Show I Ir r I I F 1 I 1 r. r t I Farm Land Speculation r 1 l Is Threat to to Agriculture i I ii Government Warns Against Fever of Land 1 1 Buying That Would Start Another I 1 t Economic Cycle for U. U S. S 1 t Unhappy By BAUKHAGE Y National Farm and Home Hour flour Commentator s Service 1343 H. H Street N. N W. W Washington D. D C. C Farm income income cash cash income will income will willbe be nearly this year That is two billions greater than last year Money to burn And the burning question in Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington is how to stop the conflagration tion before it starts The chief danger danger danger dan dan- ger is another prairie fire of farm farmland farmland farmland land speculation such as started out outdo in do Iowa in World War Var I. I First there were wash sales They were Real sales began which sent farm prices up to the blue skies and which ended by making a farm mort mortgage age the cheapest form of wall paper Two years after that World war started the prices of farm land rose 5 per cent Not much later they leaped a hundred per cent and more The eventual collapse was forerunner forerun forerun- ner of the depression Today two years after the present present present pres pres- ent war started farm land prices are up 1 per cent That isn't so bad but the government is already worried enough to consider it worth worthwhile worthwhile worthwhile while trying to start a back fire in inthe inthe inthe the hope of preventing a recurrence of the unhappy cycle which began 25 ye years s ag ago When Governer Black of 01 the Farm r l arm Credit administration called in the farm mortgage e bankers the insurance insurance insurance ance people farm organization representatives representatives representatives rep rep- and others in the rural real estate field he simply reminded them that when the government loaned the farmers the money to toL L bail them the mortgagors out last r. r time it was done on appraisals i based on normal values Now it is up to the real estate people to make makee e their appraisals on normal values too That means on figures based on the relationship between farm products prod prod- I nets prices and other prices established established estabr r for the years of 1914 r A million farmers who were vere loaned t money by the Farm Credit administration administration admin admin- f during the depression have repaid their mortgages Those farmers farmers farmers farm farm- ers are Keenly aware of the danger danger danger dan dan- ger to agriculture and to the whole r economy if a fever of mad land buy ing starts again They will help stop it if they can The government government government govern govern- ment will do all in its power in the way of education meetings education meetings will be beheld held the held the house organ of the Farm Farmr Credit administration which has a r i m million circulation will carry the warning The real estate operators k have indicated that they will co- co operate 4 Whether money money to burn will burn the farmer is still uncertain In the end stopping another drunken orgy S of land speculation and the terrible terri terri- P f ble headache afterward depends on ont the word-of-mouth word message of the in in- t I. I The burned child fears the I fire but there is always someone to urge him to risk a blister for the delicious chestnut he sees roasting on the coals e Policy Policy Orders Orders Orders Action Silence Action Silence As HAs Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I order the following following following follow follow- ing policy carried out at once our vessels and planes will protect all merchant ships ships not not only American ships but ships of any flag flag engaged engaged in commerce in waters waters waters wa wa- which we deem necessary for our defense American naval vessels vessels ves yes sels and Ameri American an planes will strike I Ithe the first blow against Axis submarines submarines submarines rines rines or Axis raiders on the surface surface surface sur sur- face of the sea This communication in substance was transmitted to the office of the secretary of the navy from the White House a few weeks ago There it was immediately translated translated translated trans trans- first into naval language and then into code Over land wires to the wireless towers near Annapolis it was flashed to ships of the United j i States navy on the seven seas seas It is early morning A thin steely light spreads across the horizon as the U. U S. S destroyer Blank a part of the Atlantic patrol rides the easy F swells On board the smooth routine routine rou- rou v tine goes on with its work clock-work mo- mo But there is is the ghost of a agrim agrim agrim grim smile exchanged between the j captain and the executive officer officer- they have both read the coded message message message mes mes- sage recorded by the wireless operator operator operator op op- a little while before Three minutes later the ship shin is galvanized from galley to cr crows crows- ws- ws nest 1 A strident gong has sounded The above whistle is trilling high the wash of the waves and the whirr of the engines for the word has come down from the lookout Torpedo track sited Starboard I bow 4 0 4 0 The gong sounds that sounds that might mean any emergency but before I there is time to wonder the order rings out out out- I All HAll hands to general quarters I Before the gun crews have ripped off the site covers the executive officer officer officer of of- has reported to the captain Battle stations manned sir I The torpedo track a ribbon of I Iwhite white moves forward toward the destroyer destroyer destroyer de de- de- de at the rate of 1000 yards a minute But the tube of high explosive explosive explosive sive itself which is sending up the tell-tale tell track of bubbles is 40 yards ahead of the nearest one that shows shows shows-it it takes some time before before be bc fore those bubbles can reach the sur sur- I face The bearing of the torpedo is verified verified verified veri veri- fied and the destroyer swings and leaps speed full to meet it Not because the captain wants to contact the whirring death bolt headon head- head on but because there is less chance of a hit if the ship shows its beam instead of the length of its hull as a 1 target And the objective of the destroyer destroyer de- de j de-j is a spot as nearly over j the point where the submarine is is' is submerged as it is possible to estimate estimate esti esti- j mate it That point is reached for forthe forthe forthe the torpedo has missed its mark while ears are glued to the sound- sound detector straining for the noise of the subs sub's engines Release depth charges Down go the cans ash one after another mounds of water rise the sound detector is deafened The destroyer destroyer destroyer de de- de- de turning sharply returns to the spot and releases another series of charges The roar dies in the detectors There is silence And that is the end of the story Perhaps it is the end of the sub sub- marine It is quite possible that no noone noone noone one will ever know w what at happened until after the war war perhaps perhaps not then And even if some tell-tale tell piece of equipment is blown from the inside of the sub and reaches the surface that does not mean that the public will know At least not for a long tim time Seasonal Glory In National Capital Washington is standing on the threshold of its seasonal glory glory Oc Oc Octobers tober's bright blue weather the month of beauty in the capital Already the early morning sun comes down in soft blue bars and Augusts August's heavy carpet of shadow on pavement and lawn is thinned to a lacework pattern as the leaves shrivel el and drop Gardens have faded but there is isone isone isone one hardy bush Rose of Sharon which blooms before the more modest modest modest mod mod- est door doorways A cross between a hollyhock and rand and a morning glory it is hardier than either The city wakes with a new vigor now that the tropic days are over Women government workers are out with a brisk step for a last stroll stroH with dogs or babies whichever they possess before they go off to the theoffice theoffice theoffice office Landladies straggle homeward homeward homeward home home- ward cheerfully with their bags and parcels But trolley cars still lag lagand lagand lagand and jerk packed to the doors with the new thousands who crowd the sag rj city with the clerks of Mars f Suez Canal Symbol Of British Power Symbols are often oCten more powerful than facts or things in influencing the public The Suez canal has always always always al al- al- al ways been considered Britain's life life- line It is the symbol of Britain's sea-power sea of the bonds that hold the Empire together of British achievement And yet the canal is as much French as British both in construction construction construction tion and control What is more months ago it became of highly questionable value because for weeks at a time it has had to be closed as a result of attacks from the air Long ago shrewd Britons realized that they must prepare for the eventuality eventuality eventuality even even- of the loss of the Suez At least five years ago a book was Vas published published published pub pub- pointing out that in case of war Britain must be prepared to protect ship routes around Africa |