more cattle
than Texas which is six times as
large-more potatoes than all our
chief potato states including Maine
and Idaho, more dairy products than
Wisconsin.
"Then why on EARTH" I inter-
rupted, cant they feed themselves
over there?"
Back came the answer: "For the
same reason that New York state
with its skilled farmers, it's splen-
did soil, its up-to-date methods,
can't feed itself any more than the
District of Columbia can. In Europe
as in these more heavily populated
areas in the United States, there are
just too many people,"
If we want these Europeans to
live and prosper and earn the money
to buy our automobiles and type
writer's and other gadgets which
keep our factories running, we'll
have to keep on sending food to Eu-
rope as we always have.
Recently was asked to make
recording which was to be deposited
in the archives of George Washing
ton university, as part of a series
made for the use of the class of the
year 2007. 1t is a somewhat fantastic
idea to be sure, but it is seriously
undertaken and responded in as
serious vein as I could muster. I
can't repeat what I said as that is
supposed to be held as a big sur
prise for the class of 2007. However,
the whole idea intrigues me so much
that l have been thinking about it
ever since.
The fact that this year begins
what some people call the "atomic
age" makes the speculation all the
more interesting. In 1889 when the
first successful experiment in "split-
ting the atom," and releasing the
vast power which literally holds the
world together was reported chiefly
in scientific publications, as of great
academic Importance. One writer
said the experiment might have no
results of interests beyond the labo-
ratory. Six years later continue
ton of those experiments ended
the Japanese war.
The forces released, however.
were largely uncontrolled and pure
ly destructive.
Will the class of 2007 have to look
up the word "coaP' because it has
been forgotten? Will all our mod
| ern means Of generating power be
displaced by the atoms forces, care
fully controlled and directed to the
uses OF peace and progress?