h 



Summary of 



Adopted by 



Foreword 



With confusion and unrest prevailing 

 throughout the world, and much of human- 

 ity despairingly searching for some bedrock 

 of principle upon which they may place 

 their trust, the United States of America, 

 which emerged from the war as the leading 

 nation of the world, must assume the fate- 

 ful responsibility of world leadership. 



To faithfully discharge the obligations 

 which that position of leadership imposes 

 we must first of all put our own house in 

 order. Today we are on trial before all 

 the nations of the world. 



The overwhelming economic need today 

 is production, and ever more production, to 

 create the goods and services without which 

 civilization cannot make further progress. 



The future welfare of the entire world 

 is in peril. Spiritual progress awaits eco- 

 nomic recovery. The hour grows late. May 

 we, iii Christian humility, and in devotion 

 to the principles that have made America 

 great, so conduct ourselves that we may 

 attain, and hold for all time to come, the 

 position of world eminence that destiny has 

 so clearly marked for us! 



International Cooperation 



The farmers of the American Farm 

 Bureau Federation re-dedicate themselves to 

 the nation's task of leading a war-torn 

 and war-weary world to peace and security. 



At this crucial stage in world history, 

 our nation today occupies a strategic posi- 

 tion of world leadership. 



If we are to meet these responsibilities 

 successfully, we must maintain our strength 

 and play our full part in world affairs. 



The American Farm Bureau Federation 

 has supported and will continue to aggres- 

 sively support the full participation of the 

 tJnited States in the United Nations Organi- 

 zation. 



We particularly commend the policy of 

 our government in providing for bi-partisan 

 representation of Congress in the llnited 

 States delegation to the United Nations. 

 We urge that this bipartisian national unity 

 in foreign affairs be continued and that the 

 same policy be extended to the activities 

 of our government in dealing with inter- 

 national economic problems and conferences. 



Immediate steps should be taken by 

 United Nations members to develop and put 

 into operation eflFective plans for an inter- 

 national military police force, as provided 

 in the United Nations Charter, to maintain 

 and enforce the peace. 



An integral component for winning the 

 peace must include a workable plan for the 

 control of atomic energy, guided missiles, 

 and deadly bacteria. 



Similarly, practical plans should be de- 

 veloped by the United Nations for the re- 

 duction and control of armaments. Such 

 plan must be binding on all nations. 



To be eflFective, plans for the control of 

 atomic energy and for the reduction and 

 control of armaments must be accompanied 

 by adequate provisions for international in- 

 spection and enforcement measures by the 



United Nations Organization. Care must be 

 exercised that the veto power not be used 

 to nullify the eflFectiveness of this system of 

 inspection and enforcement. 



Greater attention should be given to the 

 development of international laws to pro- 

 vide a legal foundation for the peaceful and 

 just settlement of international disputes. 



We have supported, and will continue to 

 support, the full participation of the United 

 States in the International Bank, the Inter- 

 national Monetary Fund, the Economic and 

 Social Council, the Food and Agricultural 

 Organization, and other essential inter- 

 national organizations dealing with inter- 

 national economic and social problems. 



We heartily approve the policy adopted 

 by the President and the Department of 

 State in appointing representives of farm 

 organizations as advisers and full members 

 of the United States delegations to inter- 

 national conferences at Mexico City, Caracas, 

 Quebec, and Copenhagen. 



International Trade 



With farm production nearly one-third 

 above prewar production, agriculture more 

 than ever needs an expanded volume of 

 foreign trade to absorb its output. Industry 

 needs it to maintain full employment. 



A greatly expanded trade in essential 

 goods and services on a sound basis is a 

 primary perequisite to maintaining world 

 peace. 



The American Farm Bureau Federation fa- 

 vors gradual adjustment of trade barriers, 

 including tariffs, import quotas, currency 

 manipulation, restrictive rulings on product 

 specifications, and elimination of cartels 

 and other monopolistic devices to facilitate 

 trade. 



To discharge faithfully our great re- 

 sponsibilities as the leading nation of the 

 world, we must adopt foreign policies which 

 encourage industrialization of other nations. 

 The International Bank should make loans 

 for this purpose. 



We are sympathetic to the announced 

 principles of the proposed international 

 trade organization, insisting, however, that 

 agriculture be given a voice in making its 

 policies. 



We urge our officers and directors to 

 study the problem of stablizing prices of 

 major farm commodities entering world 

 trade, as well as the use of surplusses to 

 relieve malnutrition and human suffering; 

 and to confer with farm organizations of 

 other countries on these matters. 



We believe the use of international com- 

 modity agreements, coordinated luder an 

 appropriate international agency, within 

 which agriculture has adequate representa- 

 tion, will be helpful in dealing with agri- 

 cultural surplusses. Immediate action on 

 this front is essential to handle surpluses 

 which are now in prospect. 



We reiterate our support of the principles 

 of reciprocal trade agreements. It has been 

 long recognized that our protective policies 

 have worked undue hardships on agricultural 

 producers. We must face the fact that farm 

 products constitute a shrinking percentage of 



our total exports and a growing percentage 

 of our total imports. In administering the 

 trade agreements program, equitable treat- 

 ment in adjusting trade barriers must be 

 given agricultural products. 



Foreign trade is essential to bring about 

 a sustained high level of employment, an 

 expanded volume of production, and an 

 increasing standard of living in this nation. 



Farm Program 



The future pattern of production and 

 distribution of agricultural commodities is 

 of paramount importance to all farmers. 

 It is extremely important that the gains 

 which have accrued to farmers as a result 

 of basic agricultural legislation enacted in 

 the past be preserved. It is equally im- 

 portant that American farmers, through 

 their farm organizations and representatives 

 in Congress, strive for the strengthening of 

 these laws which are the foundation of our 

 agricultural programs. Every possible step 

 must be taken to prevent the agricultural 

 economy from again experiencing a debacle, 

 such as followed World War I. An agri- 

 cultural economy with the uncertainties, 

 hardships, and deprivations of the late 

 'twenties and early 'thirties, cannot again 

 be tolerated. 



We recognize the necessity for adjust- 

 ments in the agricultural program to meet 

 changing conditions. We urge that thorough 

 studies be undertaken immediately of pro- 

 grams for basic agricultural commodities and 

 other commodities to determine what improve- 

 ments and modifications are required in 

 order to develop a permanent long-time 

 agricultural program that will be more 

 nearly self-sustaining and which will effec- 

 tively assist in correcting the basic causes 

 of disparity between agriculture, labor, and 

 industry. 



Farmers believe in an economy of abun- 

 dance and stand ready to join with industry 

 and labor to achieve maximum production 

 and maximum employment through price 

 policies and wage policies which are geared 

 to a maximum level of consumption. 



Whenever surpluses approach unmanage- 

 able proportions, it is imperative that farm- 

 ers have necessary machinery to control and 

 adjust these supplies to total demands of 

 markets so as to prevent the wrecking of 

 farm prices, the destruction of farm pur- 

 chasing power, and the resulting unbalanced 

 national economy. 



The American Farm Bureau Federation 

 believes in the principles and objectives of 

 soil conservation, acreage adjustments, and 

 marketing quotas when needed, commodity 

 loans and surplus disposal, as provided by 

 basic agricultural legislation. We favor the 

 continuation of crop insurance, but urge its 

 use only with regional adjustments and on 

 sound actuarial basis. 



We insist that the life of the Commodity 

 Credit Corporation be extended. Sufficient 

 funds must be made available to carry out 

 the loan, support, and other programs 

 authorized by law. We are opposed to 

 the use of CCC or other public funds for 

 consumer subsidies in lieu of fair prices. 

 We urge that the Agricultural Marketing 

 Agreements Act in 19J7 be strengthened to 

 permit the use of marketing agreements and 

 orders when the average farm price of a 

 commodity is above parity where necessary 

 to establish and maintain minimum stand- 

 ards of quality, maturity, and inspection re- 

 quirements for agricultural commodities. We 

 further recommend that the provisions of the 

 Marketing Agreements Act be extended to 

 all agricultural commodities whenever the 

 producers of any agricultural commodity de- 

 sire to utilize the provisions of this Act. 

 We insist that the Government's com- 



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