16 THE AGRICULTURAL BLOC 



by feeding Europe was answered in most posi- 

 tive terms. 



Then, with even greater suddenness, occurred 

 the reaction and the depression laying bare the 

 real weaknesses in our industrial system, bring- 

 ing us again to realize that agriculture is the 

 basic industry in this country and that when 

 it suffers, all industry suffers with it and in an 

 increasing degree as the agricultural depression 

 continues. 



When this crisis in American agriculture 

 began to be reflected by appeals to the American 

 Congress, through the Kepresentatives of the 

 regions particularly distressed, the true situa- 

 tion was presented by them in the two Houses of 

 Congress with great emphasis. But the coun- 

 try's distress was not confined to agriculture 

 alone. The public and most members of Con- 

 gress were not yet ready to seek for the real 

 causes and much of the protest and appeal from 

 agricultural representatives went unheeded. 



The farmer's complaint was dismissed as 

 merely that of a group in temporary need, with 

 the unsatisfying counsel that they wait the nor- 

 mal turn of events. When it was pointed out 

 that the farmers had been patient during the 

 war, withholding complaints for known injus- 



