The Home Front
BOHN, WILLIAM E.
THE HOME FRONT By William E. Bohn The Ladies from North Dakota THIS IS a double-barreled affair. The first part is about Russia, the second deals with North Dakota. And both of them were...
...I wouldn't say that this can happen "only in America...
...It is concentrated in the towns...
...My curiosity came awake in an instant...
...They have only 18,000 members— and those are all they need...
...I wanted to know what had become of western isolationism...
...One of them was Mrs...
...I soon found out...
...You will hear from Quentin Burdick...
...They proved not at all unwilling to tell me what had happened and how they had covered the distance from 'North Dakota to New York...
...They are actively in favor of the reciprocal trade laws...
...Someone told me that there are 60 national units cooperating with the organization...
...There was, of course, an immense -amount of politeness...
...Who were they...
...They sang and told stories and exchanged their life experiences...
...We have just elected the first Democratic Senator in years...
...The only other national association which was represented at our convention was the Russian...
...Last year they delivered 4.5 million lectures in the 60 republics of Russia...
...I would say, however, that it can happen only in a democratic country...
...Clancy and her husband operate a half-seotion planted to wheat, flax and barley...
...Golounsky, the gentlemen from Moscow were right there in the front seats or on the platform at every meeting...
...Geneva Mosher, North Star Route, Lemon, N. D. Tlie other was Mrs...
...But our Russian opposite numbers have no such troubles...
...James Pato-n, the president of their union, is also at the head of the International Farmers and Producers Association— and world problems are discussed in their farm papers and meetings...
...They tell us we farmers have no right to be in politics...
...At a banquet, which was graced by the presence of our Russian friends, I also became acquainted with 22 bright and eager housewives from North Dakota...
...On the way, the travelers used a loudspeaker to read their union literature or books and pamphlets about the United Nations...
...They are all intellectuals, all lecturers, all leaders of the people...
...With two of these bright and communicative ladies I got acquainted very fast...
...John Clancy, Route 3, Valley City, N. D. Mrs...
...An American delegation had been entertained in Russia last summer...
...While they are having fun they are fitting themselves for community life...
...But there was left in the m;nds of American listeners the depressing picture of millions of poor Russians crowded into lecture halls, listening to authoritative expositions of international affairs...
...No one from New York or Philadelphia or anywhere else can talk more eagerly or intelligently about Asia or Africa or international trade than these women did...
...He is an internationalist, used to be our union counsel, is our own man...
...What were they up to...
...It bears the somewhat formidable name of American Association for the United Nations...
...The union secretary hired the bus and stood part of the expenses of the project...
...Mosher has reared eight children and runs a farm of 700 acres devoted to" grain and cattle...
...Some of the businessmen," my ladies said, "still can't see beyond the boundaries of their own country, but we are different...
...We Americans are working our heads off to get some of our fellow citizens to j oin, pay a few dollars in dues and take a little interest in the goings on in the gorgeous glass palace on the East River...
...In comparison with this, the 4.5 million Russian lectures sound pretty dreary...
...When I asked her whether it wouldn't be more agreeable to sell her land and move into town, she said, "No, this just keeps me busy...
...We wonder who has a better right...
...The fact that there were so many of them came to me as a shock...
...Led by a Mr...
...And both of them were inspired by a convention of an organization devoted to the promotion of intelligence about international affairs and, especially, about the United Nations...
...But when the solid-looking leader of the Soviet delegation got down to business and told us about the United Nations Association which he represented, we were in for a surprise...
...Isn't the West isolationist any more...
...So the land of the Soviets was thanked over and over again for the kindness with which our folks had been entertained...
...The automobile and the Farmers Union have socialized the people—especially the women—of these great level stretches of wheat and cattle land...
...And, naturally, the Russians were always thanking us for being so kind to them...
...Naturally, I asked about the two North Dakota Senators who have been againsters in Washington .for a long time...
...The union is back of the great change which is taking place and back, too, of this gay excursion of the 22 housewives...
...We belong to the Farmers Union.' And that proved to be the great secret...
...But I wanted to talk about politics...
...How many people piously lent an ear we were not told...
...Mrs...
...There are middle-aged women, some of them comfortably plump, but they are full of life and enterprise...
...That's all over now," my ladies said...
Vol. 41 • December 1958 • No. 46
