ioo THE FARMER AND THE NEW DAY 



time, the energy and the money of those agencies and 

 individuals that are at work on behalf of agriculture 

 and country life. The adoption of a policy once more 

 ought to insure a comprehtiisive program. One needs 

 but to glance at even a superficial outline of the farm- 

 er's problem to realize how little even our agricultural 

 leaders have worked in terms of thorough-going, well- 

 balanced development. 



Will Men See the Need? Until very recently in- 

 deed, there has been almost no discussion in America 

 about an agricultural policy. Indeed responsible of- 

 ficials have asserted very recently that we already have 

 a policy, and evidently believe that there is no need for 

 further discussion of the matter. But the war has 

 raised the issue in a way that will not down. The 

 experience of America's participation in the war to date 

 has brought home to the farmers and indeed to many 

 of the public agricultural agencies the loss of effective- 

 ness that has come because there has been no authori- 

 tative program, no generous use of available forces, no 

 spokesmen upon which the government could rely for 

 an expert and representative opinion concerning the 

 best things to do in agriculture. The evidence that 

 men are beginning to realize the need is found in the 

 fact that a number of different groups are now at work 

 quite independently of each other, endeavoring to 

 formulate an agricultural policy. 



Unity Impossible. It may be argued that jealousies 

 both personal and institutional will prevent even the 

 formulating of a policy; somebody or some group will 

 want the credit for it all. It is pitiably true that the 

 itch for glory often overmasters the passion for service. 

 It is a severe test of human nature when individuals 

 or organizations jump into the arena, carry off the 



