choice of the new president was a 

 popular one. A. E. Burwash, Cham- 

 paign county, long active in Farm Bu- 

 reau work, placed President Shuman's 

 name in nomination for the presidency. 

 It was seconded by H. P. Ash, Macon, 

 and Dwight Hart, Christian. The only 

 other nomination for presidency was that 

 of E. E. Houghtby, Shabbona, former 

 lAA board member who had served for 

 10 years as a director. 



Vice-President Morris was the only 

 nominee for that office and was un- 

 animously elected. 



Mr. Smith's address given Wednes- 

 day morning was one which displayed 

 great statesmanship. It is reprinted in 

 tull in this issue of the Record and 

 the membership no doubt will give it 

 great and careful study. The resolu- 

 tions adopted in the closing sessions 

 Thursday morning are also printed in 

 full in this issue of the Record and 

 likewise deserve careful consideration. 



In the public relations conference 

 held Wednesday afternoon, delegates 

 heard reviewed and discussed the 100 

 per cent assessment program of the 

 state, public health districts, the Gate- 

 way amendment, road improvement 

 and financing, and price control. These 

 subjects are covered in Mr. Smith's an- 

 nual address. 



Two of the most outstanding ad- 

 dresses made by guest speakers during 

 the meeting were those of Congressman 

 Everett M. Dirksen of Illinois and the 

 Rev. George M. Gibson of Chicago. 

 Congressman Clarence Cannon, who 

 was scheduled to speak Wednesday 

 night, was unable to keep his engage- 

 ment because of a hearing before the 

 House Appropriations committee of 

 which he is chairman. 



Congressman Dirksen justified his 

 reputation as one of the most effective 

 speakers in Congress. His address on 

 "The World We Live in Today" was 

 one of the best ever given before an 

 lAA convention. Prior to his address 

 he paid tribute to Earl Smith as farm 

 leader, declaring that in both the House 

 and Senate, he was held in the highest 

 esteem, and in appearances before com- 

 mittees he showed he had the best 

 perspective on the whole agricultural 

 picture and its relationship to the coun- 

 try's economy. 



As farm people returned to their 

 homes from the convention, there was 

 one sentence of Congressman Dirksen's 

 address that rang in their ears. It was 

 the query of a wounded soldier in a 

 government hospital put to a chaplain. 

 His query was, "Paare, will anything 

 ever come of it?" This was a ques- 

 tion in the minds of many. Congress- 

 man Dirksen said, as the world wit- 



nesses the turmoil in the world follow- 

 ing the close of the war. 



The Illinois Congressman who re- 

 cently returned from 32,000 miles of 

 travel in 21 countries, said he had sev- 

 eral specific conclusions and general 

 ones to make from his trip. The spe- 

 cific conclusions were, first, distance 

 not only has been annihilated, but the 

 space between world events. Second, 

 human life means so little in so many 

 places of the world, and third, tech- 

 niques in so many countries are archaic, 

 but the people have a capacity to learn 

 if given the opportunity. 



The Congressman's general conclu- 

 sions were: communism is on the 

 march, it is still the strong hand against 

 the weak, oil is the seed of war, and 

 there is still so little freedom in the 

 world. The answer to many of our 

 world questions, he said, lies in a per- 

 sonal appreciation of these problems. 



In his address on "Seven Lamps of 

 Character," based on Ruskin's "Seven 

 Lamps of Architecture," Dr. Gibson of 

 the United Church of Hyde Park, dis- 

 cussed the spiritual aspects of the 

 modern cultural problem. 



In a magnificent and scholarly style. 

 Dr. Gibson said in part: "We need not 

 lose heart in seeking a better America 

 and a better world. Depressions, panics 

 and wars have been the lot of our gener- 

 ation, and have brought a feeling of 

 cynicism bordering on despair. Men ask, 

 why after we have spoken for two thou- 

 sand years, of peace and justice, do these 

 things still happen. But in the long course 

 of history, the whole Christian era is but 

 a day-break and a beginning. Give it 

 time. Give God and man more time. 

 And with patient impatience, we may 

 press forward hopefully." 



President Edward A. O'Neal of the 

 AFBF, who addressed the convention 



Texts on the addresses of Con- 

 gressman Everett M. Dirksen and 

 Rev. George M. Gibson are not 

 available at press time. Persons 

 wishing copies of these speeches 

 later may write the lAA Publicity 

 Dept., 608 South Dearborn St., 

 Chicago 5, 111. 



Thursday morning, lauded Illinois 

 Farm Bureau members for their splen- 

 did record of progress and warned that 

 the threat of inflation is another 

 "atomic bomb." He also said that farm 

 organizations have a job to do in the 

 days ahead to exert their stabilizing in- 

 fluence in a strike-torn country. 



Five new directors were elected to 

 the lAA board. Two of these new 

 directors were named to succeed Presi- 

 dent Shuman and Vice-President Mor- 

 ris when they were named officers. 

 These were: Milton W. Warren, 

 Mansfield, Piatt county, who succeeds 

 Shuman, and Dan L. Clarke, New Ber- 

 lin, Sangamon county, succeeding Mor- 

 ris. The other three new directors 

 were: J. King Eaton, Edwardsville, 

 St. Clair county, succeeding Alvin O. 

 Eckert; John T. Evans, Hoopeston, 

 Vermilion, succeeding W. A. Dennis, 

 and R. V. McKee, Varna, Marshall, 

 succeeding Albert Hayes. 



Introduced at the annual meeting 

 was Arnold P. Benson, Batavia, the 

 new state director of agriculture. He 

 was assistant state treasurer prior to 

 his appointment to his new position. 

 In introducing Director Benson, Mr. 

 Smith reviewed his Senate record and 

 declared he believed Benson was qual- 

 ified for his new post. 



Reprasanting an assortment el counties 

 is this group chatting in lobby during 

 lAA convention. Left to right: B. E. 



Yung, Macon: L S. Griffith. Lee: W. H. 

 Droste, St. Clair; T. R. Isaacs. Mason: G. 

 W. Diireen. lAA; C. E. Humphrey. Hearr> 



DECQ4BER, 1945 



