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Show TUpxliiiqlo& MEMT-GQ-ROUND Mm Washington, D. C. THE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT In the last few days the President himself has silenced administration critics of Claude Wickard, and decreed de-creed that he remain as secretary of agriculture. The President's stand came at the height of an increasing storm brewing brew-ing round the amiable Indiana corn farmer, whom everyone likes but whose all-important food program is lagging. White House advisers have told the President that Wickard's program pro-gram was inadequate, that it must be drastically revised, that there would be shocking deficiencies of food. Some have urged that Wickard Wick-ard be replaced. The President, however, has defended de-fended his secretary of agriculture. ' But also he has appointed White House Secretary Lauchlin Currie whose regular field is Chinese relations rela-tions to act as umpire on the farm program. Currie has given Wickard Wick-ard a nine-point program for revamping re-vamping American agriculture and among other things has pointed out that England increased her food production pro-duction 50 per cent with little additional addi-tional manpower. Why, he asks, cannot the United States do the same? AGRICULTURE'S PROGRAM Here are Currie's proposals, advanced ad-vanced with the blessing of the White House: 1. The goals of agricultural production pro-duction should be higher. 2. A new production program, possibly with a new budget, should be presented to congress. 3. All acreage allotments and other restrictions on production should be removed to encourage the more efficient farmers. 4. The 1,000,000 farm operators of second rate efficiency should be -brought into full production with the aid of seed, fertilizer, livestock, machinery ma-chinery and even land. 5. Cotton and tobacco acreage should be reduced, corn acreage, allotments al-lotments removed entirely, and more wheat should be fed to livestock. live-stock. 6. Profiting by British example, a new "land army" should be organized, or-ganized, to use town and city dwellers, dwell-ers, especially women, for farm work. 7. Truck farmers who produce such luxuries as iceberg lettuce should be converted to more essential essen-tial crops. 8. Facilities for processing and drying foods should be increased. 9. Local direction of the farm program should be shifted away from Farm-bureau-minded agents, toward agents more responsive to federal direction. WICKARD'S FARM PROGRAM Wickard's response to this sweeping sweep-ing proposal was to accept part of it, reject part. He believes the production goals are already high enough that it's too late to present a new program for 1943, that cotton goals have already al-ready been substantially lowered, and tobacco reduction would require change of the law. He agrees to removal of acreage restrictions on most crops, but not on cotton and wheat, which still yield embarrassing surpluses. Claude is a little touchy on the question of county agents and committeemen, com-mitteemen, insisting that federal representation is adequate. FULL PRODUCTION On other points, however, he agrees with the White House proposals, pro-posals, declaring some already are in effect. He wants to bring the 1,000,000 less efficient farmers into full production, to increase dehydration dehydra-tion of foods, convert truck farmers . from iceberg lettuce, etc., and organize or-ganize a new land army from towns and cities. In fact, he already has a plan well advanced for the "land army." Wickard, who had hardly been heard of before his elevation to Wallace's Wal-lace's place in the cabinet, has had tlear sailing for two years, thanks in part to good weather. Now, however, he is facing just as Amgh a job in trying to produce tnore, as Wallace faced ten years go in trying to produce less. No secretary of agriculture ever faced more opposite and more difficult problems. The average person realizes real-izes the problems confronting the secretary of agriculture. They are exceedingly complex. Wickard knows his position is shaky. But he is on his mettle, fighting fight-ing to meet the established production produc-tion goals. CAPITAL CHAFF C. Munro Leaf, who wrote Ferdinand the Bull, hailed as a children's classic clas-sic on pacifism, has now got himself a captain's commission in the army, and is more belligerent than any West Pointer. He even believes that it is sacrilegious to criticize anyone in the army, or anything the army does especially the services of supply, sup-ply, to which he is detailed, ft When Postmaster General Frank Walker was shown a recent news photo of himself, he said, "Is that : Herbert Hoover or me?" i |