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Show NEWS REVIEW New Dust Bowl Feared; Corn Outlook Improves Thinking men experienced ranchers, grain men and bankers in the West are looking worriedly ahead to a revival of the dreaded dust bowl because transient farmers are plowing plow-ing up thousands of acres of virgin range to plant wheat which will brine them two dollars a bushel. Under the stimulus of the two-dollar two-dollar wheat, buffalo grass is being turned over at an unprecedented rate, and the prediction is that when it quits raining the dust bowl will stage a savage comeback. The West again has become a paradise for speculators who are buying up land for $15 to $25 an acre and planting it in wheat. One good crop will pay for the land and leave them a good profit besides. Suitable primarily for grazing, the land normally is priced at from $2 to $10 an acre. "Suitcase farmers" roll in with their tractors, plows and drills, put in a wheat crop and then leave until it is time to harvest the grain. No one stays to check the inevitable wind erosion. The current world food shortage offers some justification for expanding expand-ing the wheat crop, but it would be difficult to maintain that rational outlook if resulting dust storms caused a recurrence of the mass ruin and exodus from the dust bowl of the 1930s. FAIR OUTLOOK: Corn Prospect As July entered the Midwest's agricultural scene with a gush of warm air and sunshine, prospects appeared reasonably good for a fair-sized crop of corn in Minnesota and South Dakota this year. However, in those states, as In the rest of the corn belt, a long period of favorable weather conditions is most essential. The frequent, heavy rains must stop in order that saturated satu-rated fields can return to normal. Planted acreage of corn in Min- $ nesota and South Dakota Is about equal to that of last year, but heavy losses have been incurred as a result re-sult of excessive rain. Most observers observ-ers agree that while the growing corn crop is two to three weeks behind be-hind last year it still has time to stage a comeback, given favorable weather. Such a shortened growing period, however, may result in reduced yields. Also, growers in the two states are reported to have turned, in the past year, to planting corn requiring a shorter growing period than formerly. Therefore, while the corn may mature relatively earlier than formerly, It will do so at the expense of a smaller yield an acre. DISCORD: Paris Clash Latest attempt to bring the opposing oppos-ing areas of the world into closer j harmony by means of an interna-tional interna-tional conference has resulted, as htva all the others, in a complete, I discordant, unharmonious cacophony. cacoph-ony. It was the Paris conference of British, French and Russian representatives repre-sentatives on Secretary of State Marshall's save - Europe proposal I MARSHALL ANGERED Angered at Soviet criticism of his European recovery plan. Secretary of State George Marshall Mar-shall rejected as a "malicious distortion of the truth" the Russian Rus-sian claim that American offers to help put Europe on its feet are inspired by imperialist motives. mo-tives. He drew a stinging comparison com-parison between United States' efforts for M aid and Soviet aggrandizement in Europe. which went on the rocks this time, deepening the rift between Russia and the western powers. Conflict arose over two main issues: is-sues: 1. Soviet Foreign Minister V. M. Molotov opposed any plan by which the great powers could Impose an economic program pro-gram on the smaller nations of Europe, while British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, backed by French Foreign Minister Georges Bidault, wanted to draft a broad scheme for reconstruction re-construction of all Europe. 2. Molotov placed his entire emphasis on the American aid aspect of the Marshall plan, but Britain and France primarily stressed a self-help program for Europe. Result is that Great Britain and j France probably will go ahead with- j out Russia on a western European four-year reconstruction program of self-help, at the same time hoping hop-ing for American credits and sup- ; plies. |