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®be Atlanta Evi-WcckU Journal VOL. XXIII. .NO. 6. NATION’S FARMERS DEMANDING RELIEF ‘Mixed Baby 9 Case Will Go to a Jury; Hospital Is Scored Judge Gives Pittmans Tem porary Custody of Tiny Louise Madeline Pending Verdict » t Excoriating the “system” of hand ling new-born babies at the Grady hospital and declaring that unless it is remedied it were better to “put a torch to the institution,” Judge George L. Bell, of the Fulton supe rior court, on Tuesday made empor ary disposition of Atlanta’s famous "mixed baby” case by awarding ’he temporary custody of Louise Made ”-,6, the little girl over whom the tontroversy has arisen, to Mr. and Mrs. Dan’-’ L. Pittman, and setting the case to be tried before a Jury at the ndxt term of ...... ilton superior court. abrupt ending of the hearing before Judge Bell came when he ad mitted an amendment to the writ of habeas corous by counsel for and Mrs. John C. Garner, who claim that Louise Madeline is their child and not the Pittmans*. The amendment prayed that the court allow ->se to ffe tried before a jury to settle the legal parentage ,of Louise Madeline, who, the Garners contend, was born to Mrs. Ga- at the Grady hospital and given to Mrs. Pittman, who gave birth to a child on the same day at the same hospital. Judge Bell’s decision, admitting the amendment, awarding . the tem porary custody of Louise Madeline to the Pittmans and sending the ■■ ise to a jury, followed exhaustive argument by counsel on both sides. Attorney James W. Austin, for the Pittmans, contended that the court was with out jurisdicti6n to turn the case over to a jury and cited several decisions in support of his argumdnt. Attor ney William Arnaud, representing the Garners, insisted that the court could properly permit a jury to >ass upon the question of fact involved in the controversy over the parent age of Louise Madeline. Arraigns Hospital System No more scathing arraignment has *ver been heard from the bench in the Fulton super+or court than was delivered by Judge Bell’against the "system or lack of system” in vogue at the Grady hospital for the han dling of new-born infants. He took pains to say, however, that he had no criticism of tne institution as such; thab.it served a noble pur pose and deserved the support of the public, but that his remarks were directed against the “system.” Judge Bell likewise declared that he had no criticism to make of Superintend-, ent Steve Johnson, "a good nan. a conscientious man and my personal triend.” "Grady hospital is a great insti tution,” said Judge Bell, “an(l 1 am proud of it. It deserves the support of the public, for it is doing a noble work. “But if I were a woman and were, expecting a baby I would go out into the w-oods to be delivereil, I would not take a chance on going to the 'Grady hospital and let their ‘system’ destroy the identity of my baby. "They call it a ‘system,’ but«irom the evidence introduced at this hear ing, I have never seen or heard of such a rotten, vicious system. Wom en lying helpless in their beds can’t tell their children apart because the ‘system’ fails to properly identify them. Why, it has been testified here that babies have gone without tags for a week. “If this condition is not remedied, It were better to put a torch to the Grady hospital and avoid the Possi bility of a recurrence of such a hor rible situation as is presented in this case. No matter w’hat the result of this case may be, a terrible cloud Will be thrown over the lives of two families and the innocent little baby which is the cause of the contro versy. It is a horrible thing and the ‘system’ is to blame for it all. It must be stopped. Thanks All Parents "There must be some way to stop such heart-rending occurrences as this- , “I want to thank Mr. and x Mrs. Pittman and Mr. and Mrs). Garner for their attitude during the hearing of this case,” continued the judge. •‘Their attitude and Conduct has been Remarkable. They have taken the gane, sensible view of the matter and have tried in an orderly way to determine the facts in the case and arrive at a definite, legal solution of their problem. I also want to thank counsel on bth sides for their atti tude in the case. They have en deavored to assist the court in han dling an entirely new situation and one that is of the most vital char acter. “Let me make it plain that I have no criticism to nti<e of the Grady hospital as an institution. It is the •system’ that I am The system must be changed. Neither have I anything to say against Su perintendent Steve Johnson, a good man, a conscientious man and my friend.” 1 ' Judge Bell then passed his formal order, awarding the temporary custody of Louise Madeline to the Pittmans, who have had her all the time, and fixing the date of the jury trial for November 1 in his own division of the Fulton superior court. “I want to preside in this case my self,” said the judge, “I don’t want to shift the responsibility to some body else.” Attorr >y Austin, injmediately aft er the passing of the formal order, made formal objection for the pur pose of getting tjie matter in shapd to be taken to the higher courts if such a course is decided upon. He indicated that he might take the case to the court of appeals on a fast bill of exceptions and in this event the trial of the case in the Fulton superior court would be delayed un til the higher court had made a de cision. Exception to Ruling A conference will be held by Judge Bell and Attorneys Austin and Ar naud to determine whether the trial shall be held on November 1, as planned, or whether the court of ap peals shall be given an opportunity to say whether the case should be tried before a jury. r Attorney/ Austin, in his objection, ook exception to the judgment of he court that the case was properly (Continued on Page 7, Column 3) POUU RD SWEICETm EFFECT ISDOUBTFUJL Non-Militaristic Elements of Both Sides Predominate, Duration of the Peade Is Problematical Z BY ISAAC DON LEVINE (Special Cable to the Chicago Daily News Foreign Service, by Leased Wire to The Atlanta Journal.) (Copyright, 1920.) ( RIGA, Latvia, Oct. 13.—“ How long will it last?” was the question hover ing over the peace table when at 7:30 o’clock last night the Polibh and Soviet delegates affixed their signa tures to the preliminary peace' and armistice pacts. “Can a peace cut ting Russia off from Germany and delivering to Toland 4,000,000 Rus sians be permanent?" was another question in the minds of Soviet sym pathizers. Jn the host of observers present were several who since 1918 have publicly advocated the resurrection of the Poland which was (criminally partioned by Catherine the Great. The same men witnessing the Polish- Russian peace concluded here won dered whether young Poland had not followed Catherine’s grievous policy. The delegates supplied no answers to these questions. True, as com pared with the solemn faces of the Soviet envoys, the Polish representa tives looked happy. In their closing speeches, the heads of the delegations. Adolph Joffe, for the Bolsheviki, and Jan Dombski. for the Poles, struck Af ferent'note's. 'M. Joffe omitted giv ing his opinion of the but paid a personal tribute to M. Dombski’s peace efforts. “In six days,” M. concluded, “the military operations will cease completely and both peoples will themselves see that the war Is not renewed. Legally peace is not yet in effect, but actually it already ex ists in the hearts of the people on both sides.” “This peace,” said M. Dombski in reply, “is based only on right prin ciples, namely, honor and justice. It is a peace without victors or van quished and this guarantees its dur ability. The soldiers will soon re turn to their homes, bloodshed end ing and constructive work beginning.” The text of the treaty signed last night differs from the summary pre viously cabled regarding the time for ratification. This was finally changed from twenty-five days to three weeks. Concerning the gold questions the Poles refused to take 5,000,000 rubles ($2,500,000), leaving the matter to be settled at the final peace negotiations. Militarists in each deljgation op posed the agreement, Dombski and Joffre being looked upon as repre senting the pacifist elements in tneir respective countries. The militant communists held that the ueace fa vored by Joffre was an -unwarrant ed Capitulation. Fearing the effect of the,. approaching hard winter th<? extreme-communists favored the con tinuation of the war. That would enable them to tell the Russian peo ple that the responsibility for the added suffering rested not on the soviet government, but on Poland and France. On the other hand, the Polish militarists, believing that the soviet government was near a col lapse and regarding Dombski’s tri umph as a blow, to their power, also opposed peace. The present red offensive against General Wrangel strengthened the militant communists. On the other hand, Frapce, worrying ovfcr what might happen to General Wrangel, exerted her influence to block an im mediate peace, altncugh the crea tion of a Polish corridor separating Russia from Lithuania and Germany is considered a French diplomatic victory. For quite opposite reasons Britain dislikes the present peace agreement. The Lithuanian delegates here are aroused against both Poland and Russia. While protesting against the Polish invasion of Lithuania and the attack on Vilna, they also charge the soviet governmen' with violating the recent Russo-Lithuan ian peace agreement by surrender ing to Poland Lithuanian territciy for the ccrridar to Latvia. Follow ing tne example of Lithuania, the Ukranian, eastern Galician and White Russian delegations here issued pro tests against the disposal of their territories by Poland and Russia, '“he L’kranians' are especially aroused over Poland’s recognition of the Ukrainian soviet government. Cox Will Speak Near Harding’s Front Porch ENROUTE WITH GOVERNOR COX. LAFAYETTE. Ind.. Oct. 13. Governor Cox will speak next Fri day within a few blocks of Sena tor Harding’s front porch at Ma rion, 0., it was announced today. Governor Cox will stop there en route from Columbus to Detroit. DEMOCRATS MOVE TO DISRUPT E. 0. P. WITH LfflE ISSUE Strategy Is to Drive Wedge Between Republicans Fa voring and Those Opposing Covenant BY DAVID LAWRENf’T (Leased Wire Service in The Journal.) (Copyright, 1920.) NEW YORK, Oct. 13.—Democratic strategy for October —the critical month < f every presidential cam paign—is to drive a wedge between those Republicans who favor and those who oppose the present League of Nations. President Wilson has gotten into the fight actively. This is all by pre-arrangement. When Governor Cox talked with Mr. Wilson at the White House just after the San Francisco convention, it was agreed that the Ohio governor should open the campaign with a series of speeches in ihe west and that in the meantime the president should remain silent. The idea was that there should be no confusion in the, public mind as to the identity of the leader of the Democratic parly. Indeed. Governor Cox was to ex pound his doctrines of leac’evshin. The statement from Mr. Wilson that he was in entire accord with Governor Cox on the peace treaty and League of Nations was generally construed as a surrender by Govern or Cox to the president, but the fact of the matter that the Democratic nominee told Mr. Wilson his views aif dthe president expressed no ob jection to the plan of campaign or the ideas on reservations to the peace treaty which Governor Cox mentioned. Time for Wilson to Enter Now the western trip is over and Governor Cox has given to the peo ple his own views on the treaty and other Issues unembarrassed by any concurrent statement from the White House. The time has arrived, how ever, when the president can enter the campaign. Governor Cox wants him to do so. The issuance of u statement denying what Senator Spencer said about the proceedings of the peace Confefence and alleged promises to give American military aid to Roumania and Serbia was the first step. The controversy Which ensued will be cleared up by the president in a day or two. Unquestionably it has been badly handled. The facts are coming out. As usual aoth sides had justification for what they said. Senator Spencer took a newspaper account purporting to give an ac curate copy of what the president said. Mr. Wilson himself knew he had never made such promises.' The writer attended the Paris peace con ference and remembers the ty which everybody experienced in getting an accurate transcript cf what was the open sessions. Chance for Errors This was because half of tjie pro ceedings was in French and the oth er half in English. As soon as Pres ident Wilson finished speaking, Lieu tenant Mantoux, of the French army, a remarkable interpreter, would arise and repeat in French from memory— almost verbatim but not actually, of course—everything that had been said in English. '"V The interpreter reinforced his memory with Jong hand notes as he himself was not a stenographer, but while he did an extraordinary piece of work, sometimes repeating speeches of a half hour’s length without interruption—he did not get the precise meanings of many of the English words. When the presi dent himself said that so far as he knew, no actual stenographic tran script of his speech was in exist ence, he had in mind, undoubtedly, the fact that what Lieutenant Man toux said was taken down by French stenographers and possibly trans lated into English. The copy which Senator Spencer saw was obtained from French sources and the existence of an American version was unknown un til Fred Carlson, of Chicago, an American stenographer, told that he had taken the proceedings in short hand and was forwarding a copy to the White House. Correspondence With Taft The discrepancy appears to be be tween a specific promise of American military aid to Rumania and the sending of a fleet to Europe as re ported by Senator Spencer, and a general promise that if the world should be troubled again as it was in 1917 and American rights were violated, the United States would not hesitate to send a fleet and an army to Europe once more to save civili zation. This is practically the same thing as Senator Knox included in his famous paragraph five in the resolution he wrote as a substitute for the League of Nations But the issuance of the documents showing how President Wilson was frequent cable communication with former President Taft during the peace conference is plainly in tended by the Democrats and by the president himself as a refuta tion of the oft-repeated charge that he never consulted anybody or that he wanted the pact ratified without the crossing of a “t” or the dotting of an “i” exactly as he wrote it. The white house has plenty of let ters from Herbert Hoover, too, which if published may place him in an embarrassing position before the country. Hunger Strike Wins! Dog Starves for Master SACRAMENTO.—Here’s a hun ger striker that succeeded. David Mcßee, miner, was in jail here charged with having set a forest fire. Foresters found Mcßee’s 16- year-old dog at his cabin starving to death and broken-hearted at the loss of his master. They had Mcßee re leased and the miner sent back to feed his pet. “We ain't been parted a single day in all the time we been together till now,” said Mcßee of the dog. ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1920. Forth to Go get those. Oto plutocrats, a / HEJ-P THE ( NATTOAJ sass FOR DEMOCRACY Ztl PW j xx 5 * - ■ ----- ■ . ' BULLET SLAYS TROLLEY HEAD MAKING ARREST In an effort to arrest J. C. Knight, a conductor on the Luckie street-Mc- Daniel street car line, J. M. Means, assistant superintendent of trans portation for the Georgia Railway death about 10 o’clock Tuesday morn 'ing, which Knight turned his pistol upon himself. Versions differ as to whether Mr. Means, who had long been connected with the power company and who was universally popular, was delib erately shot by Knight or whether he was killed in a scuffle over Knight’s pistol when the conductor attempted to commit suicide. P. D. Reed, the only man in the of fice at the time of the shooting, quotes Mr. Means as saying “He shot 3e,*' while Knight declares that Mr. eans was killed in a scuffle over the gun. “I admit the shortage," was sub stantially the statement Knight made to The Journal. “I wanted to kill myself insteau of submitting to the shame tof being placed under arrest. I tried to shoot myself and Mr. Means tried to take the g'un away from me. He was shot while we scuffled over the gun,” W. N. FOREACRE, SOUTHERN ROAD, DIES SUDDENLY ASHEVILLE, N. C., Oct. 12.—W. N. Foreacre, general manager of lines east for the Southern railway, was found dead in his private car at Hen dersonville, at 6:50 o’clock this morn ing by his porter. Acute indigestion was assigned by physicians as the cause. He had been dead about t&o hours, it was said, when the porter went to his room on the car to call him. He was sitting in a chair in his night clothes with a light on. Cleveland Team Wins Baseball Championship Over Brooklyn Nine The Cleveland team, pennant win ners in the American league, became the 1920 baseball champions of the world Tuesday by taking the decid ing game of the annual post-season series from the Brooklyn club, rep resenting the National league. The score of the decisive strug gle was 3 to 0 in favor of Cleve land. Coveleskie, who had already be come a hero by pitching two win ning games for Tris Speaker’s “In dians,” registered his third victory. Grimes, former Southern ■ league hurler, pitched a creditable game for Brooklyn but his team-mates were unable to produce any runs. ’ Tuesday’s victory gave Cleveland five victories out of the seven games played. They won on Monday by 1 to 0. The last four games were played in the champions home town. Tremendous throngs watched the se ries. Each member of the Cleveland club will receive close to $4,500 from the gate receipts, while the losing Brooklynites will each diraw about $3,000. ENLIST THEM IN THE CAUSE BOGUS MAJOR IS FACING JURY ON FRAUD CHARGES Sensational testimony describing how Ray Vincent, a discharged Fort McPherson private, masqueraded as a wounded major of Infantry with a brilliant overseas record and won his way into the home of a well-kpown Atlantian while he was serving in France with the army Y. M. C. A., frequently calling on his young wife and obtaining from her large sums of money, Liberty bonds and other property, were told to a jury in fed eral court Wednesday. r The case went to the jury at 1 o’clock. Although fourteen wit nesses had been subpoenaed by the government, the prosecution rested after placing four witness on the stand. Vincent was not permitted by his council to testify, Attorney John Y. Smith stating that in his opinion, testimony by the defendant would have no bearing on the jury’s verdict for the reason that the gov ernment had utterly failed to show any intent on his part to defraud Mrs. Dougherty. Two indictments against the de fendant were produced. To the first, which charges the unlawful wearing of the United States army uniform, a plea of guilty was entered by At torney John Y. Smith for Vincent. To the second indieffnent, which charges Vincent with using the uni form to defraud-Mrs. D. O. Dougher ty, of 19 Prado, out of sums of money and property, the , defense pleaded “not guilty.” / Fourteen witnesses fdr the govern ment, and one for the defendant were sworn and then ordered sequestered on motion of the defense. Assistant District Attorney Paul Carpenter introduced the army serv ice record of Vincent in evidence, which showed his service was limit ed to six months at Fort McPherson as a private soldier, and that he was discharged July 16, 1918, several weeks before his unit received em barkation orders. Husband Hurries Back The first witness called was D. O. Dougherty. J£e told or his departure for France in September, 1917, and said he left $3,100 in an Atlanta bank, an automobile, the key to his safety deposit vault which contained a number of Liberty Bonds, and other property, in possession of his -wife. “I wanted her and the two chil dren to be well provided for while I was away,” he told the jury. The witness said he had been in France nearly seven months when he re ceived information from Atlanta which caused him,to hurry home. On his arrival, he said, he found that he was financially wrecked; that his money, Liberty Bondfc, automobile and even the kev to his bank vult and his watch, were gone. He said he found the defendant enjoying prosperity. "My wife gave me a note for $1,400 which she had taken from Vincent as security for some of the numer ous loans she made him,” the wit ness went on. "I at once sought him and secured the possession of two automobiles, handing him back this note.” Mr. Dougherty Identified photo (Continued on Rage 7, Column SLAYER OF BABY SHOWS WHERE HE DISPOSED ,OF IT HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. I?.—Au gust Pasquale, self-confessed kidnap er of Blakely Coughlin, today took Captain Samuel Gearhart, of the state police, to a spot along the Schuylkill river below Norristown, where he declared he had thrown the body of the child, and a diver found a of rail and some string which he alleged he had tied to the child whejf he hurled it into the stream, according to a statement made today by Major Lynn G. Adams, superin tendent of the state police. The search for the body is being continued by the diver, the major said. Major Adams also said Pasquale had confessed to killing a woman about sixty years old at 608 North Eighth street, Philadelphia, last spring, and to stealing S3OO. The news of the search was tele phoned to the superintendent from Norristown and simultaneously the statement regarding the Philadelphia n/irder was issued. SEARCHERS DIG V AINLY FOR BODY OF BABY EGG HARBOR, N. J., Oct. 12. Spaded earth in spots here and there near here today marked the trail of the searchers for s he body of baby Blakely Coughlin, hastily buried four months ago by his kid naper, August Pasquale. A grim little searching party hunted for hours around the place where Pasquale, according to his statement to Major Lynn G. Adams, placed the infant’s bodv after he had accidentally smothered it by but toning it under his coat while he tied from the Coughlin home at Nor ristown. Pa. George H. Coughlin, father of the baby, was the grimmiest of all the group. Stern and with a set ex pression, he stood close by while members of the Pennsylvania state constabulary, under direction of Captain Gearhardt, spaded up the earth. They hunted all around a shack once occupied by Pasquale, and also dug at various places in the bungalow colony—now deserted by the Rummer cottagers—but with out coming across a trace of the little victim. NORRISTOWN, Pa., Oct. 13.-r- Magistrate Lenhardt indicated today that a lunacy commission may be appointed to investigate tXe mental condition of August Pasquale, con fessed kidnaper and slayer of Baby Blakely Coughlin. The various con fessions made by Pasquale are con sidered symptoms of a disordered mind. “About Played Out,” MacSwiney Says on 62d Day of Fast LONDON. Oct. 13. —Terence Mac- Swiney, lord mayor of Cork, did not have a good night at Brixton prison, according to a bulletin issued today by the Irish Self-Determination League. It is declared a doctor in attendance found him perceptibly weaker this morning and that his mind was not as clear as it has been since he began his hunger strike. “I feel I am about played out,” U a statement repeatedly made by th3 lord mayor, according tq' Father Dominic., his private chaplain, who is quoted by the Herald, organ of la.bor. MacSwiney today began the sixty second day of his hunger strike- Farm Heads Meet In Washington to Aid Agriculture lIGHT RIDERS' fflW FEE PROSECUTION BTU.S.GOVERNMENT Posting of Gins and Violence in Cotton Belt Referred to Department of Justice for Action WASHINGTON, Oct. 13.—Federal prosecution of "night riders” and others responsible for the burning jof cotton and cotton gins in the southern states will be ordered if an investigation started today dis closes violation of any federal laws. Department of justice agents have been instructed to investigate and report immediately Instances where federal laws appear to have been vio lated. In most cases, officials believed the outrages have constituted crimes only under state laws, but the In-, vestigatlon was ordered when it was Indicated there might have been in terference with shipments in inter state commerce. A special committee of the con vention of agricultural 'interests in s- here decided tonight to rec ommend that the convention adopt a resolution tomorrow denouncing the work of night riders and others in cotton states. The committee res ol will dec,., e that activi ties of those responsbile for the burning of cotton and cotton gins and for threats o& violence are cal culated to hinder rather than help rehabilitation of the cotton market. While no further reports had been received Wednesday of the posting bf warnings at cotton gins in Geor gia, there was no slackening In the efforts of the authorities to establish me identity of the parties who have thus far posted tnreats to destroy gins which remain in operation while cotton stands at its present market price. ' The posting of gins in Georgia has apparently been confined to certain sections of the- state and the move ment has not become general. The authorities believe it is the result ’ of a “wave” originating in Texas apd ‘ traveling eastward through the cot ton belt. When it spends its force, 1 they say, the fanatical element will ’ subside 1 The Associated Press sent out the ‘ following general account of the sit ‘ uation in the cotton belt: “The federal authorities have tak ’ en cognizance of the activities of night riders in the south, who are waging a campaign to keep cotton off the market until it reaches a price ’ of forty cents a pound by threaten ing to destroy gins whose owners ignore warnings to discontinue oper ’ ation until that price is realized. "The department of justice an nounced its agents in the affected : areao had been instructed to inves tigate instances where federal laws relating to interference with ship ments in interstate commerce might 1 have t-ee'i violated. “Departmerit of 'justice agents have been investigating the destruc tion of a compress and warehouses at Cameron, Tex.. Sunday morning, with a loss estimated at $1,000,000, according to A. J. Dossett, owner of the property, who returned to Waco • from Cameron. ! “The burning of two more gins in Texas was reported. One at Pursley was destroyed Tuesday night with a loss placed at $6,000, while the other, at Branchville, near Cam eron, was burned Monday night with a loss of approximately $12,000. Both fires are believed to have been of incendiary origin. , “Flames were discovered at the Fort Smith, Ark., compress Tuesday night. It was the third fire in a pe riod of two weeks, at this point, but there was nothing! to indicate a wil- , ful attempt at its destruction. “The posting of warnings on gins in Arkansas is continuing 1 , operators at Lavaca, near Fort Smith, discov er ng placards on their plants with this inscription: “ ‘Don't start this gin until sixty days. If the wheels turn you know the results—unless the price gets right.’ “Guards were placed about the gins- and the owners were to confer today with farmers to determine what course to pursue. “Several additional gins in Morgan county, Alabama, were idle yester day after the receipt of warnings to discontinue ginning. “Up to a late hour there had been no reports of the receipt of furthe warnings bv ginners in Georgia and South Carolina.” King Alexander Is in Critical Condition as Result of Monkey Bite ATHENS, Oct. 13.—(8y the Asso ciated Press.)—Only the strong con stitution of King Alexander of Greece is relied upon by his phy sicians to bring him through the crisis of his illness resulting from the bite of a monkey a short time ago. It was admitted at the palace that the king had entered into -the critical phase of his illness. The government, alarmed at the serious turn in the king’s condition, discussed the question of a regency, and decided that the council of min isters would take up the task of administering the country in the event of the king’s condition becom ing worse. The statement was the first inti mation that the physicians in at tendance were relying only on the strong constitution of King Alexan der, who is only twenty-seven years old, to save him. Scents a copy. $1.50 A YEAR. Relief in -Present Crisis Sought Through Confer ences With President Wil son, Cabinet and Reserve Board The Atlanta Journal News Bureau, 623 Rigg-s Building. BY THEODOBE TILLEB WASHINGTON, Oct. 13.—“ General Bankruptcy and ruin are inevitable” unless some immediate remedy is found to relieve the present price situation as it afltects the farmer, says a report submitted to the agri cultural conference here today by a general committee appointed to study the situation. The report was .adopt ed by the conference without a dis senting vote. T , * The committee blames the federal reserve system for present prlcesj charging that It “has arbitrarily withheld from assisting the basic Industry of this country to maintain a levei vi prices that at least meets the cost of production.” Declaring that the condition of the mind of the farm population is “om inous," the committee says "this state of mind can only be changed by a frank and fair attitude ;on the part of those In authority—the test of which can be only their acts.” The federal reserve board will hold a conference with the general com mittee at 4 o’clock this afternoon. Senator Overman reported to the convention. Secretary of the Treas ury Houston will meet the commit tee at 10:30 tomorrow morning, Mr. Overman said. The demands call for a lowerin'* of the rediscount rate of the federa' reserve banks and expansion of credits. # Vitally Needed Loans Restricted The report was prepared by a cbm mittee representing farmers from many states both in the wheat ami cotton belt in convention here at the cell of the national board of farm organizations. The report scores Secretary Houston and other govern ment officials for announcing that a price decline is in progress, which, the report said, caused banks of the country to restrict loans vitally needed by farmers. "Current market prices for farm products are below the cost of pro duction,” the report read, “and un less some immediate remedy is found to relieve the situation, general bankruptcy and ruin are inevitable. The conditions now facing the agri cultural interest of America «are not confined to any one section or any one product. “In our judgment it Is wrong as a matter of policy artificially to press down prices and it is particularly wrong to begin with the raw com modities. “The condition of agriculture is now desperate. The condition of mind of the farm population is omi nous. Producers of all crops have come to feel that the hand of the government is against them.- “It is no concern of the federal reserve system or of the treasury department what the producers o the country may determine is a fair price.” Signers of the report are J. J. Brown, of Georgia; ( J. A. McParren, Pennsylvania: Fred ’Roberts, Texas; Frederick Shangle, Pennsylvania; A. D. Washington, D.* C.\ Clarejnce S. Kates, Pennsylvania; Charles W. Holman, Wisconsin; John Tromble, Kansas; Senator E.- D. Smith, South Carolina; Roy O. Young, Louisiana; T. C. Atkesirfi, West Virginia; T. R. Kilkenny, Ari zona, and J. S. Wannamaker, South Carolina. Responsibility Placed. The report of the committee says the present situation was brought about by the-following official acts: "Restriction of credits. - “Raising the rate of discount on farm products. "Discontinuance of the war finance corporation. “The statements given out by the secretary of the treasury, the gov ernor of the federal reserve board and the federal reserve banks have been construed to the effect that com modity prices, particularly th*e price of farm products, were coo hign and that a pre-war basis, or an ap proximation of a pre-war basis of prices must be reached within a short time. The consequent effect of these utterances upon the member banks of the federal reserve system and the banking industry of the coun try generally, was cause them to withhold such accommodations as they might otherwise effect, Lecause of the fear that the security taken would necessarily decline. “The action of the federal feserve board In counting the bonds held Ly member banks as part of the com mercial credit of the banks holding these bonds, thereby enormously de creasing the power of such banks, to extend the needed credits to the/ag ricultural interests of their respec tive communities. “Your committee feels,chat the of ficials of the treasury department and the federal reserve system have ex ceeded their authority when they publicly announced opinion as to prices of farm products which have resulted in disastrous price de cline.” Punctlon of Reserve System. The committee further reports that it is of the opinion “that the func tions of these institutions, as ex pressed in the law, are to discharge the duties imposed on them by the law and spirit of the law, regard less of what effect it may nr may not have upon the markets of the coun- (Contlnusd on Rags *?, Column 4)