Washington, Mar, 4.
The Agriculture Committee of the Senate has decided to consult Mr. J. V. A. MacMurray, until lately United States Minister to China, and Mr. John B. Payne, Chairman of the Red Cross Society, regarding the proposal of the Farm Board to buy $25,000,000 worth of corn to send to China for famine relief.—Reuter.
Washington, Mar. 6.
Disapproval of Senator W. H. MeMastex's proposal to send G.$25, 000,000 worth of American grain to China was voiced by two high authorities in evidence given to-day before the Senate Agricultural Committee, The first witness was John Van A, MacMurray, former U.S. Minister to Peking. He expressed the opinion that the MeMaster scheme was impracticable, John Barton Payne, chairman of the American Red Cross, said that thousands of bushels of grain are already rotting in China because lack of rail transportation to convey them to the famine victims, Mr. Payne's reference is understood to refer to the recent that there are extensive sidetracked and sprouti Peking. Military "hogging" of the rail facilities was blamed, in dispatches from Peking to Washington, for the fact that this grain was being allowed to go to waste while hundreds of thousands starved.
Senator McMaster, who comes from South Dakota, suggested some days ago that Western wheat should be purchased with $25,000,000 to be appropriated by the Federal Farm Board and repaid by the National Government of China within a decade. Such a course, he believed, would relieve famine and also aid, the Western grain farmers, Mr. Legge, Chairman of the Farm Board, in a statement issued to-day, says that the Grain Stabilization Corporation will continue to buy wheat at market prices and to remove from the market whatever additional quantity might be necessary to relieve the pressure and prevent a decline of prices.
The Grain Stabilization Corporation, he says, is prepared to take delivery of all grain futures purchased and to dispose of it as market conditions permit, The Farm Board, Mr. Legge continues, is prepared to advance to this Corpor: whatever funds are necessary, Mar. 7.
Wide interest has bee among farmers and polit the McMaster Bill proposing to spend G.§25,000,000 for American wheat to be distributed to famine relief sufferers sare that of proponents of the measure will appear for the next hearing by the Senate Agricultural give testimony contradicting the unfavourable views voiced yesterday by John Van A. MacMurray, former Minister to China, and John Barton Payne, chairman of the American Red Cross.
'Mr. MacMurray and' Mr. Payne express themselves as admitting that relief is needed but of the belief that adequate distribution of grain is impossible, Senator W. H. McMaster said to-day that he is optimistic over the prospects for passage of the Dill—United Press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.