WAR TOPICS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 285, 19 March 1941, Page 7

WAR TOPICS

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U.S. FARMERS The American farmer wants to do everything possible, short of war,: to help Great Britain win, and <s prepared to back up this pledge with all the food and fibre necessary, Edward A. O'Neal. President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said L Worcester, Massachusetts. Mr O'Neal, who arrived to give the principal address at the 23rd Union Agricultural Meeting of 34 New England larm organisations, said that farmers throughout the ■country want this nation to "arm to the teeth" and to enforce the Monroe Doctrine for the entire '.Western Arakpiere. The Federation head said he told President Roosevelt, January 2 that the United States has "a super abundance of food and fibre—practically guaranteed." He said lie told the President 'that the farmers are the only group that doesn't need to step up production for National Defence. In a speech before the Worcester Rotary Club, Mr O'Neal said he discussed the 1911 farm programme with the President and warned that "farmers may be driven to extremities in parity prices unless this •country sees to it that the fanner is no longer a forgotten man." Addressing 8000 New England farmers attending the meeting, 'Charlie B. Jordan, President of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, said thai although American farmers view the present crisis "with mixed emotions," no group is abetter prepared to meet its obligations in the defence programme. Production on American farms lias been stepped up during the past } r ear y Mr Jordan revealed, "to ! meet a possible call to help the starving in Europe," if and when America may lieed that call without prolonging the war. He did not recommend sending food to Europe at present. Speaking on industry's role in the defence effort, Mayor Roger L. Putnam, of Springfield, told the New England farmers that industry does not want "war fortunes" but that it does expect a "reasonable and fair profit." Mr Putnam is President of the Package Machinery Company as well as the Mayor of Springfield.

fn his talk on Hie farmer's attitude toward the nation's rearmament programme, Mr Jordan warned that defence is not merely setting up bulwarks against militaryaggression. Defence must, lie declared, include building up and strengthening democratic society against internal struggles as well. When the war is over in Europe, Mr Jordan declared, "we are to see a great change in. our social order here in America." The present inequality in the purchasing power of the various economic groups in tliis country, the Massachusetts farm leader warned, must be remedied. Agriculture, lie stated, must be given a greater .share of purchasing power. ACTIVE ALLIES IN NORWEGIANS Britain has "mi more active allies than Norwegians who are fighting actively abroad and Norwegians who are fighting, perhaps passively, but none the less stubbornly, in Norway," Dr. Edward I. Hambro. son of Norway's President, said in Toronto recently. Mr Hambro was in Bergen when the Germans occupied that city. He escaped, joined the Norwegian army, was appointed liaison officer to the British forces in Norway, and was evacuated with them lo England early last May. Describing the attitude of his people toward the British, he said. "I will never forget when the first British bombers came over some o[ our cities. We knew that they meant danger to our lives and property, but we ran into the streets cheering because we knew they were fighting for us. "Right now Norwegians in Norway arc spying for the British. f have seen British bombing attacks so accurate that they couldn't have been planned otherwise. And a', late as October some young Norwegians rowed in an open boat across the North Sea to Scotland to join the figlit for freedom. "My countrymen are giving tin* Germans much trouble now. A rather laughable instance is a rlc* claration issued by the Germans in Norway saying Norwegians should treat Germans as if they are as good as Norwegians. And the. Germans cail themselves Europe's master race !"